Pickford Film Center Shines Spotlight On Performing Arts, Education Outreach, Local Filmmakers, Special Events

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Pickford Film Center Bank of the Pacific Bay Street — Photo courtesy Pickford Film Center

Pickford Film Center has been showcasing the best of independent cinema since opening its doors — at the original space, now the Limelight Cinema — in 1998. In 2011, it expanded into the stunning, dual-screened space on Bay Street, as the downtown Bellingham Arts District grew up around it.

But PFC is more than movies — it’s continued to grow and change, bringing to our community performing arts events, live scores, education outreach, and much more.

“By regularly communicating with our audiences and listening to their feedback, we’re becoming an even better fit for Bellingham and Whatcom County,” says Pickford Marketing Manager Lindsey Gerhard.

Susie Purves has been PFC Executive Director since March 2014. Before arriving from Seattle, Purves was executive director of Spectrum Dance Theater and also helped grow the Northwest Film Forum, a Seattle art house cinema that also went through a big move, which she spearheaded.

“Susie has a diverse management background and she’s pushing us forward,” Gerhard says. “It’s a great thing.”

PFC has a staff of 15 full- and part-time folks, which includes six projectionists. Volunteers are integral to its success, and a core group of around 120 help run the box office and with special events; the entire roster includes more than 400 volunteers.

“I call our volunteers our Dream Team,” says Gerhard, who began as a PFC volunteer herself. “We wouldn’t be able to do any of our special events without them!” More helpers are always welcome—and everyone gets free movies and popcorn.

A mission-based organization, Pickford Film Center strives to do more than bring thought-provoking, innovative films from all genres to its three screens; here’s a rundown of the many programs PFC’s staff and volunteers work hard to bring to local arts fans.

Performing Arts

Including the performing arts in its repertoire isn’t new at PFC, but the saturation of its offerings is.

“We’ve done it for a long time,” says Gerhard of the inclusion of live ballet, opera, and stage productions on PFC’s calendar, “but now we’re seeking out even more programs.”

Can’t afford the plane ticket to Europe? It’s almost like you’re there with productions from around the world played on state-of-the-art equipment with stunning visuals and sound.

PFC carefully curates programming in response to community feedback. You can always check out the latest performing arts offerings on PFC’s website, from the National Theatre Live, The Bolshoi Ballet, The Globe Theatre, and more.

A live showing of a Bolshoi Ballet performance from Moscow can easily pull in 40 to 50 patrons — even at 7 a.m. on a Sunday.

Live Scores

In 2014, PFC hosted a screening of the 1926 silent-film classic The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which was accompanied by Seattle string and accordion duo Miles and Karina, who created and performed a new score.

They have held similar showings of other silent films with live scores created by local bands, such as The Black Pirate with Rattletrap Ruckus.

“It’s a scene we’re exploring more,” says Gerhard. “Being close to Seattle and Vancouver, we have a lot of opportunities.”

One of PFC’s longest-running and most loved series is its Masters of Japanese Cinema. “It showcases the work of some of the best classic Japanese directors,” says Gerhard. “There are some well-known musicians with great contemporary scores to these rarely seen silent Japanese masterworks.”

Popular Series & Annual Events

One of several popular PFC series is the monthly Rocket Sci-Fi matinee, sponsored by Rocket Donuts. A Saturday showing of the 1953 sci-fi B movie “Cat-Women of the Moon” became a multigenerational standing room only. “It’s great to see that there’s still the love for those more unusual films,” says Gerhard.

And the hundreds who buy tickets every year look forward to PFC’s always sold-out Academy Awards® celebration. Now named The Red Carpet Affair, PFC’s shindig always offers a glamorous night out for lovers of film and the Academy.

Other popular annual events include the Bellingham Children’s Film Festival and Doctober, a full month chock full of documentaries accompanied by filmmaker visits, special guests, pre-screening receptions, and guided discussions.

Education Outreach

Pickford Film Center is always available for class trips — from elementary schools to college students.

