Bellingham High’s Austin Shenton Weathers Injury, Looks to Summer Baseball and a Future Career

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By Stacee Sledge

Bellingham High School sophomore Austin Shenton has his eyes on the prize: a career in baseball.

And although it’s a common dream for most kids after they smack that first ball off a tee, Shenton has a real shot at it; he’s developed as a player in a way very few do.

But first he’s got to get back in the game.

Shenton is finishing up a six-month rehab of a knee injury that required surgery last September after he was hurt playing quarterback in his first high school football game.

“It was my first varsity game because freshman year I decided not to play. I didn’t want to get hurt,” Shenton says with a small laugh.

He describes his knee bending inward during a sideline tackle where his foot got stuck in the ground. “I heard a pop and thought I’d dislocated it,” he says. “It popped back in and I got right back up but it was very, very painful.”

A trip to the emergency room brought a probable diagnosis of a sprained MCL and Shenton thought he’d be back on the football field in a week or two.

“But then I went to my physical therapist and he told me he thought I tore my MCL and probably my ACL as well,” Shenton remembers.

He went in for an MRI on Friday and got the news on Monday: a torn ACL and NCL meniscus, as well as an impaction fracture where his tibia and fibula hit together during the tackle.

“And I’d just been walking around on that!” he says, incredulously. “I was in a lot of pain but was trying to toughen through it.”

After surgery – performed by Dr. John Green with the University of Washington Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine – Shenton missed two weeks of school.

But a homecoming prince nomination meant that two days post-surgery, he was wheeled into the gym for an assembly. “I was on pain pills and out of it,” he says.

The days after surgery were initially difficult for Shenton, who had expected to be playing football and hoped to start on the basketball team, as well.

“It was emotionally pretty hard early on, but then I thought of all the people who would have wished they’d only busted up their knee and that made me not feel bad anymore,” he says. “I have it pretty darn good.”

Shenton attended all the games he could over the fall and winter seasons. “That was pretty hard sometimes,” he admits. “I just tried to cheer on all my teammates and be there for them. That’s what I’m trying to do this baseball season, too.”

Unable to workout for the first few months after surgery, Shenton is now – finally – back at it.

“It’s crazy,” he says, “but I’ve gotten stronger than I’ve ever been. It’s really altered my work ethic and made me count my blessings a little bit more.”

He wishes he could be more a part of the Bellingham High baseball team right now, but is focused solely on rehabbing his knee. “I just want to get myself better and healthy,” he says, “because I want to be back.”

Shenton may not be cleared in time to play spring ball with his Bellingham High team, but he fully intends to be on the field again this summer which, judging from previous years, could take him anywhere from Arizona to North Carolina to Florida.

Shenton’s evolution through baseball is remarkable.

He began, as so many kids do, by playing T-ball at the Whatcom Family YMCA at five years old.

“And then I started falling in love with it the next year,” Shenton says, “when I played with the Boys & Girls Club.”

He went on to play competitively through the Boys & Girls Club, and was selected, at 13 years old, to play on a 14-year-old team in the area called the Northwest Rebels.

He was chosen second team all-state his freshman year at Bellingham High and hit .420 during his first high school season.

“The next year I played for Cascade Crush,” he says. “That was the year I kind of separated myself from a lot of the players around here.”

That summer Shenton played 45 games, had 25 home runs and hit .700.

Later that same 2012 season, he was invited to play on Team Northwest, an organization that picks the most talented players from Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

In Atlanta that summer, Shenton hit .538 – top five in the tournament, which was made up of the top 16 14U teams in the nation.

“That was when I started realizing I was fairly good at this game,” Shenton says, with a chuckle.

Summer of 2013 found Shenton again playing with Team Northwest. He also played in the Junior Olympic tournament in Arizona, a tryout for Team USA. He was selected for the 15U USA Team and went 18 for 24 in the tournament.

Shenton was then selected to be one of just 40 players taking part in last summer’s USA Baseball 15U National Trials.

During the weeklong visit to North Carolina for trials, the 40 players were whittled down to 20 who went on to Colombia to play in the Pan American Classic against teams like the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

“I didn’t end up making that,” Shenton says. “I kind of slumped.”

But he plans to try again this year.

Shenton also plays on for the 18U Baden team in Seattle, traveling around the state and playing a lot of summer games.

If it sounds like his summers are jam-packed, they are.

“It’s pretty crazy sometimes,” Shenton says. “I was gone 35 days last summer. I’ve got to thank my parents for paying for all of it and supporting me all the time.”

Shenton would love to get drafted out of high school, though he’s also talked to a lot of Division I colleges who have taken notice.

“Ultimately, my ideal dream would be to get drafted top five rounds out of high school and basically go on to minor leagues and try to pursue a career in baseball,” he says. “That’s my ultimate goal.”

For a young man with every reason to boast about his baseball trajectory, Shenton strives to remain humble.

“I try to be modest,” he says. “I want people to see me, not just a baseball player or athlete. I want people to recognize me as a nice, genuine guy, you know?”

Hannah Dashiell Memorial Bench Planned For Barkley Village Gazebo Park

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Stacee Sledge

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By Stacee Sledge

When Squalicum High School senior Hannah Dashiell died in a traffic accident on January 5, the entire community mourned.

