May 27 - Cascadia Weekly

Transcription

Smoldering Man, 3.ɀɆ * Fuzz Buzz, 3.ɁɁ * Free Will Astrology, 3.Ƀɀ
c a s c a d i a
REPORTING FROM
THE HEART OF CASCADIA
WHATCOM
SKAGIT ISLAND COUNTIES
*{05.20.15}{#20}{V.10}{
*
FREE}
SKITO
SEA
LESS SNOW, MORE
ACTIVISM, P.08
AUDIENCE
THROWBACK
THURSDAYS
Kicking it at Maritime Heritage Park, P.14
APPROVED
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BEERS & BRATS
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Public Library
Susan Stark Christianson: 2pm, Ferndale Library
FOOD 34
c
a
s
c
a
d
i
a
ThisWeek
B-BOARD 27
A glance at this
week’s happenings
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
WEDNESDAY [05.20.15]
WORDS
Karen Myers
Barker will share
photographs
of the island
she calls home
as one of more
than 40 artists
taking part in
the semiannual
Ski to Sea Book Sale: 10am-6pm, Bellingham Public
Library
David Gessner: 7pm, Village Books
GET OUT
Group Run: 6pm, Skagit Running Company
2
Sedro-Woolley Farmers Market: 3-7pm, Hammer
Heritage Park
THURSDAY [05.21.15]
ONSTAGE
What-A-Sho!: 7pm, Bellingham High School
Marina: 7:30pm, Mount Baker Theatre
Best of Brass Monkey: 7:30pm, iDiOM Theater
Man and Superman: 7:30pm, Lincoln Theatre,
Mount Vernon
Good, Bad, Ugly: 8pm, Upfront Theatre
The Project: 10pm, Upfront Theatre
Folk Dance: 7:15-10pm, Fairhaven Library
MUSIC
ONSTAGE
Ski to Sea Variety Show: 12pm, Cirque Lab
Little Shop of Horrors: 2pm, Bellingham Arts
Academy for Youth
Laughing at the Stars: 8:30pm, Star Club
MUSIC
Northwest Folklife Festival: 11am-10pm, Seattle
Center
COMMUNITY
Historic Fairhaven Festival: 12-7pm, throughout
the historic district
GET OUT
Ski to Sea Race: 7:45am-5pm, from Mt. Baker to
Bellingham Bay
Rabbit Ride: 8am, Fairhaven Bike
Audubon Bird Tour: 2pm, Whatcom Museum
WORDS
Ski to Sea Book Sale: 10am-6pm, Bellingham Public
Library
Chuckanut Radio Hour: 7pm, Heiner Theater, WCC
VISUAL ARTS
Art by the Airport: 10am-5pm, Hampton Inn’s Fox
Hall
Seconds Sale: 10am-5pm, Good Earth Pottery
Artists’ Studio Tour: 10am-6pm, throughout Lummi
Island
FOOD
Spaghetti Sauce Taste-Off: 4:30-7:30pm, Maple
Hall, La Conner
FRIDAY [05.22.15]
MONDAY [05.25.15]
ONSTAGE
DANCE
Friday Night Dance Party: 7:30-10pm, Bellingham
Dance Company
Pancake Breakfast: 8-11m, American Legion,
Ferndale
Blossom Time Breakfast: 8am-12pm, Bellingham
Senior Activity Center
Mount Vernon Farmers Market: 9am-2pm, Waterfront Plaza
Anacortes Farmers Market: 9am-2pm, Depot Arts
Center
Community Meal: 10am-12pm, United Church of
Ferndale
Bellingham Farmers Market: 10am-3pm, Depot
Market Square
SUNDAY [05.24.15]
Tanya Hladik and Friends: 6-8pm, Community Food
Co-op
Night Beat: 7:30pm, First Congregational Church
What-A-Sho!: 7pm, Bellingham High School
Little Shop of Horrors: 7pm, Bellingham Arts
Academy for Youth
Best of Brass Monkey: 7:30pm, iDiOM Theater
Blender: 8pm and 10pm, Upfront Theatre
Inflammable Circus: 8:30pm, Cirque Lab
Broken Holmes: 9:30pm, iDiOM Theater
FOOD
Art by the Airport: 10am-5pm, Hampton Inn’s Fox
Hall
Artists’ Studio Tour: 10am-6pm, throughout Lummi
Island
May 23-24
throughout the
lovely land mass
DANCE
Blossom Time Parade: 12pm, downtown Bellingham
VISUAL ARTS
Lummi Island
Artists’ Studio
Tour happening
ONSTAGE
Guffawingham: 9:30pm, Green Frog
PHOTO BY THADDEUS HINK, THINK STUDIOS
CASCADIA WEEKLY
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DO IT
IT 22
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STAGE 16
ART 18
FOOD
COMMUNITY
MUSIC
Center
Della Moustachella hosts the fire-focused
Inflammable Circus happening May 22-24 at the
Bellingham Circus Guild’s Cirque Lab
WORDS
Open Mic: 7pm, Village Books
FOOD
Memorial Day Barbecue: 12-5pm, BelleWood Acres
Camp Cooking Basics: 6pm, REI
VISUAL ARTS
Arts Academy for Youth
Broken Holmes: 7:30pm, iDiOM Theater
Inflammable Circus: 8:30pm, Cirque Lab
Blender: 8pm and 10pm, Upfront Theatre
Art by the Airport: 2-8pm, Hampton Inn’s Fox
Hall
MUSIC
University Choir: 7pm, Performing Arts Center
Concert Hall, WWU
Center
GET OUT
MUSIC
GET OUT
Center
George Cables: 7:30pm Byrnes Performing Arts
Center, Arlington
Wild Things: 9:30-11am, Cornwall Park
WORDS
Ski to Sea Book Sale: 10am-6pm, Bellingham Library
SATURDAY [05.23.15]
COMMUNITY
ONSTAGE
WORDS
Ski to Sea Block Party: 5-9pm, Boundary Bay Brewery
Little Shop of Horrors: 2pm and 7pm, Bellingham
Ski to Sea Book Sale: 10am-1pm, Bellingham
TUESDAY [05.26.15]
MUSIC
All-Paces Run: 6pm, Fairhaven Runners
Andean Mountain Hummingbird Project: 7pm,
Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall
FOOD 34
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B-BOARD 27
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CASCADIA WEEKLY
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FOOD 34
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MUSIC 20
FILM 24
B-BOARD 27
Editor & Publisher:
Tim Johnson
ext 260
{ editor@
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All good things must come to an end. That theory was
proven this week when blues great B.B. King passed away
at age 89 after a lifetime spent making memorable music
for the masses. And, although he’s not dead, when David
Letterman takes the stage for his final Late Show appearance May 20, an important piece of television history will
come to a close after a 35-year run.
CURRENTS 8
VIEWS 6
MAIL 4
#20.10
L E T T E RS
STA F F
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VIEWS & NEWS
4: Mailbag
6: Gristle and rhodes
8: A weekend of action
10: Last week’s news
11: Police Blotter, Index
ARTS & LIFE
12: troubled waters
14: Throwback thursdays
16: Short and sweet
18: Artistic meditations
22: Clubs
24: Hints of Hardy
26: Film Shorts
REAR END
27: Bulletin Board
28: Wellness
29: Crossword
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31: Advice Goddess
Smoldering Man, 3.ɀɆ * Fuzz Buzz, 3.ɁɁ * Free Will Astrology, 3.Ƀɀ
c a s c a d i a
REPORTING FROM
THE HEART OF CASCADIA
32: Comix
33: Slowpoke, Sudoku
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WHATCOM
* SKAGIT* ISLAND COUNTIES
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SK
SKITOSEA
KITO
AUDIENCE
Kicking it at Maritime Heritage Park, P.14
©2015 CASCADIA WEEKLY (ISSN 1931-3292) is published each Wednesday by
Cascadia Newspaper Company LLC. Direct all correspondence to: Cascadia Weekly
PO Box 2833 Bellingham WA 98227-2833 | Phone/Fax: 360.647.8200
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NEWSPAPER ADVISORY GROUP: Robert Hall, Seth Murphy, Michael Petryni, David Syre
THE CORRECT CORRECTIONS TAX
In the recent edition, the Gristle references
the county already having a .1 percent sales
tax for corrections. I hope that is not in reference to the .1 percent sales tax related to RCW
82.14.460, sales and use tax for chemical dependency or mental health treatment services or
therapeutic courts.
