Whatcom County Green Schools Summit

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The first gathering in Whatcom County of K-12 school administrators, teachers, green building professionals, students and parents next month signals the beginning of a growing trend that sees the ‘greening’ of our schools as a way to conserve energy, save money, and improve student’s health and achievement.

The Green Schools Summit, scheduled for June 3, 2014 at Broadway Hall in Bellingham is being coordinated by Sustainable Connections, Cascadia Green Building Council and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. It includes an impressive line-up of speakers with diverse backgrounds sure to spark creativity and action:

· Riley Grant, Sustainable Schools Manager of RE Sources’ Green Classroom Certification , a free program that provides teachers a meaningful, simple way to integrate conservation education into curriculum and initiate sustainable changes in the classrooms and beyond.

· Stacy Smedley, Executive Director of The Seed Collaborative, a Seattle non-profit committed to creating environmentally restorative learning spaces that educate and inspire children to be the next generation of environmental stewards. The non-profit is based largely on her experience managing the Bertschi School living building in Seattle- the first project in the world to be certified under Living Building Version 2.0 standards- and witnessing the transformational impact it had on its students

· Tim Jewitt, Managing Principal at Dykeman, an architecture firm where his expertise includes a wide range of retail, commercial, public and housing projects with emphasis in the design and construction of educational facilities. Dykeman has recently participated in over 12 education projects in Bothell, Monroe, Snohomish, Everett, and Whatcom Middle School in Bellingham.

The term “green schools” can mean everything from energy-efficiency to school gardens to recycling to healthier options in the lunchroom. “This conference aims to focus on the built environment for our children’s schools and highlight what is happening regionally for creating the most sustainable schools in the world,” notes Rose Lathrop, Green Building and Smart Growth Manager for Sustainable Connections.

“With a focus on individual behavior and collective action, we aim to inspire and empower youth to make positive changes for our community and their lives,” says Riley Grant, RE Sources Sustainable Schools Manager. “We want future generations to understand the problems and solutions necessary to protect our ecosystem and create sustainable communities.”

Students of all ages are welcome to attend as they are the heart of the movement and are often the ones initiating changes. Activities for kids will be provided.

Green Schools Summit will take place on Tuesday, June 3, from 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. at Broadway Hall. For more information, visit Sustainable Connections’ website here.

Whatcom County Teams Compete in District Games

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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Baseball

2A District I/II Tournament

Tuesday, May 13

Sehome vs. Squalicum @ Daniels Field (Anacortes) 2 p.m.

Lynden vs. Anacortes @ Volunteer Park (Anacortes) 6 p.m.

3A District I Tournament

Tuesday, May 13

Ferndale vs. Meadowdale @ Ferndale High School, 4 p.m.

Boys Soccer

2A District I Tournament

Tuesday, May 13

Sehome vs. Lakewood High School @ Civic Stadium

Lydia Place and Charter College Host 2nd Annual Handbags For Housing

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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handbags for homeless — Handbags For Housing was born as a creative and fashionable way to raise awareness about programs and services offered through Lydia Place.

Calling all up-cycled, re-styled and new-styled fashionistas!

On June 5, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, Lydia Place – along with event partner Charter College – will host the second annual Handbags For Housing at the Downtown Bellingham Depot Market Square for an evening of fashion and fun benefiting homeless families.

Program highlights include the re-fashion handbag and accessory bazaar, the Labels Women’s Consignment fashion show featuring fifteen local boutiques, winery tastings from Samson Estates Winery, beer tasting from Boundary Bay Brewery, and gourmet appetizers from Crave Catering and Old World Deli.

Handbags For Housing has become the every-ladies night out with a special focus on combining new and used clothing and accessories to refresh and renew your wardrobe.

To gain admission to the event, attendees must purchase their choice of a General or VIP ticket, and also bring a gently used handbag from their closet to donate to the handbag bazaar. Handbags will then be quickly “fluffed” and put for sale in the bountiful “Handbag Bazaar,” where bags and accessories range from $5 to $25.