For those who didn’t know Hannah from school – where she was class vice president and active in cheer, drama, art and much more – or see her often at the Barkley Haggen grocery store she worked part-time, they learned through remembrances by friends and family that Hannah was quick with a smile, genuinely kind, and liked by everyone.

Hannah’s close friend, Lindsey Dunning, was deeply grieving just days after the accident when Dunning’s boyfriend, Alex Powell, suggested a fitting way to honor Hannah’s memory.

Dunning created a fundraising web page with a goal of raising $1,100 for a memorial bench to be placed in Barkley Village in Hannah’s name.

“By the end of the first day, we’d exceeded the goal,” Dunning says. “It was really exciting.”

“It was connected to a memorial page on Facebook that Lindsey made,” says Powell. “I think that’s why so many people chipped in so fast.”

“We got to about $3,200,” says Dunning, “and then we stopped so we could start the bench.”

Another fundraiser in Hannah’s memory continues to raise money, both online and through donations to any Bellingham-area Peoples Bank location.

“One hundred percent of those funds will go to the Hannah Dashiell Memorial Scholarship,” says Powell, “for young girls pursuing a medical career, because that’s what Hannah was going to do.”

The couple was put in touch with Stowe Talbot, owner of the Barkley Company and chairman of Bellingham Cold Storage.

“When Lindsey and Alex first approached me about the placement of a memorial bench near the Haggen store, I wanted to learn more about their project,” says Talbot. “We met and they told me more about Hannah’s story – that she worked at Haggen and was a remarkable young woman.”

Talbot was impressed with Dunning and Powell’s initiative to raise funds for the bench to honor their friend.

They all wanted to see the bench in Barkley Village’s Gazebo Park, but Talbot had spent a lot of effort over the years to design the area with a contemporary aesthetic.

“I was concerned that the bench fit the design of the park, as well as reflect aspects of Hannah’s character,” Talbot says.

Rather than a generic memorial bench, he suggested Joe Clark’s Architectural Elements design and build a custom bench.

“Joe has done several nice projects for us in the Barkley area, and he came up with a great concept,” says Talbot.

“I was pleased that we were able to use our design capabilities for this meaningful project,” says Clark. “It was great to see Hannah’s friends rally to remind everyone what a kind and caring person she was.”

Talbot and Clark agreed to help bridge the funding gap between Dunning’s budget and the total cost of the custom design.

Haggen was also instrumental in the memorial, as Gazebo Park is part of the store’s parcel, owned 50/50 between Talbot’s Barkley Company and the Haggens. “They, of course, are enthusiastic about the memorial bench project, too,” says Talbot.

Kyle Thomas, Industrial Designer at Architectural Elements, worked on the bench’s design.

He and the Architectural Elements team designed and fabricated the benches around the Regal Barkley Village movie theater. They’ve also created various memorials and donor walls around Washington.

“We pride ourselves in our ability to create one-of-a-kind pieces that people can emotionally and aesthetically relate to,” Thomas says.

The design of Hannah’s bench is feminine in shape with elegant flowing lines and visually soft materials.

“Hannah was said to be always smiling,” says Thomas. “The shape of the structure represents a smile when viewed from a downward angle.”

Hannah also collected road turtles, which are used in the design.

“If you look closely, we’ve incorporated some into the design on top of the main bench posts, which will be painted a contrasting color,” says Thomas.

And because Hannah was very social, the circular design of the bench is meant to provoke conversation and interaction between those who use it.

The bench will include a stainless steel plaque in celebration of Hannah’s life, with a border of tea leaf artwork – she loved tea and tea parties – surrounding text from two quotes that reflect this remarkable young woman’s character: “Live With Love” and “She turned her can’ts into cans and her dreams into plans.”

The bench will be installed in mid-June.

Bellingham-via-Birmingham – Photographer Ryan Russell Shines Spotlight on Whatcom County

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Stacee Sledge

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By Stacee Sledge

ryan russell photography — Ryan Russell is known best for his photography of musical acts, such as Paramore.

When Birmingham native Ryan Russell moved to Bellingham last year, the well-known music photographer documented his road trip so he could turn it into his first photography book.

His work has appeared in other books: Russell lived for a week with Vancouver musicians Tegan and Sara, photographing them as they recorded in New Orleans; his shots became volume two of a three-volume photobook series. He’s also published a collection of shots taken of popular band Paramore. Russell’s work regularly appears in music magazines and on album covers.

But last year, ready to do something outside his comfort zone, Russell pointed his camera at Birmingham friends and family he was about to leave behind, at various stopping points on his eight-day journey to the Pacific Northwest, and finally at Whatcom County and nearby areas he explored in his first weeks as a Washingtonian.

The resulting travel photography book, Continental Obscura: From Birmingham to Bellingham, will be released on April 8.

“Two or three years ago, I started getting into shooting nature stuff,” Russell says. “I just did it for fun.”

Then some of the bands he worked for began using his landscape artwork for their albums. Now Russell happily points his cameras – he owns dozens – at both worlds.

Russell moved to Bellingham for love, though he doesn’t announce that until the book’s end. He wanted the photos to stand on their own without much back-story.

