The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for WDRC’s 20thAnnual Peace Builder Awards, presented by Peoples Bank.
The WDRC seeks nominations for individuals or groups in Whatcom County that creatively resolved conflict, contributed to peaceful dispute resolution, promoted reconciliation between divergent individuals or groups, or otherwise promoted peace in the past year.
We seek diverse nominations representative of our entire community. Past nominees have included youth, elders, volunteers, and programs from multiple sectors: the arts, education, healthcare, neighborhoods, environment, public service, and more.
This year’s nomination deadline is 5 p.m. on Friday, July 7th. You can submit your nomination online at www.whatcomdrc.org/nominate. For questions or more information, please contact tim@whatcomdrc.org.
Over the last 19 years, more than 150 individuals and groups have received Peace Builder Awards for contributions to peace building in Whatcom County. In 2022, five Peace Builder Award recipients were honored, including:
Connect Ferndale, Remy Styrk, “I am the hope and the dream”Juneteenth Video Project for deepening the understanding of the significance of Juneteenth, elevating the voices of local Black students and community leaders, and for encouraging thoughtful dialogue around racial equity.
Mary Loquvam, York Community Farm for bringing the community together to create an urban farm that provides jobs, educational opportunities, and addresses food insecurity in the neighborhood.
Kamalla Kaur, Tarnjot Singh Brar, Chardi Kala Projectfor their commitment to promote learning about the Sikh culture and fostering peace, connection, and inclusion.
This year’s recipients will be celebrated at the 20th Annual Peace Builder Awards Gala held in-person on October 27th. This event celebrates people putting the pieces together for creative conflict resolution in our neighborhoods, our schools, and our community. Proceeds from the Gala benefit the WDRC’s mission to provide and promote constructive and collaborative approaches to conflict.
“I invite everyone in Whatcom County to help us recognize those community members who inspire collaboration, embody peace, and give hope to our community.” – WDRC Executive Director, Moonwater.
There is something magical, says Mikkel Hong, about the flight of a perfectly thrown disc.
The fun, healthy, and technical nature of disc golf — an outdoor game that trades balls and clubs for Frisbees and baskets — has made it extremely popular across the country. In Whatcom County, many disc golf activities fall under the purview of the Whatcom Disc Golf Club, which has more than 500 active members.
Hong, a Bellingham resident and Skagit County middle school teacher, is the club’s new board president. He says that although several county courses exist — at Blaine’s Lincoln Park, Ferndale’s VanderYacht Park, Bellingham’s Cornwall Park, and Sudden Valley’s Mossy Roc — the sport’s popularity has made some a bit too crowded at times.
“Cornwall and Mossy Roc, in particular, are extremely busy,” says Hong.
On May 7th, 20 volunteers helped install the 18 baskets for the new course, which is now finished and open to the public. Photo courtesy Mikkel Hong
The desire for a public 18-hole course within Bellingham’s city limits (Cornwall is nine holes and Mossy Roc is private and outside city boundaries) has led to the construction of Bellis Fairways, an 18-hole disc golf course situated on 20 acres of unused land bordering Bellis Fair Mall.
Formally opened on May 7, Bellis Fairways is free to the public at all times. Its creation also intends to beautify land that had, until recently, been used as a homeless encampment and garbage dump.
“As it goes on, I think [the course] will have a much bigger improving effect on the area,” Hong says. “It’s really a win-win-win for everybody.”
Path to the Pin
About three years ago, Hong created a Change.org petition asking the City of Bellingham to expand Cornwall to 18 holes. Alan Schwartz, who designed Cornwall’s course, contacted Hong and helped him dialogue with the city’s parks and recreation department.
Despite ideas ranging from re-designing existing holes to adding another three, an adequate plan couldn’t be reached. Alternate sites were suggested: the undeveloped Van Wyck Park site, and the Lake Padden site.
Volunteers gather trash during a clean-up of the 20-acre site near Bellis Fair Mall now home to a disc golf course. Photo courtesy Mikkel Hong
Van Wyck was considered too swampy, and Schwartz is working on a permanent, professional-level 18-hole course at the latter, though it’s not yet ready for recreational play. And while the city has examined additional land for another potential 18-hole site, constructing one is at least two years away, according to Hong.
It occurred to him that an area of vacant land he drove by frequently could be an excellent site. Hong figured out who owned the largest portion of the land — the RJ Group — and called them near the end of 2022.
