Encore October 2017

A Guide to a Fulfilling Senior Life in Whatcom County

ENCORE Wednesday, October 25, 2017

What’s Inside....

Chuck Robinson bikes coast-to-coast to raise money for nonprofits ..........C2

“Grandma” Geri Tjoelker tracked Jared Norgren as he traversed the Pacific Crest Trail..............................C10

A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

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Chuck Robinson pedals cross country, raising money for nonprofits Former Village Books owner completed twopart coast-to-coast bike ride Oct. 12

By Nick Elges sports@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — Back in the summer of 2015, former Village Books owner Chuck Robinson took off from Bellingham on his bike with his sights set on his hometown of Galva, Illinois, where his 50th high school class reunion would be held.

It was a trip that would span almost 2,400 miles. Robinson rode nearly 1,500 miles in 37 days before two loose dogs knocked him off his bike near Mandan, North Dakota, resulting in a fall that broke three ribs and cracked two others.

Needless to say, Robinson’s ride ended short of his final destination, although he and his wife, Dee — who had been following along in a motor home — still reached the reunion.

Aside from riding to Illinois, Robinson, now age 69, had always planned to pedal all the way to the East Coast — specifically Bar Harbor, Maine.

This year, on Sept. 1 Robinson returned to the site of his North Dakota crash to resume his excursion. On Oct. 12 he reached his final destination, celebrating with a local meal in Bar Harbor.

“I usually tell people it was a just a moment of insanity,” Robinson jokingly says of answering questions about his motivation for the trip.

Throughout his ride, Robinson kept up a daily blog called “Chuck’s Big Ride Redux” to track his activity — see http:// ride2400.typepad.com/chucks_big_ ride/.

Robinson had been interested in long-distance bike riding for well over a decade prior to this grand tour. He has been on the two-day Seattle-to-Portland and Seattle-to-Vancouver, B.C. jaunts multiple times in the past.

“Once you figure out you can ride 100-plus miles in a day, I think you start to think about doing a cross-country trip,”

Chuck Robinson was on the road for six weeks this fall to fulfill his dream of biking entirely across the country.

(Courtesy photo)

he said.

As co-owner, along with Dee, of Village Books and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven and eventually Lynden, for 37 years — the couple sold the stores in January — Chuck decided, “If I was going to ride, I figured I might as well raise some money as well.”

So that’s what he did.

Robinson pledged $1 per mile cov-

ered during the trip to three separate nonprofit organizations — the Whatcom Community Foundation, the Whatcom Community College Foundation and the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.

He also welcomed donations from those willing to pledge money.

During the first part of his tour in 2015, Robinson mentioned that he also raised funds for his hometown school dis-

trict in Illinois.

By the time he reached Maine, Robinson himself had donated about $2,000 in total to the three foundations during part two of his tour. With the help of backers, he estimates more than $45,000 in all has been raised.

Even some of Robinson’s local author friends generously matched or exceeded Robinson’s donation.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

ENCORE Once in Bar Harbor, the Robinsons met up with a board member of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation to celebrate the completion of Chuck’s trip and its fundraising success. Along the way, the couple was also able to visit local bookstores to provide information about the foundation and what it can do for the industry.

The mission, according to the foundation’s website, is “to strengthen the bookselling community through charitable programs that support employees and their families.”

Originally involved in education in their early years, Chuck and Dee ended up making a career change focused on their love for books when they opened Village Books in Bellingham in 1980. They ran the stores for more than 37 years before selling the company to three employees earlier this year.

They were once told this about the bookstore industry: “It’s not a great way to get rich, but it’s a wonderful way to make a living.”

“I was on my way to being a special education director (back in Illinois) and would have made more money, but I think I ended up being more happy (owning Village Books),” Robinson said.

The couple originally lived above

their store in the Fairhaven district before moving in the summer of 2016 to Lynden, where they had also opened another branch of their bookstore brand.

Robinson points out a roughly 100mile paved railroad trail that goes from Fergus Falls to St. Joseph, Minnesota, as his favorite part of the trip, saying it was similar to the Centennial Trail in Snohomish. He also enjoyed riding along the Erie Canal from Buffalo to Amsterdam, New York.

Chuck and Dee were able to coordinate meeting and stopping points along the way, staying in campsites most nights while also sometimes boarding with friends.

“This would have been a whole lot harder without cell phones,” Dee told Chuck after the trip.

Averaging about 55-60 miles per day, peaking around 80 miles on a long day, Robinson enjoyed the adventure, but now that he has it checked off his to-do list, he’ll stick to shorter rides going forward.

