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It’s Never Too Late To Plan a Romantic Getaway on the Puget Sound While Touring the Olympic Peninsula

By
Jess Caldwell
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The historic Worthington Mansion is available for tours, events and even for booking a romantic overnight stay. Photo credit: Jess Caldwell

When planning a romantic getaway, the Puget Sound area between Port Townsend and Port Ludlow offers iconic Pacific Northwest beauty, memorable farm-to-table dining experiences as well as activities designed for nature exploration, intrigue and connection with the one you love. Whether planning a unique hotel staycation or dreaming up a hand-holding itinerary of adventure, couples will fall in love with the local treasures available throughout each season.

Where To Stay on the Puget Sound Between Port Townsend and Port Ludlow

Located just 20 minutes south of Port Townsend, the Old Alcohol Plant Inn constructed in 1910 offers boutique suites overlooking the Salish Sea at Port Townsend Bay. Originally owned by Charles H. Adams, the lobby has a wall dedicated to his son Ansel Adams, the famous American landscape photographer.

The guest rooms overlooking Port Townsend Bay at The Old Alcohol Plant are spacious with a a gas fireplace to enjoy an evening nightcap. Photo credit: Jess Caldwell

Couples will enjoy the romantic features of their stay, from the spacious rooms complete with gas fireplace to the rotating art gallery located on the second floor. Incredibly friendly staff will make you feel welcome for your entire stay.

The Inn offers a unique humanitarian mission in partnership with Bayside Housing & Services, a nonprofit organization. By booking a room, purchasing art or dining at the garden-to-table Spirits Bar & Grill restaurant, guests are supporting local community members in need of housing and transformative work opportunities. The Old Alcohol Plant will warm hearts with its rich history, dedication to sustainability and social enterprise model that exemplifies the power of love.

The Art Gallery at The Old Alcohol Plant features local artists and supports the nonprofit organization, Bayside Housing & Services. Photo credit: Jess Caldwell

Where To Eat on the Puget Sound: Old Alcohol Plant Inn

Spirits Bar & Grill at the Old Alcohol Plant Inn offers seasonal cuisine that is hyperlocal and harvested weekly from the bounty of their on-property kitchen garden. Executive Chef Troy Murrell and his dedicated staff offer year-round seasonal produce using sustainable practices to culminate healthy soil. Using a combination of green-house growing methods, rotating crops throughout the terraced garden beds and rows of vegetables growing right off the dining patio, couples will delight in this edible landscape and are welcome to take a tour.

As an event venue with artistic expression and beautiful views of the water, the property naturally aligns for weddings and celebrations.

Spirits Bar & Grill at The Old Alcohol Plant brings a romantic touch to the dining experience with a heart-inspired butternut squash soup. Photo credit: Jess Caldwell

Romantic Activities in the Puget Sound and the Old Alcohol Plant Inn

Make lasting memories with an adventurous itinerary that will inspire meaningful conversations and enliven the senses. The Old Alcohol Plant is the lodging gateway to Marrowstone Island and Fort Flagler Historical State Park located on the northern tip of Marrowstone Island. The maritime heritage of this area is rich with history and welcoming to inquisitive visitors who appreciate the stories that help make a place.

Agritourism is flourishing throughout the Olympic Peninsula and Finnriver Farm & Cidery is a not-to-be missed revival of the farm experience. Located only a few minutes from the Old Alcohol Plant Inn, this local gem offers organic farm-crafted ciders with a beautiful aesthetic and fun-loving vibe that will be a highlight to the weekend getaway.

Finnriver Farm & Cidery is a local gem with organic cider on tap, live music on the weekends and a beautiful aesthetic to welcome guests. Photo credit: Jess Caldwell

Taste their seasonal elixirs infused with wildcrafted ingredients while listening to live music in their heated pavilion.

Roast marshmallows under the stars by campfire after enjoying a meal from local food vendors.

With a mission to “celebrate the beauty and bounty of the earth, to reconnect people to the land that sustains us and to grow community,” Finnriver Farm & Cidery offers all the feels for adventurous lovers.

The historic Worthington Mansion is available for tours, events and even for booking a romantic overnight stay. Photo credit: Jess Caldwell

Another don’t miss stop is the Worthington Park Quilcene and the historic Worthington Mansion built in 1892. The renovations and authentic décor offer a step back in time. Book a private tour of this rural Victorian mansion located on 10 acres or consider an overnight stay as the mansion is available for a one-of-a-kind overnight stay.

For more inspiration on planning a year-round romantic getaway on the Puget Sound, visit Enjoy Olympic Peninsula.

