First Fed Maritime Lending Covers Fishing Industry From Stem to Stern

By

-

First Fed Maritime Lending Arne Arnesen Dockside 2023 — Arne Arnesen, First Fed's Director of Commercial Banking. Photo courtesy First Fed

From Alaska’s Aleutian Islands down along the West Coast of the United States, the fishing industry is an iconic and indispensable part of the economy.

And with a century of helping local residents meet their financial goals, First Fed’s financial expertise includes maritime lending with a team who knows the ins and outs of the industry.

Maritime lending is focused on helping fishermen, shipyards, and associated businesses acquire the capital to make possibilities reality. Their business needs may include financing fisheries and quotas (fishing rights), providing cash for tugs, barges, ferry boats, eco-tour boats, or supporting fishing businesses like electrical and fiberglass suppliers.

Arne Arnesen, director of commercial banking at First Fed, is an integral part of the bank’s maritime team. He’s been in banking for 23 years, but his connection to the fishing industry goes back much further: his grandfather was a Norwegian immigrant and fisherman.

Arne Arnesen, First Fed’s Director of Commercial Banking. Photo courtesy First Fed

As a third generation Norwegian in Washington, Arnesen grew up spending time around Fisherman’s Terminal, an iconic maritime hub. Today he guides the finances of many boats and crews from his office in Edmonds. Many of those are family-run operations, which Arnesen says are often under-served in banking.

“We really thrive on dealing with the owner-operator,” he says. “Big banks may have a maritime lender, but they want the huge international seafood companies and fleets. I don’t think there’s any other community bank in the Pacific Northwest with as much experience in the maritime space as First Fed.”

Knowing Troller from Trawler

While the Pacific Coast fishing industry covers a large area geographically, Arnesen says the community is tightknit.

“There are only so many marinas in each of the western states that can even accommodate working fishing vessels,” he says. “It’s a small, no-nonsense community that values true relationship banking.”

A focus on developing real relationships is what separates First Fed’s maritime lending program from all the rest. That includes a commitment to meeting face-to-face: visiting a shipyard, fishery or fishing operation and its owners, and touring or even riding on their vessel.

“I make a point of showing up in person as many times as I can,” says Arnesen. “One thing that we do differently — and that we’re happy to do — is be present.”

First Fed is also willing to meet their clients in the elements. That includes trips to remote Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The last time Arnesen was there, a four-day trip became nine days due to bad weather.

For some operators, in-person contact is especially critical, not just because of the often-substantial size of maritime loans, but because some fishermen don’t operate on the latest technology. Arnesen says several long-time clients still don’t use email.

“Our maritime team members are the only people in our bank who still regularly get faxes,” he says.

First Fed’s maritime team also regularly attends fishing trade shows and has numerous connections across the industry that can help fishermen find resources they might need or already be searching for.

Last November Arnesen helped several fishermen in Seattle connect with a Norwegian seller of electric long-line systems.

A Good Time to Expand

While federal loan programs may offer fixed-rate money that no bank can truly compete with, Arnesen says some businesses approved for those loans choose to finance through First Fed anyway. Because federal loans can often have long wait times, fishermen may run the risk of the vessel purchase window closing before they receive their money.

Instead, they turned to First Fed, which offers more flexible financing terms than any federal loan system would provide. With First Fed, a business can adjust as often as needed, whether it’s adding to an existing loan or changing their annual payments.

While some maritime businesses might be hesitant to start the application process, Arnesen says that if taking out a loan for your business makes sense, then it will also likely make sense for the bank loaning you the capital.

“Too many fishermen limit themselves because they don’t understand finance, or they don’t trust financing, and feel like they have to pay for things in cash,” he says. “Interest rates are still pretty good, and interest expense is tax-deductible. Because the real borrowing cost to finance is low, it’s worth considering a loan to realize your business goals.”

And whether you’re a shipyard about to agree to build a new vessel or a fisherman agreeing to buy one, First Fed is happy to lend advice before you put pen to paper.

“Call a banker before you sign the purchase and sale agreement with a broker,” Arnesen says. “Let us help you figure it out. In many cases, it turns out you can afford more than you thought you could.”

To learn more and connect with the maritime team at First Fed visit: https://www.ourfirstfed.com/maritime

First Fed is a member FDIC and equal housing lender.

Sponsored

The Life of Joy Stokes, Bellingham’s Philanthropic Madam

By

Matt Benoit

-

Joy-Stokes-Bellingham-1934-Birch-Bay-Hangout-feature — Stokes, left, is seen camping at Birch Bay in 1934 with her sister Hallie Kincaid and nephew Robert. Photo courtesy Kristine Kincaid

On June 14, 1968, a Bellingham woman known as Joy Stokes died at age 73. In her will, she left an alleged six-figure sum not to surviving family, but to Western Washington University.

Stokes had owned several apartment complexes in Bellingham, and also managed a lively roadhouse just beyond the city limits. Even so, it seemed a large amount of money for someone who came from modest means.

Both among her family and the community, it was said that Stokes’ wealth was amassed not through real estate, but from prostitution work as a madam. There was even a rumor she was possibly responsible for the death of her ex-husband.

Her story is one of intrigue, mystery, and an ultimately enduring legacy of helping others.

Red Lights and Rough Reputations

While modern Bellingham is rife with breweries and dispensaries, it once boasted a real red light district. Even before the city’s incorporation, the towns it was formed from allowed prostitution to occur.

A portrait of Bellingham’s Joy Stokes, likely around age 19 or 20. Stokes was a local roadhouse and apartment manager who was believed to also be a madam. Photo courtesy Kristine Kincaid

In his 2004 book “The Brothels of Bellingham,” author Curtis F. Smith writes that the earliest known prostitution rooms were waterfront shacks along Whatcom’s tide flats. Its 1901 city charter even established boundaries for a red-light district.

