Pacific Building Center Named Member of the Month

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Pacific Building Center has been named Member of the Month for May.  In making the announcement, Dave Hiller, President of the Chamber, said “Since the Christianson family opened up Pacific Building Center in 2000 they have been big supporters of our entire region and active supporters of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce.  Pacific Building Center is a dedicated team of professionals who not only provide superb customer service, but also provide the type of home town service and products that many larger stores are hard pressed to provide.  They also are big supporters of our Chamber, and constantly support our efforts in helping build a strong business community.” 

Pacific Building Center is a true family business. Bob Christianson and his wife Pam Christianson lead the family team.  The staff has grown over the years as the family has grown and other family members have joined the team.  Bob’s wife, also a past president of the Blaine chamber of commerce, was key in the starting of the Blaine 4th of July.  Most importantly Pam has a natural ability with wallpaper and window treatments (but defers to daughters on paint.)

Everyone who works at Pacific Building Center is really part of the family.  Adam, Kimberly, Tobin & Mason Akre all work at Pacific Building Center. Adam runs the yard and Kimberly takes care of the bookkeeping in the store. Tobin is learning how to ring up customers and Mason likes to mix paint. Stephanie is Bob & Pams younger daughter. She is also in charge of our Just Ask Rental Department . So if you have any questions about items for rent – she’s the one to ask! Ted is the contractor sales guy. If you need windows, doors, or help figuring out how much lumber to order for your project Ted’s your man! He is also the person in charge of our Shed kits so give him a call.

Perhaps their website says it best – “Start your projects off right with quality tools, products and expert advice from our True Value Hardwarians. They have the know-how to answer your questions, assist with projects, and find ways to make your home maintenance and improvement ventures a whole lot easier. Whether you tackle projects weekly, monthly or yearly, True Value is your one stop destination for all your hardware needs. True Value. Start Right. Start Here.”

If you would like to find out more about Pacific Building Center, you can contact them by calling (360) 332-5335;  visiting their website; via email from their website,  or best of all, stop by and visit them.  They are located at 2677 Bell Road, Blaine, WA, 98230.

Stop on down and visit us at Pacific Building Center !

Reminder – May Membership Meeting At The C Shop With Homemade Pizza Tuesday!

Tourism represents a crucial component of economic vitality in Birch Bay and throughout Whatcom County. Whatcom County Tourism President and CEO Loni Rahm will be presenting ”Tourism as an Economic Driver” at our May Chamber of Commerce Meeting on Tuesday, May 21st, at the C Shop. Ms. Rahm’s team of marketing and public relations professionals is responsible for the development and implementation of year around county-wide tourism development programs and activities.

Loni Rahm will be presenting at the C Shop this month at the corner of Alderson and Birch Bay Drive (4825 Alderson Road  Birch Bay, WA 98230).  The C shop is going to have a massive homemade pizza bar for us this month!  They will be ready to start serving the pizza for those who would like to show up a little early at 11:15.  (This will be the first way of pizza).  The next batches of homemade pizza will be ready at 11:30 and again at 11:45.  Beverage included and is still $10.

For further information on the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, please visit our website.

Loni Rahm To Speak At Our May Membership Meeting At The C Shop

Tourism represents a crucial component of economic vitality in Birch Bay and throughout Whatcom County. Whatcom County Tourism President and CEO Loni Rahm will be presenting ”Tourism as an Economic Driver” at our May Chamber of Commerce Meeting on Tuesday, May 21st, at the C Shop. Ms. Rahm’s team of marketing and public relations professionals is responsible for the development and implementation of year around county-wide tourism development programs and activities.

Loni Rahm will be presenting at the C Shop this month at the corner of Alderson and Birch Bay Drive (4825 Alderson Road  Birch Bay, WA 98230).  The C shop is going to have a massive homemade pizza bar for us this month!  They will be ready to start serving the pizza for those who would like to show up a little early at 11:15.  (This will be the first way of pizza).  The next batches of homemade pizza will be ready at 11:30 and again at 11:45.  Beverage included and is still $10.

For further information on the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, please visit our website.

Birch Bay to Participate in National Bike and Pedestrian Documentation Project

The Birch Bay Healthy Communities assessment team, a part of the Birch Bay Waterfront Group, is looking for volunteers to help count pedestrians and bicyclists along Birch Bay Drive on May 9 & 11.  The counts will help the team study the effect of construction on Birch Bay Drive on the public’s health and safety.

 

The team will be following the guidelines from the National Bike and Pedestrian Documentation Project, a nation-wide project that aims to consistently and accurately measure the positive benefits of investments in bicycling and walking.  National counts are done four times per year, and the Birch Bay team hopes to participate for the remainder of 2013 through at least January 2014.

 

Volunteers are needed on Thursday, May 9 from 8:00-10:00am and 5:00-7:00pm and on Saturday, May 11 from 8:00-10:00am and 1:00-3:00pm.  No experience is necessary, and you can sit and take in the view while serving your community!  Bring a friend along, and spend a couple of hours relaxing by the bay. 

 

A brief training will be provided for volunteers on Tuesday, May 7 from 5:00-6:00pm at the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce.  Volunteers can come any time between 5:00 and 6:00 to hear instructions and pick up their count materials.

 

To sign up for a two-hour volunteer spot, send an email Joyce with the time you prefer to birchbaybikepedcount@gmail.com . 