If the county is using this tax for corrections it
is being misspent and the people who fought for
this tax should be aware of it.
—Kate Clark, Bellingham
LESS SNOW, MORE ACTIVISM, P.08
THURSDAYS
CASCADIA WEEKLY
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Arts & Entertainment
Editor: Amy Kepferle
ext 204
{calendar@
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Production
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Cascadia Weekly:
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Editorial
20: Sounds like Ski to Sea
05.20.15
Contact
APPROVED
Best of Brass Monkey, P.16
BEERS & BRATS
Get your grill on, P.34
COVER: Courtesy of
Whatcom Events
Editor’s Reply: This is a good question for clarification.
Washington State provides for a variety of small sales taxes
local governments may employ for special purposes. Some
instruments may be enacted through legislation, others
require approval by voters. In 2009, Whatcom County joined
most other counties in Western Washington by enacting a .1
percent sales tax by council action to enhance programs and
services to address mental illness and chemical addiction.
In 2006, voters approved a .1 percent sales tax to bolster
and continue countywide emergency medical service (EMS)
by a staggering margin—nearly 70 percent in favor of
the proposal. Under the requirements of the enacting
ordinance, a portion of the EMS tax also goes to support law
enforcement services. In 2004, voters approved a .1 percent
sales tax for jail facilities and operations. State law provides
this sales tax of up to .3 percent, subject to voter approval,
to support criminal justice programs, including relief of
congested court systems and overcrowded correctional
facilities. It is this latter sales tax for public safety and
corrections that the county proposes to fully tap through
voter approval to fund a new jail.
THE FAITH IN ‘GOOD FAITH’
As a member of the Catholic Church and living
in Bellingham for the last 38 years, my faith has
guided me in issues that I stand for. Catholic social teaching states that workers have the right
to organize labor unions, bargain with management and—indeed—call strikes when management does not act in good faith.
I was shocked today to hear that, not only
has the hospital refused to negotiate in good
faith, but that St. Joseph Hospital, a Catholic
institution, has locked out caregivers who have
tried for more than a year to negotiate a new
contract for fair wages. A friend shared with me
that many of the caregivers are paid $11.44 an
hour (a rate that has not changed in more than
three years) with the prospect of small raises
over time to a maximum of slightly over $15 after 22 years. As a Catholic, I find this shameful
treatment coming from a Catholic institution,
compounded further by the fact that St. Joseph
Hospital workers are the worst compensated in
the state, according to the caregivers’ union
and Jobs with Justice.
Time will tell, but I believe Dale Zender,
—Bill Walker, Maple Falls
HIDDEN HEROES
Who are these people who run to break
up fights, rescue people from suicide attempts, bandage the wounded, and comfort the mentally ill? They are our police
officers, sheriff deputies, firefighters,
paramedics, doctors and nurses who keep
the peace, save lives and restore people
to health.
There is a group of men and women
hidden from view who perform the same
actions around the clock every day
of the year, yet most of us have never
heard of or seen them. These are the
professionals who work in our Whatcom
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FOOD 34
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With 10 mouth watering dining options under one roof
you’ll want to make your next destination at the place
where, everything can happen!
—Ray Baribeau, Associate Chaplain,
Whatcom County Jail
Send us your letters
But keep ‘em short (300
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P.O. Box 2833, Bellingham, WA 98229
B-BOARD 27
VIEWS 6
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CURRENTS 8
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STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC 20
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FILM 24
CAN HAPPEN
DO IT 2
I have a disease. It’s called Multiple
Sclerosis, which is a neurodegenerative disorder that is slowly and silently
destroying my central nervous system.
However, if you were to meet me and
didn’t know about my MS, you would have
absolutely no idea of my incurable condition by just looking at me.
This is eerily similar to what is happening at an ever-increasing rate to our
oceans through acidification from the
burning of carbon based fossil fuels like
coal, oil, and to a lesser extent, natural
gas. It seems almost inconceivable that
there are still people who want to try and
convince others that we as humans are
having absolutely no effect on our warming oceans and unpredictable weather
patterns. They continue to argue that
because there are no obvious and easily
noticeable changes on our oceans surfaces that must mean that we, as humans,
are not to blame and this is nothing more
than a cyclical pattern.
I certainly wish that it was that easy for
me to make my MS symptoms just vanish
by considering them nothing more than a
figment of my imagination. Fortunately,
science has MRIs that show the hidden
deep brain lesions that are a direct cause
for my symptoms, much like we have instruments that can detect significant
increases in CO2 at the deepest levels of
the ocean where our planet deposits such
atmospheric waste.
Here in Whatcom County we have a
choice where we can take a stand against
further CO2 being pumped into the atmosphere and the rise in acidification of our
oceans, which is a direct result thereof,
by opposing the coal port at Cherry Point.
China, like the rest of the world, can
redirect their future energy investments
into sustainable nonpolluting infrastructure. And let our oceans try and stabilize
before it’s too late, if it isn’t already?
05.20.15
THE DEGENERATIVE DISEASE
OF FOSSIL FUELS
SATISFACTION
#20.10
—Nancy Orlowski, Bellingham
County Jail. They are the nurses of the
medical team, the corrections deputies and leaders, and the three mental health and chemical dependency
counselors. They provide much-needed
care to often-uncooperative people in
a dreary and unsafe environment. Corrections deputies break up fights and
respond to life-threatening situations.
They do everything they can to prevent
suicides, but sometimes do not succeed.
Their ability to do the stressful things
they are tasked with while maintaining
high morale and a cheerful demeanor is
amazing. They show a level of teamwork
and camaraderie that would do a Navy
SEAL team proud.
The number of inmates who need medications and/or medical care on any day
would astound you. Nurses on the medical team perform many of the duties one
would see in a hospital, while frequently
enduring abuse from angry inmates.
They work with the compassion of their
profession in cramped, inadequate areas. Yet these smiling men and women
show up every shift to provide the best
care possible.
Because of the overall environment
of teamwork and cooperation, counselors are often guided to those in need
by nurses or deputies. These therapists
reach out to inmates to provide mental
evaluations and chemical dependency
treatment, often dealing with resentful
people perhaps not in their right minds.
They work day in and day out toward a
better outcome for their clients.
Police Week and Corrections Week has
just passed. Several corrections deputies
and two nurses were honored with awards
and recognition for saving a man from a
suicide attempt. Quick identification by
the control deputy and rapid response by
the deputy team was crucial. Corrections
deputies and nurses rushed in to add
their skills before sending the man to
hospital for treatment. A life was saved
and an integrated group was later recognized. This kind of teamwork and dedication to keeping people safe is standard
for these professionals.
I have been fortunate to witness many
acts of kindness and compassion toward
difficult people during the more than
2,000 hours that I have spent as a volunteer in our jail. These people who come
to work every day with a positive attitude
and superb professionalism are my heroes.
CASCADIA WEEKLY
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THE GRISTLE
6
THE ELECTION THAT WASN’T: For all the fussing and
farting about “fair and equitable representation by
district” that has consumed the Charter Review Commission this cycle, more attention might be spent encouraging and recruiting excellent people into public
office. Filing Week ended for local elections last week,
and what a lackluster show it was. Incumbents filed
early and vigorously for reelection; challengers trickled
in late in a footsore and tuneless, glum parade. A few
last-minute applications smacked of quiet desperation.
Of 106 county and city offices with candidates filed,
87 have a single candidate. That means only one election in five will have a contested outcome in November.
For the City of Bellingham, in particular, there will
be no November election, with no challengers at all for
any elective office.
The reasons for a colorless campaign season are perhaps as numerous as the unchallenged offices themselves. Overarching all, though, there are just a heck of
a lot of very minor special purpose districts—fire districts, water districts, school districts, park districts,
hospital districts, cemetery districts—with few interested bodies to flesh them out.