Sponsored

Mount Baker Rock and Gem Club Pairs Learning and Fun While Exploring Earth’s Treasures

By
Tony Moceri
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Often considered a gemstone, an agate is mineral in the quartz family. Photo courtesy Candi Gerard

Tracking one’s steps has become commonplace thanks to the devices in our pockets and wrapped around our wrists. While we spend a lot of time thinking about how many steps we’re taking, do you ever take the time to think about what’s under those steps? For a group in Whatcom County, it’s a big part of their thinking. These folks are members of the Mount Baker Rock and Gem Club.

Since the late 1950s, a group of people has gathered together because of their common interest in rocks and gems. They learn together, go rock-hounding together, and proudly show off their finds. With a mission of promoting the earth sciences, the club centers around education through classes, field trips, and scholarships for students at Western Washington University. But most of all, it’s people getting together to have a good time.

Candi Gerard has always liked rocks. She went to one meeting in the late 1990s and got so excited she joined that night. “Here was this group of people that had different interests but all loved rocks and minerals,” she says. Some were more interested in the mineral formations, and some just like pretty rocks; some cut them to make jewelry pieces, and some made stand-up pieces for art. “They were all having a lot of fun, and this is what they had in common. It’s a really nice group of people of all ages interested in finding and doing something with rocks.”

Members gather at a monthly meeting in Ferndale. Photo courtesy Candi Gerard

Candi has been a member ever since and is currently the club’s president.

In the late 1980s, the club opened a lapidary room where members could work on stones and gems. Common lapidary work involves engraving, cutting, and polishing. The necessity of finding a new location for the lapidary room led to their current location in Bellis Fair Mall. On a whim, they looked there as an option and ended up with a complete storefront and space in the back for the lapidary work. This location has been a game-changer for the club. The added visibility has grown membership, and their storefront allows members to sell their work. Open Monday through Saturday, the space is run entirely by volunteers.

The club’s lapidary room gives members a space to work on their finds. Photo courtesy Candi Gerard

With our county’s varied landscape, there are different places to go rock-hounding depending on the specimens you seek. Our beaches are a good place to find agates, jasper, and petrified wood. Our hills are better for fossil hunting, with Racehorse Creek being a prime location. Jade, serpentine, and fossils are coveted finds in Whatcom County. The book Rock Hounding Washington offers specific areas around the state for finding different types of rocks and gems.

While getting involved in something new can be intimidating, this is a situation where people should be comfortable to dive right in. “You don’t need anything, just your enthusiasm to hunt and look for them,” says Candi. “If you want to go on a field trip, you might need a rock hammer, some boots, and eye protection, but you really don’t need anything to join the club or even just come to meetings if you want to learn.”

The Mount Baker Rock and Gem Club’s store in Bellis Fair Mall is open to the public six days a week. Photo courtesy Candi Gerard

To join the club, one just needs to show up to a meeting, which is held at the Pioneer Pavilion Community Center at 2007 Cherry St. in Ferndale. Meetings are held at 7 p.m on the third Monday of each month. A picnic is held in August and December’s meeting is replaced with a Christmas party. Annual memberships are $20 per family. Meetings usually have an educational component but are also a good opportunity for people to share their finds.

It’s often the sparkly gems that people initially envision when thinking about the club. That’s what Candi was initially interested in, but in reality, there’s so much more to it. “When I joined the club, I realized that there’s more than just gems,” she says. “There are beautiful rock formations [and] you can learn about how they [were] formed by volcanos. There are earthquakes and just the whole earth as a machine, and learning what it’s doing to these rocks is really interesting.”

A rock sale put on by Mount Baker Rock and Gem club gives members an opportunity to sell some of their treasures. Photo courtesy Candi Gerard

To get an introduction to the club, the Mount Baker Rock and Gem Club’s annual rock show will take place Saturday, March 25th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, March 26th, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pioneer Park in Ferndale. The show is free to attend and enjoyable for all ages. There are door prizes, raffles, and kids will receive a free polished rock for showing up. Finding details about the first show is a little rocky, but the show has been going on for 50 or 60 years. More information about anything related to the club be found at www.mtbakerrockclub.org or by visiting its Bellis Fair Mall shop.

United Way Celebrates One Year of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Whatcom County

By
LocalTalk Contributor
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Submitted by United Way of Whatcom County

In March of 2022, United Way of Whatcom County brought Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to our community. This low-barrier book program mails one new book each month to enrolled children from birth to age 5 at no cost to families. In just one year of operation, over 26,000 books have been mailed to kids in Whatcom County. 

