Randy Craker of the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District is Keeping Whatcom County Clean

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1 reinserting the sewage pump — Jason and Jonathon pulling a sewer pump covered in rags. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.

Randy Craker has been working with the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District (LWWSD) for 30 years. In his free time Randy likes to hunt, fish and work on his cars. He grew up in Bellingham near Lakeway Drive, graduating from Sehome High School. He started his career as an auto mechanic but when a position opened at LWWSD he jumped at the chance to get outside and involved with people, both crew members he works with and the public he serves.

Jason and Jonathon pulling a sewer pump covered in rags. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.

Randy loves his job. He works with a good group of people including Jason Dahlstrom and Jonathon Lydaird who’ve been with LWWSD for nine years. I met Randy, Jason and Jonathon eight years ago while working on the Cable Street Sewer Pump Station adjacent to Lake Whatcom on the south shore. As an engineer, I was hired by the District to rehabilitate some 40-year-old sewer pump stations. During design, we needed to measure the inside of a sewage storage tank. Dimensions weren’t completely known so Jason and Jonathon (being newest to LWWSD) got the short straw and were tasked with climbing down a ladder into the dark abyss of the below ground sewage tank to measure the inside.

During their measurements, Jonathon brought up a “Thomas the Tank” engine which I now have in my office. When I first got it, I displayed it proudly on my desk. My coworkers were disgusted so it’s now in a bag on a shelf. It was one of Jonathon’s strangest finds on the job. Usually it’s rags, dental floss and fibrous wipes. “If anything, I hope your readers will learn to throw away rags, floss and tampons,” Randy says. We are all in this together.

In fact, it’s best to throw away:

This image shows a sewage wetwell with pumps hidden below the sewage. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.

Wipes
Dental floss
Rags and soiled underwear
Tampons and pads
Condoms
grease

While pulling up two large 2,000-pound pumps during a cold rain in March, the crew removed over 50 pounds of rags. Randy calls the thick stuff, “Gloppenmeyer.”

“How do you spell that?” I ask.

“I don’t have any idea, I just say it,” Randy giggles. “Gloppenmeyer is thick rags, the solids including floaties and ‘lard trout,’” which roam in the wetwells the crew maintains. “Then there’s ‘Gloppenspiel,'” Randy clarifies. “It’s the thin stuff, the drool.”

Yeah, we’ve all been there. Being an officianado of potty talk I’m chuckling out loud unable to keep my cool. Randy is also amused. Jason and Jonathon also admit that having a sense of humor is important in this line of work.

Lingo and Definitions:

Cleaning the sewer pump of “Gloppenmeyer” can be quite the ordeal. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.

Gloppenmeyer – thick, solid sewage
Wetwell – the manhole where sewage collects before being pumped out
Gloppenspiel – thin, runny sewage
Lard Trout – balls of grease that stick together in sewage systems often sticking to equipment
Vitamin S – keep reading!

A favorite term of Randy’s is “Vitamin S.” The first time I heard him say it we were standing over the open lid of a manhole awaiting sewage to arrive from a pump station about three miles away. Down in the pipe connected to the manhole we could hear swirling and gurgling sounds and suddenly a sharp, warm wind blasted us from below. We both looked up, inhaled and immediately blurted, “yuck.” Randy then calmly looked down, laughing and shaking his head, “I just got my daily dose of ‘Vitamin S’,” he said. I’ve used the term ever since enlightening others in this line of work.

Once, Randy said, a new hire came on board and his first day was going to be spent removing stuck “Gloppenmeyer” from a wetwell using a shovel. Once the new hire knew what he was assigned to do, he called in saying, “I can’t do that,” and he quit. This work is not for the squeamish.

Randy told me a story when he was in a wetwell pressure washing the concrete when all of a sudden an adjacent pump system turned on, showering him in “Gloppenspiel.” Yeah, next time he made sure the crew shut down those pumps so they couldn’t shower him again. They have industrial grade showers at LWWSD’s shop building. They have come in handy a few times, I’m sure. Over the years, we’ve witnessed contractors diving into sewage tanks to rescue equipment lost below the surface. You may call this stupid. We call it dedication.

This picture shows the reinsertion of the sewer pump after cleaning. Photo credit: Dan Burwell.

