There is still time to register children for Camp Village Books. The week-long, half-day camp for kids ages seven through 10 is from 1:00—5:00 p.m. Monday, July 31 to Friday, Aug. 4. Registrations must be received by Saturday, July 29. Camp VB is $129 per child for the entire week. Enrollment is limited to 10 campers.
Your kids will have a blast at Camp Village Books. Photo courtesy: Village Books.
Wise and wonderful Village Books staff will lead the children in themed activities that include hands-on projects, outdoor activities and field trips around Fairhaven. A snack is included. This year’s themes are:
Monday – Science Fun
Tuesday – Marine Life Day with a bus ride to the Marine Life Center
Wednesday – Food & Farm Day with a visit to Common Threads Farm
Thursday – Art Day with a visit to Ben Mann’s Studio
Friday – Fun in the Sun Day
Visit villagebooks.com for more information and to download a registration form. Or register in person at Village Books’ main counter.
Kids love to learn at Camp Village Books. Photo courtesy: Village Books.
About Village Books & Paper Dreams: Founded in 1980by Chuck and Dee Robinson and as of 2017 under new ownership and stewardship of Paul Hanson, Kelly Evert and Sarah Hutton, Village Books & Paper Dreams is a community-based, independent bookstore and gift shop with two locations: the flagship store in the historic Fairhaven district of Bellingham, and its second location in the historic Waples Mercantile Building in Lynden. Village Books has received many awards, including multiple Mayor’s Arts Awards, the Tourism Business of the Year by the members of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was recently named one of five finalists for the Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year. The store was also honored as the 2008 Outstanding Philanthropic Small Business in Washington state. Village Books’ mission is “building community, one book at a time,” which it does daily through a dedicated staff, by collaborating with numerous community organizations and through its Literature Live author event series, through which it hosts over 350 authors each year.
Camp Village Books is for children ages seven to 10. Photo courtesy: Village Books.
When engaging in outdoor recreation, participants should take care to respect Whatcom wildlife. Photo credit: Justin Pedigo | FC Photography.
We’re in the middle of summer now and the cold, endlessly rainy days of winter seem far away. But they won’t stay gone forever, so get out there and have some fun in the sun while you still can! Start by checking out these fun Whatcom County weekend events, including our great local farmers’ markets. Don’t forget to check our full events calendar for all the great local happenings this weekend.
WhatcomTalk aims to be your source for positive information and events happening in Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and throughout Whatcom County. If you have a suggestion for a post, send us a note at submit@whatcomtalk.com. For more events and to learn what’s happening in Bellingham and the surrounding area, visit our events calendar. To submit an event of your own, visit our events calendar and click on the green “Post Your Event” button.
Jaramie Thomas has found a niche at Satori's downtown Bellingham location. Photo credit: Dondi Tondro-Smith
Having grown up quickly in the small town of Elko, Nevada, Jaramie Thomas, now 38, moved to Washington State as a teenager to begin a new life. Since opening a medical marijuana dispensary in 2012, he’s found his niche at Satori, as a State Certified Medical Marijuana Consultant. He’s turned his passion for assisting clients in obtaining medical marijuana, into a side consulting business and a full-time job as one of Satori’s most knowledgeable and experienced staff members.
Arriving in the Marijuana Industry
Jaramie Thomas has found a niche at Satori’s downtown Bellingham location. Photo credit: Dondi Tondro-Smith
After Thomas’ stepfather got a job with LedCor Group in Vancouver, BC, the family relocated to Ferndale. He soon discovered an “altogether different weed culture,” which was less violent, much more welcoming, and provided a total lifestyle change. “It was very violent where we grew up. Even at a young age, people were getting stabbed and shot at school and there were a lot of drug cartels,” Thomas remembered.
