ncore E Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Ferndale Record
A GUIDE TO A FULFILLING SENIOR LIFE IN WHATCOM COUNTY
Still gardening at 88 and 91................................D2 New senior communities take shape ...................D5 Hearing Northwest hosting Lunch and Learn ....D8 A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
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Gerrit and Marie Van Andel keep gardening at ages 91 and 88 Property at 17th Street corner has become a model for others to look to for ideas Calvin Bratt Lynden Tribune LYNDEN — Gerrit and Marie Van Andel never intended their corner lot at 1611 D Street to become a gardening showcase. They grow all these flowers and vegetables for the love of it. But they have heard the stories of people who look to see what Gerrit and Marie are doing in their yard and garden as a signal to go home and do the same. They know that some people attending the Northwest Washington Fair each August want to park close to the Van Andel premises to inspect the bounty and beauty there, and take pictures. “They watch me pretty close out there,” says Gerrit with a chuckle. “I don’t have any friends.”
See VAN ANDELS on D3
Marie and Gerrit Van Andel stand in their garden alongside the first row of corn Gerrit planted before April 20, as is his standard practice. By now the corn has grown to over six feet high. — Lynden Tribune | CALVIN BRATT
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
D3
Van Andels: Couple uses coffee grounds for soil enrichment Continued from D2 The couple is doing it all as steadily as ever in this their 46th year on the property — he at age 91 and she at 88 — although they will admit they are slowing down and need a few more breaks sprinkled into their work routine. And they give credit to four daughters and extended family for doing some of the bigger tasks — like rototilling the garden each spring and lawn mowing each week. “They help us a lot,” Marie said. The couple’s division of labor is pretty simple, following their interests: Gerrit has the vegetables, Marie the flowers and berries. When one sits down with the Van Andels in their welcoming and well-shaded house, with geraniums and an apple tree and raspberry bushes beckoning to the back yard and their side patio obviously functioning as the horticultural center for the entire operation, these self-taught master gardeners don’t necessarily have a lot of secrets to tell. “I garden by the seat of my pants,” he said. Gerrit will allow that right around April 1 each year, the winter’s accumulated compost — into which have gone all banana peels, apple cores and such — is spread on the 40foot garden and tilled under. Marie also likes to get coffee grounds from Starbucks for soil
enrichment. By April 20, no matter the weather, Gerrit plants his first two rows of corn, and two weeks later the first shoots of growth appear. More rows of corn are planted every few weeks. But corn is the only vegetable crop the Van Andels grow from seed. They don’t mind buying started plants and nurturing them along in the patio — which is enclosed in winter — until they are big enough to replant outside. They can’t remember having been caught by a late frost. For tomatoes, grown at a location a few blocks away, Gerrit has built a makeshift greenhouse maximizing southern exposure, and he also vouches for the value of mushroom compost for best results. They will get dairy farm manure and mix with water for “a weak manure tea” as a stimulant for plant growth. Gerrit’s garden includes asparagus, cucumbers, curly kale, beans, peas, carrots, onions, beets, peppers and squash. Some root crops, including potatoes, have been more problem than they’re worth, he feels. For Marie, dahlias are her first love in flowers and they ring the yard, but she dabbles in all types. She shows with pride an African violet that she nursed from a single
See VAN ANDELS on D4
The Lupin Ben is one of Marie’s many varieties of dahlia. — Lynden Tribune | CALVIN BRATT
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D4
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
ENCORE
Van Andels: All of Marie's roses started as four-inch pieces Continued from D3
Marie Van Andel has done 60 cuttings of what she calls her “popcorn” pink geranium since she acquired the original plant in 1985. “I have given so many away,” she said. — Lynden Tribune | CALVIN BRATT
leaf last fall into full bloom this year. “It must have had 35 flowers on it — just wonderful,” she enthused. Marie is a big believer in propagating her own flowers. All the roses in the back yard were started from four-inch pieces. “I like the ones I start best. It doesn’t always work. I’ve started many, many,” she said. Marie is willing to share her experience from so many years of growing and experimenting with flowers. Yet her success rate certainly isn’t perfect, she is quick to acknowledge. After getting so many requests for her blooms, Marie now has a portable stand available on the sidewalk from which people can choose their own bouquet of cut flowers for 25 cents per stem. Beside dahlias, other flowers under Marie’s care include gladiolas, hydrangeas, geraniums, marigolds, roses, orchids, fuschias and tulips. Many are in pots and hanging baskets. She has developed several generations of one geranium she labels “popcorn” for its pink, popcorn-looking blooms. They also have four kinds of berries and grapes. Marie picked 40 quarts of strawberries this year. If the blueberry crop is typical, she will harvest 100 pounds. Much food goes into a large freezer.