Attendees will look great and can feel great about their purchases, knowing their contributions throughout the event support homeless families.

Handbags For Housing was born as a creative and fashionable way to raise awareness about programs and services offered through Lydia Place – a non-profit agency working to end homelessness in Whatcom County since 1989. Lydia Place supports families in establishing sustained independence.

In the past 12 months, Lydia Place has assisted over 180 homeless families in finding housing and achieving their dreams for themselves and their children. Thanks to growing partnerships with the Bellingham Housing Authority and Whatcom Homeless Service Center, Lydia Place is serving more families than ever before.

Handbags for Housing is presented in partnership with Charter College and other local and national businesses that believe in the Lydia Place mission that every family deserves a home.

Local fashion collective Labels Women’s Consignment presents the re- and new fashion show featuring hair from Toni & Guy Hairdressing Academy. Dozens of local businesses – including Bellis Fair, texture clothing, Merry Maids, Girl Meets Boy DJ Services, Joy Of Pilates, Peoples Bank, The Bellingham Herald, Kali Rose Boutique, LuLu – Wonderful Things, 4 Starrs Boutique, Polished, Signs By Tomorrow, OH Snap! Photo Booth, Evolve Truffles, and more – have lent their support for this annual fundraiser.

Bring your friends, family and colleagues for an unforgettable evening for a great cause!

Limited VIP and general admission tickets are now available online at www.lydiaplace.com.

Alternative Rockers Collective Soul Complete NW Washington Fair Entertainment Slate

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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The Northwest Washington Fair’s Facebook fans asked and were rewarded.

In response to a Facebook poll of possible acts, the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden announces that alternative rock group Collective Soul will perform on the grandstand stage Saturday, Aug. 16.

The addition completes the slate of grandstand entertainment, scheduled Aug. 11-16. It will begin Aug. 11 with the demolition derby, a perennial fan favorite, followed by two days of the world’s top cowboys competing Aug. 12-13 in the Lynden PRCA Rodeo. Country star Gary Allan performs Aug. 14, then Huey Lewis and The News, one of America’s greatest rock-and-roll bands, will entertain fairgoers Aug. 15.

Tickets for Collective Soul go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. June 4 at www.nwwafair.com. They also will be available then at the fair office, 1775 Front St., Lynden, and by phone at (877) 699-FAIR. Tickets to see Collective Soul, which include gate admission to the fair, are $42 apiece for reserved grandstand seats and $57 for preferred seats. In contrast to most entertainment tickets sold online, there are no extra service fees or convenience charges.

Tickets for the demolition derby, Gary Allan and Huey Lewis and The News already are available.

Collective Soul is releasing its ninth studio album, “See What You Started By Continuing,” this summer as part of its 20th anniversary. Founded by vocalist and guitarist Ed Roland, Collective Soul shot to international fame with its 1993 release, “Hints, Allegations and Things Left Unsaid,” and its mega No. 1 hit “Shine.”

The self-titled “Collective Soul,” released in 1995, would be the album that would help define its sound of catchy melodies and guitar driven songs. Containing four outstanding singles (three of which reached No. 1) – “December,” “The World I Know,” “Where The River Flows,” and “Gel” – it became Collective Soul’s highest-selling album to date. The album went Triple-Platinum and spent 76 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 charts.

Collective Soul dramatically expanded its fan base by performing on the soundtrack to one of the hottest movies of 2008 – “Twilight.” It also has become a Facebook favorite, followed by more than 625,000 fans.

Salish Sea Kayak School Offers Classes for Beginners to Intermediate Paddlers and Ski to Sea Racers

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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Salish Sea Kayak School co-owner Kelly Patrick was born and raised in Idaho, but always hoped to one day live near the water.

“There’s not a lot of water in Idaho,” she says with a laugh. “It’s usually either dry or frozen.”

Patrick moved to Bellingham several years ago and took her first kayaking lesson within six months of landing in Whatcom County.