Starting at the intersection of Holly and Bay Streets, and continuing down Holly to C Street, brothels stood catering to lonely or randy men, many of them transient workers attracted to the area through industries like logging.

In Fairhaven, the area below 12^th Street became so infamous it was referred to as “Devil’s Row.” And for a time around the turn of the century, a small red book was published for male visitors, informing them of local “sporting houses.”

Social pressure brought a 1910 crackdown on Bellingham’s original red-light district, but it did little to stop prostitution. Until around 1950, downtown Bellingham was home to brothels, many located on the upper floors of cheap hotels and apartments.

Smith’s book reveals at least 13 known brothels in Fairhaven, with another 14 having existed throughout downtown Bellingham’s history.

A Lady Comes to Town

Joy Stokes was born Mary Elizabeth Thomasson in 1894 West Virginia, the middle of seven children. In 1907, her family moved west, settling in Fairhaven’s Happy Valley neighborhood. Thomasson worked at Fairhaven’s Pacific American Fisheries cannery as a teenager, losing part of a finger in an accident that caused her father to sue PAF. It’s unknown what settlement, if any, resulted.

An April 1948 Bellingham Herald announcement proclaiming Stokes’ takeover of the Winter Garden. The post-Prohibition roadhouse was rumored to have an upstairs brothel. Photo courtesy Kolby LaBree

In December 1916, Thomasson married lumber inspector Roy Stokes and legally changed her name to Joy Mary Stokes. In the decade that followed, both Mary and her family became local scofflaws.

Her father operated a still hidden inside a chicken coup, and her brothers also engaged in bootlegging. Harry, a brother known as “Society Red,” eventually fled Bellingham for Canada’s Northwest Territories, evading bootlegging charges and the World War I draft. He spent most of his life there as a fur trader.

“The whole family was a little bit scandalous,” says Kristine Kincaid, a 73-year-old Bellingham resident who is Stokes’ grandniece.

During the 1920s, Stokes was charged with larceny for allegedly stealing another woman’s lingerie. She was also part of the 1929 divorce trial of William Lang, a man who supposedly financed the impressive home Stokes and her husband lived in at 415 North Forest Street.

During the trial, Lang’s wife testified that he’d been enamored with Stokes — an often elegantly-dressed redhead — for years.

While the Lang marriage crumbled, Stokes and her husband remained married until 1943.

Known Unknowns

Kincaid says she and siblings knew Stokes as “Aunt Jane,” a brusque older woman they saw only around Christmas.

They knew she had a prosthetic leg — the result of a car-related accident years earlier — but didn’t know much else about her. Becoming aware of her great-aunt’s illicit occupation didn’t follow until around high school.

Stokes and her husband lived in this beautiful home at 415 North Forest Street. It was purportedly financed by another man who was enamored with Stokes. Photo courtesy Kolby LaBree

“My mother, she’d kind of talk around it,” says Kincaid. “We were aware that we had an aunt who was a madam, but we never got a lot of details.”

Kincaid has no concrete evidence proving Stokes was a madam, but based on family lore, she’s 100 percent certain it’s what her aunt did. Likewise, Bellingham historian Kolby LaBree has never found arrest records or other legal documents confirming Stokes’ profession. But there are hints.

Despite Stokes’ husband not being well-off, the couple lived in nice homes around Bellingham, moving roughly every three years through the 1920s and 30s. Kincaid says Stokes owned some of Bellingham’s first modern household appliances, and frequently dressed like someone who lived in a much bigger city than Bellingham.

Stokes did well for herself after divorcing her husband. She owned and managed the Verna Vista Apartments, a complex at 701 Gladstone Street that still stands today, and also acquired the El Sereno Apartments at 715 Garden Street in 1948.

The former Stokes residence still stands today at 415 North Forest Street in Bellingham. Photo courtesy Kolby LaBree

That same year, she began managing the Winter Garden, a post-Prohibition roadhouse located five miles outside Bellingham, where Slater Road intersected Old Highway 99.

The Winter Garden had live music, dancing, and drinking, but it was rumored Stokes ran a brothel upstairs. Kincaid says a brothel definitely existed there, while LaBree says her research is inconclusive. The Winter Garden did, however, have underage serving issues and garnered a liquor license suspension.

It’s possible that Stokes also conducted prostitution at the properties she owned, but this is also speculation. In any case, there’s little doubt Stokes stood out: oral history interviews in Smith’s book refer to her as a “redheaded woman who wore lift brassieres.”

History’s Mysteries

On April 4, 1951, Stokes’ ex-husband and his girlfriend were found dead in a basement apartment of the El Sereno. A detective who discovered the couple said the apartment was full of gas fumes, with a small gas heater still burning. Both victims appeared to have been asleep. There was no suicide note.

A Bellingham Herald article says Stokes was extremely upset about the tragedy, but Kincaid says some family members questioned if it was really just an accident. Stokes’ diaries indicate Roy was an abusive drunk, once threatening to have her killed. He was also out of work at the time and may have resented his ex-wife’s financial well-being.

“Nobody really knows,” Kincaid says.

Stokes, left, is seen camping at Birch Bay in 1934 with her sister Hallie Kincaid and nephew Robert. Photo courtesy Kristine Kincaid

Another question about Stokes remains unanswered: how she grew estranged from her family, ultimately leading to her generous posthumous donation to WWU.

Most of the Thomasson siblings had no children, including Stokes. The siblings that preceded her in death left her nothing, and she in turn left nothing to those who survived her. Kincaid says she doesn’t know why the estrangement occurred or whether it was over her being a madam, but it was never resolved.

Stokes sold the Winter Garden in August 1959, several years after a 1955 fire left it in shambles. Rebuilt under new ownership, it continued into the 1970s until being demolished for construction of the Slater Road overpass above Interstate 5.

Lasting Legacy

Stokes never remarried, but her diaries indicate male companions moved in and out of her life.

Kincaid says one of these men, a younger gigolo, may have talked Stokes into leaving her money to WWU and in return got something out of it. Another theory, LaBree says, is that she left money to help students because she once employed female students — trying to pay their way through school — as working girls.