Randy’s cell phone is connected to LWWSD’s control system. He regularly gets text messages and phone messages indicating various alarms. While I spoke with him, he was responding to texts, “If I don’t respond, she’ll call,” he says. Randy calls the control system Dianne. When a coworker started a few years ago, he said, “I got 37 text messages from Dianne yesterday.” The coworker looked at him perplexed.

“I thought your wife’s name was Monica?” the coworker said. Randy chuckled and then explained who Dianne was. The coworker was relieved.

Randy’s favorite tool on the job is a Vactor Truck. A Vactor Truck has a powerful vacuum and storage tank along with a pressure washer. The Trucks can excavate neat holes down 10 feet or more. They are used to excavate and find pipe leaks. Vactor trucks speed up the process of finding leaks and take significantly less preparation than regular excavation using backhoes. This is because they clean and contain the excavation in their tanks. “This reduces dirty runoff to water bodies including Lake Whatcom,” Randy describes. “We can shut off a service line we know is leaking by digging a 12-inch wide hole 5-feet deep to reach a buried valve.”

Randy, Jason and Jonathon’s work is important. They maintain 28 sewer pump stations that keep all of sewage from Sudden Valley and the Geneva neighborhood east of Bellingham from flowing into Lake Whatcom. Lake Whatcom is the drinking water source for approximately 90,000 people including the City of Bellingham and Sudden Valley. If we did not have clean water to drink, we couldn’t live here.

Our region prides itself on water. Without Randy, Jason and Jonathon, would we have the water we need to survive and flourish? The crews that maintain Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District’s infrastructure deserve our respect. The systems they maintain are out of sight, out of mind to most of us. Yet, if they didn’t do their jobs and do them well, we would see epidemics of waterborne illness. Getting to know them will give you a new respect for the work they do. My hope is that you will help Randy, Jason and Jonathon by throwing away that wipe in the garbage the next time you use one. Maybe you’ll also slow down the next time you see them working on the side of the road maintaining the pump and pipe systems that deliver your potable water and remove your sewage. Without them, our community would not be possible.

Got an idea for someone you’ve always wondered about? Maybe you already know them but think they deserve some limelight. I’m looking to get to know others that make our community a better place, a unique place, maybe even a stranger place. Drop me a line at submit@whatcomtalk.com.

BP to be Presenting Sponsor of Boys & Girls Clubs’ Inspire Higher Dreams Gala & Auction

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LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by: Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County

The BP Cherry Point Refinery is the presenting sponsor of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County’s 3rd annual Inspire Higher Dreams Gala & Auction. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on April 28, 2017 at the Silver Reef Event Center. Tickets are available on whatcomclubs.org for $140 each through April 1 and $150 each after April 1.

Last year the event raised over $330,000. Photo courtesy: Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County.

Guests will enjoy a plated dinner, silent and live auction, dessert dash and after party with SpaceBand. The Gala is a formal event and formal attire is encouraged. An online auction featuring many of the items will also be live on whatcomclubs.org beginning April 1.

“Last year, we raised over $330,000 to support the academic success, healthy lifestyles and good citizenship programs at the Clubs,” said Heather Powell, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County. “We’re extremely thankful to our donors for their support; we couldn’t make the impact we do without community support.”

Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County was founded in 1946 with the mission of enabling all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. Our clubs now annually serve nearly 6,000 kids in four communities: Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale and Lynden. We feed them a nutritious snack and a healthy dinner. We give them time, space and guidance to complete homework, participate in enrichment and character-building activities, and have fun.

For more information, contact Erica Charbonneau at Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County at 360-738-3808 ext. 304 or echarbonneau@whatcomclubs.org.

Greg Kurras and the Mysteries of the Deep

By

Dondi Tondro-Smith

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Kurras teaches his two-year-old son Aiden about their portable 20 foot ColdLab which is used at sea as a seabed sample processing laboratory. Photo credit: Tanya Kurras.

Greg Kurras explores uncharted landscapes humans have never seen before. His journeys can take him to the bottom of oceans around the world. When he finds himself six days transit to the closest landmass, he knows even a minor medical problem can lead to a canceled trip, significant financial losses and even death. The stakes are high on these cruises.

When he and his team move 6,000 pound pieces of research equipment down to the ocean floor, there’s risk to Kurras and the crew he’s contracted. As a marine geologist and geophysicist, his Bellingham-based business, Seafloor Investigations, provides a breadth of international underwater data, shedding light and scientific understanding onto the least traveled terrain of our planet.

