Summer 2013 Drive Whatcom

The

and the

Annual Razz & Shine car show coming back to Northwest Raspberry Festival this weekend.

See C12 inside

present

Summer 2013

Drive

WHATCOM

What’s Inside...

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Lynden designer creates new local automobile dealership space ............. C3 A supplement of the

&

Bellingham shop offers popular window tinting service ..........................C8

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM

Local designer opens up space to show off cars New Chevrolet Cadillac dealership welcomes in the light

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

BELLINGHAM — Light penetrates all throughout the freshly remodeled Chevrolet Cadillac of Bellingham dealership. And we aren’t talking only in metaphors.

From the first as-built drawing of the old dealership right down to installing the furniture, Lynden design-build specialist Craig Telgenhoff turned what was seen as an old farmhouse-type setting into a modern glass-encased, light-filled showroom and service center for the Northwest Avenue business.

“I took this building from a sketch on a napkin all the way through handing over the keys to the facility,” Telgenhoff said.

The result, after four months of construction that wrapped up in late March, about two months ahead of schedule, is a completely redone space that changes the way cars are shown, customers are welcomed and salespeople conduct their business. And it was all done with a welcoming stamp of approval from General Motors.

Lithia Motors, a publicly traded company with over 100 vehicle dealerships, purchased the Bellingham location, formerly Chambers Chevrolet, in mid-2012 while Telgenhoff was working on the initial drawings of the existing structure. The new owners saw the work through.

But before construction could start,

The new light-colored tiles and fresh lighting showcase cars in a brighter showroom. (Courtesy photo/Craig Telgenhoff) GM had to sign off on the redesign. What normally takes up to five attempts passed with the first submission of drawings, Telgenhoff said. “I got letters from GM stating my drawings were the most thorough lighting and architectural drawings they had seen,” he said.

Telgenhoff credits that precision to the true design-build philosophy that has him onsite running the physical remodel.

“When I design something I have to build it, so those drawings have to be spot on,” he said. “If there are errors or omissions, I pay for it, not the client. I vet those draw-

ings so thoroughly that when we go into construction there are no change orders and my subcontracts are accurate.

“I can’t say the architect messed up and I need money. The buck stopped on See Dealership on C4

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

Dealership: Remodel opens up previously dark, congested space Continued from C3

Floor-to-ceiling windows draw light inside and beams and posts replace cluttering walls. (Courtesy photo/Craig Telgenhoff)

my desk on almost every decision.”

The main point of the remodel was to open up a dark and congested building.

Telgenhoff ripped out the black exposed aggregate floor that sucked up any light that did penetrate the building, replacing it with light tiles. A new reflective ceiling complete with over $145,000 worth of LED lighting illuminates the interior. The new floor-to-ceiling windows gather natural light. With the removal of interior walls — some load-bearing walls were replaced with beams — visitors can now see all the way through the dealership, even into the service garage.

“Basically we were trying to eliminate any obstruction between the interior and exterior space,” Telgenhoff said. “The LED lighting enhanced the view of the vehicles so the showroom became a showroom.”

The old shoebox-sized lobby was eliminated and replaced with a “retail boulevard” that boasts a bistro, customer lounge, large television and children’s play area. “It is very open and inviting,” he said.

While the footprint of the exterior didn’t change, basically everything else did, including the entire interior layout and exterior façade. Working it as a remod-

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM el made everything trickier from a design standpoint, but in the end, "we can get more vehicles displayed better,” Telgenhoff said.

To keep things looking fresh, as per GM rules, the windows remain free of clutter and signage. The old sales cubicles are gone, replaced with simple tables with workstations, similar to kiosks you see at banks. That simple act also helped to open up the floor plan even more.

“We tried to create an open floor plan that makes spaces connected, but not compartmentalized,” Telgenhoff said. “Everything flows nicely, but is still in its own place.”

Since moving his practice to Whatcom County, Telgenhoff, a Lynden native, has taken on a variety of residential projects, but designing and building a car dealership actually returns him to one of his main wheelhouses, having worked on high-rises and Safeco Field when serving as a project manager or designer in Seattle.

But Telgenhoff almost didn’t have the opportunity to even do this project. His first assignment was only for a basic “asbuilt” drawing of the current space, giving the owners a starting point for a remodel.