Regardless, her last wishes were carried out, and today the Stokes Scholarship is one of WWU’s longest-running endowments. Each year it provides needed dollars to deserving students who might otherwise be forced to take loans or drop out altogether. Managed by the Western Foundation, it will continue on indefinitely.

Now the same age her great-aunt was when she died, Kincaid has poured over Stokes’ old pictures and diaries. The last direct links to her long-gone, she wishes she could speak to Stokes again.

“I would love it if I could know her now,” Kincaid says. “I have a feeling there was a whole lot more substance to her than just being a madam.”

Ferndale Offers Free Metallica-Inspired T-Shirt To Encourage ADU Construction

By

LocalTalk Contributor

-

and justice for all tshirt1 — Photo courtesy of the City of Ferndale

City of Ferndale

Residents who construct an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) in Ferndale this year can receive a free Metallica-themed shirt courtesy of the City. The first 10 property owners who complete an ADU on their property, either attached or detached, receive the shirt, inspired by the Metallica album “And Justice for All” but repurposed to say, “And Housing for All!”

“Building an ADU is great for Ferndale,” said Mayor Greg Hansen, “it adds to our housing supply, provides opportunities for rentals or aging in place, and utilizes existing city infrastructure.”

Community Development staff and Mayor Greg Hansen pose at Ferndale’s permit desk with the shirts. From left to right, Community Development Director Michael Cerbone, Mayor Greg Hansen, Associate Planner Jesse Ashbaugh and Planning Coordinator Patti Gearhart. Photo courtesy of the City of Ferndale

An accessory dwelling unit is a small, self-contained residential unit located on the same lot as an existing single-family home. An ADU has all the basic facilities needed for day-to-day living independent of the main home, such as a kitchen, sleeping area, and a bathroom.

“Adding an ADU adds value to your property and provides vital housing choices for families, property owners and new residents,” said Community Development Director Michael Cerbone. “So if you are thinking about ADUs, come talk to our permit desk. We are excited to work with you.”

“We understand that offering a free shirt is not going to be the tipping point for anyone deciding to invest in an ADU,” said Hansen, “But it sends a message that Ferndale is enthusiastic about working with our residents to tackle affordable housing, one ADU at a time.”

For more information on building an ADU in Ferndale, check out www.cityofferndale.org/ADU.

Local Artist Veda Loreen Allen Allows Her Success To Fall Into Place

By

Steven Arbuckle

-

Veda-Allen-Whatcom-Washington-artist — Veda carries her work with her sometimes, and at other times works from the comfort of her own home. Photo courtesy Veda Allen

From doodles shared on social media to a world-famous local customer, the artwork of 17-year-old Veda Allen is quickly making its way into the world. With pieces already sold to Mt. Baker Ski Area, Veda is already in talks with other local businesses, and only time will tell just how widespread her signature stickers, t-shirts, hoodies, labels, and more will become.

Veda has lived in Whatcom County since first grade and spent most of her school career as a student at Whatcom Hills Waldorf School. She credits the creative and arts-based learning style with making her a natural in visual arts. “Most Waldorf kids come out knowing how to draw,” she says. “I grew up with it being something I knew how to do, something normal, and then I just kept drawing.”

She also has a love of skateboarding and skiing that came about in a very different way. “My best friend she was going to leave for a long time, and she said, ‘By the time I come back, we’re going to know how to skate, be really good at it, and look really cool.’ And so, every day during quarantine, when I had nothing else to do, I was out in my driveway trying to learn something,” Veda says. “And then it started to actually get fun, and I started to go to the skate park and meet people. And my best friend? She never learned.”

Veda’s most frequently used tools of the trade are black ink pens, often used on watercolor paper. Photo courtesy Veda Allen

Once she got the bug, Veda never stopped skateboarding. During a year of homeschooling, in 7^th grade, Veda took part in the Bellingham Family Partnership Program, an offering from the local public schools that supports families who provide their kids with home-based education. “They had skiing or snowboarding lessons at Mount Baker,” she recalls. “I love it now, but it was in the beginning it was pretty rough. I just kept getting a pass every year, and now I have a lot of fun doing it because I’m not scared anymore.”

With all the basic building blocks in place, it was just a matter of time before Veda’s passions came together. “In 2020, I was very excited for skiing, and thought, ‘I have to draw Mount Baker. How have I not done this already?’”

After years spent at a Waldorf school, the visual arts are second nature to Veda. Photo courtesy Veda Allen

She began to draw skiers and snowboarders and Mount Baker, posting them on Instagram. “And people started to really like it,” Veda says. Soon her friends wanted to buy t-shirts or stickers with her designs on them, and then the appreciation began to spread beyond her friend group.

“[Illustrator] Brooklyn Bell texted me, and she’s sponsored by Subaru, Faction Skis, and all these companies, and she said, ‘I love that, let me know if you make a shirt.’ It was this moment in time where I was, like, ‘Whoa, people like this.’”

They liked it so much, in fact, that they shared her art posts to Mount Baker’s Instagram account. It wasn’t long before Veda received a message from the Mt. Baker Ski Area and entered into an agreement with them that has led to her designs gracing t-shirts, adult and youth hoodies, and even the mountain’s lift tickets themselves.

After drawing and scanning the black and white image, Veda sometimes uses watercolors to add another dimension. Photo courtesy Veda Allen

Her involvement with Mt. Baker got her noticed by The Snowboarder’s Journal, a magazine and website read around the world. “Every year they do something for Opening Day at Mt. Baker, and they did a phone interview with me that was on their site. My friends and I would go to Mount Baker Theater and watch these snowboarding films, and it says ‘Snowboarder’s Journal’ at the beginning of most of them. And now I’m, like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m on The Snowboarder’s Journal!’”

