It’s the first week of August 2022 and school
will soon begin. Enter a household with a very limited income. Around the
kitchen table the discussion is centered around the rent, the utilities, the
food budget and now the potential additional cost of school clothing for their
little girl. Her mom knows that though she is just eight years old, clothing is
more than keeping her warm, it is a sense of identity.
Outgrown clothing from friends and thrift store “finds” have allowed her mother to dress her for school. But … and a large BUT … she never had the money to take her to a department store and choose a new outfit.
Her thoughts are interrupted by the phone ringing and the school counselor on the line. She tells her of a philanthropic program called Assistance League of Bellingham’s Operation School Bell Program.The counselor thought she would be a great beneficiary of the program. She would be given a $100 gift voucher for Target and she could choose clothing and shoes for her daughter.
With a sense of optimism and looking to the future, she thinks of the benefits of this gift. It will not only purchase a complete new outfit for her daughter, it may empower her to use her strengths for her confidence and her own self growth. 2022! My daughter’s life has changed for the better! That evening as she closes her eyes, she thanks Assistance League of Bellingham for this special gift.
A special note of appreciation to all the school counselors who have worked tirelessly in facilitating this program with the students and Assistance League of Bellingham.
Because we value our children and their well being, over 2,100 students will have received new school clothes via gift vouchers of $100 each to our local Target Store. What is good for our children is good for all of us.
Funding for this program is made possible by the generous donations from the community, revenue from our Thrift & Gift Shop, fundraisers, and, most recently, a generous grant from the Bellingham Bay Rotary Club.
Whether it’s you, your brother, or
your best friend’s niece, June means graduation for many. And with all the
excitement of accomplishment and growth, turning that tassel naturally sparks
thoughts about the future and what it may hold. If job stability, problem-solving,
and big earning potential are what you’re after, a career in the trades could
be for you. With a huge gap in the industry, the demand for skilled
tradespeople is high and continuing to grow. For every five retiring, just one
individual is entering the trades—creating a need that is proving to be
incredibly rewarding for those willing to answer it.
Heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning—known as HVAC—is an avenue to success in the skilled trades that
often goes unnoticed. Merrill Bevan, Director of Sales and Marketing at Barron Heating AC Electrical & Plumbing, points
out just how hidden it can be: “Growing up I’d heard of plumbers…I’d heard of
electricians…but not HVAC technicians,” he says. “And certainly not what a
lucrative career it can be.”
From employer-paid medical, dental,
and vision benefits, to flexible schedules and even four-day work weeks, a career in HVAC is ideal
for a comfortable work/family life balance. Salaries can be equally rewarding,
with six-figure earning potential and opportunities for advancement. And the
variety of work and skills learned in the HVAC trade is wide. Whether it’s
repairing a furnace, installing a new ductless system, or drastically improving
the air quality in a customer’s home, the range of work and experiences from
day-to-day as an HVAC technician is significant compared to many other careers.
No humdrum nine-to-five with HVAC.
HVAC techs are commonly known in the
industry as HVAC refrigeration technicians or retrofit HVAC installers. Depending
on your interests and strengths, you’ll find your perfect fit through a few
main channels that feed into the trade. These channels include equipping new
construction homes with new heating and cooling systems, replacing existing
systems with new ones (retrofit), and working with commercial properties—restaurants,
offices, medical facilities, and more.
The experienced team at Barron Heating
AC Electrical & Plumbing has an eye for aligning candidates’ strengths with
their best avenue for success. At Barron Technician
School, you’ll learn from the best in the field, with no prior industry
experience necessary. BTS at Barron’s Ferndale campus combines labs equipped
with fully functioning HVAC systems with classes taught by industry leaders. Job
candidates accepted by Barron Technician School are paid for their classroom,
lab, and on-the-job training and don’t pay tuition—paving the way for a new and
bright career in the trades.
