Where to View Salmon in Olympia and Tumwater: 5th Avenue Bridge and Brewery Park

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There are many indicators of the seasons changing, such as days growing shorter and temperatures slowly dropping. Though we are often sad to see summer go, this shift means the welcome and exciting return of our beloved local salmon. The salmon run has been an integral and cherished part of our regional ecosystems, and indicates the end of another lovely summer as we move into fall. View salmon run in Olympia and Tumwater at 5th Avenue Bridge and Brewery Park.

The Salmon Migration in the South Sound

Our local region in Western Washington is home to many native salmon species that generations have worked to protect as part of our ecosystem. Their migration is symbolic of the symbiotic relationship our community has with nature, and represents a time of change. In the Pacific Northwest, there are five primary species of salmon that can be seen going through this yearly transformation. The chinook, chum, coho, pink, and sockeye salmon all share the same lifecycle, which includes both freshwater and saltwater living. The salmon spawn in rivers and streams and spend anywhere from one month to two years in freshwater before transitioning to the Pacific Ocean, depending on their species. Once they have entered the Pacific Ocean, they remain there for approximately two to three years before returning to freshwater to spawn. This is where their lifecycle ends and a new one begins for the next generation of salmon.

Here in the South Sound, the majority of the salmon that can be seen are chinook salmon and are imprinted at the Tumwater Falls Hatchery. The hatchery is an integral part of the salmon spawning process today and helps support the salmon in their hatching and return to their home to spawn. They collect the eggs from the females and fertilize them, then take care of the young salmon during the critical early stage of their life to ensure their survival. The hatchery maintains the salmon in the holding pens at Tumwater Falls for two weeks to imprint them with the Deschutes River water. This helps the salmon develop a familiarity with these fresh water areas so they can remember their spawn point and easily return in the migration period.

See the Salmon Run in Olympia

salmon viewing in Olympia at 5th Avenue Bridge — The 5th Avenue Bridge in Downtown Olympia is a great place to see the salmon’s first stop on their migration journey. Photo credit: Heather L. Dyson

Our county is fortunate to have viewing areas to help the community engage with this amazing cycle and learn about the salmon. The 5th Avenue Bridge in Downtown Olympia offers an overhead view of the salmon as they prepare their bodies for the transition from saltwater back to freshwater. Huge chinook salmon can be seen swimming around near and under the bridge, which is the start of the fish ladder that was developed to help the salmon make their journey back home to spawn. This particular area boasts beautiful views of Puget Sound and Mount Rainier, which contribute to the wonder and joy sparked in seeing the salmon’s journey. The viewing area has been updated over the last decade and continues to experience greater visitation as an accessible and welcoming place to experience nature. Additionally, educational posters are mounted on the fence to help visitors learn about the salmon and better understand their importance in the local ecosystem. Parking is available in the parking lot adjacent to Bayview Thriftway and Views on Fifth at no cost on evenings and weekends.

See the Salmon Run in Tumwater

salmon leaping up the ladder at Brewery Park in Tumwater — One of the most amazing parts of the salmon migration is witnessing their determination as they move up the fish ladder. At Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls, you can often see the salmon leaping up the many waterfalls! Photo credit: Kyler Larmore

For a more up close and personal view of the salmon, you can also visit Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. Here you can see the hatchery holding pens and view the salmon from above or at eye level down below with their ground-level fish tanks. As amazing as it is to get up close and personal with these incredible creatures, the true sight to see is on the trails alongside the falls and river. There are bridges and overlook spots all throughout the walk that provide breathtaking sights of the salmon making their way up the ladder. You can often catch sight of the salmon leaping up the falls, an inspiring feat and demonstration of their resilience and determination. To learn more about the salmon, you can visit the main building up by the holding pens and read about the salmon’s migration patterns and the hatchery’s history in preserving this critical species. Parking is available in the park at no cost.

Commemorate Another Successful Salmon Season

If you are looking for ways to witness nature’s mystery and awe, visit the local viewing areas at the 5th Avenue Bridge and Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. Our local community has made the salmon lifecycle a major priority and proudly invites tourists and residents alike to take advantage of the salmon experience at these wonderful local spots. As summer draws to a close, we can see the beauty of change not only in the seasons, but in the salmon as they return home to us to start again.

‘Dietician Kitchen’ Videos Make Healthy Eating Easy

By

Steven Arbuckle

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Mary-Huselid-Antrim-Caskey-Unity-Care-NW-Dietician-Kitchen — Mary Huselid (left) is behind the camera and Antrim Caskey (right) is the dietician in front of the lens, showing how it’s done. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle

“If you want to improve your health through what you eat — and you have to eat every day — cooking at home is so helpful and powerful,” says Unity Care NW Registered Dietician Antrim Caskey. “I tell patients all the time to get in the kitchen, flip open your laptop, watch the videos, and get inspired. You’ll have so much fun doing it.”

