Barron Heating Celebrates Half-Century of Improving Lives

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Barron-Heating-50th-Anniversary-family-collage — Photo courtesy Barron Heating

In 1972, a company by the name of Barron Heating began installing furnaces and fireplaces for new homes in Whatcom County’s Sudden Valley area.

Run by husband-and-wife team Dan and Vivian Barron, the newly founded business had a small start, with the couple’s home garage serving as the first shop, and their dining room serving as the office. In the early days, Dan did a little bit of everything — from estimates and sales to installs and fabrication. His father, Orie, even came out of retirement as a sheet metal worker to help with the latter.

Today, 50 years later, Barron Heating has transformed from a humble HVAC operation to a multi-faceted residential and commercial contractor with more than 200 employees and service areas from Blaine to Marysville and every place in between.

Over the past half century, Barron Heating has transformed from a humble HVAC operation to a multi-faceted residential and commercial contractor with more than 200 employees. Photo courtesy Barron Heating

To celebrate Barron’s golden anniversary, the company is giving away $25,000 in “Barron Bucks.” Five lucky customers — one for each decade Barron has been in business — will receive $5,000 of Barron services at no charge to them. Any appointment booked with the company or any visit to their Ferndale or Burlington showrooms between now and November 30 can enter you to win. Barron’s Silver Shield Members will receive double entries, upping the odds even more.

In addition, the company is offering a series of special promotions and is hosting open house celebrations at its showrooms complete with free food, beverages, cake, and prizes. The next celebration is on November 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Burlington Showroom.

Brad Barron, the company’s current chief operating officer, says Barron’s success boils down to the people it employs.

Barron Heating has transformed from a humble HVAC operation to a multi-faceted residential and commercial contractor with more than 200 employees and service areas from Blaine to Marysville and every place in between. Photo courtesy Barron Heating

“I don’t think you’re in business for 50 years without hiring the right people who are aligned with your vision, mission, and values,” he says, “and growing and developing those people while providing opportunity for advancement within the company.”

Barron is the fourth generation of his family to work for the company, after his great-grandfather, his grandparents, and his father, John Barron. John began at the company in 1979, working his way up over the years from installation apprentice to chief executive officer.

A Pivotal Pivot

In 1998, Dan and Vivian Barron sold Barron Heating & Air Conditioning to their son, John Barron, and Bill Pinkey, the company’s controller. Working together, John and Bill shifted Barron Heating’s focus from new construction to the add-on/replacement market for existing homes around 2005.

This decision, Brad says, likely helped save the company from hardship when the Great Recession struck several years later, dramatically slowing new home construction.

Positioned for long-term growth, the company added Brad to the team in 2017. An engineer by trade, Brad was working for another company that had plans to promote and relocate him to Columbus, Ohio. He and his wife Brooke weren’t sold on the idea of moving, however, and John called his son soon after to discuss him joining the family business.

John Barron (right) and Brad Barron (left) both followed in the footsteps of their father and grandfather, Barron Heating Founder Dan L. Barron (center). Photo courtesy: Barron Heating

“I think it was divine timing,” says Brad, who initially joined as Barron’s business development manager.

Brad was instrumental in the company’s expansion into both electrical and plumbing work, as well as the spearheading of its Barron Technician School, which was founded in 2019. The school was launched to help train the next generation of tradespeople in an industry seeing five baby boomers retire for every millennial or Gen Zer who enters.

Brad’s wife Brooke, who has a master’s degree in teaching and background in curriculum development, helped develop the school’s courses and lab space following a maternity leave from her job as a high school science teacher.

Today, Barron provides a wide selection of heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, and solar needs for customers throughout Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and northern Snohomish counties.

*Barron even offers a Technician School, which uses a mixture of textbooks and hands-on learning with working equipment to ready new workers for the industry. Photo courtesy Barron Heating*

Most recently, the company saw two technicians — one in HVAC and another in plumbing — move full-time to the San Juan Islands. This allows Barron to have reliable, on-island service after years of long ferry rides to reach San Juan customers.

Taking Care of People

In January 2023, the next phase of Barron history will be made when Brad Barron becomes company CEO. His father will step into the role of executive chair, while Merrill Bevan — current director of sales and marketing — becomes COO.

For Barron staff and the customers they serve, this simply means a continuation of quality service and commitment to WholeHomeÔ comfort, health, and energy solutions.

“I really do believe that I’m blessed with the best coworkers,” says Brad. “We have a group of people who live our core values: we make sure we put people first [and] we focus on building great relationships. I think we’re a company that honors our commitments, and I think that’s something that’s important to note. We stand by our mission of improving lives.”

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Dan Friday Tells Stories of His Coast Salish Heritage Through Blown Glass

By

Tony Moceri

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Dan Friday Blown Glass Canoe Paddle — Dan Friday creates a blown glass canoe paddle. Photo courtesy Dan Friday

Some people are creators. They have the ability to make something beautiful out of raw materials. Others are storytellers who share tales from those who came before them. Dan Friday is both — and uses glass to tell stories of the Coast Salish people. With a family heritage stemming from the Lummi Nation and using his art to tell stories, Friday not only carries on the traditions of his people, he also honors the work of his great-grandfather, Joseph Hillaire, who was a story pole carver; his 1953 cedar “Centennial Story Pole” can be seen in front of the Whatcom County Courthouse.

Friday, who was raised in North Seattle, spent his summers in Lummi with his uncle, where and from whom he learned about his heritage and its deep ties to art. Growing up, Friday went to alternative schools focused on art. There was an idea that art could be a way to make a living, but no straight, clear line between making art and making money.

So, after finishing school and not knowing what to do, Friday purchased a tow truck and got into the car industry. While on this path, a random occurrence led to his career in glass blowing. “When I walked into a glass shop for the first time,” Friday recalls, “I was dropping off a bag or something at a glass studio that my friend’s mom worked at. And once I saw glass, I just kind of knew that’s what I was going to do.”