His girlfriend wasn’t Russell’s only connection to Bellingham. His favorite band is Death Cab For Cutie, whom Russell became friends with a decade ago. He has photographed the band and lead singer Ben Gibbard in particular, many times over the years. (Also check out these acoustic performance videos Russell shot of Gibbard as part of his Nervous Energies web series.)

Death Cab got its start in Bellingham, recording its first songs in a house on Ellis Street in the late 1990s, while band members attended Western Washington University. A photo of that house appears in the book.

“I have a Death Cab tattoo. They were the first band I ever road tripped to see,” Russell says, underscoring the importance of the band to him.

“Between meeting them, becoming friends, and just the whole full circle of now living in a place that I heard about in their songs – for a lot of people my age, that’s how we know about Bellingham, through Death Cab songs,” he says.

Russell didn’t know which house was the famed “Ellis Street House” until Gibbard mentioned it casually over burritos at Casa Que Pasa.

“He said, ‘You know, the house is just down the street,’” Russell remembers. “So I went and shot it for the book.”

The book is a fantastic transition of photographs of friends and family in Birmingham, taken just before Russell left, and then through his stops along the way to Bellingham. The last section of the book is made up of photos taken in Whatcom County and nearby areas during Russell’s first weeks in his new home.

“I never owned a camera until I was 20,” he says. While building a website for Birmingham band Haste – who were signed but didn’t have any photos – Russell bought one and started shooting. He quickly learned he enjoyed it and was good at it.

“The bands Haste opened up for were getting bigger and bigger, and I kept saying, ‘Get me that photo pass,’” Russell remembers. He’s now photographed a wide range of bands over the years, from the Foo Fighters and Macklemore to Green Day and Blink-182.

As different as music photography is to nature photography, so is Bellingham to Birmingham – especially for a 32-year-old who has never lived anywhere outside the city in which he was born.

“For the first week or two it kind of freaked me out,” he says, “You just realize you’re really far away from your family and friends.”

But having connections in Bellingham through music – and, obviously, having his girlfriend here with him – softened the transition.

“The way Bellingham and up here has been, it’s actually made it pretty easy,” Russell says. “Everybody here is so nice. Interactions are always nice.”

For the most part, Russell isn’t doing any local music photography while he readies for the book’s launch, though he still keeps busy with music photography. “I’ve been traveling,” he says. “I’ve had more fly-out shoots than anything since I’ve lived here.”

He was even pulled on stage at Madison Square Garden in November to photograph Paramore.

Ryan did make a recent exception, photographing local band Wild Throne atop the Herald Building.

“I like them a lot,” he says, “So I did their photos.”

When asked his favorite things about Bellingham, Russell doesn’t hesitate before he answers.

“The food here is incredible,” he says. “All the restaurants here know what they’re doing and are really good at whatever it is they do.”

He especially loves Fiamma Burger.

“If someone from out of town is coming to visit and you take them to one place – that’s it. I’m a burger guy and they have such interesting concoctions.”

On Rice is another favorite. “It tastes exactly like my end-all, be-all favorite Thai place in Birmingham. When I go there, it feels like being home.”

He loves driving around to find gorgeous spots to photograph – which isn’t hard to do in Whatcom County. Artist Point on Mount Baker is one of his many favorite spots – and a photograph taken there graces his book’s back cover.

Half of Russell’s business these days is made up of selling photographs through his online store.

“I love doing it,” he says. “I’d rather sell my stuff super-cheap, let you have the experience of picking out a frame and deciding how you want to look, and doing it for a low price.”

Some of his prints sell a ton of copies. “That’s a lot of houses you have photos in,” he says. “There’s something about someone saying to you, ‘I like your photo enough to buy it and put it in my house,’ that’s really satisfying.”

And he says he couldn’t do it without downtown’s Quicksilver Photo Lab.

“I’m usually there at least twice a week, picking up prints,” he says. When shots from a Paramore Seattle show at Key Arena show hit his online store, orders skyrocketed.

“Paramore has such an intense fan base right now,” Russell says. “Quicksilver did hundreds of prints for me in two weeks. They’re great and they’re printing is great. If they weren’t here, I would have had a lot harder time, business-wise.”

For the immediate future, as he readies for the book’s release, Russell is focused on his nature and landscape photography.

“This is a big risk,” he says of his first book’s material, so different from the music photography for which he’s known. “If I’d done a band photo book to start with, it would have been fine. But I wanted to do the hard one first.”

All photos courtesy of Ryan Russell.

Book a Bellingham Staycation

By

Stacee Sledge

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So an extravagant Spring Break getaway isn’t on your calendar this year. No problem. You don’t need to get away to get recharged – and your pocketbook will no doubt thank you.

Lucky for us, Whatcom County is chock full of fun, relaxing things to do – many of which are inexpensive or altogether free.

Stay put and still have fun with some of these Bellingham-area ideas that will have you happily playing tourist right here at home.

Walk from Boulevard Park to a downtown dining spot

Last spring, we basically bribed our two young ones into walking three miles round-trip from Boulevard Park along the waterfront South Bay Trail, destination downtown, with the promise of La Fiamma at the end. They fueled up, and then happily made the return walk, where they still had enough energy to traipse the boardwalk, and then climb down below to throw rocks into Bellingham Bay. Your choice of downtown eateries is vast, varied and full of yummy options, so choose a family favorite on the drive to Boulevard Park, put on your comfortable walking shoes, and start walking.

