Join Ragfinery for its second Upcycle Challenge. Photo courtesy of Ragfinery.
Ragfinery is sponsoring a second Upcycle Challenge which will culminate in a Red Carpet “Show-off” on Friday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m. Individuals and teams who take on this challenge will be tasked with upcycling an old wedding dress into creative accessories, clothing, or anything else they can dream up. Participants will have the opportunity to share their creations at the event’s “Show-off,” where they can wear it, roll it, or drag it down the red carpet. Music, refreshments and plenty of entertainment will be provided as a panel of judges determine the winners. The top three submissions will receive cash or gift prizes and local celebrity status.
“Our motivation for this series of events is four-fold,” says Shan Sparling, manager at Ragfinery, “Inspire people to create new ways of upcycling garments; bring attention to reducing textiles in the waste stream; bring people into Ragfinery to see what we do; and last but not least, create community excitement and fun.”
Individuals interested in participating can sign up online (Ragfinery.com) or at Ragfinery (1421 N. Forest Street, Bellingham). Entry fee is $20 which includes a wedding dress of your choice. Deadline for submission is Friday, April 24, at 5:00 p.m.
Ragfinery is a Bellingham nonprofit organization that diverts unwanted textiles from the waste stream and upcycles them in a training business that provides transitional jobs for low income clients of our partner social service agencies and schools. We collaborate with local artisans and community volunteers to repurpose unwanted garments and textiles into a variety of upcycled goods that showcase the skills and talent of our collective.
The 2015 Sehome Seamonsters Robotics Team and their robot placed third at the FRC in Auburn. Photo by Kevin Criez.
By Lorraine Wilde
Bellingham School District’s high school Robotics Club, held at Sehome High School, is learning technical, communication, and interpersonal skills while competing in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). FIRST, For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, is a national non-profit organization committed to mentoring kindergarten through twelfth grade students to develop science, engineering, and technology skills. Sehome teacher, Kevin Criez, has taught at Sehome since 1993 and steered the team since its first competition in 2008. The District has recently been putting more emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and Robotics is a shining example. “This type of applied education provides a whole lot more than standardized tests and typical learning from books,” notes Criez.
Teacher Kevin Criez (middle left) and mentor Dr. Jeff Kerr (center) advise as Liam Taylor (left), Zach Larson (right), and Cannon Mallory (middle right) make adjustments to this year’s robot for FRC.
The Club’s FRC team, affectionately known as the Sehome Seamonsters, is open to District students grades 9 through 12, but consists of primarily Sehome High students. “It costs a minimum of about $12,000 to build a robot and compete, not to mention the space, tools, and machinery required, so it makes sense to have one team for the whole District,” clarifies Criez.
During our interview, students were working frantically in the final two hours of their six-week time period allotted by FRC to design and build a robot capable of performing the Recycle Rush, a specific set of tasks that includes moving and stacking at least two different types of recycling containers. “If the team performs well at two double-elimination qualifying competitions, they will be invited to the Pacific Northwest Regional Competition held in Spokane,” explains Criez. “Roughly the top third of teams move forward to regionals and then about 14 teams from each region head to the National Championships.”
To be competitive, a team needs leadership and a breadth of practical skill. The Seamonsters are led by Team Captain, Zachary Larson, and a group of seniors who have competed for each of the past four years. “Most people don’t get to build leadership skills until they’re well into the work force. We’re getting that now. We organize people, deal with conflict, roll with failure, all while building things together,” notes Larson. “This experience has given me more people and communication skills, not just engineering.”
The team’s lead programmer, Liam Taylor, agrees. “I’ve learned quite a bit about project management and what is reasonable to accomplish in six weeks,” chuckles Taylor. “For this competition, since the summer, I’ve taught myself advanced computer programming skills, including the program C++. As of today, I’ve written 47,000 lines of code for this robot.”
The 2015 Sehome Seamonsters Robotics Team and their robot placed third at the FRC in Auburn. Photo by Kevin Criez.
Robotics may run in some families. “This team has not been without a Mallory or Loeppky in years,” laughs Criez. “Next year will be very different.” Criez is referring to home schooled/Running Start student, Cannon Mallory, the team go-to for CNC, a computer-controlled metal fabrication machine, and George Loeppky, who is a lead fabricator and team robot driver. Both have older brothers who were on the team in previous years and Loeppky’s father, David, is an electrical engineer who mentors the team. Mallory’s older brothers, Ryan and AJ, were also home school/Running Start students who took robotics courses at Sehome with George’s older brother, Mitchell. Now, all three attend the University of Washington’s (UW) Engineering program and work on the EcoCar Challenge.