If the thrill of “new” is what you’re after, big changes are on
the horizon for the HVAC industry. The Climate Action Task Force (CATF) is a
name that has not just Bellingham, but the entire state of Washington buzzing,
as it suggests big changes to this town’s energy usage in the years to come. A
lengthy report of recommendations has been developed to meet a few big climate
goals, namely converting to 100% renewable energy throughout Bellingham over
the next 10 years. While the report includes recommendations for everything
from waste reduction to renewable energy through solar, the electrification
sector has gotten a lot of attention, as it affects homeowners in a very
tangible way.
Electrification is simply the conversion from fossil fuels to
electric power. This means by 2030, when a homeowner’s natural gas or propane
heating or hot water system dies and needs to be replaced, it must be replaced
with an electric heat pump system. While much is still unknown, one thing is
for certain: the need for skilled tradespeople in our area will only continue
to grow. As the term “electrification” suggests, electricians will continue to
be in demand. But it’s the hidden trade…HVAC, that will experience the largest
gap, Rob Takemura, Director of Operations at Barron Heating AC Electrical &
Plumbing, stresses. “We estimate the need for two HVAC techs for every one
electrician to accomplish electrification—that is, two-to-one to perform the
switch from a gas furnace to an electric heat pump,” he says.
The kind of labor demand we’re currently experiencing coupled with
a big change like electrification undeniably creates many career opportunities
for our community. So as you’re turning that tassel, a career in the trades
just might be the one worth going after. At Barron Heating AC Electrical &
Plumbing, we’re always looking for honest, hardworking, mechanically-inclined
individuals, and we’re on a mission to prove that a career in the trades is a
rewarding one. With career opportunities like these, we’re certain that HVAC is
about to go from hidden trade to center stage. Ready to build your own trade
story? Apply now at www.barronheating.com.
Henderson Books has been a downtown Bellingham staple since 1986. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
Walking through the front door of Henderson
Books is to be confronted with the epic scale of literature.
The 6,500-square-foot bookstore, with its blue-hued front
façade, has remained a downtown Bellingham staple since opening in 1986. Step
inside and you find a place filled floor to ceiling with every type of book
imaginable. There are an estimated 300,000 books in the store, with teeming
shelves and even more books in boxes along the floor.
Barbara Meyers, the store’s co-owner, says the overwhelming
number of books and tight spaces makes some people claustrophobic. Nevertheless,
the store remains a great place for people to buy, sell, trade, and donate
books, and is open six days a week.
“We have customers who’ve been coming here for 35 years,”
she says. “Their kids grew up here.”
The inside of Henderson Books teems with titles from floor to ceiling. Its estimated there are over 300,000 books inside the store. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
A
Book-Bound Life
Henderson Books was born when Robert Henderson, a
Phoenix-born Seattleite with a decade of on-and-off experience in bookstore
ownership, moved to Bellingham in 1986. He brought with him 50 boxes of books,
and soon opened a store at 306 West Champion Street, the current site of The
Temple Bar.
One day that same year, Barbara Meyers walked into the
store looking for a book. She’d grown up in Kansas and moved to Bellingham in
1981 as a stained-glass artist. Meyers met Henderson, and love blossomed.
Barbara Meyers, 71, co-owns the used bookstore with her husband Robert Henderson, 80. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
In 1987, the store moved to 112 Grand Avenue, located in
the brick-built San Juan Building. Meyers eventually left her job as a post
office clerk to run the store with her husband. Henderson Books moved to its
current location at 116 Grand Ave. in 1994, when the couple bought the location
to avoid any issues associated with leasing.
Today, Meyers is 71, and can be found in-store most days
helping Henderson’s three full-time employees organize and sell books.
Henderson, almost 80, now works from home, cultivating online sales through
Amazon. Meyers handles the shipping portion of online sales, as well.
A local warehouse the couple owns houses upwards of another
100,000 books in boxes, and about 40,000 books sit at the couple’s home for
online sales.
Although Meyers says she tries not to personally collect
books anymore, she makes exceptions for titles on glasswork, pottery, or
gardening — the latter one of few hobbies she and her husband still have time
for.
“Just like everybody else,” she says, “we have too many
books at home.”