Executive Director Susie Purves successfully pushed for PFC to hire an education outreach coordinator to help work with local schools to cultivate visual literacy at a young age.

“We’ve always done the Guerilla Film Project, which is a three-day filmmaking competition for high school students,” say Gerhard, “and we’ll continue to cultivate that.”

But a generous donation from an individual funder has also allowed PFC to bring classrooms in to see movies — at no cost.

“During Doctober 2014, we created a new program, Doc-ED,” says Gerhard. “We chose five different films and reached out to schools to bring in more than 1,100 middle school students to watch the movies for free.”

Pickford wants to up the ante for 2015 and try to bring every single Bellingham middle school student to a free Documentary during Doc-ED.

“Alongside the generous donation from the Mary Redman Foundation, we dedicated our spring gift appeal towards the Doc-ED program and are close to raising the full amount of funds we need to make this a reality,” says Gerhard.

PFC also brings in children for free screenings during the Bellingham Children’s Film Festival, which runs every May. Expanded programming includes a live score and filmmaker visits, plus two new series — Family Classics and Shelf to Screen: Movies from your Favorite Children’s Books.

“We want to promote education at all ages and levels,” Gerhard continues. “It’s much more fun to come to a movie and enjoy demonstrations in the lobby or talks by specialists who can connect how topics in the film affect us at a local level.”

Supporting Local Filmmakers & Bringing More Filmmakers To Town

Pickford Film Center loves local filmmakers. Just after Purves’s arrival, PFC reached out to everyone they could find involved in local filmmaking and asked them what they wanted and needed.

“Anytime we can help showcase local work or be a resource for local filmmakers, we want to do that,” says Gerhard. “Anything we can do to support them.”

To that end, PFC continues to bring more and more filmmakers to come speak to audiences and answer their questions.

“We had over 15 filmmakers visit Doctober last year, which was pretty noteworthy,” says Gerhard. Local filmmaker Craig Johnson — now living and working in Hollywood — returned to Bellingham and PFC to discuss his film The Skeleton Twins and help raise funds for the Whatcom Center for Early Learning.

“We’ll continue to do more of that,” Gerhard says, “which makes for even more of a robust film-going experience.”

Pickford Film Center: More Than Movies

As the local independent cinema, PFC feels a strong responsibility to serve all of the community, not just particular pockets of it.

In 2014, PFC played 400 different films. “From the cinephiles and the tastemakers, to those who like classic films and those who like cult cinema,” says Gerhard, “our programming covers all of that, and more.”

Whatcom Museum to Showcase Selection of Helmi Juvonen’s Work in “Helmi’s World: Symbol, Myth, Fantasy”

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by Whatcom Museum

Northwest Coast Indian Mask, Linoleum block-print, 1958. Gift of Wesley Wehr. Image courtesy of Whatcom Museum.

“Helmi’s World: Symbol, Myth, Fantasy” presents 50 artworks —paintings, drawings, prints, carved linoleum blocks and ceramics — drawn from the Whatcom Museum’s collection of artist Helmi Juvonen’s work, which numbers 250 objects. The exhibition, curated by Barbara Matilsky, also contains a detailed biographical timeline and illustrated object labels. It will be featured at the Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building June 27 through October 11, 2015.

Helmi Juvonen (1903 – 1985), known in her day simply as Helmi, was a prolific artist whose creativity embraced diverse media. She was particularly drawn to Northwest Coast native culture and developed a rapport with the chiefs of the Lummi, Swinomish, Makah and Yakama, who invited her to participate in their ceremonies. Native art and ritual nurtured Helmi’s creative spirit, empowering her to transcend gender bias, poverty, and decades committed to an asylum for mental illness.

With her avid interest in anthropology, Helmi believed, as did the Seattle photographer Edward Curtis (1868 – 1952), in the importance of documenting Native American spiritual life. During the 1940s and 1950s, she lived with tribes in Washington, Vancouver Island, and South Dakota. Helmi also spent time studying and drawing ritual objects in the Washington State Museum, which later became the University of Washington’s Burke Museum.