Sometimes buying, cooking, and eating food takes an awful lot of time and money. But we also know that the food we eat has the power to make us sick, or to make us well. To help make sense of it all, Unity Care NW has created a series of videos called Dietician Kitchen that make food prep simple.

Antrim Caskey has seen that following nutritional science can transform a person’s life for the better. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle

Mary Huselid is behind the camera, shooting and editing the videos, and Antrim Caskey is the dietician in front of the lens, showing how it’s done. “Recipes have to pass a certain bar,” Caskey says. “They have to be easy, healthy, tasty, and nutrient dense.”

Caskey was born in Baltimore and went to school in Colorado and England. She spent 20 years as a photojournalist, based in New York City for 10 years, and traveled to every continent on the globe [for her work]. Then, in 2016, she moved to Idaho and went back to school, studying dietetics and nutrition at the University of Idaho.

“My supervised practice was in Boise, at the Department of Corrections, and then at the Boise Food Bank,” says Caskey. “Right away, I knew that community was the most interesting pathway for me, as opposed to food service or clinical practice.”

Mary Huselid learned videography and video editing at Bellingham’s public access TV station and now uses those skills to create Dietician Kitchen. Photo credit: Steven Arbuckle

Life in the Pacific Northwest appealed to her, and she kept her eyes open for opportunities as she reached the end of her studies. “In school, we always said that outpatient community dietitian is the best position you can get, so when I saw the posting on Unity Care’s careers page for this position — I thought, ‘Holy moly, there it is!’” She visited for an interview and immediately fell in love with her surroundings. “I am really thrilled with where I ended up, absolutely.”

Huselid’s video training came from certification courses at Access Bellingham, the now-defunct public access television station. After Caskey made her first video, alone, with her cell phone, the two met and realized there was a better way to move forward. “We did our first video together, on knife skills, and that was on public access television, but then we switched over to social media,” Huselid says. “We share Dietitian Kitchen videos regularly on Unity Care NW’s YouTube, Instagram and Facebook pages.”

Not every meal needs to be extravagant, but they can always be both tasty and healthy. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

The inspiration to focus on plant-based, high-fiber recipes comes from the lifestyle medicine that Caskey uses in her day-to-day practice. “Lifestyle medicine means therapeutic lifestyle change for the prevention, treatment, and reversal of chronic disease,” says Caskey. “Most chronic diseases in America are related to diet and lifestyle, so I really see food as medicine.”

This approach also made sense as Caskey and Huselid began to look at ingredients, and the cost of making meals. “We wanted it to be accessible and budget friendly, because a lot of people think it’s too expensive to eat healthy,” Caskey says. “Then you realize that beans, legumes, and whole grains are some of the cheapest foods around.”

When a recipe like miso soup is put together, the low price and easy availability of ingredients has already been considered. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

From there, the science of healthy eating came together beautifully with the mission of helping people help themselves.

“It’s empowering,” says Caskey. “We have so much at our fingertips that can heal people, and help people heal themselves, so let’s show them how easy it is. That’s why the first video we did was knife skills — you don’t need a bunch of fancy equipment, you just need a knife and a cutting board, that’s where you start.”

Soon, the pair found they truly value working with each other, and that their videos were making a real impact on people in the community. “Of course, there are a ton of cooking videos everywhere, and we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel,” says Caskey. “But that shornakod video — an Afghan potato salad — is an awesome video, and then the other one is the cowboy caviar.”

Plant-based, high-fiber recipes are the backbone of the Dietician Kitchen. Photo courtesy Unity Care NW

Whether you call it Afghan potato salad or shornakod, a name like that might make even an experienced cook think twice. But the video clocks in at just under two minutes, uses ingredients we’re all familiar with, and doesn’t leave any room for confusion. The cowboy caviar video is another example of how Huselid and Caskey use captions and close-ups to walk cooks through a recipe, as well as the details of the preparation, quickly and easily.

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John L. Scott’s Lee Rosales on Buying and Selling in a Shifting Market

By

Matt Benoit

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John-L-Scott-Lee-Rosales-Shifting-Home-Market-2022-Great-View — Many buyers now have the opportunity to be pickier, and some are waiting a few weeks until the price drops on a home they’re interested in. Photo courtesy John L. Scott Bellingham

As 2022 enters its final months, the shifting economic winds of the real estate marketplace are having ramifications for both buyers and sellers.

Lee Rosales, a John L. Scott broker who focuses on Bellingham properties, says interest rates have more than doubled since January. When Rosales closed on her own home that month, her interest rate was 2.9%. Now, interest rates are between 7.2% and 7.3%.