The Sentry AUV is one of the many AUVs Seafloor Investigations has worked with extensively. The Sentry AUV is owned and operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Photo courtesy: Greg Kurras.

To get an idea of how living on a research vessel might feel, Kurras illustrated, “Imagine locking yourself in an average sized house for 30-45 days. You’re not allowed to leave the house. There’s 30 other people living in the house and you’re all roommates. You work every day together, eat every meal together, you see each other in your pajamas in the hall and when you’re on the back deck handling multi-million dollar equipment. You get to know people better than you want to know them. It can be fun. They become kind of like family, and then, they all disappear. You may get to the see them again or you may never see them again.”

Kurras’ career began in graduate school at the University of Hawaii. His training in Ocean Engineering and Sonar Design helped him learn how to make maps of the seafloor and find things people have lost at the bottom of the ocean. A specialized skillset he’s developed over the last 25 years; mapping has given him a variety of long and short-term assignments around the world. He’s worked with industry, commercial, academic and government groups.

Kurras is seen on the SSN Hawkbill Submarine after surfacing at the North pole in 1998 as part of the SCICEX program. Photo courtesy: Greg Kurras.

Back in the early 2000s, Kurras worked for Fugro. He recalled, “I would be coming from San Diego and a friend of mine would be coming in from South Africa and we’d meet up somewhere in the world on a ship. I’d get him something he couldn’t get in South Africa in trade for African red bush or Rooibos tea.” Kurras still has community scattered all over the globe. He explained, “In our industry, the technical experts bump into each other again and again.” When he runs into old friends in remote corners of the sea on research vessels, those friendships become a welcome diversion from time away from loved ones back on land.

Kurras was once assigned to help find Air France Flight 447 that went down in the Atlantic in 2009 en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. In 2011, after only two weeks out, he and the crew found the missing box. He has also contracted with well-known companies and organizations such as British Petroleum and the Woods Hole Oceanic Institute.

Kurras used a Remotely Operated Vehicle to sample the seabed at 4000 meters in a Seafloor Investigations project from 2013. Photo courtesy: Greg Kurras.

In 2011, Kurras was hired to help acquire near bottom photos to assess the damage to deep-water coral systems in the immediate area of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Recently, he helped the National Transportation and Safety Board find the block box of the El Faro- the tanker that was lost at sea with all hands in October 2015.

Since Kurras began his own independent company in 2009, his main focus has been almost exclusively deep ocean exploration at a 1,000+ meter water depth. From the North Pole, Norway, China, the Pacific and throughout the world, he’s personally seen depths of 2,500 meters (in the Alvin Submarine) and sent guided Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) down to depths of 6,000 meters. Kurras leases AUVs for his own business, describing them as “unmanned torpedo-like robotic computers (without explosives).” The AUV’s come in many shapes and sizes. Some of the devices he’s worked with on various projects have been worth millions of dollars.

Kurras is seen compiling various data types into a Geographic Information System for planning and analysis. Photo courtesy: Greg Kurras.

In Seattle, for Fugro, Kurras remembers the first time he programmed AUVs to do his research bidding. He explained, “You program them, say here’s where you go, here’s what you do and you throw this expensive piece of equipment off the boat. It goes away and you hope it comes back in the allotted time.” Kurras knows of two AUVs that didn’t return but that wasn’t on his watch. Precise timing, unifying engineering across multiple disciplines and a year and a half of tinkering and testing in Hawaii, proved the program produced AUVs that did in fact return.

When looking to the future Kurras explained, “Now that we’re here in Bellingham, and now that I have a two and a half-year-old, I’d like to develop more coastal work.” Starting a small, cheaper, 100-meter depth coastal project and AUV programs would allow Kurras to work with organizations like the Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic Atmospheric Association and PNW tribal groups interested in salmon fisheries.

Kurras teaches his two-year-old son Aiden about their portable 20 foot ColdLab which is used at sea as a seabed sample processing laboratory. Photo credit: Tanya Kurras.

