Submitted by Whatcom Women’s Network

Whatcom Women’s Network (WWN) donated more than $2,500 to local nonprofit organizations during 2014.

“Whatcom Women’s Network’s mission includes a directive to support local charities,” said outgoing WWN Director Hilary Parker. “Our members really delight in being able to turn our membership dues into good works in the community.”

Most recently, WWN gave $500 each to the Bellingham Food Bank, the Whatcom Community Foundation, and Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services, and $250 to the Assistance League of Bellingham. Other donations have been made over the course of the year to organizations including Work Opportunities and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center.

“We know we are making a good choice by donating to the Bellingham Food Bank,” said long-time WWN member, RE/MAX Realtor Julie Carpenter. “They can use our dollars to bulk-buy badly needed proteins, stretching our dollars further.”

WWN meetings take place weekly at noon at On Rice in Fairhaven. Visitors are welcome to attend, and should contact the director prior to their visit: info@whatcomwomensnetwork.com.

Submitted by Honey Salon

Honey Salon is proud to present Love and Other Demons, a new collection featuring works on canvas, wood and bone, by Michelle Schutte. This hauntingly beautiful showcase will be on display February through March with an opening reception during the Downtown Bellingham Art Walk February 6, from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Guests attending the opening night festivities can expect a Valentine’s theme, shrouded in darkness; complete with blue cocktails, mini chocolate cakes, and a lovingly crafted set list provided by PhDJ.

Bellingham artist Michelle Schutte works in a variety of media to explore her longtime fascination with the shadowlands that lie hidden in everyday life. Schutte manipulates heavy layers of charcoal and graphite on acrylic pastel colors, and white empty space – and occasionally gold and silver leaf on bone – to a prettily moody end. In Love and Other Demons, she employs her history of focus on human portraiture to inform her depictions of damaged, unwanted, and possibly mutated animals with a notable empathy and sweetness. Schutte herself professes a predilection for paradox and points to “happy accidents” and controlled mistakes as her favorite means to illustrate the precious and the mess of everyday life through her subjects, living and otherwise.

Michelle Schutte has been an integral part of the art, music and nightlife scenes of Bellingham for over a decade. A Western Washington Uuniversity graduate, Schutte is the former owner of Hand to Mouth Gallery and Jinx Art Space. By day, Schutte is an artist, orchestrates events, coordinates art shows and dips her toe into all things creative. By night, she mixes drinks, doubles as a therapist and is a living encyclopedia of all things Bellingham. Schutte bleeds art and Bellingham is lucky to call her one of her own.

For additional images, show information and artist interviews contact Honey Salon Gallery curator Shultzie Willows @ shultziefay@gmail.com.

Honey Salon
310 W Holly Street
360-778-3858
honeybellingham.com

Submitted by the Washington Youth Academy

The Washington Youth Academy celebrated the graduation of 10 students from the Bellingham area during commencement ceremonies on December 20.

The students who have completed the program include those from Bellingham: Ismael Bravo Reyna, Eve Campbell, Danielle Drake, Desirae Drake, Hector Gonzalez Maceda, Claiborne Parry, Jesus Sandoval Alvarez, Carlos Tovar Martinez as well as Lynden student Alexus Garcia and Sean Carlson of Burlington.

 These students were among 144 graduates who will all return to high school to get their diploma or seek an alternative path to finish their high school education, such as a GED or by joining Running Start.

The class is the largest to graduate from the Youth Academy since welcoming its first class in January of 2009.

This year’s cadets donated more than 11,000 hours of service to the community with an estimated value of $273,000 to the community.

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 free program places cadets in a 22-week intensive residential phase. For the following year, the youth receives intense mentoring and placement follow-up. The school is in Bremerton, but anyone from around the state can apply.

Cadets Danielle Drake and Hector Gonzalez Maceda were both chosen to speak for their class at the commencement ceremonies.

“Since the day I was born, my parents and family have been trying to teach me to be a responsible, young adult,” Drake said during the graduation ceremonies. “However, as a teenager, I found ways to push them out and not listen to what they say. I was rebelling constantly and was stubborn. I skipped school consistently because I just really didn’t want to go.”

In her junior year, Drake said she found out she wouldn’t graduate on time. She described her enrollment in the Washington Youth Academy as a “miracle” that will now let her graduate on time. She joined the Academy with her sister Desirae Drake.

“I hated every minute of training, but one thing I always told myself was, ‘Don’t quit and live the rest of your life as a champion,’” she said. “… We have lived an unforgettable life-changing event that has made us stronger mentally and physically.”

Gonzalez Maceda said that commencement was the “start of a new chapter” for him and thanked staff for “pushing us to our limits and making us realize our potential.”

“A lot of us thought we wouldn’t make it,” he said. “Six months ago, we were looked at differently – kids with no future, but we’ve all grown.”

A Test of Adult Basic Education found that cadet skill levels increased an average of 2.3 grade levels by the end of the 22-week program compared to when the cadets entered the program. Remarkably, 132 of the 144 cadets achieved the maximum eight credits students could receive from their stay at the academy. Only 29 of the cadets who entered the program had enough credits to be classified as seniors. Today, 108 graduates of the program have the credits needed to be classified as seniors.

 “This journey is not about their past; it’s about their future,” Washington Youth Academy Director Larry Pierce said at graduation.

More than 1,300 students have gone through the program since its inception.

For more information, visit the new website http://mil.wa.gov/youth-academy, or visit Washington Youth Academy’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonYouthAcademy.

Submitted by Sustainable Connections

Sustainable Connections has completed and launched their latest organizational strategic plan outlining goals and strategies that will guide the work of the organization over the next three years.

This plan is the organization’s third and was developed through an extensive process in 2013 and 2014 that included input from partner organizations, key informant interviews, past and current board members, member satisfaction surveys and research of similar business network activities and accomplishments.

The five goals of the new plan include: providing new educational opportunities, expanding market opportunities, deepening member engagement, promotion of public policy to support sustainable economy goals, and strengthening the organization.

One new key initiative under educational opportunities is the launch of the new Measure What Matters Quick Impact Assessment Tool. After years of supporting members in implementing Toward Zero Waste recycling efforts, local purchasing, energy efficiency through the Community Energy Challenge, green building features in construction, and low impact development our business community is ready for this comprehensive management tool. Measure What Matters will help businesses set goals for improvement, create action plans, track changes, and report results.

“It’s a great tool for companies to self-assess how they perform in regards to best practices on social, environmental and local economic development impact. Businesses can see how they stack up against other businesses and create a plan to improve,” notes Mark Peterson, Sustainable Business Manager at Sustainable Connections.

Future Public Policy work will include supporting local governments in the region implement smart policies to streamline permitting for solar electricity and other green building practices.

“We know that our goals and strategies are shared by many people and other organizations in our community. Our list of strategic partners is growing rapidly and with that grows the positive impact we all have. We invite businesses, government officials, other non-profits, volunteers and local citizens to share their ideas. We know we are better together and invite you to help us reach our goals.” states Derek Long, Executive Director.