John L. Scott broker Lee Rosales says that there are many ways for buyers to get good deals on a home right now. Photo courtesy John L. Scott Bellingham

This, of course, has greatly affected the buying power of many, including numerous first-time home buyers who may not have as much money to put down as those in the market for places worth more than $700,000. The result is that prices on many homes are now falling.

“Sellers are having to drop their prices to even attract a buyer in the first place,” says Rosales.

Picking and Choosing

County real estate inventories continue along at about three months’ supply, she adds, but is still moving quickly within the Bellingham city limits. While Rosales has listings she knows will eventually sell, there are currently more listings than there are buyers wanting to complete a sale at list price.

Whether buying or selling a home, the Bellingham market continues to be strong. Photo courtesy John L. Scott Bellingham

“It’s still technically a seller’s market,” she says. “But with the way things are going, as far as who’s buying and when they’re buying, buyers are taking their time and not making quick decisions.”

Many buyers now have the opportunity to be pickier, and some are waiting a few weeks until the price drops on a home they’re interested in. This comes as a bit of a letdown to some sellers.

“Many people are still trying to price the home similar to what a home sold for earlier this year, when interest rates were in a better place,” Rosales says.

This is nearly the opposite of what occurred during the pandemic, when some buyers were so desperate to get a home — during a time of low interest rates and increased competition — that they were willing to waive contingencies like inspections and close in a week’s time.

Negotiating Tactics and Self-Reflection

Rosales says there are numerous ways to get a great deal on a home right now.

The longer a home has been on the market without selling, the more a buyer may be able to negotiate under list price. A better price can also be had if an appraisal comes in low, Rosales says.

Though interest rates have risen, plenty of negotiating tactics are available for buyers to obtain a home below list price. Photo courtesy John L. Scott Bellingham

Buyers can also negotiate to have the seller pay their closing costs or pay for any repairs needed following a property inspection. Buying down an interest rate — where a seller agrees to offer credits towards a first-year interest rate that’s, say, two points below the current one, one point below the next year, and a normal rate the third year — is another way to save money.

While many buyers and sellers have understandably been trying to time the market as perfectly as possible, and buying or selling now isn’t a bad choice, Rosales suggests asking yourself whether now is truly the right time to push your chips to the center of the table.

“If you don’t have to move — if you don’t have to buy or sell right now — then I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it,” she says. “But, for me, it really depends on the client’s individual situation.”

Looking Ahead

Rosales says she expects interest rates to drop back to possibly 5% or 6% during the first two quarters of 2023. This should result in a continuing — albeit more modest — rise in home appreciation.

Many buyers now have the opportunity to be pickier, and some are waiting a few weeks until the price drops on a home they’re interested in. Photo courtesy John L. Scott Bellingham

No matter what happens economically, though, Rosales believes the Bellingham area will continue to be a great place to call home. If you choose to own property here, you’re making a wise decision.

“I don’t think buying a house right now, at a high interest rate, will do you harm as long as you buy within your means,” she says. “Once you have a home here, you have a great investment. It will only continue to grow in the next 10 to 20 years.”

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Care Medical Group Provides Diverse, High-Quality Care for Whatcom County

By

Matt Benoit

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Care-Medical-Group-Clinic-Location-2022 — The Care Medical Group clinic — located at 4043 Northwest Avenue in Bellingham — provides an extensive array of convenient and affordable medical care. Photo courtesy Care Medical Group

Not long ago, a woman came into Care Medical Group’s urgent care clinic with bloodied palms.

She’d been jogging at Lake Padden and fallen, cutting her hands in the process. The first runner to encounter the injured woman on the trail told her CMG was her best choice for treatment.

Instances like this are a testament to the high-quality care of CMG. Dr. Richard Wei, owner and medical director of the long-time Bellingham medical clinic, says word of mouth — no matter how unusually it’s provided — is CMG’s number one source of new patients.

“We get a lot of referrals from very happy and satisfied patients,” says Dr. Wei, who has operated the clinic since purchasing it in 2011.

Dr. Wei (right) works with physician’s assistant Mark Vandervort and several other expert medical providers at the Bellingham clinic. Photo courtesy Care Medical Group

Located at 4043 Northwest Avenue, CMG provides a variety of convenient and affordable medical services, including walk-in urgent care, adult primary care, and by-appointment occupational medicine and physical therapy. Founded in 1997, CMG was originally located off the Guide Meridian near the intersection of East Kellogg Road.

A Higher Level of Care

Dr. Wei — an expert in urgent care, sports medicine, and occupational medicine — came to Bellingham from New Orleans, where he established several physical therapy, urgent care, and occupational medicine clinics. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the city was never the same. In 2010, due to the devastation, Dr. Wei decided to move his family to Bellingham to purchase CMG.

