Meeting, Eldridge, So Much More

CNA QUARTERLY MEETING

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021 AT 7 PM Online

Columbia Neighborhood Association Quarterly Meeting

Speakers: Public Works Director Eric Johnston on traffic. Bellingham Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Greg Baker on projects and the school bond. CNA meetings are open to the public; please join us! Questions: columbianeighborhoodassociation@protonmail.com

Here is the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting:

7:00 – 7:10 – Welcome 

                     Reports: Treasurer, MNAC, Share Shack

7:10 – 7:40 – Speaker Eric Johnston, Director of Public Works. Subject: traffic solutions

7:45 – 8:15 – Speaker Dr. Greg Baker, Superintendent of Bellingham Public Schools. Subject: current projects and the school bond

8:15 – 9:00 – CNA Business: 

                           Pending projects:  Bike rack and CNA website                         

                           Bylaw revisions

                           Annual financial audit: We will need 2 volunteers

                           CNA Board openings

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 835 3196 4765

Passcode: 691197

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Meeting ID: 835 3196 4765

Passcode: 691197

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/k7uprH8H

FREE REPAIR OF HOUSEHOLD ITEMS

Sunday November 14th and 21st, 1:00 – 3:30 pm

Northwest Free Repairs is a group of environmentally minded volunteers dedicated to reducing a “throw away mentality” for broken household items. It meets twice monthly on the second and third Sundays of each month from 1:00 – 3:30 pm in the Makers Space facility at Bellis Fair Mall (next door to Dick’s Sporting Goods.) Bring your broken household items and see what they can do! This service is provided free of charge. It is a combined continuation of two separate repair groups that have been successfully operating in Whatcom County for six years (prior to COVID.) They have had about a 70-80% success rate with repairs in the past and will evaluate anything that you can carry in to determine if it can be repaired. COVID restrictions to be observed.

MISSING MAN – PLEASE HELP

https://findsustainablejohn.com/?fbclid=IwAR3wJDNkcE6GnpFBlluhoDlU1odd7hUjlz2mPnjDNfTq2EVvb3zzliCfwnU

ELDRIDGE: COOL SUGGESTION

Dear Columbia neighbors

We recently, again, had another high speed accident on Eldridge and it has me marvelling about how many major accidents we have had along Eldridge in the short 4 years we have lived here. There was the person who took out the telephone pole and landed upside down in someone’s yard, the absolute tragedy that occured this summer when a community member lost both legs and almost her life because of an out of control driver, and then most recently a car slammed into a parked car, through a pole and took out a wrought iron fence. Also, our neighbor’s parked car got totaled by an out of control driver. These are 4 major accidents in just 4 years. This is not to mention how many of us have lost side view mirrors or had our cars swiped as our cars are parked along Eldridge. 

I don’t know what it is about Eldridge, but it seems like people like to drive fast down this road. Case in point, I was literally passed the other night by a white BMW SUV as if I was standing still. 

I was thinking about this while driving down Eldridge and feeling a sense of anger and frustration at all the speeding drivers who obviously don’t care about the safety of our community. I was even fashioning the letter I was going to send to Flips Newsletter about how we need to get the city to do something when I happened to look down at my speedometer, and saw that I was going 45 MPH. 20 MPH over the speed limit… talk about a moment of hypocrisy. 

So, first off I apologize to my Eldridge neighbors about my own tendency to drive fast down that road. Second, I have, since then, driven 25 MPH whenever I’m on Eldridge and have quite liked the slower pace. I realize that if we wait until the city does something about the speeding drivers, we will wait way too long. Therefore I think we need to take control of Eldridge and slow fast drivers (like myself) down by all of us driving 25 MPH whenever on Eldridge. Take pride in that long line of cars behind you. In my opinion we need to create the reputation that Eldridge is a super slow road, and hopefully everyone else will fall into line. 

As a repentant Eldridge speeder, I ask that whenever you are on Eldridge, if you’re not already doing so, please drive 25MPH. Thanks ~ Matt Dowling

END OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS

The days are getting shorter and the weather is turning dark. Reminder to look out for pedestrians and bicycles. State law says pedestrian crosswalks exist at *all* intersections – whether they are marked or not. Pedestrians and cyclists, please wear bright or high visibility clothing, use caution, and never leave a curb or place of safety and move into a vehicle’s path at a point where it is impossible for the driver to stop

TUTORING

Private tutoring available from Columbia neighborhood teacher. I teach reading, writing, and math (up to Algebra). Please contact me for more information. Thank you! ~ Ruth Olsen 360-318-5380 www.beliinghamtutoring.com