“I immediately fell in love with it,” she says. “And I decided that not only did I want to enjoy the sport for my own appreciation, but also to help others explore this area and learn to love the sport as much as I do.”

Ted Wang had been a sea kayak instructor for years before Patrick started paddling. The couple met and was soon teaching the sport together.

When Patrick and Wang opened their Salish Sea Kayak School in Bellingham last fall, their goal was to bring an improved experience to area kayaking students.

They’ve done exactly that.

Through changes of management at their previous employer, the couple’s teaching experience – something both Patrick and Wang have long felt passionate about – began to deteriorate.

“We wanted to limit the number of students in a class so that not only did they get more out of it, but the class was safer for everybody involved,” says Patrick.

Wang and Patrick are both certified American Canoe Association instructors, and that organization’s guidelines require that any class with over four students have two instructors. At the time the couple left their previous positions, they were teaching classes of eleven, often in rough water.

“It just got to the point where it wasn’t safe and it wasn’t fun,” says Patrick.

The couple also wanted to have direct hands-on control over the gear they put their students in, for greater safety.

“And we wanted the flexibility of being able to develop our own curriculum and to teach wherever we wanted,” she says.

Now, completely in charge of their own school, Patrick and Wang call all the shots.

“If a student wants to learn how to deal with eddies and currents we can take them to Deception Pass,” says Patrick. “If we have a student who is going to paddle Ski to Sea for the first time, we’re able to teach them basic skills on Bellingham Bay.”

Patrick and Wang’s ultimate goal with Salish Sea Kayak School is to allow people to make the sport their own.

The primary teaching season, depending on weather, starts near the end of April and runs through September to mid-October.

Patrick and Wang paddle year-round and are happy to teach throughout the winter, too.

“Having said that, we’re not able to provide dry suits to our students, so a student who wants to go out in the winter time would need to have some of their own gear because it’s so cold.”

Salish Sea Kayak School does supply wet suits to all students – in fact, they provide just about everything needed to learn the sport, from boats and paddles to life jackets and spray skirts. A list of extra things students should bring to class is detailed on the Salish Sea Kayak School website.

The school offers several options for kayak classes. One is a 10-hour series of lessons that takes place over the course of three weeks.

“That takes you from square one,” says Patrick. “This is what a kayak looks like, this is where you sit – the very basics.” Students will end the class able to rescue themselves if they go over, rescue their paddling partners, maneuver the boat, and brace themselves to keep from going over.

Patrick and Wang are adding a class for those individuals who don’t have time for the 10-hour course or may want to just dip in there and see if they enjoy the sport. “That will be a three to four-hour course taking them through the very basics in one day,” says Patrick, “basically getting in a boat to see if they want to take that next class.”

The couple frequently teaches in Bellingham Bay, on Lake Padden, and on Lake Whatcom, but is flexible about other locations; they’ve taught at Bowman Bay in Skagit County and are willing to go as far north as Birch Bay, among other areas.

“Some people have phobias about salt water so we can teach in the lakes,” Patrick explains. “If conditions are adverse, we may be able to change locations.”

They are able to customize both class schedules and content to meet students’ needs. “Our objective is to maximize accessibility and convenience for our students,” Patrick says.

With Ski to Sea just around the corner, Salish Sea Kayak School provides a refresher course for people paddling the kayak leg who may not have been in a boat since last year’s race.

They also offer a basic skills course for Sea To Ski participants – folks who may have been asked to be on a team but have never been in a kayak.

“That actually happens frequently,” Patrick says with a laugh.

Patrick and Wang have both been rescue boaters for Ski to Sea, and watched many novice boaters go over – often in rough water and plunged into cold water.

“It should be such an exciting and fun event, but by the time they get to the end, they’re tired, miserable, and cold,” Patrick says. “It would just be great to see people enjoy it – and a crash course will help them do that.”

Patrick and Wang love to teach and love to kayak – so of course, it’s fulfilling to do both – and to do so with their own company.

One of the most satisfying parts of the job, for Patrick, is watching beginners discover that they can kayak – even if they think they won’t be able to.