After purchasing CMG, Dr. Wei changed the clinic’s focus from primary care to broad specialization in urgent care, physical therapy, occupational and sports medicine. Having moved to a new, state-of-the-art facility (which Dr. Wei designed) that was completed shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic began, CMG provides patients an “under one roof” concept: x-rays, lab work, audiograms (hearing tests), electrocardiograms (EKGs), and physical therapy, all of which can be done on-site.

Care Medical Group’s state-of-the-art facility features an in-house physical therapy clinic. Photo courtesy Care Medical Group

The clinic’s occupational medicine department also provides a litany of other services, including physicals, quantitative FIT testing, work capacity evaluations, Hazmat physicals, asbestos and lead screening, workplace injury treatment, and drug and alcohol testing. CMG provides occupational medicine to more than 200 regional employers, and Dr. Wei is also occupational medical director for the City of Bellingham, the fire department, and the police force.

Surviving and Thriving

Like virtually all medical facilities, the COVID-19 pandemic created challenges for Care Medical Group. The increased volume of patients certainly put more stress on clinic staff, but in foreseeing the threat that COVID-19 would pose as the virus spread, CMG quickly prepared.

CMG prepared for the pandemic by stocking up on personal protection equipment (PPE), such as N95 masks, eye goggles, face shields, isolations gowns, and gloves. The clinic had enough supply to last them through all of 2020. In addition, the facility has a negative-pressure airflow system providing high-efficiency particulate filtering, which pulls the infected air out of the clinic to prevent and protect clinic staff and patients from spreading viruses.

During the pandemic, CMG contributed to the community by providing on-site testing for COVID-19 to help prevent the spread. CMG expanded their services hours and included COVID-19 nasal swab and antibody tests on a walk-in basis and telemedicine appointments.

Dr. Richard Wei, the clinic’s owner and medical director, moved to Bellingham in 2010 after his family and businesses were impacted by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. Photo courtesy Care Medical Group

The Care You Need, When You Need It

In addition to Dr. Wei, CMG is staffed with four physician’s assistants, a certified physical therapist, and support staff that keep the clinic operating at the high level of service indicative of its motto: Care you need, when you need it.

“I am so proud of how CMG has grown in the last decade,” says Dr. Wei. “The high standard of care I have set for the clinic shows in the many lives saved. Either by detecting early cancer or by determining a hidden heart attack that is masked by atypical chest pain. The community that CMG serves shows its gratitude by continuously referring their friends and loved ones to CMG, of which I am forever grateful.”

Whether you’re dealing with an injury, such as a sprained ankle or illness such as a cold; looking for a primary care provider; or needing more specialized treatment and tests, Care Medical Group is here to help. CMG helps the community in providing urgent care, sports medicine, primary care, occupational medicine, and physical therapy. The clinic has convenient walk-in and by-appointment services, and they are open Mon-Fri 8am-7pm and Saturday 9am-4pm. For more information, check out their website at www.caremg.com or call 360.734.4300.

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Comcast Announces Network Construction in Whatcom County

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by Comcast

Comcast has begun construction in the public rights of way to expand service to hundreds of homes in the City of Sumas, investing more than $4.2 million to bring the entire suite of Xfinity and Comcast Business services to the citizens and businesses in the rural community of Whatcom County. The company has created an online resource for local residents seeking information about the network construction in their neighborhood, including answers to frequently asked questions and product and service details at: https://washington.comcast.com/network-expansion/.

The network expansion is the latest example of Comcast’s investment in Washington state. Comcast has made $1B in technology and infrastructure investments in Washington during the last three years, including expansion and upgrades to our network. As a result, more than 2.8 million Washington homes and businesses have access to Xfinity and Comcast Business products and services with access to speeds of 1.2 gigs or more from the company’s fiber-richnetwork. We also operate nearly 90,000 public Xfinity Wi-Fi hotspots that are available to Comcast customers statewide.

“It is going to be great to have Comcast here. It will give us more options and better service to provide high-speed internet. Local businesses are all looking forward to the reliable service that Comcast provides,” said Bruce Bosch, Mayor, City of Sumas. “If you are a home buyer or a new business that wants to move into town, having Comcast makes your decision to move to an easy one.”

Once construction is completed, Sumas residents will have access to the entire Xfinity product suite, from Internet Essentials — the largest and most comprehensive low-cost internet adoption program for low-income Americans — to Comcast Business services, which delivers up to 10 gigabits-per-second (Gbps) of network capacity to local businesses.

“I think that internet connectivity and WiFi are somewhat taken for granted today. When you do move out this far, you really get to experience that,” said Herman Sihota, owner and operator, Tarsem Farms in Sumas. “Gig speed technology on our farm would be a game changer. Right now, there are not a lot of options, and I am excited to get a more reliable broadband service provider out to our area.”