Dan Friday presents a blown glass demonstration in front of a crowd. Photo courtesy Dan Friday

Knowing he wanted to make glass and actually making money doing so were still two very different things.

Getting into glass is always a challenge because of the expensive equipment needed for the process. There are college degrees in blowing glass but, again, a significant cost is associated with that. Friday decided he would take a different route and would be happy just getting to work with the glass and the equipment. He got a job working at the Glass Eye Studio in Seattle, in 1997, doing factory work. He made things like paperweights and Christmas ornaments for the gift shop. It wasn’t creating his own art, but it was a creative process, and he got experience using the equipment.

Blown glass mountain bear carries on the tradition of the Hillaire Bear. Photo courtesy Dan Friday

While Friday was content in the factory setting, making it to the Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood opened his eyes to the wider world of glass art. Shortly after that, he was able to work with the world-renowned Dale Chihuly.

Friday was now creating his own glass art as well as returning to Pilchuck to work as a teacher and a gaffer, someone who helps other artists make their visions a reality. He had made his passion his career and has been doing it for 26 years now. “It’s a weird way to make a living,” he says. “I’m highly unemployable. If it wasn’t glass, I don’t know what else I would do. I hope to be doing it for another 26 years.”

Scaenexw Run by Dan Friday. Photo courtesy Dan Friday

It looks like Friday just might get his wish. He had a show last year at La Conner’s Museum of Northwest Art and has permanent installations at the Portland Art Museum and the Burke Museum in Seattle. In addition, he was a contestant on the most recent season of the popular Netflix competition show, Blown Away, which has now made him a household name. While Friday isn’t a competitive person and didn’t grow up with a TV (nor does he own one now) he was happy to be on Blown Away because of what it has done for the glass community.

Friday describes the glass community as a small, tight-knit, worldwide community. With much of the work done in teams, connections between artists run close and deep. Being a glass artist has given Friday the opportunity to travel around the world working with different people, knowing he will always have a couch to sleep on. He’s happy that Blown Away is shedding some light on this community and is excited to see the art form growing in popularity.

Blown glass fern basket. Photo courtesy Dan Friday

Friday wants to keep this momentum going doing what he can to share this art form with as many people as possible. “What I am looking forward to with my art is to continue to exhibit, make work, and share glass with people that don’t have the ability to access it,” he says.

Friday is currently working on turning a Lummi warehouse into a glass studio. In this location, he hopes to continue the connection between what his great-grandfather did and what he now does. Sharing the same native name, Kwul Kwul Tw, Friday hopes he can be the one to pass on their oral histories and give the next generation an opportunity to work with glass.

From his glass bears, which are his family crest originally created by his great-great-grandfather Frank Hillaire, to his glass paddles and salmon, Friday’s art connects with people as he creates Native American art in his own unique way. With the ancient shapes being formed out of vibrant colors, it’s no surprise so many are drawn to his work.

In addition to the museums, Friday’s work can be found in galleries in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country. You can see more of his work on his website, www.fridayglass.com, where he also lists where his work can be found. He also shares updates on Instagram @danfriday. Friday hopes that glass continues to grow in popularity and that people “Keep on glassing in the free world.”

2022 Guide to Christmas Tree Farms in Olympia and Throughout Thurston County

By

Kristina Lotz

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christmas tree farm olympia clyde n dales holiday — Clyde ‘n Dale’s Holiday Trees & Gifts gives you the whole tree farm experience, complete with a ride through the trees in a trolley. Photo courtesy: Clyde ‘n Dale’s Holiday Trees & Gifts

There’s nothing like going to a Christmas tree farm to pick out that perfect fir or spruce. Consider a day trip to Olympia to visit a tree farm. Local farmers work hard all year to produce the best-looking trees for your family to gather around. And, of course, they also have some of the best holiday decorations and gift items too, like fresh cut wreaths for your door. Here is the 2022 Guide to Christmas tree farms in Olympia and throughout Thurston County.

Clyde ‘n Dale’s Holiday Trees & Gifts

10712 Tracie Court SW, Olympia
November 12 and 19: Open house and pre-tag days
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
November 25-27, December 2-4 or until sold out

Clyde ‘n Dale’s Holiday Trees & Gifts gives you the whole tree farm experience, complete with a ride through the trees in a trolley! Pre-tag a tree on November 12 and 19 if you want first pick! Choose from noble, Fraser, grand and Douglas firs. They also have a gift shoppe full of holiday décor and gifts that remains opens on the above dates and times even if they run out of trees.

Prepare to spend some time on this 10-acre, family-owned farm, as they have Flaming Pig BBQ and Lava Bowlz coming on November 25-27 and December 4. They will also have music on December 3 and Santa on November 27 and December 4 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, visit the Clyde ‘n Dale’s Holiday Trees & Gifts website.

Black Lake Trees

62nd Avenue SW & Delphi Rd SW, Olympia
November 25 – December 24
Monday and Thursday: 2 p.m. – dark
Friday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – dark

Black Lake Trees is a Christmas tree farm in Olympia that opens Black Friday of every year. Choose between u-cut and fresh-cut Christmas trees. They have a selection of Douglas, grand, Norway, and noble fir trees. They also have wreaths made with fresh-cut greenery. For more information, visit the Black Lake Trees website.

Cetak Family Christmas Tree Farm

6448 41st Avenue NW, Olympia
November 25-27: 9 a.m. to dusk

The Cetak Family Christmas Tree Farm is open the weekend of Thanksgiving, starting Black Friday, only! This Christmas tree farm in Olympia offers u-cut or they-cut and will help load your tree as well. They also have fresh wreaths available. For more information, visit the Cetak Family Farm Facebook page or text 360.791.7288.