Bringing Seafloor Exploration’s deepwater knowledge to a more local level would, “Bring our skillsets from deep water exploration to help people understand the smaller bays and waterways of our area, for whatever reason, be it engineering, science or conservation,” Kurras remarked. With federal funding for scientific research in danger, private companies can provide cost effective and technologically advanced services, like AUVs, to complete research quicker and for much less. Kurras explained, “With the technology we use, I can go out in Bellingham Bay with a small AUV, sit there on the dock, launch and control it, monitor and map within a day or two.” He added, “We have a lot of experience mapping, photographically imaging and sampling the ocean floor and water column.”

Cascadia Mushrooms Offers Many Ways to Enjoy Locally Grown Mushrooms

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Sara Holodnick

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cascadia mushrooms — Cascadia Mushroom's Wild Mushroom Foraging Adventure is a fun, informative way to learn how to safely hunt for mushrooms. Photo courtesy: Cascadia Mushrooms.

Alex Winstead’s love of mushrooms began when he was a kid, discovering intriguing specimens on family hikes through the Olympic Peninsula. A later introduction to mushroom hunting transformed this curiosity into the full-blown passion that eventually led to starting Cascadia Mushrooms.

Alex Winstead has enjoyed a life-long passion for fungi. Photo courtesy: Cascadia Mushrooms.

What began as a tiny operation in Winstead’s basement has since grown into a full-time farming business dedicated to growing the best mushrooms possible using organic growing practices. Cascadia Mushroom’s 7,000 square feet of insulated growing space produces around 500 pounds of a variety of certified organic mushrooms each week, including Shiitake (their most popular variety), Oyster, Lion’s Mane, Reishi and more.

Their goal as a farm is to nurture fungi’s innate ability to cleanse the soil and heal the environment, to teach others about that ability and to spark a little of the same inspiration that drives their work every day. To that end, Cascadia Mushrooms offers a variety of workshops and resources for local gardeners including mushroom compost, mushroom growing kits and mushroom growing workshops.

Enrich Your Garden with Mushroom Compost

Mushroom compost is extremely nutrient rich. Photo courtesy: Cascadia Mushrooms.

Cascadia Mushrooms will be selling mushroom growing kits and nutrient-rich mushroom compost during Whatcom Conservation District’s 24th Annual Native Plant Sale on March 25 at Whatcom Community College.

The annual plant sale aims to promote the stewardship and conservation of our local natural resources. The plants sold at this sale are considered to be “conservation grade,” so instead of being graded on ornamental value, they are graded on their ability to survive. Growing native plants in your yard can help improve the area’s water quality, reduce wind and soil erosion, clean the air, and beautify your property. Experienced conservationists will be available to answer questions about native plants and you can pick-up high-quality, organic mushroom compost while you’re there.

“When folks are buying their native plants they can buy our compost directly through Whatcom Conservation District,” shared Winstead.

Mushrooms grow from the tops and sides of sawdust logs, perched on rows of shelves at the farm. Once the fungi has been harvested, the logs are broken down and turned into compost with a little help from Mother Nature. The result is an organic compost that is rich in nutrients and is perfect for garden use. “Worms move in and do their thing and create a really nice compost for backyard veggie farmers,” Winstead explained.

The Whatcom Conservation District’s 24th Annual Native Plant Sale and 10th Annual Expo will be happening from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 25 in the Roe Pottery Studio at Whatcom Community College.

Local Mushrooms at Your Fingertips at the Bellingham Farmers Market

These locally grown mushrooms come in all shapes and sizes. They are almost as much fun to see as they are to eat. Photo courtesy: Cascadia Mushrooms.

Bellingham Farmers Market supports local, sustainable agriculture by connecting the public with local farmers, artisans and other producers in an economically viable marketplace. What started as a dream for the founding members has grown into one of the largest farmers markets in Washington State, and a destination for both locals and tourists. Their 25th season opens Saturday, April 1 with a fun celebration for the whole family.

Cascadia Mushrooms will be at the market every week starting with the big opening weekend festivities. In addition to offering fresh mushrooms to use in delicious meals at home, Cascadia Mushrooms will be selling mushroom growing kits for DIY-lovers, nutrient-rich mushroom compost for gardeners and mushroom advice from the pros.

The Bellingham Farmers Market’s 25th season will commence on Saturday, April 1, starting with Mayor Kelli Linville’s cabbage toss at 9:45 a.m. See their website for details.