Flagging interest in higher offices is part of a longemerging trend, across the state and nationally. The
number of incumbents running for re-election without
challenge in either the primary or general election in
Washington continues to increase, from 25.9 percent
in 2012 to 34.1 percent in 2014. A third of elections
across the state drew no challengers at all. Politics is
becoming a game of solitaire.
One county race clawed on to the primary ballot this
November—a contest for the seat being vacated by
Pete Kremen. Three contenders for the seat vacated by
Port of Bellingham Commissioner Jim Jorgensen will
also tussle in August; and the City of Ferndale continues to bubble with the ferment of democracy. But at a
cost of tens of thousands of dollars to run an election
(estimated at about 46.7 percent of the Auditor’s total
budget for 2015) these paltry primaries are an expensive proposition.
Twenty years ago, the 1995 primary featured seven
vigorous contests for county, port and COB offices.
By 2011, this number had dwindled to just two. In
2013, just one.
The situation in Bellingham is particularly grim.
With so little on the ballot to interest and engage
voters, we might expect to see low turnouts in both
August and November. Meanwhile, the Charter Review
Commission continues to churn out endless proposed
amendments designed to forever curtail Bellingham’s
participation in county elections—amendments that
without a vote of resistance from Bellingham are likely
to pass. At least one of these amendments is designed
to lock the door behind them all, requiring supermajorities of future voters to overturn.
The essential problem with the commission’s “district only” fixation is Whatcom County’s three voting
districts were never drawn to be representative of cohesive communities. They’re an artifact left over from
Whatcom’s political structure prior to the adoption
of the Home Rule charter in 1978, when the county
was governed by three elected commissioners. Bellingham was carved across three districts because,
as the county’s population center, it eased (and still
does) apportioning roughly equal populations to each
district. When the charter was adopted, seven coun-
OPI N IONS
T H E G R IST L E
BY ALAN RHODES
Smoldering Man
A BELLINGHAM SIGNATURE EVENT
was recently approached by a
chap named Dave Berens who
wanted my help in promoting
a signature event for the city. He
identified himself as the unofficial, unauthorized non-representative of an anonymous underground
breakfast club. That sounded legitimate enough for me, and I liked
his idea, so I’m in.
Dave’s proposal was inspired by
the gigantic Burning Man festival
that takes place in the Nevada desert every summer. The event draws
tens of thousands and is quite a
spectacle. Given that Bellingham
is the City of Subdued Excitement,
Burning Man is probably too dramatic for us, so we’re putting on
Smoldering Man instead.
At Burning Man many attendees create art installations on
the desert sands. We’ll do this at
Smoldering Man as well, using the
abandoned GP waterfront site. But
unlike Burning Man, where everything is disassembled at the end
of the party, we’ll leave our stuff
up, figuring that anything we build
will be better than any ideas the
port officials have come up with
for the space. We’ll probably have
to schedule this when the port
commissioners are away on a retreat, because they aren’t very creative and most likely wouldn’t go
along with this.
We want music at Smoldering
Man, so we’re extending an invitation to Pussy Riot to be the headliner. As far as we know, the ladies
are all out of prison by now. Pussy
Riot got into big trouble a couple of
years ago for belting out a blasphemous song in a Moscow cathedral.
Keeping in that cheeky spirit, we
I
want to feature Pussy Riot singing
irreverent ditties atop the Flatiron
Building, home of Faithlife.
Moderately exciting activities will
be going on all around town as part of
Smoldering Man. One idea is to have
some sort of reenactment, similar to
what Ferndale does with its annual
Civil War reenactment. We wanted to
come up with an equally horrifying
and destructive historical event for
our purposes, so we thought that
recreating the opening day of Bellis
Fair Mall would be good.
Other local celebrations have
inspired us as well. We’ve always
liked the annual Welding Rodeo up
at Bellingham Technical College, so
we’ll have a Smoldering Man welding rodeo. Since Bellingham is such
a lefty peacenik town, maybe people could bring guns in, melt them
down, and reassemble them as toys,
art objects and jewelry.
Given Bellingham’s laid-back ambiance, we figure security can be
casual at Smoldering Man, so we’ll
be hiring middle school students.
This will teach the kids responsibility and provide them with an
opportunity to use some of the
non-violent conflict resolution
techniques they learn in school
these days. Being middle schoolers, many of our security team
members will have curfews, but
since this is the City of Subdued
Excitement, we’re expecting activities to wrap up by 7:30 or 8pm.
VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF CASCADIA WEEKLY
Even though this is a Bellingham
signature event, we want people
from the rest of the county to feel
included, so we’ll be reaching out to
them. Inspired by the Hands Across
the Border celebration that takes
place at the Peach Arch border crossing, we’ll be staging Hands Across
the City Limits. We hope to get
enough people involved so that Bellinghamsters can form a human chain
around the entire perimeter of the
city. We’ll then reach out to county
people who, hopefully, will be waiting on their side of the line to reach
out and shake hands. After the handshake, we’ll invite them into town for
all the Smoldering Man festivities.
We figure most county people will
want to take part in the fun. There
will be some, however, who won’t
want to touch the hand of a Bellinghamster, fearful of contracting a
liberal virus that will cause them to
turn gay, vote for Democrats, develop a taste for tofu and accept evolution and global warming.
The Burning Man festival ends with
the ceremonial lighting of Burning
Man, a 40-foot effigy built by volunteers. Since Smoldering Man strives
for a more restrained approach, we’ll
stroll down to Fairhaven and just set
fire to some damp rags draped over
the statue of Dirty Dan Harris in the
Village Green.
As the puny flames fizzle out and
the partially charred rags dribble
to the pavement, we hope to see
smiles on the faces of festival attendees, happy Bellinghamsters and
Whatcomites who will already be
thinking, “Someday when my grandchildren ask me about Smoldering
Man, I will look at them and say, “I
was there at the beginning.”
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FOOD 34
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WIN MARINERS TICKETS IN A PRIVATE SUITE!
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CURRENTS 8
HOW TO WIN
ART 18
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CASCADIA WEEKLY
cil positions were grafted on to three
divisions that serve more as a bookkeeping function than a description
of political allegiances.
Zooming out beyond November,
elections are an excellent means to
challenge ideas and assumptions and
to introduce some rigor into policy.
Yes, Mayor Kelli Linville is an excellent and capable administrator, and
she has a council determined to work
with her to achieve city goals. But
there’s not a lot of variation of opinion on City Council, and that can lead
to groupthink. The one City Council
member who consistently pushes back
against the assertions of the administration, Jack Weiss, has not sought
reelection. He recommended April
Barker, president of the Birchwood
Neighborhood Association, to replace
him; and while that’s a powerful endorsement, she enters office without
even a cursory evaluation by voters.
This week, Bellingham City Council
pushed forward a number of agreements that amount to subsidies on the
order of millions of dollars.
Council is on the threshold of agreeing to cover half the costs associated
with recreational boating on Lake
Whatcom for another season while
simultaneously investing millions of
dollars to protect and restore the reservoir. They approved a dense packet
of incentives and tax credits to help
spur development in designated urban villages that include Samish Way
and the central waterfront. They’re
designed to achieve the city’s infill
goals and put properties back on the
tax rolls, but they don’t arrive without near-term outlay and forgone revenue. Council approved the package
without a detailed financial analysis
of the costs of the incentives or their
efficacy. Later this summer, they’ll
consider additions to the city’s urban
growth areas (UGAs) that will introduce capital infrastructure costs of
nearly $60 million, according to planning estimates.
Meanwhile, according to data presented by the city’s Finance department, the city’s carried debt has doubled since 2010, at the bottom of the
recession, climbing from $49.3 million
to $104 million—or $610 per resident
in 2010 to $1,261 per resident in 2014.
Much of that increase arrives by way of
upgrades to the city’s sewage treatment
facility, but its growth against the context of other city expenses and forgone
revenue deserves rigorous debate.
Unfortunately for the health of our
city government, voters won’t get that
debate.
WORDS 12
GO NORTHWOOD
FOR CASINO
!
