In anticipation of its celebration of the Alaska Canadian highway anniversary on Saturday, Nov. 10, Lynden Pioneer Museum will erect a "sign forest" similar to the famous on the highway, which could be found in many camps up and down the highway as it was built (and throughout the world) to remind people which direction home lay.

Troy Luginbill, museum director, explains that a sign forest is a simple construction of signs with the name of a city, and distance, pointing in the general direction of the city. They would be placed in the center of GI camps to remind soldiers which way home was.

The museum's sign forest will serve as a fundraiser. For $50, you can have your city's name shown, by contacting the museum and letting them know the name of the city and the distance from Lynden.

The sign forest will become a permanent part of the museum's displays after the celebration Nov. 10. To contact the museum, send an email to Troy@lyndenpioneermuseum.com or call 360-354-3675.

The swing-dance celebration, dubbed the Alcan Boogey, will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the museum, 217 Front St., to commemorate completion of one of North America's most notable manmade landmarks, the Alaska Canadian highway.

According to Luginbill, the highway has great significance for Whatcom County because it provided a new and unique market for local businesses to exploit after World War II. Lynden Transport Incorporated did just that, he said. Starting with a truckload of food that could be sold at a profit, Hank Jansen headed north to Alaska. That was the beginning of what would become one of the largest shipping companies on the Pacific Rim.

Tickets for the dance are $7 for singles, $10 for couples.

There also will be a flag dedication ceremony at noon Saturday with an American Legion honor guard raising the U.S., Canadian, Washington and Alaskan flags outside the museum. Speakers will talk about the importance of the highway to Whatcom County, as well.

AUTHOR ALMA ALEXANDER HOSTS LITERARY LUNCH

Sudden Valley author Alma Alexander hosts an "End of the World Literary Lunch" at 2:30 p.m. Dec. 21 at Magdelena's Creperie in Fairhaven. She will talk about her novel "2012: Midnight at Spanish Gardens," about five friends who meet on the eve of a predicted doomsday in the café where they had celebrated their gradation from college 20 years earlier.

As they reminisce and reveal some of their life secrets, the bartender gives them each a strange set of instructions that might allow them to make changes in their past lives - a kind of "It's a Wonderful Life" opportunity. At the end of the world, it's a chance for redemption or a chance to learn something about themselves.

Seating is limited to 12 guests; reservations are required. Tickets, $45, include a signed copy of her book, and lunch. Details: 360-483-8569, http://www.magdalenascreperie.com/.

ALBUM SHOWCASES 'WHATCOM WEIRD' MUSIC

Bruce Hamilton is an associate professor of music at Western Washington University. He also curates Spectropol Records, a Bellingham micro/netlabel, (probably to feed his passion for electroaoustic music). He sent me announcement about the recent release of "Whatcom Weird Vol. 1," a compilation of adventurous music from Whatcom County musicians.

The diverse collection features improvisation, electronica, experimental pop, noise, jazz-rock, ambient and bizarre soundtrack music. Artists range from the relatively well-known to rather underground, including Falling Up Stairs, Pan Pan, Kat Bula, Zach Zinn, Mindmeld, Christopher Stainback, Todd Smith and heatsink and Shawn Collins.

The album is available via download at spectropolrecords.bandcamp.com.

2012 PEACE BUILDERS HONORED

Ellie Rogers, outreach coordinator at Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, announced the 2012 Peace Builder award winners. Here are this year's winners:

- Youth Program: Aimee Frazier and the Girls' Explorers' Club, for founding and leading the program under the auspices of Wild Whatcom, and thereby building peace by modeling collaboration, communication, and respect for selves, others, and our environment.

- Organization: Julia Bozzo of NorthWest Therapeutic Riding Center, for her vision and leadership in the creation of the nonprofit, which builds peace by promoting awareness, empathy, and compassion through its riding programs.

- Arts: Pam Kuntz of Kuntz and Company, for building peace through artistry, empowering people to find their voice, promote understanding and communication, and encouraging community dialogue through dance and theater.

- Health care: Denise Katterhaggen of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, for her role in transforming the provision of healthcare services for patients in our community and building peace by helping to create a shared vision and sense of responsibility amongst diverse service providers.

- Community member: Galen Emanuele of Pass the Hat and Upfront Theatre, for his building peace through the Pass the Hat organization, which provides critical support to people at a time when they are most in need, and for the communication and collaboration skills he teaches and employs through improvisation workshops and shows at the Upfront Theatre.

- Education: Ted Pratt, for building peace through his daily activities, striving for awareness of diversity, overcoming barriers through understanding, and for increasing community connection between and within Western Washington University and the surrounding community.

The center invites the community to honor the winners at the 10th Annual Peace Builder Awards Gala at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 16 at The Majestic, on North Forest Street. Tickets are $35 advance, $40 at the door, available at www.whatcomdrc.org, and at the center's office, Village Books, Boundary Bay Brewery and Bistro and the downtown Community Food Co-op.

There also will be music, appetizers and drinks, improvisational comedy, a silent auction, a dessert auction and a grand prize raffle. Details: 360-676-0122, outreach@whatcomdrc.org.