To solve crucial community issues in Education, Income, and Health, United Way of Whatcom County is currently looking for programs and organizations who are working toward the same community-level goals. By opening up their Community Impact Fund and expanding their partners they can more effectively address specific local issues and create measurable change.
Currently United Way of Whatcom County is looking for programs that improve education, income and health in our community. If you have an innovative program based on best practices to achieve results, your program could qualify for funding. Interested organizations must fulfill certain criteria and are required to RSVP and attend the United Way ofWhatcom County’s Grant Seeker Technical Assistance Meeting at 10:00 am on Wednesday, January 20 (RSVP required) in order to have the opportunity to apply for funds. The meeting will take place at United Way’s office in the large conference room at the Whatcom Center for Philanthropy on the 2nd floor of the Washington Federal Building, corner of Champion and Cornwall.
United Way’s three focus areas embody the building blocks of a strong life and of a strong community. With evidence showing the increased connection between good health, educational success, and income level, United Way of Whatcom County sees the value in strengthening these areas for all of us.
“It takes a variety of programs and people to move the needle on important community issues. We know that there isn’t one program that can do it all which is why we will be working with an assortment of programs using different techniques and different focuses, but ultimately working towards the same goals in our key areas,” said Peter Theisen, United Way of Whatcom County President/CEO.
There will be an application process for United Way funds, specific funding priorities, and a focus on programs using evidence-based practices. This will allow United Way to streamline activity in the community and ensure results through shared goals and aligned resources. Working with a variety of partners on the same issues creates community-wide change and extending funding to more partners, along with working with current partners, will ensure that new or existing programs will have the opportunity to be part of this movement.
By engaging with the community over the past several years and participating in research such as the Community Health Assessment and the Whatcom Prosperity Project, United Way of Whatcom County has developed three goals in each of their focus areas and is now looking to work with new partners and programs, as well as long-time partners, that are working specifically on affecting the following goals in Education, Income, and Health:
EDUCATION
Creating Stable/Healthy Families & Kids
Achieving School Readiness
Increasing High School Graduation
INCOME
Increasing Financial Stability
Supporting Workforce Preparation
Increasing Safe & Stable Housing
HEALTH
Ensuring Healthy & Active Living
Increasing Health Care Access
Increased Safety and Abuse Prevention
“We have been able to accomplish so much in the past two years since opening up our funding and we are truly excited at the possibilities for community impact that this new direction has made possible,” said Theisen, “Focusing our efforts on specific goals and aligning with programs that are using evidence-based practices creates a stronger community and ensures a more efficient use of our donor dollars.”
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Five students from Whatcom County were among the record 152 cadets, who graduated from the Washington Youth Academy on December 19 — more cadets than any previous class in the history of the Academy, established in Bremerton in 2009.
Cadets from each corner of the state attend the free residential school, geared at teaching teens discipline and helping them recover credits so they can go back to high school and earn a diploma or seek an alternative path to finish their high school education, such as a GED or by joining Running Start.
Cadet Candace Stewart of Mount Baker Sr. High School stands at attention at the Washington Youth Academy.
Cadets from Bellingham include Lisabel Hernandez-Morales of Sehome High School; from Sumas was Candace Stewart of Mount Baker Sr. High School; from Ferndale was Anthony Hall of Ferndale High School; and from Lynden was Abel Sanchez Nava of Meridian High School.
There were actually more cadets that went through the commencement ceremonies than actual beds in the bunkers with 50 beds in each of the three platoons, prompting cots to be setup in the hallway for the entire 5-and-a-half-month cycle.
Youth Academy Director Larry Pierce credited the high retention rate to a robust application and interview process helping find strong candidates for the program, as well as a healthy, two-week acclimation period, where candidates can get more of a feel for the strict discipline needed for the voluntary program and decides it’s not for them.
“This is our 14th class and our largest one to date,” Pierce said, adding that the Washington Youth Academy has achieved “one of the top graduating rates in the nation.”
Abel Sanchez is one of the five Whatcom County teens that graduated from Washington Youth Academy on December 19.
“The cadets became teammates and they changed together and prevailed together and they’re here today and as proof of that, they’ll walk across the stage and commence from the youth academy back to their home lives.”