“We were thrilled to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Whatcom County and offer it to local kids and families, and we’ve been even more thrilled about the response we’ve seen,” said United Way CEO Kristi Birkeland. “The number of children enrolled in the program far exceeds the expectations we had for our first year of growth. The number of kids who have registered to receive free books from the Imagination Library is what we would expect to see well into year two. This incredible growth highlights how hungry our community was for this kind of program, and we’re proud to be able to help set our littlest learners up for success.”

Early childhood literacy rates fell sharply during the pandemic. United Way of Whatcom County’s goal in bringing this program to our community is to assist with pandemic literacy recovery and provide critical early learning tools to kids who may not otherwise have access.

“We want every child in Whatcom County to be able to benefit from having Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library available in our community,” says United Way of Whatcom County’s Imagination Library Coordinator Denise Kilcline. Photo courtesy United Way of Whatcom County

How does it work?

Registered children receive an age-appropriate book in the mail each month addressed specifically to them. The books are selected by a national committee of early childhood literacy experts with the intent to provide a variety of inclusive and diverse titles that cover feel good topics. The Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee takes great care in choosing books that meet the different needs of children as they progress from birth to age five. There are two bi-lingual books (English/Spanish) per child per year. Books are also offered in braille.

Kids receive books from time of enrollment until their fifth birthday, at which time they receive a letter from Dolly printed in the last book (Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come) encouraging them to continue with their love of books and learning.

Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development. Findings from the body of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library research indicate the program is extremely popular in the communities where it’s implemented and shows promise in promoting changes in home literacy environments, children’s attitudes toward reading, and early literacy skills.

The launch of the Imagination Library in Whatcom County coincided with a larger effort to expand the program throughout Washington State. A bill was introduced in the Washington State Legislature January 19, 2022, that made the Imagination Library an official statewide program. Many local United Ways have joined in the effort to help expand this program, becoming affiliates in their respective counties. The statewide rollout received strong support from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) with over $2 million in matching funds to make the program even more cost effective for regional affiliates through June of 2023.

United Way of Whatcom County’s Imagination Library Coordinator Denise Kilcline indicated they have been partnering with a variety of organizations locally to reach as many kids as possible and maximize the success of this program.

“We want every child in Whatcom County to be able to benefit from having Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library available in our community,” Kilcline says. “Not only is this program a wonderful way to foster a love of reading in local kids and families, it’s also a great tool to prepare our littlest learners for long-term success in school and life.”

For more information about this program, visit United Way of Whatcom County’s Website

To register a local child, click here.

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted well over 199 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring them to dream. The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. 

For more information about Imagination Library, visit imaginationlibrary.com.  

About United Way of Whatcom County

United Way works with local nonprofits, businesses, and community members to support financial stability in Whatcom County. By funding a variety of nonprofit programs that provide basic needs and increase economic mobility, they are helping to break the cycle of poverty for individuals and families in Whatcom County. Making sure Whatcom County families have access to high quality early learning opportunities, childcare, and parent support programs is a critical element of their work to enable financial stability for every person in our community.

For more information about United Way of Whatcom County, visit www.unitedwaywhatcom.org.

Small But Mighty: Wild Buffalo Owner Craig Jewell Discusses Local Live Music’s Rebound

By
Kelley White
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Photo credit: Stacee Sledge

Small music venues are at the heart of the music world — a world that evolves rapidly day by day. When the pandemic threw a particularly nasty wrench into the future of venues everywhere, tenacious businesses fought back to rebuild and keep their place in the music industry. Craig Jewell, owner of Bellingham’s Wild Buffalo House of Music, sat down with WhatcomTalk to discuss his venue’s journey since coming out from under COVID.

“The Wild Buffalo House of Music has been pretty much the premier live music venue in downtown Bellingham,” says Jewell. “It started under the owner, John Goodman, and I acquired the business in 2008.” The Wild Buffalo books entertainment ranging anywhere from rock to reggae, electronic, blues, and everything in between. They welcome all bands, whether touring locally, regionally, or nationally. In the coming months, the Wild Buffalo will welcome Gary Numan, Metalachi, Creed Bratton from The Office, and many other acts to its stage.

Coming Back From COVID

“The live music industry got hit so hard,” Jewell says. “We were closed for the better part of two years; rent was still due and piling up. It was frightening. I thought we weren’t going to make it to the other side — and a lot of venues didn’t.”

Despite growing success for the venues that are left, there are still lingering effects of the pandemic. “Some bands are just now making the decision to go out,” says Jewell. Photo courtesy the Wild Buffalo

Instead of sitting back and waiting, Jewell took part in forming WANMA, the Washington State Nightlife and Music Association, helping independent music venues across the state stay on their feet. “It was formed for music advocacy and fell under the NIVA, which is the National Independent Venue Association,” says Jewell. “That was nationwide federal advocacy to bring attention to venues and potentially get funds from the federal government for live music venues.”