One step can lead to an unexpected future. He knew after his first job he wanted to work smarter, not harder. Employment at Ace Rock and Gravel in Everett turned into a position at Alpha Technologies, who sent him to school to study small circuit electronics. Years later he began at Lowes as a delivery driver and worked his way up through management before he segued to remodeling and flipping homes. After the economic crisis of 2008, “I lost everything, my job, my retirement and we were in the middle of financing two more homes to remodel,” Thomas recounted. After working 70-hour weeks at gas stations just to make ends meet, he happened into Northern Lights Gardening.
Early Days of Medical Marijuana
The lobby at Grass Roots Collective- the last medical marijuana dispensary in Bellingham served over 2,000 patients. Photo courtesy: Jaramie Thomas
Thomas learned the industry by working with marijuana growers buying grow lights. “As the medical marijuana boom started happening, I was selling grow equipment to a lot of the people opening collective gardens and learning to grow marijuana from some really good gardeners,” Thomas said.
In 2013, Thomas opened Grass Roots Collective, a medical marijuana dispensary in Bellingham. “I started out as a delivery based service. I had a site on weedmaps (a medical marijuana directory) and I had my medical marijuana card. I formed a collective garden with two friends,” he said. In a short time, Thomas earned the money to open his own store. “It was just me and a 50/50 partner, until the sheriff closed me down in 2016.”
The Final Chapter in Medical Marijuana
Keeping up with changes in state marijuana law has been challenging within the marijuana industry. “When recreational marijuana became legal, the state gave dispensaries a deadline to close down,” Thomas said. But there was a stipulation. Pledges that medical marijuana would be sold at recreational marijuana stores didn’t happen. “Everything you see in the stores right now is recreational, there is no medical marijuana being sold,” Thomas said. Higher levels of THC in medibles (medical edibles) including Rick Simpson Oil and other concentrates, would allow for up to 500 mg of TCH.
Jaramie Thomas advises another happy customer at Satori. Photo credit: Dondi Tondro-Smith
Grass Roots Collective was the last hold out dispensary in Bellingham where patients could get high concentrates. “Most other dispensaries in the state were not collecting sales tax,” Thomas pointed out. That’s when the state stepped in. On July 22, 2016 the sheriff’s office called. If Thomas didn’t shut down by 5:00 p.m. that day, he would be charged with a felony. The sheriff came to shut down the business, yet acknowledged Thomas’ sterling reputation. “When the sheriff showed up, he was really nice. He saw that we’d been donating to the Retired Sheriff’s Fund, Agape and Lydia’s Place. I’m a recovering cancer patient myself, so we donated to cancer patients as well.”
Thomas was diagnosed with prostatitis and prostate cancer at the age of 28. After being misdiagnosed, a nurse practitioner was finally able to assess his symptoms and steer him toward treatment. “After the second round of chemotherapy, I got so sick, I stopped taking treatments on my own accord and started following the Phoenix Tears, Rick Simpson Oil treatment program and I’ve been in remission ever since,” Thomas attested. Thomas maintains a daily dose of CBD capsules- keeping his PSA down and his cancer at bay. Thomas notes he wasn’t diagnosed with an advanced stage of cancer and the cancer hadn’t spread to his spine, which can be fatal. You can buy the same full plant extracts Thomas uses at Satori.
Connecting with Satori
Thomas’ healing journey continues. Some mutual friends who own Hand Made Apparel introduced Thomas to Quinn Sharpe, one of the owners of Satori. “I was honest with them during our interview and said I didn’t want to be involved with a store that wasn’t going to advocate for medical marijuana.” That’s when Sharpe informed Thomas of their plans to have a private medical marijuana consulting room and offer a 20 percent discount for medical marijuana cardholders.
Jaramie Thomas still advocates for medical marijuana access for those in need, at the entrance of Satori, the ultimate cannabis store. Photo credit: Dondi Tondro-Smith
Not only did Thomas sign on, his sister now works at Satori. And his specialty is still educating and consulting with medical marijuana patients. “Just this Sunday, I had a woman come in who’s got pancreatic cancer and is going through chemotherapy. She had a medical card and didn’t know what to do with it. I got her registered in the medical marijuana database and started to talk to her about growing marijuana at home and how to affordably process medicine.”