The highest number of credits possible for the 22-week session is 8 credits. Comparatively, a full year of high school is 6 credits. Remarkably, 133 students earned all 8 credits. Before students entered the Academy, the test of Adult Basic Education put the students’ grade level at 6.7 – not quite 7th Grade. Near the end, a new test showed the average grade level for students at 9.2 for a gain of 2.5 grade in just 22 weeks. Only seven cadets began the program with enough credits to be classified as Seniors but 102 completed the program with Senior classification.
Students had an average GPA for Academy courses of 3.4, which is B+.
All of the cadets also received Community Emergency Response Training, which will help them and their communities help during disasters. Cadets also donated 7,992 hours of community service to the local area.
“I’d offer you a challenge: Take the lessons you’ve learned here and apply them back in your community,” Congressman Derek Kilmer told the cadets at commencement. “Take the leadership skills you’ve learned and be a positive influence in the lives of your friends, your family, your school and your community.”
Lisabel Hernandez-Morales, a Sehome High student, graduated from the Washington Youth Academy with four other Whatcom County teens on December 19.
The mission of the Washington Youth Academy is to provide a highly disciplined, safe and professional learning environment that empowers at-risk youth to improve their educational levels and employment potential and become responsible and productive citizens of the State of Washington. The Washington Youth Academy is a division of the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program. Established under authority of both federal and state law, the WYA is a state-run residential and post-residential intervention program for youth who have dropped out of high school or are at risk of dropping out.
The next class starts on Jan. 16, 2016. Applications are still being accepted for female candidates. Applications for male candidates will likely be wait listed until the cycle after that starts in July. Learn more about the program online http://mil.wa.gov/youth-academy and watch a four-part documentary on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6wkS7NMl5KYr0EQUQDpudQ/videos ).
In 2015, WhatcomTalk.comshared countless stories about the people, businesses and organizations that make Whatcom County such a vibrant place to live, work and play.
Here are the top 10 stories from the year, as selected by you, our readers.
As the wrapping paper clutter is finally pushed aside, lots of us are turning toward 2016 with hope for renewal and a fresh start. But resolutions aren’t always what we hope them to be. Often, they come and go as quickly as the holidays. Resolving to lose weight or read a book a month can be daunting. But looking instead for a way to holistically nourish yourself — body and soul — is a great place to begin. Locally, there are many enriching courses and activities offered throughout Whatcom County aimed to make your life healthier, richer and more meaningful. Peruse this thoughtful list of holistic classes and activities that could help you turn over that elusive “new leaf” in 2016.
Mindfulness Northwest
The study and practice of mindfulness has been all the rage in the past few years. Mindfulness has been shown to significantly improve a wide variety of physical and mental illnesses. You might have heard of author Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD, who developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) at the Stress Reduction Clinic of UMass Medical School. We are lucky enough to have a mindfulness center, based on the UMass Clinic, right here in Bellingham. In our busy, multi-tasking world, there’s never been a better time to learn about handling stress in a healthy way and focusing on the things that really matter.
In 2011, Mindfulness Northwest was founded by mindfulness teacher, Tim Burnett, who has been practicing meditation for 25 years. From its traditional origins to its contemporary applications in medicine and psychology, Burnett is fully certified and very knowledgeable in all aspects of mindfulness. Tim says mindfulness classes offer “an integrated curriculum that includes instruction in meditation, discussions of the science and philosophy of mindfulness, and a chance to interact with a positive community of people in class.” He adds that the community aspect of weekly classes is key to staying committed and supported to your mindfulness practice. “We find that we’re not alone in a fundamental way.”
Mindfulness is the perfect way to balance our busy lives.
Mindfulness has the ability to change, reset and improve anyone’s life. I’ve studied mindfulness, and it’s had a profound effect on my ability to work through challenging events and emotions. Classes are accessible, offered on a wide variety of days and times and in various formats. Sign-up for a one-hour introductory workplace presentation or embark on a seven-day silent retreat — the options are limitless. Evening and weekend classes are also available, and you can even hear Tim speak during noontime and evening presentations at Village Books this January.
Sunday Assembly
Another whole-body-and-soul kind of way to embrace 2016 is to build genuine community. In our modern society, feeling isolated from community is more common than ever. The church used to be the place where people connected with their neighbors, helped those in need, and found inspiration. That model still works for some, but for those seeking genuine secular community, Sunday Assembly is a refreshing alternative. Sunday Assembly Board Member and Volunteer Liz Darrow says, “Sunday Assembly is for everyone, no matter what they believe. It is a great fit for the new year because it facilitates ways to ‘live better, help often, and wonder more.’ Those are things that a lot of people go into the new year wanting to do, but it’s hard to know exactly how to do that, especially if you are not connected to a church group or other organization.”
