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Partnership News
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March 2010
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Jump on Board
Partnership Board of Directors Now Accepting Nominations
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership Board of Directors is accepting nominations to fill Board vacancies. This year, we will have one to three vacancies available. Nominations are accepted now through April 16 and elections by the general membership will be held in late May. If you, or someone you know, is interested in becoming more involved in downtown's revitalization and in taking an active role in the Partnership's activities, please contact Kirsten at kirsten@downtownbellingham.com or 527-8710 or contact any current Board member. A list of Board members is available here.
Members of the Partnership Board of Directors commit to three-year terms. We meet on the third Friday of every month from 8-10am, with an annual day-long retreat substituting for one general Board meeting. In addition to this committment, Board members are asked to participate in one Board committee. Committees meet as needed and the time committment for committee participation varies greatly depending on the committee and time of year. The Partnership Board is tackling some large and exciting issues to benefit downtown in the coming years, we invite you to be a part of our efforts. Please feel free to contact any member if you have questions regarding Board membership.
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2010 Membership Decals
Keep an eye out for yours!
Your 2010 membership decal will arrive soon. Please post your decal on the inside of a window or door facing out. Thank you for your support of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership. Your membership is essential to our continued success transforming downtown Bellingham into a safe, healthy, fun, attractive and vibrant city center. If you have any questions, comments or concerns about your membership, please contact Alex. |
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CLEAN@DOWNTOWN BELLINGHAM.COM
The Partnership has launched a new e-mail address dedicated to providing responsive, efficient service to all our members in the Maintenance & Beautification District, as well as anyone working in, visiting or living downtown.
If you notice a mess, a missing plant, graffiti or
anything else in the Maintenance & Beautification District that needs attention from our staff, email clean@downtown bellingham.com or call
(360) 961-8574. Messages are checked frequently and we will respond as promptly as possible to your report.
Thank you for helping us continue to keep
downtown clean and attractive!
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Graffiti
Help us combat downtown graffiti
Graffiti spreads quickly unless it is
contained. Please report all incidences of graffiti to the Partnership so
we can work with the COB Police Department to document it and, as a benefit to
our members, remove it for you as soon as possible. If our crew cannot
remove graffiti, we will happily paint over it with our paint or your paint if
you provide us with a color match for your wall.
Also, we spoke with the Police Department and they requested the following
actions to help combat graffiti in the city center. These actions can
help officers prosecute offenders and pursue restitution:
Document all instances of graffiti with date and
photo if possible, also document an estimate of damages (including cost to
clean the incident) Install cameras in areas subject to graffiti on
your property If you are open late/early and witness an
incident of graffiti, contact 911 immediately and provide descriptions of
offenders if possible
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Downtown Maintenance &
Beautification Limbo
 ing beds and planters.
The
maintenance and beautification program has historically operated as a
matching grant program in partnership with the City of Bellingham, a program that is no longer available. Funding for
2010 downtown maintenance and beautification services has been approved
by City Council from parking and streetscape funds. However, City staff has not yet determined how to deliver
that funding for the district and it currently looks as though they will issue a Request for Proposals for this work. In the meantime, the
City has contracted with the Partnership through March 31 to continue
our current services.
The Partnership hopes this issue can be resolved soon so we can continue to
improve and expand our Maintenance and Beautification services in 2010 as an integral part
of our more comprehensive downtown revitalization efforts. We will keep you posted as the future of the Downtown Maintenance
and Beautification program becomes more clear. If you have questions, please contact Kirsten.
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Waterfront Redevelopment Planning
Moves Forward
During 2010 the Port and the City
plan to complete the master planning process for the waterfront redevelopment
project. This project would - over the next 20 to 30 years -- transform the
former Georgia Pacific industrial site into a 220-acre mixed-use urban development.
The community planning effort has
been underway since the Port acquired the GP site in 2005. This spring the Port
and City will complete the environmental analysis of the impacts of the redevelopment.
The final environmental analysis - the Draft EIS Addendum -- studied: the
modified road grid supported by both the Port and City, the potential reuse of
the industrial structures on the site, and the view corridors. It was brought
forward for a 30-day public comment period on Feb. 8. This Addendum is the
third round of environmental review for this comprehensive project. The
Addendum and the earlier studies are available on the Port of Bellingham's
website: www.portofbellingham.com, as well as at the Bellingham Public
Library. The comment period ends on March 10.
This spring the community-led
Waterfront Advisory Group will take part in the development of the Master Plan.
Each month, starting in March, the WAG
will discuss various sections of the Master Plan and provide ideas and
recommendations to staff. These meetings are open to the public and always
include time for public comment. They are at 6 p.m. on the second Wednesday of the month (March 10,
April 14, May 12) at 1801 Roeder
Avenue.
