Encore December 2015

A Guide to a FulďŹ lling Senior Life in Whatcom County

ENCORE Wednesday, December 23, 2015

North Whatcom district honors Todd Berge for years of service C7 A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

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Affinity offers community, resources for the active 55-and-over crowd Offering 154 units, apartment complex features a variety of unique amenities

By Brent Lindquist news@ferndalerecord.com

BELLINGHAM — Ann Ford knows that diet and exercise are important, but she also knows that they aren’t the only facets of life that keeps a person going.

She applies that knowledge to her work at Affinity at Bellingham, a newly open senior living community for the 55-and-over crowd, located just down the road from Bellis Fair mall off East Telegraph Road.

It’s a 154-unit complex featuring a variety of amenities, including a pub, movie theater, internet cafe, swimming pool, spa, workshop, arts and crafts room, community room, fitness center, library, game rooms, a community garden and plenty of outdoor amenities as well.

Ford lived in Bend, Oregon, for a time, working at Touchmark in a similar capacity to her role at Affinity. There, she applied the same philosophy as her current one.

“What I believe in is you don’t stay inside a building and twiddle your thumbs waiting for the door to open,” she said.

“You go out to people.”

The manager at Touchmark encouraged Ford to reach out to people not solely to promote the business. She agreed, and developed several workshops on the aging process, which she brought with her to Affinity.

One workshop, titled “Aging Gracefully,” is an upbeat experience that makes the aging process a happy topic.

“It’s a hoot,” Ford said. “Oh, do we laugh and do we have fun! We make fun of the aging process, in a way. There are five workshops, and I always turn them to the power of positive thinking. Even though we can’t change the aging process — we age from the time we’re born, for heaven’s sake — we can change our attitude.”

Ford says her philosophy centers upon the idea of bringing about good things by thinking and speaking about them.

See Affinity on C4

Affinity boasts a swimming pool, a spa, a workshop and more, all on the same site. (Brent Lindquist/Ferndale Record)

Affinity offers several different room layouts, up to a two-bedroom/two-bathroom option. (Brent Lindquist/Ferndale Record)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

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Affinity: Workshops on a variety of topics offered Continued from C3

Affinity's lobby features a spacious social area, complete with fireside gathering options. (Brent Lindquist/Ferndale Record)

Another workshop she hosts is called “Caring for the Caregiver.”

“A caregiver in any kind of setting in any kind of home carries a lot of stress,” she said. “Eight-two percent of caregivers die before their patients.”

This workshop helps caregivers deal with and understand their monumental responsibilities in ways that can keep them positive about their lives.

Another workshop focuses on “Loss, Grief and Recovery.”

“I can honestly relate to loss. We all can, and the grief that ensues. The key here is how to recover from it,” Ford said.

Ford also offers a workshop on dementia.

She said that these workshops are very useful resources, but living in a place like Affinity is also a big help.

“Living in a place like this, you find that you build a tribe,” she said. “We all need our tribe. The tribe is where we go for restoration. The tribe is so important, and it doesn’t have to be family, by any means. It can be those people who come into your life and you just connect with.”

For more information about Affinity, visit www.affinityatbellingham.com.

Y o u r C o n n e c t i o n t o C o m m u n i t y R e s o u r c e s L i n k i n g y o u t o I n f o r m a t i o n & A s s i s t a n c e o n : M e d i c a r e / M e d i c a i d L o n g - T e r m C a r e C a r e g i v e r S u p p o r t H o u s i n g I n - H o m e C a r e M e d i c a l / D e n t a l L e g a l O p t i o n s P r e s c r i p t i o n A s s i s t a n c e

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

Affinity residents can even enjoy a movie theater. (Brent Lindquist/Ferndale Record)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

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LHS classes of 1946, 1947 were strongly bonded Women of 1947 have kept up their monthly socializing since 1996 reunion

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN ­— The women of the Lynden High School class of 1947 have been faithfully meeting for longer than the men.