Create your own downtown art walk

You don’t have to wait until the First Friday Art Walk to take in creative local creations. Amble along and discover all the sculptures and murals that dot our charming downtown.

Ferry to Lummi Island

Maybe a world-famous, hours long, out-of-this-world meal at the Willows Inn isn’t on the itinerary if you have young ones in tow, but you can still enjoy the scenic trek to Lummi Island. Take a charming – and quick! – ferry ride to this gorgeous spot and grab yummy grub at the Beach Store Cafe or Taproot Cafe before exploring the lovely little island.

Inside Pitch
Take turns taking swings with indoor batting practice at Inside Pitch. I’d argue that it’s equally as fun to be the one feeding balls into the pitching machine.

1750 Moore Street

Bellingham, WA 98229

360.647.1600

Hours:

Monday through Friday, 12pm to 9pm

Saturday, 10 am to 7:00 pm

Sunday, 11 am to 7:00 pm

Marine Life Center
Get a hands-on aquatic experience at the Marine Life Center at Squalicum Harbor. Bring a kite or two, and afterward head to nearby Zuanich Point Park to let ’em fly.

1801 Roeder Avenue

Bellingham, WA 98226

360.671.2431

Hours:

Open 7 days a week

June – August: 10am to 6pm

Sept – May: 11am to 5pm

Lynden Skateway
Ah, sweet memories of the roller skating days of my youth. I can’t hear Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” without wanting to lace up some old school rented roller skates and hit the rink. Head to Lynden Skateway and relive your youth, and then watch your kids quickly learn to lap you.

421 Judson Street Alley

Lynden, WA 98264

360.354.3851

Lynden Pioneer Museum

Take a step back in time at the charming Lynden Pioneer Museum as you mix educational with entertaining.

217 Front Street

Lynden, WA 98264

360.354.3675

Hours:

Monday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm

Whatcom Museum
If you have young children, head to Whatcom Museum’s Family Interactive Gallery (FIG) in the Lightcatcher, where they’ll delight in a vibrant world of learning through play. If you have tweens and teenagers, walk through the Lightcatcher art galleries, and also hit up Old City Hall for further public and historical exhibits.

FIG:

250 Flora Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.778.8930

Hours:

Wednesday through Saturday, 10am to 5pm

Sundays, 12pm to 5pm

Lightcatcher:

250 Flora Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.778.8930

Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 5pm

Thursdays open until 8pm

Saturday open at 10am

Old City Hall:

121 Prospect Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.778.8930

Hours:

Thursday through Sunday, 12pm to 5pm

CreativiTEA

CreativiTEA, in the heart of Fairhaven, lets non-artists and artists alike choose a piece of pottery, find inspiration and instruction around the studio, and then create to their hearts content. Each piece is then glazed, fired and ready for pick-up in a few days. Pro-tip: You’ll find endless ideas for fantastic Mother’s Day gifts.

1312 11^th Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.752.1724

Hours:

Monday through Saturday, 11am to 9pm

Sunday, 11am to 6pm

VITAL Climbing Gym

Bellingham’s newest climbing option can be as easy or as challenging as you need it to be. Boulder away!

1421 North State Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.399.6248

Hours:

Monday through Sunday, 11am to 9pm

Perch and Play

If your staycation keeps you on the go to the point that you’re about to peter out but the young kids are still full steam ahead, point yourself to Perch and Play. The young ones can climb and play while you grab a coffee and a sandwich – or an adult beverage and dessert. Sit in the café where you can keep one eye on your offspring and another on a book.

1707 North State Street

Bellingham, WA 98226

360.393.4925

Hours:

Monday through Saturday, 9am to 7pm

Sunday, 9am to 5pm

Mindport

Downtown’s Mindport offers a space where visitors – ages six and up – can explore and observe science and art in tandem. Director Kevin Jones describes this utterly unique place as both a laboratory and a gallery where visitors can balance the analytical, intellectual and rational with the playful, imaginative and artistic.

210 West Holly Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.647.5614

Hours:

Wednesday through Friday, 12pm to 6pm

Saturday, 10am to 5pm

Sunday, 12pm to 4pm

Park Bowl

Grab a lane and pretend you’re The Dude – or, you know, just have a blast by simply aiming bowling balls at pins. If the little ones tire of bowling, they can play video games and shoot pool. And everyone can find a burger, sandwich, wrap, pizza or appetizer to love on the Splitz Grille menu.

4175 Meridian

Bellingham, WA 98226

360.734.1430

Hours:

Monday through Friday, 12pm to 11pm

Saturday, 11:30am to 12am

Sunday, 10am to 11pm

This is truly just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Spring Break staycation inspiration. Choose one or two activities from this list each day, and then find where they lead you. I guarantee you’ll stumble upon something you haven’t seen or done before.

Three Places to Refuel after a Day at Mount Baker

By

Stacee Sledge

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Winter, spring, summer or fall – Mount Baker beckons all outdoorsy Whatcom County residents.