Persian Doll, Watercolor, c. 1930. Gift of Dr. Ulrich & Stella Fritzsche. Image courtesy of Whatcom Museum.

“Helmi’s World” includes paintings of petroglyphs from Central Washington, watercolors of Lummi masked dancers, and linocut prints of the Makah Thunderbird and Wolf Dances, among others. The exhibition suggests the complexity of Helmi’s vision by displaying some or her most unusual artworks, including a large, mixed-media drawing inspired by ancient Peruvian tapestries. The influences of Mark Tobey, Pablo Picasso, and Scandinavian Folk Art will also be highlighted. Helmi forged a unique style that merged aboriginal Northwest culture with modern art. The artist also conjured “imaginary things,” and many of her works reflect both the dark and light sides of the human psyche.

“Although Helmi has not yet been recognized as widely as other Pacific Northwest ‘mystics,’ such as Mark Tobey and Morris Graves, she was, in many ways, ahead of her time,” says Barbara Matilsky, the Museum’s curator of art. “Her graffiti-like abstractions, mixed-media compositions, and paper cut-outs relate to trends in contemporary art and communicate easily with a new generation of viewers.”

Born in Butte Montana in 1903, Helmi attended the Cornish School (now Cornish College of the Arts) and honed her skills as a draftsman at the Boeing Aircraft Company during World War II. Spirited and independent, she forged an unconventional path through life. Living on the edge of poverty, she later sold prints at the Pike Street Market for 50 cents apiece. The artist’s talents were well-recognized and works were purchased by important Seattle collectors. Supported in part by Dr. Richard Fuller, the founding director of the Seattle Art Museum who acquired work for the collection, the artist was friends with many Northwest art world luminaries, including Morris Graves.

Vantage, Gouache on rice paper, c. 1975-76. Gift of Dr. Ulrich & Stella Fritzsche. Image courtesy of Whatcom Museum.

During the 1950s, a period of suppression and conformity in American life, a woman living alone as an artist proved difficult. Helmi’s eccentricities, including living with dozens of cats, alarmed neighbors and family who disapproved of her creative career. For a period of time, the artist’s obsession with Mark Tobey, the most renowned of the Pacific Northwest mystic painters, embarrassed Tobey as well as his many supporters.

Helmi was mistakenly diagnosed with schizophrenia (now recognized as manic-depression), and was committed against her will to Oakhurst Convalescent Home in Elma, Washington, where she lived the final 26 years of her life. Here, she continued to make art and welcomed artists and supporters, who organized museum exhibitions that she attended, including her 1985 retrospective at the Whatcom Museum thirty years ago.

Helmi and the artist Wesley Weir gifted many of the works in this exhibition. A large number of pieces were also donated by Dr. Ulrich and Stella Fritzsche. Dr. Fritzsche, author of the book, “Helmi Dagmar Juvonen: Her Life and Work, a Chronicle” (2001), has contributed greatly to our understanding of the artist’s biography.

Handbags for Housing: Fashion and Fun that Benefits Local Homeless Families

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WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by Lydia Place

Calling all up-cycled, re-styled and new-styled fashionistas! On June 4 from 5:00 p.m. to 8: 30 p.m., Lydia Place—along with event partners TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy and Whatcom County Association Of REALTORS—will host the third annual Handbags For Housing at the Downtown Bellingham Depot Market Square; an evening of fashion and fun benefitting homeless families.

Program highlights include coveted “Handbags Bazaar” featuring over 500 handbags under $25, the Labels Women’s Consignment fashion show featuring over fifteen local boutiques, live handbag auction, winery tasting and store with Samson Estates Winery, cocktail samplings from Chuckanut Bay Distillery, Rock and Rye Oyster House, The Shakedown, Poppe’s 360 and gourmet appetizers from Crave Catering, Old World Deli and Windows On The Bay Events.

Limited VIP and general admission tickets are now available online at lydiaplace.org.

