DOUBLE-CHECK EVENTS & DONATE
If you’re planning on going to an event, it’s a good idea to double-check that it hasn’t been cancelled. And if it has, and you can afford to, you might donate to the artists or event because it means they’ve lost their income stream. We’d like to have them back in the future! And please let me know of cancellations. Zeke and I cancelled our tour to Oregon at the end of this month. Our hosts are willing to reschedule in the future.
Consider donating to your favorite restaurants and other businesses as well, to help them survive this outbreak.
PERSON TO PERSON
BEACH CLEAN-UP FOR WORLD WATER DAY
Sunday, March 22nd, 10:00 a.m., Squalicum Beach parking lot in Bellingham |RSVP on Facebook
Water deserves a day of celebration more than, say, Columbus. Participants get a pass for a FREE yoga class and an entry to win a sunset sailing cruise from Gato Verde!
END OF LIFE PLANNING
[From my friend Micki Jackson
For those who need further impetus to complete their healthcare advance directive, look no further than the novel coronavirus. This virus and the resulting disease state, COVID-19, could adversely impact our already over-burdened U.S. medical care system.
Will the COVID-19 epidemic be limited? No one knows, but even if it is, the planning efforts currently underway by government agencies, hospitals, clinics, health departments, research facilities, and others will not be wasted, because the planning is good preparation for the next 21st century disaster or pandemic.
Healthcare facilities could experience severe capacity demands, which could be mitigated to some extent if people have documented their healthcare wishes prior to illness and possible hospitalization. When we complete our advance directive, we help our professional care providers better manage potentially lifesaving resources, especially if our region is in the throes of an epidemic.
Whatcom County has multiple resources to assist with advance care planning (ACP), including the presentation, The Realities of Advanced Medical Interventions and follow up ACP workshops. An upcoming Realities’ talk is scheduled March 19, at the Cordata Community Co-op at 6:30PM; follow up workshop on March 25, same time/same venue.
For information: https://www.healthministriesnetwork.net/calendar
ACP should be done before accident, illness — or disaster — strike. Let’s not put ourselves, our family, our professional healthcare providers, nor our community into impossible situations. We are all in this together.
CAPTIONING SERVICES FOR STREAMED EVENTS
Hello there, I am a TypeWell Transcriber (www.typewell.com) providing meaning-for-meaning (i.e. not word for word but slightly condensed for ease of reading) transcription for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing. With the recent move online of Whatcom Community College, I have lost nearly all of my hours there. I am available to caption streamed events that may have moved online due to the increasing self-quarantines. This service is normally $50/per hour of content, but I am open to reducing rates in order to support the community in this time of need. Captions can be read by any web-enabled device. Contact me for more information. Thanks!
Rachel Ballard
Walnut Street
rachelroseballard@gmail.com
LITTLE SQUALICUM ALERT
The streams that run through Little Squalicum Park off-leash dog area are BRIGHT green. All the way down to and including Squalicum beach. Whatcom Department of Health had no idea what it is, and the Department of Ecology said that they looked at it and it doesn’t *appear* to be toxic but also wasn’t sure what it was. You might want to avoid that area for a few days.
Rory O’Connor
Walnut Street
POSTPONED:
Whatcom Chorale’s “Life’s Harmonies” concert on Sunday, March 22, 2020 with guest artist (and local pianist) Henry From, at First Congregational Church of Bellingham. We hope to reschedule the concert later this year. http://www.whatcomchorale.org
B U G (Bellingham Ukulele Group) has postponed their activities for now.
Many other activities have also been postponed. Check before you go.
EVENT STREAMING SET-UP
My friend Nellie Korn is a professional sound person. She has volunteered to stream the funeral of a friend of mine this afternoon. I asked her, and she has free time coming up because so many events are being cancelled. Nellie has the skills to set up businesses, churches, funeral homes, and other gathering places so they can start live-streaming events. And she can teach the new users how to run that equipment.
KAREN WEILL & LARRY HILDES
I don’t know if there are folks in our neighborhood familiar with Karen & Larry. They have been community activists for years all around our region. I’m sorry to say that Karen died a few days ago of cancer. Her funeral is at 1:00 PM today. I’ve been helping set up live-streaming for folks like me who are staying at home. It will stream over my facebook page, which is set to public. If you want to watch and need help getting on, please contact me by 12:30, because I want to be able to play attention during the funeral.
Love/Fl!p