Young women are underrepresented in the Seamonsters lineup. “Of the eighteen students heading to the competition, three are young women. But we expect that to shift in the future,” observes Criez. “Kulshan Middle School hosts a new district-wide all-girls robotics club with help from an ALCOA grant. Fifty girls from every middle school showed up for the first meeting. Our Seamonster women are mentoring these middle schoolers so they’ll be able to hold their own when they get here.”
At FRC, judges inspect and evaluate each robot for merit in engineering, design, programming, and presentation in addition to their performance in the recycle rush game. But a team never competes alone. “These kids have to communicate with other teams in order to do well,” explains team mentor and Bellingham design consultant, Dr. Jeff Kerr. “You get more points through communicating strategy and working together with other teams. It is good practice working with people they don’t know and presenting the features of their robot to others,” notes Kerr. “The teams that do the best tend to have solid organization and communication skills.”
Mentors like Kerr and David Loeppky offer expertise Criez cannot provide. Students are learning from several other community members as well who work real jobs in industry, manufacturing, and consulting. “We’d welcome more help from programmers and business people,” beams Criez.
Liam Taylor (right) does a final test of the robot before competition as Larson (left) and Mallory (center) prepare for transport.
The FRC has also impacted the District’s middle and high school curricula. Sehome offers students applied physics, robotics engineering, and fabrication classes. “We’ve adapted to the changing times and have added 3-D printing, laser cutting, and electronics. These are skills and equipment our students will see and need in the real world,” explains Criez. “We also have robotics clubs at all four middle schools and FRC has attracted industry support to our schools.” The team fundraises each year, earning a Boeing sponsorship this year and NASA support last year.
“They’re not just learning robotics, they’re learning business, interpersonal and public communication skills, marketing, video production, sales, and graphic design,” lists Criez. “That variety from a single program is not typical.” This range of knowledge has given students both ability and future options.
“Robotics has helped me think methodically and problem-solve under pressure as part of a team,” notes Mallory. He and most of the other seniors are waiting to hear about their applications to the UW Engineering program and at least one other out-of-state university. Still others on the team will enter local industry or technical programs at Bellingham Technical College after graduation. “I’m planning to job-shadow at multiple industries and engineering firms when FRC is over,” reveals Larson. “I want to know what real engineers do and then decide what type I’d like to do.”
The multi-talented Seamonsters are positioned to do well this year at FRC. They placed third at their first qualifying competition in Auburn in late February and will head to their second 3-day competition in Mt. Vernon on March 13. Their community of supportive teachers, parents, and mentors will be in the wings, cheering for their student’s hard work.
Upcoming workshops at Whatcom Community College will introduce middle school students to non-traditional education and career paths. The March 14 “Guys and Guts” and April 25 “Girls Go Tech” programs allow 11–14 year-olds to learn about the worlds of healthcare and technology respectively through thought-provoking activities. The workshops also include information sessions for parents wanting to learn more about access to college and WCC’s professional-technical programs.
Register now for the 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. March 14 Guys and Guts event held at Whatcom’s state-of-the-art Health Professions Education Center. The workshop highlights medically oriented fields, offering participants an opportunity to take part in a number of hands-on activities related to health professions including drawing ‘blood’ from an artificial arm, measuring lung capacity, ‘resuscitating’ a simulation mannequin, measuring blood pressure and much more. Special guest speaker Dr. Justin Iwasaki, director of the Lummi Tribal Health Center, will provide guidance and encouragement for participants considering a career in healthcare. The $10 workshop fee covers one middle school boy and his parent or guardian. Registration includes hands-on labs, lunch for two, T-shirt for the student, campus scavenger hunt, presentations, and career and educational information.
Enrollment is also open for the April 25 Girls Go Tech workshop, which offers an interactive approach to learning more about technology-related programs at WCC. In hands-on labs, students will experiment with Raspberry Pi computers, information security vulnerabilities and safeguards, and various energy sources. Special guest speaker retired United States Navy Capt. Wendy Lawrence will share her experiences as a helicopter pilot and NASA astronaut.