You’ve read the Mount Baker snow report and now you and your skis or snowboard are headed up up up. Or, the sun is shining and the temperatures have soared and you’re ready for a day hike, rafting or kayaking.

Whether it’s Mount Baker’s powder or stunning warmer-weather views that are at their peak, so is your appetite. Lucky for you, there’s a wide array of restaurants that dot the Mt. Baker Highway, serving up scrumptious, hearty fare to help you replenish after a hard, fun day.

Looking for fuel of the higher-octane (i.e., alcoholic) sort? These eateries can help you out there too.

Il Caffe Rifugio
5415 Mount Baker Highway
Deming, WA 98224
360-592-2888

Open Thursday through Sunday, Il Caffe Rifugio serves up classic Italian dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. What used to be a dark diner is now a lovely, bright, open place with sandwiches, salads, and delicious, inspired lunch and dinner items, from delicious Panini sandwiches and seafood stew to wild Yellowfin tuna and seafood stew.

Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza & Bar
10459 Mount Baker Highway
Glacier, WA 98244
360-599-2511

The last stop on your way up to the mountain means it’s your first stop on the way down. Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza & Bar offers appetizers aplenty, gourmet Woodstone pizza, steaks, buffalo burgers, a blackened chicken sandwich and more – as well as a full bar.

chair9skilift — Enjoy hearty eats like pizza, steaks, burgers and more at Chair 9 Woodstone Pizza and Bar.

Opened in 2010, Chair 9 is a great place to catch a game with a crowd of friends or hit the upstairs game room if you still have energy to burn after a long day on the mountain.

The North Fork Brewery
6186 Mount Baker Highway
Deming, WA 98244
360-599-2337

It’s a restaurant, a brewery, a chapel and a beer shrine. The North Fork Brewery serves up delicious food, its own impressive microbrews, a cavalcade of beer-related memorabilia and, yes, even wedding ceremonies, if you happen to be in the market for one.

North Fork’s pizza – with beer as an ingredient in its thin, hand-tossed, tasty crust – is the star on North Fork’s menu, but they do lots of other things just as well. Try the spicy ale steamer clams, a meat or veggie grinder, or the house lasagna. You’ll feel revived from your day on the slopes in short order.

Bureau of Historical Investigation Brings Bellingham’s Times Gone By Front and Center

By

Stacee Sledge

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First came the Good Time Girls – “Annie Jo” and “Magnolia Pearl,” née Sara Holodnick and Marissa McGrath – who, in 2011, began leading folks on downtown Bellingham jaunts dubbed the “Sin and Gin Tour.”

A similar guided walking tour of historical Fairhaven followed, and then a stroll of a scarier sort, 2013’s Gore and Lore Tour.

Now Holodnick and McGrath are proprietors of the Bureau of Historical Investigation, which opened its doors in February of this year.

The charming Holly Street storefront is many things: a home to their seasonal tour business – downtown tours start and stop at its door – plus jewelry, hats, clothing, and much more.

The women have long partnered with Whatcom Museum to show historic photographs during their tours; now they carry and sell picture postcards and note cards, with a portion of the proceeds returning to the museum.

Holodnick and McGrath also have plans to open an old-time portrait studio at the back of the store, complete with historically accurate costumes.

“We’d both read a book called The Brothels of Bellingham and had been on tours elsewhere that were similar to what we ended up doing,” says Holodnick, describing the conception of the walking tours. “We thought it was weird that Bellingham didn’t have anything like that.”

She and McGrath – who met several years ago, while living in the same apartment building and serving in AmeriCorps – went into what Holodnick describes as “high brainstorming mode.”

“We though maybe we’d do costumes, that sort of thing,” she says, “and use The Brothels of Bellingham as a launching pad to perform more research. It was super grassroots, just Marissa and I – whatever it cost to put a corset together.”

With an attitude of: “Let’s do this – and if somebody shows up, cool,” the two began conducting tours as the Good Time Girls, walking folks through downtown Bellingham and Fairhaven and weaving an historical narrative focused, in part, on women and prostitution, mining, immigration and racial unrest.

The subject matter is quite serious, but don’t think the tours aren’t fun.

“It’s history, it’s information, it’s education,” says Holodnick, “but it’s also entertainment and comedy and a little bit of performance.”

Holodnick and McGrath keep tour-goers engaged through improvisation – and by reading their groups carefully.

“Depending on the mood we’re in and the mood of the group, the tour can change a little bit,” says Holodnick, starting to laugh. “We’ll ask ourselves, ‘Are they picking up on our vibe?’ or be like, ‘Oh that joke fell flat.’”

“We have a baseline route and basic information we cover on every tour,” she says, “and a narrative we build throughout the course of the tour, so there’s a clear beginning, middle and end.”

Walking tour participants learn bits and pieces here and there, which by the end string together into a clear understanding of larger issues.

The tour mostly focuses on the era between the 1850s through the 1910s.

“We give a little bit of context for Bellingham’s beginning, but we don’t stay there very long,” says Holodnick. “And we do dabble a little bit into World War II history, because there’s pertinent information with regard to prostitution here.”

“There’s a lot of social change happening in the early 1900s,” Holodnick says. “1910 is the year Washington State voted to give women the vote – well, for the second time, but that’s a whole other story.”