THE GRISTLE
7
N E WS
P OL I T ICS
F U ZZ BU ZZ
I N DE X
FOOD 34
MUSIC 20
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currents
ART 18
,
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
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STAGE 16
The idea for the marathon
was developed by the
Mount Baker Club, a
group of conservationminded citizens that
were attempting to have
the North Cascades area
designated as part of the
National Park system.
VIEWS 6
MAIL 4
DO IT 2
05.20.15
#20.09
CASCADIA WEEKLY
8
of being in the ski business this the least
amount of snow I have ever seen.”
Pete Coy, race director for more than 40
years, echoes Howat’s alarm, noting, “93
percent of the snowpack is gone. I don’t
know if it’s global warming, El Niño, or
whatever.”
He phrased it right. There is no way to
know if the low snow is due to climate
change or a fluke in ocean dynamics. As
any climatologist will tell you, climate
and weather are two different things.
The word “weather” describes short-term
changes in specific geographic areas. “Climate” is the aggregate of those changes over time around the globe. Weather
doesn’t dictate the climate; climate dictates the weather.
Weekendof Action
NO SNOW WON’T
STOP R ACE;
IT WILL ACTIVATE IT
BY ROB LEWIS
M
emorial Day is coming again and in these
parts that means another chance for
the region to show off its marquee civic
event: Ski to Sea. Folks are rightly proud. Where
else can you start atop a mountain, ski down, crosscountry ski, run, bicycle, canoe and finally trailbike to the sea; then climb in a kayak and paddle in
the presence of lush, low-slung islands? It’s called
a race, but it’s really more a celebration. In one
exuberant relay, Ski to Sea manages to sum up the
entire region, top to bottom, reminding all of us
just how lucky we are to live here.
This year, unfortunately, will be a little different, for there’ll be no “Ski” in Ski to Sea. The snow’s
just not there. A frustrated Duncan Howat, general
manager of Mount Baker Ski Area, explained in a
video message to his customers. “In my 50 years
I spoke with Guillaume Mauger, of the
Climate Impacts Group at the University of
Washington. He said existing data cannot
parse how much of the lack of snow is due
to climate change and how much to other
factors. Rather, he described this ski season
as a “dress rehearsal” for what’s to come,
saying scientists have “very high confidence that the climate will warm significantly over the coming century,” leading to
low-snow events like the one we’re now experiencing. This last winter was 5 degrees
Fahrenheit above normal.
So it’s a question that keeps facing us:
Do we wait for absolute certainty, when it
will be too late, or do we act now in the
hopes of averting disaster?
For local citizens already concerned
about the changing climate, it’s a question
they can’t ignore.
There’s another thing they can’t ignore.
It’s called the Arctic Challenger, and it’s
moored in Bellingham Bay at the foot of
Cornwall Avenue, tucked away behind the
Horizon Lines cargo ship. In fact, Ski to
Sea kayakers will paddle by it on their way
to Fairhaven.
The Arctic Challenger is part of a larger
fleet, assembled by Royal Dutch Shell, to
explore for oil this summer in the Arctic,
specifically the Chuckchi Sea. It is a savior
Classes July 1 - Aug 21
360.383.3080
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8PM
FRIDAY
MAY 29
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CURRENTS 8
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STAGE 16
WCC is an equal opportunity institution.
ART 18
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Now!
MUSIC 20
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Have fun and get ahead at Whatcom.
FOOD 34
HIKE. BIKE. SWIM. STUDY.
W
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Tr clas line er
an se -u qu
sf s g p ar
er o of te
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cr re se ers
ed y s
:
its ou
go
Kicking off the weekend will be a rally
and march at 4pm Fri., May 22 at the corner of Magnolia Street and Cornwall Avenue. Saturday, there will be a kayaktivist
training on Bellingham Bay, to get ready
for Sunday’s flotilla.
“This is our last chance to stop arctic
drilling,” says Chiara Rose, one of the
lead organizers for the group. “We call
on all people of courage and conscience
to come join us, oppose arctic drilling
and show your concern for the climate
and the future of Ski to Sea.”
It’s a good time to look back at the history of Ski to Sea. It turns out, the whole
thing started in 1911 as the Mt. Baker
Marathon. According to Ski to Sea organizers, “the idea for the marathon was developed by the Mount Baker
club, a group of conservation-minded citizens
that were attempting to
have the North Cascades
area designated as part
of the National Park system.”
ATTEND
I’m sure those early
WHAT: Food not
conservationists never
Drilling rally at
imagined that the greatthe corner of
est threat to their beCornwall and
Magnolia. Food,
loved mountains would
music, speakers,
one day be something
kindred spirits
as vast and invisible
5pm March
as a warming climate.
to The Hub.
Nor could they imagine
Video’s, Music,
Speakers
that glaciers in the reWHEN:Friday,
gion would retreat by as
May 22, 4pm
much as 30 percent in
--------------the coming century, acWHAT: Kayakcording to research data.
tavist training
But such is the reality we
at Zuanich Park.
Other trainings
now face, whether as orat 3-5 pm Thurs,
ganizers, as racers or as
May 21 at Zuana community. It’s not a
ich Park.
comfortable subject, but
WHEN: Saturneither is it going away.
day, May 23,
10am
For whatever reasons,
--------------Mother Nature is giving
WHAT: Cheer
us a glimpse into Ski
on the “No
to Sea’s future if the
Snow-sHell No”
climate keeps warming
team. After Race
up. It might be a good
Grand Flotilla
to protest the
time to remember the
Arctic Challenger, conservationist spirit of
Zuanich Park
Ski to Sea’s origins. Mt.
WHEN: Sunday,
Baker and the Salish Sea
May 24, All day
and everything in beMORE INFO:
ShellNo Actween have been hugely
tion Council,
good to us these last
Bellingham
100-plus years. Maybe
it’s time for us to turn
back and ask what we can do in return.
“CONTINUE THE LEGACY.” These are
the words in boldface across the Home
Page of the Ski to Sea website. Amen.
That is what we all want; to hand off
the baton of snow-blessed Ski to Seas
from this generation to the next, and
then to the next, and to the next, and
the next.
On
vessel, intended to contain a potential
blowout when all other measures have
failed. It’s supposed to work by lowering a
containment dome over the blowout, vacuuming up the oil, gas and water, separating them on deck, and then burning off
the oil and gas by means of a “flare boom”
extending off the bow of the vessel.
Critics note that when the system was
tested using water, a moderate breeze
blew the water back at the boat, soaking
the deck. What, they ask, can be expected when it’s burning oil and gas blowing
back, especially in the fierce winds of the
Arctic? They also note that the same containment-dome type of system was tried
during the Deepwater Horizon blowout
in the Gulf of Mexico and failed. Lastly,
they say, sea trials for the containment
dome were conducted in relatively calm
Puget Sound waters in June; no comparison to the Chuckchi Sea in September. The
storms there are mighty, as Shell learned
on their first attempt to drill there, when
heavy winds and towering seas repeatedly
disabled their vessels, eventually washing
the main rig ashore, in what would come
to be known as the wreck of the Kulluk.
The Chuckchi Sea is uniquely rich in
arctic life, nurturing whales, polar bears,
walruses and five kinds of seals. It is also
extremely remote, with the nearest Coast
Guard station 1,000 miles away in Dutch
Harbor. If a spill or blowout occurred, it
would be almost impossible to get help.
An oil disaster in the Arctic would all but
permanently despoil one of the last pristine places on earth.
But there’s an even broader climate
concern: We can’t afford to burn the reserves we already have, let alone drill
for more.
“This is no-win for the region and the
planet,” activist Herb Goodwin said. Either things go wrong out there and the
Arctic is despoiled, or Shell gets their
wells going and starts flooding the
market with oil we can’t afford to burn
without tipping the climate over the
edge.” He notes a recent study in the
journal Nature that confirms there is
“no climate-friendly scenario in which
any oil or gas is drilled in the Arctic.”
When talking about the climate, it’s
important to keep in mind that it’s not
just our climate we’re talking about, but
also our children’s climate. The carbon
we put in the atmosphere today will
destabilize their climate tomorrow. As
their guardians, don’t we have a moral
responsibility to safeguard the climate
they will one day depend on?
