The first two Chuckanut Radio Hours of 2018 feature authors of books that celebrate resilient women. The Thursday, Feb. 1 event features author Melanie Benjamin and her latest book, The Girls in the Picture. On Thursday, March 8, the Radio Hour welcomes author Kate Moore and her book The Radium Girls. Village Books’ Chuckanut Radio Hour is held at the Heiner Theater on the Whatcom Community College campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and are available at Village Books and Paper Dreams in Fairhaven or Lynden or online at brownpapertickets.com.
The Girls in the Picture is an engaging account. Photo courtesy: Village Books.
Set at the dawn of Hollywood, The Girls in the Picture explores the friendship and creative partnership between two of Hollywood’s earliest female legends – screenwriter Frances Marion and superstar Mary Pickford. The two ambitious young women hit it off instantly, their kinship fomented by their mutual fever to create. But their ambitions are challenged both by the men around them and the limitations imposed on their gender—and their astronomical success could come at a price.
Pickford Film Center Marketing Director Lindsey Gerhard will interview Melanie Benjamin, who is the author of best-selling novels including The Swans of New York and The Aviator’s Wife. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband and is currently at work on her next historical novel. The Feb. 1 Radio Hour includes live music from cellists Coral Marchant and David Jones accompanied by advanced students of Marchant’s Cello Studio Choir.
Listeners will be inspired by the story of these brave women. Photo courtesy: Village Books.
The March 8 Radio Hour celebrates the paperback release of The Radium Girls, a New York Times best-selling account of the young women who were slowly poisoned in America’s dial factories starting in WWI and their courageous battle for justice that still reverberates today. As featured on NPR, The New York Times and Buzzfeed, The Radium Girls is a piece of forgotten history that will haunt, outrage and, ultimately, inspire readers.
Author Kate Moore is a Sunday Times best selling writer with more than a decade’s experience writing and ghosting across varying genres, including memoir, biography and history. In 2015 she directed a critically acclaimed play about the Radium Girls called ‘These Shining Lives.’ She lives in the UK. This show will feature live music from local artist Sarah Goodin.
Village Books’ Chuckanut Radio Hour is a radio variety show that began in January 2007. Each Chuckanut Radio Hour includes guest authors, musicians, performance poet Kevin Murphy and episodes of the serial radio comedy “As the Ham Turns,” not to mention groaner jokes by hosts Paul Hanson and Kelly Evert and announcer Rich Donnelly. Guests receive a free ticket with pre-purchase of the featured book (or, with each pre-paid ticket, a $5 voucher to spend on featured titles at the show). The Radio Hour airs Friday at 7:00 a.m., Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on SPARK Radio, KMRE 102.3FM. Co-sponsored by Whatcom Community College Community and Continuing Education, 12th Street Shoes and Westside Pizza.
Two members of Atwood Ales Farm Brewery in Blaine, WA were in attendance at the prestigious, 8th annual Good Food Awards in San Francisco, where the brewery was selected as a Good Food Awards Winner for their rhubarb sour ale, Rhuty. Atwood was one of just 15 breweries from around the United States, including well-respected craft beer names like Almanac Beer Co., Prairie Artisan Ales and Allagash Brewing Company, recognized for not only the high quality of their beer, but also for their efforts towards supporting sustainability and social good through their production and business practices.
The Atwood Ales team is both innovative and skilled. Photo courtesy: Atwood Ales Farm Brewery.
“With over 2,000 entries submitted, it’s a great honor for us to be selected among the 199 winners,” said Monica Smith, director of sales and marketing for Atwood Ales Farm Brewery. With awards given in 15 different categories, for diverse products ranging from beer to cheese to coffee, the Good Food Awards celebrate the movement towards a tasty, authentic and responsible food system and represent over $200 billion of America’s annual gross domestic product. Each winner was selected in a blind tasting of industry experts and also passed a rigorous vetting to confirm they meet Good Food Awards standards regarding supply chain transparency, environmentally sound agricultural practices and deep community engagement. Smith added, “This is our most prestigious award yet, and we are thankful to share the spotlight with other small businesses around the country who, like us, are actively working towards a more sustainable food system by creating innovative, well-crafted products that are as responsible as they are delicious.” When asked what some of the keys to making a responsible beer were, Smith noted, “Emphasizing the use of responsibly-grown local ingredients and building strong, lasting relationships with employees, suppliers, customers and collaborators are very important to Atwood Ales, and we heard those same things echoed over and over from winners in every category.”
Atwood Ales Farm Brewery is making its mark on the industry. Photo courtesy: Atwood Ales Farm Brewery.