Sunday Assembly features an inspirational speaker each month. Photo courtesy: Sunday Assembly.
Sunday Assembly is an all-inclusive monthly gathering that focuses on acceptance and community. In addition to an inspirational speaker, assembly-goers are led in pop songs, such as “Footloose,” “Country Roads,” and other fun, well-known songs. The service is followed with coffee and cake. Liz sums it up well by saying, “It’s all the best parts of church without the religion.”
The group meets on the first Sunday of each month. December’s theme was exploring peace from several angles, looking for ways to foster peace in the community, and what it means on a personal level. Sunday Assembly also provides tangible ways to help and get involved in the community, such as taking up collections for the Bellingham Food Bank and Lydia Place, caroling, marching in parades, and sing-alongs in the park. Liz shares, “I love having my kids grow up as part of a community, and having opportunities to contribute to that sense of connection for other people.”
The concept of Sunday Assembly began in England in 2013, and has quickly spread to include 68 chapters around the world. The Bellingham chapter began in 2014 and is led by a small group of hard-working volunteers. They emphasize, “There are lots of great ways to get involved. From guest speakers to cookie bakers to chair movers.” The next Sunday Assembly is on February 7. The group meets at the Bellingham Free School in Happy Valley. You can follow Sunday Assembly on Facebook for more information.
Knight Acupuncture Center and Academy of Kung Fu
Cassandra Knight draws on her experience as an educator, a martial artist, and a mother, in addition to her extensive acupuncture training, to be a fantastic practitioner. Photo courtesy: Knight Acupuncture Center.
Acupuncture is coming into the mainstream of health and wellness methodologies all over the world. It’s even covered by many insurance companies. There’s good reason for all the excitement. Cassandra and Alexander Knight who run Knight Acupuncture Center say, “Acupuncture is extremely safe. It is an all-natural, drug-free therapy, yielding no side effects — just feelings of relaxation and well being.” And acupuncture is not only about prevention and stress-reduction; it also can effectively treat a stunning array of ailments.
Understanding all that goes into acupuncture treatment is no small feat, but it’s important to know that all humans are made of energy. That energy can wax and wane and get interrupted or corrupted from time to time. This is not a new idea. As Knight Acupuncture’s website states, “For the past 5,000 years, practitioners of acupuncture have called this intelligent energy qi (pronounced “chee”). Qi is the vital energy in all living things, from the tallest tree to the smallest cell.” Alexander and Cassandra use acupuncture to treat both acute and systemic ailments and correct imbalances in qi.
I can personally attest to the professionalism, education and individualized care that can be found at Knight Acupuncture. Cassandra and Alexander are trusted, certified professional acupuncturists, and my husband and I have both been patients of theirs. Everything in their practice has been considered, from the holistic approach of care down to the soothing paint colors on the walls. They don’t rush people through appointments, but instead pay attention to details and the whole person.
Though acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, its only recently made its way into mainstream western medicine. Photo courtesy: Knight Acupuncture Center.
Another very special element of Knight Acupuncture is the other side of their business: an in-house Kung Fu Academy. Alexander Knight is a kung fu master and has taught for decades around the country. One of Knight’s kung fu students says, “The spirit of the place is what sets it apart. It’s about personal empowerment, confidence building, and self-defense. Also, they foster an amazing sense of respect for the body. The body is not abused for the sake of the martial art, but instead is seen as a holistic system.”
Kung fu is more than a martial art. It promotes whole-body health, and many see a notable health transformation after taking up the practice. Another students remarks, “I had debilitating digestive and anxiety issues. After practicing kung fu for less than a year, both ailments were alleviated.” The Knights teach a Shuai Jiao style of kung fu and tai chi. Classes are appropriate for beginners thru advanced students.
The unique combination of acupuncture administered by those trained in the art of kung fu is quite a powerful experience. It brings together energy, fitness, eastern and western science and herbalism, and many facets of what it means to be healthy. Learn more about what the Knights do by visiting their blog. To schedule an acupuncture appointment or sign up for kung fu, call 360-738-3600. Knight’s Acupuncture and Kung Fu is conveniently located downtown.
Yoga Northwest
All of Yoga Northwest’s classes are taught by experts in our region. Photo courtesy: Yoga Northwest.