“They go on my oatmeal every morning,” said the health-conscious octogenarian about the berries. The couple didn’t always have as much time as they do now to putter and plant and pluck. In earlier years, even when their children were still at home, the Van Andels went off for extended periods of volunteering. Gerrit, with his background in plumbing, electrical and construction, did handyman work that took them to Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Sometimes they barely got their flower bulbs into storage before they took off somewhere. This neighborhood has been Van Andel territory since Gerrit’s parents came here from Chicago with their four children in 1926. Gerrit is the youngest, but the oldest sister, Betty Meenk, still lives at age 98 in Seattle. Brother Jim was Lynden’s longtime mayor. Marie was an Ooms growing up on Jackman Road, and it was her father who told her the soil is “electric” with energy if you just tap into it correctly. Oldest daughters Lin Gilmore and Jan Butler are in the Lynden area, but even Connie Hockema and Judy Weiford of the Seattle area find their way back to Lynden about once a month to lend their help. Ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren are part of the crew. Email Calvin Bratt at editor@lyndentribune.com.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
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D5
Bryce Park one of two Lynden senior communities taking shape Clubhouse completed; whole site now about 60 percent built Tim Newcomb Lynden Tribune LYNDEN — The residents’ clubhouse at Bryce Park is now complete, a milestone in construction of a pair of 55-and-older active adult communities currently being built by Bellinghambased Whatcom Opportunity Regional Center. Bryce Park, located off Aaron Drive in east Lynden, will have 64 units, with a mix of two units of duplexes, six quadplexes and the remainder as singlefamily homes, said Cathryn Carpenter, WORC administrator of senior lifestyle services. The entire project is about 60 percent built and, of those, about 75 percent occupied. Carpenter said that the active adult community offers differing levels of ser-
See BRYCE PARK on D6
The Bryce Park clubhouse in east Lynden is one of the amenities of the 55-and-older active adult living community. — Courtesy photo | WORC
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D6
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
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Bryce Park: Completion of building is anticipated in mid-2013
Bryce Park features a mix of single-family homes, duplexes and quadplexes in east Lynden. Currently, over 60 percent of the community has been constructed. — Courtesy photo | WORC Continued from D5 vice for clients, starting at basic packages of housekeeping right up to licensed home care. “It is an a la cart menu,” she said. “You can pick and choose as you need them.” The demographic profile of the community includes some people who are still actively working and use services
WA_Comp_BW.indd 1
for dog walking or other concierge-type amenities. But other residents are already utilizing the full range of home care services, allowing them to continue living independently. The model is based on that of WORC’s Ferndale community, Correll Commons, which has been operating for a year and is now fully occupied. Bryce Park should be finished by
mid-2013. Elsewhere in Lynden Work continues on the first phase of 32 condominium units, also a WORC 55-and-older active adult community, at Garden Greens, located on the southeast corner of Depot Road and Homestead Boulevard. That complex is completely framed
and Carpenter expects it to be finished in March 2013. The second phase, located north of the white Vacations International hotel building next to the Homestead Golf & Country Club course, should start construction in 2013. Email Tim Newcomb at tim@lyndentribune.com.