From there he put in a proposal to design the project. He landed that and the rest of the job too, a “blessing” he said was a surprise because of the delay due to the sale of the dealership.

Now Bellingham Chevrolet has more light. And Telgenhoff likes the view of that.

The new service area proves fresh and clean, with easily navigatable space. (Courtesy photo/Craig Telgenhoff)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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DRIVE WHATCOM

Burlington to get Supercharger station for electric vehicles Ribbon-cutting ceremony is July 18 BURLINGTON — Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 18 for a new Tesla Supercharger opening in Washington.

The event will take place at 10 a.m. with Tesla representatives as well as the Burlington mayor and Skagit County officials on hand. More details are being finalized.

Tesla’s Superchargers are conveniently located off major highways near cafes, shopping centers and travel plazas and are designed to enable free long-distance travel between city centers. Superchargers are substantially more powerful than any technology to date providing 120

kilowatts of power and replenishing three hours of driving in about 20 minutes.

Tesla designs and manufactures electric vehicles including the Roadster, Model S, and Model X. During summer 2013 Tesla hopes to expand from 12 stations to 27 stations and to cover most metropolitan areas by fall 2013 and be set up for coast-to-coast travel by winter. Its goal is to have coverage of 80 percent of the U.S. population by 2014 and 98 percent by 2015, plus parts of Canada.

A 30-minute charge at a Tesla Supercharger is good for 200 miles versus only 10-15 miles for 30 minutes at smaller or even high-voltage types of charging stations, Tesla claims.

Superchargers are located near amenities like roadside diners, cafes, and shopping centers. Road trippers can stop for a quick meal and have their Model S charged when they’re done.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM

New Honda Odyssey model offers special feature HondaVAC features built-in vacuum in high-end Touring Elite model

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DRIVE WHATCOM

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

Providing that final touch Bellingham detail shop is especially busy with window tinting

By Braulio Perez sports@lyndentribune.com

With an increase in high temperatures, window tinting has become more popular in the spring and summer for Final Touch. (Courtesy photo/Jim MacFarland)

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BELLINGHAM — It’s been a great four years in Whatcom County for Final Touch Auto Spa at 1916 Iowa St. Owners Rick Adelstein and son Ari have provided top-notch service to members of the community since opening in 2009.

“We’re kind of the masters of making old cars look like new,” Rick said. “We offer a lot of different features, like window tinting and paintless dent repair, but we offer so much more. We have old ugly cars come in, but then we’ll cut it and bust it open and customers will be shocked with the final product.”

One of the more popular services Final Touch has provided this spring

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM and summer, however, is window tinting. With the weather continuing to get better and temperatures rising, window tinting has been popular for several reasons.

“What it does this time of the year is keep vehicles a lot cooler,” Rick said. “It also keeps them warmer in the winter as well. A lot of young kids like their windows tinted because they think it looks pretty cool, but there’s benefits to them.

“It restricts the UV rays from getting into a car and damaging the leather or the interior. It also serves for health purposes as well. A lot of people might be affected because of the sun and the window tinting cuts the rays from getting in and affecting them.”

Final Touch offers a lot of variety in window tinting.

“There’s different styles, but you can use the 5 percent one on different SUVs and limos,” Rick said. “That 5 percent allows for only 5 percent of the light rays through a vehicle. We average about four or five cars each day on tinting. The average price is around $50 per door. Another popular color we have is the gray tint, which is 24 percent.”

The 35 percent tint is often used on sedans, as it is the legal limit on all windows for that style of car. For SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks, 35 percent is the limit for the two front windows.

It’s not just the window tinting, though, that has people continuously stopping by Final Touch. Customers can get paintless dent repair, vinyl repair, headlight restoration, leather repair and more.

“We’re really a one-stop shop,” Rick said. “If people have multiple things they want done on their car, we can take care of it. It’s convenient for people and we’ve had a lot of repeat customers over the last few years. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback and it’s been great to make a difference in the community.”

Rick is also the owner of Lewis Auto Glass, which has been open in Whatcom County for nearly 85 years. Through four generations of family ownership, Rick said giving back to the community is al-

Final Touch, of Bellingham, provides all kinds of services to its customers. This includes work on the interior and exterior as you can see above. (Courtesy photo/Jim MacFarland) ways a priority for both businesses.