Atwood Ales Farm Brewery only releases Rhuty, their Good Food Awards winning beer, once a year, typically in late summer, and it sells out almost immediately. “We really enjoy using seasonal, estate-grown ingredients, and Rhuty is one of our favorite examples of why,” said Josh Smith, head brewer. Like many of their other seasonal and rotating farmhouse-style ales, Rhuty features estate grown ingredients, in this case rhubarb and hops, combined with their house saison yeast and 100 percent Skagit Valley malt. Rhuty, a rhubarb sour ale, is straw-colored, effervescent and mildy tart and fruity – strangely reminiscent of rhubarb pie, but dry and refreshing. Smith adds, “The flavor of the ingredients and the season come through so well in Rhuty. To our family, the flavors are uniquely ‘Pacific Northwest summer’ and remind us how special and valuable it is to be able to both live here and to make a living here.”
Atwood Ales Farm Brewery is one of a growing number of small, farm-based breweries around the country that put great emphasis on not just using local ingredients, but also growing many of the ingredients themselves. “We use as much as we can from our farm,” said Monica Smith, “and we’re able to supply ourselves with about 60 percent of our hops needs each year.” The small, artisanal brewery churns out unique French and Belgian inspired farmhouse-style ales, saisons and sours that are much less hop-heavy than the IPAs and pale ales typically associated with the Pacific Northwest. In addition to growing hops on their farm, the Smith family also grows a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs that they use in their farmhouse ales. Bringing things full circle, all of the brewery’s wastewater is treated and used to irrigate those aforementioned crops, as designated by their farm plan and allowed by the Whatcom County Health Department. They also forage for other ingredients, such as nettles, flowers and berries. What they can’t grow on their property, they try to source locally when possible, including using Skagit Valley Malt as the base for all of their beers.
Ruty is a well loved local ale. Photo courtesy: Atwood Ales Farm Brewery.
While Rhuty routinely sells out almost immediately upon release, you might be lucky to find some bottles still available at your local bottle shop if you live in northwest Washington State. The beer is bottle-conditioned in 750ml bottles designed for sharing. According to Atwood’s head brewer, Josh Smith, “Rhuty ages well, so don’t be afraid to purchase a 2017 dated bottle.” If you cannot find a bottle of Rhuty now, expect the 2018 release to be available mid to late summer. In the meantime, seek out Atwood’s other farmhouse and sour ales that, like Rhuty, emphasize tasty, local, authentic and sustainable ingredients.
About Atwood Ales Farm Brewery
Atwood Ales Farm Brewery, Blaine’s first and oldest brewery, is located in a 100-year-old barn on a family-owned and operated farm, just 18 miles north of Bellingham. Opened in spring of 2016, the farm grows ingredients for the on-site brewery, which produces a variety of ales inspired by French and Belgian farmhouse brewing traditions. While the brewery is closed to the general public, Atwood Ales’ bottle-conditioned beers are available Saturdays at the Bellingham Farmers Market, and in bottles and on draft at select locations around Puget Sound, from Vancouver, BC to Tacoma, WA. Learn more at atwoodales.com.
About The Good Food Awards
The Good Food Awards celebrate the kind of food we all want to eat: tasty, authentic and responsible. Now in its eighth year, awards were given to winners in 15 categories: beer, charcuterie, cheese, chocolate, cider, coffee, confections, elixirs, fish, honey, oils, pantry, pickles, preserves and spirits. The Good Food Awards Seal, found on winning products, assures consumers they have found something exceptionally delicious that also supports sustainability and social good.
About The Good Food Foundation
The Good Food Awards is organized by the Good Food Foundation 501(c)3, formerly known as Seedling Projects, in collaboration with a broad community of food crafters, grocers, chefs, food writers, activists and passionate food-lovers. The Good Food Foundation is also the organizing force behind the Good Food Guild, Good Food Mercantile and Good Food Merchants Collaborative.
With degrees in music management and audio engineering, Monica Griffin seeks to make a positive change and increase representation in the music industry. Photo credit: Simon Bakke, @simonbakkepics.
It takes a lot to organize and fund a music festival. But it takes even more to ensure the safety of the attendees and provide an inclusive environment for everyone. For Monica Griffin, promoting unity and inclusivity at entertainment events, while also reducing the potential for harm, isn’t just a passion. It’s a career. The co-founder of the Bellingham Arts and Music Festival, better known as BAMF!, sat down with us to talk about the creation of the festival, ways to make the festival experience better and future aspirations in the music industry.
The festival originated in an interesting way, born out of Griffin’s Fairhaven College Senior Project. A recent 2017 graduate, Griffin studied music management and audio engineering. Partnering with fellow Fairhaven graduate Olas Perpich, they decided to create a music festival with focus on launching an event that was sustainable for both the environment and people.
The inaugural Bellingham Arts and Music Festival was held at The Lookout Arts Quarry in Alger, WA. Photo credit: Mark Griffin.