Mushroom Growing Workshops

Our cold, snowy winter has many home gardeners anxious to start digging and planting. Cascadia Mushrooms will be offering a Mushroom Growing Workshop on April 29 that will give gardeners of any background a fun, new addition to their yard.

“People get excited for spring, especially after such a long winter,” shared Winstead. “Plus spring is a great time to get things started because of the mild weather and lots of rain.” Cascadia Mushroom’s hands-on, half-day classes will include a tour of their impressive facility, tips and tricks for gardening with mushrooms (for both indoor and outdoor growing) and the opportunity to ask questions and learn from the local mushroom experts. Plus the work you do now will offer delicious rewards later – Mushroom patches started in the Spring will produce in the Summer or Fall.

Cascadia Mushroom’s Spring Mushroom Growing Workshop will be held on April 29 at their farm. Learn more and sign-up for the workshop on their website.

Sponsored

Meals on Wheels and More’s Second Annual Traditional Irish Dinner Raises Over $24,000

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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2017 Irish Dinner WT Pic5 — The evening was filled with fun and community. The Photo courtesy: Photo courtesy: Meals on Wheels and More.

Submitted by: Meals on Wheels and More

Meals on Wheels and More’s Second Annual Traditional Irish Dinner and Silent Auction, held at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal on March 11, 2017, featured music by Maggie’s Fury and Irish Dancers from Opus Performing Arts Studio. Dinner was provided by Haggen Market Street Catering along with beer from Aslan Brewing Co., Boundary Bay, Kulshan Brewing Co., Melvin and Wander Brewing.

Over 70 local organizations helped support the Irish Dinner. Photo courtesy: Meals on Wheels and More.

“We are overwhelmed by the support we received from our local businesses and the entire community,” said Julie Meyers, Director, Meals on Wheels and More, for Whatcom and San Juan Counties.

Over 70 local businesses, including sponsors, contributed, and the sold out event was so successful, it has already been booked for March 10, 2018. Save the date!

Meals on Wheels and More‘s meal delivery program for homebound seniors has increased 33 percent in the last two years, while federal funding for the program has remained flat for the past five. Fundraisers, such as the Irish Dinner, are vital to their success. There are ways people can contribute to the program including volunteering, monetary donations or supporting upcoming fundraisers.

The Irish Dinner was supported by the local community. Photo courtesy: Meals on Wheels and More.

All proceeds from the event support Meals on Wheels and More, a program of the Whatcom Council on Aging, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Meals on Wheels and More supports the health and independence of older adults in Whatcom and San Juan Counties by:

Delivering nutritious meals to homebound adults age 60 and over
Serving senior meals at local community centers and senior housing
Providing nutrition education and nutrition case management.

For more information, please contact Julie Meyers at 360-733-4030 ext. 1025, email at jmeyers@wccoa.org or go to www.wccoa.org.

Taking the Leap for Herp Conservation with the Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Project

By

Rob Rich

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Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Project StephenNyman — On WCAMP forays, volunteers are counting what counts. Photo Credit: Stephen Nyman.

In an earlier life, Vikki Jackson studied peatlands. These soggy zones of decaying vegetation were enough for a master’s thesis, but they left Jackson curious about livelier waters. While studying at Western Washington University, she encountered Herb Brown – decked out with knee boots and waders and nets – heading pondward. “He was a real herpetologist,” she remembers, “and I thought it so odd his work required all that.”

Vikki Jackson towing a sled of reed canary grass, an invasive species that can choke out prime amphibian habitat. Photo Credit: Lyn Jackson.

But in the early 1990s, when a friend asked Jackson to help with a wetland survey, something changed. She was good on birds and plants but when it came to amphibians – the “herps” (frogs, toads and salamanders) – she had to confess she knew nothing. Yet soon enough she learned something, then wanted to know everything about this peculiar suite of creatures. Research was just starting to show the herps’ promise as environmental indicators for wetlands, one of the world’s most dynamic, at-risk ecosystems.

Given the way amphibians (from the Greek amphi-bios, for “two-lives”) go through life with phases in water and on land – complete with a switch from vegetarianism to carnivory – they challenge us to conserve varied habitats and links in the food web. And when Jackson says “their skin is their lungs,” she means it: their outer layers are so thin and so porous that they can breathe from anywhere on their bodies. They deeply feel each degree of temperature – or drop of oily runoff – before we even get the hint.