 

North Whatcom Fire And Rescue Named Member of the Month

The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that North Whatcom Fire And Rescue has been named Member of the Month for April.  In making the announcement, Dave Hiller, President of the Chamber, said “When our community needs help,  North Whatcom Fire and Rescue is  first on-scene to lend assistance.  We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated team of professionals who not only provide superb emergency response, but also have provided considerable support to our Chamber of Commerce events including both Discovery Days and the Polar Bear Swim.  They have also been lending assistance to our Community Emergency Planning Task Force, which has started an effort to create our local emergency plans.” 

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue is made up of both career and volunteer firefighters who provide fire suppression and emergency medical services.  The Fire District serves much more than Birch Bay.  The district has a total of 13 stations serving much of rural Whatcom County.  Fire District operations include fire response, emergency medical services (including Basic Life Support transport), rescue, and hazardous materials response. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue is managed by Fire Chief, Ron Anderson. Chief Anderson came to us last year from a fire department a third the size but with more than three times the population.

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue is a very busy organization year round – last month they had 222 responses, which comprised 14 fire responses, 169 medical responses, as well as 39 “other”.  That is a little over 7 responses a day!  And given our location, it is amazing that from the time they are notified until they arrive on-scene is an average of just 8 minutes and 35 seconds!  So when you see them, give them a wave or better yet say thank you!

Chief Anderson would be the first to tell you that the reason we have such a great Department is the high quality personnel who both work and live in our community.  We are truly blessed with a great department made up of great personnel.  You can read about North Whatcom Fire and Rescue in their Monthly Newsletter (Click Here To Read April’s Newsletter).  If you would like to find out more about our Department, you can contact Chief Ron Anderson by calling (360) 318-9933 or you can contact the Department via email; info@nwfrs.net.

Birch Bay Chamber Luncheon Features Leadership Expert

As a business owner, you know the value of having an environment that encourages employees and the importance of building on individual strengths.  Our presenter this month, Mark Warren of Mark Warren Associates, will be presenting “Leadership in Your Business Utilizing Your Strengths (OR – Don’t be Trapped by Your Weaknesses)“

Mark will be presenting excellent material to help us in business leadership and setting the pace for our workplaces.  He will be addressing orchestrating the work environment to help employees work together towards a common goal with appreciation for individual strengths and personalities.  This will be of great value for all business leaders even if you are a sole proprietor – it’s all about knowing yourself and your limitations and getting the right kind of systems in place to create your best business atmosphere.  This is helpful in all our relationships.

Our Monthly Chamber Lunch for April will be held Tuesday, April 16 from 11:30 – 1:00. This month we will be meeting at the American Legion Post 68, 4580 Legion Drive, Birch Bay, WA.   Post 68 is located across from North Whatcom Fire & Rescue .  The American Legion will be providing the food for our luncheon, and there will be a choice of foods.  Cost will be $10.00 per person.RSVP is appreciated but not required – leave message with Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center Phone 371-5004 or by email info@birchbaychamber.com. 

A little more about our speaker Mark Warren – Mark is the owner of Mark Warren Associates, a coaching and training company. MWA offers a variety of career transition coaching, career and life coaching, corporate training, business and organization consulting services. Mark specializes in professional career transition coaching and helping people discover and pursue their personal life callings. Mark is known as “The Calling Coach,” and is absolutely passionate and committed to helping others identify and fulfill their unique, personal callings in life. Mark is also an Adjunct Faculty Instructor in the Leadership Program at Trinity Western University.

Groundbreaking Ceremony BP Heron Center for Environmental Education Birch Bay State Park

Editors Note:  The following was submitted by the Friends of Birch Bay State Park, along with an invitation for all to attend the groundbreaking on April 20th. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Heather Jackson-Chief in Charge of Ceremony & Interpretive Coordinator
Phone: 512-422-5080 cell | Email: anthrofeda@yahoo.com  Website: www.fobbsp.org

The public is encouraged to attend a ground-breaking ceremony being held to celebrate construction of the BP Heron Center for Environmental Education.

The event will be held at 10:00 a.m. on April 20, 2013; at the Birch Bay State Park, lower-day-use area.

The ceremony will begin with a musical piece from “Wingin It” and  a welcome from Ted Morris-Park Manager. Representatives from the Friends of Birch Bay State Park; British Petroleum –Cherry Point refinery; mayors from various Whatcom communities; multiple engineering, design, and acquisition-related companies; and many other public and community organizations in Whatcom county who helped steer the project to today’s reality will also be in attendance.

Kathy Berg, will describe the multitude and magnitude of benefits that the Heron Center will provide to Birch Bay and the surrounding area. The digging of the first symbolic spades for this regional project will conclude the event.

The first construction phase of the project will involve preparing the area for the log cabin and patio area. Future phases will include native plantings and interpretive trail and signage donated by the late, Jerry Larson.

The vision for the Heron Center was developed by Scott Walker, President of the Friends of Birch Bay State Park. His desire to provide the local community with an environmental education center is coming to fruition.

Various entities that have financially contributed to this project: BP Cherry Point Refinery, ALCOA, Jerry Larson, Birch Bay State Park , local donors, Friends of Birch Bay State Park, countless volunteers made this dream a reality.

For more information you can contact the Friends of Birch Bay State Park website. www.fobbsp.org