Although initial discussions regarding the formation of the festival took place in 2015, it wasn’t until December of 2016 when they began to task out the workload. They found out it takes a lot to make a festival run, especially a festival that combines multiple mediums to create an immersive and inclusive environment. With a set date of May 6 and 7, the inaugural Bellingham Arts and Music Festival was on the way. It would take place at The Lookout Arts Quarry in Alger, on 61 acres of wooded land containing vast swathes of cedar, maple and cottonwood forests.
Griffin looks back on the festival’s formation period with fondness. At the same time, she recalls the stress that comes with building a production such as BAMF! from the ground up.
“Obviously one of the biggest challenges is that it was very hard to throw a festival in just four months,” Griffin says. “Moving forward, we now realize how to go about certain aspects in different ways to ensure we have more time.”
At its core, BAMF! was created with the intention of combining performance art, visual art and music, with social justice, inclusivity and immersive workshops. In 2017, 45 musical acts performed and there were a number of art installations as well.
Bellingham Arts and Music Festival co-founder Olas Perpich designed the logo for the fledgling music festival. Photo credit: Olas Perpich.
Griffin says the festival is on for 2018 and that this year they want to focus on making the space accommodating, inclusive to all and a platform for social change. In order to do so, this year will have less music and more opportunities to attend collaborative social workshops on a variety of different topics.
“We want our festival experience to be different than the norm,” Griffin says. “Both accessibility and inclusivity are important to us, and we want BAMF! to be remembered as a positive and immersive experience for everyone that attends. Music festivals can be very exclusionary for a variety of reasons and we don’t want BAMF! to be that way.”
Griffin cites cost as a contributing factor to the lack of diversity and representation seen at most music festivals. Due to high costs, lots of festivals are seen as classist and don’t provide a space for everyone, Griffin says. But, with BAMF! they want to flip the script, so this will not be the case.
“It’s interesting, we have truly found it is hard to throw a festival that is both inclusive and affordable,” Griffin says. “But as BAMF! continues to progress we hope to get closer to our goal. For example, in order to create our line-up we get talent from around the Greater Pacific Northwest and surrounding areas, not just Bellingham.”
Griffin can’t stress enough how important equal representation is, not just to the BAMF! organizing team, but the community they have established as a result of throwing this one of a kind festival.
With degrees in music management and audio engineering, Monica Griffin seeks to make a positive change and increase representation in the music industry. Photo credit: Simon Bakke, @simonbakkepics.
“I enjoy seeing different groups of people up there on stage. It can provide us with a different and valuable perspective, and even different kinds of music and art,” Griffin says. “For example, when we have people of color, people from the LGBTQ+ community and women perform, it can give us insight into their world and what their life experience may be like.”
In addition to creating and running the Bellingham Arts and Music Festival, Griffin works for The Shakedown, a local music venue in Bellingham, and is beginning to venture into running live sound. With aspirations of having a career in the arts and entertainment for many years to come, Griffin hopes to compile a vast skill set that will prove useful while moving up in the music industry.
“The upper echelons of the music industry and the audio recording world still mainly consist of men,” Griffin says. “At first, this can make you second guess yourself because you are a different identity but I am determined to succeed in this industry.”
Griffin says representation of multiple identities throughout the entire music industry, and not just the festival scene, is important because when a person looks up on stage at someone who thinks or looks like them, it encourages them in making their career choices too. When they see someone like them accomplishing, they know they can make their dream a reality as well.
This group of talented players is sure to go far. Photo credit: Katauna Loeuy.
Squalicum High School’s Girls Varsity Basketball program is thriving this year with a winning record of 10-3 so far in the 2017-2018 season. The girls are working very hard to achieve their ultimate goal of making it to state. With diligence and determination this team believes that they will reach their destination. The addition of four new players will improve their chances of succeeding throughout this journey, while the return of six past players will support it as well. Not only does this team have immense skill and a strong work ethic, they also have a remarkably special bond. Together they have the potential to flourish through the remainder of the season.
This group of talented players is sure to go far. Photo credit: Katauna Loeuy.
Although they have lost a few games, the team refused to let these events set them back from what they truly desire. Chalae Wolters, one of the team’s senior captains stated that, “As a team we failed to mentally prepare against Sehome. We came in cocky and figured that it would be easy but we lost by five and we learned a valuable lesson to never underestimate the opponent.” For every failure that has happened this season, the girls have learned how to redeem themselves and move past the defeat. Not only is this lesson imperative in basketball, it is teaching these young ladies how to deal with adversity in their personal lives as well. Rather than giving up and accepting these losses, this team has shown tremendous growth from their first game and will continue to progress in the near future.