In 1994, Jackson founded Northwest Ecological Services (NES), a comprehensive consulting firm that offers key wetland assessment, planning and educational services for a diverse set of clients. This work is not focused exclusively on herps, but it does provide Jackson valuable perspectives and context for how we might best coexist with their needs. Whether offering delineation and design services for the creation of Cordata Elementary School or chairing the Whatcom County Wildlife Advisory Committee, Jackson always keeps herps in mind.

Outside of breeding season, the western toad is a particularly audacious climber and migrant. Volunteers have even contributed toad photos near the top of Sourdough Mountain (6,111 feet) in eastern Whatcom County. Photo Credit: Vikki Jackson.

And lately, she’s instilled herps in the minds of others, too. Jackson’s NES work revealed that for all we’ve learned about herps and their ideal habitats, there’s quite little about their numbers, their movements and the actual places they live. So when British Petroleum approached NES with a project to survey amphibians on the wetlands surrounding their Ferndale refinery, Jackson knew it was meant for more than her business.

In 2013, the contract helped launch the Whatcom County Amphibian Monitoring Project (WCAMP, pronounced “We Camp”) to collect baseline data about amphibians with the help of “citizen scientists.” After five hours of training, these volunteers slosh off to the ruckus of Pacific chorus frogs (and quieter herps) to complete weekly surveys through the breeding season. By counting individual species, egg masses and observing habitat conditions these trainees are providing exactly the kind of knowledge many “experts” – who often lack the time or money, or both – need to see nature’s connections, trends and responses to change.

Because Jackson’s volunteer trainings fill to capacity each year, WCAMP’s forays are making an impact. Their observations directly inform the species habitat maps and management plans for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. They have also located key populations of the Oregon spotted frog, a federally-threatened and state-endangered species that has been found on properties conserved by the Whatcom Land Trust. WCAMPers have learned a great deal about this unique frog’s needs for different wetland zones throughout the year – the kind of diversity that beavers might create. And with the next-closest Oregon spotted frogs all the way down in Thurston County, Jackson sees a prime opportunity for learning. “We are lucky,” she says, “for the chance to influence this species’ survival.”

Besides the spring surveys, there are still other ways people are helping the herps’ croaks be heard. For her species mapping, Jackson values observations sent from anyone who can place and photo-document any herp, anytime, from anywhere in Whatcom County. You don’t even need to know the species. And WCAMP’s efforts are expanding, with opportunities for invasive bullfrog and green frog surveys, as well as fall studies of salamander migration.

On WCAMP forays, volunteers are counting what counts. Photo Credit: Stephen Nyman.

Almost 30 years ago, that young student watching Herb Brown never would have guessed she caught his obsession for herps, nor could she envision building two organizations that work – independently, yet together – to advance amphibian conservation. But Jackson does know that watching the inner child come out of her volunteers is one of the best parts. Herps might not always be cute or charismatic but these “little underdogs of the world” have a way of winning over the curious. They are certainly a core ingredient for our inherent sense of wonder, and the recipe is complete with ample water and a dash of mud.

Whatcom County Weekend Events Calendar

By

Events Editor

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Scenic Whatcom County mountain — When engaging in outdoor recreation, participants should take care to respect Whatcom wildlife. Photo credit: Justin Pedigo | FC Photography.

Good news, everyone! This weekend holds National Chocolate Covered Raisins Day, Greek National Day and Pecan Day. If those aren’t enough for you, Sunday is “Make Up Your Own Holiday Day.” Who knew? Not I. But who doesn’t love any reason to celebrate? You can get out and celebrate the weekend itself with these fun Whatcom County weekend events and don’t forget to check our full events calendar for all the fun happenings this weekend.