Comcast serves more than 1.7 million residential and business customers throughout Washington state. Comcast is Washington’s leading provider of Xfinity video, high-speed internet, smart home and phone services. To learn more about Comcast in Washington, visit:https://washington.comcast.com/

“Access to technology is a powerful driver of economic growth and innovation, and we look forward to connecting Sumas residents to all the opportunities broadband offers. Comcast’s $4.2 million investment will expand our network over 40 miles and connect homes and businesses to reliable and fast broadband service,” said Roy Novosel, vice president – Engineering, Comcast Washington.

Open Your Mind to Mindport

By

Margaret Bikman

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Kryssanne-colored-waterwheel-Mindport-Bellingham — The colored water wheel fascinates visitors at Mindport. Photo courtesy Suzanne Goodell

When my five-year-old, Montessori-focused granddaughter visited Mindport on a sunny day this past summer, she spent hours exploring ping-pong balls traveling through tubes, watched marbles swirl in their centrifugal force, and figured out spatial relationships of wooden puzzles.

Spending time with her at each interactive exhibit was to watch wonder and curiosity on her face, moment by moment — which is what Mindport is all about. And it’s definitely a “take-your-time” type of place.

Tallie Jones — daughter of Mindport Co-Founder Kevin G. Jones, who opened the venue with Robin Burnett and Joe Edwards — has worked for Mindport on and off for a large part of its 27-year existence. (Since she was a kid, actually). She is now its executive director and also the instructor for its tutoring program.

“Our ongoing work is creating a one-of-a-kind, accessible space for people of all ages to converse, connect, play, and learn,” she says, “both solo and together.”

After a long closure due to the pandemic, Jones reports that she loves to hear the sounds of Mindport return. “From our upstairs classroom, where I work, I can hear visitors downstairs say, ‘Wow! Come look at this!’ in response to a variety of our exhibits,” she says. “I love knowing they’ve found something they want to share.”

Marbellous is one of the longtime interactive exhibits at Mindport. Photo courtesy Chloe Dichter

Suzanne Goodell, publicity and outreach coordinator, says Mindport was conceived in 1995 as an experimental space where the intersection of arts and sciences could be explored. Interactive exhibits are designed and hand-built by Mindport staff.

“These exhibits create opportunities for discovery, learning, and experimentation to visitors of all ages from our community and beyond,” Goodell says. “And our fine art installations rotate through our public window display and our indoor galleries.”

Mindport’s art installations have expanded to fill the entire space beyond the smaller gallery area.

While traditional museum spaces are usually hands-off, the exhibit designers at Mindport want visitors to touch and explore their creations.

The bubbles exhibit is one of Mineport’s most popular attractions. Photo courtesy Suzanne Goodell

Mindport Creative Director Margot Stroop says that while Mindport is not strictly an arts space, she sees a chance to use the museum as a way to elevate the important work being done by artists in our community.

“Mindport started out as an idea for a place that couldn’t easily be defined,” says Tallie Jones. “The first years were very experimental and focused on building a solid foundation one step, one exhibit at a time.”

Exhibits are created primarily by the founders and employees of Mindport, including Co-Founder Kevin G. Jones and current Exhibit Designer Aidan Forrest, with occasional contributions by other artists. Many of the ideas are original, while some are borrowed or modified.

Allella is not only beautiful, but it’s one of the most intriguing exhibits at Mindport. Photo courtesy Suzanne Goodell

“Mindport has evolved over the years as each new exhibit designer puts their personal touches on it, with different interests and building styles,’” Forrest says. “The most rewarding part for me is seeing people find wonder in new things, or realize how the exhibits relate to things in everyday life that they’ve taken for granted.”

Sam Bottman, a docent at Mindport, says, “Because our exhibits are hands-on and don’t really have rules — other than being gentle while using them — they invite everyone to explore them at their own pace, raising all manner of questions and reflections.”

In 2019, Mindport went “on the road” as a way to share the museum with people who may not be able to easily travel to its downtown Bellingham downtown location.

Kids are always pulled in by Mindport’s marble game. Photo courtesy Suzanne Goodell

Staff visited the East Whatcom Resource Center near Maple Falls with mail-art activities, started to assemble a collection of interactive exhibits similar to what folks could find downtown, and participated in the Kiwanis Club STEM Fair in Lynden.

And then COVID hit.

During the COVID closure, Mindport continued to offer delight and wonder by creating and writing cards for the Dear Friend Pen Pal Project, spearheaded by Aging Well Whatcom, and continued its connection with East Whatcom Resource Center in 2020 by assembling 600 activity kits for distribution for their isolated participants.

Mindport Executive Director Tallie Jones enjoys tutoring at the creative space. Photo courtesy Mindport

And in 2021, the resource center was meeting in person and Mindport sent some interactive projects to them. In 2022 staff was able to return in person with an array of interactive exhibits.