The very next day, they called him back and greenlit the idea. He then received permission from the other two landowners — mall owner 4D Properties and District Brewing owner Mark Schintaffer — to officially get to work on a plan.
Since January, Hong and other club members have been busy taking the course from idea to reality. After planning the course, volunteer work parties began in mid-March to clean the site of trash. On the first day, a dozen volunteers spent five hours removing 3,000 pounds of trash from the space.
After several work parties, the 20-acre site was free of debris and ready for crafting an 18-hole disc golf course. Photo courtesy Mikkel Hong
“It was so crazy, the condition it was in,” Hong says. “I still don’t quite believe it.”
Two additional multi-hour work parties, with increasing amounts of volunteers, removed a total of three tons of trash. Volunteers found over 120 used needles, as well as other concentrations of drug paraphernalia, shoplifting debris and general litter.
Besides a volunteer clean-up crew, other community contributors include LJ’s Handyman Service — which did tee pad and metal basket work — and Northwest Trails Inc., which completed pathway work and helped remove excess vegetation like blackberry bushes.
The Opening Drive
Liability insurance, hardware installation, and other necessary expenses for the course required an online fundraiser, which was seeking a total of $18,000.
The fundraiser met its goal during the last week of April courtesy of both individuals and local businesses. As of May 1, 2023, $19,310 has been raised.
Will Fairey of LJ’s Handyman Service removes metal disc golf baskets from a trailer during the last week of April. The 18 baskets were installed just before the course’s May 7th opening. Photo courtesy Mikkel Hong
Despite the sometimes overwhelming nature of the work, Hong says the club is thankful for the many community members — some of whom don’t even play disc golf — who’ve chipped in to help them.
The course will operate under a “no-cost lease” with the landowners, with the stipulation that it can exist until the property is designated for future development. No matter how long it lasts (Hong expects a good two years, at least), Hong says the community networking and cleanup has already made the project a success.
“It’s really been amazing,” he says. “This is something that has potential to make at least one area a lot nicer and less dysfunctional and sad.”
About 40 to 50 rounds of disc golf have already been played on the basketless version of the course, with temporary wooden poles in place of the metal baskets being installed the first week of May.
As the weather continues improving, Hong and other club members can’t wait to experience more of disc golf’s magical moments on the new course.
“We’ve done the really hard part,” he says. “Now it’s time for the fun part.”
It is extremely important for people with disabilities to have the opportunity to bring their voices to the table at their workplaces and ensure their needs are being met. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections
Cascade Connections has served people with disabilities for more than 40 years, and continues to enrich its practices, staff, and initiatives to help provide for the community. Training Director Allison Hill and Vocational Services Administrator Kristin Nguyen recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to discuss the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” and how they help put its principles into practice in the community.
“It’s not just a movement of Cascade Connections, it’s been going on for a while, brought forth by people with disabilities wanting to be at the table when decisions are being made about their lives,” says Nguyen. “People with lived experiences should be involved in making decisions, whether it’s through our organization, our community, or political decisions. We don’t want people making decisions on behalf of other people without delivering their viewpoints first.”
Cascade Connections is an organization dedicated to providing high-quality support services and advocating for disability rights and visibility. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections
Cascade Connections seeks to help lift up the voices of people with disabilities in their communities and workplaces so that the best solutions and initiatives that make the most sense come to light.
“We’ve had the privilege of being able to talk with some activist advocates on why this is so important,” Nguyen says. “Allison and I have worked in the field for quite a long time, and sometimes our best intentions are not necessarily implemented in the way people that are receiving services or accessing their community want them to be.
Going directly to the source of what is needed clarifies strategies that can help bolster not just disability advocacy, but the community as a whole.
“How you want to be a part of your neighborhood, where you want to live, or where you want to work,” says Nguyen. “These are things that people should have the right to have a voice in.”
Folks at Cascade Connections are shaping their environment and advocating every day for the “Nothing About Us Without Us” movement. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections
Implementing ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’
Cascade Connections is passionate about the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us,” and has integrated it into every facet of the organization.
“Our training department has had individuals we’ve served, or individuals that have pursued services, present or co-teach with us, especially for our developmental disability specialty training,” says Hill. “People come in and teach about what they expect in a staff member as well as their experiences receiving services and tips for providing care.”
Some of Cascade Connections’ policies have been reviewed, and people who are receiving services have been asked to review policies as well.