Check out Humanities Washington Speaker and University of Washington Senior Lecturer Anu Taranath’s presentation of “Not Just for Kids: How Children’s Literature Inspires Bold Conversations.” It promises to be both engaging and enlightening.
Get lost in the excitement of The Toad Prince at Mount Baker Theatre. In this delightful tale, the son of a magical water sprite and a prince of toads, Indri must learn to place another’s needs before his own. Inspired by the compassion of a courageous friend, Indri discovers that true beauty is found within the kindness we show and accept from others.
Pitch in to improve our area with the Whatcom Land Trust Work Party. This activity will include tree planting and invasive plant control at Fenton Nature Reserve near Custer. This incredible property is home to a gorgeous beaver pond and salmon-bearing stream and is one of the largest natural areas in the northern part of the county. Your efforts to suppress blackberry and English holly will help keep this special place usable for creatures great and small.
Stretch your legs and have some fun with the latest in the 5K Trail Winter Run Series. Nothing feels better than shaking off the winter blues and going for an invigorating outdoor run.
Pick up a delightful new skill with Fiddle for the Absolute Beginner at the Bellingham Folk School. This workshop is the perfect starting point for potential fiddlers of all ages. Bring your own instrument or borrow one from our neighbor, Allegro Strings Violins. We’ll cover basic care and maintenance, parts of the fiddle and how they work, how to find the notes and play a simple tune.
Bike down to Cafe Velo for a delicious meal and a little biking community camaraderie. Or, swing by Brotha Dudes for some fast, healthy and delicious eats sure to please.

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.

Rowing in Whatcom County

By

Caden Stoane - Intern from Squalicum High School

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Rowing 3036 — The WRA provides a place for rowing athletes to improve. Photo credit: Caden Stoane.

In Whatcom County, there are many ways to exercise and stay in shape. You could run along Lake Whatcom, mountain bike up Galbraith (aka Lookout Mountain), or take a hike into the Chuckanuts. However, one sport that is under appreciated is rowing. Since the publishing of the book “Boys in the Boat” by Daniel James Brown in 2013, the sport has had a resurgence in popularity. It was once the sport of the Ivy Leagues and large universities like UW, but now rowing in Whatcom County has a new appeal to all sorts of athletes.

Rowing in Whatcom County is an emerging sport. Photo credit: Caden Stoane.

A growing sport amongst kids and adults alike, rowing is about endurance, hard work and teamwork. Rowing isn’t about having a couple star players. It is a sport where everyone must function as one. This is the most difficult aspect of the sport. Rowers tend to be excellent athletes but they must give up their ego, let go of their achievements and be part of a team. Otherwise, the boat doesn’t function and nobody likes it when one person ruins something for everyone else.

Shelly Bull-Bunnet, the manager of the Whatcom Rowing Association, started rowing as a Freshman in high school in Seattle. At first, it was a way to keep in shape but it turned out to be something more. Shelly continued to row in high school and through college. She went on to the Junior Olympics and moved up to Bellingham.

WRA’s Junior Rowers program offers a chance for Whatcom County youth to discover the sport. Participants are seen here using special training machines called “Ergs.” Photo credit: Caden Stoane.

A couple of years ago, Shelly heard from some of her friends that people were trying to put together a rowing team. She volunteered to manage it and coached the WRA for two years. When the team wanted to get more competitive, they hired new coaches. Currently, it is coached by Andrew Lapidus, a teacher at Squalicum High School. Coach Lapidus is working hard to bring this new club sport to the next level of competition by teaching and showing the rowers his passion for the sport.

Most rowers do not like the sport, they love it. Even though it seems repetitious, most describe the rowing experience as meditative and relaxing. One would think that they would complain about being bored, tired and cold but most rowers talk about rowing as transformative. More than anything, rowers seem to love the sport because of the sense of community it builds. Thomas Newman can vouch for that. “My sister’s boyfriend actually introduced me to rowing,” said Thomas, “He and I were pretty tight, so I trusted him when he said it was fun. Turns out he was right.”

The WRA provides a place for rowing athletes to improve. Photo credit: Caden Stoane.

“My friends were really into rowing, so I already felt at home when I first started rowing,” said Cameron Odegaard. “Everyone gets to be really good friends because, well, we have to be.” Cameron explained to me that rowing is not an individual sport. “Sure, everyone has a set of skills but in order to row you need to be one with the team. You can’t be special.”

Recently two olympian rowers from the US team came to Bellingham and spent time with the junior WRA rowers in order to inspire them to keep rowing. The olympians also spoke at the Yacht Club to the WRA members about what it has meant to them to be world class rowers and how they rose through the ranks. They talked about how important it was to be a good teammate and how rowing helped them to be a better person by being able to overcome adversity, like being cut from the team.

Rowing is not just a sport, it is a community of people who love what they do. They love being part of a team that is fighting for a common goal, one stroke a time.

