Encore July 2014

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A Lynden couple spreads their ideas for cleaning up the

Wednesday July 30, 2014

political message in Washington, D.C.

A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

A Guide to a FulďŹ lling Senior Life in Whatcom County

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

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A life for the birds Nearly 57 years of marriage equals more than 400 bird species

By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com

Ross and Carol Wagner have spent more than 50 of their 57 years together birding all over the United States.

(Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)

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LYNDEN — Not too many folks in Lynden have seen a saw-whet owl. Of course, not too many folks in Lynden can distinguish this small nocturnal owl by its call, either.

For Ross and Carol Wagner, though, the saw-whet owl can be checked off their list as both seen and heard outside their Meadow Greens Retirement Community apartment window.

The couple, quickly approaching their 57th wedding anniversary, have lived in Lynden since 1983 and have seen far more than just the saw-whet in their 50-plus years birding.

When talking owls alone, Ross was able to start listing off more than half a dozen types of owls he’s seen, including long-eared, short-eared, pygmy, snowy and screech (“It is very necessary to have a screech owl,” Car-

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

ENCORE ol chimed in.)

“In one species, there are several to find,” Ross said. “I could get more if I spent time hunting.”

Ross, originally from South Dakota, said he first remembers his fascination with birds starting in the early 1960s while in Kansas after he caught a glimpse of a long-tailed flycatcher. He’d never seen one before and it piqued his interest. From there he purchased a decent pair of binoculars and a scope and really got going.

The Wagners have seen roughly 420 different species, covering every state west of the Mississippi River and places far beyond.

“Sometimes we would miss a bird and go hunt that, but we mostly took what came,” Ross said.

Where they enjoyed hunting the most was an easy answer for Ross, as he marked Cave Creek Canyon and Miller Canyon in Arizona as the top places.

“The birds came up from Mexico, so we got to see new species,” he said.

While the Wagners’ health restrictions — Ross has trouble hearing the high-pitched calls necessary to locate the birds — have limited their birding, he still enjoys the large birds available locally, especially the colorful harlequin ducks you can find flying south from the Arctic each winter near Semiahmoo and Blaine.

“It has been a good hobby and got us out into parks and on nature trails in places we would have never otherwise gone,” Ross

said. “There were a few times, though, I wish we hadn’t gone.”

Ross recounted stories of hunting birds, including the time they drove through a “pretty good sized creek” in Patagonia, Arizona, in search of a flycatcher.

And their “biggest day,” a common effort for birders, included over 100 species on a trip in southern Minnesota.

While the couple found joy in the beauty of the birds, there was a real challenge in identifying birds and learning their calls.

Some birds posed specific challenges.

The female indigo bunting, Ross said, is a “drab brown bird” with a light blue lower beak the only way to tell what it is. Those types of challenges kept the hunts interesting.

For those looking to start in birding, Ross said getting a seven- or eight-power pair of binoculars is a first step and then a quality telescope with not less than a 60-mm lens comes in a close second.

From there the type of birding is up to you. The Wagners typically took day trips, sometimes staying in some pretty rustic outposts, but others spend time backpacking.

“There are birds around, but unless you are making an effort to find out what they are, you don’t necessarily know they are there,” Ross said. “I’ve heard more than I’ve seen.”

But that hasn’t stopped Ross and Carol from hunting.

The Wagners went off-road in Arizona in search of a species of flycatcher.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden couple’s message: Political system can work Toilet Paper Party may be ‘edgy’ in name, but book’s points are seriously given

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

Agnes Parlan and Les Kandel, pictured here near Lynden's official ballot drop box, are dedicated to urging effective communication in the political area. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

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LYNDEN ­ — A year after settling here, this couple is in praise of the diversity and qualities of life they find in Whatcom County.

Agnes Parlan wanted to be near the border for the sake of a son living in Vancouver, B.C. Les Kandel says of their chosen new home, “It’s a hidden treasure. It epitomizes what this country is all about.”

They came from Shoreline and previously Olympia, where Kandel lived for 26 years, and that’s where they, along with friend Rick Notestine, hatched their ideas for reviving healthy political engagement in the United States.