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Social Media Conference NW 2010
Evolving Marketing Conversations
The 2010 Social Media Conference will be held on March 25, 2010
at the McIntyre Performing Arts Hall and Conference Center in Mount
Vernon, WA. This regional event builds on the success of the 2008
Social Media Conference NW, which attracted 250 attendees from
throughout Washington and the United States. The conference will focus on using media for marketing, customer service and public relations.
This conference has been designed for managers and owners of small to
medium sized businesses and professionals involved in marketing and
public relations in the Pacific Northwest that are new to social media or already involved and want to take it to the next level. To learn more and register for this conference, go to socialmediaconferencenw.com or call (360) 733-4014.
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Bite of Bellingham
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership presents the 5th Annual Bite of Bellingham, sponsored by Portionables! This local food festival will be held on the 1300 block of Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham, between E. Holly and E. Magnolia St. This family festival is free to attend (with tickets on sale for tastings) and will showcase bites from local restaurants and, new this year, include a 21 and over area to taste beverages from the surrounding breweries and wineries.
The Bite of Bellingham will take place on Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 12-4p.m. The event attracted over 3,700 attendees to downtown in 2009 and we are planning for more in 2010. Please visit the Downtown Bellingham Partnership website and click on "Bite of Bellingham" in the upcoming months for details on the 2010 food vendors, volunteers and much more. We have several sponsorship opportunities still available for this popular event. If you are interested in becoming a Bite of Bellingham sponsor, contact Kirsten.Kirsten
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Downtown Art Walk
1st Friday of Every Month
Downtown
Art Walk, sponsored by the Bellingham Herald, exhibits the high quality of artists
and remarkable variety of venues present in downtown Bellingham. From
6-10pm on the First Friday of every month, galleries, boutiques,
restaurants, studios and more keep their doors open to showcase a wide
array of artwork by local and renowned visiting artists. Art lovers are
invited to stroll through the streets of downtown, enjoying art, food
and community. A special Children's Art Walk is held each May from
6-9pm by Allied Arts of Whatcom County, featuring pieces from
elementary school students. Check out our new Art Walk Fan Page on Facebook for monthly updates. If you are interested in participating in
Art Walk as a venue, artist or sponsor, contact Lindsey or call 527-8710.
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Downtown Sounds Update
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership presents Downtown Sounds, sponsored by Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro, in downtown Bellingham. This award-winning series will be held in the same location as last year, in the gateway to the Arts District on Bay Street between Holly and Champion Streets. These free, all-ages concerts offer music, dancing, food and live entertainment suitable for the  whole family. Generous community sponsors join the Downtown Bellingham Partnership in providing refreshments for the over 21 crowd and kids can enjoy food from local vendors and chalk art, face painting and hula hooping. The concert series runs every Wednesday from July 14 to August 11 and occur from 5-9pm. Attendance at the 2009 concert series doubled from previous years and hit a record high on the last day with 2,400 attendees. The Downtown Bellingham Partnership would like to thank the following businesses for their support of Downtown Sounds: Amjay Screen Printing Inc., the American Museum of Radio and Electricity, Bayou on Bay, Best Western Heritage Inn, KISM, Cascadia Weekly, Kulshan Cycles, Mount Bakery, Rocket Donuts, Temple Bar, Towner Press Inc., Whatcom Educational Credit Union and WTA. Please visit the Downtown Sounds website in the upcoming months for details on the 2010 lineup, food vendors, volunteers and much more. If you are interested in booking, volunteering or sponsoring, please contact Lindsey. |
 2nd Annual Ladies' Night Out
The Downtown Bellingham Partnership and downtown merchants present Downtown Bellingham's Ladies' Night Out - a great opportunity for you to promote your business, show appreciation for your loyal customers and have some fun, all while benefiting a good cause!
WHAT DOES THE EVENT ENTAIL?
Downtown Ladies' Night Out will take place on Friday, May 21st, with shopping, sales, and promotions at downtown businesses from 5-8pm, after which everyone will kick back at an after party benefiting Womencare Shelter at the Wild Buffalo. While there, ladies will learn about Womencare, enjoy live music, drink specials, entertainment, a fashion show, and more. Last year's event brought in over $4,000 for Womencare, over 400 attendees, and was a great time!
HOW CAN I BE INVOLVED?
From 5-8pm, retail businesses can host a special sale, trunk show, or other
promotion at their location. Food-related businesses could do a dinner or
drink special. Salons and service-related businesses could do product
specials, free sample services or class demonstrations. Feel free to get
creative!