So when the Tribune printed in October about four men of the class reconnecting after some years apart, the women thought their story of loyal bonding should be told too.

It began with their obligation in 1996 — as is Lynden High School reunion tradition — to do preparations to honor the class ahead of them, 1946, on its 50-year anniversary. The annual gathering is open to all alumni each July at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds.

That duty got the women working together, and they decided to keep up the socializing in a local restaurant each month.

Their stops have included Someplace Else, Grant’s Burgers and now the Nuthouse Grill every second Wednesday at noon.

On Dec. 9 they allowed the four men to join them.

The women present were: Joyce (DeJong) Burger, Donna (Vaughn) Kenworthy, Ruth (Biesheuvel) Likkel, Irene (Cowin) Sebens, Judy (Breen) Stauffer and Pat (Zylstra) Van Dyk. All six women are widows now, some fairly recently.

And their group, since starting up, earlier included Betty (Horat) Roe, Marian VanDyken and Esther (Top) Wetzel.

The men who started meeting, all having spouses, are: Herm Heusinkveld, Lou Kok, Herm Oordt and Clarence “Corky” VanderGriend.

As to what has kept this particular

From left around the table are: Judy Stauffer, Ruth Likkel, Irene Sebens, Lou Kok, Herm Heusinkveld, Jackie Oordt, Herm Oordt, Pat Van Dyk, Clarence Vander Griend, Lona Vander Griend, Donna Kenworthy and Joyce Burger. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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DID YOU KNOW? Phoebe Judson was the town midwife. Ellen Violinda Booman-Nelson, who died at the age of 108 in 2001, was the last living person to be delivered by Phoebe.

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

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LHS classes: No politics Continued from C6 class so bonded, “we like each other,” Sebens said with a laugh. “We got along in school too,” said Stauffer.

Burgers doesn’t mind saying that a lot of what they talk about now — all having turned 86 this year — is “our aches and pains, and our grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.”

“We try not to talk about politics,” Sebens said.

Sometimes they go more than two hours before breaking up.

They feel some extra connection to the class of ‘46, as that was the group they honored in 1996 and some of its members are faithful in gathering every other Thursday for breakfast at Dutch Mothers restaurant. Alvin Stauffer, Judy’s husband, was a 1946 grad.

Still-local members in the 1946 class include: Lloyd Broersma, Dennis and Betty DeBoer, Gerb DeBoer, Jerry Doornenbal, Jean (Estes) Bosman, Alta (Louws) Bode, Bev (Gillies) Matter, Evelyn (Henken) DeBruin, Henrietta (Polinder) Noteboom, Ike Reimer, Marjorie (Rupke) Van Dyken, Ethel (VanderGriend) Leenders, Paul Van Dyke, Marilyn (VanWingerden)

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Victor and Francina (Weidkamp) Wyngart.

Fred Polinder Jr., of class age although not a grad, recently passed away. And Marjorie VanKooten, who spent most of her nursing career in Alaska, attended the 1946 gatherings before her Dec. 4 passing.

Henrietta Noteboom was married to the late Don Noteboom, making them the only other couple beside the DeBoers to marry within the 1946 class.

“We were all friends when we were in high school. We were a really close class,” Henrietta said.

She recalls that class member Jude VanderHoek was motivated to get the regular gatherings going when out-oftowners like Herb Aalpoel and Art Campbell came to town and wanted to see their former classmates.

She estimates the core 1946 class gatherings go back to the 1970s and involved herself and Don, the Stauffers, the Vander Hoeks, and Keith and Vi Crabtree.

They met in the basement of Homestead before the main structure was built, also Someplace Else restaurant.

The classmates sometimes went out to the Stauffers’ Sandy Point place and once took the ferry trip together out to Friday Harbor.

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Todd Berge is retiring after 33 years of service.