If there’s a book you’re looking for, it’s very likely that Henderson has a copy somewhere. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
This includes a modern reprint of the Domesday
Book,
an 11th Century English text. Too big to bring into the store, the
multi-volume collection has clamshell boxes of ephemera that would also make
online sale a potentially dubious proposition. If sold, Meyers figures it would
go for about $6,000.
Henderson does have its fair share of rare and collectible
books in-store, including those signed by U.S. presidents and Pearl S. Buck, the first American
woman to be awarded both Pulitzer and Nobel prizes for literature. Meyers
sometimes forgets they even have them.
“We don’t really think of ourselves as antiquarian
sellers,” she says. “We’re just here for the people who wanna read books.”
Here
to Help
Like Meyers, Henderson employee Paul Stangl spends a lot of
time amid the store’s stacks. He’s worked here for 22 years — longer than any
other employee the store has had.
Stangl sees Henderson Books as a community service, a sort
of recycling center for books. Being around customers, many of them longtime,
is among the perks of the job.
The store also has plenty of nice and collectible books on its upper shelves. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
“When you help somebody find a book they’ve been looking
for, for a long time, and they’re really happy about it, that’s one of the good
reasons to work in a bookstore,” he says.
Access to books is also great, although like Meyers, Stangl
refrains from more than the occasional book he’ll take home, read, and then
return.
“I’m digging through people’s collections all day long,” he
says. “Someone dies, and their family has to deal with mountains of books. It
makes me not want to collect books.”
As Bellingham has grown, so has the volume of books coming
through the front doors. People sell books before they move away, and after
they move to town. Since the store is so full, Meyers says the more unusual a
book is, the better the odds are of the store buying it for cash.
Henderson Books has been a downtown Bellingham staple since 1986. Photo credit: Matt Benoit
Many summer book tourists — those who travel to places with
great bookstores — also enjoy passing through the aisles.
While the work of keeping the store is never-ending, Meyers
seems unlikely to slow down any time soon. The job, though sometimes
exhausting, always has its great moments.
“Every day you learn something,” she says. “It’s fun to try
to find a book that somebody wants, and to make people happy if you can do
that.”
Henderson
Books is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5
p.m. on Sundays.
The City of Bellingham is moving forward to purchase property located at 2710 Donovan Avenue in the Happy Valley neighborhood to provide improvements to an existing park and improved access to trails that connect to the Connelly Creek Nature Area and the Interurban Trail.
“Acquiring additional park property in Happy Valley is a high priority of the City’s Greenways Strategic Plan and the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan,” Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood said. “This property is perfectly situated to expand and improve the neighborhood park and connect to nearby trails. Acquisitions such as this are a critical component of the most recent Greenways levy and I am pleased to see this accomplished.”
Happy Valley Park is located directly behind the property, Bellingham Parks & Recreation Department Director Nicole Oliver said. With only a trail to access it, the neighborhood park is often unnoticed due to lack of street frontage along Donovan Avenue. This purchase will provide street frontage, expanded park space, connections to trails, and opportunities to restore nearby wetlands, she said.
The Bellingham City Council approved the $615,000 purchase at its May 23, 2022, regular meeting, with unanimous support from the Greenways Advisory Committee and the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. Greenways levy funds and park impact fee revenue will fund the purchase, which is scheduled to close the first week of June.
The 13,000-square-foot lot includes a home and a detached garage. The property attracted community interest when made available for sale due to its rough appearance and the desire by nearby residents to expand the neighborhood park. Testing determined the structures on the property contain no biohazards and they will be demolished, Oliver said.
“We are very excited to expand this park to serve the Happy Valley neighborhood,” Oliver said. “We hope to remove the structures this summer, while working with community members to make plans for park improvements.”
Having
grown up in Whatcom County and worked with property maps for the Whatcom County
Assessor for almost 10 years, I thought I knew the county fairly well. Yet I
hadn’t heard of the Racehorse Falls until another friend posted a family
picture at a location I didn’t recognize — with stunning waterfalls behind them.
