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Fresh Spot Prawns in Bellingham

July 3rd, 2009 by Rich | Posted in Bellingham, Downtown, NEIGHBORHOODS | No Comments

Fresh SpotPrawns Fit for a King at Squalicum Harbor

Live Spot Prawns at Squalicum Harbor

Live Spot Prawns at Squalicum Harbor

If you have been driving around Bellingham lately, you may have noticed signs  advertising “Live Spot Prawns” at Squalicum Harbor. 

Buying Spot Prawns at Squalicum Harbor

Buying Spot Prawns at Squalicum Harbor

Well let me tell you,  if you have not taken the time to drive down to visit Andy and Sandy Fisk on their fishing vessel “Bear Paw” you should.  They are the owners of Mad Jax’s Sea Food.  Andy and Sandy provide sea food directly from the Puget Sound to your dinner table.  Andy told me that, in season, they’ll have spot prawns, salmon & crab.  People were lined up to buy their spot prawns which were kept in a live tank aboard their fishing boat.  If you are look’n for fresh, this is as good as it gets.

Andy and Sandy proudly say that they are a local commercial fishing family that sustainably harvests and markets their own catch.  Their spot prawn season runs from June 17th until mid August while the dungeness crab season begins in October and runs though March.

While I was on the dock, I had the pleasure of meeting another fisherman Tom Faulkner.  Tom will have an ample supply supply of fresh salmon as well as the season develops. 

Anyway, if you are looking for fresh seafood, you’ll find none finer than what you can get from our local fisherman.  Andy and Sandy even gave me one of their favorite recipes “Classic Shrimp Boil”.  Lylene and I will try it out tonight.

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July 2nd, 2009 by Fawn | Posted in Random | No Comments

Painting is often times the best and most cost effective way to revamp a room. Is it painting2time for you to  freshen up your walls with a new coat of paint? Here are a few ideas to help you paint like a pro.

Pick your best technique.
Short on time? Try a roller: Pros find it takes about a third of the time of brushing. The downside? You’ll need a third more paint!

Do a patch test.
Color changes with the light – so invest in sample size jars and brush a bit onto every wall in the room; in a few days, you’ll know which color to buy.

Mix up perfection.
Color coming on too strong? Take the test of the can back to the store and have them mix in “decorator’s white.” This neutral tint will lighten your color without changing the hue!

Dress for Success.
Tie a string around your waist and tuck in several barely damp rags – like chefs towels. You’ll always have a wipe-up handy!

Ditch daily cleanup.
At the end of the day, wrap unwashed brushes and rollers in plastic wrap, then bag and freeze for up to three days. Let them thaw before unwrapping and resuming your paint job.

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Whatcom County’s Growth Management Coordinating Council Meeting

July 1st, 2009 by Lylene | Posted in Development & Growth, Random, Whatcom County | No Comments

Provided by David Stalheim, Director, Whatcom County Planning & Development Services

Please find attached the proposed agenda for the upcoming Whatcom County Growth Management Coordinating Council.  The information provided to the Coordinating Council is posted on our web site.  You can obtain the background information, review public comments we have received, and obtain other information by going to our web site (www.co.whatcom.wa.us/pds/2031).  

The purpose of the Growth Management Coordinating Council is to guide the development and adoption of a coordinated management strategy among all jurisdictions in Whatcom County that addresses growth and development over the next 20 years.  While the recommendations of this Coordinating Council are not binding on the individual jurisdictions, they provide a common basis andunderstanding that can be agreed to by the County and Cities.

If you wish to provide input to the Growth Management Coordinating Council regarding the items onthe agenda, please send comment letters to the attention of Kate Koch, Public Involvement
Coordinator (KKoch@co.whatcom.wa.us).  These comments will be posted to the web site.

Thank you for your interest in Whatcom County growth management efforts.

AGENDA

July 1, 2009

Cornwall Church “Commons”, 4518 Northwest Road, Bellingham, WA, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

 

I. Welcome and Introductions Jack Louws

II. Minutes – Review and approve minutes of June 3, 2009

III. Urban Growth Area Review Recommendations – 90 minutes

Review and consideration of draft policy paper regarding the UGA review.

IV. Future of GMCC – 20 minutes

Review of GMCC issues and interest in continuing forum.