“We’ve supported a number of people to communicate with their elected officials about their lives and what they need,” Nguyen says. “We advocate for all kinds of things, but it speaks volumes when you hear it directly from people who will benefit from the services or legislation and policies and procedures.”
“Nothing About Us Without Us” is a movement aimed at bringing more action to ensuring people with disabilities have the opportunity to enrich their workplaces and communities with their own voices. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections
Challenges and Meeting Inclusivity Standards
Education is one of the biggest hurdles in the “Nothing About Us Without Us” initiative. “We need to educate communities on what ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ means,” says Hill, adding that Cascade Connections has only started taking baby steps to get to where it wants to be as an organization. “We’d like to get to a place where businesses are looking to have diverse feedback and making sure people with disabilities are a part of that process.”
Cascade Connections is dedicated to meeting the inclusivity standards of the initiative and to teaching its organization and the community as a whole what “Nothing About Us” really means. “We’re working to ensure that our Board of Directors, human resources, and our community outreach all include people with disabilities who have an active voice in making decisions for our organization and advocating and educating the community around equality,” Nguyen says.
And they are not looking for token people to be a part of decision making. “We want people to be actively involved and ensure that their voices are heard,” she continues, “regardless of how they communicate.”
It is extremely important for people with disabilities to have the opportunity to bring their voices to the table at their workplaces and ensure their needs are being met. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections
Continuing To Grow
As “Nothing About Us Without Us” gains momentum, the importance of disability advocacy and disability rights throughout our community becomes increasingly vital. Despite the growth in outreach, the need has always been there, especially for disability advocacy.
“We want to first find community members who can be that voice for us, who can look at our policies, who can advocate for things that are important to them,” says Hill. “These individuals can help us know what to focus on as an agency. We’re also looking for an advocate trainer, someone who can be on our training team and be an active participant in training our staff.”
Nguyen emphasizes the approach that Cascade Connections takes to “Nothing About Us Without Us” within its organization. “Right now, we’re focusing on how we can look internally at ourselves,” Nguyen says. Long range, Cascade Connections wants to support people with disabilities to become a bigger part of our community, expressing what they want to see in our community and from the community at large: “Not just people like us who are supporting people to live and work independently. I’d love to support people with disabilities in speaking up in community forums and talking about what they want.”
Community participation is necessary to ensure the success of “Nothing About Us Without Us,” and it’s important to respect and uplift the voices of those who can speak to their own experiences in whatever way they can.
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center was awarded an ‘A’ in the spring 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade, a distinction recognizing PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer health care.
The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization committed to health care quality and safety. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ grade to all general hospitals across the country and is updated every six months. It is based on a hospital’s performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care.
“Providing safe, high-quality care is the cornerstone of our Mission,” said Lorna Gober, MD, chief medical officer for PeaceHealth’s Northwest network, which includes PeaceHealth St. Joseph. “Our talented team of nurses, providers and support people work tirelessly to ensure that every patient receives exceptional — and exceptionally safe — care. We are delighted that this effort is recognized and validated by an outside group devoted to monitoring hospital safety.”
Developed under the guidance of a national Expert Panel, the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade uses up to 27 measures of publicly available hospital safety data to assign grades to more than 2,600 U.S. acute-care hospitals twice per year. The Hospital Safety Grade’s methodology is peer-reviewed and fully transparent, and the results are free to the public.
To see PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s full grade details and access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit hospitalsafetygrade.org.
Brad Jones of Bellingham placed in the top 10 of four individual events and the top two of two relays in his age group at the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship, conducted April 27-30 in Irvine, California.
Jones, 57, competed in the men’s 55-59 age group at the meet, which set a record by attracting nearly 2,600 participants, including former Olympians and NCAA Champions. Representing Puget Sound Masters, Jones placed fifth in the 1000 Freestyle (11:12.09), ninth in the 500 freestyle (5:19.77), 7th in the 50-yard butterfly (26.23), and 8th in the 100-yard butterfly (58.39).
Brad Jones competed in California in the men’s 55-59 age group and returned home with a slew of medals. Photo courtesy Bellingham Bay Swim Team
Jones also swam on relay teams for Puget Sound Masters. His team in the men’s 55+ age group placed 2nd in the 200 medley relay (1:49.36). Jones swam the butterfly leg (Carl Haynie, Rick Colella, and David McCarty were also on the relay.). The team of Jones, Lionel Chalendar, Mats Nygren, and Bruno Souviraa-Labastie, finished second in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:37.83).
