Days for Girls Tackles a Taboo
The non-profit organization was founded in 2008 by Celeste Mergens of Lynden who saw the need for feminine hygiene kits while she was working with a family foundation in Kenya.
A Decade in Review for Dirt Therapy Nonprofit | Growing Veterans
In December 2016, “Bellingham Alive” published a story about Growing Veterans (GV), a Whatcom-based organization that was being nationally recognized for its powerful veteran-focused agrotherapy…
Marine Life in Anacortes
Women Researchers at Shannon Point Inspire Students Not far down the road from the Anacortes ferry landing is an important marine research center that has studied everything from seaweed to ocean waves to ocean acidification since the 1970s. Once primarily a field station for Western Washington University, it now has community outreach programs along with research and study programs for students and scientists. In April, Gov….
Fighting Bathroom Splash
The challenge: Designing and remodeling a bathroom that involved a rotting floor due to water splashing from the shower curtain enclosure. The first question was “How do we keep the water in the tub?” My clients wanted to keep the large bathtub, so swapping…
Is Low-Carb the Way to Go?
Proteins, Fats Give Energy Too These days it seems that every other news story is talking about the merits (or pitfalls) of the low-carb, high-fat (LCHF) diet, also commonly referred to as the Keto…
More Than Great Beer
In downtown Anacortes, the 105-year old building at 902 Commercial Ave. has been home to a flooring company, an antique store, a…
Passion Plates
Thanks to renowned chef Sabrina Tinsley, cuisine from the Emilia-Romagna region of northeastern Italy can be found right in Seattle. Tinsley and her husband, Pietro Borghesi, co-founded their restaurant, Osteria la Spiga, in 1998. Due to their hardworking staff and supportive customers, Osteria la Spiga is known for authentic tastes and a welcoming atmosphere. On Oct. 5, the restaurant will be celebrating its 20th…
Best of the Northwest 2018 Celebration
Bellingham Alive’s Best of the Northwest is both our biggest magazine issue and biggest shindig of year. The Best of the Northwest (BONW) contest, now in its ninth year, has readers vote for their favorites for everything from best bookstore to best yoga instructor. Top three businesses in each of…
Esthetician to the Rescue
Many people wonder what exactly an esthetician does or how regular facials can help their skin. I am passionate about changing skin through proper education, treatment and most of all, addressing the misconceptions you may have about your own skin. I have been a master…
Fusing Glass in Custer
Jenny Reich started experimenting with stained glass in the 1970s in Atlanta as a creative outlet. Today, you can find her with her dogs…
Five Faves
1. KEENAN’S AT THE PIER One of the best views in Bellingham…
Chef With Sense of Place
Chef Jason Wilson is renowned in the Seattle area. His three local restaurants, Miller’s Guild, The Lakehouse, and Civility & Unrest, keep the locals satisfied and the tourists coming back for more. He will soon be adding another restaurant to his ever- expanding Seattle presence with a Pike Place Market addition, with a menu inspired by the market itself….
A Taste of the Mediterranean
From her stove in Bellingham, Samantha Ferraro has cooked up a gourmet selection of Mediterranean dishes highlighting world cuisine and cultural favors. Her recipes have found their way to her widely followed food…
Walking With the Nooksack River
Just under two miles past the town of Glacier, after crossing the North Fork of the Nooksack River, a gravel lot sits to the right of Mount Baker Highway. Here, directly across Douglas Fir Campground, is the start of a must-do trail: Horseshoe Bend. Shadowing the Nooksack, Horseshoe Bend is an easy to moderate trail that’s both family- and dog-friendly. With an elevation gain of just 220 feet, the most difficult…
Hoping to Shake Up Bellingham’s Art Scene
He created the Rocket Donuts’ rocket in downtown Bellingham and has been a contractor for 25 years designing multimillion-dollar homes in the Pacific Northwest. Now, Alexei Ford has just opened Ruckus, a downtown art gallery just a stone’s throw from the Bellingham Farmers Market. Ruckus prides itself on combining an authenticity of the West with a modern organic appeal and rugged functionality. A love…
Attorney at Law, Humanitarian at Heart
Immigration is a hot issue not only nationally, but locally. And lawyer and teacher Hannah E. Stone has been at its center in Whatcom County. Stone, 42, has worked in immigration and citizenship law in Bellingham for 11…
Forest Fighters
Amid the economic crisis of the Great Depression, 200 young, unmarried men ages 18 to 25 labored long days to build access roads, fire lookouts, and other structures on some of Whatcom County’s most prized public lands. Eighty-five years later, the young men’s work is being recognized with a statue at the Glacier Public Service…
An Anacortes Home for the Sunset Years
Here is a quick glimpse inside this beautiful home in Anacortes, with amazing detail to design and even more incredible views.
Tri-Cities and Prosser Areas: A Haven for Washington Wine Lovers
Western Washington wine lovers in search of a wine-related getaway should look no further than the eastern side of the state. The Tri-Cities and Prosser areas boast plentiful sunshine, a dry climate year-round, and scores of wineries that feature some of the best food and wine the state has to offer. THE TRI-CITIES According to Visit Tri-Cities.com…
Restoring Marine Habitat, One Crab Pot at a Time
Bryan Dealing yells, “Stand by! Let it go! Twenty-six feet!” and then, splash! The diver, with his hand gripping the weighted rope that leads into the sea below him, steps off from the back of the boat into the cloudy, dark waters of Everett’s Port Gardner. It’s the middle of February. While not raining, the wind blows hard across the chilling water and the boat deck offers little protection. Fully covered in neoprene,…
Bringing the Beauty Home with You
Meraki Boutique in Victoria, B.C. offers locally crafted goods and high-quality fashions in the Uptown Shopping Centre.
Red Rum Tiki Bar | Mixing Tin
Heeeere’s Johnny! (With Your Cocktail) Are you ready to be transported to an island oasis? Take one step into Red Rum, the new tiki bar in downtown Bellingham, and you’re greeted with bamboo huts, tiki torches, and no visible windows hinting at what the outside world holds. You can’t tell day from night, only that this may be paradise. Red Rum…
Humor Without a Safety Net
By its nature, Bellingham Alive is designed to be a perpetual work in progress. As our community changes, Bellingham Alive will always change with it. Few may have believed that Bellingham Alive would succeed when we published our first issue 10 years ago in the Great Recession. I did, however. I had faith in my wife, Lisa, and her vision and determination. Our goal was simple—to simply make a difference in our community, to celebrate our community, and to help drive business through the doors of our community. Certainly, we hope that our magazine has become a source of pride for our local counties. That is our goal. That is our commitment to you.
Lasting Image | Kerry Butowicz
Beltane is celebrated with a maypole dance. This shot was achieved by standing in the middle of the dancers underneath the interwoven ribbons. Feeling the joy of the community surrounding me brought this festival to life in its purest form.