“I can’t tell you how many students I’ve had say, without even thinking about it, ‘I can’t do that,’” says Patrick. “Watching them overcome that – whether it’s a fear or discovering they do have an aptitude or the physical strength – it’s very fulfilling.”

Salish Sea Kayak School offers discounts on kayak lessons for Ski to Sea participants throughout the month leading up to the race. Learn more about the Ski to Sea Refresher and Basic Skills courses here, and email info@salishseakayakschool.com or call 888.858.8411 for more information.

Salish Sea Kayak School

www.salishseakayakschool.com

888.858.8411

Bellingham TheatreWorks Launches Two Projects

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by Bellingham Theatre Works

Local director Mark Kuntz had a big problem. “For the past decade I have been the artistic director of the Mount Baker Repertory Theatre.” His summers were a whirlwind of casting, producing and directing up to four summer rep shows for the Mount Baker Theatre. “Now that I am no longer with the Mount Baker, what am I going to do with all that free time during the summer?” Whereas others might take the summer off to go swimming, camping and fishing, Kuntz needs to feed his artistic soul. “I am happiest when I am creating art,” he declares.

Kuntz teamed up with local playwright Steve Lyons, a recent transplant from Berkeley, and formed the no-mad theatre company, Bellingham TheatreWorks. They don’t have a physical theatre space, but they do have enthusiasm.

Kuntz, a professor of theatre arts at Western Washington University, continues: “I am excited to take on projects that I have wanted to pursue for years. Our little theatre company gives me artistic freedom and I look forward to producing high quality, meaningful, contemporary theatre.”

Their first production is a play that Kuntz has had his eye on for several years. Border Songs, first produced by Seattle’s Book-It Theatre, is the stage adaptation of Jim Lynch’s beloved book.

This whimsical adaptation of Border Songs explores the tensions, struggles, law and lawlessness at the Peace-Arch border through the eyes of Brandon, a quirky, dyslexic, socially-awkward border patrolman. A cast of ten plays over twenty different characters, including drug smugglers, massage therapists, illegal immigrants, EPA agents, farmers, and surly border dwellers.

The play is being produced by Bellingham TheatreWorks in association with Village Books. “A focus of our organization is to collaborate with community partners, and Village Books has been a great booster for Washington’s own Jim Lynch,” stated Kuntz. “They will be featuring Jim’s books, selling tickets, and supporting us as we jump off the cliff into the crazy world of producing theatre.”

Border Songs plays at the Firehouse in Fairhaven and the Claire Theatre in Lynden during June and July.

Then in August, they team up with the Wayne Morse Center of the University of Oregon, the Oregon Historical Society, and World Affairs Council of Oregon to tour a play penned by producing director Lyons, called The Ghosts of Tonkin. Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the Gulf of Tonkin incident that ignited the Vietnam War, this 60-minute drama tells the powerful story of how seemingly well-intentioned public officials brought about one of the most devastating chapters in the history of the United States.

Incorporating verbatim dialog taken from Senate transcripts, telephone recordings, recently declassified NSA documents, and other sources The Ghosts of Tonkin will debut at Bellingham High School over Labor Day weekend and then tour to Portland, Eugene, Seattle and other towns in the Pacific Northwest. Bellingham TheatreWorks was just awarded a $25,000 grant in support of their ambitious plans for this play.

To stay abreast of the summer plans of this dynamic new theatre company, visit www.BellinghamTheatreWorks.org

Organized At Last: Calming the Chaos, Improving Your Spaces

By

Stacee Sledge

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organized at least featured — Julie Clarke is a professional organizer who can give you quick tips to de-clutter.

Julie Clarke, owner of Organized at Last, is a professional organizer.

“I was raised in a really disorganized, chaotic home,” says Julie Clarke, owner of Organized At Last, a professional organizing company. “My mom was diagnosed with MS when I was two and passed away my senior year of high school.”

“My dad was a good provider,” Clarke says, “but he wasn’t the kind of guy who was going to get help in our house. They did the best they could.”