The meet was conducted at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center.
Jones, the practitioner/owner at Rolfing Bellingham, is head strength coach and assistant swim coach for the Bellingham Bay Swim Team. Jones swam on a scholarship at Penn State University. After a long break from swimming and recovering from a brain tumor, Jones started swimming with the Bellingham Masters group at age 50 at Arne Hanna Aquatic Center. Now that Jones has navigated the balance issues from the brain tumor, he is able to swim 5 days every week at 6 a.m. with the uncoached Masters group.
A collection of recent finds at Larrabee State Park. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Whatcom County beaches are a special place only truly understood by spending time on them — not by the pictures that populate when you search #beachlife on Instagram. White sandy beaches flanked by palm trees are reserved for more tropical climates. Our sand hides between layers of rock and shells or awaits receding water, revealing itself in a brown, sticky form. Rare are the days when the sun is hot enough and the tide out far enough for the sand to begin to dry. If a palm leaf is to be found, it will not be above providing shade on a hot sunny day, but below in the form of a fossil. And what a find that would be!
In Whatcom County, daydreams of lounging on a beach replace visions of laying out a towel on fluffy white sand with worming your body into the layer of small rocks and removing any large ones positioned uncomfortably in your back. In exchange for a soft pillow of sand, a large rock or a well-placed log is used for resting your head. While getting your free, unscheduled rock massage may not completely fill the lounging void, what’s under your body will provide an abundance of relaxation and intrigue.
Our beaches provide a different kind of relaxation as we explore the exciting and diverse world they provide. Every square inch of beach is teaming with life hiding amongst a field of geological marvels. These beaches were not designed for those who want to sit around. Instead, they invite adventure and exploration, providing the perfect landscape for beachcombing.
A purple shore crab is ready to defend itself against the giant with a camera. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Our rock-strewn shores vary from millions of pebbles that crunch as you walk to softball-size rocks that are a surefire ankle workout. On other beaches, solid rock Earth dives into the water. With the right tides, the rocks can be left behind with sandy mudflats revealing a new adventure. The different beaches offer different combing opportunities.
The pebbled and smaller stone beaches are a rockhound’s paradise. The small-to-medium-sized rocks offer an abundance of variation over short distances. One can slowly walk the beach and wait for the perfect specimen to catch their eye or find a nice place to sit and sift through layers and layers within arm’s reach. This is the environment where sea glass is most easily found. While the clear and brown glass can be hard to spot, the greens and blues pop amongst the gray and brown stones. As your search continues, your mind will adapt, and soon you’ll spot the wide varieties of sea glass with ease.
The beach at Larrabee State Park is varied, providing different types of beachcombing. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
In this same environment, finding agates that range from a deep orange to a clear pink can make you feel like you found a treasure. Jasper comes in green, red, and mottled and is an abundant stone in our area. Spotting quartz on our beaches is also common, often attached to another rock or rounded out on the beach. What is less common — and likely takes some extra combing — is finding it in crystal form.
Looking to observe sea life? The beaches with larger rocks and stone shelves are fantastic for this. Often a flipped-over rock will reveal an entire ecosystem filled with green or purple shore crabs, marine worms, various types of clams, and a variety of sea snails. You may also spot an oyster nestled amongst the rocks, waiting for the high tide.
Mussels and barnacles cozy up together in their own little cave. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
As the water recedes off the slabs, indentations turn into mini oceans. These tide pools are better viewing than any tv show, as a whole world goes about its business. Different species of hermit crabs often scurry amongst the stoic barnacles and waving seaweed. Mussels elegantly cluster together, having staked their claim on the rock. If you get lucky, you may spot fish swimming in the little pool. The underside of these giant slabs or large boulders is also where starfish like to hang out.
When our shores enlarge as the tide recedes, the wet sandy beaches lay out beds of seagrass and strewn-out bull kelp, giving a glimpse of the giant forests below the sea. Dungeness and rock crabs can be found hiding along the shores, and clams may squirt you as you walk by to let you know that they, too, are living below.
This sign at Larrabee State Park may as well read: “Fun this way.” Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Whatcom County is home to a spectacular variety of public beaches, including Larrabee State Park, Marine Park, Locust Beach, and Birch Bay County Park. Pay attention to each location’s current permit requirements and access hours.