Featuring several recycle and up-cycle fashion elements, Handbags For Housing has become the every ladies night out. A special focus of the event is combining new and used clothing and accessories to refresh and renew your wardrobe. A perfect example is the cost of admission. Attendees select and purchase their choice of a General or VIP admission, and then the night of the event bring a new or gently used handbag to donate. Donated handbags will be quickly processed and then put up for sale in the bountiful “Handbag Bazaar,” where bags and accessories range from $7.5-$25. Attendees will look great and can feel great about their purchases knowing their contributions throughout the event support Lydia Place and the homeless families they serve.

Handbags For Housing was born as a creative and fashionable way to raise awareness about programs and services offered through Lydia Place—a non-profit agency working to end homelessness in Whatcom County since 1989.

In the past 12 months, Lydia Place has assisted over 250 homeless families in finding housing and achieving their dreams for themselves and their children. Thanks to growing partnerships throughout the community, Lydia Place is serving more families than ever before.

Handbags for Housing is presented in partnership with partners TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy and Whatcom County Association Of REALTORS and other local and national businesses that believe in the Lydia Place mission that every family deserves a home. Local fashion collective Labels Women’s Consignment presents the re- and new fashion show featuring hair from TONI&GUY Hairdressing Academy.

Dozens of local businesses including Kafé 104.1, CSS Communications, The Crossing Guide Magazine and Tours, Bellingham Explorer, The Bellingham Herald, Bellingham Signs By Tomorrow, GMB Entertainment, Keller Williams, Windermere, The Chrysalis Inn & Spa, Chuckanut Bay Distillery, Love To Move Studioz, Rice Insurance, Merry Maids, Windows On The Bay Events, Bellingham Bay Coffee Roasters, REMAX, Umpqua Bank, Peoples Bank, Salon Bellissima, Three French Hens, Blue Horizon, Mi Shoes, Belle On Wheels, Caliber Home Loans, Bank of the Pacific and more have lent their support for the annual fundraiser.

Bring your friends, family and colleagues for an unforgettable evening for a great cause,

Linda Quintana – 40 Years of Herbs at Wonderland

By

Dana Hubanks

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wonderland herb — After nearly forty years at Wonderland Tea and Spice, Linda is still happy coming to work.

By Dana Hubanks

From floor to ceiling, the shop is full of seemingly whimsical things – a jar full of lavender flowers, antique teapots, handmade candles, and gemstones that sparkle in the light beaming through the windows.

On the far wall, I find dozens of jars filled with everything from hawthorne berries to peppermint leaves to chamomile, and to their left, a collection of hand-blended herbal teas with names like Evening Comfort and Cold Remedy.

But what may appear whimsical at first proves deeply important. Wonderland Teas, located in Bellingham, specializes in hand-blended herbal teas, bulk herbs, and culinary spices. Amidst the shelves are teas for everything from soothing anxiety to curing the common cold to achieving restful sleep. It’s like a pharmacy, where plants take the place of pill bottles.

The owner of Wonderland Teas is Linda Quintana. Businesswoman, herbalist, mother, wife – Linda is so many things. We sat together to talk about her experience running her own business for nearly forty years.

The daughter of homesteaders, Linda was “raised up in Alaska with no phone and no running water.” That’s where her relationship with herbalism began.

She remembers her parents drinking yarrow tea to stave off colds. “Rather than waiting until we got really sick, we just drank tea right away,” she remembers. “Getting sick and staying home wasn’t an option.”

When Linda was a teenager, her family relocated to Bellingham. Linda attended Sehome High School and after graduating, bought her first piece of property in Whatcom County. There, she began cultivating medicinal herbs.

Linda began looking for part-time work in Bellingham and came across Wonderland. Largely run by volunteers at the time, Linda started volunteering a few times a week.

wonderland tea spice — Wonderland is an excellent local stop for bulk culinary spices.

When business fell on hard times and the owners decided to sell the shop, Linda saw an opportunity. “Without even thinking,” she tells me, “I said, ‘I’ll buy it. I’ll do it.’”

It was 1976 and Linda was 19. “My mom loaned me the money, and I just knew that’s what I was going to do.”