“It has been extremely valuable to network with SPARK Museum, Allied Arts, Whatcom Museum, Max Higbee Center, Makerspace, and other local informal educators,” says Goodell.

“We really appreciate all the opportunities people and organizations in this community give us to learn and be creative and collaborative together,” Tallie Jones says. She adds that most people believe Mindport is a nonprofit — and in terms of mission, it does functions like one. But, in actuality, Mindport is a private business that has been financially supported by a dedicated and generous donor. “Which is incredible; this has allowed us to keep fees for admission and services low to non-existent as Mindport has been built into what it is today.”

For Mindport to continue, however, it must become a publicly funded nonprofit within the next five years or so. “The hope of the team in place now,” Jones says, “is that together we can build the community support and find the nonprofit expertise needed to make this major transition and preserve Mindport as a community resource. We’re honored to take part in weaving the fabric of this larger place we love.”

Current hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is currently set at a sliding scale price, with the average donation at $10 per visitor. For more on what’s happening at Mindport, please visit www.mindport.org or call 360-647-5614.

Mindport
210 W. Holly St. in downtown Bellingham
360-647-5614

PeaceHealth Eases Visitation Policy Further as Whatcom County Transmission Rates Continue to Decline

By

LocalTalk Contributor

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Submitted by PeaceHealth

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center and PeaceHealth Medical Group clinics in Whatcom County will relax visitation policies further starting October 26. Whatcom County has maintained a “moderate” transmission risk level for more than seven days, which meets the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines for the lower risk level for healthcare facilities.

Patients can now have two people visit at a time. This is a change from current policy allowing only one visitor at a time.

Visitors are still required to wear a mask in healthcare settings per state health department and CDC guidelines.

Visitors will be asked to self-screen by reviewing the posters displayed that include COVID-19 symptoms.

Visitors are allowed now to use the main cafeteria, the Grounds & Grains Café and the Gift Nook gift shop at PeaceHealth St. Joseph.

PeaceHealth remains cautious and is prepared to tighten up protocols should these trends again reverse.

BAAY Presents the Nightmare on Railroad

By

Kelley White

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Fear-Garden-and-Zombie-Dancers — BAAY student zombies will perform a dance routine at the annual Haunted House event. Photo credit: Lynn Tyler King

Join in a spooky, fun event for a scary cool cause! Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth is hosting this year’s annual haunted house event, the Nightmare on Railroad, at Boundary Bay Brewery. BAAY Operations Director Juliette Machado details the upcoming festivities.

The Nightmare on Railroad

“The event has two main features,” says Machado. The Haunted Fear Garden takes place at Boundary Bay Brewery, who partner with BAAY for the event and offer use of their beer garden. BAAY’s talented build crew transforms the space into an eerie haunted house-themed environment with different rooms and jump scares. The entrance to the Haunted Fear Garden is through the alley on Maple Street. “Admission for that part of the event, running from 6 to 9 p.m. for all ages, is just $5. From 9 to 11 p.m. we ramp up the scare factor and it becomes a 21-plus age requirement with $10 admission.”

Admission for the Fear Garden at Boundary Bay goes directly to supporting programs and financial dues for BAAY families. Photo credit: Juliette Machado

Just up the road, BAAY students will perform an electronic zombie dance routine for audiences to enjoy.

“They get all dressed up and do a creepy dance number,” Machado says. “This year, the zombie performances will be on that same block but not at Boundary Bay, but they are still part of the Nightmare on Railroad event.”

The Nightmare on Railroad will take place October 28-29 and Halloween night. Admission is $5 from 6-9pm and $10 from 9-11pm for ages 21 and up.

Guests can decide which activity to visit first and easily travel between the two. “On Friday the 28th, the dancers will perform at BAAY,” says Machado, “It’s a short five-minute dance number and they’ll be doing it every 20 minutes or so. On Saturday the 29th and on Halloween, the dancers will be in the Depot Market Square, right across the street from Boundary Bay.” There is no admission cost to take in the zombie dancers.

Partnering With Boundary Bay

BAAY first collaborated with Boundary Bay to host its Halloween event in 2015. “This is the 7th year of the Haunted Fear Garden and BAAY’s former Executive Director Ian Bivins forged that relationship with Boundary Bay, being a key organizer and build crew leader for the event ever since,” Machado says. “Our event sponsors are Boundary Bay Brewery, Hardware Sales, Bellewood Farms, and En Christo LLC.”

The Fear Garden has become a community favorite of Bellingham’s Halloween season. “The fact that we have different times with different scare-levels provides options for our guests,” says Machado. “I’ve heard people say it’s now a staple of their weekend since BAAY’s been running this event for so many years, aside from the pandemic.