Bellingham also voted that year to partially enact prohibition.

“A lot of things start to shift and move,” says Holodnick of the time period. “Lots of big players, lots of politics and such.”

Private tours are available year-round, while the public tours take a break during the colder months. The venture has been so successful that Holodnick and McGrath have added three additional tour guides.

The Bureau of Historical Investigation shop is an extension of what Holodnick and McGrath have built with the tours. It’s also a unique, creative space that perfectly complements the downtown Bellingham arts district vibe.

The collection of items for sale is constantly growing. And the Bureau has partnered with Village Books to sell a collection of titles that are tied to the history covered in the tours.

“There are some books there that we dug into when we were researching,” says Holodnick. “And if they’d like to buy a copy of Brothels of Bellingham, after the tour, they can do that.”

Holodnick likes serving as a facilitator for history. “When you don’t really know what’s going on, historically, in a place like this, it feels really hidden,” she says. “We try to uncover that and make it feel easier and less intimidating to be a part of your own history.”

During a recent visit to the Bureau, an old upright piano was gently but firmly wrestled into the space. Local artist J. Paige Heinen made her way around the room, hanging her fantastic penciled portraits in preparation for Art Walk the next night, when local musician Sarah Goodin would put that piano to good use.

The shop buzzed with laughter, voices echoing off the tall walls and ceiling of the character-rich space, which was a barber and beauty supply store in the 1930s. A photo of the room from that time hangs framed behind the counter.

Wandering through the space, flipping through faded, antique stereoscope cards that are just one of a hundred fascinating finds scattered around the Bureau, it wasn’t difficult to imagine oneself in this same space, circa 1935, just steps away from what was once Bellingham’s Red Light District.

Wait. You didn’t know Bellingham once had its very own Red Light District? Get thee to a Bureau of Historical Investigations tour later this summer and discover that – and so much more – about the history of our City of Subdued Excitement. (Perhaps it has not always been quite so subdued.)

A documentary series, helmed by local director Dan Hammill, is currently in production about the Good Time Girls, their tours, and the Bureau of Historical Investigation.

Rover Stay Over Expands Services

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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Submitted by Rover Stay Over

bellingham dog training — Rainy, a young Leonbuger, is laser focused on trainer Brittany Olin during a recent obedience training session at Rover Stay Over. Photo credit: Patti Rowlson

Incorporating dog training services has been on a list of business goals since Rover Stay Over opened their doors in 2011.

The award winning startup business, located on Hannegan Road between Lynden and Bellingham, already expanded their operation in 2012 by adding a grooming salon for cats and dogs. Now they have hired certified dog trainer Brittany Olin to help with a new obedience training program.

“Training was part of our vision from the start – we were just waiting for the right time and the right person to join our team,” shares Charmae Scheffer of Rover Stay Over.

Olin’s experience and training style were exactly what Rover was looking for. She uses positive reinforcement tactics including treats, clicker training, redirection, and lots of praise.

Raised in Whatcom County, Olin attended Bellingham Technical College and received her dog training certification through Animal Behavior College. Before starting at Rover, she worked as a kennel and veterinary assistant at local animal hospitals and participated in an extensive dog training externship in Hawaii.

Positive obedience training helps people humanly communicate with their dogs in a way that strengthens their bond. It is a different approach from some training programs that teach people how to be dominant over their dogs.

Training with rewards instead of punishment can be helpful for dogs of all ages including new puppies that need to learn basic manners and adult dogs that may bark too much, show aggression or jump on people.

“Around here, all dogs are treated like furry kids. Nobody wants to feel bad when sending their puppy or older dog in for a bit of training, but that is sometimes the case when firmer methods are used. We feel correcting mild behavior issues with positive training techniques is a win-win for dogs and their people.”

Dog training and obedience lessons are currently offered onsite at the kennel with Daycare and Train bundles as well as a Board and Train Boot Camp. The pet care facility also offers private sessions at their customer’s homes, local parks and other public spaces.

Learn about Rover Stay Over’s new dog training program online at http://roverstayover.net.

Get Your Green On for the 5th Annual Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade

By

Stacee Sledge

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Boundary Bay General Manager Janet Lightner loves St. Patrick’s Day. So much so that, during the St. Paddy season, she temporarily changes her email signature to Janet O’Lightner and always wears green for the first 17 days of March.

It should come as no surprise then that she’s the force behind the Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Always thrown in honor of the Bellingham Police and Fire Departments – to thank them for risking their lives every day for the safety of their community – this year’s parade takes place at noon on Saturday, March 15.

The parade route starts at the corner of Cornwall Avenue and Ohio Street and winds its way through downtown, ending just past Depot Market Square and Boundary Bay.

“I love parades,” Lightner says, laughing and recounting her motivation behind kick-starting the tradition. “And St. Patrick’s Day at Boundary has always been a super special day.”

The brewery has long hosted local Irish step dancers – who study at the Penk O’Donnell School of Irish Dance in Vancouver, B.C. – during the brewery’s annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

“We’ve watched these little Irish step dancers grow up,” Lightner says. “One will be 19 years old this fall and I’ve been throwing a celebration here for 17 years.”