Shortly after buying, Linda enrolled in business classes at Whatcom Community College and started studying herbs more seriously. Her pursuit of herbal wisdom took her to California, Colorado and New Mexico. “I started going to every herb conference I had ever heard of,” she remembers.

“Business-wise, they told me I would fail,” Linda recalls. “They said, ‘It’s not gonna pay off,’ and I said, ‘Well, I’m just gonna do it.’”

Reflecting on what drove her to become an herbalist, Linda shares a memory about her father who told her, “You better do something you really love, because if you don’t, you won’t do it well.”

Linda feels fortunate for having found her calling so early. Even after nearly four decades, she’s still happy coming to work.

When I ask how she’s garnered so much success, Linda says cultivating relationships with entire families has helped her business thrive. She recalls working with many parents and children in her earlier days. Now, those children have become customers themselves.

Linda has worked avidly as an herbal educator to make these connections. At one point, she taught classes through Parks and Recreation to groups as large as forty. “It’s a good thing I love to teach!” she laughs.

Linda still teaches several classes each year. This summer, Linda will offer classes through the Bellingham Public Library on how to make herbal preparations like salves, oils and tinctures.

wonderland tea — Linda finds pleasure in doing what it takes to run a small business.

Linda’s rapport with the community comes largely by putting people before profits. “I don’t divide people monetarily,” she says. When people come into the store, Linda wants make sure they have what they need to heal.

“Some people come in and all they have is $5,” she tells me. And to her, that’s okay. “Treat people right at all levels, and it comes back to you. I really believe that.”

Linda also builds community relationships by donating to places like Womencare Shelter, Sean Humphrey House, and other social service organizations.

Despite her success and her base of faithful customers, Linda navigates certain difficulties. “Now we’re concerned about everyone ordering online,” she tells me. She hopes that despite growing availability online, people will continue to buy from her store.

When customers ask for advice, Linda is careful not to overstep her boundaries. “If it’s something serious,” she tells me, “I say, ‘You really need to see a doctor.’ I think people appreciate that.”

As our conversation winds down, I ask Linda what excites her most about her work. “Seeing the plants come up every year really gives me energy,” she tells me.

“Everything to me is a just a big circle,” she explains. “Gathering seeds, planting them, and seeing the plants come up in the spring… I see that as a circle.” She speaks about the circle of people, too: the children of the families she’s worked with who continue to come into the store. “Everything is cyclic,” she comments. “That’s rewarding to me.”

Over the years, Linda has considered moving the store elsewhere. She dreams of having a cottage-style shop with a garden out front–somewhere she could grow some of the herbs on-site.

But in the end, she thinks she’ll stay put. Being amidst the bustle of Railroad Avenue has allowed Wonderland to become a landmark. And if the last forty years are any indication, Wonderland will continue to be a bastion of health and community for years to come.

Wonderland Herbs Teas and Spices

1305 Railroad Avenue

Bellingham, WA 98225

360-733-0517

Hours: Monday – Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

City of Bellingham and Smart Trips Offer Back-to-Back Events for Cyclists of All Abilities

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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Sunnyland Stomp Bikes — Biking is a great way to experience the Sunnyland Stomp.

Submitted by Whatcom Transportation Authority

Biking is a great way to experience the Sunnyland Stomp. — Join the community for two bike-minded events this weekend, May 16 and 17.

Two free events on May 16 and 17 will highlight how cycling can be enjoyed by people of all abilities.

First, the City of Bellingham is hosting the Adaptive Cycle Expo. Attendees can practice riding cycles provided by the Outdoors for All Foundation. These include hand-cycles for riders with limited leg movement, 3- and 4-wheel cycles for those seeking greater stability, and tandem bikes for people who would like to ride with a guide. Bikes for both kids and adults will be available.

Everyone is welcome to partake in this opportunity to ride adaptive cycles on Saturday, May 16, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., at the Civic Field track. For more information, please call 360-778-7000 or email Amanda Grove at agrove@cob.org.