Overall this program focuses on assisting the girls to be excellent basketball players, as well as better individuals in society. The focal point isn’t to be the most valuable player on the court or to perfect every skill in the game. It’s to display effort in aiding this team to be successful. Victor Wolffis, the team’s coach, hopes to, “Develop a culture where mistakes are okay and recognize them, admit to them, change them and move on.” He shares the motto of this year’s program, to be the change and honor the storm nation. Before each practice and game, Wolffis takes the time to sit down with his team and contemplate their past plays and a plan for future evolution. These individuals work together relentlessly to accomplish their goals.
This year, the team has really found their stride. Photo credit: Katauna Loeuy.
Out of the fourteen schools in the league, Squalicum is standing at seventh on the list with seven more games left before post season games, if qualified. There’s some tough competition this season but if the girls are truly committed to their goal and conscientious of their actions, they have the chance to attain a great outcome.
Winning can be very rewarding after so much effort, however everything this program stands for is more gratifying than any victory. These girls put in approximately eighteen hours of basketball per week along with their academics.
“I’ve learned how to be a great teammate and be a part of a great community, and to not dwell on my past mistakes but to look forward to the future,” says Grace Schroder, a varsity freshman.
The team’s coaches strive to create young leaders. After basketball and high school, team members will carry the memory of their experiences, as well as the lessons that they have learned from each of them.
This team is incredibly unique. Squalicum has built an unbelievably successful program. Although they may not be first in the state at the moment, their hard work and dedication is remarkable. Not only have these players dedicated themselves to improving their skills, they have developed a family that will continue to blossom throughout the remainder of the season and beyond.
StrEatFood's Roasted Poblano Soup with Potato is remarkable. Photo credit: Mary Burwell.
Soup can be the ideal cure-all for a cold and dreary day. Winter rain, wind and hail is fully upon us and I for one, am already tired of it. Coffee can only do so much (trust me, I’ve tried. Four cups is my max.) But soup, whether it’s homemade or from your favorite to-go joint or sit down restaurant, can save the day.
My favorite local soup finds are just that, my own personal preference. Feel free to share yours as well. Just remember, we are in this delicious soup bowl together. One of the reasons we moved to Bellingham might be to be a wee bit closer to Sandwich Odyssey. They are our local self-proclaimed “Croatian Sensation” and could very well update their name to “Sandwich and Soup Odyssey.” Clam Chowder with secret Croatian spices? Yes please. Crab Chowder? Yes please! Cream of Turkey? Yes! Toasted Cauliflower Lentil? All of it. Plus, great daily specials (The Fat German or Muffaletta are favorites.)
Mount Bakery’s Carrot Ginger Soup is just the ticket on a cold day. Photo credit: Mary Burwell.
The Mount Bakery is alive and well and offers table service at both locations – downtown and Fairhaven. One can’t live on pastry alone. (Unless you are my hubby who, back in the day, had the nickname of Pastry King.) The Mount Bakery offers two soups a day, one vegan and one omnivore. I’m obsessed with their carrot ginger concoction. It’s vegan yet creamy and satisfying. I also appreciate their hearty lentil soup. But I have been known to order their Hungarian Mushroom for breakfast, made with local fungi from Cascadia Mushrooms in Ferndale. Owner, Alex Winstead was recently featured on a KIRO radio program with garden guru Ciscoe Morris.
There is a sweet view at Mount Bakery. Photo credit: Mary Burwell.
Mount Bakery incorporates local ingredients into nearly everything they make, thanks to their ongoing relationships with local farmers via our monthly Winter Bellingham Farmers Market. Both Mount Bakery locations are open seven days a week.
strEAT Food is our go to for take-out, especially on Wednesday when parked in front of Carne’s newish location, on Washington Street in the Fountain District. Our favorites? Where to start … corn chowder with potato and bacon … and their roasted poblano pepper with potato is silky and delicious. Or if you need something more substantial, splurge on their shrimp and grits. Not exactly soup, but soup-like if you take the time to savor.
Sara Holodnick’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup is a delight. Photo credit: Sara Holodnick.
The StrEAT Food Ferry Terminal Cafe in Fairhaven once offered, as a special, ramen with chicken and half a hard-boiled egg. Let’s just say it was a delicious and memorable day.
When I’m blue or a little under the weather, I need soup STAT. Our household’s immediate go-to’s are either the Wonton Soup from Soy House or Jalapeno’s Tortilla Soup, near Penny Lane Antique Mall. Nothing like fighting off a cold and winning – a true rarity in my case. I managed to pull off such a feat last week with the help of, you guessed it, soup.
For grab and go, Leaf and Ladle, a two-time survivor of vandalism on State Street, now has quarts of house made soup to go.
StrEatFood’s Roasted Poblano Soup with Potato is remarkable. Photo credit: Mary Burwell.