Most of us have probably taken a yoga class somewhere along the line, but did you know there is a top-notch yoga studio in Bellingham that operates more like a yoga college and employs teachers that are some of the best in the entire region? Yep, it’s true. The teachers at Yoga Northwest boast a very impressive 100 years of combined yoga instruction. Director, Ingela Abbott, explains, “Instead of having students casually drop into any classes at anytime, they sign up for 10 to 12 week sessions consecutively and each class gradually progresses from week to week to help students learn to practice the yoga poses in the most safe and beneficial way for his or her individual Journey of Yoga.” Many of the teachers at Yoga Northwest have studied at the prestigious and reputable Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune, India. It’s clear that they take quality instruction very seriously at Yoga Northwest.
Yoga Northwest goes beyond proper alignment, instruction, and breath and strength building. Yoga philosophy is also infused into each class. A genuine care and concern for the whole person is evident at Yoga Northwest. I’ve experienced this difference personally. Why not change your life in 2016 with yoga classes that address the physical and non-physical challenges of daily life? Ingela says, “The teachers weave the yoga philosophy into their classes in a simple and accessible way, to enhance their practice on the mat, but also in their daily lives with more kindness, compassion, honesty, contentment and gratitude.”
Yoga Northwest’s Director, Ingela Abbott, on one of their international yoga adventures in Bali in 2015. Photo courtesy: Yoga Northwest.
If appreciation of body and soul weren’t enough to entice you toward this superior yoga experience, the school also organizes exotic travel opportunities. They plan yoga-hiking-biking adventures around the world in places such as Panama and Vietnam. This coming summer they’re traveling to Sweden, and they’ll be going to Bali in the fall.
Check Yoga Northwest’s widely varied and accessible class list for the one that fits your life. Winter quarter begins January 11, and the first week of January new students can try out classes for free.
Thinking about doing a Big Year? When it comes to birding, Whatcom County’s natural (and even not-so-natural) landscape provides habitat for both migrating and nesting bird species alike. To get started on a life list, the North Cascades Audubon Society provides a checklist of 329 recorded unique bird species sighted in Whatcom County alone. With the Washington Ornithological Society’s official Washington State checklist of birds totaling just over 500 species, birding at these Whatcom County hotspots will kick you off to a good start.
Semiahmoo Spit
A great place to start your big year, Semiahmoo Spit could easily be considered the number one birding spot in Whatcom County. If you show up on January 1 with a warm coat and binoculars, odds are good that you won’t be alone. A variety of birds can be seen walking the rocky shore along Drayton Harbor. On either side of the spit, small flocks gather in the ocean just offshore. Cormorants can often be seen on the long dock before the marina, while loons dip in and out between docked boats, often creating a commotion when they land in the water. Eagles commonly frequent the area, sometimes perching on the bare tree installations, sailboat masts or condo chimneys. In the warmer months, between Memorial Day and Labor Day, catching the Historic Plover Ferry from Semiahmoo will take you right by cormorants nesting on the rocky wall at Blaine Harbor. While the majority of these fowl are seabirds, don’t forget to check by the brush or look in the pine trees by the APA Museum for some additional sightings.
Birch Bay State Park
Birders gather around Whatcom County to participate in citizen science project counts.
Birch Bay State Park is a tremendous area for birdwatching due to Terrell Creek expanding into marsh land and finding its way through the parks as a creek until it connects to the saltwater bay. This saltwater and freshwater estuary creates a special habitat for birds. Ducks can be seen sleeping on the edge of the creek with herons close by. Migrating birds can also be seen in the saltwater all along the bay when tide is high. Look up and you’ll spot bald eagles flying overhead. For close-up birding, walk along the shore and follow Birch Bay Road, staying close to the creek. Bridges pass over the creek in several spots to enter the park. Heading into the park, look up into the trees. The Terrell Marsh loop trail offers forested habitat with a viewing area about halfway through that overlooks the marsh itself.
Tennant Lake
If you want to get out into the swampy marsh with the birds but don’t feel like getting wet, Tennant Lake provides a boardwalk loop trail that offers that exact experience. Benches and viewpoints along the way provide excellent birding opportunities. For a bird’s eye view, try the tower. At 50 feet, you can enjoy unobstructed views of the lake and marsh. If you arrive at Tennant Lake and find the gates closed due to waterfowl hunting season, don’t be dismayed. Walking down the Hovander Homestead trail a short distance can provide some surprisingly up close bird sightings.