A second cycling event takes place Sunday, May 17, at 11:00 a.m., when Smart Trips hosts the Bellingham Parkinson’s Ride. This is a guided ride specifically for people living with Parkinson’s Disease.

The Outdoors for All Foundation is providing adaptive cycles, including in-line tandems, side-by-side tandems and recumbent tricycles. Smart Trips staff will accompany participants throughout the ride from Whatcom Middle School to Fairhaven and back. There will be time for a picnic lunch, or lunch at a Fairhaven café, before the return trip.

Participants meet at Whatcom Middle School. All family and friends are also welcome, and should bring their own bikes.

RSVP’s are required and can be submitted online here. For more information, please call 360.756-TRIP or email info@WhatcomSmartTrips.org.

Ragfinery to Host Second Green Eileen Pop Up Sale

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by Ragfinery

Ragfinery and Eileen Fisher are teaming up again to bring Bellingham Green Eileen’s only west coast “Pop Up” Sale on Saturday, May 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Their first collaboration in October was highly attended with lines out the door for much of the event.

All are welcome to attend this event at Ragfinery, located at 1421 N. Forest Street, Bellingham, where around 500 gently used designer garments will be on sale at a fraction of their original prices. Attendees can shop for sustainable clothing and explore Ragfinery’s warehouse of textile resources and upcycled goods.

“The average American throws away 68 pounds of clothes per year, almost 100% of which is recyclable,” said Duane Jager, Ragfinery Executive Director. “It’s great to team up with Eileen Fisher because we’re both committed to many of the same objectives, such as extending the life of fabrics, reducing the amount of textiles going into landfills, and raising awareness about the concept of reuse.”

Eileen Fisher is an upscale clothing brand with a focus on high quality materials and sustainable design. Its Green Eileen program is a recycled clothing initiative committed to reducing environmental impact and generating income to support programs that improve the lives of women and girls.

Ragfinery will have a delayed opening on May 30th (open at 11am) so they can prepare for this event. A percentage of the proceeds from sales will be donated to support Ragfinery’s job training program.

Ragfinery is a project of ReUse Works, a Bellingham nonprofit that provides job training and jobs by reusing and recycling waste and discarded materials. Ragfinery upcycles unwanted clothing and fabric by transforming them into fashionable new products.

Dance Instructor Chuck Crooks Celebrates Four Years of Teaching in Bellingham

By

Sara Holodnick

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bellingham dance class — Chuck Crooks offers his weekly classes and private lessons at Bell Tower Studios (1430 N. Garden Street in Bellingham)

By Sara Holodnick

dance class bellingham — Shall We Dance? owner Chuck Crooks has been teaching in Bellingham for four years.

Chuck Crooks began offering group dance classes as Shall We Dance? in 2011. He’d moved to Bellingham just a couple years before, and wanted to bring the skills he learned in Chicago as a Core Motion and Arthur Murray certified instructor to local students. Meeting weekly at Bell Tower Studios in the York neighborhood, Chuck’s group classes are a fun, relaxed way to learn social dances such as ballroom, Latin, and swing.

“The group classes are meant to give you small snippets of a dance that you can take out and do right away that evening if you want to,” he explains. “I want people to learn good quality dancing, not just moves.”

And good quality dancing feels easy to achieve when you’re in class with Chuck. He breaks styles down into small parts, building on them progressively until you’re dancing along to his mix of classic and modern pop music. This approach has built a loyal following of regular students.

“[Some of] the regulars I’ve had have been coming every single week,” he explains. “That’s what’s kept me doing this.” The class I attended included a married couple who have loved his classes so much, they’ve been coming regularly for years.

“I still remember when she dragged me in here,” jokes Norman Pendergraft, recalling that night three years ago when his wife, Rebecca, asked him to join her. “But it’s actually changed our whole lives. Now we can go out to weddings and we can actually dance instead of jumping up and down holding a beer.”