“I probably wouldn’t do it again,” Robinson said with a laugh. “There are some other rides I’d like to do.”

In short, Robinson’s trip was the result of a “why not?” mindset.

“It’s like the mountain climbers — because it’s there,” he said.

The goal was achieved in Bar Harbor, Maine — hooray! (Courtesy photo)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

Surprising things happen at Adult Day Health Tool Time, music, even live animals can provide seniors interaction LYNDEN ­ — Last summer at Northwest Adult Day Health, a handful of men sat around a long table gazing intently at piles of electronics spilled out before them.

Screwdrivers in hand, they took apart hair dryers, electronic mixers, clothes irons and other small appliances, their aged fingers deftly working like it was four decades earlier.

All smiles as they did their work, the men enjoyed the opportunity to relive fun times of years back when they would putter around their garages at home.

“Working with hand tools is a great activity to maintain or improve fine motor skills and also to maintain mental processing abilities, as activities like this help improve focus and attention,” said Kevyn Avery, social worker. “It’s fun and stimulating for former machinists, mechanics, engineers and builders.”

Tool Time is one of a number of activities at Northwest Adult Day Health designed to keep members’ minds and bodies active in fun and novel ways.

Music is another. It often leads to

Music can be a surprising power for seniors, stimulating cognitive function and bringing back memories of former times, says social worker Kevyn Avery, right. (Courtesy photo)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

Last summer, men sat around a table at Northwest Adult Day Health fixing items. (Courtesy photo) amazing transformations of members.

“We see our clients with speech problems like aphasia string words together to form sentences when they are singing,” Avery said. “We see our clients with profound memory loss sing every word to a classic song, and we get to see friendships form as our participants reminisce while listening to live music that is performed here.”

Taking things to the max, once a local dairy farmer brought two calves to NWADH to demonstrate caring for, feeding and preparing them for showing at the Northwest Washington Fair.

“We could not have expected what ended up happening,” Avery said. “Almost all of our clients were engaged in conversation with each other as they reminisced about farms they grew up on. It was so fun to see!”

Such pleasant and interactive experiences are possible only through the planning of NWADH staff. From careful evaluation of clients, the goal is to help them build friendships and engage in programs that become therapeutic and stimulating.

“We know that it is common for older adults to isolate and withdraw, simply because they have lost so many friendships,” Avery says. “We want to try and turn that around for the individuals who come here on a regular basis.”

The results prove the success of a model of care, Avery adds. Whether in dementia care, assisted living or varied activities, NWADH aims to provide a needed service and quality of life to seniors in Whatcom County.

“We have seen our clients and their families form friendships through our program, which rarely happens out in the community for someone with dementia or another chronic illness,” according to Avery. “We often get to see the quality of life improve for our participants once they bond with others, exercise regularly and engage in cognitively stimulating activities.”

For more information on finding help for aging loved ones or to take an informational tour of the Lynden facility, contact NWADH at 360-306-3031.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

Healthy skeletons aren’t scary skeletons Bone health matters as we age, and you can do something about it Osteoporosis has become somewhat of a national epidemic.

An estimated 44 million Americans have, or are at risk for, osteoporosis, and 1.5 million of them suffer from a fracture each year. Most fractures lead to pain, disability and/or poor quality of life. Most of us don’t know much about our bones, about how to make them more resilient to stress, or how we can decrease our risk for falls and fractures.

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease characterized by changes in bone mass and bone structure leading to skeletal fragility. Osteopenia is decreased bone density but not to the extent of osteoporosis. This decreased bone density leads to bone fragility and an increased chance of breaking a bone.

Many factors contribute to the onset of osteoporosis. Unfortunately, several you

can’t do much about, such as age, gender, ethnicity and genetics.

Older people, especially women, are at risk for osteoporosis. As much as 60-80 percent of your risk for low bone mass may be genetic, but 20-40 percent control of your bone health is still very significant. By being physically active, eating a healthy diet high in nutrients and avoiding smoking and excessive drinking, individuals can reduce development of osteoporosis.

We reach our peak bone mass around age 30, at which time our bone mass remains steady for many years. For women at menopause, bone mass begins to drop dramatically due to a loss of estrogen. Men also lose bone mass as they age, but not as significantly as females do.

Part of the reason for declining bone mass is a sedentary lifestyle that leads to a loss of muscle and strength, which also negatively affects bone.

Osteoporosis isn’t the only cause of fracture, but it can be a contributing factor.

Half of vertebral fractures result from a fall.

An overwhelming 95 percent of hip fractures

Bone density measurements are important, as osteoporosis is defined as highly decreased bone density. result from a fall. It follows that avoiding a fall may be just as important as avoiding osteoporosis!