Jewell invested time and energy into several initiatives aimed at keeping the music venue industry alive. “I basically got a brand-new job and life during the pandemic, to help try to save music venues,” he says. “For the most part, we’re located in downtown spots and large spaces, so our rents are extremely high. It took a lot of work and effort by people across the country, but we were finally successful with it with the majority of venues.”

Dependent on Touring Musicians

The main income draws for small music venues are touring acts. “When you see that big tour bus outside, that’s our opportunity to create the most amount of revenue,” Jewell says. “One of the main problems with COVID was shutting down all the tours and no one knew when they would tour again because no one wants to make that big investment, then have to turn [cancel] because everyone got sick.”

Yo La Tengo recently played the Wild Buffalo — the band’s first Bellingham stop in nearly 40 years of touring. Photo credit: Stacee Sledge

Despite growing success for the venues that are left, there are still lingering effects of the pandemic. “Some bands are just now making the decision to go out,” says Jewell. “For us in Bellingham, we’ve also been hit a bit worse because we typically get a lot of our bands when they’re on tour and are going up to Canada.” Due to border restrictions, many bands stop in Seattle or skip the state entirely.

Still, Jewell prefers to praise their achievements instead of dwelling on the past. “I like to celebrate the fact things are kind of normal again,” he says. “People are coming out and enjoying live music again and that’s what matters. There are still hurdles we have to hop over, but we’ve definitely gotten over the biggest ones already. I’m in celebration mode right now.”

“People are coming out and enjoying live music again and that’s what matters,” says Wild Buffalo owner Craig Jewell. “There are still hurdles we have to hop over, but we’ve definitely gotten over the biggest ones already. I’m in celebration mode right now.” Photo courtesy the Wild Buffalo

The music industry changes every day with new artists emerging at a constant rate. Small music venues must keep up in order to stay successful. “It’s rebuilding, it’s learning new metrics of music, learning new music and what people are interested in,” says Jewell. “We’ve always adapted year by year, month by month with what people like, and after two years, that’s a long period of time in the music world. It’s about adapting and learning, and we’ve been doing a generally good job at that so far.”

Why Small Matters

Independent music venues draw in revenue that affects their entire block and community economy. “We’re not just a business that serves a niche part of the community; i’s the whole live music ecosystem,” Jewell says. “Bands and artists need a place to play, to grow, and to make money. With how streaming services are these days, musicians aren’t able to make money off albums they record; they have to make money on the road. So, if these venues don’t exist, what happens to music in general?”

Chart-topping English musician Gary Numan will be performing at The Wild Buffalo later this year. Photo courtesy The Wild Buffalo

The Wild Buffalo has seen firsthand the positivity and commerce it brings to its neighborhood. “It helps out the entire community,” says Jewell. “ODESZA played their very first show here. Macklemore played for something like 30 people before. You need places like this for the live music ecosystem to thrive.”

The arts are the basis for much of the success of the Bellingham economy and a vital part of why our city is so special. Keeping artistic businesses alive is essential to keeping the life of Bellingham thriving.

Puget Sound Energy Awards Nearly $800K in Solar Installation Grants

By
LocalTalk Contributor
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PSE Puget Sound Energy

Submitted by Puget Sound Energy

Puget Sound Energy, through its Green Power and Solar Choice programs, has awarded $753,620 in grant funding to nine organizations and tribes across its electric service area to install new solar projects.

Recipients range from local non-profits and tribal entities serving low-income and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community members. In addition to saving recipients money on their utilities, the projects will serve to further clean energy in the region.

The annual generation of the projects will total about 450,000 kWh, annually, equivalent to powering nearly 43 average homes, with newly installed solar from the Puget Sound region. The goal is to help local organizations reduce operating costs while also reducing their carbon footprint by using renewable energy they’ve generated.

“Distributing grants for new solar projects to non-profits and tribal entities in our electric service area is particularly gratifying,” said PSE President and CEO Mary Kipp. “The funding comes from Green Power and Solar Choice participants, who provide a measurable way for us to work together toward a cleaner and more equitable energy future.”

One of this year’s solar grant recipients is Fishline Food Bank, which provides food and access to resources that offer stability, improve health and well-being, and help people onto a path to self-sustainability.

“Fishline Food Bank and Comprehensive Services is overjoyed to have been awarded the PSE solar power grant,” Executive Director Lori Maxim said. “Our mission to promote self-sustainability in our community pairs nicely with this opportunity to help utilize renewable energy on our campus. We are truly grateful for this opportunity.”