I learned there are two ways to see the waterfalls: one fairly easy and family-friendly
and the other requiring more wear and tear, plus a trek into water.
I also later found out about the fossil fields in
the mountainside above the falls.
A
safety concern: Please note when exploring that cell phones don’t have full
coverage in Eastern Whatcom County, so be prepared for the weather at hand, bring
a hiking buddy, water, and know your limitations. As beautiful as the falls
are, they have produced a number of 911 rescue calls for those climbing too
close into the upper falls.
Getting to Racehorse
Falls
Racehorse Falls is approximately 25 miles from Bellingham, near Deming. Take the Sunset Drive/Mount Baker Highway exit and proceed on WA-542 eastbound for 14.6 miles. Turn right at the Welcome Grocery Store onto Mosquito Lake Road, where you’ll soon cross the Nooksack River. Be prepared to turn left/north onto North Fork Road. This road had damage from a washout during the winter and has been undergoing repairs. (Be sure to check the Whatcom County road closure list when venturing to places you aren’t familiar with during storms.) The road is paved for several miles, and then becomes a rutted dirt road. Take it slowly.
Racehorse Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Whatcom County and well worth seeing, but know that the author and friends, to reach it, had to crawl under and over fallen trees, down an embankment, and then scramble around the creek. Photo credit: Elisa Claassen
For
the longer trail, look for a widened space on the right. You may see other cars
parked in a dirt “parking lot.” For the shorter trail, continue to drive over a
bridge and up the hill. Signage is poor or non-existent. There is a small pull
out for parking to the righ, which is easy to miss. A Discovery permit is
needed at this point.
According
to www.waterfallsnorthwest.com,
the falls “drop a total of 139 feet tall over four distinct steps.” It has flow
throughout the year but is easiest and safest to visit during drier months —
especially if you ford the creek, as I did. This is easily one of the most
beautiful falls in Whatcom County and worth seeing but know that my friends and
I crawled under and over fallen trees, down an embankment, and then scrambled
around the creek to reach it.
A view of visitors crossing the creek. Photo credit: Elisa Claassen
Access
to the falls from the base was much easier before a significant flash flood in
2009 following heavy rains on the appropriately named Slide Mountain. A huge
debris avalanche slid into the creek about 400 feet upstream from the top of
the falls, which sent a volume of water, dirt, logs, and rocks over the falls.
These items still lie along the trail today.
But
this event — and the building of the adjacent logging road — also uncovered the
fossils.
A 2009 flash flood following heavy rains on Slide Mountain created a huge debris avalanche, which slid into the creek about 400 feet upstream from the top of the falls. Dirt, logs, and rocks still lie along the trail today. Photo credit: Elisa Claassen
Finding
the Fossil Fields
There aren’t exactly signs pointing the way to the fossil fields. The same mountain road by the dirt parking lot proceeds up another part of the hillside of Chuckanut sandstone and shale. We parked in another small parking area, had wonderful mountain views through trees, saw some debris, and proceeded to go through the woods and up and up.
Several of us turned back. A few continued.
This area is Washington State Department of Natural Resources land and collecting plant fossils is permitted. Photo credit: Elisa Claassen
The
trail follows what likely was a road. Geologists who maintain the Racehorse
landslide fossil fields say
it is about a mile in. This is Washington State Department of Natural
Resources land and collecting plant fossils is permitted. In a leafy area —
where the trail is noticeably steeper — fossils are more easily found, and some
have been left behind by others.
I
considered their weight and the walk back to the car and selected a few small
fossils for my backpack. Be sure to keep any fossils you collect indoors once
you get home; they will fall apart if left out in the rain.
Be sure to keep any fossils you collect indoors once you get home; they will fall apart if left out in the rain. Photo credit: Elisa Claassen
See Fossils on Display
at WWU
For
those interested in fossils without traveling by foot into the mountains, Western
Washington University’s Geology Department has ongoing displays of this
region’s finds on the first floor of the Environmental Studies Building. The
building is generally open to the public, but be prepared for paid parking — or
heavy fines — unless you take a bus or walk onto campus.