If you are interested in finding out more about rowing in Whatcom County, check out the WRA website and contact Shelly.

Bellingham Bay Swim Team’s Head Coach Named Pacific Northwest Swimming Coach of the Year

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LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by: Bellingham Bay Swim Team

Bellingham Bay Swim Team’s (BBST) Elite squad finished up their short course championship season Sunday, March 19 with some outstanding swims and big wins at the 2017 Speedo Spring Senior Sectionals in Federal Way, Washington and their head coach Sean Muncie was named Pacific Northwest Swimming (PNS) Coach of the Year.

Coach Sean Muncie, looking up at his women’s A-relay after winning the 200-free relay at Speedo Sectionals Friday, March 17. Photo courtesy: BBST.

Muncie, has directed the Bellingham Bay Swim Team since 2011 and has lead BBST to new heights: breaking team records, producing state champions, developing nationally ranked Top 10 qualifiers—Sectionals, Junior Nationals and Olympic Trials. In an interview on Monday, on what keeps him motivated, Muncie said, “Knowing I can always do something to improve myself, my team, and my swimmers …. The challenge to keep moving forward and not accept status quo regardless of situation or temporary obstacles and setbacks.” His vision for BBST is to continue to build the expectation for character and success from the top down with his National-level swimmers and to build a sustainable, well-balanced program up through Age Group swimmers.

With a team of 130 swimmers, BBST is small in comparison to teams around the state and U.S. but currently has 16 Top-200 nationally ranked swimmers, ages eleven to seventeen. Muncie strives to instill in all his swimmers that “Everything is possible. The limits you put on yourself are often ones that others have placed on you. Eliminate your fear. Stop expecting things to happen for you. Take control and stop being afraid to make the commitment. Swimming builds habits and one of the most valuable habits we can teach the swimmers is to constantly challenge yourself.”

He said he was honored to be recognized by his peers as the Coach of the Year in the Pacific Northwest. “It’s good for the program. Getting BBST to this point has been a team effort by all the coaches, swimmers, and parents on BBST. We are all invested in the swimmers and in creating something larger than ourselves. It’s another win for the team.”

WCC Offers Core Curriculum for New Limited License Legal Technician Program

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LocalTalk Contributor

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WCC limited license legal technician — WCC’s paralegal studies program coordinator Nancy Ivarinen (left) was among statewide legal professionals who advocated for the LLLT program. WCC is one of five community colleges in the state to offer the core curriculum. Washington state is leading the LLLT effort in the U.S. Photo courtesy: WCC.

Submitted by: Whatcom Community College

Whatcom Community College was recently approved as one of five community colleges in Washington state to offer the core curriculum required to become a Limited License Legal Technician (LLLT). Indicating the strength of its paralegal studies instruction, Whatcom is the first college to offer the curriculum that isn’t currently part of an American Bar Association-approved program. Retroactive to fall 2016, graduates of Whatcom’s paralegal studies program who continue and successfully complete LLLT requirements may become independent law practitioners who assist clients with a limited scope of family law legal issues.

Approval of LLLT education programs is granted by the LLLT Supreme Court Board. The Washington State Bar Association provides program support. The Washington Supreme Court approved this first-in-the-nation program to expand access to affordable legal services. Legal technicians or LLLTs are trained and licensed to advise and assist people going through divorce, child custody and other family-law matters in Washington.

WCC’s paralegal studies program coordinator Nancy Ivarinen is among legal professionals who have advocated for the establishment and expansion of the LLLT program in Washington. “This new program creates a legal support option for Washington state residents who maybe cannot afford to hire an attorney but want assistance navigating the sometimes confusing legal system,” Ivarinen says. “Access to the justice system is an important and fundamental right. I’m proud that Whatcom’s paralegal studies program will help expand access to justice by graduating students who are prepared to pursue LLLT requirements.”

Whatcom is approved by the LLLT Board to provide the 45 credits of core curriculum; one component of the pathway to becoming a LLLT. The other components require the LLLT to obtain 3,000 hours of supervised legal experience, pass 15 credits of family law taught by the UW and Gonzaga Law Schools, pass exams on ethics and LLLT practice, post a bond, and pass a background check. More information regarding the LLLT program can be found at the WSBA website.

For more information and to enroll, visit whatcom.edu/paralegal.

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