Veda has started selling her work herself, as well. She’s participated in the first Bellingham Maker’s Market, as well as events at Aslan Brewing Company and Vital Climbing Gym, and she promotes all of her appearances on her Instagram page.

Along with some large and highly detailed works, other designs are simple and whimsical. Photo courtesy Veda Allen

She also accepts direct orders through Instagram, fulfilling all of them by hand. That method is a little hectic, but it also means that she can be successful doing something she loves. “Just last night, it was six o’clock and I was drawing. Then I looked up and it was 11:30, and I had been bent over for hours,” she says. “I get lost in it, and it doesn’t even feel like time is passing.”

As far as the future goes, Veda looks forward to devoting herself to her art. “I say to myself that I’m just going to do this for a living, for the rest of my life. I would like to buy some property and put a bunch of cool stuff on that property. I really, really want a mini ramp to skate on; that’s like the next thing for me. But I kind of just let things fall in place.”

She also has words of advice to other artists, whether they know they are artists or not: “I think everyone’s good at drawing, they just have a style. It’s unique to you, which makes it good.”

See more of Veda’s art on her Instagram page.

Get Pediatric Immunizations Back on Track

By

Kelley White

-

NWHC — Getting flu vaccines as a family will help keep the yearly inoculation a positive experience for kids. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

We’re all still in a pandemic recovery period and getting our lives back on schedule can be chaotic, from preventative healthcare to regular haircuts and beyond. For those with the next generation’s health in their hands, pediatric immunizations are especially important. Lately, many children have fallen behind on their vaccine schedules. Elisabeth Gehringer, D.O. and Associate Medical Director at Unity Care NW, recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to help encourage parents get back into the groove of their kids’ healthcare.

Why We Are Behind

“I’ve been seeing a pattern that kids have been falling behind on immunizations — the main challenge was related to the pandemic due to delay in care, and the result of those challenges was falling behind on their vaccine schedules,” says Dr. Gehringer. “Vaccines are a really important part of the well child check-ups that we have built into our visits.”

Vaccinations are important for everyone, but the practice starts with kids in keeping communities as healthy as possible. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

When preventative visits are delayed, a child’s vaccine schedule is delayed and thus everything is pushed back. “We have to catch up,” Dr. Gehringer says. “The well child visit is the opportunity for parents to sit down with their child’s provider, engage in conversation, and have questions answered.”

For a long time, many parents were concerned about taking their children to the doctor for preventative visits, hoping to avoid unwanted germs.

“Understandably, there was a lot of concern and fear around bringing children to their visits,” says Dr. Gehringer. “There was a lot of uncertainty in the beginning of the pandemic — we were still learning and figuring it out.”

Immunizations help prevent the resurgence of serious illnesses and outbreaks. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

After several years, the CDC guidelines surrounding COVID-19 prevention have helped streamline healthcare with the least amount of risk to patients. These guidelines have helped alleviate a lot of patient hesitancy. Masks are still required in health care settings, including your child’s doctor’s office reducing the chance of infection from many airborne illnesses, including COVID-19.

“Things are in a much better place for patients to come back into our clinics and get caught up on their preventative visits,” says Dr. Gehringer.

Scheduling Your Visits

It’s important to remember vaccinations have a recommended schedule for each immunization as some inoculations have multiple rounds. “The American Academy of Pediatrics has a well check schedule they recommend and an immunization timeline, which is especially important within the first 12 months of a baby’s life,” Dr. Gehringer says. “It’s crucial that kiddos get in routinely and I would encourage parents, knowing that wait times have been long, to call sooner rather than later.”

Unity Care NW helps parents remember when to bring their kids back in for their checkups with outreach enrollment and appointment reminders for patients.

Keeping up to date on vaccines helps keep the health of the whole family on track. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

Accessibility and Resources

Several resources are available for parents and guardians who find it difficult to schedule regular doctor visits for immunizations.

“The Whatcom County Health Department [MM1] is a good resource for vaccines,” says Dr. Gehringer. “They have a lot of resources for people and their families. The schools will have outreach opportunities and it’s also worth seeing if your clinic can fit you in for a vaccine appointment, even if you have a well child check scheduled out further.”

Often, schools will have free immunization clinics before the start of school, helping students get all caught up before classes begin.

Why Pediatric Vaccines are Important

Babies are born with immune systems that can fight most germs, but there are some serious and even deadly diseases they can’t handle. That’s why they need vaccines to strengthen their immune system.

Each vaccine protects against specific deadly illnesses and each of them, along with the timing of them, are very important because you need to build up your immunity,” Dr. Gehringer says. “The flu vaccine, for instance, is a one-time vaccine each year versus other vaccines that are done in a series.”

It is incredibly important to follow the vaccination schedule recommended by the CDC. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

Gehringer explains that some groups are more susceptible than others to certain illnesses, leading to the necessity for others to get vaccines for their protection.

“Young children and geriatric patients are at risk for Whooping Cough and babies are too young for that vaccination, so we encourage all their family members to get that vaccination,” says Dr. Gehringer. “We have also seen several outbreaks in our community and country and there has been concerns about measles and pertussis outbreaks. It’s more important than ever to get caught up on these vaccinations.”

Flu Vaccine

Influenza rears its ugly head every year and schoolchildren can be especially vulnerable. It’s best to consider the flu vaccine for your children to help prevent dangerous illness.

“Even if it’s not 100% preventing illness, it does give you protection against the severity of symptoms,” Dr. Gehringer says. “It may be that you don’t feel very good after the vaccine, but at least you aren’t having severe illness that is resulting in hospitalization or death.”

Getting flu vaccines as a family will help keep the yearly inoculation a positive experience for kids. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

COVID-19 Vaccination

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the world and, unfortunately, the virus isn’t going anywhere any time soon. Keeping up with vaccines and boosters is one of the best ways to prevent rampant, serious infections.

“When it comes to this vaccination, ,” “I would say this for anyone, including pediatric patients” says Dr. Gehringer, “for the majority of people, the benefits of vaccinations always outweigh the risk. It is one of the most effective ways we have to fight COVID-19.”