Similar in format to Guys and Guys, the Girls Go Tech workshop fee covers one middle school girl and her parent or guardian. For more information, email lgardner@whatcom.ctc.edu or call 360-383-3193. A registration form and complete information is available on the event website, whatcom.edu/girlsgotech. Registration deadline is April 17. Space is limited.
These workshops are made possible by funds from the Carl D. Perkins Act and generous donations from Bellingham Central Lion’s Club, Bellingham Rotary and other local service organizations.
In fact, watching our local flag football teams is the closest thing you can get – outside of the Bellingham Bulldogs’ season, that is – to NFL or college ball. It’s played with an offensive line, eight on eight, and with downfield extended-arm blocking.
Matthew Santos likes that flag football is a competitive sport that still allows players to stay healthy and be able to play again the following week.
Bellingham’s Matthew Santos is the organizer of the North End Flag Football Group, which sets up weekly flag football games for adult males in Whatcom County.
“I started this group almost a year ago when I moved back to Whatcom County,” Santos says of his involvement with the sport. “I had been playing flag football weekly in the Seattle area for several years and wanted to continue to do so up here.”
Santos likes that he can play the sport on the weekend – yet still be able to go to work on Monday without hobbling. “We play a contact-style flag football and it’s very competitive,” he says. “But everyone wants to stay healthy and be able to play again the next week.”
His team, King in the North, will participate in the Stephen Faoro Battle at the Border Flag Football Tournament, March 21 and 22 at Pioneer Park in Ferndale, to help raise money for the families of two area players who recently passed away: Stephen Faoro and Sean Hicks.
Two other Bellingham teams – the Bellingham Bomb Squad (made up of players from the Bellingham Bulldogs, on which Faoro and Hicks both played) and the Bellingham Expendables – will join 13 other Pacific Northwest and British Columbia squads.
Santos knew and had played against Sean Hicks; he also has teammates who were friends and played with Stephen Faoro. “They were excited to compete in this tournament and help donate to his family,” Santos says.
Stephen Faoro and Sean Hicks, teammates and friends, are both being remembered at the upcoming Stephen Faoro Flag Football Tournament. Photo credit: Radley Muller
“Sean had been out to play with the North End Flag Football Group several times. He was a really good dude,” Santos continues. “He was competitive and displayed amazing sportsmanship. He obviously loved the game and was willing to share his passion and knowledge with younger players.”
When Santos heard about plans for the fundraising tournament, he reached out to Tournament Director Scott Beadell, to register his team. He didn’t realize he would soon be part of the group organizing the event.
“Stephen was probably the best player in our Vancouver flag football league. He played for a team in our league, the Vancouver Villains, which was the first team I played for, and was the WCFFC 2014 Defensive Line MVP,” says Beadell. “He also played tackle ball with the Bellingham Bulldogs and was linebacker on their 2013 Pacific Football League Championship team.”
Sean Hicks was also a linebacker for the Bulldogs; he and Stephen were good friends.
Beadell came up with the idea for the fundraising tournament in December, and reached out to Bulldogs general manager Don Oneida to help make it happen.
Stephen Faoro and Sean Hicks were both dedicated, talented athletes. Photo credit: Radley Muller
“We decided Bellingham would be the perfect place to have this tournament, since that’s where Stephen played his tackle ball,” says Beadell. They didn’t foresee the amount of scrambling that would be necessary to secure a field.
“Matthew was amazing,” says Beadell. “He talked to Ferndale’s mayor and he was a big reason we eventually got the Pioneer Park field. We owe a lot to him – and are also grateful to Ferndale.”
Tournament attendance is free and open to the public. “We’re asking for donations from the teams,” says Beadell. The event will also raise money through concessions and a silent auction, with items donated from NFL players that include the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Houston Oilers, and New York Jets. The BC Lions have also donated items.
Both Santos and Beadell will be on the field for the Stephen Faoro Battle at the Border Flag Football Tournament.
“I’m older, I’m 47,” Beadell says with a laugh, “but I’ll be playing for the Crimson Tide, out of Vancouver. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
For anyone unsure what to expect from flag football, Beadell is emphatic: Come and see it for yourself. “It’s serious football, not just a bunch of guys running around with flags on,” he says. “It’s a really exciting game to watch.”
Santos agrees and looks forward to competing against other Northwest teams – he also hopes to help develop enough interest and demand for this to become an annual event. “Folks who come to the tournament will be entertained,” he says. “They’ll get to watch guys who love playing football do some great things on the field.”