FILM ONLINE

CASCADIA International Women’s Film Festival celebrates Native American Heritage month with the online screening of the documentary “End of the Line: Women of Standing Rock,” directed by Shannon Kring. The film sold out at the Pickford Film Center during its Doctober festival.  CASCADIA presents it online throughout November. “End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock” is a powerful, inspiring 97-minute film that captures history in the making as a small group of Indigenous women establish a peaceful camp in protest of the $3.8 billion oil pipeline construction that threatens their land, water, and very existence. View trailer here: https://vimeo.com/419950760. Tickets are $10 on sale now here. More info at https://www.cascadiafilmfest.org/upcoming-events-2/

COOKS NEEDED

We need more cooks for the Outreach folks who are delivering hot home-cooked meals to unsheltered neighbors. We can provide ingredients, baking pans & to-go containers. A one-dish casserole meal like Mac & cheese, spaghetti, burritos, or tuna noodle is simple to make and brings such comfort to a cold lonely person on a dark night. We could also use donations of hand warmers, clean dry winter socks, ponchos, raincoats, socks, large size boots & sturdy shoes, and AAA & AA batteries. Cash donations let us shop for the best deals, to do the greatest good for the greatest number. https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/qm4vz8

THANK YOU CARDS & LETTERS FOR HOSPITAL WORKERS

Please send more cards & letters to our hospital workers. They are having such a hard time and it actually helps when they hear that we haven’t forgotten them. I have some beautiful blank greeting cards I’d be happy to share with you. Also, we’ve still got some musicians performing at shift changes and have room for more. Contact me for more information. And if there are any more gift cards donated, the musicians can distribute them to the workers. ~ Love/Fl!p 

The Workers At St Joseph Hospital / Peacehealth

2901 Squalicum Pkwy, Bellingham, WA 98225

DEAF MAN SEEKING COLUMBIA RENTAL

My name is Miko Machalski and I am Deaf. Now that my kids are all grown, I am looking to move from where I live on Lummi Island (for 37 years) to Bellingham. I am looking for a small cottage or mother-in-law dwelling in town. I am fully vaccinated and am hoping to move Spring 2022. If you would like to see me and how I communicate, watch this short YouTube video I made (with English captions): https://youtu.be/See2hzaEK7o

If you have a rental, or know of one, please contact me at 360-255-7039. When you call my number, it will automatically connect to a free sign language interpreter who will interpret between us. You can also leave a message through the interpreter if I am not available. Thank you so much and hope to connect with you.

ROOM AVAILABLE

Partially furnished room available in Sunnyland neighborhood. Steps away from breweries, TJ’s, downtown and bus lines. Seeking a mature, responsible, respectable and vaccinated housemate with a chill attitude, generally neat and fairly quiet home habits. Bonus points if you have any gardening experience or enthusiasm for gardening. Must be able to pass a background check, submit proof of income, and provide personal references and history of your living situation for the past year. Rent is $675/month plus utilities. Room is available Dec. 1st A pet may be negotiable. Text or email Jewel Leuba at 774-269-5599 or jewel.leuba@gmail.com

PIROSHKY PIROSHKY

11/14 Bellingham. Nice goodies delivered by pre-order only for local pick-up, about once a month.

https://piroshkybakery.com/menu/?utm_source=mailchimp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=seasonal&utm_content=nov2021

YAWNING

I’ve been teaching deliberate yawning for at least 40 years. It is so exciting first seeing science research catch up, and now seeing it popularized on TV news!

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/this-week-on-sunday-morning-november-7-2021/

ATTENTION

The French philosopher Simone Weil wrote often of attention as a kind of spiritual discipline. “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity,” she wrote in her notebooks, an idea she later would continue to develop, eventually concluding that attention “presupposes faith and love.”  ~ Alissa Wilkinson

FL!P’S EYES

I had eye surgery for cataracts Wednesday Nov 3rd, which went a little sideways the first night, but is now WAY better! I got eyedrops to handle the excess pressure. My vision is much clearer now. I have more energy too. I slept the first two days. My other eye is scheduled for November 17 and should be easier now that I know what to expect. You may see fewer posts from me than usual this month because of the surgery, but I’ll try to keep up. Zeke can read to me.

RADIO FREE FL!P 

SLOW THE TEMPO DOWN CHARLIE

Tom Hodge with one of my favorite songs, which he wrote long ago. It’s so poignant that it starts with guys insulting each other kind of lovingly, as I’ve so often seen them do, and then the music starts and immediately spills over with tenderness. I was there in the front row when this was recorded. The song starts at 1:24. 

https://www.facebook.com/scott.katz/videos/1201695567798

OLD FRIENDS

Simon & Garfunkel, backstage, long ago. Best version I have ever heard. How terribly strange to be 70…