Satori encourages Thomas in his side medical marijuana consulting business and to serve any of their customers in need. Satori continues to support Thomas who lends his skills to the community for which he’s always advocated.
To learn more, visit Jaramie Thomas at Satori at 100 E. Maple Street in Bellingham.
Athletic shoes give kids the confidence to discover their own sense of balance. Photo courtesy: Blue Skies for Children.
Imagine 628 pairs of shoes and socks and the ear-to-ear smiles of the boys and girls who skip out the door feeling more confident with every step. Blue Skies for Children’s Shoe Give Program just closed their eight-week distribution period. The non-profit organization supports up to five children per family and according to Executive Director, Julie Guay, “The program continues to grow every year.” In order to meet the growing needs of Whatcom County’s disadvantaged youth community, Blue Skies for Children’s pop up stores and coordinated distribution efforts get footwear to those who need their services most.
Backpacks of all colors are distributed through Blue Skies For Children’s Back To School Backpack program. Photo courtesy: Blue Skies for Children.
Some of the children who walk through the organization’s door are in dire need of supportive footwear. “This last year,” Guay shared, “we had an 8th grade girl come in (her counselor brought her in from school). She came in wearing slippers because she didn’t own any shoes that fit her.” To supply support from the roots up requires local company and group sponsored donations, a dedicated staff and all the behind the scenes planning that gives many of Whatcom County’s underprivileged children the chance to feel grounded.
“Kids have come in to our office in their bare feet and in flip flops in the pouring rain,” Guay said. “We have a distribution period that lasts eight weeks. Then we’ll pull out shoes for them,” said Guay. Blues Skies for Children continues to focus on homeless, low-income and foster children all year long, while still facilitating their annual Shoe Give Program.
Supported locally by Bellingham Bay Rotary, Women Sharing Hope and Superfeet, the Shoe Give distribution period lasted this year from April 3 through May 25. For the last eight years, Blue Skies for Children has given athletic shoes to thousands of children. Last year the organization distributed 535 brand new pairs of shoes and socks, some smaller donations were collected from from youth themselves.
New backpacks cause big kid smiles. Photo courtesy: Blue Skies for Children.
High school students through Christ The King Community Church’s youth group facilitated a sock drive for Blue Skies for Children and other local groups have contributed generous donations over the years. Guay explained, “Many kids get shoes when they start school in the fall but by the time they hit spring, a lot of those kids have grown out of the shoes they started school with.” Guay pointed out that children spurt up quickly and that springtime sports and outdoor activities are much more enjoyable with athletic shoes that are properly suited to vigorous activities.
Blue Skies distribution programs aren’t exclusive to shoes alone. Last year, in their first formal year of distribution for their Back to School Backpack program, Guay said the organization distributed 410 backpacks. This year, backpacks will be distributed between August 1 and September 21. “We work in tandem with the Bellingham School District and their distribution programs that extend into other school districts,” said Guay.
Athletic shoes give kids the confidence to discover their own sense of balance. Photo courtesy: Blue Skies for Children.
This year, the non-profit expects 500-600 backpacks to go out the door. Donations come from the community at large and Blue Skies for Children’s local business donations. Guay conveyed her excitement after just receiving confirmation that Women Sharing Hope will be gifting $600 toward the backpack program. These donations allow the organization to buy the backpacks through online wholesalers for $5-$11 versus $20-$60 retail, depending on the size of the backpacks. Usually the organization spends approximately $11 per backpack for larger bags between 19-20 inches (ideal for high school students) and slightly less for smaller bags that go to elementary and middle school students.
Blue Skies for Children serves children all year long with programs like One Time Little Wishes, Little Wishes Enrichment Program, and Instrument Loaner programs. Blue Skies for Children offers seasonal programs distributing shoes, backpacks and during Winter Warm Up, hats, gloves, scarves and coats. They utilize pop-up stores and eight-week distribution windows to facilitate and maintain other year-round programming.