Since the height of the pandemic, information regarding any vaccines and the importance of staying up to date on immunizations is perhaps more evident than ever. Especially with pediatric patients, keeping a regular schedule and getting vaccines on time is undoubtedly vital to not only the wellness of the individual, but the health of a community as well.

Sponsored

Peoples Bank Announces Senior Leadership Promotions

By

LocalTalk Contributor

-

Submitted by Peoples Bank

Peoples Bank announced the promotions of several senior executives and the expansion of its leadership team as part of the Bank’s ongoing commitment to customer success and fiscally sustainable growth.

“I am thrilled to announce these leadership promotions and recognize the exceptional work and dedication of these individuals,” said Charles LeCocq, Peoples Bank Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. “Their proven leadership skills and commitment to excellence will undoubtedly continue to make a positive impact on our customers, employees, and the communities we serve.”

Lisa Hefter – President and Chief Operating Officer

Lisa Hefter. Photo courtesy Peoples Bank

Lisa Hefter was promoted from Executive Vice President to President and retains her role as Chief Operating Officer. Lisa joined Peoples Bank in 1992. She has been involved in all facets of bank management and has contributed to the company’s strong growth during her 30-year tenure. In her current role, Lisa is responsible for directing the administrative and operational activities of the Bank. She is also member of the Peoples Bank and Peoples Bancorp Board of Directors.

Lisa leads the Bank’s community relations efforts and focuses her community service activities on advancing financial literacy. An honors graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, Lisa has a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a finance emphasis from Central Washington University.

Andy Riddell – Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer

Andy Riddell. Photo courtesy Peoples Bank

Andy Riddell joined Peoples Bank in 2021, bringing nearly 20 years of experience focused on commercial and industrial industries. In his role as Chief Lending Officer, Andy oversees all commercial and business lending programs across the Bank’s six-county footprint.

Andy is a past Board Member of the Whatcom Business Alliance and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the YMCA of Snohomish County. A graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School, Andy holds a bachelor’s degree in business Administration and management from Vanguard University of Southern California.

Amanda Scoby – Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer

Amanda Scoby. Photo courtesy Peoples Bank

Amanda Scoby joined Peoples Bank in 2013 and is responsible for overall enterprise risk management, ensuring Peoples Bank has proper oversight and internal controls in place to mitigate risks and vulnerabilities that could impact business performance.

Amanda is a certified public accountant and an honors graduate of Texas A&M, with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in finance. She is a past recipient of the Peoples Bank Integrity Leadership Award.

LaVonne Olsen – Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

LaVonne Olsen. Photo courtesy Peoples Bank

LaVonne joined Peoples Bank in 2019 and oversees the Peoples Bank human resources department, including employee recruitment and retention, payroll, benefits, performance management, and training. LaVonne has more than 30 years of human resource experience and holds many distinguished credentials relating to her field.

Active in the community, LaVonne has served as a board member for the Max Higbee Center for almost 15 years and has volunteered for the Special Olympics for over 20 years. A graduate of California State University, Fresno, LaVonne holds a bachelor’s degree in business finance and is currently attending the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado.

About Peoples Bank

Peoples Bank is a locally owned and operated, independent full-service community bank with $2.8 billion in assets. Headquartered in Bellingham, Washington, Peoples Bank has served the community for over 100 years and operates 25 locations throughout Washington. Reflecting its strong financial management practices, dedicated employees, and long-standing customer relationships, Peoples Bank was awarded a superior five-star rating from BauerFinancial, a leading independent bank rating firm. Learn more about Peoples Bank at www.peoplesbank-wa.com. Member FDIC.

Haggen Funds New Wheelchair Van for Cascade Connections

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

-

Cascade-Connections-wheelchair-van-group-photo — Kendon (center), testing out the new wheelchair van funded by Haggen for Cascade Connections in 2022. From left to right: Sarah (Cascade Connections communications staff); Sherry Vanweerdhuizen (Ferndale Haggen Guest Service Manager); Tonya Matter (Ferndale Haggen Garden Manager and Haggen Community Squad Representative); Janet Holmes (Ferndale Haggen Store Manager); Tara (Cascade Christian Home [CCH] Program Director); Mekayla (CCH Program Coordinator); Kendon (CCH Resident); Kaily Hetherton & Pilar Hari (Haggen Community Relations Managers); Melissa Copenhaver (Barkley Haggen Guest Service Manager); George (Cascade Connections Executive Director). Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

Many of us take for granted that we can walk out the door or hop in a car to get where we need to go and when. But this isn’t the case for many of the individuals served by Cascade Connections, a local nonprofit that’s been supporting individuals with developmental disabilities since 1980. Its mission is to empower people with disabilities to enhance their quality of life, often through participation in the wider community. The agency provides various residential, vocational, and training services that make independent living and community participation more accessible to people with disabilities.

Supported Living team visiting Artist Point in 2022. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

At Cascade Connections’ group home, four of the eight residents use wheelchairs when they go out into the community. Unfortunately, the group home only has one wheelchair van that transports one person at time. This means that individuals who use wheelchairs cannot go on outings often, easily, or together. The shortage of adequate transportation makes it more difficult for staff to take everyone where they want and need to go.

To address this issue, Cascade Connections set a fundraising target in 2022 to acquire a new wheelchair van. They weren’t sure how they would raise the estimated $60,000 needed and knew that the pause on in-person fundraising events would make reaching the goal that much more difficult. The agency applied for grants and sent out donation request letters to local businesses.

Haggen to the Rescue!

Not long after setting its sights on a new wheelchair van, Cascade Connections received some great news: for the third consecutive year, Haggen had selected Cascade Connections as a benefitting organization for Haggen’s Inspiring Change Together fundraising campaign! The Inspiring Change Together fundraising campaign is centered around Haggen’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative, which states that Haggen will partner with local organizations that make positive social changes to ensure all community members live a healthy and fully inclusive life.