Santos and his team, Bellingham Kings in the North, stand at the line, ready to run a play.
Love to write? Have a passion for your community? Join a dynamic team of paid, professional writers that share stories about what it’s like to live, work, and play in Whatcom County.
WhatcomTalk publishes positive stories about people, businesses and organizations doing good things in communities throughout Whatcom County. Our stories are published online and distributed via social media. Since our launch in February 2014, we have grown our readership to reach more than 8,200 people on social media. People want to know about great things happening around us.
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Sincere passion for sharing the positive stories happening in our community
San Juan Airlines employs a staff of 20 during its peak season, including as many as a dozen pilots.
Skip and Katie Jansen pose with their grandson Will and one of their planes on Crane Island.
San Juan Airlines owners Skip and Katie Jansen never expected to own an airline. The couple has owned and operated JIJ Corporation, a construction and development company, since 1990, and wasn’t looking to move into a new industry.
“But it was like that old Gillette commercial,” Skip says with a smile. “We liked the company so much, we bought it.”
The road to owning San Juan Airlines (which went by the name Northwest Sky Ferry when the couple purchased it) began with their search for the perfect summer getaway on Crane Island, in 2005.
“We decided we would like to have a place in the San Juan Islands, because we love it out there,” says Katie. “We were both born and raised here and it’s been a favorite spot our whole lives.”
The couple expected the search to take years. “But we actually found it right away,” Katie says, with a laugh. “It was one of the first places we looked at.”
“We’ve always been boaters, so we purposely picked a place with no ferry access,” says Skip. There’s nothing commercial on the island, just private residences, and the trip from Bellingham to Crane Island takes about an hour, in good weather.
The family primarily used it as a summer home, but as their children got older and became increasingly involved in school and sports and activities, it became difficult to get back and forth.
Skip and Katie changed the name of the business from Northwest Sky Ferry to San Juan Airlines in 2014 to better reflect the operation.
“That’s when we got to know the Northwest Sky Ferry people,” says Skip. “We knew all the pilots on a first-name basis.”
Strictly a charter airline at that time, Northwest Sky Ferry often found a space for one of the Jansen kids when a Saturday sports practice or school activity called.
“They would work them in with other flights, so it was really economical,” says Skip. “It wasn’t like we had to pay for the whole plane.”
The Jansens had been regular users of Northwest Sky Ferry for several years when the airline came up for sale.
Skip and Katie became the new owners in 2009, and set about making some changes. Bellingham’s only locally owned airline service, Northwest Sky Ferry had long offered chartered flights, but not a regular schedule of service to the San Juan Islands – and beyond.
The Jansens understood the importance of a daily schedule, and as the saying (sort of) goes: if you build it, they will fly.
“When we bought it, it was much smaller and was only an on-demand charter service,” says Katie.
The couple spent a year working with the FAA to upgrade its certificate and become a full commuter airline, with eight daily departures between Bellingham and the San Juan Islands, and another eight between Anacortes and the San Juan Islands.
San Juan Airlines employs a staff of 20 during its peak season, including as many as a dozen pilots.
San Juan Airlines still offers chartered flights, taking individuals or groups wherever they need to go within a long list of destinations, and now also offers six scenic flight tours.
Initially, the company rented a counter from the flight museum and shared its space. They moved into their current digs – which used to belong to FedEx – in February of 2010 and, in 2014, changed the name from Northwest Sky Ferry to San Juan Airlines.
“It describes better what we do, since our primary business is flying to the islands,” says Skip. San Juan Airlines also flies north into Canada and south into Oregon – with regular stops in Port Angeles and Port Townsend, and elsewhere.
In fact, San Juan Airlines offers the only scheduled service in and out of Point Roberts – taking just 20 minutes, and with no border crossing hassle.
Other regular San Juan Airlines destinations reach as far north as Port Hardy on Vancouver Island in British Columbia and south to Portland, Oregon.
The airline is currently exploring the possibility of adding regularly scheduled flights from Bellingham to Victoria, British Columbia.
Prices are clearly listed on the San Juan Airlines website, and include a $59 orange tag special for certain flights at specific times. When you factor in driving time with gas and ferry costs, that price quickly begins to look like a bargain.
The scenic flight tours have become extremely popular, with six different options, from Mount Baker to the islands.