Blue Skies for Children also supports enrichment programs like the Josh Fueston Swim to Live program, which gives swimmers lessons and swim therapy, and the Driver’s Education Scholarship Program that provides 15-17 year olds the ultimate freedom of learning how to drive. They are the foster distribution arm for Mattress Firm’s Foster Kids Program in Whatcom County. This all takes a skilled balance of time and funding management. Thankfully for the children, Blue Skies for Children’s dedicated part-time staff, board members and sponsors are excellent at putting spring back into children’s steps.
The Whatcom Women in Business organization is thrilled to announce that we will be awarding $5,000 scholarships to the following four women: Bethany Mendoza, Madison Gates, Sidney Balfour and Taylor Turk.
The funds for these scholarships were primarily raised at the 2016 Professional Woman of the Year Banquet/ Auction. Tickets for the 2017 Professional Woman of the Year Banquet/ Auction are available starting August 1, 2017 at wwib.org
Nominations for Professional Woman of the Year are due by July 14, 2017. Nomination forms can be found at wwib.org.
Funds from the annual Professional Woman of the Year Banquet/ Auction are also used to support local charities. Our 2017 charities include Blue Skies for Children, Dispute Resolution Center, Northwest Therapeutic Riding Center, and A Touch of Grace.
Whatcom Women in Business is comprised of business owners and managers developing and maintaining proactive role models within the organization and the community at large. Through teaching, learning, leadership and peer support, we strive to exemplify and promote the four areas we honor- leadership, professionalism, mentoring, and community.
For more information about scholarships and membership in Whatcom Women in Business, see wwib.org.
WECU, with both its historical ties and support of education, will provide the funding for scholarships to student-athletes who participate in any NCAA Division II sponsored sport.
“As a proud graduate of Western Washington University, and supporter of Viking Athletics, I am thrilled that WECU is partnering with Western to support student-athlete success,” said Jennifer Kutcher, President and CEO of WECU. “Approximately 20 percent of our employees are Western alumni, so we understand first-hand the quality education Western provides, and are proud to be a part of this investment in students and their future. This sponsorship opportunity strengthens our long-term partnership with Western and our community. It truly is a perfect fit!”
“Western is delighted to partner with WECU and grateful for their sponsorship of the Carver Gymnasium court, as well as their generous scholarship support for our student-athletes,” said Sabah Randhawa, President of Western Washington University. “The excellence of Western Athletics is not only a source of great pride for all in our community, it attracts students from diverse and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds too. WECU’s support will not only help make Western more affordable, it will increase the quality of the campus experience for all.”
“WECU’s commitment to community and education is a shining example of what partnership is all about. We look forward to our teams competing on WECU Court at Carver Gym when it opens in the fall,” said Steve Card, Athletic Director of Western Washington University. “WECU’s generous scholarship support will help our student-athletes succeed in competition and in the classroom, and help prepare them for future endeavors.”
The 2017 season was one of the most successful for WWU Athletics, with two national championships and 13 of 15 intercollegiate programs reaching the NCAA Division II Championships. WWU student-athletes continued to shine in the classroom as well. Using the NCAA Academic Success Rate, which includes all freshmen student-athletes from the fall of 2009 and also accounts for student-athletes who transfer into or out of the institution, WWU posted an 86 percent success rate, compared to the NCAA Division II national number of 71 percent. WWU’s federal graduation rate for student-athletes for the entering class of 2009, which looks only at how many freshmen student-athletes who received athletically based financial aid and graduated within six years, was 85 percent, compared to the NCAA Division II national rate of 56 percent.
Wild flowers add a splash of color to the table. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
It was 10:00 a.m. and I was babysitting two bored kids, ages 11 and 8, ready for something fun to fill a normal summer. The neighbor kids were at soccer practice, we’d been swimming every day so far and it was too sunny to stay inside. Well, I thought, let’s go on a walk!
A Salmon Berry hanging, ripe for the picking, along a local trail. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
Ten minutes down a small neighborhood trail, sandwiched between streets and rows of houses, we were delightedly stopping and looking at the variety of plants growing all around.