Local climate activists are answering
that question by organizing a Weekend of
Action to raise awareness about the climate and oppose Shell’s drilling plans in
the Arctic. They have fielded their own
Ski to Sea team, and after the race is over,
plan a flotilla of “kayaktivists” to protest
the Arctic Challenger in Bellingham Bay.
9
The W
FILM 24
LAST WEEK’S
NEWS
MAY13-18
BY TIM JOHNSON
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.09
05.20.15
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MAIL 4
VIEWS 6
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
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t
k
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e
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currents ›› last week’s news
10
05.13.15
WEDNESDAY
A man is killed by a train in Bellingham. Police say the man was
walking home along the tracks, his hearing evidently obstructed
by headphones, when he was struck from behind by the train and
thrown to the side of the tracks. Jacob Allen Davis, 30, suffered
severe head trauma and dies en route to the hospital. It’s the 11th
fatality on BNSF tracks this year, according to the Associated Press.
Three dairies in Yakima Valley are operating under stricter sanitation standards following resolution of a years-long lawsuit. While
the dairies admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement, the agreement will make strides toward cleaning up groundwater pollution
and provide immediate relief to those people whose drinking water has been contaminated. The settlement holds clear implications
to other dairy-intensive communities struggling with groundwater
issues, including Whatcom County.
05.14.15
THURSDAY
In a historic gathering, leaders from the Lummi, Lower Elwha, Spokane, Quinault, Yakama, Tulalip, Northern Cheyenne, and Swinomish
tribes and the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation of British Columbia, stand
together to oppose North America’s largest coal export terminal.
The united tribes assert the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal at
Cherry Point would interfere with the Lummi Nation’s fishing rights
and demand that federal regulators void the permitting process for
the coal pier. “We can no longer allow industry and business to destroy our resources, water and land,” tribal leaders said. “No mitigation can pay for the magnitude of destruction to treaty resources for
today and generations from now.”
More than 900 caregivers, including nursing assistants, lab techs, housekeeping, dietary, unit secretaries, staged a strike last week in protest
of unfair labor practices. PeaceHealth anticipated the protest and locked union members out for three days, replacing them with temp workers.
Caregivers say PeaceHealth St. Joseph Hospital and Labs made $50 million in profit last year, and Cascade Behavioral Hospital, part of Acadia
Healthcare made $83 million in profit while each refused to heed calls for increased staffing and investment in frontline care. Their union has
been negotiating with management for more than 18 months.
Lummi Nation plans a series of public meetings to gather community input about the best
use of property near Slater Road. The tribe recently received federal approval to put 80
acres into trust land status, an assembly the
tribe may consolidate with 84 acres paced into
trust status in 2013.
ing she was abused by former priest Michael Cody,
who was pastor of St. Charles Parish in Burlington
and Assumption Parish in Bellingham. In a deposition Cody, now 84, acknowledged having inappropriately touched girls. A psychiatrist in 1962
advised the Archdiocese that Cody had molested
at least eight girls. The archbishop sent Cody to
treatment but allowed him to return to work.
05.15.15
FRIDAY
Gov. Jay Inslee declares a statewide drought
emergency. Snowpack is at historic lows, rivers
are dwindling and irrigation districts are cutting
off water to farmers. State agencies fear early-season and higher-elevation wildfires.
Bellingham City Council quarrels and agrees to
postpone an interlocal agreement that would
subsidize a season of recreational boating on
Lake Whatcom in the amount of about $100,000.
The money covers about half the cost of inspections for invasive species that could be introduced
to the reservoir by boats. A fee paid by boaters
covers the remainder of the cost.
05.18.15
MONDAY
The Seattle Archdiocese agrees to pay $1.2
million to settle a lawsuit brought by a woman
who said she was molested by a priest in the
1960s and ’70s. The Sedro-Woolley resident sued
in Whatcom County Superior Court in 2012, alleg-
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In a divided vote, Bellingham City Council approves a package of incentives and tax credits to
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on council believe deserve more discussion.
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NUMBERS OF LOCAL CANDIDATES WHO FILED
EACH DAY LAST WEEK
70
BLACK AND BLUE
CEMENT BALLOONS
On May 12, Bellingham Police checked on a
report of a man dressed like a clown throwing around a block of cement near Broadway
Park. The 47-year-old ran from police and
hid in several private yards. He was eventually collared and arrested for trespassing.
ALIEN SKIES
On May 12, a Mount Vernon resident observed strange lights above the city. “I
was going out to my car to put something
in the trunk and I happened to look up in
the sky,” the witness reported. “What I
saw was this bright orange/red light
slowly across the sky. I first thought that
it was either a plane or a helicopter but
then I noticed that there was no engine
sound at all. The next thing that I noticed was that there were things dropping
from it like sparks that drop from a sparkler. All of a sudden,” the witness reported, “it made a 90-degree left turn toward
me and just hovered there. All that time
I still did not hear any engine sound at
all. After about two minutes, it seemed
like, the thing started to go straight up
and the light faded and pretty soon I
could not see it at all.”
Tue
B-BOARD 27
10
0
Wed
Thurs
MUSIC 20
10
25
Fri
141
NUMBER of elected county offices
NUMBER of candidates who have filed
with candidates who have filed for
office in 2015.
for office in 2015
GET OUT 14
106
ART 18
Mon
19
STAGE 16
25
FILM 24
20
83
CHANCE in 100 a county office has no challenger and is settled before the election
is held.
WORDS 12
On May 18, University Police checked on
a student who was acting strangely and
wearing only a hoody, boxer shorts and
dirty socks.
30
$802,049
ELECTION costs in Whatcom County in 2013.
$9.55
COST per ballot cast in Whatcom County in 2013, expressed as the cost of each
ballot cast in the August and November elections (14,325 and 69,709 respectively).
34.1
PERCENT of state offices in 2014 for which there was no challenger.
57
54
PERCENT of Republican and Republican-
PERCENT of Democratic and
Democratic-leaning voters who have
positive impressions of their party’s
candidates. Nearly 77 percent of
Democrats and Democratic leaners view
Hillary Clinton favorably.
leaning registered voters say they have
an excellent or good impression of
their party’s presidential candidates.
Young voters registered higher levels
of apprehension about their field of
candidates than older voters.
CURRENTS 8
On May 8, a Blaine resident spotted two
vehicles, one a small tan car and the other
a black SUV, cruising through the neighborhood, stopping in turn at each set of
rural mailboxes on the street. “The resident spoke with the occupants, who
claimed they had been hired to clean
out all the newspaper delivery boxes in
the area,” police reported. “The resident
called the newspaper, who called back
about an hour later to confirm the resident’s suspicion that they had not hired
anyone to do that. The homeowner called
police, as it was possible the people had
actually been emptying mailboxes. The
suspects had left the area by that time
and were not located in town, and all patrols were advised.”
62
VIEWS 6
SCHOLARS WEEK
40
MAIL 4
THE PROFESSIONALS
On May 13, University Police checked
on a noise disturbance in Red Square on
Western Washington University campus.
A group of students were mocking a religious supporter in the area, police reported. “Noise found to be at an acceptable
level,” police reported. “Subjects reminded to keep noise down.”
50
48
47
PERCENT of Americans who approve
PERCENT of Americans who disapprove
of President Barack Obama’s job
performance, according to a Gallup poll.
of President Barack Obama’s job
performance, according to Gallup, a
statistical dead heat.
SOURCES: Whatcom County Auditor; Ballotopedia
DO IT 2
On May 13, University Police returned to
Red Square to check on religious protestors who were reported photographing
other people.
On May 7, Anacortes Police responded to
a report of a fight. “An officer arrived and
spoke with two sisters, one 26-year-old
from Anacortes and one 30 year-old from
Mount Vernon, who stated that they had
been assaulted by the Anacortes woman’s
boyfriend,” police reported. “After a few
minutes the suspect, a 26-year-old Anacortes man, came outside and held his
wrists out stating, ‘go ahead and book
me.’ The officer began to handcuff the
man for officer safety, but he then struggled, grabbed, and scratched the officer
before being secured by the officer and a
backup unit that had arrived in the area.