“We do an Island Explorer Tour, which takes people around the islands and basically anywhere in the area that they’d like to go,” says Katie.
San Juan Airlines operates scenic tours as well as regularly scheduled flights.
When headed to the San Juans, a lot of folks ask to look for whales, and pilots are happy to oblige.
“Where the whales are is always a hot topic,” Katie says.
There are four lighthouses on the San Juan Islands, and all can be viewed from above with a San Juan Airlines-tailored Lighthouse Tour.
“The Mount Baker tour is fascinating because you can see the craters and the steam coming out, even the skiers,” says Katie. “It’s just fabulous – it goes on forever.”
“And on the way back, on a clear day, you come over Mount Baker and see all the islands, as well,” says Skip.
Anyone can schedule an aerial tour – and for a lower cost than you might imagine. “Just call us up,” says Skip.
Ask Skip and Katie what their favorite thing is about owning and operating an airline, and neither one hesitates to answer. “It’s the people – the customers and the relationships with the people on the islands,” says Katie.
“We want to go the extra mile for them,” Skip says, nodding in agreement.
As airlines become increasingly automated and impersonal – online reservations, electronic check-in – San Juan Airlines strives to do the opposite.
San Juan Airlines strives to go the extra mile for passengers.
“We book flights with a real person and try to be flexible to fit their needs,” says Skip. “Sure, it’s labor-intensive, but I think that’s one reason our customers are so loyal to us; we take care of them.”
Future plans for San Juan Airlines include adding a twin-engine plane to its current fleet of five Cessnas, enhancing the ability to fly people over the mountains.
“It would be nice to get people where they need to be, regardless of weather,” says Katie. The cabins would be pressurized and could go as far as southeast Alaska and California.
The entire San Juan Airlines team values its community and gives back in many ways, including donating flights and working in other ways to support the Festival of Music, the Boys & Girls Club and Ski To Sea, among many others. They even donate the transport of wild animals – seals, eagles, fawns – who need to get to Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Skagit County.
Although he’s long left it to the professionals, Skip also used to fly; he got his solo license when he was just 19. He’s no longer behind the controls, but being the owner of an airline that can land on a grass airstrip just a few minute walk from your island home is pretty darn convenient.
After a day at the office, Skip and Katie choose to either drive the 13 minutes to their Bellingham place – or fly 15 minutes to their Crane Island home. “We either walk out to the pickup or to the airplane,” Skip says with a laugh.
Whatcom Smart Trips has now launched a Discount Map to highlight partners.
Since its inception in 2006, Whatcom Smart Trips has been encouraging Whatcom County residents to walk, bike, ride the bus, and share rides instead of driving alone – and rewarding those who do with great prizes and valuable rewards.
A list of merchants in Bellingham, Lynden, Ferndale, Blaine and Deming/Van Zandt offer discounts to Smart Trips participants, which is detailed on its website.
Now the popular program has also launched a Smart Trips Discount Map, which pinpoints these different retailers, restaurants, and service providers that partner with Whatcom Smart Trips.
After recording just ten Smart Trips, program members receive a Smart Trips Discount Card, which is good until the end of each calendar year. Simply show your Smart Trips Discount Card or WTA bus pass to receive discounts at the participating businesses.
To learn more, read WhatcomTalk’s feature article about the program, and then visit Whatcom Smart Trips to learn how you can join the 17,000 others who have logged over 3 million miles, reaped the many benefits, and helped contribute to our healthy, vibrant community.
Stand-up comedian, Glen Nelson Bristow, entertains a crowd. Photo by Sue Mattson.
By Lorraine Wilde
While Whatcom County has a healthy share of talented, hard-working actors, few could argue that they are appearing in more theatre, film, and stand-up comedy performances than 35-year-old Bellingham actor, Glen Nelson Bristow.
Stand-up comedian, Glen Nelson Bristow, entertains a crowd. Photo by Sue Mattson.
A Sehome High School graduate, Glen moved to the Bellingham area when he was just 10 years old. But acting wasn’t on his radar in the early days. “It never occurred to me to attempt acting. I always wanted to try stand-up but I had no idea where to start.” In 2012, Glen took his first improvisational acting class, thinking he’d learn skills for stand-up. One class then became a full year of classes. “I’m a bit of a hedonist. I like to make people laugh, or at least amuse them. I don’t take life too seriously, but I throw myself into everything I do. I want people to be happy, and have good times.”