“What are those odd blueberries?”
“Did you see these berries growing over here?”
“Look at the pretty flowers!”
Using a Tupperware container that we had brought filled with snacks (that were quickly eaten to free up space for our treasures) we put in samples of different berries we found on our simple walk. After an hour or so, we were back in the house, digging through internet pages and physical guidebooks to find what type of berries, flowers and weeds we were looking at. Thimble Berries, Saskatoon Service Berries and Salmon Berries were the three berries we could confidently identify. And the flowers we had seen? Those were dandelion, white clover, daisies, lavender and the beautiful white flowers that turn into blackberries.
A whole new world opened up in front of our eyes – the bugs, the plants, the possibilities for a tasty snack on the trail and the amazing variety of life surrounding us. There are many ways to forage. It’s not just for those in survival circumstances and those wanting to live “off-grid.” Finding tasty additions to salads or sandwiches, making teas, sweet berry or fruit treats, or getting wild flora to decorate your home are four great reasons to bring foraging into your life.
Tasty Greens
These wild flowers, picked by Mount Baker, make a colorful display. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
How wonderful it was to discover that, rather than being far away in distant forests and mountains, edible plants are actually hiding in plain sight along local trails, in abandoned lots, growing on roadsides and in-between concrete squares. While it would be hard to get your daily caloric needs met by picking stray weeds and clipping leaves off of bushes, it could help you see the environment around you with new eyes.
Nathaniel Johnson, in his book Unseen City, says, “Eating weeds has allowed me to engage with the natural world in a new way. I chew on peppery nasturtium leaves on my way to work. When I’m making a sandwich and realize we’re out of greens, I just go outside and pick some. I pluck unfamiliar plants and take them home for identification.” This participation in our natural world has more uses than taste – relaxation, fresh air, exercise and knowledge accompany this endeavor. Take a glance at your front lawn and see if you can find white clover – little white balls growing close to the ground. These are great for teas, adding to salads, sautéing with your dinner and more. Dandelion, as well, can be used for a variety of meals, from root to flower. And I can never resist taking a bit of some wild Fennel if I find it – as long as I’m confident no human sprayed it with chemicals or dog sprayed it with urine. While you’re looking, you might even get lucky and find a patch of wild asparagus, wild onion or wild garlic to take home as a prize!
Teas
Kids love picking fresh raspberries. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
It was the beginning of spring and I was walking from Bellingham to Fairhaven along the interurban trail, when I noticed a man with his young daughter squatted down by some plants on the side of the trail. The father had gloves on and was cutting some plants to place in a bag his daughter was holding. Looking closely, I realized they were cutting nettles – and then I realized how many nettles were nestled into the blackberry bushes surrounding us. Nettles sting, but boiling neutralizes that sting and you can brew a delicious tea from them. Dandelions and Clover, mentioned above, make excellent teas once dried as well. My father-in-law makes fresh tea each year, using some mint that grows wild on his property, some chamomile, dandelion and anything else he can find. Each scoop of his tea is unique, and tastes so sweet and fresh it’s hard to switch back to uniform teas. In the sunny weather of summer, try sun-brewing some of your wild-caught tea for a new flavor and in the colder weather enjoy your hot, steaming tea.
Sweet Treats
These cherries are ready to become jam, jelly, pie or a simple snack. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
Summertime brings those delicious berries to our tongues in the form of blackberry pie, raspberry jam, strawberry ice cream, home-made smoothies, fruit salads (or salads topped with fruit) or just plain berries exploding with juice and flavor. Taking a quick trip to a U-pick farm can give you bags of the delicious fruit, enough to last through the summer (and if you freeze it, through the winter!).
For a full list, including places for maple syrup, honey and dairy, check out this website. When the weather cools, you can go to BelleWood Acres for apples, pumpkins and other tasty treats. Put on some sunscreen and spend a day or two this summer getting more than enough fruit for much less than you could at a grocery store – with the added bonus of picking it yourself!