Once the subject was secured, officers
were able to determine that he had been
drinking that afternoon and a verbal argument escalated to the point where the
subject struck his girlfriend and shoved
her sister when she confronted him about
his behavior.” The man was arrested on
assault and domestic violence charges as
malicious mischief as a result of approximately $500 damage incurred to his girlfriend’s car during the scuffle.
60
05.20.15
On May 8, Blaine churchgoers arrived to
discover someone had apparently entered
the church during the night. Blaine Police
officers were meeting the reporting parties
in the church parking lot when their suspicions were confirmed by the male transient
who walked out of the sanctuary to join
them. “The 29-year-old traveler had entered the church overnight seeking shelter
and food and appeared to have other challenges including several arrest warrants,
one of them from Blaine Municipal Court,”
police reported. “The officers concurred
with the church members about the exigent circumstances and did not arrest the
man for burglary, and passed on a trepsass
warning to visit only when regular church
functions are in progress. He was, however,
arrested on the warrants and transported
to receive food and lodging at the jail.”
On May 8, University Police noted two
women fighting near the Ridgeway residence complex on campus. One was described as a blonde in a black dress; the
other was blonde with a brown streak in
her hear wearing a blue sweater. “Been
vehemently arguing for over 15 minutes,”
police observed. “No weapons.”
#20.09
THE CHRISTIAN THING TO DO
FOOD 34
On May 15, Belligham Police spoke to a
man who had found bones while digging
in his flower bed that evening.
CASCADIA WEEKLY
FUZZ
BUZZ
index
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
11
doit
FOOD 34
words
B-BOARD 27
COM M U N I T Y
L E CT U R E S
WED., MAY 20
BOOK CLUB: Bring a book you enjoy, share
the title, what you liked about it, and read
a brief excerpt at the I-Like-This-One Book
Club meeting at 4:15pm at the Everson
Library, 104 Kirsch Dr. The discussion will be
led by Cynthia Rogers.
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
WWW.WCLS.ORG
WORDS 12
CURRENTS 8
VIEWS 6
MAIL 4
DO IT 2
05.20.15
#20.10
CASCADIA WEEKLY
12
BOOK S
WOR DS
ERIK LARSON
REVIEWED BY CHRISTINE PERKINS
Dead Wake
A TALE OF TRANSATLANTIC TROUBLES
ay the name “Lusitania” and most people can conjure a luxury ocean
liner, glamorous passengers and tragedy.
An iceberg? No, that’s the Titanic. Disastrous fire? The Hindenburg zeppelin. Torpedo? That’s it!
Named for the ancient Roman province that covered most of modern Portugal
and part of Spain, the RMS Lusitania was a British
ship of the Cunard line. Built in 1906, it was outfitted with sumptuous furnishings, a wireless telegraph
and electric lights. Capable of speeds up to 25 knots,
the ship was known as a “transatlantic greyhound.”
It made 201 successful crossings from New York to
Liverpool before its fateful end on May 7, 1915, sunk
by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland.
The attack was not without warning. Indeed, the
Imperial German Embassy had taken out a full-page ad
in 50 American newspapers, informing travelers that
“vessels flying the flag of Great Britain or any of her allies, are liable to destruction.” Alas, most of the passengers and crew were too busy preparing for their
journey to read the paper, or too quick to assume their ship would be protected by
a British convoy once it entered the dangerous waters of the war zone.
Captain William Thomas Turner was himself not overly concerned about his
ship’s safety. Though he had heard of increased U-boat activity along shipping
channels, he may not have received Cunard bulletins advising zig-zag maneuvering in the event of a U-boat sighting. Furthermore, he had confidence the
Germans would uphold centuries-old rules of war and not attack civilian vessels.
Turner hadn’t counted on Kptlt. Walther Schwieger, captain of the 210-foot
S
long Unterseeboot-20. Pleasant and well-liked
by his crew, Schwieger nevertheless proved
to be a ruthless commander, willing and eager to increase his kill record, measured in
tonnage without regard for lives lost.
While Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the
Lusitania author Erik Larson pays significant
attention to major figures such as Turner and
Schwieger, he also brings readers into the
lives of the passengers—from those in first
class to those less fortunate—as well as the
Lusitania’s seamen, stewardesses and cooks.
Larson sprinkles countless vivid details
throughout his narrative—the color and cut
of a passenger’s suit, the
contents of a valise, the
exchange of cabins when
a woman complained of
noise. It makes one wonder how these bits of inGET IT
formation came to light.
HOW: Dead Wake
Did anyone survive,
is available in a
and,
if so, who? Larson
variety of formats: book, large
keeps readers in suspense
print, audiobook
until the final chapters.
CD, downloadable
He also injects intriguaudiobook and
ing questions about the
eBook.
British Admiralty’s mysMORE: To place a
hold on a library
terious Room 40, a topcopy, visit www.
secret intelligence unit
wcls.org or use
tracking Germany’s every
a mobile device
move. How much did they
with the Library
Now app (available know, and why did they
for free download
not use the information
from your favorite
they had to prevent the
app store; select
Lusitania tragedy?
Whatcom County
Larson’s strength is
Library System
identifying
compelling
if you live in the
county or Bellingstories, conducting thorham Public Library
ough research and craftif you live within
ing dramatic, readable
Bellingham city
narratives. My favorlimits).
ites are In the Garden of
Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in
Hitler’s Berlin, about the U.S. Ambassador in
the lead-up to World War II, and Devil in the
White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the
Fair that Changed America, about a serial killer
loose at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893. Read
one (or both) while waiting for Dead Wake to
become available at your public library.
Christine Perkins is Executive Director of the
Whatcom County Library System. She’s a reading omnivore, devouring fiction and nonfiction
and discussing books with two local book clubs.
ALL THE WILD: Acclaimed nature writer
David Gessner reads from All the Wild That
Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner and
the American West at 7pm at Village Books,
1200 11th St. In the book, Gessner takes
to the road himself in pursuit of two very
different men.
WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM
MAY 20-23
SK I TO SEA BOOK SALE: The annual Ski to
Sea Book Sale takes place from 10am-6pm
Wednesday through Friday, and 10am-1pm
Saturday, at the Bellingham Public Library,
210 Central Ave. Most items are $1, and, on
Saturday, purchases will be $4 a bag.
WWW.BELLINGHAMPUBLICLIBRARY.ORG
THURS., MAY 21
THE ART IST IC LIFE: Jonica Tod and Paul
Hanson of Village Books focus on “The
Artistic Life: Obsession in Books” at a brown
bag presentation at 12:30pm at Whatcom
Museum’s Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St. The
duo will present a wide array of books, from
novels, to histories, to pictorials, which illustrate and explore what “art” is. Suggested
donation is $3.
WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG
PROSE WRIT ING PRIMER: An info session on an upcoming “Prose Writing for
All Genres” course at Western Washington
University takes place from 5:30-6:30pm at
Village Books, 1200 11th St. The sevenweek writing class will be taught by Laura
Kalpakian.
WWW.WWU.EDU/REALSIMPLE
CHUCK ANUT RADIO HOUR: Christopher
McDougall, author of Natural Born Heroes:
How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the
Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance, will
be the featured author at the Chuckanut
Radio Hour at 7pm at the Heiner Theater at
Whatcom Community College, 237 W. Kellogg
St. Performance poet Kevin Murphy, Weekly
columnist Alan Rhodes, an episode of the
“Bellingham Bean” and more will be part of
the live taping. Entry is $5.
SAT., MAY 23
BTP BOOK SALE: Bellingham Books to Prisoners will host a Book Sale from 10am-3pm
at 228 E. Champion St. Most books are $1,
and all proceeds from sales go toward postage for shipping packages to prisoners.
WWW.BELLINGHAMBTP.ORG
WISDOM OF GRANDMOTHERS: Women’s
Voices: The Wisdom of the Grandmothers author and filmmaker Susan Stark Christianson
shares the book and documentary film of the
same name at 2pm at the Ferndale Library,
2125 Main St. The project initially grew
out of a desire to find out more about the
indigenous prophesy that states there won’t
be peace on earth until the voices of the
doit
FOOD 34
end of life issues and join an interesting discussion circle at the monthly Death Cafe taking
place from 6:30-8:30pm at Moles Family Funeral
Home, 2465 Lakeway Dr. Entry is by donation.