When heading to a Whatcom County beach, the needed gear can range from rubber boots to flip flops and raincoats to sunscreen. Some days you may need all of the above. I like throwing a couple of my favorite identification books in my backpack, including Common Seashore Creatures of the Pacific Northwest by J. Duane Sept and Washington and Oregon Rocks and Minerals by Dan R. Lynch and Bob Lynch.
As always, when recreating outdoors, leave it better than you found it, and be sensitive to the habitats you are entering. If harvesting anything is on your to-do list, make sure it is allowed, in season, safe, and you have any required permits.
April showers bring May…tenance? That’s right! While many of us think of sunny days and spring flowers this time of year, the team at Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing thinks of maintenance for your home.
As you’re out refreshing your gardens or washing your car this spring, take a moment to circle your house. From your gas fireplace to your ductless unit, heat pump to your outdoor faucets (also known as hose bibbs!), your home is full of important systems that could use a little love.
A check-up for your home is just as important as a check-up for your health (or car!)
These systems in your home operate continuously day in and day out, putting in some serious miles. Your heating and air conditioning equipment, for example, operates over 3,000 hours per year, through cold winters, hot and smoky summers, and everything in between. Putting this into perspective, a car driven for 3,000 hours at 60mph would travel 180,000 miles! That kind of road trip requires oil changes, tire rotations, and tune-ups to ensure the efficiency, safety, and reliability of your vehicle. And just the same, the efficiency, safety, and reliability of your home’s most important systems matter too.
Wear and tear is inevitable, but a tune-up with Barron is designed to be the top-to-bottom checkup needed for the health of your home. During a maintenance service, our trained technicians focus on returning your system(s) to the operating specifications originally engineered, catching any problem areas before they become bigger issues. If it’s a furnace maintenance, that means comprehensively cleaning and adjusting its interior components, checking for performance decline, and changing out your air filters to improve both your indoor air quality and performance of the unit. If it’s your fireplace that’s due for a check-up, our techs will test the electrical components, thoroughly clean the interior and glass, and assess the unit for any safety issues. And if it’s your plumbing, we’ll check your tanked or tankless water heater, boiler, and more.
A decline in performance is almost guaranteed when maintenance is neglected for your home’s comfort systems—as is a steady increase in energy use. Your air conditioner, for example, can experience notable strain by sitting untouched. Allowing an AC unit to run with a dirty, clogged filter alone can increase its energy consumption by 5-15% (energy.gov) and invite costly breakdowns. Regular HVAC maintenance is said to reduce these unexpected breakdowns by a whopping 95% (iaqa.org), extending the life of your investment, and often keeping it under warranty, should it apply.
If reducing energy bills and avoiding breakdowns isn’t encouragement enough to get your systems maintained, considering the safety of your home might be. Coming home in the dead of winter to a frozen house can lead to a domino effect of burst pipes, water damage, and leaks. And leaks from a cracked or failed heat exchanger is the real hazard, as it can cause carbon monoxide to escape into your home, resulting in serious health issues in even the lowest of levels (iaqa.org).
Ready for your house call? Spring is the perfect time. Now through May 31, Barron is offering an impressive “MAYtenance” special to refresh your home. From heating and cooling to fireplaces, plumbing, hydronics, and electrical, maintenance matters, and we’d love to welcome new customers to experience what our team has to offer. As a new customer, you’ll receive a maintenance visit for the system of your choice for just $100—a huge savings to kick off spring!
A check-up for your home is just as important as a check-up for your health (or car!). So as you’re refreshing your home for spring, we invite you to give our team at Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing a try and take advantage of our $100 “MAYtenance” savings. From improving indoor air quality and performance to ensuring the safety and reliability of your home’s most essential systems, we’d love to stop by for a tune-up—before you turn down your heat for the summer or fire up your AC. As your Pacific Northwest home and building performance experts since 1972, we stand by Our Mission: Improving Lives™.
The Peace Arch reads "Children of a common mother" on the American side and "Brethren dwelling together in unity" on the Canadian side. The interior has decorative gates, inscribed, "May these gates never be closed." Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Many have asked, “What in Sam Hill?” Road builder Samuel Hill (1857-1931) did not originate this phrase, despite the rumors he enjoyed spreading to reporters in life. But he did originate the Maryhill Stonehenge, Whatcom County’s Peace Arch, and the beginnings of the Washington state highway system we know today.