Upon entry is an astonishing specimen from a Diatryma, a giant possibly seven-foot flightless bird that left its footprints behind in the silty layers of what was then a more tropical version of Whatcom County. Both the depression and the cast are seen.
A portion of a painting of the Diatryma bird as an artist envisioned it. It’s on display at WWU’s Environmental Studies Building. Photo courtesy: WWU Geology Department
George Mustoe, who officially retired from the department as a research technician in 2014, met me on campus. He spoke of landslides more recently and prehistorically in Oso, as well as at the waterfall.
Prehistoric bird tracks are chalked on the slab for better visibility. Photo courtesy: George Mustoe
Mustoe told the story of large fossil recovery, in 2009, akin to an Indiana Jones exploit. In a simplistic explanation, the geologists nicknamed the “Bird Herd” managed to find the large intact footprint fossil, later saw other rock hounders trying to remove it and damaging the edges, so cut it to a 1,200-pound chunk, buried it to protect it from more damage, went back for it…and flew it away.
A WWU geology group led by George Mustoe and dubbed the “Bird Herd,” retrieved plant and animal footprint fossils from the Racehorse Falls region following the 2009 slide. A helicopter lifted and transported this large slab, which is now on display at WWU. Photo courtesy: George Mustoe
Actually, it wasn’t quite as simple as that, since they had no budget or helicopter. The group managed to convince a helicopter pilot working nearby on habitat restoration on the Nooksack River to help them. They didn’t have the $4,000-an-hour fee, but convinced them to drop a cable and to load it as quickly as possible, and then lower it onto a flatbed truck, which took it to campus.
George Mustoe poses with the fossil his “Bird Herd” retrieved from near Racehorse Falls in 2009. Photo credit: Elisa Claassen
For more information about Whatcom County geology, visit this site, created by WWU research associate Dave Tucker, which looks Racehorse Falls fossils and also the volcanic history of Mount Baker, the Chuckanut Mountains, Point Whitehorn, Excelsior Trail, and other local terrain.
Connect Ferndale, a program of Ferndale Community Services launched, the production of the Juneteenth Video Project, to be used for educational purposes for K-12 schools in Whatcom County as well as a community resource in deepening our understanding of this celebratory holiday.
“We are providing an educational experience that will elevate the voices of local, Black students and Black community leaders in sharing the significance of Juneteenth,” says community activist and Bellingham City Councilmember, Kristina Michele Martens, who provided creative direction on the project.
Remy Styrk, a young, Black filmmaker from New York with family ties to Ferndale, will direct and edit the video. He’s excited to assist in telling a memorable story for students and community members alike.
The goal is to have the video played in as many Whatcom County Schools as possible before Juneteenth and before they
break for the summer. Whatcom County Library Systems will help partner in promoting the video at all their branches.
In November of 2020, County Councilmember Carol Frazey stated, “Affirming that racism is a public health crisis allows
us to acknowledge that racism is built into our systems, invites accountability, and allows us to take action.” Frazey,
Chair of the Public Works and Health Committee continued, “Now we can begin to work together toward racial equity,
justice, and better health outcomes.”
The Juneteenth Video Project is endorsed and made possible by the generous support of the Whatcom County Health
Department, Whatcom County Executive’s Office, Superfeet, Hampton Inn by Hilton, Washington Education Association,
Ferndale Education Association, Whatcom CARE, Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, Whatcom County Library Systems,
Chuckanut Health Foundation and the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission.
The project is being managed by Connect Ferndale’s Education Committee Chair, Anya Milton, who is the Executive
Director of the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce. Milton states, “Advancing education on topics of race and how it
relates to our students and our community is an important lesson in compassion, empathy and broadens our
understanding of the lived experience of people of color.”
Connect Ferndale cultivates community growth and connection through civic participation and community building to
advance inclusion, honor diversity, and encourage participation for everyone in our community. Their vision is to create
a Ferndale that values people as unique individuals and finds strength in our community’s rich culture and diversity.