WWW.DEATHCAFE.COM
778-7323
GEOLOGIC T IME: Western Washington University geology professor Don Easterbrook shares
ideas from Cruising Through Geologic Time in the
San Juan Islands at 7pm at Village Books, 1200
11th St. The book includes geologic descriptions of the geology of all of the islands with
more than 400 photos, maps, and laser, sonar
and satellite images, cross–indexed so the geology of any specific island can be easily found.
WED., MAY 27
HIGH SCHOOL BOOK CLUB: Students in 9th
through 12th grade are invited to a High School
Book Club meeting at 4pm at the Ferndale
Library, 2125 Main St. Books, snacks and prizes
will be part of the fun.
305-3600
THURS., MAY 28
MONTEGO’S TALE: Bellingham-based author
Jack Shaughnessy reads from Montego’s Tale
(about his friendship with a horse) and Puzzle
Pieces on the Path (a random collection of personal musings, memories, observations and imaginings) at 7pm at Village Books, 1200 11th St.
WWW.BOBWALLIN.COM
BLOCK PART Y: All ages are invited to take part
in a Ski to Sea Block Party taking place from
5-9pm at Boundary Bay Brewery, 1107 Railroad
Ave. The free event will feature music, prizes,
commemorative beer glasses, and more.
WWW.SKITOSEA.COM
SAT., MAY 23
BLOSSOM T IME PARADE: Floats, marching
bands, firetrucks and horses can all be expected
at the annual Ski to Sea Blossom Time Parade
beginning at noon in downtown Bellingham.
The route will begin at the corner of Alabama
Street and Cornwall Avenue and finish at N.
State and York streets.
WWW.SKITOSEA.COM
B-BOARD 27
FILM 24
MUSIC 20
ART 18
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SUN., MAY 24
HISTORIC FAIRHAVEN FEST IVAL: Arts and
crafts vendors, a beer and wine garden, live
music, exhibits from nonprofits, children’s
activities, food booths and an opportunity
to watch the final leg of the Ski to Sea race
will be part of the Historic Fairhaven Festival
happening from 12-7pm throughout the historic
district. Entry to the block party is, per usual,
free and open to all ages. Whatcom Transportation Authority buses will be running throughout
the day from downtown Bellingham and the
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WED., MAY 20
PLANE TARIUM SHOW: Travel to ancient Egypt
to see how science was used to tell time, make
a workable calendar, and align huge buildings
at a “Stars of the Pharaohs” show at 6pm at
Western Washington University’s Spanel Planetarium. Additional public shows happen June 3
and 17. Tickets are $10.
WWW.TICKETS.WWU.EDU
DEATH CAFE: Bring your perspective,
thoughts, insights and questions surrounding
WED., MAY 27
WAT ERFRONT FORUM: “A Waterfront for
the Community: Towards a Shared Vision for
Bellingham’s Waterfront” will be the focus of
a forum hosted by the BlueGreen Waterfront
Coalition beginning at 5:30pm at Northwood
Hall, 3240 Northwest Ave. This forum will
bring together diverse voices offering positive visions for the waterfront and encourage
public input that will help ensure the redevelopment process leads to a clean, sustainable
waterfront and family-sustaining jobs for
Bellingham.
676-0099 OR WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/EVENTS
CASCADIA WEEKLY
COM M U N I T Y
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GET OUT 14
BELLINGHAM READS: Patrica Wood’s Lottery
will be the focus at a Bellingham Reads book
discussion group meeting at 6:30pm at the Dodson Room at the Bellingham Public Library, 210
Central Ave. New members are always welcome.
WORDS 12
TUES., MAY 26
SHREDDING EVENT: Attend a free “Shredding
Event” from 12-2pm in the parking lot at Bob
Wallin Insurance, 1844 Iron St. Sound Recycling
will be on hand to shred whatever documents
you need shredded. Please remove all metal
binding clips and staples.
CURRENTS 8
671-2626
WWW.YWCABELLINGHAM.COM
VIEWS 6
OPEN MIC: Local writer and teacher Laurel
Leigh helms the monthly Open Mic at 7pm at
Village Books, 1200 11th St. Published and unpublished writers are encouraged to attend and
enjoy a welcoming audience. Share your writing
about memories and history—or any creative
work in progress. Sign up in advance at the main
counter or by calling the number listed here.
MAIL 4
MON., MAY 25
LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST DEADLINE: Today
is the deadline to register for the YWCA’s annual
“Leadership Breakfast” fundraiser happening
at 7am Fri., May 29 at the ballroom at the Best
Western Lakeway Inn, 714 Lakeway Dr. A Leg to
Stand On author Colleen Haggerty will be the
keynote speaker. A minimum $50 donation is
requested; funds raised support the YWCA transitional and emergency housing program.
DO IT 2
WWW.WCLS.ORG
FRI., MAY 22
05.20.15
grandmothers are heard, and shares the stories
of grandmothers from Siberia to Patagonia.
WWW.GETCOACHEDBELLINGHAM.COM
#20.10
On Sun., May 24, Bellingham’s Silk Road Dancers
will help kick off the Ski to Sea block party known
as the Historic Fairhaven Festival
COACHING WEEK: As part of International
Coaching Awareness Week, attend a Laser
Coaching Salon and Mixer from 4-6:30pm at
Poppe’s 360, 714 Lakeway Dr. The free event
features 20-minute coaching sessions, no-host
cocktails and appetizers. Sign up at the door.
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CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
DO IT 2
MAIL 4
VIEWS 6
14
PHOTO BY LINDSAY PAYNE
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
B-BOARD 27
H I K I NG
BY AMY KEPFERLE
Throwback Thursdays
KICKBALL AND COMMUNITY AT MARITIME HERITAGE PARK
s the Executive Director of the Downtown Bellingham Partnership, Nick Hartrich has a duty to make sure the city’s urban core is both vibrant and inclusive for all. It’s one of the reasons he’s excited about the new “Throwback
Thursdays” Urban Kickball League taking place every Thursday at Maritime Heritage
Park. We caught up with “NickySix”—Hartrich’s kickball alias—to find out more.
Cascadia Weekly: ”Come rain, come shine, return to Maritime” is the tagline of the
Throwback Thursdays urban kickball events. Why does the Downtown Bellingham Partnership think it is important to kickstart renewed activity at Maritime Heritage Park?
Nick Hartrich: Maritime is our primary urban public park and belongs to everyone
in this city, and that includes families. The Partnership has a goal to promote a
thriving downtown, and we can’t do that unless we have all people engaged in
our work. Throwback Thursdays is an urban experiment to see if a little bit of
creative hustle will bring families to Maritime. It’s working.
CW: There’s a large homeless population that is present at the park on a regular basis.
Do you think that keeps people away?
NH: I’m not a specialist in homeless behavior or the larger economic disparity that
is at the root of this question, though when I took the executive director position at the Partnership I made it my goal to visit Maritime once a week. Today,
my goal is twice a week, and that has taught me some interesting things about
people and the park.
I’m trying to make a difference by inviting new people to the park, aiming to
lessen the divide and help reach a wider demographic for park use and people
A
understanding. The best way to do that
is experiment with ideas like Throwback
Thursdays. After our first game, I overheard two mothers (with kids) say to
each other, “This park is absolutely beautiful, and yet we have never been here.”
We’re starting something.
CW: How are events such as the Urban
Kickball League tackling the unification
of both factors of the Bellingham population—i.e., those who want to utilize the
park for community activities, and those
without homes who might be using it as
a home base?
NH: It’s teaching us to embrace the reality that is downtown Bellingham, not to
ignore it. When I asked four community
leaders to individually captain a kickball
team, I was asking them to embrace the
differences that are apparent and to take
a risk with the unknown. Their efforts are
now bringing 60 players and two dozen
families to Maritime every Thursday.