The Nightmare on Railroad is open to even the smallest of fright aficionados. “We have these LED tea lights available, especially if the younger kids want to come into the Fear Garden,” Machado says. “At the entrance, they will be offered a ‘bravery light’ and can carry that through the Fear Garden. This will signal to our performers to scale back the scare factor.”

Supporting BAAY’s Mission

The Nightmare on Railroad is a fundraising event that supports BAAY’s programming and activities. “All of the proceeds benefit BAAY and help us facilitate our mission to offer accessible arts opportunities for youth,” says Machado. “We have a scholarship program that’s central to what we do. Families can request financial aid and we offer it, no questions asked. We want to remove barriers to accessing arts education and this is one of our main fundraising events that helps us continue to provide financial options to families.”

Visit BAAY to learn more about the organization and how you can support them while enjoying the Nightmare on Railroad event coming up this week.

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Maple Alley Inn’s Hot Meal Program Nourishes and Grows Community

By

Anna Diehl

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maple-alley-inn-vegetables — Maple Alley Inn volunteers may work in the garden or take substitute shifts in the kitchen, with a choice between cooking meals or serving and cleaning up. Photo credit: Kari Diehl

Today, food insecurity affects thousands of families in Whatcom County. Maple Alley Inn, an Opportunity Council program, fights hunger by providing hot meals and other help to community members in need.

Started in 1987, Maple Alley Inn traditionally has been a hot meal program to feed a variety of people, including low-income people, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, and seniors who are just trying to stretch their food budget. This vital organization offers volunteer opportunities in their kitchen and garden. Pre-pandemic, they served over 24,000 meals annually and grew 1.7 tons of total produce at Community Faith Garden.

“Right now, we’re serving a hot to-go meal outside the front doors of Faith Lutheran Church, and we’re averaging around 45 people for that meal,” says Coordinator Anne Poulson of the Opportunity Council. “But we’re also providing meals for families who are temporarily being housed in motels while they’re getting their permanent housing lined up, and we’re also continuing to supply meals to folks living in supported housing.”

Maple Alley Inn’s community garden grows hundreds of pounds of vegetables annually. Photo credit: Kari Diehl

Maple Alley Inn receives donations from businesses such as Good Earth Pottery and participating restaurants in their Dine Out Bham event. You can donate or volunteer through the Opportunity Council website.

Volunteer Opportunities

Faith Lutheran Church hosts Maple Alley Inn’s kitchen and Faith Community Garden, where they grow organic vegetables for hot meals.

“We always, always need help in the garden, especially right now,” Poulson says. “Because it’s time to harvest and remove plants that are done producing, but we’re also planting things that can produce for the next few months.”

Volunteers work in the garden or kitchen, where they take substitute shifts in cooking meals or serving and cleaning up. These opportunities let volunteers get to know the people they serve.

Maple Alley Inn’s kitchen and community garden are based out of Faith Lutheran Church. Photo credit: Kari Diehl

“People always need food. And they need healthy food, and we do that really well,” says Poulson. “I think we probably produced 800 pounds of tomatoes this past summer, if not more, and we’ve managed to process them all into tomato sauce or serve fresh. And lots of greens — we’ve served fresh garden greens with every meal since the greens were ready in early summer.”

Community Building

Maple Alley Inn has continued its important work despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During the pandemic, there were no in-person hot meals,” Poulson says. “We switched our model to delivering meals to folks in the quarantine facility and also folks in supported housing units.”

Maple Alley Inn’s hot meals provide welcome nutrition for communities in need.

“The nutritional content of the meals we prepare is very high, and we use really good ingredients; it’s all cooked fresh from scratch,” says Poulson. The hope is that this makes the food even more appealing to diners. “And it’s certainly more nutritious than a lot of food folks are going to be eating. There’s a lot of value in a fresh, home-cooked meal from really good quality ingredients.”

Maple Alley Inn has operated as a meal delivery service since the start of the pandemic. Photo credit: Kari Diehl

Maple Alley Inn also refers clients to social services that can help them get back on their feet. Many clients have formed lasting friendships with volunteers.

“Our to-go meal has been great to reconnect with folks that have a long history of eating meals here, and those people are really happy to see the same volunteers that they’ve seen for the past 10 years,” Poulson says. “And our volunteers have been really happy to make those connections again; it’s just really nice for all of us.”

Serving Bellingham’s Future

Maple Alley Inn intends to keep supporting Bellingham’s community through difficult times.

“We would love to reopen for in-person hot meals, but we are also in borrowed space of which we are not the governors, and most of our volunteers are older people who are maybe more careful about health risks,” says Poulson, who can’t predict when in-person meals might return. “But, of course, our goal is to return to normalcy and have hot in-person meals.”

Maple Alley Inn volunteers may work in the garden or take substitute shifts in the kitchen, with a choice between cooking meals or serving and cleaning up. Photo credit: Kari Diehl

In the meantime, Maple Alley Inn helps to ease low-income families’ process of regaining their financial standing and housing.