The following year, Glen jumped into comedy with both feet. He did his first stand-up set in Guffawingham open mic at the Green Frog Acoustic Tavern (The Frog). “A few months later, I discovered that acting was another way to make people laugh, so I showed up for my first audition.” Glen scored his first film role as Goon #1 in Episode II of Wilson Large’s web series, Dark Darkness, and soon after appeared in his first play in the Idiom’s48-Hour Theatre Festival. Since then, Glen has never looked back.
Web series Tin Can Odyssey’s (L to R) Terry Stach and Glen Nelson Bristow perform a scene. Photo by Patrick Timmins.
His typical day begins at 6:00 a.m. and includes a 30-minute commute to his day job as a paralegal in Skagit County. “I think it’s foolish for me to plan to make a living with art. My job helps me afford a theatre lifestyle. It’s very 9 to 5 and has allowed me to audition and perform more than I otherwise could have,” explains Glen. “I sometimes use public transportation because I can learn lines or work on my stand-up.” After a full work day, Glen heads off to a theatre rehearsal by 6:00 or 7:00 p.m., arriving home for dinner around 11:00 p.m. Sleep is an elusive creature for Glen. Even when he’s not rehearsing or performing in a play or musical, his weekends and non-rehearsal nights usually include a film shoot or hosting and performing a stand-up set at one of five venues around Bellingham.
In addition to Guffawingham at The Frog, Glen does stand-up at the oldest 24-Hour restaurant in America, Bellingham’s Horseshoe Café, as well as at Poppe’s 360, the Star Club, and the Upfront Theatre. “My stand-up sets, like many comedians, are largely about relationships,” notes Glen. “I recently developed a 30-minute feature performance for Poppe’s. My next step is to work on a clean 30-minute set. I’ve definitely got dirty covered.”
Glen Nelson Bristow plays Frank in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Photo by Sue Mattson.
Glen has a theory about why he’s been able to get so many roles in the past two years. “I get parts because there is a shortage of male actors in the area, especially at auditions for musicals,” giggles Glen. “Not that many guys want to sing and dance. There are college-aged guys willing, but men my age have jobs, obligations, or however you want to define responsibility.” Glen recently appeared in the musicals, A Chorus Line and A Miracle on 34th Street, at the Bellingham Theatre Guild. “My first dancing experience, and by far my favorite character that I’ve played, was as Frank in the Rocky Horror Picture Show. There’s nothing else like him,” beams Glen. “Audiences love Frank. He takes off the cape and they really freak out. He pulls people outside of themselves and they’re completely entertained.”
The next couple of months promise to be very busy for Glen. He recently began shooting season two of the absurd web series Tin Can Odyssey by Bellingham Writer/Director Patrick Timmins. Glen plays Canadian Captain Brendan McKenzie who leads a precarious international mission to colonize Mars. Glen developed his Manitoban accent specifically for the part.
Bellingham Theatre Guild’s Leading Ladies played by (L to R) Brian Francis and Glen Nelson Bristow. Photo by David Cohn.
Appearing through March 1 in Ken Ludwig’s farce, Leading Ladies, at the Bellingham Theatre Guild, Glen plays one of two down-and-out Shakespearean actors who comically disguise themselves in order to scam an inheritance from a rich old woman. “I was really excited to play Leo Clark, and planned my winter around the part,” notes Glen.
He is also about to begin rehearsals as the antagonist, Brooks Floyd, in the Idiom’s, The Glasses. Glen will appear in April in the first full production of this play, written by Los Angeles playwright, Ron Burch, and directed by local, Daniel Ruiz, about a real estate agent who inherits a magic pair of glasses that allow him to see people’s secret thoughts.
Glen is enjoying his forays into theatre, film, and stand-up and wants to continue his efforts throughout Whatcom County. “I don’t have degrees. Material gain has never been my motivation. If I were in Los Angeles, I would be type cast. But here I get to play the lead in a range of roles,” explains Glen. “I’m not worried about the future. More laughs with more audiences. That’s all I need.”
Enter your favorite non-profit organization to win a donation from Bob Wallin Insurance.
Back by popular demand, Bob Wallin Insurance is again donating to local non-profits – and letting the entire community nominate and vote for the winner.
This year, there will be three winners: First place will receive a $2,000 donation; second place will receive $1,000, and third place $500.
Here is the who, what, why, where and how:
What is this all about?