Lake Terrell
A short walk up the Hovander Homestead path can produce surprising close up views of birds.
One of the more curious places to bird is Lake Terrell. Considered to be manmade, Lake Terrell was originally formed through the damming of Terrell Creek. Dedicated to wild game production, half the lake is a protected waterfowl reserve. Next to the main road is a trail that parallels the edge of the lake. Here birds can be seen paddling near wild rice and around little islands. A fishing pier that stretches out into the lake has benches for restful birding. A soft symphony of birds can be heard following the trail that leads into the forest. When you have explored the whole area by foot, keep in mind that much of the lake that can’t be seen from shore can be explored by kayak. Between March and June, the southern islands are closed to protect nesting season. This area is open to hunting several times a year. Remember to take caution while birding and use discretion to determine a genuine bird sighting isn’t a well-designed decoy.
Sandy Point
Overlooking Lummi Bay, Sandy Point offers excellent viewing opportunities. Cormorants perch just off shore and seabirds tuck onto the rocks at the end of the point. With private property signs and private roads throughout the point, it can be difficult to know where to publicly park. Favorability to birding may depend on who owns surrounding property at the time. For the determined birder, however, it’s going to be worth the visit. Make sure to be respectful and use discretion. Also, take some time to explore the wetlands across the road from Agate Lake for additional sightings.
An uncommon sighting of a black oystercatcher on the shore of Drayton Harbor at Semiahmoo Spit.
Notably wherever you are outdoors in Whatcom County, you are going to see some great birds. Even more highly populated parks such as Boulevard Park offer phenomenal birding opportunities that can capture the attention of serious birders and casual observers alike.
For help on identifying birds, www.birdweb.org offers photographs and sound recordings of birds found in our area along with a list of rare to common sightings.
Throughout the past year, WhatcomTalk.com has shared countless stories about the people, businesses and organizations that make Whatcom County such a vibrant place to live, work and play. To commemorate 2015, WhatcomTalk.com’s writers have selected their favorite articles from the past year to share with you, our valued readers. Take a few minutes to sit back and enjoy reading through some of these favorite articles from 2015.
I was excited to write about this amazing organization with such an ingenious model for helping people through tragedy. But I wasn’t prepared for meeting sisters Robyn Scott and Taylor Sernesky, whose grit and grace left a lasting impression on me. Even though their grief over losing their father was still raw, they opened their hearts and shared their story in an effort to pay it forward. I’ll never forget these inspiring women.
I remember reading about it in the first part a while back and it’s been in the back of my mind to wonder what happened, if she ever finished. I loved reading about the completion and the positive special impact it had on her life.
Lorraine’s story about Chandra Johnson is a great example of how WhatcomTalk.com connects its readers to the community. Chandra is an environmental scientist, a musician, a student, and an inspiration. But she’s also a community member, just like you, our readers. Stories like Lorraine’s help connect readers to their community and their neighbors by providing a meaningful look into the people, businesses and organizations that make Whatcom County such a vibrant place to live, work and play.
I enjoy learning about Bellingham’s colorful and quirky past, and I love stories that show that our town was built by outsiders and marginalized people. It’s so great to see all the ways Bellinghamsters are keeping our history alive in the hopes that it enriches our future. Kudos to Lorraine for the great read!
I feel lucky to get to write stories about fantastic local people and businesses all year long. My favorite among this year’s long list of fun pieces has to be my feature on Chuck and Dee Robinson’s beautiful home above Village Books. What a treat it was to sit and talk (and laugh!) with them in their living room, and then get a tour through every corner of their charming place.
I chose this one because its well-written and personal, includes pretty fascinating Bellingham/Fairhaven historical information, educates about a community non-profit, and highlights what an incredible resource our senior citizens can be.
Photos are a great way to capture special moments and preserve memories for years to come. Throughout 2015, WhatcomTalk shared countless photos of Whatcom County on its Facebook pagethat illustrated what it’s like to live, work and play in Whatcom County.
As we look back on 2015, we’ve selected 15 of our favorite photos from the past year. These photos highlight some of the area’s most stunning natural landmarks and viewpoints, including a few of 2015’s most memorable sunsets. Scroll through the photo set below and enjoy taking a look back on the past 12 months.