At Cascade Christian Home, Cascade Connections’ group training home. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

For two months in the summer of 2022, the Ferndale and Barkley Haggen invited customers to donate to Cascade Connections when checking out at the register. By August 9th, the Inspiring Change Together fundraiser had generated $7,750 for Cascade Connections. Donated funds were set aside for the future purchase of a new wheelchair van, but the agency still had a long way to go to reach its goal.

Debra working on a puzzle with Tara, Program Director at Cascade Christian Home. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

Amazingly, Haggen’s generosity did not end there! This past fall, Community Relations Managers Kaily Hetherton and Pilar Hari of Haggen Food & Pharmacy and Haggen Foundation reached out to Cascade Connections to ask how much more money the agency needed to purchase a wheelchair van. When Kaily and Pilar heard that it would probably cost at least another $35,000 to buy even a used wheelchair van, they encouraged Cascade Connections to apply for the Haggen Foundation’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Initiative Grant. About a month later, after further partnership discussions, Kaily and Pilar let us know that Haggen planned to donate another $35,000 — for a grand total donation of $42,750 in 2022.

“We are extremely fortunate to have organizations like Cascade Connections in Whatcom County,” says Kaily. “They continuously advocate for their clients’ wellbeing and care deeply about each one of them. Haggen is honored to support our friends at Cascade Connections in building an inclusive community for everyone.”

Haggen representatives, store managers, and Cascade Connections staff members pose in front of Cascade Christian Home. From left to right: Haggen Community Relations Manager Kaily Hetherton, Ferndale Haggen Garden Manager and Haggen Community Squad Representative Tonya Matter, Haggen Community Relations Manager Pilar Hari, Cascade Christian Home Program Director Tara, Barkley Haggen Guest Service Manager Melissa Copenhaver, Cascade Connections Executive Director George, Ferndale Haggen Store Manager Janet Holmes, Ferndale Haggen Guest Service Manager Sherry Vanweerdhuizen, and Cascade Connections Communications Specialist Sarah. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

In the meantime, more wheelchair donations ranging from $50 to $2,000 came in from several other local businesses: Bellingham’s Community Food Co-op, First Fed, Harbor Lands Company, HUB International, Oasys, Inc., Rusty Wagon, Scholtens Equipment, Inc., Van Loo’s Auto Service, Van’s Plumbing and Electric, Inc., and WECU.

The Cascade Connections community deeply appreciates all the donations that have helped to keep the nonprofit’s services going over the last few difficult years. The agency is particularly thankful to Haggen for supplying over 90% of the funds needed to purchase the new wheelchair van. This is not the first time that Haggen has come through for Cascade Connections — far from it! Over the years, Haggen has donated to the agency’s fundraisers, employed people served by Cascade Connections Vocational Services, and chosen Cascade Connections as recipients for their own fundraisers.

Mark, Cascade Connections Board Member and recipient of Supported Living services in West Lynden, posing with a wheelchair van that Haggen helped Cascade Connections raise money for in 2017. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

The last time Cascade Connections raised money for a wheelchair van (in 2017), Haggen sponsored the in-person fundraising event (the “Hamster Ball”) and made a $3,000 donation. In 2017, 2018, and 2019, Haggen served as the title sponsor for the Cascade Connections “Hamster Crawl” by donating thousands of dollars toward the event each year. These funds went toward a septic tank project at Cascade Connections’ group home, in 2018, and to various material needs of individuals served by Cascade Connections in 2019.

In September of 2020, Haggen also generously donated $5,000 through its Nourishing Neighbors grant program. This funding provided food and other material needs to individuals served by Cascade Connections who were adversely affected by the pandemic. Since the Hamster Crawl was canceled that year, Haggen donated an additional $3,000 to Cascade Connections at GivingTuesday in November.

Haggen donated appetizers, delicious local cheeses, Haggen exclusive wines, silent auction items, and flowers/decorations for the tables during the 2018 Hamster Ball. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

During the summers of 2021 and 2022, Haggen chose Cascade Connections as a recipient for its Inspiring Change Together fundraiser. In 2021, this money went toward Cascade Connections’ advocacy and education program, “Nothing About Us Without Us,” which helps ensure that individuals with disabilities have a voice in various decisions made about their lives.

Words cannot fully express what this generous, ongoing support means to a nonprofit agency and to the community in general. Cascade Connections thanks Haggen for being such a supportive, reliable community partner. Haggen’s donations and vocational opportunities truly empower local individuals with disabilities to enhance their quality of life. The Cascade Connections community feels fortunate to have Haggen as a neighbor and friend!

Cascade Connections’ Supported Living team, thanking Haggen. Photo courtesy Cascade Connections

Check out Haggen’s website or search #HaggenHelps on social media to learn about the many ways Haggen inspires change in local communities.

Sponsored

How Bellingham Celebrated Valentine’s Day at the Turn of the Twentieth Century

By

Jennifer Crooks

-

Valentines-day-dove — Postcards were a popular way to send love at Valentine’s Day at the turn of the century.

Valentine’s Day has long been honored as a special holiday to celebrate love, friendship, and family. At the turn of the century, it was a popular holiday among people in Bellingham.

History

Valentine’s Day has a long history. February 14 was (and is) the Feast of Saint Valentine, a Catholic priest martyred by the Romans around 270 A.D. During the Middle Ages the day became a holiday to celebrate love and romance. By the turn of the century, the holiday had become quite popular in the United States and was celebrated much the same way it is today.

Sending Valentines

The most popular way to show love was to send “valentines” or special cards and messages. These included postcards and printed and handmade messages in the shape of hearts with drawn or glued-on symbols such as cupids, doves, and arrows.