All of these family owned and operated local restaurants keep us in soup and additional offerings all winter long. We, the families and foodies of Bellingham, are grateful. Additional options for procuring delicious soup include stealing your sister in law’s recipe for kale, chicken and rice soup. Or asking nicely to borrow a friend’s veggie recipe for roasted butternut squash. Just be prepared to share a recipe in return. Or foot the bill for a night out on the Bellingham soup trail. So while it rains, snows and hails, soothe your soul with the soup of your choice. By the way, my mom makes a great split pea with ham … but no one gets that recipe but me.
The SPARK museum is fun for kids and adults alike! Spell your name in Morse Code, look at the history of playing music out loud and play with the fun interactive exhibits. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
Rain is falling and the skies are gray, but adults still need to go out and play! Perhaps the wind is too treacherous for a walk in the woods but staying at home each evening can feel stifling during these darker, shorter days. You may know about local bars and eateries, but there are many places for adults to play that are indoor, warm and fun! Check out one of these 10 unique experiences or try to squeeze them all into your schedule before summer opens the outdoors once again.
Your own station with Tony Hawk Pro Skater, a group of friends playing Super Smash Bros and a friendly match of Nintendo’s new ARMS game await you at Fairhaven’s newest hangout. After 8:00 p.m. the 1-Up crowd is exclusively 18+. If you are over 21 you get the bonus of coming in for free. They have 27 consoles, lots of TVs and 2,000+ games, everything from that old ATARI system you always wanted to the new SWITCH. Come alone or come in a group, 1-Up Lounge will always offer a fun time.
Gamers unite as they play a vast array of video games at Best Buds Gaming Lounge, home of 1,794 games and counting. Photo courtesy: Best Buds Gaming Lounge.
While this sounds like a place that might host your nephew’s birthday party, it is not exclusively for kids. I personally love coming and jumping around in their big open jump area, the basketball court, their dodge ball court or in the foam pits (where you can practice tightrope walking and doing backflips). All of it is covered in trampolines and you may be surprised at how hard it is to jump for the entire hour you pay for. If your legs feel wobbly, give the ninja course a go. If you go on College night, it is only ages 18+ and you will get a discount if you have a college ID.
This arcade is a total blast. You can dance until you drop, shoot hoops, play retro games, eat ghosts and explore the ever-growing collection of arcade games they have to offer. Make sure to check if there is an exciting event happening, like one of their bi-weekly pinball tournaments.
Not only is this room packed with games, but the walls are covered with your favorite characters! Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
The board game world is as varied and deep as any other hobby, like movies or music. Yes, you can play Monopoly but you can also play fun group games, deep logic puzzles or intense battling games. The staff here is knowledgeable and loves their board games, so go ahead and ask what they would recommend while you order some appetizers for the table.
Museums
There are so many cool museums in this county that they all had to be listed as one broad category. Pick a subject you like or the one closest to you and try it out! If you have more time, definitely see all of these.
This alleyway in Fairhaven leads you to both Moon Base Games and Comics and Best Buds Video Game Bar. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
Really, we have a treasure trove here. Our libraries host different events (like Chair Tai Chi and weaving) for us to attend and learn something new. They also have a variety of music, movies, TV shows and magazines available to borrow and enjoy. I love going to the library and browsing through the non-fiction books, exploring topics I find interesting. Spend some time enjoying the library and pick up a book before you leave.
You could come here and swim laps in one of their eight lanes or you could practice diving in their dive tank. You could also attend the water aerobics classes. But if you really want to relax, you should come here for the hydrotherapy pool. A hot tub of water, restricted to ages 16+, is ideal for de-stressing after a hard day at work or after a long stressful week.
This free, interactive mini-aquarium holds a variety of local creatures to look at and (sometimes) touch. You can walk here from Zuanich Park or park close by on those colder days. Crabs, sea stars, urchins, small fish, octopus, Giant Green Anemones, rockfish and flounders … The list goes on and you may be surprised at the biodiversity in our own shoreline.
The SPARK museum is fun for kids and adults alike! Spell your name in Morse Code, look at the history of playing music out loud and play with the fun interactive exhibits. Photo credit: Taylor Bailey.
The core mission of the film center is “providing our community with the highest quality movie-going experience possible at an affordable price, while working to foster arts education and visual literacy in our community.” You can see one of the specially selected films and enjoy snacks from local companies. Plus tickets are very affordable.
Try out a new skill and get active without need of a traditional gym. I have found that climbing is almost addictive. You can suddenly climb walls like Spiderman and have a great sense of accomplishment for each route you finish. Plus there is always room to improve and grow with peers around you supporting each victory. Try out the challenge of the slack line or see what a “treadwall” is (hint: it is similar to a treadmill). Come with a friend or come alone and make a new friend. If you get a membership, you can come at any time, 24/7, and attend free yoga weekday mornings.