Fresh Flowers
Wild flowers add a splash of color to the table. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
Each day as I walk home from work, I’m in awe at the variety of flowers growing all about. Sometimes I’ll put a pair of scissors in my bag and, if I come to a clump of daisies, yellow dandelions or one of the many other lovely flowers growing around here, I’ll clip a few to put in water back at my house. Having a constant flow of beautiful flowers helps our place feel bright and relaxed, and I’ve enjoyed playing bouquet designer. Boxx Berry Farms in Ferndale, besides having a selection of fruit and vegetables for you to pick or purchase, also has beautiful flowers for you to pick, with a big view of Mount Baker as a backdrop. Why not fill your home with some of the crazy bell-shaped flowers, happy white and yellow flowers or dramatic red ones?
So go ahead and give foraging a try. Taste some yummy greens, brew a tea, savor the sweet fruits and beautify your life with flowers. Try your hand at playing citizen-scientist and identifying some of the bounty growing all around us – in the nooks and crannies of our towns, along our paths and trails, and in our own lawns.
Community Food Co-op matches SNAP funds. Photo courtesy: Community Food Co-op
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) offers nutritional assistance to millions of low-income individuals and families across the country. In addition to reducing food insecurity, SNAP benefits – also known as EBT or food stamp benefits – provide economic benefits to communities.
The Fresh Bucks program makes fresh, healthy food accessible for everyone. Photo courtesy: Community Food Co-op
The goal of the Fresh Bucks program is straightforward: Provide better access to fresh, local and healthy foods to everyone in Whatcom County. SNAP recipients are able to maximize their benefits by taking advantage of matching funds for fresh produce.
“Food insecurity is growing, so we’re trying to expand access for people,” shared Community Food Co-op Outreach Manager, Adrienne Renz. In 2016 $65,000 in Fresh Bucks benefits were awarded across Whatcom County. “People just love local farms and this grant gives us a great opportunity to make sure that everyone has access,” Renz said.
How to Use Fresh Bucks at Community Food Co-op
Community Food Co-op matches SNAP benefits. Photo courtesy: Community Food Co-op
“Recipients can use their EBT benefits to spend $10 on fresh fruit or vegetables and get a matched $10 in produce with Fresh Bucks,” said Renz. Any EBT cardholder with $2 or more in SNAP dollars on their card is eligible to match those dollars at a participating farmers market or farm stand. Plus participants are eligible for up to a maximum $10 Fresh Bucks matching credit per day. This allows more consistent access to fresh foods. “It’s a great opportunity because it helps make those dollars go farther,” said Renz.
If you receive SNAP benefits and want to shop at Community Food Co-op, simply follow these easy steps.
Choose some delicious fresh fruit and vegetables in the produce department.
Present your EBT card to the cashier at checkout. They will enter the last eight digits of your card number and your credit match will be applied to your produce purchase.
Take your produce and enjoy!
EBT cardholders can also take advantage of Fresh Bucks at the Bellingham Farmers Market and other local markets.
Play Lab can be found at the Wednesday Market every second Wednesday.
Photo credit: Kali Klotz-Brooks
Bellingham would not be complete without the Bellingham Farmers Market. Good food, happy people and fresh smells keep us coming back again and again. Luckily, during the summer months we get to enjoy the market, not once, but twice a week thanks to the Fairhaven Wednesday Market. Located on the Village Green in Fairhaven, the Wednesday Market is well underway for the 2017 season, offering all the vendors and activities we know and love, along with some new ones as well!
The Fairhaven Wednesday Market is held on the Village Green behind Village Books from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. every week this summer. Photo courtesy: Kali Klotz-Brooks
Allie Bishop Pasquier will be hosting installments of her Play Lab every second Wednesday of each month. Play Lab is a space where both children and adults can play and learn. “Today we are doing a play dough bar. I have all these objects and herbs that kids can cut up and mix into their dough,” Allie explained.