WhatcomTalk welcomes photo submissions from our readers. Share your photos of Whatcom County with us by emailing your photos to submit@whatcomtalk.com.
Marilyn Flint (left) and actor, Jim Lortz, who plays Ellis French. Photo credit: Juliette Machado.
Pickford Film Center’s film showcase, Dances for the Camera, is meant to bring meaningful live movement performance to a film-going audience. This collection of locally-filmed and produced shorts highlights a range of collaborative efforts between Bellingham Reperatory Dance, Kuntz and Company, and JmWorks that, through creative dance, sheds light on living and dying with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Both diseases are incurable, progressive disorders related to aging of the nervous system, with Parkinson’s affecting movement and Alzheimer’s causing the depletion of memory and mental function, giving way to the most common form of dementia. Still poorly understood, these diseases affect the lives of the diagnosed as well as their loved ones and caregivers.
World premiering in film format at the showcase is the short, “Ellis won’t be Dancing Today,” which was originally created as a live performance piece by Kuntz and Company for the Palliative Care Summer Institute Conference in July 2014. The work creatively portrays the experiences of one woman, Marilyn Flint, as she copes with the end of her husband, Ellis,’ life with Alzheimer’s.
Senior Instructor of Dance at Western Washington University’s Department of Theatre and Dance, Pam Kuntz (also of Kuntz and Company), specializes in bringing the life experiences of our community to the stage through collaborative movement and modern dance. Around 2012, she had been exploring the development of a piece focused on dementia but had not yet found the right community member to help shape and personalize the work.
That’s when she met Marilyn Flint and her husband, Ellis French.
Filmmaker Juliette Machado manipulates location and reality to adapt the theatre performance into experimental film. Photo credit: Juliette Machado.
The three first met in 2012 at a caregiving event hosted by PeaceHealth. “Marilyn talked about how physical she and Ellis were in their dancing, even though he was living with Alzheimer’s. I thought that if I ever do anything in the future with dementia or Alzheimer’s, I would call her,” Kuntz explains. “About a year later in the fall of 2013, Marilyn sent me an e-mail that Ellis had passed away, and it was only about a month after that when the Palliative Care Institute invited me to develop a piece about an end of life journey. So I called Marilyn and we began developing the live performance right away that would share her story.”
Ellis and Marilyn met when they were in their mid-50’s at a dance in California, drawn together by their mutual love of teaching through music. They moved to Bellingham in 2007. “After he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in about 2009, we connected with Northwest Regional Council (NRC), who gives you help if you have a partner with Alzheimer’s,” Marilyn explains. “Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be very difficult. I was on duty for 24 hours a day for several years.”
The council connected Marilyn with Silverado Dementia Care Home (now called Bellingham Memory Care Community) as an adult day care provider. “Ellis was invited to come and play piano and dance as part of the entertainment program for Memory Care’s residents,” Marilyn says. Dementia and the medicines used to manage the degenerative disorder can dampen a person’s personality. “But Ellis’ piano playing — and our dancing — would get people up moving and smiling again,” Marilyn adds. “Ellis would say, ‘Having Alzheimer’s isn’t so bad if you can use it to help people.’ That was the essence of who he was.”
Some of the dance performance by Flint and Lortz was filmed in a senior center appreciated by Ellis. Photo credit: Juliette Machado.
Ellis was able to live several years at home with Marilyn until it became too difficult for her to manage his care on her own. After moving to a care facility, he was placed on standard western Alzheimer’s medications and his health declined rapidly. Ellis passed away three weeks later at the age of 80.
“After seeing the live performance, many said that more people needed to see this piece,” Kuntz notes, “so we decided to make a different version for film that could go on and be shared more widely.” Kuntz had seen the film work of Juliette Machado of JmWorks while she was a student in one of Kuntz’ WWU classes. Impressed by Machado’s work, Kuntz invited her to help develop the film adaptation. Machado has filmed many weddings and theater and dance performances at WWU.
“Although the original performance was in a single location, for the film we chose to shoot in a number of different indoor and outdoor locations,” Machado explains. “We explored lapses in time and location and played with dialogue. We included new ideas that weren’t in the original piece that could only be done on film. It doesn’t fit into a typical film genre. It has a narrative arc, but I’ve been calling it a theater dance work for film. We consider it experimental, and it’s very unique,” she adds.