And Chuck says that’s the whole point of his classes – making dance fun and accessible. This supportive, easy-going environment welcomes anyone who wants to dance, regardless of experience. And because Chuck only offers a group class and private lessons by appointment, he doesn’t require his students to buy a package up front. This means that first-time dancers can test drive his classes without feeling pressured to purchase more than they’ll use.

“I want my students to be confident that they can lead or follow when stepping onto the dance floor, and feeling like they’re going to have a good time instead of being stressed out,” Chuck says. He acknowledges that some dance studios can be competitive, but he prides himself on a drama-free environment. “This is a no-pressure zone. I’ve never heard a single negative comment from one student to another.”

Singles and couples are welcome, and Crooks advertises his classes as LGBT-friendly. Anyone can join – from high school students (with parental permission for minors) to retirees, the only requirement is a pair of closed-toe, no-skid shoes and easy-moving clothing.

This positive, welcoming atmosphere means Chuck’s students have so much fun in class that they want to use what they learn when they’re out on the town.

“It’s increased our social life,” explains student Norman. “Through Chuck we’ve met all of the people here, we go out to dance and we meet other dancers… If we travel, we’ll go out and listen to a band and dance until the early morning. The sun comes up, and we’re still out there dancing.”

His favorite dance?

“For me, swing is the most universal. You can use that anywhere– a country bar, a rock ‘n roll bar, weddings. As long as you can swing you can dance to anything.”

It’s been good for his marriage, too. “We teach martial arts, and we beat each other up,” he laughs. “After 25 years of hitting each other, we can actually move together.”

Shall We Dance?

http://shallwedancebham.com

Bell Tower Studios

1430 N. Garden Street in Bellingham

360-398-3133

Group Lessons:

Friday nights, 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
$10 per dancer, $7 for students
Singles and couples welcome, LGBT-friendly

Private lessons: $50 in-studio, or $40 at your home or other location of your choosing (by appointment).

United Way of Whatcom County Welcomes Two New Board Members

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by United Way of Whatcom County

In a unanimous vote from the United Way of Whatcom County Board of Directors at a recent meeting, Troy Nutter and Stacey Zierath will be the newest members joining the Board.

Troy Nutter is the Manager of Operational Training at Puget Sound Energy and brings his background in educational delivery and occupational competency development. Troy is based in Bellingham, but manages the training programs for the entire region. He has served on numerous boards and commissions, particularly in the areas of workforce development. A long time United Way supporter, Troy is looking forward to supporting the organization at a governance and strategic level.

Stacey Zierath is the VP Operations NW Network for PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Group and is new to Whatcom County after relocating from Pierce County. Stacey is responsible for operations in all non-hospital clinics and practices in the NW portion of the multi-state healthcare system. She is a long term United Way supporter, and this will be her first Board experience in Whatcom County. Stacey is most interested in United Way’s grant making processes and community projects. Her particular areas of interest are in issues of substance abuse, behavioral health, homeless support, and efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism.

“We are so excited to welcome Troy and Stacey to our group. United Way of Whatcom County has changed a lot over the years, narrowing in our focus, and moving the needle on crucial community issues. Troy and Stacey will be able to add their valuable expertise to help us continue our work to achieve our goals in Education, Income, and Health,” said Peggy Onustack, Board Chair of the United Way of Whatcom County Board of Directors and VP/District Manager at US Bank.

Local Business Owner Celebrates 35 Years Serving Bellingham Yoga Enthusiasts

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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Ingela Abbott yoga northwest — On May 24 Ingela will celebrate her 65 birthday by participating in her 25th Ski to Sea race with yogic power.

Submitted by Yoga Northwest

On May 24 Ingela will celebrate her 65 birthday by participating in her 25th Ski to Sea race with yogic power.

Ingela Abbott, owner of Yoga Northwest in Bellingham celebrated 35 years of teaching yoga around Bellingham this week.

Before Abbott opened her first studio in the Fairhaven neighborhood, she offered 12 classes weekly at locations ranging from WWU and NW Physical Therapy to Lairmont Manor and the county jail. The original Yoga Northwest, opened in 1987 at the intersection of Harris and 10th Street, was originally a Yugoslavian dance hall and drew around 75 yoga students a week in the early days. The current Yoga Northwest studio, opened in 2008 in the McKenzie Square Building overlooking the Padden Creek greenbelt, attracts about 400 students a week.