Recipients partnered with local solar installation companies such as A&R Solar, Ecotech Solar, Western Solar, Sphere Solar Energy, MAD Energy NW and South Sound Solar. The solar companies helped recipients complete their grant applications and will work to have their solar panels installed and producing energy in 2023.

In addition to the nearly $800,000 in grants awarded this year, PSE has provided an additional $4.1 million in grant funding over the last 6 years, resulting in nearly 2,100,000 kWh of annual generation. PSE’s Green Power Solar Grant program will release another competitive funding cycle in summer 2023. 

List of recipients

OrganizationCounty
Bonney Lake Food BankPierce
Community Action of Skagit CountySkagit
Medicine Creek Enterprise CorporationThurston
North Kitsap FishlineKitsap
Skagit Valley Neighbors in NeedSkagit
South County Area Human Services AllianceKing 
South Puget Sound Habitat For HumanityThurston
The Suquamish TribeKitsap
VadisKing

Whatcom Wind Ensemble: A Vibrant, Free Concert Band at Western Washington University

By
Anna Diehl
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The Whatcom Wind Ensemble’s repertoire includes traditional folk songs, winds sections from classical orchestras, and local modern compositions. Photo courtesy Doug Robertson

At Western Washington University, fans of concert bands are in for a treat. The Whatcom Wind Ensemble performs free concerts in the Performing Arts Center in winter and spring.

The Whatcom Wind Ensemble was formed in 2008 for Director Brad Hendry’s Master’s in Conducting recital. They continued to perform and gradually transformed from primarily college students to primarily community members, including Secretary Doug Robertson.

“We play music written for winds: brass and woodwinds and percussion,” says Hendry. “You call it a concert band, or an old-fashioned term would be a military band…and the more modern term, the name of our group, is Wind Ensemble.”

The Wind Ensemble’s woodwinds include the flute, piccolo, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, bass clarinet, and contrabass clarinet. Their brass includes the trumpet, French horn, euphonium, trombone, and tuba. The percussion has a wide, varied range.

“It’s amazing what they can pull out because Western has all sorts of stuff,” says Robertson. “And the percussion is either tuned like a xylophone — it plays different notes — or it’s untuned — you hit it like a snare drum. And it’s amazing how composers can use both tuned and untuned percussion to really expand what the ensemble sounds like.”

Every year, new listeners and performers discover the soaring range of music the Wind Ensemble has to offer.

Whatcom Wind Ensemble Concerts

The Whatcom Wind Ensemble plays three concerts per season before summer. The music they play spans across centuries, nations, and genres.

Director Brad Hendry started the Whatcom Wind Ensemble as part of his master’s recital on trumpet at Western Washington University in 2008. He has taught music at Sedro-Woolley High School since 2004. Photo courtesy Doug Robertson

“We’re playing music from all over the world, stuff that’s written a long time ago versus very new stuff,” says Hendry. “We play everything from a Sousa march to some out-there, wacky stuff. And we like to make our home playing just really good music for the ensemble that’s fun to listen to — and it’s fun to play.”

Wind Ensemble concerts typically run for an hour and fifteen minutes.

“An old orchestra teacher from Bellingham High School, Mr. Mark Schlichting, used to say: ‘You want to give the audience a treat, not a treatment,’” Hendry says. “So they come for a seven o’clock concert and they’re out the door by 8:15 and ready to settle for the night or go on to the next fun event.”

The Ensemble regularly invites guest conductors and composers to join concerts and build their local networks in music.

“When you’re in the ensemble, it’s really fun interacting musically with other people around you,” says Robertson. “That’s really the challenge of music, and so you form a lot of good friendships.”

Additionally, the Ensemble welcomes Western students who are pursuing music majors or simply enjoy playing.

“We’re really fortunate to have a good, positive working relationship with Western Washington University,” Hendry says. “We’ve had students from Western join us on the podium as guest conductors. So those students who are getting ready to become music educators, we’ve been able to give opportunities for them to step up and be in front of the ensemble instead of only playing within it.”

Joining the Ensemble

Musicians can audition for the Whatcom Wind Ensemble by submitting videos or meeting in-person.

The Whatcom Wind Ensemble rotates between multiple conductors at their concerts and rehearsals. Photo courtesy Doug Robertson

“Usually, we’ll do auditions in late August as we’re getting ready to start up before our first rehearsal in September,” says Hendry. “Sometimes we’ll have openings throughout the year, and it’ll be like, ‘Hey, we have a spot open that’s just vacant and we need someone to step in.’”

Members annually re-audition to keep up with the group. “It keeps everybody on their toes, for sure, when they know they’ve got to re-earn their spot every fall,” Hendry says.