With four daughters, a hard-working father, and a mother decreasingly able to keep up with even the simplest of tasks, the family home was in an endless state of disarray – to put it mildly.

Dirty clothes mixed with clean, while piles of stuff obscured every surface. Pathways wove through the mounting mess.

“We girls had bedrooms upstairs and mom would just throw the clothes or shoes – whatever she was able to reach – onto the stairs,” Clarke says. “It would create this huge mountain, an avalanche of chaos.”

Clarke vividly remembers, in second grade, being at a friend’s house and realizing that things there were done very differently.

“I started paying attention,” Clarke says. “I watched how things were done, the systems and routines. I asked a lot of questions.”

She sought answers to seemingly simple questions: Why do other people seem to be able to get to school on time, with combed hair and socks that match?

“All those things were difficult for me,” Clarke admits. “We had socks in a drawer in the kitchen. It was rare that I could easily find two shoes in the same place.”

Over the next few years, she looked in good friends’ cupboards and drawers, figuring out how other people organized their lives.

In seventh grade, Clarke put her growing knowledge to work in her family’s home.

“I spent about eight months working every day – cleaning out a drawer or cupboard, working underneath the bathroom sink. I just took it one space at a time.

Clarke left her Edmonds home after high school to study home economics at Western Washington University; she stayed in Bellingham after graduating and marrying husband Steve.

Just as she started to work as a professional organizer, her first son came along, and Clarke pulled back, instead teaching and speaking about organizing for many years.

“When my youngest son started kindergarten, I really got serious about starting a business.” She named it Organized At Last, a fitting moniker representing her own journey.

Clarke’s now heading into her 16th year of business. “It’s been a great career,” she says, smiling.

Most customers reach out to Clarke by email or phone, and she schedules a consultation.

She – and often an accompanying employee – meets with the clients, photographs the space, and talks through what’s going on in each particular situation.

After so many years helping others create efficient spaces, she’s seen it all. “Sometimes we walk in and I can pretty much write the script,” Clarke says.

Though she’s successfully taken on her fair share of extreme situations, most projects are straightforward: someone is moving and needs help downsizing or is dealing with an illness or injury that causes them to fall behind on home front upkeep. Many times, it’s simply busy lives that make it difficult to manage the day-to-day, until the pantry is overflowing and cars can’t be pulled into the garage.

Clarke and her staff don’t always supply hands-on help; sometimes they simply offer recommendations for changes.

“I charge $100 to come in and walk through your space with you,” she explains, “but a lot of times I’ll say, ‘If you just move your couch to this wall, change the location of that shelf, de-clutter that area, put hooks here instead of bars, and remove this, you’ll free up so much space.’”

Clarke is able to see a room and in an instant know how to transform it. “Often they just need me to guide them with a few ideas using items they already own,” she says.

For larger, more involved projects, Clarke has learned that it’s always way more than just about stuff. Time and again, she’s watched a client’s entire demeanor change, become lighter, as their space becomes more efficient. The Organized At Last motto says it all: Creating emptier, fuller lives.

That means buying fewer things and enjoying life more. “Living with less is really the way to appreciate life,” she says. “You don’t need a lot of toys to be happy.”

Clarke is passionate about her work and attributes that to her upbringing.

“When you spend 25 minutes searching for a hairbrush, that’s a lot of your life wasted,” she says. “When your house is efficient and organized and you know exactly where things go, it takes just a few seconds to put items away, because everything has a home. It makes life so much easier.”

Those childhood experiences have made a profound impact on her career. “When I walk into a really chaotic situation I just want to reach out and hug my client and tell them it’s going to be okay,” she says. “I always say that I grew up to become the person my mom desperately needed.”

Organized At Last

www.organizedatlast.biz

2950 Newmarket St., Suite 101-119

Bellingham WA 98226

360.319.2417

10 Terrific Places to Devour Scrumptious Sandwiches in Bellingham and Whatcom County

By

Stacee Sledge

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Whether you’re of the generation that equates a love for comically large sandwiches with Dagwood Bumstead or Homer Simpson, there’s one thing we can all agree on: Bellingham has tasty sandwich options galore.