North Whatcom district honors years of service BLAINE ­— At the Dec. 17 meeting of North Whatcom Fire & Rescue commissioners, members of the district were honored for services given.

Paul Earhart and Brandon Lee, who both recently resigned from the district, were recognized for their years of service with NWFR and District #4 (Paul seven years, Brandon 15 years).

Active member Captain Ray Davidson was recognized for 25 years of service.

Fire Commissioner Dean Whitney, whose term ends Dec. 31, was recognized for his 12 years on the board of commissioners.

Volunteer Todd Berge, who is retiring at the end of 2015, was honored for his 33 years of service.

Volunteer of the Year is Shawn Atwood, Firefighter of the Year is John Hollstein, and Employee of the Year is John Lovatt.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, December 23, 2015 | Ferndale Record

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Go to Seattle for art or bingo with other services Upcoming trips also include B.C., Sedona canyons, Calif. redwods WHATCOM — Either go with other seniors on exciting trips, both local and far away, or enjoy the armchair travel via a speaker.

It’s all possible through the Whatcom Senior Tour Program of the Whatcom Council on Aging, which continues to present many options for anyone to take advantage of, now looking ahead to year 2016.

The Bellingham Senior Activity Center is

“Great Trains and Grand Canyons” at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 27, in room 16 of the Bellingham center.

• Melinda Burns talks at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, about the Sunshine Coast and Desolation Sound in British Columbia, as well as about Nova Scotia.

• Ryan Campbell presents on Cuba travel at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Seattle Art Museum See 68 French impressionist masterpieces, including Renoir and Monet, at the Seattle Art Museum on Friday, Jan. 8. This is the first time this collection has gone on tour. Cost is $72 (add $10 for non-members)

A February 2016 trip to India is already filled, but planning for Whatcom seniors’ travel continues through the Bellingham Senior Activity Center. A rail tour of Sedona canyons happens in May, a trip in northern California in July. (Courtesy photo) the base for a wide variety of organizing for persons 50 years of age and over to encourage emotional, mental and physical wellness for a healthy, active and independent lifestyle.

For details of all tours, including full costs, call 733-4030 ext. 1015; stop by the Bellingham center at 315 Halleck St.; or go online to http://wccoa.org/index.php/ Tours/.

Here’s what’s coming up: Presentations • Ryan Campbell talks about Colonial Williamburg and Washington, D.C. and also

covering bus transport, entry fee and tour.

Departs 9:15 a.m.

Seattle’s Bingo Mania Possibly win money yourself on this Jan. 29 trip to Seattle’s Bingo Mania, home of famous bingo caller Sylvia O’Stayformore.

Lunch provided by the local center kitchen.

Departs 8:30 a.m.

You could win prize money up to $125 while showing off your favorite team wear.

Cost of $62 (+$10) covers round-trip bus to West Seattle, bingo entry and lunch.

B.C. Fraser Downs

Harness horse racing is the feature at Fraser Downs’ newly remodeled casino on Sunday, Jan. 31. You can try your horse-betting luck and also enjoy the buffet dining all for $87 (+$10). Departure is at 10:30 a.m.

Sedona and Sweeping Canyons This May 1-6, 2016 rail tour takes travelers through the amazing natural wonders of the Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon and Verde Canyon in the Southwest.

Beside Sedona and its Chapel of the Holy Cross, also explore Jerome, an artists’ enclave, and the Spanish-Mexican village of Tlaquepaque. Old-town Scottsdale is fun to browse.

Final payment for this trip is due Feb. 22.

Northern California Trains and Redwoods Napa Valley, Monterey, Sacramento, San Francisco and majestic redwoods are all on this rail tour of California country and its windswept coasts.

This trip also includes the California State Railroad Museum with its 21 fully restored locomotives, a Sacramento River cruise, the Monterey Aquarium and, of course, Fisherman’s Wharf. An optional addon is a Napa Valley Wine Tour.

Final payment on this six-day, five-night package is due May 27.