Born in 1857 to Quakers in North Carolina, Sam Hill undertook numerous business ventures before driving the Good Roads Movement. This Progressive reform sought to improve rural roads, which were largely dirt or gravel outside of cities. Sam Hill founded the Washington State Good Roads Association in 1899 to advocate for state funding of highway construction. He reasoned that the country would prosper if farmers could access cities and rail connections to market their goods.
Sam Hill’s other ventures included representing the Great Northern Railway as a lawyer, competing with utility companies unsuccessfully, and traveling the world. In 1907, he settled Klickitat County’s Maryhill community — named for his wife and daughter, although neither lived there. But much of his present influence rides on the roads he built between nations, physically and spiritually.
Inroads with Good Roads
Sam Hill famously wrote, “Good roads are more than my hobby, they are my religion.” His ultimate dream was the Pacific Highway: a “Great Highway from Canada to Mexico,” completed in 1923 after over a decade of planning. The Good Roads Association’s first major victory came in 1905 when they persuaded the state legislature to establish the Washington State Department of Transportation.
Sam Hill (pictured) befriended multiple prominent figures on his international travels – including Queen Marie of Romania, who dedicated the Maryhill Museum of Art in 1926. Photo from Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
Hill took his Good Roads advocacy on the road, speaking at expositions across the nation — including Birch Bay Chautauqua. In 1909, he established a Good Roads building at the Alaska Yukon-Pacific Exposition, endowed a University of Washington chair in highway engineering, and built 10 miles of experimental road in Maryhill. Today’s Maryhill Loops Road was the state’s first asphalt road and demonstrated the effects of different road surfaces.
From 1909 to 1917, Hill continued his utilities business in Oregon and brought his Good Roads advocacy there. His Maryhill road inspired the 1913 construction of Oregon’s Columbia River Highway. Hill also advocated for good roads in Japan and Japanese-American friendship during his international travels.
Today, the Maryhill Loops Road is used privately for longboarding, bicycling, motorcycling, and automobile events. Photo from Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
The state legislature did not initially maintain the roads they funded. These included a portion of Chuckanut Drive — soon the route to Washington’s first state park, named Chuckanut State Park in 1915 and Larrabee State Park in 1923. By 1964, three decades after Hill’s death, state highways started following the present-day numbering system.
Projects for Peace
Sam Hill’s famous monuments reflect his lifelong pacifism. In 1921, he built the concrete Stonehenge replica in Maryhill to commemorate soldiers from Klickitat County who died in World War I. Following the (now-obsolete) theory of Stonehenge as a sacrificial site, Hill intended the monument to symbolize how “humanity is still being sacrificed to the god of war.”
The Maryhill Stonehenge plaque reads: “In memory of the soldiers and sailors of Klickitat County who gave their lives in defense of their country. This monument is erected in the hope that others inspired by the example of their valor and their heroism may share in that love of liberty and burn with that fire of patriotism which death can alone quench.” Photo from Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
In 1921, Hill created an international symbol for peace. The Peace Arch commemorates 100 years of peace between the United States and Canada since the 1814 Treaty of Ghent. Hill envisioned and fundraised for the monument at the Pacific Highway’s border crossing.
From 1925 to 1927, Hill also constructed Semiahmoo Club adjacent to Peace Arch on the Canadian side. He envisioned a resort that Americans could traverse by Pacific Highway, Great Northern Railway, or Drayton Harbor. Hill built a clubhouse-style restaurant that served alcohol — legal in Canada during U.S. Prohibition — and the 18-hole Peace Portal Golf Course.
The Peace Arch reads “Children of a common mother” on the American side and “Brethren dwelling together in unity” on the Canadian side. The interior has decorative gates, inscribed, “May these gates never be closed.” Photo credit: Anna Diehl
Despite or perhaps because of his varied business ventures and misadventures, Hill had a troubled personal life. His wife, Mary Hill, lived apart from him with their children since 1900, and their daughter Mary was institutionalized for mental illness. Biographer John E. Tuhy speculated that Hill himself had manic tendencies, viewing himself as a disappointment to his father-in-law and business partner James Hill. But his works survive today as testaments to a mind that persevered with convictions for peace and prosperity.
Legacy of Sam Hill in Maryhill (and Whatcom)
Sam Hill’s ashes were entombed in a monument of his own design by Maryhill Stonehenge in 1931. He had not lived to see the Maryhill Museum of Art open publicly in 1940, but it managed his estate. The museum uses Maryhill Loops Road for private motorist events today, and nearby Sam Hill Memorial Bridge is named in his honor.