Hunter Family Farm

7401 Yelm Highway SE, Olympia
November 25 – December 23
Weekdays: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Weekends: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

The Hunter Family Farm is a Christmas tree farm in Olympia that will open November 25 in 2022. They have noble, grand, Douglas, Nordmann, Norway and Fraser firs. Hunter Farm offers both u-cut and fresh-cut Christmas trees.

The Hunter Family Farm is a Christmas tree farm in Olympia that will open November 25 in 2022. Photo courtesy: Hunter Family Farm

Once you choose your Christmas tree, check out their holiday shop, full of fun décor and gift ideas. For a donation, a Boy Scout troop will be on hand to shake and bale your tree for its ride home. Santa will be visiting November 25-27, December 3-4 and December 10-11 from 11 a.m. to 2p.m. For more information, visit the Hunter Family Farm website.

Schilter Family Farm

141 Nisqually Cutoff RD SE, Olympia
November 25-December 12
9 a.m. to dusk

Visit the Schilter Family Farm Christmas trees in Olympia from November 25 until December 12, or sold out. They have noble, Fraser, Nordmann, grand and Douglas firs at their u-cut tree farm. They have netting, shaking and flocking available and do have fresh cut trees as well.

Be sure to check out their lighted nativity scene and their gift shop that offers hot chocolate and hot apple cider. No admission fees. For more information, visit the Schilter Family Farm website.

Mendez Tree Farm

10510 179th Avenue SW, Rochester
November 25-27, December 3-4 and December 10-11
9 a.m.

The Mendez Tree Farm in Rochester will have $15 Douglas Firs this year, for three weekends or until sold out. Call 360.789.4686 with questions.

Beaver Creek Christmas Tree Farm

1647 Beaver Creek Drive SW, Olympia
November 25, until sold out
Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. to dusk
Weekdays by appointment

Beaver Creek Christmas Tree Farm will open the day after Thanksgiving, November 25. They have noble, Nordmann and grand fir trees. All trees up to 8-feet-tall are just $40. They will also have fresh-made wreaths. Follow Beaver Creek Christmas Tree Farm on Facebook for more information.

National Forest Trees

Pick out your Christmas tree in a National Forest! All you need is a $5 permit. Limit of five permits per household. Fourth graders can receive a free permit. You can choose a tree from certain areas in Forks, Hoodsport, Quilcene, Quinault and the Quinault Special Management area. Trees cannot be over 15 feet tall, and there are some other rules too, so be sure to read though the Recreation.gov site before you go. For more information, visit the National Forest website.

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Wild Mushroom Picking at The Evergreen State College is a Thurston County Treat

By

Nancy Krier

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Evergreen-State-College-Mushroom-Picking-olympia — South Sound Mushroom Club member Marie Kelley spots mushrooms on a fallen log near The Evergreen State College's forest trails. Photo credit: Nancy Krier

A group of mushrooms is called a “cluster” if the fungi are extremely close together, or a “troop” if they are lined up like little soldiers. Wild Mushroom picking in Olympia on the The Evergreen State College’s (Evergreen) forest trails provides all the clusters, troops, and lone fungus your heart could desire.

“Evergreen is great, as it’s an open campus and anyone can come in,” says Marie Kelley, a member of the South Sound Mushroom Club (SSMC) during a recent mushroom hunting visit to the college’s lovely Beach Trail. “Keep your eyes peeled,” she says. She notes that while you can find mushrooms along the trails, more are located just off the path.

“Make sure you bring a friend, and let people know you are out,” she adds as tips to keep you safe while foraging.

Evergreen has lots to offer for mushroom picking in its campus forest, so it’s a treat to hunt there.

Diverse Species for Wild Mushroom Hunting at The Evergreen State College

Marie Kelley standing next to mushrooms growing at The Evergreen State College campus — Marie Kelley studied mushrooms and other fungi at The Evergreen State College, and she continues to forage in and explore the campus forests as a member of the South Sound Mushroom Club. Photo credit: Nancy Krier

The iNaturalist posts descriptions, photos and a map of more than 2,000 documented observations of 430 fungi and lichen species at Evergreen in just the last couple of years. The iNaturalist is a joint initiative of the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society, helping identify plants and animals and reporting on nature projects and data.

Coniferous and temperate forests like those that envelop Evergreen are perfect homes for delectable wild fungi. That’s why mushroom foragers can hunt for peppery chanterelles, potassium rich mica caps, savory oyster mushrooms, aromatic matsutake “pine mushrooms,” colorful parrot waxcaps and many more during their forays into the woods. Some edible mushrooms are harvested as an ingredient to add to delicious meals. Others are not edible and are sought simply for the love of the hunt, for scientific reasons, or just to observe the area’s diverse biology.

Kelley, who obtained a Bachelor of Science degree at Evergreen and studied mushrooms there, says she has spotted a variety of species in the college’s forests. “I look for anything I can find,” she explains. “In late spring, it’s oyster mushrooms. In the fall, I look for chanterelles.”

Chanterelle Mushroom Hunting in Olympia

Chanterelles mushroom in Olympia — Chanterelles (Cantharellus formosus) are a popular Pacific Northwest favorite. The Evergreen State College’s forests are one of their homes. Photo courtesy: Marie Kelley

As Kelly says, autumn means it’s an especially good time to be on the lookout for the well-known chanterelles. A particular favorite is the Pacific golden chanterelle (Cantharellus formosus) because of its peppery flavor and fruity aroma.

Evergreen professor and author Paul Przybylowicz researches and teaches on soil fungi, mushroom cultivation and potential uses for fungi. He says the woods surrounding the college provide two factors ideal for chanterelles. “First is the age of the forest, which is about 70 years,” he says. “Chanterelles are not found in abundance in really young or really old stands.” He explains that these wild mushrooms have a mycorrhizal relationship with trees in a middle-aged forest, meaning in a symbiotic way the fungi feed on sugars from the tree and the fir provides nutrients for the mushrooms.