Brothers-in-law Jesse James and Tony Clark go through the T-ball handshake line after a game between Mount Baker and Nooksack. Photo credit: Sonya James
With the onset of spring, so comes a new youth sports
season. It’s normal this time of year to see kids squeeze in baseball and
softball games between rainstorms, and soccer players slide around in the mud.
But this year feels a little different. After two years shadowed by COVID, the
energy from kids, parents, and coaches has been high. This outdoor sports
season once again brought kids, family, and friends out to the fields to run
around, chat on the sideline, learn, cheer and — most importantly — have fun.
When youth sports returned last fall, numbers were way down
as many were hesitant to go inside and be around large groups of people. Those who
did were asked to mask up. Winter sports had a similar feel, although basketball
did show signs of an enthusiasm returning.
Spring has had a completely different feel. “We’ve noticed
a huge increase in the number of kids that are coming to play sports,” says
Lacey De Lange, president of Nooksack Youth Sports. “Families know that the
social aspect is so imperative in the development of kids. With the shutdown
that COVID brought to us as a society, I think families and kids are just
reaching out for ways to fill that gap.”
De Lange, who has worked with the organization for seven
years, has noticed kids trying out new sports because it’s a way to get out and
be social, since not all activities are back yet.
Two area U-10 girls’ soccer teams face off at Northwest Soccer Fields. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Laura Rainey Smith, president of Mount Baker Youth Sports
for six years, has also seen a significant uptick in baseball numbers, which
had slowly been declining in recent years. With each recent season, beginning
in the fall, she’s seen numbers return to pre-COVID levels.
While there has been hesitation by some to return to large
groups, those coming out are doing what they need to to be comfortable in the
setting. “Some kids still wear masks, but that’s what they’re comfortable with,
and everybody’s accepting of that,” says Smith. “I haven’t had any complaints
of parents saying their kids are being singled out or anything. I think all the
kids are just embracing it and are comfortable with wherever any individual is
at.”
Nooksack and Mount Baker face off in third-grade softball. Photo credit: Heather Ensley
With kids missing out on so much the last couple of years,
people have had to step up to make this opportunity available. This year, Smith
stayed on as president even though her kids have all aged out. “Where we live,
sports are really the thing that gets kids out of their household and gives
them something to do and be excited about,” she says. “It’s really important to
have sports out there that give kids a chance to be a part of something. I
think sports are super valuable in teaching all kinds of lessons.”
Tony Clark, who has coached youth sports for 20 years,
worked with kids through various nonprofits, and is now a teacher, shares a
similar sentiment. “Sports are incredibly important because it builds character
and sets you up for later in life to be a responsible adult,” he says. “Sports
have been impacted like every extracurricular activity, so that human
connection is kind of being lost. People are turning online instead of having a
personal connection and learning from other people and other kids.”
Northwest Soccer fields filled with players and spectators on a sunny spring day. Photo credit: Tony Moceri
Most of Clark’s time working with youth has been with other
people’s kids. But, with the return of youth sports, he was excited to coach his
own young children and their friends, willing to do whatever it took to make
sure their seasons could happen.
“The programs I’ve been with have really struggled to find
coaches,” Clark says. To do his part — and then some — to ensure the kids could
get out and play, he ended up coaching two basketball teams and is now coaching
baseball.
As youth of all ages return to sports, it’s apparent that the time off has made what used to be normal feel new. There is still some hesitation from people to really get back out there, and De Lange has noticed a difference in skill level and overall knowledge of sports from young kids up through middle and high school ages. “There is a gap in the skill level that I’m seeing, because kids have missed two years of sports and their knowledge of the sport is a little delayed,” she says. “But I think everyone’s in the same boat, so it’s just working harder trying to get the kids caught up to where they were prior to COVID.