Two major keys for decreasing fracture risk are: 1) improving strength and balance to avoid falls altogether, and 2) improving bone health to lower risk of fracture when a fall does occur.

Impact and resistance exercise can build bone mass and reduce bone loss while

strength and balance training may help to avoid a fall and subsequent fracture.

If you have been diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, it is a good idea to have your physician review your exercise program. If you have not been diagnosed with significant bone loss, participating in regular strength training and balance exercises can help to reduce fall and fracture risks.

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Some pointers for seniors at Halloween While seniors may love to see children in costumes on Halloween night, the constant door knocking, masked visitors and unfamiliar faces can be intimidating. After all, one-third of all seniors who live at home, live alone and most are women.

That’s why Visiting Angels, one of the nation’s largest in-home senior care companies with a local office, offers seniors and their families a chance to hire a “Halloween Helper” on Oct. 31.

If family can’t be with their senior loved one that night, Visiting Angels’ “Halloween Helpers” make it possible for seniors to experience the fun (not the fear) of the holiday.

These helpers shop for candy, help prepare seniors’ homes for a safe Halloween, answer the door, help hand out candy to trick-or-treaters, and simply provide seniors peace of mind during the flood of front-door company.

Here are some general pointers for Halloween: • Never leave a senior with dementia or physical limitations home alone on Halloween — they are more sensitive to noises and unfamiliar faces.

• Provide companionship and a sense of security so any possible troublemakers get the idea more than one person is living in the home.

• Keep guests outside. Never let an unknown trick-or-treater inside to use the bathroom or make a phone call.

• Turn on interior and exterior lights during trick-or-treating hours even if no one is home or if the senior chooses not to answer the door. While a dark home may signal to trick-or-treaters that there is no candy, it also tells vandals the house could be empty.

• Stay inside while handing out candy.

• Post a sign on the door that says “Sorry, No More Candy” when the goodies run out.

• Don’t play music outside for Halloween guests — be aware of your surroundings.

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LYNDEN — Adult Care Lynden will have a “fall celebration” for its senior members and their grandchildren on Tuesday, Oct. 31, from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

There will be refreshments, trick-or-

treating with game stations for children, a costume contest judged by residents, prizes and lots of fun at the 925 East Front St. location, said owner Kim Honorof.

“Every senior or adult that brings a child in a costume will receive a free fidget spinner for the child and a free cell phone fan or cell phone charger for the adult,” Honorof said. “We will be giving tours of our facilities at that same time.”

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

Stafholt Good Samaritan Society holds open house

A variety of amenities exist at the Stafholt Good Samaritan Society; they were showcased at an open house last week. (Ashley Hiruko/Lynden Tribune)

Goal of Blaine facility is an atmosphere of quality care

By Ashley Hiruko ashley@lyndentribune.com

BLAINE — The Stafholt Good Samari-

tan Society held an open house last week to showcase its many ways of serving patients in their long-term and rehab health needs.

The fall event on Saturday, Oct. 21, featured appetizers, tours of the premises and a chance to see a new massage room and private rehabilitation suites.

The private rehab rooms offer a place for patients to recuperate, and they are

accessible for others to come and visit.

Those staying in the facility are able to maintain connections with family, friends and home life.

“A lot of times we’re finding people who are having surgery and need to go somewhere for rehab are coming from Birch Bay, Lynden or Ferndale,” said administrator Trevor Guthmiller. “And they’re closer to family and friends stay-

ing out here.” Others staying at the health care facility may be receiving respite care, have extended stays, and sometimes suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s.

For all those within programs at the center, there are various amenities to use: a beauty shop for hair and nails, a chapel, aromatherapy and a therapy room, to name a few. Musical performers are also a frequent treat.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

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A positive atmosphere is key to good care at Stafholt Good Samaritan Society. (Ashley Hiruko/Lynden Tribune)

Those employed by the Samaritan Society work hard to cultivate a positive atmosphere. “We want to make it a positive experience for people because we work

here too,” Guthmiller said. “They don’t live where we work. We work where they live.”

He believes that what makes Stafholt even more exceptional are the relation-

ships formed between personnel and health care patients. “Oftentimes we’ve grown very close to them,” Guthmiller said. “We just love our residents. They are

a part of who we are.”

For more information, visit www. good-sam.com/locations/stafholt or call 360-332-8733.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

‘Grandma’ tracked him all along Pacific Crest Trail Geri Tjoelker also kept Jared Norgren in her daily prayers

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

Jared Norgren sits with “grandma” Geri Tjoelker at her Lynden apartment after completing the Pacific Crest Trail this fall. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

Wrap up a full year of Christmas with one gift.