“Some of the people in supported housing that are receiving their meals have in the past come to our in-person meals,” Poulson says. “And they know that it’s still us providing the meals, and most of us who are making the meals know those people personally because we’ve also served the meals. I like to think that the people in supported housing that are getting these meals know that we still care, we still want them to have good, healthy food. We’re still producing that.”

To volunteer with Maple Alley Inn, fill in the Volunteer Application form on the Opportunity Council website.

Diamond-Tipped Radiance: Microdermabrasion at 7 Elements Wellness Spa

By

Kelley White

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Diamond Tipped Microdermabrasion machine: The diamond tips on 7 Elements' microdermabrasion machine create gentle exfoliation to help clear skin and highlight natural glow. Photo courtesy 7 Elements

Health benefits and self-care solutions abound at 7 Elements Wellness Spa, a peaceful haven home to a curated array of nourishing services and products available for clients to enjoy. 7 Elements esthetician Taya Hammingh sat down with WhatcomTalk to discuss the healthy advantages of microdermabrasion.

“Microdermabrasion is a heavier form of exfoliation that does so mechanically,” says Hammingh. “The wand has fine diamonds in it and is attached to a vacuum, so as you’re going across the face, you’re pulling off the top layer of dead skin.” With dead skin out of the way, brand new skin cells will develop, boosting circulation and allowing for more efficient blood flow.

Increased blood flow brings more nutrients to the cells, delivering the nutrition they need to flourish. “It improves collagen and elastin to help with fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and acne scarring — to name a few,” Hammingh says. “It leaves you with glowing skin and can help bring out a more even tone.”

Image Skincare SPF Moisturizers: After each microdermabrasion session, 7 Elements uses world-renowned Image Skincare line moisturizers with SPF for extra protection from three different UV rays. Photo courtesy 7 Elements

The popular and gentle procedure is highly beneficial for a wide range of skin types and issues. “It’s very simple and you can generally see some results after your first treatment, but the best thing to do is take part in a series of treatments,” says Hammingh. “If you do six to eight treatments, 10 to 14 days apart, you can usually see the best results. We offer different packages to make it easier.”

Estheticians at 7 Elements use a diamond-tipped machine, ensuring gentle exfoliation and negligible irritation. “The little diamonds in the tip exfoliate your skin and scrape away all the dead cells,” Hammingh says. “It’s more of a gentle procedure, so you can get into all the cracks and crevices. It’s a light, easy way to exfoliate and as you’re exfoliating the dead skin, it gets sucked up in a vacuum and is skimmed right off of your face.”

The procedure is relaxing and thorough with minimal irritation and discomfort. “When they come in, I ask questions about skin type and what they want to work on or what their skin goals are,” says Hammingh. “I have them lay down and I start with cleansing their skin, then I use a prepping solution to get excess loose particles and bacteria off of their face. I take the machine and start with horizontal lines, then move to vertical lines over the whole face. I start off with a certain suction, then I switch the diamond tips to a fine diamond, and I turn off the suction while going over their face again, starting with vertical then horizontal all throughout. Then, I go over their face a third time.”

Diamond Tipped Microdermabrasion machine: The diamond tips on 7 Elements’ microdermabrasion machine create gentle exfoliation to help clear skin and highlight natural glow. Photo courtesy 7 Elements

Hammingh provides a soothing face mask after the procedure and finishes with moisturizers and SPF.

“Usually, you’re just a little red afterwards and it looks like you have a bit of a sunburn, but it goes away after an hour,” Hammingh says. “Within 30 minutes, you can put makeup on; it’s a pretty minor procedure. The number one thing is to make sure you have SPF on because your skin is a little more sensitive to the sun.”

7 Elements uses two different sunscreens, depending on your skin type. “The sunscreens we use protect against UVA, UVB, and UVC rays,” says Hammingh. “The UVA is the aging ray, the UVB is the burning ray, and UVCs are associated with cancerous, more dangerous rays.”

Hammingh has seen positive results in her clients, noting better outcomes after a series of appointments as opposed to a single procedure. “I have had a few people purchase the bundles and they keep coming in,” Hammingh says. “You can see a slight improvement after the first procedure, but to get the full benefits of it, you’re going to want to do a bundle. By the end of the service bundle, you can see major improvement with sun damage and fine lines or dark spots fading as well.”

Microdermabrasion is a wonderful selfcare routine to indulge in, and 7 Elements is ready to help. Check out this popular procedure and book an appointment to bring out luminous, healthy skin.

(Packages begin at four sessions, increase to eight, and then 12 with a price range of $544 to $1,440.)

7 Elements Wellness Spa
7714 Birch Bay Dr. in Birch Bay
360.922.0091
www.7elements.life

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