Przybylowicz says the second factor in locating chanterelles is “random chance” such as whether the stand has the right combination of vegetation, including Douglas firs, hemlocks and huckleberry, all of which are part of Evergreen’s forest. “All these say, ‘good chanterelle picking,’” he says.

Resources for Mushroom Foraging in Olympia

parrot mushrooms growing at The Evergreen State College in Olympia — The Evergreen State College’s forest trails can lead you to a variety of mushroom species, like these parrot mushrooms (Gliophorus psittacinus). Photo courtesy: Marie Kelley

Knowing which mushrooms are edible is critical because some are deadly. Experienced mushroom hunters say do not eat a mushroom that you cannot positively identify, that is over-ripe, damaged, collected from contaminated areas, or for which you have any question.

When in doubt, consult an expert! And luckily, there are a lot of local resources to help you forage at Evergreen and other Thurston County sites. For example, consider joining the South Sound Mushroom Club, which provides mushroom hunts during mushroom seasons, weekend getaways and participation in local mushroom-related events. The club also offers online articles and a lending library.

Many other online resources are available, such as this field guide. Several helpful books can be purchased or may be available at the library.

The Evergreen State College is a Center for Mushroom Knowledge

mica caps in the forest at The Evergreen State College — Walk the forest paths at The Evergreen State College to look for mica caps (Coprinellus micaceus). Photo courtesy: Marie Kelley

The college itself is known as a center of fungi study, producing expert professors and well-known authors. Those include “celebrity mushroom scientist” (mycologist) Paul Stamets, legendary Michael Beug who taught chemistry, mycology and organic farming at Evergreen for 32 years, as well as Przybylowicz. Przybylowicz often teaches a class called “The Fungal Kingdom,” as one of his many courses over his last three decades of instruction. “We are the only place in the country, and maybe in the world, where you can take mycology intensive courses as an undergraduate,” he says.

The Evergreen State College’s Olympia location in the mushroom-abundant Pacific Northwest, plus the school’s deep well of fungi knowledge, means that if you are either the casual mushroom forager walking along Evergreen’s trails or someone interested in the serious study of fungi, you are looking in the right spot at Evergreen.

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Ready for Business Fund Is Distributing More Than $200,000 in Cash Grants to 76 Small Businesses in Washington

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by Comcast

The Ready for Business Fund – a relief program launched by GSBA, Washington State’s LGBTQ and allied chamber of commerce, and Comcast – is distributing $2,500 and $4,000 cash grants to 76 small businesses throughout Washington state. The Ready for Business Fund was founded in the summer of 2020 with an initial $100,000 investment from Comcast and designation of GSBA as the fund manager. To date, the fund has supported more than 200 small businesses in Washington with nearly $1 million in financial support and wraparound services.

The Ready for Business Fund was renewed this year with an additional $75,000 in funding from Comcast and GSBA, reprising its role as the program and fund manager. Grants from the Ready for Business Fund will be made possible by more than $150,000 in additional donations from Pepsi, T-Mobile, US Bank, Meta, and Verity Credit Union and a $100,000 grant from King County. These funds will now support small business owners across all industries, including local restaurants, bookstores, bistros, shops and stores, which are an important part of the social fabric in our communities.

“GSBA recognizes the importance of investing in the small businesses that are critical to a thriving community and economy,” said Ilona Lohrey, GSBA president and CEO. “We are proud to once again partner with Comcast to grow our Ready for Business Fund to support a diverse group of business owners who need our help now more than ever.”

The Ready for Business Fund was created to support small businesses in Washington, especially those owned by LGBTQ people, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), and women, who are at greater risk in today’s uncertain economy. Grant recipients also include small businesses located in rural areas of Washington that lack proximity to resources.

“We’re grateful for our continued partnership with the GSBA to recognize so many resilient small businesses through the Ready for Business Fund,” said Diem Ly, Community Impact director, Comcast Washington. “We at Comcast believe and act on our shared value that ensuring equitable access to resources for BIPOC and LGBTQ-owned businesses means all of our communities and neighborhoods benefit in the long-run.” Feel free to adjust as you see fit!

“Between recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns over inflation, our small businesses have faced some of the most difficult struggles over the last few years, and it is up to our community to step up and support them. That’s why partnerships like the one between King County, GSBA and Comcast are so imperative right now,” shared King County Councilmember Joe McDermott.

GSBA assembled a selection committee consisting of diverse community and business leaders to evaluate the applications received. Notifications to grant applicants about the status of their application have begun and awards will be delivered beginning this week. All grant recipients will also receive wrap-around services, including GSBA membership and consulting.

Ready for Business Fund grant recipients include:

Business Name	Location
Nature’s Twist	Auburn
Sparks Designs	Bellingham
Seattle Spartans	Bothell
Amano Seattle	Burien
Ballyhoo Theatre	Edmonds
KO-AM TV	Federal Way
Yolo West Coast LLC	Federal Way
Issaquah Eataeries, LLC	Issaquah
That Curl Girl	Kennewick
The honest beauty	Kennewick
South 2 West Boiled Peanuts, LLC	Lynnwood
Burial Grounds Coffee Collective	Olympia
RUZICKA CPA, PLLC	Olympia
Strong Family Bonds LLC dba SGT. Hart’s B	Olympia
Quiet Glamour	Puyallup
Paunchy Elephant	Renton
Basecamp Books and bites	Roslyn
bedhead fiber	Seatac
Fruit and Flower DBA Floret	Seatac
23rd Ave Brewery	Seattle
A.L.A. Consulting Firm	Seattle
Aide-mémoire	Seattle
All Things Auto	Seattle
Blendily	Seattle
Dreams Unlimited LLC dba Modern Mind Labs	Seattle
Inclusive Data LLC	Seattle
Jasmine Nicole Luxury Perucas	Seattle
Local Yokels/Savory Sound Foods LLC	Seattle
LOLiDE	Seattle
Melted Porcelain	Seattle
Orange Tea School	Seattle
Soul Collective	Seattle
Sound Therapeutic Acupuncture	Seattle
The Green Deli Store	Seattle
Victoria Odell Real Estate	Seattle
Windhorse Rocks	Seattle
WithTheRain	Seattle
Aluel Cellars	Seattle
Aluel Cellars Ballard	Seattle
BADBAR LLC	Seattle
Bakehouse Inc. DBA Flora Bakehouse	Seattle
Biang Biang Noodles	Seattle
Big Little News	Seattle
Conviviality Inc. DBA Cafe Flora	Seattle
EL CHITO LLC	Seattle
Get In My Belly Catering	Seattle
GigRoster™ Professional Entertainment	Seattle
Honest Biscuits	Seattle
King Donuts	Seattle
Lillie’s Passion LLC	Seattle
Moon Village Bakery	Seattle
Queer/bar	Seattle
Reclaim Clay Collective	Seattle
Rita’s Fine Foods Inc. dba Glo’s	Seattle
Seeking Ferments	Seattle
Stone Way Eateries, LLC	Seattle
Tert I Inc dba The Wildrose	Seattle
The City Catering Company, Inc.	Seattle
The Cuff Complex	Seattle
The Shanghai Pearl Presents	Seattle
The Station Coffee Shop LLC	Seattle
The Woods	Seattle
Tutta Bella Culinary, LLC	Seattle
U14 LLC dba Union	Seattle
NW ROOFING SERVICES	Snohomish
Atomic Threads Boutique	Spokane
Stage Left Theater Association	Spokane
BodiedbyJalee LLC	Tacoma
Diane ruff studio	Tacoma
ME Restaurants	Tacoma
Munch Mobile	Tacoma
Lucina-Selene	Tulalip
All The Wishes	Vancouver
DC Visitation	Vancouver
Panache.	Vancouver
Professional Latino Services LLC	Vancouver

More information is available at theGSBA.org/ready-for-business.

The Rise and Fall of Pacific American Fisheries: Fairhaven’s Historic Salmon Cannery

By

Anna Diehl

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pacific-american-fisheries-workers — Pacific American Fisheries hired Chinese laborers for decades, although the mechanization that sped up production also put many out of work. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/public domain

Before becoming part of Bellingham, Fairhaven grew up along railway lines. The town boomed with the region’s industries — fishing, lumber, and mining — into the 1870s, seeking the Northern Pacific Railway terminus. After the railway instead went to Tacoma, in 1873, multiple economic panics drove Fairhaven into a depression by the 1890s. However, Fairhaven soon found economic revitalization in what would become the largest salmon cannery in the world: Pacific American Fisheries.

Whatcom County’s early settlers viewed the salmon crowding every stream as an almost inexhaustible resource. Fisheries would prepare salmon fresh, dried, salted, or smoked, but turned most into hog feed and fertilizer. Whatcom County had 11 large canneries by 1899, but many shuttered within years due to mismanagement.

Financed by C.X. Larrabee, Roland Onffroy started North Pacific Packing Company on a similar path in 1898. When this first venture went bankrupt, Onffroy sought investment from Chicago brokerage firm Deming & Gould. Everett B. Deming would direct Pacific American Fisheries from its 1899 incorporation until his death in 1942.

Pacific American Fisheries’ complex included the cannery, shipyard, can and box factory, and bunkhouses. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/public domain

By its peak, in the 1940s, Pacific American Fisheries had become Whatcom County’s biggest employer. Its influence flowed overseas to and from Alaska and China — the sources of its fish traps and migrant labor, respectively. While the cannery closed in 1966, it spawned regional connections that thrive to this day.

North to Alaska

In 1906 and 1907, Pacific American Fisheries bought Alaskan canneries in Haines and Excursion Inlet. These acquisitions proved essential to the fishing operations’ survival when Washington banned fish traps in 1935. Even earlier, heightened demand for canned salmon in World War I led to overfishing in the Puget Sound.

Pacific American Fisheries’ Fairhaven compound incorporated the Ocean Dock: Whatcom County’s first ocean shipping facility, built 1889. It shipped cans to ports across the coast, supplying markets in Europe and the South Pacific. The warehouse compound included a cannery, shipyard, can and box factory, and bunkhouse for Chinese workers.

Pacific American Fisheries’ largest and original plant was in Fairhaven, although it would purchase others in Alaska and nearby towns such as Anacortes. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/public domain

Pacific American Fisheries also incorporated the 1896 Fairhaven Canning Company facility, whose waste became the notorious “tin rock” in present-day Boulevard Park.

By its peak, Pacific American Fisheries provided jobs to over 4,500 Bellingham locals and over 1,000 Chinese laborers. The facility could pack anywhere from 42,000 to 756,000 cans daily, and mechanization gradually reduced its workforce. Between 1942 and 1944, the cannery leased its shipyard to Northwest Shipbuilding Company to meet World War II demands for military vessels. Northwest Shipbuilding Company became another of Bellingham’s largest employers, with over 1,000 employees building over 25 ships.

Pacific American Fisheries closed within years of Alaska becoming a state and banning fish traps in 1959. Other factors precipitated its closure: refrigeration largely replaced canning as a food preservation method, and cannery workers unionized.

Chinese Labor

Chinese entrepreneur and diplomat Goon Dip became Pacific American Fisheries’ labor contractor in 1909. After becoming Chinese Consul of Seattle earlier that year, he arrived in Fairhaven with San Francisco Consul General Hsin Ping. They had boarded the Great Northern train during the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition at Seattle’s World Fair.