Abbott says, “Since I started teaching yoga in 1980, close to 10,000 people have learned to do the dog pose, stand up straight, and breathe deeply. Every class is a fun adventure, seeing how I can take my students on a journey of discovery into their own hidden abilities and full potential. I love helping them be the best they can be and open up to life mindfully, joyfully and soulfully.

Yoga Northwest attracts about 400 students each week.

A native of Sweden, Abbott found her way to Bellingham after traveling extensively, including a trip through the Sahara desert, a train ride across Russia on the Trans Siberian Railway, and several years in Japan, where she taught English and studied Japanese pottery. Abbott also went to Pune, India, to study with B.K.S. Iyengar, whose style of yoga she and the 10 other instructors at Yoga Northwest teach.

Of that first trip to India, Abbott recalls, “I studied at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune for two months, taking classes and practicing privately together with Mr. Iyengar for six hours a day. I feel very grateful that I had the opportunity to study with a master back in the ‘70s, when the classes were small and intimate and before he was world famous. It was a transforming experience and sparked in me a desire to embrace the practice of yoga for life and to share the gift of yoga with others.” Since that initial visit, Abbott has been back to India six times. In 2005 she passed the 6^th level of Iyengar Yoga certification, a teaching credential held by only two teachers in the Northwest.

YogaNorthwestTeachers — Yoga Northwest has been voted Best Yoga in Bellingham for eight years in a row.

One of Abbott’s first students in Bellingham, Constance Drake, is now a teacher at Yoga Northwest. Drake, other teachers, and long-time students will be present to celebrate Abbott’s successful milestone.

On May 24 Ingela will celebrate her 65 birthday by participating in her 25th Ski to Sea race with yogic power. This year due to no snow she will do the alpine run instead of cross country skiing.

Yoga Northwest has been voted Best Yoga in Bellingham for eight years in a row. As the popularity of yoga has increased and new yoga centers have opened in town, Yoga Northwest continues to draw enthusiastic students with its quality instruction and the most highly trained and certified yoga teachers in the state.

Pickford Film Center Acquires New Accommodations for Deaf, Hard of Hearing and Visually Impaired Patrons

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by Pickford Film Center

Pickford Film Center is proud to announce new accommodations that will bring a richer cinematic experience to those of the deaf community, the hard of hearing and the visually impaired. These upgrades were made possible, in part, from the support from the Bellingham Central Lions Club, Harborview Lions Club and Fairhaven Lions Club.

For those who are Deaf, there are now two different captioning options at your disposal. The first are Closed Captioned Receivers, which are gooseneck boxes that can be placed in a seat’s cupholder and are adjustable for viewing purposes. The second option are Closed Caption Headset Receivers, which operate as glasses that project a caption box superimposed into the view of the wearer of the apparatus.

These headphones are unique in how they offer a better isolated soundtrack, and also offer a loop option for people that have telecoils in their hearing aids or cochlear implants. In addition, they offer the option of a visual narrative of films for those who are visually impaired. However, it should be kept in mind that even though we have updated our projectors so that they are compatible with our new additions, the usage of captioning devices and visual narrative devices are limited to the films that allow for these accommodations to be utilized. It is up to the studios or filmmakers’ to embed the films with closed captioning and descriptive audio functions, and not all titles are guaranteed to have those enhancements included.

Even so, we are very proud and excited about these new ways in which everyone can have a satisfying experience at the Pickford. Cassie Revell ,Assistant Operations Manager, expands on this when she says “I am very excited that the Pickford is able to bring this cutting-edge captioning technology to Bellingham! We hope that folks affected by hearing or vision loss will find themselves not only able, but also excited, to go to movies in the theatre again. We at the Pickford take great pride in being able to provide the best viewing experience for ALL of our patrons. A passion for film is now the only requirement for admission.”

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