Brothers-in-law Jesse James and Tony Clark go through the T-ball handshake line after a game between Mount Baker and Nooksack. Photo credit: Sonya James
”And that’s not only sports-related, of course. “It’s their whole self, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically,” says De Lange. “It shows the importance of getting kids out and involved in a healthy lifestyle, mentally and physically.”
Currently, spring sports are in full swing — pun intended
for those softball and baseball players. Summer leagues and camps will start soon
and fall sports registrations have already begun in some leagues. Whether your
child is returning to an old favorite or ready to try something new, Whatcom
County has a wide range of options for them to get out and play.
Due to a significant increase in patients visiting the emergency department, PeaceHealth is asking people seeking care for non-emergent conditions to consider other community options, including visiting their primary care physician or a same-day drop-in clinic, before visiting the ED.
The medical center has seen a significant influx of patients to the emergency department with nonurgent conditions causing long wait times.
“Our caregivers work tirelessly to provide quality care to all patients who come through our doors, but there are times when our emergency department isn’t the best option,” said Dr. Sudhakar Karlapudi, chief medical officer, PeaceHealth Northwest network. “Freeing up space and keeping wait times down in the ED lets us do what we do best: quickly and skillfully taking care of acute medical emergencies.”
Dr. Karlapudi noted that people should always visit the emergency department for serious and life-threatening medical emergencies.
The Bellingham Bells are excited to announce a new partnership with Puget Sound Energy aimed to support local nonprofit organizations during the 2022 Bellingham Bells season.
The Bells and PSE will feature six organizations on “Community Wednesdays,” during all six Wednesday home games for the Bells. Each “Community Wednesday” game will spotlight a different nonprofit, providing an opportunity to throw out a first pitch and table during the game to connect with fans. The Bells will donate $1 per ticket sold to the night’s benefitting nonprofit, and PSE will also donate $100 per run scored by the Bells.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Puget Sound Energy on this promotion,” Bells general manager Stephanie Morrell said. “PSE and the Bells both feel strongly about supporting our community and we are excited to be able to help these organizations this summer.”
2022 participating organizations include:
Wednesday, June 1 — Wild Whatcom
Wednesday, June 8 — Communities in Schools
Wednesday, June 15 — DISH Foundation
Wednesday, June 22 — Northwest Youth Services
Wednesday, July 6 — Road2Home
Wednesday, August 3 — Lummi Boys & Girls Club
“What’s better than watching the Bells on a summer night and supporting the great work of organizations in our community?” said Liz Purdy, Whatcom’s Community Engagement Representative for PSE. “Can’t wait to see you at the ballpark with us!”
The Puget Sound Energy Foundation has announced the opening of their $600,000 competitive grant program for local nonprofit organizations and tribal governments serving within Puget Sound Energy’s 10-county service area. Applications for these nondiscretionary funds are due by June 30. The awards will prioritize submittals that demonstrate how funds will rebuild, strengthen or establish efforts contributing towards the resiliency of the program, organization and overall communities, within suggested funding areas.
For the last two years, the PSE Foundation had increased its annual budget and reformed their programs to help communities through the immediate difficulties of the COVID-19 crisis. The PSE Foundation has once again increased its budget to focus funding efforts that Empower Community Resiliency. Grant proposals that address food security, shelter, childcare, nonprofit staff training or development and other resiliency-related capacity building funding as requested by applicants, are encouraged.
“We’re excited that this year’s program features funding for nonprofit staff training and development – we recognize many organizations had to adopt new practices and ways of delivering services so community members didn’t go without. This is just another way we’re able to support these incredible community partners who never ceased operations but instead reconstructed for a stronger tomorrow,” said Andy Wappler, President and Chairman of PSE Foundation.
Nonprofit organizations and tribal governments located and providing services within Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Lewis, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit, Thurston, and Whatcom counties in Washington State can apply for a grant award ranging between $5,000 – $15,000 which will be selected through a competitive process. Local PSE employee volunteers, who are professionally trained in grant reviewing, will assess applications received from organizations within the community where they choose to work, live and raise their families. To apply for a grant before June 30 or to learn more visit: www.psefoundation.org.