Money earned each St. Patrick’s Day weekend at Boundary Bay helps pay for dancers to travel to Scotland to compete in world-class competitions.

“I always saw how much fun people have at Boundary on St. Patrick’s Day,” says Lightner, “and I said, ‘We need a parade!’”

It took a couple years to make it happen.

“I tried to do it six or seven years ago, but couldn’t get enough buy-in from whoever I was trying to corral,” Lightner says with a laugh. “And then I found the magical combination of volunteers; people around me rose to the occasion to help – and we did it!”

The parade costs about $3,500 annually, with security costs, sign rental, advertising, insurance, and so on. Lightner has pulled together an organizing committee and applied for nonprofit status.

“We don’t have federal approval yet, so we’ve got a little online fundraiser going on,” Lightner says. “We’ve raised about a $1,000 so far.” Donations can be made here.

On top of the online fundraiser, Sunrise Rotary has donated $500 and the Bellingham Farmers Market is sponsoring this year’s event with a $350 donation that will help pay for Blitz the Seahawk, who will make an appearance, along with a few Sea Gals and possibly some Seahawk alumni.

“We’re going to have a little Seahawk unit this year and I’m excited about that,” Lightner says.

The Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day strives to be a community event for everyone.

“If you’re standing on the sidewalk watching the parade and you’re so inspired you say, I’m gonna get in this parade!’ – you can just get in,” Lightner says. “It’s that user-friendly.”

Unless you have a big float or animals or something Lightner needs to orchestrate into the flow of the parade, she’s happy to welcome impromptu paraders.

“Show up with a bunch of parents, kids and baby strollers from your neighborhood and get in the parade,” she says. “It’s as easy as that.”

Lightner also welcomes live music and is excited to have the Squalicum High School Marching Band return this year.

“That’s kind of our holy grail,” she says. “I always want more marching bands.”

The Bellingham Firefighters Pipes & Drums also take part in the parade each year. The group formed the same year the parade began.

“They’ve been huge contributors,” says Lightner, and they’re also dear friends of mine.”

Lightner’s favorite part of each year’s parade is seeing the sidewalks lined with happy people.

“I think it’s kind of the end of hibernation,” she says. “It’s the first community event where everybody’s outside together. We’ve survived another dark, gray winter and the days are slowly getting longer.”

Whatever the weather, the crowds come out – everyone waving and shouts of “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” ringing through the air.

“The message, Lightner says, aside from celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, “seems to be: Yay! We’re outside again! And spring is right around the corner…”

All photos courtesy Bellingham St. Patrick’s Day parade.

Vikings Take Down Saint Martin’s To Advance in GNAC Basketball Tournament

By

WhatcomTalk Editor

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By Tom Rohrer

Leading Saint Martin’s by 15 at halftime Friday night, the Western Washington University women’s basketball team appeared ready to advance easily into Saturday’s GNAC Conference Tournament Championship.

However, Saint Martin’s made the Vikings passage towards a second consecutive tournament championship very difficult.

Down 44-29 at halftime, the #6 seeded Saints went on a 17-4 run to start the second half, cutting the Vikings lead to 48-46 with 14:30 left to play.

“We’ve had two games with them where we got up and they came out in the second and made things difficult for us,” said Western Washington University head coach Carmen Dolfo. “They keep fighting and they certainly did tonight.”

Western would weather the furious Saints run and eventually pulled away in the final eight minutes to an 81-71 victory inside a passionate Marcus Pavilion in Lacey. Led by Katie Colard’s 23 points, the Vikings shot close to fifty percent in the contest and held Saint Martin’s to 38.3 percent shooting. The victory for the #2 seed Vikings sets up a NWAC tournament championship affair with Simon Fraser tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Marcus Pavilion.

The loss ends Saint Martin’s (18-11) season and the career of senior standout Chelsea Haskey. The forward had 17 points on 8 of 12 shooting in her final collegiate game.

“She’s done so much for this program and she played tough tonight,” said Saint’s head coach Tim Healy. “She gave everything and doesn’t have to hold her head.”

SMU sophomore forward Megan Wiedeman added 17 points of her own and continued her tournament dominance on the glass. Wiedeman followed up her conference tournament record 17 rebounds in a win over Alaska-Anchorage Wednesday night with 15 boards more against the Vikings, seven of which came on the offensive glass.

“Her development is impressive and she has so much room to grow as a player,” said Healy of Wiedeman. “The future for her is very bright.”

Despite the efforts of Wiedeman and Haskey, Saint Martin’s was unable to slow down a potent Viking offensive attack when it mattered most.

Along with Colard’s scoring output, the Vikings received 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting from Jenni White and 17 on 7 of 9 shooting from Sydney Donaldson.

“We’ve been able to shoot the ball well all season and that’s won us a lot of games,” said Dolfo. “That’s what we needed tonight and our girls got their legs under them and followed through.”

Defensively, the Vikings held the Saints to eight points in the final four minutes and put Saint Martin’s in unfavorable positions on the court.

“Every day in practice we do a five minute overtime period where we have to lock-in for that stretch,” said Donaldson, who added eight rebounds in the win. “It wasn’t anything new for us. We just kept our intensity up and communicated like always.”