In the film adaptation, Marilyn plays herself and Jim Lortz, WWU’s professor of theatre, portrays Ellis. The phenomenally talented actor also happens to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Kuntz and Machado use symbolism to help movie goers see inside life with Alzheimer’s. Photo credit: Juliette Machado.
“Although this piece is about Marilyn’s life with Ellis’ Alzheimer’s, it’s really much bigger than that,” Kuntz says. “My work is rarely literal. This piece opens more possibilities for people to put themselves inside the story. We use symbols to show the shifting and changing experiences of life with Alzheimer’s, the loss of layers of memory, the hard work of caregiving, the change in vitality. It’s about aging and dying, caregiving, loss, and love.”
The future of “Ellis won’t be Dancing Today” is uncertain but hopeful. “We’re considering entering it the film festival circuit, possibly in the experimental category,” Machado says. “And it will definitely become available on YouTube to Alzheimer’s support groups, conferences, and to physicians and caregivers,” Kuntz adds.
Two other short films will share Pickford’s showcase. “Parkinson’s Dreams About Me” features an intermingling of dance and interview excerpts by community member Rick Hermann, who has lived with Parkinson’s for more than 20 years. Overlaid by an original cello score, this Kuntz and Company collaboration highlights the therapeutic benefits of dance for people suffering from neurological disorders. Kuntz had developed the piece as an off-shoot of the dance classes she’s been offering to people suffering from Parkinson’s, supported in part by generous fundraising by Pickford Film Center. It won Best Experimental Film at the Oregon Independent Film Festival in 2012.
Symbols were used to bring the film viewer inside life with Alzheimer’s. Photo credit: Juliette Machado.
The third dance film, “Pacing,” was produced by JmWorks in collaboration with Bellingham Repertory Dance. “The movement is very rhythmic and tied to the score, which is made up of sounds captured on set that I manipulated in edit,” Machado describes. This short film was screened at the 40 North Dance Film Festival in San Diego in July 2015, and at the New Jersey Outlet Dance Project Festival in October 2015.
“Dances for the Camera” will premiere at the Pickford Film Center on January 10. A pre-screening reception with the filmmakers and collaborators will begin at 1:30 p.m. followed by a 2:30 p.m. showing.
Friends of the South Whatcom Library receive the Outstanding Friends Service Award at the December WCLS Library Board of Trustees Meeting. Photo courtesy: Whatcom County Library System.
Each year Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) honors one of eleven Friends of the Library groups with an award for Outstanding Friends Service. This year the award was presented to the Friends of the South Whatcom Library (FOSWL) for their work to support the South Whatcom Library through the past year.
FOSWL members worked diligently for three years to obtain the funding for the South Whatcom Library, and many hundreds of volunteer hours went into constructing it. When evidence of powder-post beetle damage necessitated the building’s closure, the Friends rallied to work with the Sudden Valley Community Association to find an alternative location – first in the lobby of the adjacent YMCA, and later in the Sudden Valley Adult Center, which WCLS remodeled into a temporary library.
Brian Hulsey, manager at the South Whatcom Library, nominated the group for the award. “Since the move to the Adult Center building, the FOSWL have taken on a supporting role for the South Whatcom Library by providing funding for children’s, teen and adult programming, as well as the purchase of a MakerBot Replicator 3D printer to promote life-long learning and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programming,” said Hulsey. “Some amazing projects have already been printed!”
The Friends also installed a Little Lending Library near the WTA bus stop to promote community engagement and to spread the word about South Whatcom Library programs and events. And the group is known for their Jazz concert fundraisers, which bring music and culture to the Sudden Valley community and beyond.
WCLS Executive Director Christine Perkins presented the Friends with the engraved “Traveling Plaque” to be displayed for the next year at the South Whatcom Library. “WCLS thanks the South Whatcom Friends for their unwavering passion for public libraries and for positivity in the face of setbacks,” said Perkins.
Marcia Morrison, South Whatcom Friends Vice President accepted the award for the group, and read a statement from the President, Clairene Almond. “We are beyond happy to receive this award, especially given everything that has happened since the opening of the South Whatcom Library,” said Morrison. “We didn’t really know how to do what we did, how to fundraise, or build…..we learned it at THE LIBRARY.”
Congratulations go to all the honorees for the Outstanding Friends Service Award: Deming Friend Virginia Naef, Ferndale Friend Judy Kelsey, Friends of the Point Roberts Library, and Friends of the Sumas Library.
Submitted by Barron Heating, AC, Electrical & Plumbing
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