Goon Dip (center) poses with family in traditional garb in this 1910 image. He was the Chinese Consul of Washington and Alaska. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/public domain

E.B. Deming and Goon Dip had associated professionally since 1900 and became personal friends. In 1909, Goon Dip presented an empress tree as a gift outside the Pacific American Fisheries facility. Deming would act as pallbearer at Goon Dip’s 1933 Seattle funeral.

Chinese laborers occupied the “China House” at the cannery complex. Contemporary writings describe a first-floor noodle house that Fairhaven locals would visit, paying 10 to 15 cents for each bowl of noodles. Many transient workers arrived seasonally from Portland and San Francisco.

Pacific American Fisheries hired Chinese laborers for decades, although the mechanization that sped up production also put many out of work. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/public domain

Historic markers in Fairhaven today note the racist discrimination that Chinese laborers faced. The “Chinese Deadline” prohibited them from entering town beyond 8^th Street and Padden Creek. Decades before, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 had precedented the expulsion of Chinese immigrants from communities across the Puget Sound, including Bellingham. Many publications used hostile rhetoric, infamously nicknaming the salmon processing machines with a racial slur.

In 2011, Bellingham’s mayor apologized to the Chinese community. The updated “Chinese Deadline” marker commemorates this apology alongside a quote from Confucius written in Chinese: “Study the past if you would divine the future.”

Pacific American Fisheries’ Legacy

Since 1989, the Bellingham Cruise Terminal has maintained Fairhaven’s highway to Alaska through its ferry system. The Port of Bellingham continued labeling cans at the facility from its closure to the new terminal’s construction.

Interpretive signs outside Bellingham Cruise Terminal recount Pacific American Fisheries, its shipyard, and the Lummi people’s continued stewardship of the region’s aquaculture. Salmon runs are still gradually recovering from overfishing.

The empress tree that Goon Dip gifted to E.B. Deming survives today, a symbol of the influence Chinese labor had on Fairhaven. Photo credit: Anna Diehl

The 1909 empress tree that Goon Dip gifted to E.B. Deming still stands outside the Amtrak station. One of the oldest specimens in the country, the tree still flowers past its typical 70-year lifespan. Local garden clubs have organized to preserve the tree, which bears its own plaque.

Anacortes Museum preserves memorabilia from an additional cannery there. But perhaps the greatest remnants of Pacific American Fisheries can be seen in the port city it helped build. Like the salmon, Fairhaven’s industry travelled through Pacific channels and always returned home.

The Return of In-Person Community Events at Village Books & Paper Dreams

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by Village Books & Paper Dreams, written by Sydney Durst

This November, along with the gathering of family and friends, Village Books & Paper Dreams is thankful for the in-person gathering for our events! This month we celebrate our partnerships with North Cascade Institute, Mount Baker Theater, and Whatcom Literacy Council with three exciting literary events for both our patrons and community.

“As an events coordinator, I am thrilled to welcome people back into our Readings Gallery and to our off-site events, like the Chuckanut Radio Hour,” says Claire McElroy-Chesson. “Village Books established itself as a community hub decades ago and to be able to gather here again feels like a homecoming of sorts. We’ve had to adapt along with everyone else, developing new procedures for our events such as pre-registering online to reserve seats, and we’re so appreciative to everyone for adapting with us and rolling with the new normal. Our community is simply the best.”

Have an interest in all things nature? Or do you want to learn more about the nature that makes the Pacific Northwest…well, the Pacific Northwest? November 11^th is your chance to learn more. Journalist Josephine Woolington will present her debut novel, Where We Call Home, in Village Books’ Reading Gallery as a part of our Nature of Writing Series. In this hour-long event, guests will get the chance to listen to Woolington go over parts of her book, which through a mixture of prose and science seeks to help the reader better understand the natural wonders of our changing world. If you’d like to attend this event, please visit: www.villagebooks.com/event. If you’d like to know more about other events and programs being sponsored through the North Cascade Institute, please visit them at ncascades.org.

Bestselling author and American journalist Bob Woodward will be “pulling back the curtain” on the politics of Washington, D.C. and the events that have led to its current situation today. Hosted at the Mount Baker Theater and sponsored by Village Books, on November 12^th, Woodward will host an hour-and-a-half discussion and Q&A. This event will also be moderated by local journalist Ron Judd from the independent newspaper Cascadia Daily News. If you’d like to attend this event or you’d like to know more about other events being held at the Mount Baker Theatre, please visit them at mountbakertheatre.com.

Whatcom Literacy Council’s Annual Literacy Breakfast with Nancy Pearl also returns to being in-person this year (with an option of attending online). Librarian turned NPR commentator turned author turned action figure will review her favorite titles for the year. While her recommendations will be found at Village Books after the event, purchases at the in-person event on November 17^th will go towards funding the free programs offered by Whatcom Literacy Council that help strengthen the literacy skills of local adults. If you would like to attend this event, you can purchase tickets at whatcomliteracy.org.

Feeling inspired by these authors and their events? Want to put the pen to pad about your thoughts and ideas about the world around you (or the one you created)? Village Books & Paper Dreams hosts several writers’ workshops as well as writing groups that YOU can be a part of. Simply signup for our Just Write! eNewsletter, which can be found on our website at www.villagebooks.com.

We at Village Books & Paper Dreams would like to extend our gratitude once again to the North Cascade Institute, Mount Baker Theater, and Whatcom Literacy Council for partnering with us in both of these events and in bringing community together!

Journalist Bob Woodward Visits Bellingham to Share Lessons From a Legendary Career

By

Matt Benoit

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The morning of June 17, 1972 was a beautiful one in Washington, D.C.