She aims to please children and adults of all ages. “A two-year-old can come and hold a piece of play dough or a 12-year-old can come and make some crazy Minecraft thing,” she says. “It’s very open-ended. It is important to me that the people who come to play get to take ownership over that play because it is a great way to learn.” While Play Lab is not new to Bellingham, this is the first summer that Allie can be found at the Wednesday Market on a regular basis. You can learn more about Play Lab and their various summer camps by visiting the Play Lab website.
Demo Days, put on by Sustainable Connections, is also being incorporated into the Wednesday Market. On the first Wednesday of each month you can count on learning a new recipe or way of preparing locally sourced food. Sustainable Connections’ Food and Farming Outreach Coordinator Alex Smith explained that each month there is a new featured ingredient that is called the “Harvest of the Month.”
Allie Bishop Pasquier bring Play Lab to the Fairhaven Wednesday Market on the second Wednesday of each month. Photo courtesy: Bellinham Farmers Market.
“June was salad greens,” he said. “We demo how to make a salad with a dressing made from local ingredients – garlic, local vinegars, strawberries, radishes. Or a sandwich with local bread, cheese and sprouts.” Highlighting a specific local ingredient is important because even though people might not always eat or shop local, the idea is that the next time they make a sandwich, they at least have a sourced starting point.
Demo Days at the Fairhaven Wednesday Market is a great way of discovering what produce is available, easily accessible, fresh and in season. In addition to the Wednesday Market, Alex explained that Demo Days will soon be held at the Cordata location of the Community Food Co-op and local Haggen grocery stores. “We are currently training volunteers,” he says, adding that he needs more of them. For more information on Demo Days or volunteer opportunities, contact Alex by email or visit Sustainable Connection’s website.
Bring a picnic grab a snack from some of the local food vendors and eat on the lawn during the Fairhaven Wednesday Market. Photo courtesy: Kali Klotz-Brooks
Conveniently located right next to the Village Green, Village Books has plans to be part of the Wednesday Market as well. Claire McElroy-Chesson, events coordinator for Village Books and Paper dreams says, “We love having the market here! We do our best to let people know about all the great vendors and events.”
Camp Village Books will be hosted August 4 through 8 for kids ages 7 to 10. That Wednesday is food and farm day. “We do a scavenger hunt through the market,” says Claire.
Then, the last Wednesday of August, Chef Jenn Louis will be visiting to demo her book, The Book of Greens, which was released in April and will pair perfectly with the atmosphere of fresh produce and local community. She competed in season five of Top Chef Masters. She has now written two books, the first being Pasta By Hand. Be sure to seek her out between 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. August 23.
Every third Wednesday, there is free yoga on the green during the Fairhaven Wednesday Market. Photo courtesy: Bellingham Farmers Market.
On July 19, Village Books also plans on having Dinger, the beloved Bellingham Bells mascot, around to play catch with kids on the green Claire is excited about this particular event and she says, “If we’re lucky, a few of the Bells’ players will be there as well!” If you have any baseball players or Bells fans in your household, this is certainly something you wouldn’t want to miss.
Also, every third Wednesday between 12:00 and 12:30 p.m. there is free yoga on the green. There will be local, rotating instructors and giveaway prizes. Bring your own mat and join in on the fun with other yogis of various skill levels. These sessions are perfect for anyone.
Rally up your whole family and get your midweek market fix. There is something for everyone in Fairhaven this summer. Along with some of these new Wednesday Market features, there will be at least 25 of your favorite vendors and a free concert series that lasts throughout the entire season. Enjoy live music from local talent as you play and peruse.
The Chrysalis Inn & Spa owner, Mike Keenan, encourages other business owners to give back tax benefits to the community. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
At the start of this year, Mike Keenan, owner of The Chrysalis Inn & Spa, made a decision to give one percent of the spa’s revenue to a different local charitable organization each month. This decision was prompted by upcoming corporate tax benefits which Keenan wanted to share with those that needed it most.