If that sounds a bit lofty, this will bring you back to gut level: They named themselves the Toilet Paper Party dedicated to “cleaning up the political mess

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

ENCORE in Washington, D.C.” Two years ago, they produced a practical 85-page Guide to Expressing Yourself to Congress.

Their purpose is not bound by locale.

“Our whole message is that we want to see a rebirth of faith that the system works,” said Kandel during a visit to the Lynden Tribune offices last week.

He had a career in advertising, marketing and journalism. She was a teacher in her native Philippines and is artistically inclined. Notestine is a graphic artist. But they were all on the same page in wanting to do and say what they can to remedy the disconnect they see between politicians and citizenry.

“Our message is your voice needs to be heard,” Kandel added.

The Toilet Paper Party name is admittedly “edgy,” he said, but that’s only to catch people’s attention. He doesn’t really care what anyone’s current political stripe is, "from polka dot to zebra stripe." He’s more concerned about active participation in a respectful and effective way intended to solve problems.

“What we think is important is that people participate,” Kandel said.

The Toilet Paper Party doesn’t tolerate apathy or whining or excuses about being too busy. Kandel knows people can feel turned off by the bombardment of political rhetoric on hot-button issues — and the isolation in “a society of

smart-phone robots” doesn’t help — but in the end he believes the wisdom of a participating public still can prevail.

“The truth is that the people have the answers,” he said.

He is also convinced that fundamentally “we all want the same thing” and he quickly cites clean air, safe streets, good education and basic freedoms as being on his list.

Even in the face of powerful money and lobbying interests, it takes a pile of individual votes to put and keep leaders in office.

“In the end, the voice of the people is powerful. But it needs to be expressed,” Kandel said. “Find something that you have a personal interest in or an experience with and address it. Put your energy there.”

Kandel makes three points in particular about effective citizen communication with politicians: • Always be respectful.

• Say something of substance, the “why” beyond just pro or con.

• Tell your own personal story as it relates to your point.

It was sometime in 2011 that Kandel and Notestine, together looking out on a broken political scene, hit a point when they said there had to be a better way.

Parlan later wrote the lyrics to a song titled “Express Yourself to Congress.”

See Couple on C7

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The Toilet Paper Party emphasizes participation as a key factor in helping to reform Washington, D.C.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

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Getting proper care for aging parent can be a difficult path Elisa Claassen shares her caregiving story

By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN ­— Elisa Claassen’s story is that of a regular family member trying to navigate the system of senior care provision for an aging parent — and “how I found some help.”

Elisa’s mother, Bernice Claassen, 91, now resides at the Christian Health Care Center of Lynden, and Elisa frequently looks in on her.

Mother and daughter had lived together for many years in Bernice’s home in Nooksack when issues of mom’s aging began to press in on them, requiring decisions and action.

First, some five years ago, Bernice was in a car accident that broke bones and put her in the hospital for a while.

When she came home, there were new medications to take.

As the level of care rose, a neighbor with nursing skills was available to step in and help so that Elisa could work.

Then Elisa herself needed major surgery and time to heal. That highlight-

ed for her how mother and daughter do not have immediate relatives nearby to turn to for support.

“It started getting really scary,” Elisa remembers.

She learned about respite care, which provides relief for caregivers in her exact type of situation. The Claassens made use of Silverado Bellingham (formerly Courtyard Dementia Care Community) from one to three times per month in order to give Elisa some space for her own home duties and healing.

She also became acquainted with the Northwest Regional Council, overseeing a network of services for the aging in Whatcom, Skagit, San Juan and Island counties.

Elisa began to understand the range of support services she could access.

And she needed the help as she tried to work full-time, keep up her own health, and decide on her mother’s proper next steps — “how to balance it all,” she said.

Bernice became more prone to falling, adding physical instability to increasing dementia. Then there was an abdominal infection, and trips to the Bellingham hospital’s emergency room demonstrated that navigating through

that system could take hours of time too.

Visiting Angels, specializing in senior care and in-home assisted living services, played a role in the evolving plan of care for mom, for a fee of $20 per hour, Elisa said.