Bob Woodward, who’d been on staff with the Washington Post for just nine months, was working the newspaper’s nighttime police beat. He’d finish work at 2:30 a.m., go home to sleep for several hours, and then return to the newsroom around 10 or 11 a.m. to find other stories to work on.

But on that day, there’d been an overnight break-in at the Watergate Hotel complex.

“The editors sat around, and they said, ‘Who would be dumb enough to come in and work this morning?’” Woodward recalls in a recent phone interview. “It was thought to be just kind of a local break-in, and they immediately thought of me.”

The editors sent Woodward to the court house that morning and, as the saying goes, the rest is history. The scandal that followed ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s August 1974 resignation, and the investigative reporting of Woodward and fellow Post reporter Carl Bernstein led to the best-selling book and film adaptation, “All the President’s Men.”

Nearly 50 years after Woodward became a household name in journalism circles, the 15-time national bestselling author is coming to Bellingham on November 12, speaking at the historic Mount Baker Theatre.

The event, sponsored by Village Books and titled “How We Got Here — Lessons from Ten Presidents,” will feature a 45-minute conversation with Woodward moderated by Cascadia Daily News Executive Editor Ron Judd. A 45-minute audience Q&A session will follow.

Now 79, Woodward has written books on the last 10 U.S. Presidents. He recently released, in their more than eight-hour entirety, the 20 interviews he conducted with Donald Trump between 2016 and 2020.

The White House, Then and Now

Asked how the presidency has changed during his reporting career, Woodward makes particular distinction of Nixon and Trump.

During Watergate, Nixon eventually came to realize he’d be impeached, and he asked fellow Republican Barry Goldwater how a Senate trial would go.

“Goldwater said he counted votes, and Nixon had only five votes,” says Woodward. “And Goldwater told him, ‘And one of them is not mine.’ Nixon announced his resignation the next night. We now see the Republican Party joined at the hip with Trump. That’s a big change in 48 years.”

Both presidents also share parallels in how they approached re-election.

“Both Nixon and Trump found the soft spot in the system that we have for determining who’s going to be president,” he says. “There [was] an incredible, diabolical assessment of where our democratic system has weaknesses, and they found them.”

While Nixon engaged in a ‘dirty tricks’ campaign of sabotage and espionage towards opponents, Trump focused on January 6, when Congress formally certifies election results.

In the end, neither president ended up with an outcome they wanted.

A Love of Journalism

Most reporters don’t have historic markers where they met their sources, but Woodward does.

The Virginia parking garage where he met “Deep Throat,” the long-unnamed government informant in his Watergate reporting, had one installed in 2011.

Woodward considered attending law school after leaving the Navy in 1970, but instead found himself enamored with journalism after a year of reporting at the Montgomery Sentinel, a weekly newspaper in the Washington D.C. suburbs.

“It’s the best job in the world,” Woodward says of journalism. “You make momentary entries into people’s lives, when they’re interesting, and then get out when they cease to be. By definition, what we do is not supposed to be boring, and it’s what’s relevant in people’s lives.”

Over the years, Woodward was part of two Pulitzer Prize-winning teams at the Post: their work on the Watergate investigation, as well as their post-9/11 work regarding the war on terrorism. He no longer works for the paper, but holds an honorary associate editor role and continues to author occasional articles.

Woodward is also partially responsible for the paper’s official slogan, “Democracy Dies in Darkness.” The phrase came from a case ruling Woodward once heard a judge issue, and it caught the ear of Amazon founder and Post owner Jeff Bezos.

Although there is significant distrust in mainstream media today, Woodward says journalism remains on solid ground as long as the nation’s First Amendment remains in place and reporters remain committed to careful reporting of facts.

When it comes to how Washington’s current political leaders can solve the nation’s deep partisan divisions, he is less sure.

“They’ve got to figure that out,” he says. “And they obviously haven’t. [Reporters] work on the sidelines, observing, digging; trying to find out, trying to explain. We’re charting that story, and it’s not a happy story. We’re divided. I asked Trump about this. I said, ‘Do you know you’re president of two Americas?’ And he said he knew that.”

Bob Woodward speaks at Mount Baker Theatre on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at their website.

Featured photo by Lisa Berg

Ken Balsley Suggests Taking a Historically Reflective Trip Along Old Highway 99

By

Rebecca Sanchez

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Early discussions entertained a more easterly route for a bigger, more direct highway through southern Thurston County. Such a direction would have meant a different scene today. The presence, or absence, of main roadways throughout the county has dictated the fate of whole towns and individual businesses. Some grew or disappeared completely because of the path a road took or ceased to take. Ken Balsley suggests taking a drive along Old Highway 99 to get a feel for its original path, what a road trip or commute may have been like when there was not an alternate. A number of the places people often stopped along the way, in the 1930s, ’40s or early ’50s when there was no such thing as a six-lane interstate freeway option, can still be seen.

thurston county history Jiffy-Lunch-Cafe-Highway-99-Tenino-Washington- — The Jiffy Lunch Café was located at 312 Sussex Avenue West. The building is now Los Compadres Mexican Restaurant. During difficult times, patrons could pay for their meal at Jiffy’s with Tenino’s welfare program or wooden money. Photo courtesy: South Thurston County Historical Society

To start the journey, head northeast out of Grand Mound on State Route 507 toward Tenino. Just a few miles before entering the west side of Tenino, day trippers from Rochester or Grand Mound may have stopped at the Twin Gates Barbeque up until 1935. Or, for a day out picnicking, people may have stopped where the bridge is on the west side of Tenino to spend time at Scatter Creek Park where there were gas pumps, a store and cabins to rent. Those continuing on into Tenino for respite could have patronized the Jiffy Lunch Café located at 312 Sussex Avenue West. The building was divided lengthwise with the café’s lunch counter running along one side of the space. During difficult times, patrons could pay for their meal at Jiffy’s with Tenino’s welfare program or wooden money.