The Wind Ensemble rehearses weekly in the Performing Arts Center. They have had members branch out into smaller groups such a brass quintet, and some members have even returned to the group after years away.

“The musicians that are in the Whatcom Wind Ensemble, many of them have graduate degrees in music performance,” says Robertson. “And we have players that also play in the Bellingham Symphony and the Skagit Symphony.”

Making Music Into the Future

The Whatcom Wind Ensemble continues to grow and promote itself to enthusiastic listeners.

Whatcom Wind Ensemble Secretary Doug Robertson returned to playing the French horn after two decades away when he joined the group. He has invited other community members to join over the years. Photo courtesy Doug Robertson

“As it grows, I think the quality of the musicians and the interest grows,” Robertson says. “And that brings out more people to say, ‘Yeah, I want to play higher quality music.’ And it’s been fun to watch.”

Hendry, also the Director of Bands at Sedro-Woolley High School, says that Whatcom Wind Ensemble members come from all careers and walks of life.

“These people have already gone through that process — they’ve already played in college or are currently playing or they graduated many years ago and still have that love and passion for making music at a high level,” Hendry says.

As part of their lifelong learning, Wind Ensemble members frequently share techniques and socialize after meetings.

“We’re learning from each other constantly and that’s what we want to keep doing in the ensemble: learn from each other,” says Robertson. “Because that just makes every day more fun.”

For more information on the Ensemble’s concert dates and auditions, visit their website.

A Sweet Adventure in Fairhaven

By
Kelley White
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Ticket holders received their treasure maps, wristbands, drink vouchers and a shop local gift card for couples' tickets as well as a cute bag to collect all the delicious chocolates. Photo credit: Kelley White

On Saturday, February 11, there was plenty of love to combat the chill in the air at the heart of Historical Fairhaven. With a nearly five-mile path to collecting 18 different, delicious chocolates, the tiny cold nip was quite refreshing and a perfect partner while gallivanting around the shops and art galleries.

Executive Director Heather Carter invited WhatcomTalk to enjoy the treasure-filled event and spoke about her first year overseeing the Chocolate Walk. “It’s about integrating our visitors with our small businesses in the village,” she says. “The Chocolate Walk is perfect around Valentine’s Day.”

Discovering New Businesses and Visiting the Familiar

Throughout the day, walking from established businesses to a popup, an art gallery, and more, participants were given the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of all Fairhaven has to offer. “We had 18 different stops along the walk and visitors started here at the hub in Finnegan’s Alley,” says Carter. “Ticketed visitors came in, got their bag, a little bracelet for participating, and a treasure map pinpointing all the different stops along the walk.”

Chocolate Walk visitors were encouraged to meander through the neighborhood and stop to get lunch while out with their partners. Photo credit: Kelley White

Every stop had a unique chocolate for visitors to try with 17 out of the 18 treats originating from around Washington State. “Evolve made several,” says Carter. “There was a variety of fun flavors. It was truly a treasure map to go around and pick out all the different chocolates. And we have several new businesses, so this was a cool event to help showcase some of those.”

Perks

Those that purchased a couples package received a $10 shop local gift card and wine included. Individual ticket holders had the opportunity to purchase a glass of port or sparkling wine. Some businesses had deals associated with the walk and welcomed visitors into every shop they entered. Often, businesses spoke about the chocolates and where they came from or what their flavorings featured.

“The weather held out and everyone seemed really happy,” Carter says. “About 98% of the people who bought tickets actually showed up for the event, which is a great pickup.”

The walk began at Finnegan’s Alley, home of the Fairhaven Association. Photo credit: Kelley White

Perfecting the Event for Next Year

Overall, the event was a resounding success, but Carter hopes to implement a few tweaks for next year. “I’ve already had a few people recommend some different local chocolatiers, so we would like to expand our list of vendors to use for chocolates,” says Carter. “We will probably create more of a passport program in the future so that visitors can mark off as they go, and maybe we’ll list the chocolates on the passports as well, so it’s easier for people to tell what all the chocolates are.”

The interaction between the public and Fairhaven’s businesses was part of the value behind the walking tour. “We know that kind of event works really well here, and people were drawn to it,” Carter says. “A few came back and said they had a great time and had great interaction with the local businesses, so I am thrilled with how it went.”

Participating businesses shared where their chocolates came from and the unique flavors of each morsel. Photo credit: Kelley White

More Fun in Fairhaven

Throughout the year, Fairhaven holds several community events that encourage folks from around Whatcom County to come and enjoy the unique historical neighborhood. “Our focus with the Fairhaven Association is to open everyone’s eyes to all our cool businesses in the village and discover some places you might not have realized are here,” says Carter. “We encourage people to remember that the Fairhaven Association holds all kinds of events all year long and they can go to enjoyfairhaven.com to see the list of our next events, like the Dirty Dan Mystery Weekend.”