VI. Other Business

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Flag Dedication This Friday July 3rd in Fairhaven

June 29th, 2009 by Fawn | Posted in Bellingham, Fairhaven, NEIGHBORHOODS, Whatcom County Events | No Comments

american-flagAn immense new 15 X 25 foot flag will soon fly from the 110 foot tall
Fairhaven Veterans Memorial Flagpole, replacing a smaller 12 X 18 flag that
weathers winter storms.  The former large summer flag suffered wear and had
to be retired.   
Dedication is set for Friday, July 3rd at 2:00 pm.  The flag is located in
front of the Fairhaven Library on 12th Street.  The public is invited.   

Donated by Ram Construction and coordinated by Stephanie Johnson, President
of the Old Fairhaven Association, the new flag was ordered by Kiwanis Club
Flag volunteer, Frank Orr.  “We do go through the flags in the northwest
weather,” said Johnson.  “It’s an expensive thing to replace, costing up to
$500.00 for a large one.” Mike Hammes, the owner of Ram Construction, �
overheard Johnson’s conversation with his crew about the flag during The
Fairhaven Festival and immediately volunteered to donate a new one to
support the Veterans.  “He had previously donated time and equipment to put
up our current steel flag pole after the old wooden one fell in a
windstorm.” That pole was dedicated on March 24th, 2008.  Ebenal General
also contributed funds for the project.

The original wood flag was installed in 1990 as a memorial to fallen
veterans.  It is maintained by local veterans and The Old Fairhaven
Association. As one of the tallest flag poles in the state, it serves as a
landmark in the Historic Fairhaven District.  The staff at the Fairhaven
Haggen raises and lowers the flag as occasions specified by the Governor
dictates.

 

 

 

Thanks to the Old Fairhaven Association for the great update!

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FCIC Update

June 28th, 2009 by Lylene | Posted in FDIC Updates | No Comments

Here is the latest from the FDIC..


Joint Release
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Office of Thrift Supervision

 
June 26, 2009

Agencies Issue Interim Final Rule for Mortgage Loans Modified Under the Making Home Affordable Program

The federal bank and thrift regulatory agencies today invited public comment on an interim final rule that provides that mortgage loans modified under the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Making Home Affordable Program (MHAP) will retain the risk weight applicable before modification.

On March 4, 2009, the Treasury announced guidelines under the MHAP to promote sustainable loan modifications for homeowners at risk of losing their homes to foreclosure. The interim final rule would provide a common interagency capital treatment for mortgage loans modified under MHAP. For example, mortgage loans risk weighted at 50 percent prior to modification would continue to be risk weighted at 50 percent after modification provided they continue to meet other applicable criteria.

The interim final rule, by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Office of Thrift Supervision, will take effect upon publication in the Federal Register, which is expected shortly. Public comments must be submitted within 30 days after publication in the Federal Register.

The Federal Register notice is attached.

# # #

Attachment
Risk-Based Capital Guidelines; Capital Adequacy Guidelines; Capital Maintenance; Capital —Residential Mortgage Loans Modified Pursuant to the Making Home Affordable Program – PDF (PDF Help)

 

GovDelivery, Inc. sending on behalf of FDIC Subscriptions · 3501 Fairfax Drive · Arlington VA 22226 · 877-275-3342

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Cherry Harvest in the Yakima Valley

June 28th, 2009 by Lylene | Posted in Random | No Comments

A Working Vacation

Graham & I are in Grandview, a small town in the Yakima Valley of Eastern Washington, helping my brother and sister-in-law (Dyke & Gloria), with their cherry harvest.  Actually, Graham is helping in the orchard and I am the cook, but I manage to get out in the field and take advantage of unlimited access to fresh Bing cherries.

Bing Cherries Ready for Harvest

Bing Cherries Ready for Harvest

The harvest is huge this year – I was born and raised here, and I don’t ever remember seeing the trees loaded as heavily as they are right now.  A large crop translates into low prices to the farmer, but some cherries are worth more than others.  In many orchards the fruit is so thickly packed on the branches that it is small, and it will go to the cannery for a low price.  The large, premium fruit will be packed and sold on the fresh market (and exported), so it commands a higher price.  A farmer gets an intial indication of the “pack out” on his fruit during or shortly after harvest, but he won’t actually get completely paid and know if he has made any money for several months after the season is over.