Bob Wallin Insurance will be accepting nominations during the month of March for local, 501(c)(3) non-profits who are eligible to win first, second, or third place. For the entire month of March, you can nominate a non-profit as long as it fits these three requirements:
It’s a local Whatcom County charity
501(c)(3) filing with IRS
Complete an official Bob Wallin Insurance Nomination Form, which will be available on March 1 at www.bwicares.com.
Nominations will be taken during the month of March, with voting taking place in the month of April. The winners will be announced in May.
(Note: A charity cannot win two years in a row. Sorry, Camp Horizon, Bellingham Childcare and Learning Center, and Wild Whatcom!)
Who’s eligible?
Any Whatcom County-based charity that is listed with the IRS as a 501(c)(3) and has had an official nomination form submitted to Bob Wallin Insurance is eligible for the voting campaign.
Why is Bob Wallin Insurance Giving This Money Away?
A better question is: Why not?
Bob Wallin Insurance believes community is more than geography. Community is who we are – and, like a family, we help each other out. We want to engage the community in a worthy cause to focus on the good around us, and in the process help so many of the great causes out there get noticed.
Last year we received over 5,400 votes and got many, many people talking, reading, and emailing about all the different non-profits in our community. It was a great opportunity for everyone.
Where Can I Find More Information, the Nomination Form, and Vote?
Bob Wallin Insurance has a dedicated community website, www.bwicares.com, where we announce, promote, and post the many community events we are involved in. You can also contact Suzanne Taylor – at Suzanne@bobwallin.com or 360-734-5204 – who heads up the community outreach at Bob Wallin Insurance.
How Do I Nominate a Non-Profit?
Starting March 1, go to www.bwicares.com, click on the NON-PROFIT tab, and then complete the official Bob Wallin Insurance Nomination Form. You will get a confirmation once you hit submit. If you do not get a confirmation, contact the system administrator at: jasontaylor@comcast.net. This automatically submits the non-profit for voting. As long as they meet all three requirements, they will be posted on the webpage and be eligible to receive votes from community members.
The voting will begin on April 1 – and that’s no joke! Only one vote is allowed per IP address. You can use your tablets, smartphone, wireless or PC to vote. Follow along online as the votes come in and see the results grow, up until one week before the deadline for last vote, which is Wednesday, April 30 at 7:00 p.m. After that, the result tracker will be removed, so the winners will truly be a surprise!
One of the (many) beautiful things about living in Whatcom County is its weather. Now, hear me out – I really mean that.
Yes, we get a slew of gray days, but the average low temperature in the winter is just 32 degrees – not uncomfortable at all, if you layer up a bit. The truth is, it’s rarely too cold to comfortably walk or hike outdoors. And if it’s raining? Well, that’s what rain gear is for.
Summers, of course, are glorious – but we don’t like too many folks who live elsewhere to know that, so let’s all just keep using the “it’s so gray and dreary and awful here” line…
And Whatcom County is full of fabulous walks and hikes that even the youngest family members can enjoy. Here is a list of some of our favorites.
Whatcom Falls Park
Whatcom Falls Park is a favorite of my family, since the waterfall has an automatic “ooo” and “aah” factor for little ones. But there is a lot more to see and do as well, from the fish hatchery and playgrounds, basketball and tennis courts. But the trails are what beckon walkers and joggers. Several different trails lead visitors through the park in all directions and can provide hours of exploration and exertion. There are even a couple of dog off-leash trails, to satisfy your furrier friends.
Fairhaven to Boulevard to downtown
In my family, the South Bay Trail is known as the “donuts to pizza” trek. We can begin in Fairhaven, at Rocket Donuts, and end at La Fiamma, with pizza to sustain us for the return walk. (To be honest, we don’t always stop for food – no need to negate the health benefits of an entire walk! But sometimes the enticement of one or the other is enough to get a six-year-old to keep going.) In between is gorgeous Bellingham Bay and Boulevard Park, reached by Taylor Dock and an always-fantastic stroll along the boardwalk (with a stop or two for throwing rocks into the water). The entire trail stretches 2.3 miles, but you can hop on at several different points and make it as long or as short of a stroll as you like. What’s guaranteed is that you’ll be surrounded by beauty.
