Festival of Music tckets go on sale tomorrow! Check out the schedule and get ticket info at http://www.bellinghamfestival.org/.

 

Good news for all you outdoor fans in Whatcom County (and we know there are tons of you) - the first ever Whatcom County Outdoor Expo is happening in two weeks! 

On Saturday April 15th, you will get the chance to not only look around booths and see what cool new things are coming, but you will also get to try it out! Kayaks, canoes, scuba gear, motor boats, fly-casting rods and reels will all be available for you to try at the lake. 

So here are the details: 

Saturday, April 15 9am-4pm
Bloedel Donavan Community Building and Lake Whatcom
Admission is $4, 15 and under are free. Or get free tickets from any Banner Bank in Whatcom or Skagit County 

http://www.whatcomoutdoorexpo.com/ 

Have fun!

Bellingham city council delayed their decision on which rezoning requests to consider. Many of the rezoning requests involved changing industrial land to other uses such as commercial, and residential. City planners were concerned about this and advised that no decisions be made until they were able to take a more comprehensive look at the city’s land supply.

The Bellingham City Council is scheduled to meet next Monday, April 3 at 7pm at City Hall, 210 Lotie St. to further discuss rezoning.

For more info go to www.cob.org and click on City Council, then Meeting agendas.

There will be an open house tonight at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Ave., sponsored by the Port of Bellingham’s Marina Advisory Committee. Located in the Dome Room, there will be multiple stations set up with information about various aspects of the redevelopment project. The Port of Bellingham staff member or outsider responsible for assembling the information will be at each respective booth.

Other News:

The Planning Commission and the Waterfront Advisory Group recently toured the GP site and considered different master plans which were measured and marked out on the pavement.

A building known as the “white house” which is the former GP administrative building will be demolished. As part of the purchase agreement, GP agreed to demolish several of the buildings on the site. Northwest Recycling has been chosen for the job and they will work to recycle and reuse as much of the material as possible.

The Port’s Art Committee also recently toured the site looking for artifacts that should be preserved for historical interpretation, and items which artists could use for future projects. Of particular interest to them where the large metal spheres, tall ceramic towers and some of the large chipper equipment. The Art Committee’s findings will be share with the rest of the Port Commission later this spring.

Port of Bellingham staff will meet this week to discuss the joint website www.newwhatcom.org and discuss ways of improving the site. Although all the comments on the site are available to view, they are in a 50 page long document that is difficult to search. Their goal is to improve the site and make it more user friendly and searchable.

Do you like to buy fresh local produce, but aren’t sure where to go? Sustainable Connections Food & Farming Programs is releasing their 2006 Whatcom Farm Map & Guide in April.

The map will feature 47 local farms, wineries, nurseries, U-pick fields and other local food producers. Their goal is to help people “find fresh, local products grown, raised and caught in Whatcom County.”

The maps will be available at participating grocery stores and restaurants.  For more info go to www.sustainableconnections.org or call 647-2902.

Comment
About: The city’s determination that a proposed subdivision will not have a significant environmental impact with conditions.
Location: West Third Street, on the west side
Homes: 18
Applicant: Freeland and Associates Inc.
Comment Deadline: Thursday, March 30
Hearing: 7pm, Monday April 3 at Nooksack City Hall, 103 W. Madison St.

Public Hearing
About: Subdivision moratorium imposed due to questions about sewer-line capacity.
When: 7pm, Monday, April 17 at Nooksack City Hall, 103 W. Madison St.

More info: Call 966-2531

Hearing
Application: Build a child care center
Location: 1625 W Axton Rd.
Size: 7,000 square feet
Land: 2.3 acres
Applicant: Faber Brothers Construction
When: 7pm, Thursday April 6
Where: City Hall Annex, 5694 Second Ave.

More info: Call 384-4006 or go to www.cityofferndale.org.

Comment
About: Proposed Beach Access subdivision
Location: 4300 block of Tull Road
Land: 1.2 acres
Homes: 18
Applicant: James Beach
Extra: The application includes variances from wetland/stream permits and subdivision requirements.

The Planning Committee will have a work session on Thursday, March 30 about the city center design rules and review, and about residential development regulations.
When: 7pm, Thursday, March 30
Where: Council Chambers at City Hall, 210 Lotie St., Bellingham

More info: Call 676-6982 or go to www.cob.org/pcd/index.htm

Location: 400 block of West Bakerview Rd. (Corner of W. Bakerview and Eliza Ave)
Project: Bakerview Square
Developer: Morgan Bartlett
Contractor: Faber Brothers Construction
Completion: Early 2007
Cost: $6.5 million
Special: The first phase of Bakerview Square will have 3 buildings with 50,000 square feet of retail space for 15-20 tenants. When fully completed, Bakerview Square will have 6 buildings and 120,000 square feet of retail space.
More info: www.bakerviewsquare.com

I meant to write this restaurant review a couple of weeks ago but then got busy. So here it is!

For my birthday, my wonderful husband and several friends took me to the Big Fat Fish Co restaurant in Fairhaven and I must say - I was impressed! The new restaurant has been wonderfully decorated in a modern style that is fun, yet still elegant and cozy.

I started the evening off with a Mango Mojito that left a lot to be desired. However, my server and the Big Fat Fish Co redeemed themselves by quickly getting me another drink that was much better - a Cosmo!

Appetizers were next and I commend them on their selection. At our table, the favorites were the calamari and clam chowder. Dinner was quite diverse with everything from seafood, to steak, to sushi, to salad and all were quite enjoyable. The menu promised that my Cioppino would have “copious amounts of wine and garlic” and it certainly delivered! Delicious!

Their dessert menu was interesting: it was a tray with samples of everything. Being that my all time favorite, creme brulee, was there it was a no brainer.  While I did enjoy the dessert, the creme brulee was not quite firm enough so I would only give it a 7 out of 10.

Overall, we had a wonderful time at the Big Fat Fish Co restaurant. Throughout the evening we enjoyed good service, diverse and tasty food, and a comfortable environment. I would strongly suggest the Big Fat Fish Co in Fairhaven for a fun dinner date, or a group dinner. If you are shooting for romance, see if you can get the little deuce table that is right beside the fireplace!

One last note: Rich dared me to get a photo with the chef and I did it! However, I will admit that it is not the best picture of me so I have opted not to include it in this post.

Big Fat Fish Co
1304 12th St.
Bellingham, WA  98225
360-733-2284
http://www.bigfatfishco.com/Â