“Valentines and Valentine parties are the order of the hour today in Bellingham,” the Bellingham Herald wrote in 1917, “and everywhere else in the country…millions of men, women and children are celebrating it, most of them sending Valentines with love, best wishes and jests. In Bellingham hundreds of them are being received today. A few are handsome handiwork, costing from 50 cents to $1 or more each, but the majority do not cost more than a nickel. This year those conveying good wishes are far more common in window displays than those with unfriendly jests…”

While going out to dinner wasn’t as common at the time, Thomas’ Place promised to serve a five-cent lunch at the best coffee house in town. From the February 13, 1912 issue of the Bellingham Herald. Photo courtesy Washington State Library

Buying Gifts

While the holiday was not yet overwhelmingly commercial, stores did try to attract people to buy gifts for loved ones. Candy — especially chocolate — was a popular gift.

“Nothing more appreciative than a candy Valentine” wrote the Palmetto store on a page of Valentine’s Day advertisements in the Bellingham Herald on February 13, 1912. Smaby’s added that their candy sold for sixty-five cents a pound, packaged in “fancy” Valentine boxes. Dining out was not yet popular but couples were promised the “best service and meals in the city” at Cafe Richelieu. And for the practical there were other options. “Give yourself a Valentine,” advised the B.B. Ice & Fuel Company. “Order a load of coal or wood and keep yourself warm.”

Puget Sound Power & Light suggested giving the latest electrical gadgets for Valentine’s Day in this advertisement from the February 12, 1921 issue of the Bellingham Herald. Photo courtesy Washington State Library

Valentine Socials

Valentine’s Day was the “ideal season for entertaining” the Bellingham Herald wrote in 1916. The most common way people celebrated the holiday with loved ones and friends was with “socials” or parties. Clubs, fraternal societies, churches, and friends gathered together. Some of the club gatherings tried to add a touch of culture to their events. The Belles Lettres Society of the Bay City Business College, for example, held a musical and literary Valentine program in 1905. These events were also open to the public. In 1916, the Scandinavian Sisterhood of America at their Valentine’s Day Fair combined a dancing party with a musical program at the Eagles Hall.

Many churches also held socials. The Ladies Aid Society of the Knox Presbyterian Church, for example, used a Valentine social as a fundraiser in 1920. They held a musical program and served refreshments. Guests were invited to bring Valentines to share.

Dances were another popular way to celebrate the holiday. The nurses of St. Luke’s Hospital held an annual ball during this time. In 1916, more than 200 people gathered at Central Hall. The walls were decorated with red paper hearts and red and green paper streamers dangled from the ceiling.

Other groups organized basket socials. At a basket social, single women would pack lunch baskets, which would be raffled off. A participating woman would eat lunch with the single young man who had bought her basket. The Daughters of Veterans held a box social in 1915 at the Odd Fellows’ Hall, with a program of music and readings.

Valentine’s Day Hosting

People also held their own parties. In 1915, young people attended a dance at the home of Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Knight. They were greeted at the door by two young girls dressed as Valentines before being ushered into a hall decorated with strings of hearts from the ceiling. Lights were covered in red paper to look like glowing hearts. Girls dressed as Valentines served punch and there were two “favor dances,” matching girls and boys with a serpentine ribbon or hearts with the girls’ names written on them.

Hortense Brown was also creative. In 1920, she made a “big Valentine pie, with red ribbons running from it to the plate of each guest, centered on the luncheon table, where refreshments were served. Later the pie was opened, and each guest found a pretty gift at the end of her ribbon.”

Postcards were a popular way to send love at Valentine’s Day at the turn of the century.

Party ideas

Those searching for party ideas need look no further than the Bellingham Herald. In an article from the February 13, 1911, issue a correspondent suggested making a “somewhat novel centerpiece” with a “doll dressed as Cupid and carrying a big floral umbrella to escape a shower of valentines that fall upon it from the chandelier and lie heaped on the cloth around Cupid’s feet. These valentines are hung by very light wire, so thin as to be almost invisible. All are addressed and at the end of the meal are claimed by the guests as favors for the evening.”

Legacy

By the turn of the 20th century, people were celebrating Valentine traditions that will ring as very familiar today. Times change, but an early 1900s Bellingham Valentine’s Day would not seem so strange to us today after all.

Among the Trees Announces Spring Forest Bathing and Nature Mindfulness Walks and Weekend Retreat

By

LocalTalk Contributor

-

Submitted by Among the Trees

Local Bellingham company Among the Trees announces opportunities for people to experience forest bathing in Whatcom County.

If you haven’t heard of forest bathing or Shinrin Yoku yet, the name can be confusing. Don’t worry, no bathing suits are required. Shinrin in Japanese means “forest,” and Yoku means “bath.” So Shinrin Yoku means soaking in the forest atmosphere, or taking in the forest through our senses. It was developed in the 1980’s in Japan as both a way to combat workplace stress and to preserve the nation’s forests.

Not simply a walk in the woods, it is a conscious and contemplative practice of being immersed in the sights, sounds, textures and smells of the forest. On the walks we combine the principles of Shinrin Yoku and mindfulness as we slow down, engage each of our senses one at a time and connect with the woods. A typical walk is two hours and is spent primarily in silence.

“For me, this is a way of sharing another way of being outdoors,” says owner April Claxton, “and to offer a space to slow down, use all of your senses and to connect in a deeper way with yourself and with nature.”

We instinctively know we feel better after spending time in nature and studies are proving that it does indeed lead to benefits such as boosting the immune system and anti-cancer proteins, decreasing levels of stress hormones, increasing hours of sleep, decreasing tension, anxiety, anger and fatigue, stimulating a pleasant mood, lowering blood-pressure and heart rate, and making you feel more comfortable and relaxed.

“Guided forest bathing walks are a wonderful way to slow down, pause and take time to just be in nature — and I look forward to sharing the experience with you,” Claxton says.

The next forest bathing walk will take place Sunday, March 5^th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Berthusen park in Lynden. A nature mindfulness walk is scheduled for April 2^nd. This walk will layer in more contemplative silence and journaling along with forest bathing practices. You can learn more about the walks and register at AmongtheTreespnw.com. More walk offerings will be announced for summer and fall.