Harvest is really an exciting time.  We were up by 4:00 and pickers were showing up by 4:30.  On the first morning, Gloria has to check papers and get a W-9 from every picker in the light of the truck headlights, and she had 29 families show up to work.  Most of them are local people or people who have picked for her in years past.  All the neighbors are picking their orchards as well, and by late morning the field man was out to tell us that the warehouse was behind, we had to stop picking, and the warehouse would not accept fruit on Sunday so that they could catch up.  Even so, we delivered 111 bins to the warehouse for processing.

Carmen Mary & Graham - What a Team!

Carmen Mary & Graham - What a Team!

It was a very busy day - all the crew involved with collecting the cherries after they are picked and getting them out of the orchard are equipped with walkie-talkies so that they know where they need to be.  There are two primary goals – make sure the pickers have what they need to keep picking (boxes and trees) and get the fruit to the warehouse as quickly as possible.  Graham was literally running  from one end of the orchard to the other and Gloria was darting about on the quad – moving boxes, helping empty them into bins, directing the pickers to the next row to be picked, calling the swamping crew (they transfer fruit from boxes to bins to the loading area) to tell them where pickup was needed.  Even though the pickers stopped at noon, it took until after 3:00 to get everything to the warehouse.   

Tomorrow it will start all over again, but we will be missing Dyke, who did the loading and hauling.  That will be Graham’s job, along with helping Gloria to keep the crew going.  He is in the orchard now to make sure he is ready to hit the ground running tomorrow. 

Watch for an update tomorrow – and if you have harvest stories, share them here.  There are many people who have never experienced it.

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Sinclair Island- A Hidden San Juan Island Get A Way

June 25th, 2009 by Fawn | Posted in Bellingham, Lummi Island, Random, Whatcom County | No Comments
View of Lummis Island from Sinclair Island

View of Lummi Island from Sinclair Island

Living in the  area there are so many natural hidden treasures at your finger tips. So many natural retreats to take in the beautiful scenery this area has to offer.

One of my personal favorite Bellingham area get a aways is Sinclair Island. Sinclair Island is part of the San Juan Islands located off the coast of Skagit and Whatcom Counties. Sinclair Island is a small island only 1.586 square miles in size and home to only a handful of residents.

Cruise Ship in the San Juans

Cruise Ship in the San Juans

First discovered between 1838-1842 by the Wilkes Expeditionthe Island was named after Authur Sinclair a captain of a naval ship during the War of 1812. Sinclair has served as home to farmers, homesteaders,fir trappers and today is home to a small group of mostly seasonal residents and visitors who come to the island to enjoy the peaceful waterfront beauty it has to offer.

View from the plane ride to Sinclair Island

View from the plane ride to Sinclair Island

Sinclair Island is located 5 miles north of Anacortes off the tip of Cypress Island and is accessed only by plane or boat. There is a 45 ft public day dock located on the island’s East shore and the  airstrip is located on the Island’s Northwest side. While most of the Island is privately owned it’s a great place for a day trip to walk the local road and check out a remote San Juan Island away from the traffic, and hustle of the city. 

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Mamma Mia Showing This Saturday at Fairhaven’s Outdoor Cinema

June 25th, 2009 by Fawn | Posted in Fairhaven, NEIGHBORHOODS, Random, Whatcom County Events | No Comments

mamma-mia2This Saturday June 27th come down to  Bellingham’s Historic Fairhaven District and enjoy a movie at the Village Green.  The outdoor cinema activities kick off at 8:30pm with live music by Jumba Marimba . The weekly move this week is Mamma Mia the muscial. The movie will start at dusk and will be display on the lovely brick face in front of the Village Green.

Feel free to bring out your blanket and lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the movie. Blanket and very low back chairs are permitted in the grass and other lawn chairs will be allowed in the brick areas. A donation of $5 is gladly accepted.

The Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema is a uniquely Bellingham experiance. Whether you have visitors in from out of town or are looking to take the family out for the evening, the outdoor cinema is a great choice!

Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema

Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema

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FDIC Updates

June 25th, 2009 by Lylene | Posted in FDIC Updates | No Comments
Logo of the United States Federal Deposit Insu...
Image via Wikipedia

 FDIC Report Reviews Events and Lessons of 2008

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is the federal agency that insures the money you have deposited in a US bank, in the event that bank should fail.  They are proud to point out that not a dollar of deposits has been lost to an account owner since this agency was established.  It is funded by insurance premiums paid by the banks.  It is important to note that this agency does not cover all deposits in all types of financial institutions.