Skookum Kids, the February donation recipient, is a local non-profit that helps children transition into foster care. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
Director of Sales Chris Simpson explains, “His whole idea, instead of pocketing those benefits, is to donate to local non-profits where they benefit those most in need.” By doing this, Keenan also hopes to shed some light on the highly impactful organizations within our community and encourage other businesses to use their tax benefits in similar ways.
There are only a few criteria for donating. The non-profits chosen have to be in Whatcom County and they have to benefit people. While The Chrysalis already gives to the Whatcom Humane Society, Simpson explains that, “for this monthly spa donation, specifically, Mike wanted it to get into the hands of people who are most in need which then would eventually benefit their pets. It trickles down in its own way to the right groups.” Supporting the local community and building awareness for lesser-known non-profits is also a high priority for The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
Compass Health was donated to in March. “They do so much in our community that you aren’t even aware of,” says The Chrysalis Inn & Spa Director of Sales Chris Simpson. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
Since February, The Chrysalis has donated over $8,000 to four different organizations. The first was Skookum Kids, a foster care organization in Whatcom County dedicated to not only recruiting and training foster families, but the care of kids transitioning into foster homes. “Mike has a soft spot in his heart for kids, period. So this was, of course, the first organization chosen,” explains Simpson.
In March, the donation was given to Compass Health. “They are sort of flying under the radar but they do so much in our community that you aren’t even aware of as far as issues like mental health, substance abuse, counseling and treatment. I don’t think most people realize this,” Simpson says. “As for affordable health care in our county, Mike feels strongly that if that went away it would really do a detriment to people in our community.”
In May, Planned Parenthood was the monthly donation recipient. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
For this reason, Planned Parenthood received the donation in May. The Chrysalis wanted to support them and promote all of the many services they provide. Things such as providing male contraception and counseling play a part in that affordable healthcare that Mike is so supportive of. “[Planned Parenthood] was telling us about their great teenage mentoring program where teenagers mentor other teenagers in their school on sex education,” explains Simpson. Of course, this particular decision to donate to Planned Parenthood came with a bit of controversy, but that was expected and is seen as a form of awareness and recognition that The Chrysalis is able to contribute to.
The Chrysalis has also given to the local food banks as part of this monthly giving program. Choosing to donate during the spring season was intentional, as most people donate during the holiday season. “We proportionately gave to each of the food banks in Whatcom County,” Simpson says. “There is the big one in Bellingham that got the bulk of the donation but there are some little ones out near the Nooksack and Lummi tribes. We wanted to help the smaller ones too.”
“Mike chose proceeds from the spa because it is consistent and a certain amount can be depended on,” says Simpson. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
“It has been a great learning experience for us and our management team just to hear about a lot of these organizations,” Simpson says. She explains that some of the Chrysalis management team actually goes to the facility, meets the organization’s CEO and hears about what they are doing and where the donated money is going. This means so much more to both sides than just receiving or mailing out a check. Taking the extra steps to ensure that values are aligned means maintaining and promoting healthy relationships throughout the community. The Chrysalis has numerous organizations on their radar for the summer months, so stay connected by following their Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts.
The Chrysalis Inn & Spa owner, Mike Keenan, encourages other business owners to give back tax benefits to the community. Photo courtesy: The Chrysalis Inn & Spa.
By partaking in monthly giving, Mike Keenan is encouraging conversation within Whatcom County—whether that means suggesting future organizations for The Chrysalis to donate to or giving in your own way and sharing about it. “Mike really wants to put the challenge out there to other small business owners in the local community to consider donating a percentage of their profits,” explains Simpson. Giving just a small percentage can be hugely beneficial. And with the extra tax benefits business owners are experiencing, now could be the best time to support local non-profits and continue spreading the love.
To learn more or suggest organizations you would like to see donated to, contact The Chrysalis Inn & Spa through their website.
Kevin Wiebe is a Ferndale native. Although he graduated from Ferndale High School, he admits he wasn't a model student. His teachers and administrators...
Whatcom Educational Credit Union