“We always do our best to give donations and different certificates to organizations around Whatcom County,” Rick said. “Giving back to the community is something we take pride in. We’re involved with different schools and organizations in the area and we love doing it. We think it’s a priority to not only give back, but also be involved.”

Final Touch provides free estimates on any of its services and specializes in same-day service.

For more information, call 392-8676 or visit www.finaltouchautospa.com.

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DRIVE WHATCOM

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

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Driving with Dogs Tips for keeping all creatures in the car safe during travel It’s only natural for man’s best friend to stay close by his master’s side, but for dog owners who drive frequently, bringing Fido along for the ride can be risky.

The problem is particularly worrisome for older drivers. A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham showed that for people 70 years and older, crash rates were higher among those who frequently drove with pets in the car.

But for many drivers, leaving precious pets behind isn’t an option. The best compromise is to find solutions that will get you from point A to point B without compromising the safety of human or animal passengers.

Distracted driving is a growing concern and a loose pet in the car certainly numbers among the potential hazards that can take your eyes — and mind —

For everyone’s sake, pets should be in proper restraints when traveling in a vehicle.

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off the road and lead to accidents. While older drivers might not be as likely to be distracted by texting or smartphone surfing, even those who have spent many years navigating the roads need to honestly assess how having a pet in the car can divert their attention away from the road.

To stay safe on the road when Fido is with you, remember these tips: • Don’t allow pets in the front seats.

Having a pet sit on your lap is obviously distracting, but if he’s in the front passenger seat, the problem can be just as bad. In the front seats, your pet is more likely to be within your line of sight and obstruct your view of the road.

An unrestrained dog in the front seats could also be easily injured if you have to slam on the brakes or swerve, or are hit from behind. The force with which airbags deploy also poses a safety hazard for dogs in the front seat — if you’re in an accident and they inflate and hit your dog, he could easily sustain an injury.

• Create separation.

There are a variety of pet barriers on the market that can keep your pet from moving between the front and back seats of your car. Installing a barrier will help keep your pet out of your way and diminish concerns about him being propelled forward in case you have to make a sudden stop.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

DRIVE WHATCOM

• Restrain your pet.

There are a number of options for pet restraints in your vehicle. Pet seatbelts and car seats will help keep a dog safely in place. Keeping a crate in the car is also a good option. Make sure it’s secured and large enough so that he can stand up, turn around and comfortably sit or lay down. Add a soft pad in the bottom of the crate and it might just become your pet’s favorite new way to travel.

• Brush up on your driving skills.

Today’s driving environment is probably very different than it was when you first got your license. A refresher course, like those offered by AARP Driver Safety, is an ideal way to ensure that your skills are up to date. Brushing up on defensive driving techniques and the essential rules of the road will help keep everyone in your car safe — and you may even qualify for a multi-year automobile insurance discount from your insurance company (check with your agent for details). AARP Driver Safety courses are available in a classroom or online setting, in both English and Spanish.

Pets are important members of the family, so it’s only right that drivers consider their safety, just as they would for any other passenger.

For more safe driving tips and information about AARP Driver Safety, visit www.aarp.org/drive.

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DRIVE WHATCOM

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 17, 2013 | Ferndale Record

Car show enthusiasts starting to clamor to Lynden

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The annual Razz & Shine car show event featured at the Northwest Raspberry Festival draws numerous classic cars for festival visitors to view.

(File photo/Lynden Tribune)

Razz & Shine event grows every year

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — The pin oak trees lining Front Street never looked so classic as they do every Saturday of the Northwest Raspberry Festival.

With the business district streets closed down for hundreds of hooping teams, the quieter tree-lined streets from Seventh Street west close down on Saturday for another event growing in popularity: classic vehicles.

The Razz & Shine classic car and truck show will start filling up as early

as 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 20, but expect a full complement of vehicles to tour in around 10 a.m. and stick around into mid-afternoon.

Last year, over 250 vehicles meandered into Lynden, but sponsor Lynden Lube is planning for even more now.

The main festival, executed by the Lynden Chamber of Commerce, uses the classic vehicles as another draw for the roughly 20,000 to 25,000 visitors that come into town for the festival. Plus, strolling the streets under the canopy of trees offers a shady break for 3-on-3 fans.

Gary Vis, Lynden chamber executive director, said that as word gets out about the fun nature of the Razz & Shine it has led to continued growth and a new array of vehicles making the trip.

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