The FDIC regularly sends out updates on topics as diverse as changes in the insurance premiums to warnings about counterfeit cashiers checks to recent bank failures.  Some are very interesting and some are pretty mundane, but we may differ on which is which.  So…as we receive these updates, we will be posting them on the blog for your information.

Following is a notice about and link to an interesting report recently issued by the FDIC.

 

Press Release

FDIC Report Reviews Events and Lessons of 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2009
Media Contact:
David Barr (202-898-6992)

The Summer 2009 issue of Supervisory Insights, released today, documents some of the major financial events of a tumultuous 2008 and highlights areas of current and future supervisory emphasis, including key regulatory developments and the ongoing technological evolution of bank products.

“Looking back, 2008 was a year that will reshape and define the financial services industry,” said Sandra L. Thompson, Director, Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection. “Based on the events of last year, supervisors can discern areas that will frame the future supervisory agenda – in the areas of both safety and soundness and compliance.”

“A Year in Bank Supervision: 2008 and a Few of Its Lessons” chronicles a year in which financial institution credit risk and liquidity stresses came to the fore, triggering an array of emergency financial support programs and reassessments of financial regulation. This article concludes with observations on how these events may influence the future focus of bank supervision.

This issue of Supervisory Insights also previews new requirements included in amendments to Regulation Z (Truth-in-Lending) and the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act, which will take effect later this year. “Changes to Regulation Z Afford Increased Consumer Protections” identifies useful implications of these new requirements for examiners and bankers.

More banks are offering Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) as an alternative to processing check deposits and, although RDC offers substantial benefits, this technology is not without risks. “Remote Deposit Capture: A Primer” describes the growing popularity of this product, identifies the risks, and provides an overview of appropriate risk-mitigation strategies.

Supervisory Insights provides a forum for discussing how bank regulation and policy are put into practice in the field, sharing best practices, and communicating about the emerging issues that bank supervisors face. The journal is available on the FDIC’s Web site at http://www.fdic.gov/regulations/examinations/supervisory/insights/index.html. Suggestions for future topics and requests for permission to reprint articles should be e-mailed to supervisoryjournal@fdic.gov. Requests for print copies should be e-mailed to publicinfo@fdic.gov.

If you have comments or questions about the FDIC’s report, share them here.  We  all learn more when we share our experiences.

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PSA Salmon Derby dates are set – July 10th,11th and 12th

June 25th, 2009 by Mike | Posted in Fishing, Random | No Comments

The Puget Sound Anglers Salmon Derby is set to kick off- July 10th in marine area 7. The derby will go till the 12th with the final weigh in at 12 noon. Be sure to get your tickets quick as there will only be 500 issued.

Prizes are as follows- 1st $5,000, 2nd $2,500, 3rd $1,000— and there are a couple secret weights for $500 each– plus-

these great prizes…

$600 Gift Certificate from B&J Fiberglass

4 – $250 gift certificates from Vander Yacht propane

A log truck load of firewood  from Gradework’s Inc. and delivered to you by Brett Engholm Trucking

A load of gravel from Concrete Norwest

A gift certificate good for one free haul out from Seaview North Boat Yard – up to a 50 ft. boat

A gift certificate for 1/2 off a spray in bedliner from Tucker’s Tuffer Coatings

A pickup load of firewood from Chris McCall

Lots of restaurant gift certificates

A gift certificate from Wood’s Logging

 In addition to these great prizes, many more prizes will be awarded.

It is a fun derby with plenty of kid’s prizes- it really is a family derby- so bring the whole family along. If you are not from the area and need tips on the fishing spots- just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help-360-303-2734

In Whatcom County- you can get your derby tickets at LFS, Yeagers & Clearwater– in Lynden at Daves Sporting Goods– In Burlington, Holiday Sports and Bayside Marine in Everett– Good luck to all!

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SOUTH BELLINGHAM OFFICE
1215 Old Fairhaven Parkway, Suite E
Bellingham, WA 98225

info@johnsonteamrealestate.com - Toll Free- 1-888-713-3056 - Phone: (360) 527-8766 - FAX: (360) 527-8769