The Chocolate Walk event featured 18 stops around the historical neighborhood, highlighting local commerce. Photo credit: Kelley White

18 Stops, 18 Chocolates

A full listing of featured businesses and chocolates:

  • FAIRHAVEN ASSOCIATION HUB – Seattle Chocolate Co, Crunchy Peanut Butter
  • 12TH STREET SHOES – Seattle Chocolate Co, Mexican Hot Chocolate
  • ADORED BOUTIQUE – Seattle Chocolate Co, Pink Bubbly
  • BELLA ROSE BOUTIQUE – Spokandy, Huckleberry Cream
  • BELLINGHAM TRAINING & TENNIS CLUB – Spokandy, Birthday Cake Truffle
  • BERKSHIRE HATH. BAYSIDE REALTY – Chukar Cherries, Cabernet Cherries
  • CURRENT & FURBISH – Evolve, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt
  • FAIRHAVEN COFFEE – Seattle Chocolate Co, Espresso
  • GALLERY/ ECHO CHERNIK – Chukar Cherries, Truffle Cherries
  • GOOD EARTH POTTERY – Evolve, Dark Chocolate Orange
  • LULULEMON – Spokandy, Lemon Zest Truffle
  • PETER JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY GALLERY – Boehm’s, Rum Encore
  • REDWOOD GROUP / EXP – Seattle Chocolate Co, San Juan Sea Salt
  • THE GARDEN ROOM – Boehm’s, Raspberry Encore
  • THREE FRENCH HENS – Belgium Chocolate Source, White Chocolate Mushrooms
  • VILLAGE BOOKS – Evolve, Dark Chocolate Rose Water
  • WHATCOM ART MARKET – Spokandy, Cookies n Cream
  • WHIMSEY – Theo Chocolate, Apple cider caramels

Northwest Washington Fair Announces 38 Special To Play as Part of This Year’s Festivities

By
LocalTalk Contributor
-
Photo courtesy of Northwest Washington Fair

Submitted by the Northwest Washington Fair

Onstage, 38 Special celebrate camaraderie and brotherhood. The band has been bringing their signature blast of Southern Rock to over 100 cities a year, and we are so excited to welcome them to the lineup at the 2023 Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden. Prepare to be amazed by the explosive power of the band’s performance on Saturday, August 12, where they will perform as part of the Bank of the Pacific Grandstand Entertainment Series.

With sales in excess of 20 million, most associate the band with their arena-rock pop smashes, “Hold On Loosely,” “Rockin’ Into the Night,” “Caught Up in You,” “Fantasy Girl,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Chain Lightnin’,” “Second Chance,” and more timeless hits that remain a staple at radio, immediately recognizable from the first opening chord, and paving the way to their present-day touring regimen. 38 Special is a team that doesn’t slack up, they stack up. Since 1976 the band has released more than 15 albums, touring relentlessly and bringing their signature brand of “muscle and melody” to fans worldwide.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. grandstand show go on sale to the public at 9 a.m. on February 24. Grandstand reserved seats, preferred seats, and preferred chairs are available. Tickets do not include gate admission, which is required. The show is presented by Chad Chambers Auto Sales and HomeSmart One Realty.

For access to the online pre-sale starting February 22, people can subscribe to the ‘Friends of the Fair’ email here.

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 take place August 10–19.

Unity Care NW Launches Pilot Program ‘Tracking for Better Health’ During Heart Health Month

By
LocalTalk Contributor
-
Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

Submitted by Unity Care NW

In honor of heart health month, this February Unity Care NW launched a pilot program for patients called Tracking for Better Health. The program provided Fitbits to a group of patients who would otherwise not be able to afford them. Patients will be linked with Unity Care NW medical providers and a Dietitian to help them assess the data about themselves to increase their health.

Unity Care NW has more than 6,000 patients with health conditions like Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension, which have been shown to improve with diet, exercise, and increasing healthy habits. But building new habits, learning how to nourish the body with food, and getting daily movement can be difficult and this program will help reduce barriers to patients’ living their healthiest lives.

Tracking for Better Health will help patients take control of painful and debilitating health conditions. “Our goal is to give our patients their life back and provide the tools they need to harness the power of their daily choices.” Says Antrim Caskey, Unity Care NW Dietitian.