Bowling
We have three great places to bowl here in Whatcom County – Mt Baker Lanes in Ferndale, Park Bowl/Splitz Grille on Meridian and 20th Century Bowling in Bellingham. Can you bowl a turkey? Or get a strike? Challenge your friends to a game and let the good times roll!
Be sure to enjoy these indoor options for some chilly weather fun. Have a great winter!
This space was designed to be both beautiful and inviting. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O'Brien.
In the doldrums of winter, when our skies take on those lovely shades of grey, there can be an anticipation for the coming spring, when color and warmth reinvigorate our lives. It is a season for reflection and turning inward, when we spend more time nestled in our homes than the rest of the year. For local interior designer, Jonathan O’Brien, this is the perfect time to be thinking about a redesign. “When winter is lagging on, consider fresh colors, sumptuous rugs, fabulous patterns for furniture or drapery,” he says. “All these things that can lighten up a room can brighten up our lives.”
Jonathan O’Brien brings beauty and functionality to any space. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.
A redesign generally takes from four to six weeks, and in that time the excitement and anticipation of a new project can displace the feelings of winter stagnation. “When there is a fan of color swatches laid out against the wall and fabric samples to touch, my clients are involved in and excited about the process. It really gets them looking forward to April,” O’Brien relates.
The process starts with a consultation, discussing with O’Brien about the project, how they feel about color and furniture, what their inspirations are, and so on. Jonathan then presents a scope work for the project that meets their budget, and firmly stays within the client’s boundaries. “There’s never any surprises in that department,” he explains. “I want my clients to be surprised by how beautiful their room is, not by the bill.”
When working with a client, Jonathan listens for subtleties in their discussions that could be the key to finding a direction for their project. “I had a client who had a page from a magazine on the counter in her kitchen,” O’Brien recalled. “She told me she didn’t know why she was so drawn to keeping it. It was a simple picture of a bouquet of flowers being held by a child and, in the end, the colors of those flowers became the palette for the whole house.”
Jonathan O’Brien evokes positive feelings with his use of color and space. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.
When it comes to spring, color is the sense that seems to dominate. Think of the vibrancy of freshly opened spring bulbs outside a kitchen window. If someone has put time into their garden, Jonathan can often look out the window to get a gauge on their color preferences and personal style. Are their hedges tightly pruned and flower beds neatly edged? Or is their garden more laissez-fair, with rustic beds and a meandering design? “If someone has had their garden done, it’s easy to see what colors and textures they’re drawn to,” says Jonathan.
A living space should represent the people who call it home. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.
Textures can be equally as refreshing as color when it comes to a redesign for spring. Crisp linen or cotton muslin come across as clean and fresh. “A cotton muslin sofa with some colorful or patterned pillows is very chic, and all you have to do to change the mood is rotate out the pillows when you want a seasonal update,” he suggests.
For many of the clients O’Brien sees, it’s common to be drawn to neutral shades of latte, grey and taupe. Grey walls are very popular but they don’t have to come across as dark or moody. A silver grey can feel warmer when paired with butter yellow in the kitchen or in a well-placed rug. “There’s nothing wrong with the typical, restrained palettes,” O’Brien reflects. “Our work together then becomes how to build upon that neutral backdrop. We can add color through the more inexpensive accents, like throw pillows and rugs, and if over time they tire of that color, it’s easily switched out.”
Your home should be a place you look forward to going every day. Photo courtesy: Jonathan O’Brien.
While moving furniture and freshening the wall color can be the extent of the scope of some projects, bringing in custom art is another way Jonathan livens up spaces. “Replacing mass-produced art work can really update a room. We can commission individualized pieces and add a painting with colors from the home’s palette in a size that balances the space.” O’Brien turns to several regional artists when looking for new artwork, including Victoria Adams, who specializes in water and sky scenes.
For the clients that O’Brien works with, the transformation of a single room extends beyond the home. “When someone has gone from having a scattered design without much consciously selected color to having a new, stylish living room, they feel more compelled to invite friends over and open their home to others. That makes me proud of the work we’ve done.”
When considering how to brighten up the end of your winter, Jonathan O’Brien is quick in his suggestion. “I firmly believe that for the price, redesigning your home is better than a vacation. It’s still fun, the experience lasts and it’s something you come home to every day and will be delighted by for years to come.”
For many years the City of Bellingham provided a seasonal woody debris drop-off service (“Clean Green”) as disposal options were limited. The service was initially subsidized by both the City and Whatcom County. Over time, the County reduced – then eliminated – its portion of the subsidy. Meanwhile, private companies stepped up to offer the same service. Rather than compete with (and undercut) local businesses, in 2015 the City opted to phase out its subsidy funding of Clean Green and eliminate the service.
There are now options available that did not exist when the Clean Green program began. Those options – for year-round disposal of yard waste and compost – include:
Sanitary Service Company (SSC) – Food+ Yard Waste is an every other week curbside pick-up program. Weekly commercial Food + Waste and bulk pick-up of woody debris is also available. Request service at ssc@ssc-inc.som or via phone number below.