HOW WILL IT BE PROMOTED?
Ladies' Night Out will be advertised in the Cascadia Weekly, the Bellingham
Herald, through postcards/flyers, radio spots, online via DowntownBellingham.com, Twitter and Facebook and on posters displayed all over town. Maps listing each participating business will also distributed the week of the event. All participating businesses will receive web graphics to include on websites, emails, etc.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PARTICIPATE?
The DBP member price to sign up before April 1st is $150 for Tier One, $400
for Tier Two. The non-member price to sign up before April 1st is $250 for
Tier One, $600 for Tier Two. Businesses that sign up and pay between April
1st and April 20th will be charged an additional $100. Postcard mailers are
available to purchase: $50 for 500. Payment should be made out to DBP and
sent to Downtown Bellingham Partnership, PO Box 1201, Bellingham WA 98227 or dropped off at 1304 Cornwall Ave.
WHAT DOES MY PARTICIPATION INCLUDE?
All businesses will be listed on print ads and posters, receive a poster to
hang in early May, and have their name, address and brief description of
their promotion listed on the Ladies' Night Out map. Tier Two businesses
will also receive 500 mailers, sponsorship of one ad, logo placement on
mailers, maps, and posters and an ad on DowntownBellingham.com. All
participating businesses will also be able to donate giveaway items to the
300 goody bags and prizes to the raffle.
If you have any questions or would like more details, please feel free to contact Gretchen Bjork via telephone: (360) 306-0397, or email: gretchen@digsshowroom.com. Let's work together to create yet another wonderful Downtown Ladies' Night Out!
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March Block Watcher
Some Safety Tips to Keep in Mind
Provided by the City of Bellingham and the Bellingham Police Department
Being a Good Witness
When witnesses to a crime, call 911 for police assistance. One of the most common things we hear is that the suspect is described as a "male, unknown race, wearing jeans and a hoodie." Unfortunately, this describes a good portion of Bellingham. Any kind of information is better than no information, but here are some other items that may help in finding the suspect: race, hair length and color, height, body type, facial hair, piercings/tattoos, shoes, logos/brand names, smells and speech. Last, direction of travel and if they were traveling on foot, bikes, etc will point the Police Department towards the right direction.
Serial Numbers
Copy down the brand name, model and serial numbers of all important electronic items, tools, bikes, etc. and keep that list in a safe place! Hundreds of items go unclaimed and are destroyed by the Police Department each year because property was found but people were unable to provide police with brand or serial number information. By copying down this information, it increases your chances of recovering stolen items and the Police may charge suspects.
Emergency Preparedness
Want to be able to help your community after a disaster? The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program educates people about emergency preparedness, Whatcom County hazards and basic disaster response skills. For those of you who have completed the Map Your Neighborhood Program, this is a great supplement to the program! It is a 27 hour course broken down into several sessions. The next class begins April 15th at Bellingham Technical College. For more information please contact Bob Jacobson.
For more information, comments or questions, contact Crime Prevention Officer Katrin Dearborn, (360) 778-8660.
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Partnership Programs & Deadlines
As a
member, you not only support our ongoing advocacy on behalf of downtown, you
have the opportunity to benefit from a variety of programs and member discounts
the Partnership offers throughout the year.
Please be aware of the following programs and deadlines in order to
realize maximum value from your membership.
Downtown Info Center:
Each
member receives a free brochure slot at the center and a free listing and link on our interactive online map at DowntownBellingham.com. We accept brochures for the center year round. Additional business advertising is available for a
low fee at the center and on our website.
Map & Business Directory:
We publish
this popular publication annually. The
2010 downtown Directory is available and has been distributed
throughout the region from Seattle
to Vancouver. All participating businesses have received their maps and more are available at the center.
Cooperative Marketing Promotions:
The Partnership
organizes cooperative advertising campaigns to help leverage your advertising
dollars. Our 2010 campaigns
will include the Bellingham Escapes marketing campaign, Ladies Night Out, the Sidewalk Sale and Shop Where Your Heart Is.
Downtown Dollars:
Participation
in the program is free with a small fee when Dollars are spent in your
business. We accept new participants anytime.
Promotional Events:
The Partnership
organizes events throughout the year that attract thousands of people to
downtown. These include Art Walks,
Downtown Sounds, the Bite of Bellingham and Trick or Treat.
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About Us
Since 2000, the
Downtown Bellingham Partnership has been the only organization that unites
the diverse interests that define our city center. Through our
network of members, we present a powerful voice for Downtown
Bellingham.
1304 Cornwall Avenue | 360.527.8710 | downtownbellingham.com
Bellingham, WA 98227
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