5/14/12 1:50 PM
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
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D7
Yearly eye exams can help detect onset of macular degeneration Progression varies from person to person, ages 59 and older Dr. Mark Pyle for the Lynden Tribune Chances are you’ve heard of agerelated macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in older adults. A common eye condition among folks age 50 and over, AMD is a disease wherein the macula (a yellow spot near the center of the eye’s retina) is slowly destroyed, and with it, the ability to see objects clearly. How quickly AMD progresses varies from person to person. In some, its advance is slow and vision loss does not occur for a long time. In others, it moves faster, leading to vision loss in one or both eyes. Since the macular provides sharp central vision, its destruction means it becomes more difficult to recognize others, drive, read, write or perform tasks that require close-up work.
The good news is that while AMD limits vision, it doesn’t cause blindness because side or peripheral vision is still functional. The bad news is that if you have AMD in one eye, your risk of getting it in the other eye is significantly higher. As people age, the risk factors for AMD increase, but its incidence is also related to family history of AMD, smoking and race. Caucasians are at much greater risk of getting AMD than individuals of African descent, and smokers are twice as likely to be afflicted. Since the early and intermediate stages of AMD typically begin symptomfree, the only way to tell if you have AMD is by having a comprehensive eye exam. When your eye is dilated, an eye doctor can examine the retina and optic nerve for signs of AMD. Age-related macular degeneration comes in two forms: dry and wet, either of which can cause vision loss. Dry AMD is more common than wet, occurring in 90 percent of people afflicted. It is defined by three stages as the macula’s light-sensitive cells gradually break down, blurring central vision in one or
both eyes. Wet AMD, considered to be advanced AMD, can be more severe and implies the leakage of blood and fluid by new blood vessels beneath the macula. In wet AMD, macula damage can be rapid; however, dry AMD precipitates wet. While there is no treatment for early stage dry AMD, it makes sense to get an annual eye exam to determine if the condition is advancing. Early stage wet AMD can be slowed down with early diagnosis and correct treatment. However, it cannot be cured. Researchers have linked lifestyle to the onset of AMD, but studies are inconclusive as to whether altering lifestyle factors would affect the impact of AMD. Still, it is advisable to avoid smoking, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet containing green, leafy vegetables and fish, and maintain normal blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Be diligent about seeing your eye doctor once a year and about reporting any changes you notice in your vision. Dr. Mark Pyle is a Whatcom County eye doctor with Vision Plus in Lynden. website www.visionpluswa.com.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2012 | Ferndale Record
D8
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Hearing Northwest hosting 'Lunch and Learn' Event aims to inform on topics such as hearing loss and hearing aids Brent Lindquist Lynden Tribune LYNDEN — Hearing Northwest will host Lynden’s first “Lunch and Learn” event on Tuesday, July 24, at Dutch Mothers restaurant in downtown Lynden. The event is intended to provide an easy outlet for people to ask questions about hearing loss. The previous Lunch and Learn, held in Bellingham, drew about 40 people. “We’ll pass out some information and talk about hearing loss in general, what causes hearing loss and signs that you may have hearing loss,” Hearing Northwest’s Shari Humes said. Humes said she intends to keep the July 24 event a bit smaller than the previous one;
she hopes to attract about 20 people. She said events like these are very important for anyone who might be experiencing hearing loss. “We talk about different types of hearing aids and hearing aid technology to demystify it,” Humes said. “We talk about what to expect when you visit a hearing healthcare professional, what to expect when you do go, and we explain what a hearing test is. They say the average person waits about 10 years to do something. Over time as the hearing loss increases, your hearing system becomes less exercised.” Humes said some people simply don't know they suffer from hearing loss because they don't know any different. Anyone interested in attending the free lunch and learning more about hearing loss topics can RSVP to 3124833. Hearing Northwest's Lunch and Learn event will take place at noon on Tuesday, July 24, at Dutch Mothers Restaurant, 405 Front St. Email Brent Lindquist at reporter@lyndentribune.com.
Hearing Northwest's Tracey Demmon helps a patient at the Lynden office. — Lynden Tribune | BRENT LINDQUIST
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