The program is made possible by a generous donation of Fitbits from RecycleHealth. This organization collects donated fit trackers and provides them to nonprofits and groups working with people who benefit from their use but who would not normally be able to afford one. They have collected over 5,000 trackers over the past four years and believe in bringing health and fitness to all.

The Fitbits will track participating patients’ steps, food consumption, sleep quality, and time outdoors. Patient health indicators that will be tracked include weight, blood sugar level, and blood pressure. In a small test of this program, 4 Fitbits were provided to patients who were struggling with their health conditions but were unable to afford a fit tracker. The results were impressive. One participant found out that their struggle with health was related to not getting enough sleep. The fit tracker shed some light on their overall lack of quality sleep. Another patient found that getting outside for daily walks not only improved physical health but also helped with their depression.

Unity Care NW is a local, non-profit health care center that makes sure everyone in our community has access to care by providing high-quality, affordable, primary, medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy services, and innovative programs to ensure wrap-around whole person care. Each year Unity Care NW serves 1 in 10 Whatcom County residents, approximately 21,000 people.

Featured photo courtesy Unity Care NW

PeaceHealth Home Health Services Program To Bring Quality Care to Patients

By
Matt Benoit
-
Photo courtesy PeaceHealth

If you’ve ever had to recuperate from a surgery, or you have a medical condition that makes it extra challenging to reach healthcare services, you might have wished that medical specialists could instead come to you.

That option is now available to Whatcom County residents, as PeaceHealth has launched a Home Health Services program that will bring as-needed levels of medical assistance to those for whom leaving the home is difficult.

“Healthcare today is really about continuity of care,” says Michelle Klein, PeaceHealth manager for Home Care Services in Bellingham. “There are many, many patients in our community who really struggle to be able to leave their homes. Whether that’s because of physical limitations, or where they are with their health conditions. They’re a very vulnerable health population.”

How It Works

The Home Health Services Program is, first and foremost, actual in-home medical care, different from numerous private caregiving agencies that provide household services like laundry and meal preparation.

The need for at-home health services existed well before the COVID-19 pandemic but bringing care to vulnerable health populations is now more relevant than ever. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth

The program will depend on an eligible patient’s individual circumstances, and provide in-home assistance in several possible forms, including from a nurse, physical therapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, or medical social worker. Some patients could also have a bathing assistant as part of nursing or physical therapy care.

A patient’s primary care physician will be closely involved in the referral process for program eligibility, Klein says, as well as being a continuous resource for the providers involved in patient care.

Any patients who are part of the program must meet specific criteria for medical need to qualify, including the definition of being “homebound.” While this sounds like a term for someone unable to leave their home at all, Klein says the definition is not that strict.

“It has to be someone who has a real medical or physical difficulty leaving the home reasonably frequently,” she says.

This covers a wide range of potential conditions, from someone with cancer or other mobility issues to someone involved in post-operative recovery therapy, such as following a knee or hip replacement.

Each patient must also consider program eligibility based on their insurance provider, including Medicare and Medicaid.

Assessments of an individual’s situation will be conducted prior to beginning the program, figuring out what’s needed, how often it’s needed, and receiving physician approval, says Klein. Care may be brief, or it may be longer-term.

“Whatever the patient truly needs in order to meet the goals of improving their health,” she says.

A Real Community Need

The need for at-home health services existed well before the COVID-19 pandemic but bringing care to vulnerable health populations is now more relevant than ever.

When the pandemic struck in early 2020, Klein was working for another in-home agency, and says there was a substantial increase in at-home needs at that time.

This new program will fill a local need for those who require healthcare but have trouble accessing it, while also holding true to PeaceHealth’s core beliefs and attitudes of whole-person care. Photo courtesy PeaceHealth

“It really substantiated that, one: we were needed, and that two: we could do it,” she says. “We could really help stabilize people in their homes and keep them from getting to the point of needing hospitalization.”

PeaceHealth conducted evaluations in Whatcom County to determine the community need for the program, and Klein says that need is substantial. Although it will start slow, she anticipates rapid growth of the program. Many community clinicians are also interested in being part of Home Health Services, she says.

The program will also further establish a continuum of care between providers through medical record integration, allowing medical professionals to communicate more efficiently about patients and their care.

As a whole, the program will fill a local need for those who really require healthcare but have trouble accessing it, while also holding true to PeaceHealth’s core beliefs and attitudes of whole-person care.

This, says Lexi Dear, director of Home Health Services, improves not only the health of an individual patient, but the health of the entire community.

 “We made a commitment across all of PeaceHealth to ensure that patients have access to the care they need, when and where they need it,” Dear says. “A lot of focus is shifting outside the walls of the hospital, out into our communities, because the benefit can be great when this service is freely accessible to those who need it.”

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