Last fall, it became apparent that it would be difficult for Bernice to be safe at home while Elisa was out working. It was time to look into residency care options, and that would lead into the Claassens’ evaluation of their own resources that they would have to declare and possibly give up for Bernice’s long-term care.

Nursing care locally, whether in an adult family home or a full-fledged facility, generally looks for two to three years of self-pay before reaching the point of tapping into federal Medicare.

The Claassens’ situation was complicated by the fact that Elisa needs Bernice’s house as her own ongoing residence. “We didn’t have the resources (to give up),” she said.

Along the way, Bernice also switched to the services of the Center for Senior Health of PeaceHealth Medical Group, essentially a doctor’s office to ensure access to primary care for seniors who are covered by Medicare Parts A and B. Social workers there did a great job with the Claassens “helping walk the

Elisa Claassen with her mother, Bernice, 91. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) path” they were on, Elisa said.

It was with the Northwest Regional Council that they got on a six-month track for trying to prove Bernice’s eligibility for Medicaid. “It you aren’t familiar with their system, it’s very difficult to navigate,” Elisa said.

“Medicaid will try to get whatever resources they can. They want you to spend down.” Elisa was able to use the services of a Lynden attorney to guide her through the legal maze.

In this complex process, Leslie Riggs

See Claassen on C8

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Couple: In political discussion, respect is first key

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

com

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Continued from C5 In a survey conducted in 2010, the Congressional Management Foundation found that “Congress absolutely wants to hear from constituents,” Kandel said.

He believes that effective communication can be a step toward effective political solutions.

The book goes into what to say, how to say it, and where to send it. The last part is what was true in 2012 and has changed a bit.

The guide can be ordered at any bookstore or online through Amazon.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 30, 2014 | Ferndale Record

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Claassen: Numerous care options exist locally Continued from C6 of the Northwest Regional Council was again very helpful in areas of budget and savings and spending-down to meet the Medicaid criteria, Elisa said. These could range from getting a new furnace in the house to setting aside for funeral expenses.

They got into this little-used qualifying route for Medicaid: If an adult child is an in-home caregiver for two years, thereby avoiding a commitment to a facility, and that fact is verified by a physician.

Eventually, Elisa did get clear title to the family house and Bernice won clear admission to the Christian Health Care Center, although “it was touch and go at times,” Elisa said.

Providing help These are facilities or agencies the Claassens got help from: Silverado Bellingham: “This specialty care community is designed to meet the physical and emotional needs of residents with Alzheim-

er’s and other dementias, and to provide emotional support to families. Our goal is to ease your burden by creating a positive, fulfilling life for your loved one in a warm, comfortable and compassionate setting.”

to keep your loved one comfortable in

wwtheir homes.”

Northwest Regional Council: “We implement state and federal programs for seniors and people who need long-term care. These supportive services are referred to as community-based care. Some of the programs we fund are Senior Information & Assistance, Congregate Meals, Meals on Wheels, Respite Care, Adult Day Services, Case Management and Family Caregiver Support. The goal of community-based care is to help seniors and adults with disabilities live in their homes and communities for as long as possible, postponing or eliminating the need for residential or institutional care (such as nursing homes.)”

Visiting Nurses: “Because we are a non-medical agency and not a nursing agency, Visiting Angels does not dictate to you what your schedule is to be. It is our job to assist people in Whatcom and surrounding areas in Washington by adjusting our schedules

Center for Senior Health: “Staff at the center strive to provide patient-centered care in a supportive environment. (The center) was developed to ensure access to primary care for seniors.

Christian Health Care Center, Lynden: “Christian Health Care Center is a nonprofit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility that serves Whatcom County se-

nior citizens. Our caring and knowledgeable staff provide a full range of eldercare services to those recovering from injury, overcoming illness, or in need of long term care. We believe that each resident deserves to live in comfort, with dignity and respect. This core philosophy, along with our mission to provide eldercare with compassion and love in Christ’s name, is why family, friends and neighbors have trusted CHCC with their loved ones since 1956.”

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