thurston county history Twin-Gates-Barbeque-Highway-99-Tenino — The Twin Gates Barbeque was just a few miles west of Tenino up until 1935. Photo courtesy: Tacoma Public Library Marvin D. Boland Collection BOLAND-B25737

Take Highway 99 on a northern trajectory out of Tenino to the next community called Plumb. Today, you won’t see the railroad mail stop, the Plumb school or the community of homes that were there, but you will pass The French Café. The large, blue Victorian home at Waldrick Road and Highway 99 still stands as a landmark of roadhouse food and comfort. It began as the Oak Grove Tavern, started by Emerentienne Daigneault. Born in Quebec, she arrived in Plumb via Seattle and nearby Rainier after selling the farm. Daigneault and her daughter began the business offering food, lodging and fuel. After a 1931 fine for liquor possession, they renamed the venue The French Café and were known widely for wild blackberry pie, jams and jellies.

olympia-history-Highway-99-Aerial-View-tumwater-1946. — An aerial photo from 1946 shows Olympia and Tumwater with the Carlyon Bridge in the bottom of the image. Photo courtesy: C1980.5.7, Washington State Historical Society

Continue north on 99 toward Tumwater, past the airport. Earlier on, drivers would have followed a route along today’s Deschutes Way to the Boston Street Bridge, to Custer Way and then east to Cleveland Avenue. Later, drivers were spared the narrow passage and tight turns after the Carlyon Bridge was built in the mid 1930s, providing a more direct path. Drivers would have passed The Olympia Brewing Company, back in production after prohibition’s end in 1933. Nearby Tumwater Square at Cleveland Avenue and Custer Way provided an opportunity for fuel, groceries and goods.

thurston county history-Wildwood-Shopping-Center-Olympia-Tumwater-Highway-99 — The Wildwood Shopping Center, built in 1938 and the first of its kind in Olympia, served the adjacent Wildwood neighborhood with a market, pharmacy and flower shop. Photo courtesy: Official Souvenir Program Olympia Centennial, 1950

Just a few blocks north, Cleveland Avenue merged with Capitol Boulevard. The Wildwood Shopping Center, built in 1938 and the first of its kind in Olympia, served the adjacent Wildwood neighborhood with a market, pharmacy and flower shop. Capitol Boulevard continued to curve and head toward the capitol building, minus the high bridge crossing, down to a sharp right turn at Capitol Way onto Fourth Avenue. Every northbound driver from California and Oregon passing through the county made this turn. After reaching the end of Fourth Avenue, Pacific Avenue took travelers on toward Lacey, by Saint Martin’s University, eventually crossing Hogum Bay Road, which is today’s Marvin Road, and a roundabout according to the 1929 Metzger Map. After about a mile, people may have stopped for a Friday or Saturday evening of fun and dancing at the Evergreen Ballroom, which once stood on the east side of the road just before where the Chevron station is today.

thurston county history-Nisqually-Bottoms-Martin-Way-Highway-99-Lacey-Washington — The long hill on Martin Way in Lacey leveled out to a straight paved road down into the Nisqually Bottoms before crossing the Nisqually River. Photo courtesy: State Library Photograph Collection 1851-1990, Washington State Archives, Digital Archives

Eventually Martin Way was constructed, creating a wider and straighter path from south to north. Travelers would continue out of Lacey on Martin Way through Hawks Prairie. The long hill on Martin Way leveled out to a straight paved road down into the Nisqually Bottoms before crossing the Nisqually River. If today’s travelers take the Nisqually Cut Off Road near Schilter Farm in Nisqually, they will see that the first concrete bridge, dated 1936 and slightly askew of the modern road, is directly aligned with the northbound freeway bridge.

In the end, though some people were glad that the new freeway was going to bypass their town, some may not have been. “From the motoring public’s point of view, the most welcome improvement in the relocation of Highway 99 between Tumwater and Vancouver is the bypassing of such towns as Tenino,” and others, says the News Tribune article, “Bypassed, But Happy” of February 7, 1956. “Some businesses catering to transient motorists have suffered, but there has been compensating gain in other lines. And if civic pride suffered a jolt, the common sense view now prevails that relief from congestion caused by through traffic was worth obtaining at any price.”

The decision of where to lay the new highway’s path was bound to change life in the county no matter where they put it.

Celebrate the Holiday Season in Fairhaven!

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by the Fairhaven Association

The twinkle of festive lights have returned to the historic village of Fairhaven and Winterfest 2022 celebrations will soon be here! This year the Fairhaven Association has lined up four weeks of festive events and activities — so bring the entire family and celebrate the season.

This year’s events begin Friday, November 18^th with the Winter Art Walk and Fairhaven Association’s Winterfest Kick off and Silent Auction. Make the “HUB” located at 1106 Harris Street your first stop; pick up an Art Walk map, bid on several silent auction items, and make sure to bring your camera —– a whimsical holiday backdrop will be set up for all to enjoy.

The silent auction begins at 4 p.m. and closes at 7 p.m. The Art Walk, with 17 local merchants participating, will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

There’s more to celebrate each week: Father Christmas, carriage rides, a holiday market, holiday movies, the Fairhaven firelight stroll, lighted bike parade, FA LA LA caroling contest, and much more. Visit www.enjoyfairhaven.com or @enjoyfairhaven on Facebook for up to date information.

Get involved…this year there are several opportunities to be part of the action!

“Tales of the Season”: The Fairhaven Association seeks 300-500 word non-fiction stories of your favorite “SNOW DAY” memory for its Tales of the Season event. Click here for more information and to register.

FA LA LA CAROLING CONTEST on December 17th: Gather your friends, family members, students, community choirs, glee clubs, and any group who loves to sing and perform on the streets of beautiful Fairhaven Village. CLICK THE LINK FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO REGISTER: Click here for more information and to register.

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