CONTENTS 7/11/2020
Alert: Phound Phone
Visual Guide To Activity Risk
Mask Effectiveness Video
Community Covid Symptom Tracker
Storage Needed
Wild Whatcom
Keep Cats In At Night
Cats & Birds
Wire Fence / Trellis Panels
Help For Parents
Car Break In At Utter And W. Connecticut
Radio Free Fl!p: My Fence & My Neighbor
ALERT: PHOUND PHONE
I found a sprint smartphone at Squalicum park behind the baseball fields at 5:30 pm this evening. Please contact me to retrieve. Sarah – (425)681-9605
Sarah Grainger, Victor Street
VISUAL GUIDE TO ACTIVITY RISK
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcamMnnXYAAh7hT.jpg
Jessica Burchiel, Henry St
MASK EFFECTIVENESS VIDEO
https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/articles/efficacy-facemasks-coronavirus.php
COMMUNITY COVID SYMPTOM TRACKER
I signed up for this research project today. It will take 1 minute of my time per day. My friend and former Whatcom Public Health Officer Frank James invited me to join. It looks safe enough, and it really could be of value in the scientific study of this virus. So I invite you, too.
STORAGE SPACE NEEDED
Do some of you remember when our neighbors donated needed supplies for people without housing during the winter storms and the later cold snap? I worked with a woman named Shari Lapof. Shari collects winter coats, gloves, hats, socks, sleeping bags, hand warmers and other critical supplies to distribute year round as needed. Shari is losing her free storage space soon and needs another place she can access. About size of single car garage, in Bham, with lights or electricity, enclosed and lock-able. Safe to to go alone. contact me, and I’ll put you in touch. I hope we can help her with this! Fl!p 360-671-4511
WILD WHATCOM
Virtual camps coming up the week of July 20th — stay connected with friends and neighbors and get outside while the weather is gorgeous! Campers can join Wild Whatcom’s experienced mentors in:
- Skills “outings” to learn about birding, navigation, nature art, and/or native tree and plant ID. Each session includes two “outings” on Zoom with missions to complete outside with friends and family in between. Ends with a show and tell on Zoom to share what you learned!
- Role Playing Games with a focus on nature, collaboration, and self reflection; four sessions in one week
Did you know that several Wild Whatcom staff and board members live in the Columbia neighborhood? We hope to see our neighbors outside this summer whether in Wild Whatcom camps or in our beautiful neighborhood parks!
Licia Sahagun
KEEP CATS IN AT NIGHT
From Dallas Talkington, 2718 Eldridge Ave. From Dallas Talkington, 2718 Eldridge Ave. – Sadly I found in my back yard this morning the remains of a grey cat. Probably a coyote. My own cats are now under lock down. Everyone please beware.
Animal Control has seen lots of evidence lately of coyotes, and raccoons. This is the season where young ones are being taught to hunt and cats are a prime target. Dallas is correct. about keeping your cats inside. Please do contact Animal Control if you find a deceased cat. 360-733-2080 x 3017 animalcontroldispatch@gmail.com
CATS & BIRDS
Any time I post about cats dying, I immediately get grumpy posts about cats and birds. Cats are absolutely Subsidized Predators, though feral cats are also an unsubsidized part of that equation. In my household, our cat Vortex is locked indoors from early dusk until late enough morning that there are lots of people up and about, to protect her from bigger predators. And she wears a BirdsBeSafe collar to protect the birds. Vortex is 10 years old. She has had her collar for probably 8 years. In that time, she has caught one bird, and when I looked I realized that the collar’s colors had faded over the years. I promptly replaced it and have had no more bird deaths. She used to be a skilled hunter.
The BirdsBeSafe collar cover was created by a couple of bird biologists who had a cat named George. George was a mighty hunter, which caused his bird loving humans considerable distress. At some point they remembered or discovered that songbirds see the colors red and yellow particularly well, and began to experiment with fabric patterns. Their collars are sewn with the most effective designs. It’s a collar cover, not a whole collar.
It’s a good thing Vortex was inside the house the first time I put on her collar. She completely freaked out and hid under beds and couches for most of a week. (My brother considered the collar to be particularly great because it protected birds and humiliated the cat at the same time.) But over time, Vortex adjusted. She waits patiently while I buckle it on in the morning and again while I remove it as soon as she’s in for the night.
Traditionally, cats were permitted to adopt humans in return for providing Rodent Patrol. The collar does not interfere with this job. Vortex, on the other hand, does not consider her personal duties to include squirrels or any other big-front-toothed critters. We have a garden full of birds, and the jays and crows spend a certain amount of their day harassing the cat, but Vortex has never been injured. A detente seems to have been reached.
Domestic cats that can’t kill birds limit the range of feral cats, which is also helpful.
None if this has any impact on whether your cat is pooping in your neighbors’ gardens. It’s a discussion you probably need to have with your neighbors. And you’ll need to find a way to make your own yard more attractive to your cat than your neighbor’s yard.
I just checked, and the BirdsBeSafe collar cover is available in town at the Wild Bird Chalet over on Ohio Street for $11 and tax. They do curbside pickup and are open Monday – Saturday 11 – 4. 360-734-0969. Let’s go save some birdies!
CAR BREAK IN AT UTTER AND W. CONNECTICUT
Just FYI to let neighbors know my car was broken into last night. Didn’t discover it till around noon today. We will report to police. Nothing of value taken and no damage to car. Looks like a search for loose change. Huge thanks to neighbor Dan for finding the insurance/registration in the street and returning it to us…. bringing the break in to our attention! I thought my car was locked – not driving it very often these days — but it appears it was easy to get into, so maybe it wasn’t locked. We will be more careful.
Jack and Judy Shaughnessy, Corner of Utter and W. Connecticut
WIRE FENCE / TRELLIS PANELS
Three heavy wire panels approx. 5’x8’ made of heavy gauge galvanized wire welded into 4” squares. We’ve been using these as support for vines grown along a fence but they also make great fencing, or can be cut and used for any number of different projects. This type of panel is typically sold in 16’ lengths for about $70. I’m asking $10 per panel. Call number below with questions or to arrange for pick-up.
Frank Haulgren
360-733-7945
Lafayette St.
HELP FOR PARENTS
Patty Wipfler was profoundly helpful to me during my active parenting years (my kids are like 50 now). These days she has a website, and it’s worth consulting. She’s got lots of helpful information about parenting during the pandemic. https://www.handinhandparenting.org/blog/
RADIO FREE FL!P: MY FENCE AND MY NEIGHBOR
Cosy Sheridan w/ Charlie Koch – They have come to Guitar Camp for many years, and have played concerts here in town when they’ve traveled through. Cosy is an amazing writer. I thought of this song for my beloved neighborhood. I think a lot about how we can build community. It’s not always easy, but I think it’s always worth doing. How could we dream of changing others without also being willing to change ourselves?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSCtBVexmBQ
Love/Fl!p 360-671-4511 flip@columbianeighborhood.org
If you want to ask me to post something, just email me. If it’s urgent, phone. If it’s a real emergency, call 911.