City of Bellingham residents and businesses already receive curbside garbage pick-up and recycling services through SSC. To add the Food+Yard Waste option, contact Sanitary Services directly at 360-734-3490.
As soon as Sunseed Farm is winterized, they begin all over again with ordering seeds and preparing for the next season. Photo courtesy: Sunseed Farm.
The Bellingham Farmers Market is a magical place where you can show up empty-handed and leave with all the ingredients you need to make a delicious meal, all grown within Whatcom and Skagit Counties. But did you ever stop to think about the farms where these ingredients are grown and harvested? In the dead of winter, as Mount Baker is enveloped in snow and everyone in town is longing for another sun break, local farmers are working hard. They want to ensure they have all of the fresh produce shoppers have come to expect as soon as the Bellingham Farmers Market opens for the season.
Farming Never Stops
Starting seeds in a greenhouse gives Sunseed Farm a two or three month head start on the growing season. Photo courtesy: Sunseed Farm.
“For me, winter means less scheduled time but I am not vacationing,” says Nick Guilford of Sunseed Farm. He has a very short window to order seeds and prepare the greenhouses for seed starts. Guilford says, “As soon as we are cleaned up and winterized then we start right up again.” Sunseed Farm in Acme, WA sells organic produce and garden starts, which need a two or three month head start in their greenhouses in order to be ready when the Bellingham Farmers Market opens in April.
“While the winter months are definitely a slower pace, it is the time to get all of our prep work done,” says Nick Spring of Spring Time Farm in Everson, WA. Spring explains, “Once the days warm up and the growing season really is in swing there is no time to be fussing with tractor repairs, bookkeeping, crop planning or business planning. We try to get as much of that laid out ahead of time as possible.”
Winter on the Farm
Morrigan, age four, feeds chickens and helps tend to the animals throughout the winter. Photo courtesy: Twin Cedars Farm.
Despite the shrinking daylight hours and colder temperatures, local farmers manage to stay busy through winter. “For Twin Cedars Farm, the cold season was ushered in with planting cover crops, garlic planting, weekly markets, farm maintenance and planning, along with the daily time tending our birds and sheep,” shares Briana Buck. This year Twin Cedars Farm had another chore to add to their list. In addition to pruning orchards, placing seed and supply orders and daily tending to animals, they had to clean up fallen trees and mend fences after the ice storm that had a big impact on Whatcom County.
Twin Cedars Farm, located in Deming, WA uses the winter months to prepare and plan for the growing season. Buck says, “Farming is intrinsically connected to the cycle of the seasons, every season has its purpose, needs and tasks. Farmers invest themselves year-round in maintaining the health of their farm and facilitating the success of the current and future seasons. As we spend less time in the field, we spend more time working in the office – building projects and infrastructure, CSA organizing (Community Supported Agriculture), conducting product research, furthering education and strategic planning.”
Preparing Crops for Market
Despite the shrinking daylight hours and colder temperatures, local farmers manage to stay busy through the winter. Photo courtesy: Twin Cedars Farm.
Greenhouses allow local farms to start seeds early on, in a protected environment. Mike Finger of Cedarville Farm says, “The trend in market farming is pushing the season in both directions, so the market can remain open as long as possible, even in very cold climates.” Luckily we have a relatively mild winter with our temperate and damp climate. Greenhouses can protect the delicate seed starts before spring and we can enjoy fresh, local produce earlier in the market season.
“Farming at Cedarville never stopped this winter,” says Finger. “Our customers love the product and that keeps us pushing on.” Cedarville prepares CSA produce boxes all year long, including a winter storage crop offering that keeps the farm busy. Finger echoed the sentiment that many other farmers shared – winter is for planning, maintenance and strategy. He adds, “There is a lot more number crunching than you realize. We also do crop planning and analyze what worked and what didn’t in the last year.” Even on the days when it is too wet or cold to be farming, he says he can always turn on the light in his workshop and work on maintenance to prepare for spring.
This winter an ice storm added extra work for many farmers, including cleaning up fallen trees and mending broken fences. Photo courtesy: Twin Cedars Farm.
Our local farms are working diligently to bring us all healthy, local produce. You can stop by and say hello to these local farmers at the official opening day of the downtown Bellingham Farmers Market in April.
At an altitude of six thousand feet, Tore captured a view of Bellingham few of us have seen, encompassing some of the most beautiful scenery of Whatcom County. Photo credit: Tore Ofteness.