Interstate-5 has largely replaced the Pacific Highway since the 1960s, realizing dreams of a fully paved transnational route. In Whatcom County, Peace Arch has remained an international touchstone for another hundred years of peaceful United States-Canada relations. It has inspired new demonstrations for peace, most famously Paul Robeson’s 1952 concerts attended by over 25,000 people. The Hills at Portal Golf Club has also continued since originating as Peace Portal Golf Course.
In more ways than one, Sam Hill and the Good Roads Association paved the way.
Las Vegas native, NE-YO, is an acclaimed hitmaker and has proven to be as powerful with his pen as he is in the recording studio and on stage. We are thrilled to welcome him to the 2023 lineup at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden, where he will be performing on Friday, August 18 at 7pm as part of the Bank of the Pacific Grandstand Entertainment Series.
Selling 20+ million albums worldwide, winning three GRAMMY awards, penning hits for Rhianna, Beyonce, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood, Celine Dion and others, NE-YO has certainly made his mark. His first single in 2005 “So Sick”, hit No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 and was certified-quadruple. Since then, he has racked up a collection of iconic singles including “Closer,” “Because of You,” “Miss Independent” and “Push Back.” Most recently, he released his latest studio album, Self Explanatory, which includes collaborations with Yung Bleu, Jeremih, Trippie Redd and Zae France.
Tickets for the 7 p.m. grandstand show go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. on May 5. Grandstand reserved seats, preferred seats, and preferred chairs are available. Tickets do not include gate admission, which is required. The show is presented by Rhema Electric.
For access to the online pre-sale starting May 3, people can subscribe to the ‘Friends of the Fair’ email here: https://www.nwwafair.com/email.aspx.
Tickets can be purchased at www.nwwafair.com, the Fair Office, 1775 Front St. Lynden, and by phone at (360) 354 – 4111. VIP Experiences and group ticketing are also available. The 2023 Northwest Washington Fair will be presented August 10-19.
The Bellingham Training & Tennis Club is proud to celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. Founded in 1973, Bellingham Training & Tennis Club has been a leading provider of tennis and fitness services for half a century!
Over the years, Bellingham Training & Tennis Club has grown to offer FIVE indoor tennis courts, TWO workout gyms, a unique “RIDE” indoor cycle studio, all with knowledgeable staff, and innovative training programs. The club attracts tennis players of all skill levels and helps countless individuals achieve their fitness goals.
“You don’t have to be a tennis player to enjoy the club” quips co-owner Robin Robertson, who doesn’t play tennis at all. “I take advantage of all our fitness offerings, while my husband (and co-owner) is a talented tennis player.” Robin has also founded the Healthy Knees programming that helps people like her who have challenges because of their knees.
“We are thrilled to be celebrating the Club’s 50th anniversary” said Robin “The Club’s success is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff and the loyalty of our members. We look forward to continuing to provide top-level tennis and fitness services for many years to come.”
Doug & Robin Robertson have owned and operated the Club for the last 23 years. “Our Core Values to ‘Always Improve’, ‘Bring Care’, and ‘Build Confidence’ are part of what we share among our staff and with our members and drive how we do business” says Robin “If you haven’t visited the Club, I invite you to come check it out!”
In honor of the anniversary, Bellingham Training & Tennis Club will be hosting a series of events and activities throughout the year. Members and guests can look forward to tennis tournaments, fitness challenges, special fitness programs. During the month of May the Cub is offering a $50 discount on membership initiation.
“We love being a healthy and happy part of our members and guests lives” says Robin “BTTC is a wonderful, supportive community with relationships that have grown all through the years.” Robin shared that there are still 2 charter members who have been with the Club for all 50 years plus 38 others who’ve been members for more than 25 years. “That kind of longevity means we must be doing the right things for our members” said Robin with a smile.
The Robertsons have made sure that the Club is committed to the health and well-being of its members. And with that, the Bellingham Training & Tennis Club is poised to continue its legacy of excellence and leadership in tennis and fitness for the next 50 years and beyond.
The Club is located at 800 McKenzie Avenue in Fairhaven. For more information on Bellingham Training & Tennis Club and its 50th anniversary celebrations, visit www.BTTC.fit.
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...
