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WhatcomTalk •

Habitat for Humanity to Host Annual Trashion Show

Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County has been known for building homes and hope in our community since its affiliate opened in 1988. This year, they’ll also be turning trash into fashionable treasure when they bring their 5th annual Trashion Show to the runway as a standalone event for the first time.


The fashion industry can be at the center of sustainability conflicts and practices, but Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County has turned that negativity on its head. Donor and Events Coordin...
WhatcomTalk •

Keenan’s at the Pier Partners With Community Vendors to Create Its Magnificent Menu

Bellingham is no stranger to community work and bringing small businesses to the forefront. Beloved boutique hotel and seaside restaurant the Chrysalis Inn & Spa and Keenan’s at the Pier are regular purveyors of bounty from local artisans and vendors. Keenan’s Executive Chef Ashley Kovacevich and local fish vendor Michael Jackson sat down with WhatcomTalk to discuss their partnership and the importance of supporting small business.


“Mike Keenan, the owner of the Chrysalis, has always had a ma...
WhatcomTalk •

From Fairy Tale Purchase to Bat and Breakfast

As any good story might, this one starts with the purchase of a grandiose Victorian home in the Pacific Northwest, built close to the wild and gorgeous natural landscape of Deception Pass State Park.

“My mom was doing some estate sale shopping in Island County, just driving around, and she saw this beautiful house,” says Mackenzie Powell, now the owner of said home with husband Tom Riecken. “I went up and took a look at it — this was in the middle of winter. Tom and I decided we could make it...
WhatcomTalk •

Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Performances for the 2023–24 Season

Music is perhaps one of the few things in the world that can connect every person and culture. As an orchestra celebrating underrepresented groups and dedicating itself to bringing the community together, a Bellingham Symphony Orchestra performance is an opportunity you shouldn’t leave lying on the shelf.

This season, Music Director Yaniv Attar is excited to produce a full slate of performances sure to educate, inspire, and entertain. “We have five classical concerts,” he says. “We have one co...
WhatcomTalk •

Whatcom Local Finds Financial Freedom with Credit Builder Loan

The value of a solid grasp on one’s personal finances never diminishes. And with financial institutions like First Fed — whose banking services offer a personal touch — customers are in safe hands. When Bellingham resident Melissa Bradshaw needed help organizing her finances and building credit, she turned to First Fed’s Jennifer Barnhart. The two neighbors worked together to overcome Melissa’s financial burdens and set her on a path where she could build up her credit and follow her dreams....
WhatcomTalk •

Club Scrub at Bellingham Training and Tennis

Sometimes, it just takes a little elbow grease.


At Bellingham Training and Tennis Club in Fairhaven, owner Robin Robertson sat down with WhatcomTalk during the annual Club Scrub, a staff-wide collaboration to cleanse the entire facility top to bottom.


“We bought the club in 2000 and it was probably 2002 or 2003 that we started having a closed day or two that we could get to things we typically couldn’t do when the club was open,” Robin says. “Then, it grew into an annual event because it w...
WhatcomTalk •

We Got the Funk: Downtown Sounds Celebrates Its 19th Year of Sweet Summertime Music

Nothing sinks down into the bones quite like funk with beats that compel a body to move. And what better genre to showcase in a summer concert series than the kind that makes you dance? The Downtown Bellingham Partnership’s summer event series, Downtown Sounds, is bringing the funk in their 19th season of good times, groovy vibes, and great people. As always, entry to Downtown Sounds is free and open to the public, making this a must-do summer activity.


Downtown Bellingham Partnership Program...
WhatcomTalk •

Pregnancy and Gynecological Healthcare with PeaceHealth

During one of the most vulnerable times of one’s life, it’s essential to know you will receive care you can trust. PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center provides the thorough, supportive care women and birthing people need. Dr. Nena Barnhart and Certified Nurse Midwife Katrina Hanna recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to discuss PeaceHealth’s array of prenatal, postnatal, and comprehensive gynecological healthcare services.