Prolific local photographer Tore Ofteness, known for his aerial shots of the Pacific Northwest, recently debuted his first bound collection of photographs, A Higher Perspective. Presented by the Village Books publishing arm, Chuckanut Editions, Ofteness’ treasury of images meanders at birds-eye from the Cascade Mountains out to the Salish Sea. His images share a familiar repetition, where it becomes clear what Ofteness finds beautiful and worthwhile. “I discovered one day that my pictures are kind of like a music. There’s a main theme and supporting elements, but importantly there’s a rhythm to them, a visual rhythm,” he explains.
Photographer, Tore Ofteness, and Chuckanut Editions Publishing Director, Brendan Clark, hold their latest project, A Higher Perspective. Photo credit: Hannah Zoe.
For Ofteness, the aerial perspective has been the main focus of his photography. At 18, he joined the army and began training as an airplane mechanic based in Europe. Shortly after, he bought his first camera and has now been taking photographs for over 50 years.
Ofteness’ photos are an extension of his academic interest in history, where he can use his camera as a tool for objective record keeping. A particularly striking shot shows the aftermath of the Whatcom Creek pipeline explosion in 1999. It’s a swath of ruddy, scorched trees, broken by a ribbon of water as seen from above. It’s a hard but beautiful image, an abstraction of a painful moment in our community’s history. From his commissioned work of industrial construction, to his personal shots of cityscapes and farmland, Ofteness believes, “I’m recording history, living what’s there and documenting it.”
Ofteness has a large collection of commissioned work, and I wondered where the differences lie when he takes pictures for his own pleasure. “It’s the same camera and the same eyeballs,” he explains. “Construction progress photos are not very imaginative. They don’t need to be and you don’t want them to be. It’s a record for the job and the banks that lend them money to do these projects.”
A construction progress photo of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge turned out better than Tore Ofteness had hoped. The colors and angles of the composition came together in the air above the site. Photo credit: Tore Ofteness.
But he was quick to share a particular photograph, taken of the construction of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It shows a ship from above, passing beneath the bridge at an angle, topped with bridge deck sections that were to be hoisted up and attached to the bridge’s suspension cables. The color of the sea water backdrop perfectly complements the orange sides of the ship. The meaning was clear, that Ofteness’ eye for composition made an image more than just a construction progress shot for his client. It became art.
Some of Ofteness’ more abstract and beautiful images are of the Nooksack River Delta and Bellingham Bay tidal lands. The rivulets carving their ways from shore into the murky sea water look like paintings. From Ofteness’ humble perspective, they were opportunities that presented themselves at the right time. “The airport runway ends there. I just took pictures when taking off and landing,” he says simply. “Sometimes I’d use the air time going to or coming from a hired job to take my personal photos or rent the plane for an extra hour. Sometimes I’d hire a plane just for the sake of doing it.”
Able to coordinate the time of the demolition of a tower at Georgia Pacific West, Tore captured a moment in Bellingham’s history. The site will soon be home to a new sector of downtown, with the relics from the plant slated to become sculpture installations. Photo credit: Tore Ofteness.
This was the case for Ofteness’ collection of full-moon shots. He was contracted to take a picture of an airplane over Mount Baker and it happened to be a full moon that evening. The pictures he took then turned into a personal project to capture the full moon of each month rising over the mountain. “It’s taken me 23 years of trying to get all the full-moon photos, and I still need two more,” he relates of his missing January and June shots. “There are two full moons this January and the timing isn’t right for either of them. The sun has to set about 20 minutes after the moon starts to rise in order to get the alpenglow and the full moon at the same time above Mount Baker.”
Ofteness has amassed a lifetime’s worth of shots. Deciding which ones to include in his first book was no easy task. “Tore gave us a large compilation of those photos that he couldn’t live without, and we had the luxury of choice,” says Brendan Clark, Village Books publishing director. “Paul and Kelly, two of the owners of Village Books, and I went through all of the material that Tore provided us with. It was a culling process based on how thick of a book we could afford. It was sometimes difficult to make those editorial choices because it was all incredible photography.”
At an altitude of six thousand feet, Tore captured a view of Bellingham few of us have seen, encompassing some of the most beautiful scenery of Whatcom County. Photo credit: Tore Ofteness.
Chuckanut Editions focuses on publishing mostly local interest non-fiction. Depending on the project, much of the editing and design work is done in-house. Chuckanut Editions also utilizes a local book bindery. “As print-on-demand technology has evolved, costs for publishing have gone down, making it a more accessible option for independent authors,” says Clark. Authors who would like to learn more about Village Books publishing program may contact publishing@villagebooks.com or check out the resources available on the bookstore’s website.
From first formulation to final print, Ofteness’ project took seven months to complete. He continues to take pictures and even sees the possibility of putting together a collection of his black-and-white images. He says of his photography and time in the sky, “I love the perspective, it all comes back to that.”
Kevin Wiebe is a Ferndale native. Although he graduated from Ferndale High School, he admits he wasn't a model student. His teachers and administrators...