Hot or cold; open-faced or rolled up in a wrap; in a hoagie or wedged between thick-cut slices of spongy bread. Sandwiches come in all shapes, sizes, flavors and combinations. Head to any of these Bellingham-area sandwich shops to get your fill(ings).

Old World Deli

Top notch noshing in a fantastic setting, downtown’s Old World Deli brings together an authentic European-style delicatessen with scrumptious sandwiches, fresh salads, wines, specialty food items, and much more.

But we’re here to talk about the sandwiches.

Old World Deli creates many of their meats in-house, including corned beef, roast beef, bacon, smoked duck breast, sausages, and more. Other meats are carefully chosen from high-quality producers. Pair those with hard-to-find fine cheeses and local Breadfarm bread and you simply can’t go wrong.

Old World Deli
1228 North State Street in Bellingham
360-738-2090

Hours:
Monday: 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday and Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday through Saturday: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Bagelry

The Bagelry has been dishing out delicious authentic New York bagels in Bellingham for 30 years.

For a fantastic lunch option, top any of the Bagelry’s 13 different bagel varieties with a selection of Boars Head brand meats and cheeses, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. They’ll finish it off with a pickle spear and a bag of chips – or choose one of the Bagelry’s fantastic house-made deli salads.

The Bagelry
1319 Railroad Avenue in Bellingham
360-676-5288

Hours:
Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Da Vinci’s Classic Subs

More than a decade ago, I wrote restaurant reviews for the Bellingham Herald. My fantastic editor pointed me toward Da Vinci’s Classic Subs – tucked in the back of a convenience store on Electric Avenue – and I’ve fondly remembered that experience ever since.

Da Vinci’s will create your own classic sub or hoagie from a long list of fresh ingredients – on white or wheat French bread, in a variety of sizes. There’s also a premium sub menu with a range of combinations. Love cheese steaks? They’ve got that covered, too.

Da Vinci’s Classic Subs
1480 Electric Avenue in Bellingham
360-671-7200

Hours:
Daily: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Avenue Bread

You’ll spot Bellingham’s popular Avenue Bread Cafes in three locations: downtown, Fairhaven, and on James Street in the Sunnyland neighborhood. And at all three, you’ll find hand-formed artisan bread and mouth-watering sandwich-topping combos galore.

The variety of sandwiches at Avenue Bread can almost overwhelm — a fantastic problem for anyone who likes a variety of sandwich types. Breakfast sandwiches, classic hot and cold versions, wraps, flats, grinders, and more – there’s something for every sandwich lover at Avenue Bread.

Avenue Bread
Downtown Café
1313 Railroad Avenue in Bellingham
360-714-3354

Downtown Café Hours:
Sunday through Thursday: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Fairhaven Café
1135 11th Street in Bellingham

Hours:
Daily: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

James Street Café
2301 James Street in Bellingham

Hours:
Daily: 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 pm

Community Food Co-Op

Whether you hit the deli at the downtown Bellingham Community Food Co-op or the one out at Cordata, you’re going to undoubtedly find fresh, vibrant, often organic options for spectacular sandwiches.

Sandwich-filling selections vary slightly between the two delis, but you’ll find something delicious at both, to be sure. If you’re in a hurry, grab a pre-packaged sandwich and if you’re selective about toppings call ahead or fill out a simple form and wait for your deliciousness to arrive on a plate or ready to go.

Add a small bag of Kettle Chips and half a pickle for just a dollar. Lunch is taken care of.

Downtown Co-Op Deli
1220 North Forest Street in Bellingham
360-734-8158

Deli hours:
Daily: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Cordata Co-Op Deli
315 Westerly Road in Bellingham
360-734-8158

Deli hours:
Daily: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Café Rumba

Not familiar with Peruvian sandwiches? Get yourself to Café Rumba, but quick, and take in its varied cuisine, a reflection of three Peruvian geographical zones: the coast, the Andean highlands, and the jungle. Your taste buds will thank you.