LYNDEN ­— For nearly five months Geri Tjoelker tracked Jared Norgren from a distance — using an atlas in her Heather Square apartment — as he trekked the Pacific Crest Trail.

She prayed for him daily to have the strength and safety to complete the 2,650mile walk from Mexico to Canada, mostly along the spine of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.

On Oct. 13 Geri was able to welcome Jared to her kitchen table healthy and whole, proof that he had completed the journey.

The connection of the two is that Jared’s girlfriend, Emily Laninga, of Bellingham, is Geri’s granddaughter. But she certainly looked after him like a son.

“It might be harder on grandma than

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

ENCORE on him,” Tjoelker said in letting the Tribune know of Norgren’s adventure and her role in it.

She had made plans of meeting up with Jared in person somewhere along his route in Washington State — “in case you want me to give you a hug,” Tjoelker said — and that juncture in September turned out to be Skykomish near Stevens Pass.

It was a typical resupply opportunity for Norgren at a crossing with a major highway, to hitchhike in to the nearest town to pick up any mail and pre-ordered supplies and to do laundry.

After that, it was the final haul for him across the North Cascades to Manning Provincial Park in British Columbia where Emily and her mother picked Jared up for good.

Geri’s summary of the slow daily progress of Jared’s long hike is this: “When I could turn a page (of my atlas), that was wonderful.” His take is “she was mapping me the whole way.”

Norgren, 23, is an Oregon native, having grown up south of Portland. A graduate of LeTourneau University in Texas, Jared is in a job change; he just started working at the Cub Crafters aircraft manufacturing plant in Yakima.

How does one begin to describe doing the Pacific Crest Trail? Some simple

facts help. The highest point is 13,153-foot Forester Pass in California. The accumulated elevation change if you do the whole distance (it’s actually been calculated!) is 420,880 feet.

Jared relates that a person is considered to be a genuine “thru-hiker” of the PCT if 90 percent is completed. He did 93 percent.

Typically, more than 3,000 attempt the full trek each year, and about 700 completed it in 2016. This year because the Sierra Nevada had such a heavy winter snowpack after years of drought, that portion of the route was extra dangerous, and many hikers were deterred by it.

At the beginning in California Jared had no regular walking or camping partner. Those who are generally together on the PCT may camp together as “trail family,” but they are on their own daytime pace and can leapfrog.

They become acquainted enough with each other to develop nicknames. Jared’s was “Beast” for having so few supplies along. Just 5-7 and under 150 pounds, he wanted to keep his pack to 35 pounds. He essentially had one set of shirt and pants, splurging with three pairs of socks. “I’m very much a minimalist. I don’t carry a lot,” he said.

He had these challenges: seeing or

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hearing five rattlesnakes in the desert; having to hold his entire backpack over his head while fording a river up to his waist; and mentally dealing with “unending miles in the trees,” especially in Washington. But there were also highlights: “beautiful snowfields for days,” with Mt. Shasta as a favorite spot, getting close to a herd of mountain goats and seeing two bears and two elk.

Forester Pass was also the coldest spot, at 8 degrees. He did an eight-mile side trip to climb Mt. Whitney.

It was only at Lake Tahoe, 1,100 miles in, that Jared paired up with Daniel Lockett (“Franger”) for most of the duration. They could make up to 30 miles a day together.

He jokes that they had in common both being Presbyterian and having girlfriends named Emily.

Wildfire was a factor this year, although Jared was pretty fortunate. He just got through before a trail section was closed near the California-Oregon border.

The same was true for him in the Columbia River Gorge. But he did have to divert off at White Pass in Washington and go through Yakima before picking up the trail at Snoqualmie Pass.

His body held up pretty well, with no Continued on next page

Jared Norgren’s girlfriend is Emily Laninga of Bellingham. (Courtesy photo)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, October 25, 2017 | Ferndale Record

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But Jared will admit that the monotony of the “continuous footsteps” eventually wears on the mind with thoughts of “why does this go on forever? this was supposed to be fun.”

A former Boy Scout, hunter and firefighter, Jared is used to finding his way and knowing his capabilities in the wild. He is a “maps and compass” guy, he said, although he could get GPS on his phone too.

“It was a real nice way to spend a summer. It was a blast. It had its hardships, but I would do it again ... in a few years,” he said. He knows this terrain was dangerous and demanding: “You match it on its own terms, or you die trying.”

He believes it has helped prepare him now for whatever other challenges may lie ahead, and he is grateful to “grandma” Geri for her support.

Geri Tjoelker thumbs through pages of Jared Norgren’s journal notes written along the route. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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