Lake Padden
The 2.6-mile loop around Lake Padden includes a couple of inclines, but nothing too strenuous. The dirt trail winds around the lovely lake through open and wooded areas. Jog around once or twice for a nice workout or leisurely amble along with the kids or grandkids. You can also stop and rest on a dock or bench and take in the view, or take a break and let the kids enjoy the playground, basketball court, and softball fields.
North Lake Whatcom Park
On a recent sunny Sunday, we drove visiting Seattle friends and their young son to the North Lake Whatcom Trailhead, where we strolled off Hertz Trail and into the lush forest. We spent a couple of fantastic hours enjoying expansive views of Lake Whatcom on one side and Stewart Mountain on the other, complete with myriad old Douglas fir trees, waterfalls, surrounding hills, and impressive rock faces. We walked to the 1.5-mile marker (you can go 3.1 miles before turning and making your way back), then turned around and stopped at several beaches on the way back, to let the little ones happily throw rocks into the water.
North Ridge Park Trails
Bellingham’s North Ridge Park, in the Mount Baker neighborhood south of McLeod Road and north of Barkley Boulevard, is yet another nature retreat found smack dab in the middle of our fair city. Park on a nearby neighborhood street and explore the area through a series of trails that wend for over a mile through the park’s 36 acres. And definitely stop at Big Rock Garden, to take in the array of sculptures tucked alongside its paths.
Hovander Park
Ferndale’s Hovander Homestead Park is chock full of both natural and historical delights. It preserves the area’s rich pioneer farming history while also offering recreation for all ages. The park is comprised of nearly 350 acres, with a mile of river frontage. Three separate trails offer different experiences, from river walk to marsh to barnyard animals, with its River Dike Trail, Hovander/Tennant Lake Trail, and Tennant Lake Marsh Boardwalk.
Stimpson Family Nature Reserve
Head east out of Bellingham on Lakeway Drive and then watch for signs to Lake Louise – you’ll know you’re almost there. Donated by the seven children of Edward and Catharine Stimpson, this nature reserve is now jointly owned by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County, and is a well-maintained example of low-elevation old-growth forest. The reserve includes an active beaver pond and offers a 3-mile loop of trails through dense trees and wetlands and, as well as a shorter, 1.2-mile loop around Geneva Pond. No bicycles or pets are allowed.
Sehome Hill Arboretum
The Sehome Hill Arboretum rests above Western Washington University’s campus, offering six miles of trails and an observation tower with stunning views of Bellingham Bay. Moderately steep in parts, the trail system includes wider paved trails, as well as more narrow dirt trails and footpaths. Parking is available at the top of the hill inside the park, accessed from Bill McDonald Parkway.
Birch Bay
Birch Bay State Park offers one of the few remaining saltwater/freshwater estuaries in the area, with the half-mile Terrell Marsh Loop through the forest and 1.5 miles of trails along the saltwater shoreline, where you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the stunning Cascade Mountains and Canadian Gulf Islands. Don’t forget your Discover Pass – or visit on one of the days when Washington State Parks are free for all.
Samish Park
Choose an easy or challenging path at Samish Park. Its Lakeshore Trail is fun for the whole family, looping for 0.7 miles along the Lake Samish shoreline. Want to get your heart pumping? The Hillside Trail offers 1.3 miles of switchbacks up through the trees, with a lovely view down to the lake.
Semiahmoo Park
Take in stunning views across Drayton Harbor to Mount Baker from Semiahmoo Park in Blaine, on the Coast Millennium and Semiahmoo Spit Trails, an easy 0.8-mile one way traipse that spans the length of Semiahmoo Park up to Semiahmoo Resort. For a full-on beach walk in the same area, it’s hard to beat Semiahmoo Park’s beach walk, a moderate 1.6-mile loop that includes an extensive area of public tidelands, as well as boardwalks out to beach overlooks.
Chuckanut Mountain Park
A plethora of walking and hiking options open up in the Chuckanut Mountains just south of Bellingham. Chuckanut Mountain Park offers a long list of options with interconnecting trails throughout its 8,000 acres, from easy to strenuous.
These 12 suggested walks don’t even touch on the amazing opportunities for quality trail time found up at Mount Baker – weather permitting. Due to high altitude, the hiking season is limited. From Heliotrope Ridge to Skyline Divide – and many others in between – you can take in spectacular views and the freshest mountain air, just be sure to check road and trail conditions first and make sure the areas you want to explore are actually open. And don’t forget that there is a fee to park at National Forest trailheads if you don’t already have an annual pass.
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...