Opened in 2012 by Lima natives Marco Mellet and Antonio Diaz, Café Rumba brings something completely different to Bellingham with its assortment of “sanguches” served in a Peruvian French roll. The ingredients sound familiar – chicken, turkey, ham, pot roast, bacon, cheese, roasted peppers, and on and on – but the spices and sauces give them a Peruvian oomph you need to experience.

Café Rumba
1140 North State Street in Bellingham
360-746-8280

Hours:
Monday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday through Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Sandwich Odyssey

A modest stand-alone shop planted across the street from Bellingham High School, Sandwich Odyssey has been receiving raves from in-the-know locals for 20 years. It’s all about quality ingredients and care in preparation. Ordering a turkey sandwich? The turkey was roasted on-site that very day. Sandwich Odyssey is lauded for whopping portion sizes, as well.

Try the cold grilled eggplant sandwich or the Italian sub, among a myriad of options and ever-changing daily specials. Want something hot? The chicken stack is one of nearly a dozen delicious options, topped with grilled peppers, onions, and provolone cheese. Any sandwich can also be made into a wrap.

Sandwich Odyssey
2001 Cornwall Avenue in Bellingham
360-738-6919

Hours:
Monday through Friday: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Lynden Dutch Bakery

Take a short drive north of Bellingham and experience Lynden Dutch Bakery’s quintessential Dutch hospitality – and their delicious baked goods.

Piled high and built with local Lynden products, sandwiches from Lynden Dutch Bakery never disappoint. Dutch sandwiches come in ham, roast beef, turkey pastrami, tuna salad, or salami with all the fixings, lovingly lodged between thick-cut slices of freshly baked bread.

Lynden Dutch Bakery’s submarine sandwiches are served on a wheat or white roll and offer the same variety of meats – plus pepperoni – and top it all with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard, mayo, and a tangy dressing. You can also choose a monster sub, great for a crowd.

Lynden Dutch Bakery
421 Front Street in Lynden
360-354-3911

Hours:
Tuesday through Thursday: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Leaf & Ladle

You’ll always find at least one vegan panini option at Leaf & Ladle on the south end of downtown — but there’s a plethora of other yummy sandwiches to select from, whether you’re vegetarian or full-on carnivore.

Creating inventive, fresh, flavorful sandwiches (and so much more: wraps, salads, soups, and now hand pies from Alice’s Pies), Leaf & Ladle opened in 2013. Its menu changes every week, so check out their Facebook page to see what’s currently being served.

Leaf & Ladle
1113 North State Street in Bellingham
360-319-9718

Hours:
Daily: 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Greene’s Corner

There’s a lot more to love about Greene’s Corner than just its magnificent sandwiches, but that’s a tremendous starting point. Perched on James Street, near Kulshan Brewing Company, Greene’s Corner makes hot and cold sandwiches to order while showcasing a truly impressive array of microbrews.

Using local breads and bagels, Greene’s Corner sandwiches can be made-to-order or choose from a delectable variety, from pesto turkey or reuben to pulled pork or classic club, and more. The menu also includes a roast tempeh topped with organic salad mix and a variety of veggies.

Greene’s Corner
2208 James Street in Bellingham
360-306-8137

Hours:
Monday through Saturday: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Clearly, there are too many wonderful Whatcom County sandwich options to outline in just one article. Here are a few more to consider the next time a sandwich craving comes calling:

Whatcom County Business Owners Like Buying Local – And Like When You Do It, Too

By

Stacee Sledge

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bellingham wine store — For Seifert & Jones Wine Merchant co-owners, Ted Seifert and Diane Jones, buying local gives them a stronger sense of community.

By Stacee Sledge

Buy local. It’s a simple slogan many of us can happily get behind.

After all, we’ve seen the statistics showing the power of $1 spent at a local, independent store versus a big-box chain store; that single locally spent dollar generates three times more direct, local economic activity.