For people interested in extended time in nature, the Nourished by Nature retreat is being held at the North Cascades Environmental Learning center May 5^th – 7^th. The retreat offers space to slow down and be fully present, with forest bathing & mindfulness activities sprinkled throughout to assist you in engaging all of your senses. There will also be plenty of time for your own rejuvenating pursuits — a good book, art project, journaling, or maybe even a nap.

“We are all so busy these days, I relish the chance to spend a few day slowing down, disconnecting from the day to day and reconnecting to myself,” Claxton says. “Nature is such a help in facilitating that switch from doing to being.”

You can learn more about the retreat and sign up at AmongtheTreespnw.com.

Whatcom County’s Melissa Cassera Set To Publish First Novel, ‘Control,’ in March

By

Tony Moceri

-

Melissa-Cassera-Head-Shot — Cassera is thrilled that readers have enjoy her first novel. Photo courtesy Melissa Cassera

Melissa Cassera is a storyteller. While this has been true for decades, it’s only just now that she’s releasing her first novel, “Control,” which is book one in her Lockwood Trilogy.

A novel — and this story, in particular — has been a long time in the making for Melissa, who began to put stories on paper as a child to overcome severe shyness. These stories were soap operas about her elementary school classmates, inspired by shows her mom watched. Her classmates loved them, but the teacher, not so much.

“The stories were a little edgy for fifth grade,” says Cassera, who now calls Whatcom County home. She got a taste for what it was like to have people get excited over her writing and overcame her shyness. “All of a sudden, I had the attention of my classmates, and it was really fun. Everyone was waiting for the next chapter.”

Then she got caught.

“The teacher said I needed to shut it down because it wasn’t appropriate to be writing these kinds of stories,” Cassera recalls. “I was so freaked out that I didn’t write fiction again until my mid-30s.”

Cassera would go on to get a degree in public relations, and then a job in that field. Through her twenties and into her thirties, Cassera told stories, but instead of creating stories of her own, she wrote marketing-driven copy for mostly nonfiction authors. When she finally began to write fiction again, it started as a fun back-and-forth with her marketing friends. They were all into romance novels and wrote steamy scenes to send to each other.

“Control” is Cassera’s first novel and the first book in her Lockwood Trilogy. Photo courtesy Melissa Cassera

When Cassera decided she wanted to make fiction writing a career, she started with the Lockwood story. “I had this idea for a story that would be fiction, but [also] saw it as a TV show, so I went on a journey of learning to write scripts,” she says. This took her down a path to becoming a working screenwriter. “I uprooted my entire life to Los Angeles and went in that direction.” The original script was never picked up as a show and sat idle from 2014 to 2019.

While the show didn’t come to fruition, many of Cassera’s other stories did find life on the screen. For Lifetime Network, she wrote “The Obsession Thrillogy,” “Secret Lives of College Escorts,” “Nightmare Neighborhood Moms,” “Mommy’s Little Star,” Daddy’s Perfect Little Girl,” “Her Stolen Past,” and “Girl Followed.” She has two more coming to the Lifetime Network in 2023: “Who Killed Our Father” and “Nightmare Pageant Moms,” with six more film projects in development.

Even though Cassera has had success with scriptwriting, she was nervous about publishing a novel, which felt like putting herself out there in a different way. But she felt compelled to tell this story. Knowing the beginning and end, she chose a trilogy to tell it fully.

“Control” is paranormal romance novel that takes place at a private high school on an island in the Puget Sound. While Cassera didn’t live in the Pacific Northwest when she wrote the script, she had fallen in love with the area and felt the combination of islands and our often gray, damp weather was a perfect place for Lockwood to exist.

Cassera contemplates her next story. Photo courtesy Melissa Cassera

Cassera is excited to finally share her story of Henry and Natalie with an audience. The book alternates chapters between the dual perspectives as they navigate their last year of high school, teenage romance, and some events they can’t quite explain. The story is nonstop drama and action, as glimmers of information reveal themselves as the characters make discoveries.

This “‘Twilight’ meets ‘Gossip Girl’ minus the vamps,” as Cassera describes it was intended to connect with those nostalgic for the angst of high school, especially in the ’90s. She expects the book will resonate most with those between the ages of 20 to 50.

“Control” will be released on March 28, 2023 and is being self-published by Cassera. She chose to self-publish to learn the process and treat the project as though she were a publishing company herself. The novel can be preordered at major retailers and many local retailers, including Village Books.

The novel can be preordered at major retailers and many local retailers, including Village Books. Photo courtesy Melissa Cassera

Book two in the series, “Unravel,” will be out November 2023, with book three released mid-2024. Cassera intentionally created short time periods between releases so that those who enjoy the story don’t have to wait long to find out what happens next.

Cassera has a passion for stories and wants the world filled with as many as possible. She encourages anyone with a story to tell, to tell it. “That’s probably the number one question I get: How do you do this? Or, What made you do this, how did you get the confidence? Truly, you don’t get the confidence; you just do it.”

To learn more about the Lockwood Trilogy, or Cassera, you can visit www.melissacassera.com or find her on Instagram.

Knowing Troller from Trawler

A Good Time to Expand

Red Lights and Rough Reputations

A Lady Comes to Town

Known Unknowns

History’s Mysteries

Lasting Legacy

Why We Are Behind

Scheduling Your Visits

Accessibility and Resources

Why Pediatric Vaccines are Important

Flu Vaccine

COVID-19 Vaccination

Lisa Hefter – President and Chief Operating Officer

Andy Riddell – Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer

Amanda Scoby – Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer

LaVonne Olsen – Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

About Peoples Bank

History

Sending Valentines

Buying Gifts

Valentine Socials

Valentine’s Day Hosting

Party ideas

Legacy

STAY CONNECTED

Business

Trending Now

Editor Picks