A Division II national semi-finalist a season ago, Western got off to a slow start to the 2013-14 season, and at one point their conference tournament hopes were in doubt.

“We just wanted to get here at the beginning of the season” said Dolfo of her team, who started the season 3-5. “Now we’re starting to play some of our best basketball, and it’s at the right time.”

The resurgence from Western during the season and the fight displayed by Saint Martin’s in defeat speaks volumes of the level of competition in the league.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Healy of the quality of the league. “There isn’t a better group of ten teams out there.”

“It’s a test every night, and Saint Martin’s, they aren’t a six seed in this tournament, they’re just a really good, tough team in this tournament,” said Dolfo. “You have to work hard for every victory.”

After a season that saw the programs first ever GNAC Conference Tournament victory, Tim Healy is optimistic regarding the present and future of SMU basketball.

“We have a lot of girls coming back and I hope they remember the feeling of what it’s like playing in this environment,” Healy said. “We just need to keep improving.”

Whatcom Center for Early Learning Holds 10th Annual Fundraising Gala

By

Stacee Sledge

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whatcom center for early learning — Guests enjoy a prior WCEL gala.

By Stacee Sledge

“Our young children with developmental delays need help to thrive, to learn and to overcome challenges for full, happy lives,” says Peggy Zoro, interim executive director of Whatcom Center for Early Learning.

WCEL’s provides comprehensive family-centered early intervention services to children ages birth to three with developmental delays, offers family resources coordination services, and is the sponsoring agency for Whatcom County’s Parent to Parent Support Program.

Since 1973, WCEL has provided therapy, early childhood education, and caring family support to infants and toddlers with a 25 percent measurable delay in at least in at least one area of development: speech-language, cognitive, motor, adaptive and/or social-emotional.

“Eligible families receive early intervention services regardless of their ability to pay,” says Zoro. “There’s no cost for services, and no eligible child/family is turned away.”

This year marks Whatcom Center for Learning’s 10^th annual auction fundraising gala, which will be held Saturday, March 15 at 5:30 p.m. at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club.

“Fundraising is essential to our sustainability,” says Sandy Berner, who recently stepped down as WCEL’s longtime executive director and is now the organization’s fund development director.

“Our early intervention services costs are high,” Berner says, “and our work is extremely important to the 110 families we currently serve each month – and to those we will serve in the future.”

A decade ago, WCEL served 40 children and families each month. As the need for its services has risen, so have costs to keep the program going.

“Current funding sources include various government, public, and private agencies, in addition to generous individual and business donors,” says Zoro. “And WCEL is proud to be a United Way of Whatcom County Partner Agency for over 20 years.”

But these dollars are not enough to cover costs and sustain WCEL programs.

That’s where you, supportive community members, step in.

“This year’s gala brings a fun-filled evening featuring scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, a cocktail hour to enjoy while perusing the Silent Auction selections, and listening to the soothing jazz sounds of the Ray Downey Trio,” says Zoro. A delectable dinner with hosted wines will follow – a choice of New York strip steak, wild cedar plank salmon, or butternut ravioli – and then the auction itself.

“We promise our guests an extraordinary, fun-filled evening,” Berner says.

Auctioneer Manca Valum will present this year’s live auction packages, including a Sun Valley getaway, Dunham Cellars hosted wine party, Seahawks club-level tickets, signed memorabilia, and much more.

A delectable dessert dash will close out the evening.

A highlight of the evening will be the premier of the short film, You Never Stopped, created and produced by Max Kaiser and Hand Crank Films. A teaser of the film can be seen here.

“Max has captured the essence of WCEL through the personal reflections of our families and community members,” says Berner.

Max Kaiser knows the power of film in fundraising. He and his Bellingham company have generated it time and time again, as their productions are used to effectively fundraise in both for-profit and non-profit sectors.

“Our sincere gratitude goes out to Hand Crank Films for acknowledging the value of WCEL programs and services to children and families in need,” says Berner. “And for their willingness to give by donating this film.”

Whatcom Center for Early Learning welcomes community support at any level.

“WCEL is a local non-profit with a very big heart,” says Berner. “We’re asking this community to open their hearts and to invest in the future of our children and families.”

This year’s platinum sponsor is Edward Jones/Tony Pechthalt. Gold sponsors are Bellingham Nanny Connection and Samson Rope. Silver sponsors are Alcoa Intalco Works, Barron/Smith/Daugert PLLC, The Bellingham Herald, Brooks Property, NW Pathology, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, SuperFeet, Cascade Dafo, and Whatcom Educational Credit Union. And finally, partner sponsors are Barkley Company, Bellingham Cold Storage, Moss Adams, Windermere Real Estate/Kim Thompson, NorthCoast Credit Union, Peoples Bank, and The Unity Group/HUB International.

For more information, visit www.wcel.net. To purchase a ticket to this year’s auction, please call 360.671.3660 or email info@wcel.net.

Whatcom Center for Early Learning

2001 H Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

360.671.3660

Whatcom Center for Early Learning Annual Fundraising Gala

Saturday, March 15 at 5:30 p.m.

Bellingham Golf & Country Club

3729 Meridian Street

Bellingham, WA 98225

Ticket price: $75.00

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