But for many – even those with the best of intentions – buying local can get lost in the everyday commotion of go go go. When the checking account balance dwindles or the To-Do List grows long as the hours fly by, suddenly an Amazon order has been placed or we’ve popped into the chain store with the giant parking lot or steered through a massive conglomerate’s drive-through window.

WhatcomTalk asked local business owners why they believe in buying local – and why it’s important for everyone in Whatcom County to try to do so as often as they can.

For Ted Seifert, co-owner of downtown Bellingham’s Seifert & Jones Wine Merchant, buying local gives him a stronger sense of community.

“I love walking around town and seeing other small business owners and customers,” he says. “It weaves more into the fabric our community.”

bellingham book store — Dee and Chuck Robinson, owners of Village Books, believe that buying locally brings prosperity to the entire community.

That’s something he says you simply don’t find when you order online. “Buying online is a false pleasure. I feel you get far better quality with the local option.”

Chuck and Dee Robinson opened Village Books in 1980. The bookstore has undeniably become the heart of historic Fairhaven and has long been deeply involved in our community and supportive of other Whatcom County small businesses.

“If your neighbor has it to sell, give him your business. Like consideration from your neighbor adds prosperity to both,” says Chuck Robinson, quoting from Robert Spector’s book The Mom & Pop Store.

Robinson believes there is no better reason to buy local.

“Buying locally brings prosperity to the entire community,” he says. “It’s not only true of one merchant buying from another, it’s also true of individuals buying from folks who support their community in so many ways.”

Robinson believes many of the features that make our community so livable wouldn’t be possible without the support of locally owned and independently operated businesses.

“Ask any nonprofit from where the bulk of their funding comes from,” he says. “Look who serves on the boards of local organizations. Watch who volunteers in so many ways in the community. Local businesses are, and have always been, an essential part of the fabric of a healthy community.”

Brian Poag, co-owner with wife Tanya of Jake’s Western Grill in Lynden, knows customers always have a choice of where to shop – and that, thankfully, many see the big benefits of doing so locally.

“We’ve found that people in the Lynden community – and throughout Whatcom County – appreciate local, family-owned and -operated businesses,” he says. “They understand many of us are working hard every day to deliver something special, and that we are also giving back to our local community in many ways.”

Jake’s Western Grill donates gift cards to nearly every local sports team for fundraisers and hosts charity nights where a portion of the proceeds goes to a local non-profit. They also partner with local church fundraising programs.

“We think small, local businesses that offer great products at fair prices are rewarded with loyal customers who are willing to share their business with their friends and neighbors,” says Poag.

Mary Burwell and Scott Hartwich run Hammerhead Coffee Roasters as a true mom-and-pop business, working with retail and wholesale customers.

“Buying, trying, thinking, eating, and drinking local builds community, our economy and keeps Bellingham independent, unique, interesting, and thriving,” says Burwell.

bellingham coffee — Scott Hartwich and Mary Burwell, operators of Hammerhead Coffee Roasters, say that buying local keeps Bellingham independent.

“Buying local simply makes cents and sense,” she continues. “Better service, fresher product, and the ability to connect with one another as mindful community members.”

Burwell mentions the Bellingham Farmers Market and Fairhaven Farmers Market as perfect examples of all things local in Bellingham.

“It’s as local as it gets,” she says. “All vendors are from Whatcom or Skagit Counties and offer a plethora of produce, flowers, plants, crafts, ready-to-eat and drink options.”

Check out this gorgeous short film from Bellingham’s Hand Crank Films, which showcases many of the local farmers you’ll see, buy from, and get to know at our local farmers markets. Created for Sustainable Connections and its Eat Local First campaign, the film underscores the importance – and fantastic feeling – of buying and eating local Whatcom County foods.

Old World Deli

The Bagelry

Da Vinci’s Classic Subs

Avenue Bread

Community Food Co-Op

Café Rumba

Sandwich Odyssey

Lynden Dutch Bakery

Leaf & Ladle

Greene’s Corner

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