One of the oldest professions in the world, midwifery, is still in ful...
WhatcomTalk •

Keenan's at the Pier Features New Spring/Summer Happy Hour Menu

Spring is happily blooming here in Whatcom County and we are well on our way to another gorgeous Washington summer. Down by the bay in Bellingham, Keenan’s at the Pier is bustling with renewed energy and delightful updates. Bar Manager Eric Burford and Food & Beverage Director Abby Skywalker recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to highlight their new spring/summer happy hour menu along with additions to the terrace.


Eric Burford is originally from Spokane and moved to Bellingham in 2010 to atte...
WhatcomTalk •

Shoestring Circus Kicks off in Bellingham!

Come one, come all to witness the whimsical wonder of the Shoestring Circus! Co-owners Nicole Laumb, Justin Therrien, Sadye Osterloh, and Matthew Poki McCorkle are bringing the magic of circus arts under the big top to town. They sat down recently with WhatcomTalk to introduce their exciting new project, which opens May 19th in Bellingham.

The four founders created Shoestring Circus in 2022. Each is uniquely talented, and the upcoming show will feature their own acts along with a stellar cast...
WhatcomTalk •

Cascade Connections Advocates for ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’ in the Effort for Disability Rights

Cascade Connections has served people with disabilities for more than 40 years, and continues to enrich its practices, staff, and initiatives to help provide for the community. Training Director Allison Hill and Vocational Services Administrator Kristin Nguyen recently sat down with WhatcomTalk to discuss the principle “Nothing About Us Without Us” and how they help put its principles into practice in the community.


“It’s not just a movement of Cascade Connections, it’s been going on for a wh...
WhatcomTalk •

A Train Rolled Out of the Station…and Took the Life of Mr. Larrybees With It

Another year, another stupendous, confounding, murderous caper for the community to solve! Fairhaven Association welcomes you to join in its third annual Dirty Dan Mystery Weekend, collecting clues and interacting with various characters and Fairhaven merchants to solve a mysterious murder written by award-winning author Jes Hart Stone.


“A year ago, I was invited to be one of the actors,” says Stone. “It was a blast and I had so much fun.”


As an author, Stone focuses on mysteries and thril...
WhatcomTalk •

What Rising Interest Rates Mean for the Housing Market

The housing market has been a hot topic for the past few years, especially since the pandemic era’s historically low interest rates caused a chaotic frenzy. As the market continues to evolve, it’s best to stay informed with the most current and accurate data available. Trying to stay up to date can seem like a daunting task. Working with mortgage experts from trustworthy, local community banks like First Fed can smooth out the process and ensure the best possible outcome. Mortgage Loan Officer T...
WhatcomTalk •

WCLS Hosts ‘Think Black’ Author Clyde Ford for Its 2022 Read & Share Program

The Whatcom County Library
System collaborates each year with a local author for its Read & Share
program, a collection of author events and activities aimed at sparking
conversation and meaningful connection through the writer’s work and the
community. This year, Bellingham author Clyde W. Ford joins WCLS’s Read &
Share program with his award-winning memoir, Think Black. WCLS Executive
Director Christine Perkins and author Clyde Ford sat down with WhatcomTalk to
discuss the upcoming program’s e...
WhatcomTalk •

Nature Is the Bee’s Knees

Nonprofit organizations do
the necessary work to enrich our communities and cultivate connections. Peoples
Bank understands the growing need to support these organizations and help advance
their goals. Recently, Peoples Bank donated $5,000 to Wild Whatcom, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to nature and exploring the outdoors in the Pacific
Northwest. Development and Outreach Manager for Wild Whatcom, Amye Bronson-Doherty,
and Vice President and Compliance Manager at Peoples Bank, Amy Brock, sa...
WhatcomTalk •

Beloved Bellingham Neighborhoods Are Home to Treasured Whatcom History

History lives on in architecture. Memories and times long
passed are evident in every scrap and section of old buildings, down to the cut
and grain of the wood that holds up their walls. Bellingham is rich in bygone landscapes,
preserved and tended so that visitors and locals alike can enjoy the view
nestled between the old and the new. Jen Sandoval, a one-time contractor and now
full-time real estate agent with John L. Scott, sat down with WhatcomTalk to
share her knowledge of historical homes...