More, too, if your readers attend.
CW: You were officiating for the first game of
the spring league last week. How did it go?
NH: It was the most fun I’ve had in a Bellingham park in the 16 years I’ve lived here.
These industry teams—and the people on
them—are amazing and hilarious.
CW: Can you share a few highlights?
NH: I encourage readers to check out the
Throwback Thursdays Facebook event
page for running commentary; it’s
worth it.
CW: Are you looking for crowds to cheer on
the teams at urban kickball games?
NH: Absolutely. The success of these
games is magnified by those that attend as spectators, and you’ll just have
to come see for yourself why. The final
tournament game on Sat., June 13 will
be a series of championship games with
kids activities. If you ever needed an
excuse to bring your family to this park,
this is that opportunity.
CW: If Throwback Thursdays are successful,
will there be a summer
league?
NH: We’ve already got
teams signed up to play.
CW: How else can people
who want to get involved
do so?
NH: The best way to stay
is to check out
ATTEND involved
the
Downtown
BellingWHAT: Throwham
Partnership
Faceback Thursdays
Urban Kickball
book page and let us
League
know what you think.
WHEN:
CW: Downtown Belling5:30-7:30pm
ham Partnership is workevery Thursday
ing with the city’s Parks
through June
11. A final tourand Recreation Departnament game
ment to produce Throwtakes place
back Thursdays. What othfrom 11am-4pm
er ways are both entities
Sat., June 13
working to being energy
WHERE: Maritime Heritage
and community to MariPark, 500 W.
time Heritage Park?
Holly St.
NH: We’re helping supCOST: Entry is
port
Parks and Recrefree
ation
and the City of
INFO: www.
downtownbelBellingham with a sumlingham.com
mer concert series every
Friday in August: food trucks, music,
everyone alike can come help reshape
the culture of this park. It will follow
Downtown Sounds, which starts July 1,
so we will have two full months of urban
music that will make this one of the best
summers downtown has ever seen.
CW: Anything else?
NH: Throwback Thursdays are an urban experiment in helping make place. It doesn’t
have to be a 100 percent success in order for it to have been successful. We’re
building a new city of elected officials,
business and community leaders, and you
won’t find these people sitting behind a
desk all day. You’ll find them playing kickball at Maritime on Thursday nights.
SUN., MAY 24
GROUP RUN: All levels of experience are
welcome at a weekly Group Run beginning at
6pm in Mount Vernon at the Skagit Running
Company, 702 First St. The 3- to 6-mile run is
great for beginners or for others wanting an
easy recovery. Entry is free and no registration
is required.
SK I TO SEA: The reconfigured multi-sport Ski
to Sea race begins at 7:45am at the Mt. Baker Ski
Area and ends at 5pm. View the competitors along
the way, or head to the Historic Fairhaven Festival
to check out the final leg of the race at at Fourth
Street and Harris Avenue, outside the Index Industries building, near the entrance to Marine Park.
FRI., MAY 22
WILD THINGS: Kids, adults and adventurers
can join Wild Whatcom Walks for “Wild Things”
excursions from 9:30-11am every Friday in May at
Cornwall Park. Entry is by donation.
WWW.WILDWHATCOM.ORG
MAY 22-24
PLOVER FERRY: The Plover ferry starts running
this weekend and continues through the summer
from 12-8pm Friday and Saturday and 10am-6pm
Sunday departing on the hour from the Blaine
Visitor’s Dock, Gate II at Blaine Harbor. Suggested donation for the rides is $1 for kids and
$5 for adults.
WWW.DRAYTONHARBORMARITIME.ORG
BIRD TOUR: North Cascades Audubon Society
president Pam Borso leads “Audubon Bird Tour:
Meet Our Raptors” at 2pm at Whatcom Museum’s
Syre Education Center, 201 Prospect St. Borso
will introduce key owl and hawk species and share
how these birds of prey are faring in our changing
land and sea habitats. Entry is free with museum
admission.
TUES., MAY 26
ALL-PACES RUN: Staffers and volunteers are
always on hand to guide the way at the weekly
All-Paces Run starting at 6pm every Tuesday at
Fairhaven Runners, 1209 11th St. The runs are 20
minutes out and back on two key routes—by the
water or through the woods. Entry is free.
GET OUT 14
WORDS 12
WWW.MTBAKERBIKECLUB.ORG
WWW.WNPSKOMA.ORG
CURRENTS 8
RABBIT RIDE: Join members of the Mount Baker
Bicycle Club for a “Rabbit Ride” starting at 8am
every Sunday at Fairhaven Bike, 1108 11th St.
The 32-mile route takes riders down Chuckanut
and back via Lake Samish. The group also holds
weekly rides Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays.
VIEWS 6
NAT IVE PLANT WALK: Join the Koma Kulshan
Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society
for a Native Plant Walk with ethnobotanist Abe
Lloyd focusing on “Coastal Ethnobotany” at 6pm
at the North Chuckanut Trailhead parking lot,
where you’ll continue on to Woodstock Farm.
Entry is free and no registration is required.
MAIL 4
THURS., MAY 21
WWW.SKITOSEA.COM
DO IT 2
WWW.SKAGITRUNNERS.ORG
ART 18
WED., MAY 20
STAGE 16
Jim and Daphne Hamilton will talk about their experiences with the Andean Mountain Hummingbird Project at
an Audubon Society presentation Tues., May 26 at Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
B-BOARD 27
FOOD 34
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WWW.MOUNTBAKERCLUB.ORG
MAY 23-24
BOAT ING CENTER OPEN: The Community Boating Center has resumed operations for the 2015
season from 10am until sunset on Saturdays
and Sundays at their headquarters at 555 Harris
Ave. Rentals include kayaks, sailboats, rowboats
and paddle boards. Registration for youth
camps and adult classes are currently available
online. Starting June 22, the center will operate
through the week.
WWW.BOATINGCENTER.ORG
#20.10
HUMMINGBIRD EXPEDIT ION: Find out more
about the Andean Mountain Hummingbird Project
when Jim and Daphne Hamilton lead an Audubon
Society presentation at 7pm at Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St. Suggested
donation is $3.
THURS., MAY 28
NAT IVE PLANT WALK: Join the Koma Kulshan
Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society for
a free “Downtown Plants” Native Plant Walk starting at 6pm at the Environmental Learning Center,
514 W. Holly St. Attendees will follow the Native
Plant Teaching Trail in Maritime Heritage Park
along Whatcom Creek and learn about the plants,
their names, and uses in native Salish tradition.
The walk will be led by anthropologist Allan Richardson. No registration is necessary.
WWW.WNPSKOMA.ORG
CASCADIA WEEKLY
PACIFIC TRAIL HIKE: Join members of the
Mount Baker Club for a hike on the Capilano
Pacific Trail in North Vancouver, BC. The trail follows the Capilano River, passing through a variety
of terrain, including beaches, rocky shores, steep
canyon cliffs, and dense rainforest. Meet at 8am
at Sunnyland Elementary to carpool.
05.20.15
WWW.FAIRHAVENRUNNERS.COM
SAT., MAY 23
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VIEWS 6
16
PHOTO BY KIM LINCOLN PHOTOGRAPHY
CURRENTS 8
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14
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B-BOARD 27
T H E AT E R
IAN BIVENS AND ANGELA KISER IN THE CRAFT
BY AMY KEPFERLE
Short Shots
BEST OF BRASS MONKEY
’m a dedicated reader of short stories. Why? For one thing, there’s no beating around the bush when it comes to character development. If something
momentous and interesting—or at least pertinent to the story arc—doesn’t
take place in the first few pages, it’s probably not going to.
The same school of thought also translates to short plays. Events and relationships need to move along quickly when you’ve only got 10 or 15 minutes to tell a
tale, and the playwrights penning the scripts are forced to make things happen
or risk ending up with nothing at all.
I’m happy to report that at a recent viewing of the six plays making up the
“Best of Brass Monkey” at iDiOM Theater, everyone involved seemed to be on
board with moving the action forward with alacrity.
As part of iDiOM’s Spring Rep series—which began April 23 and concludes May
30—the “Best of Brass Monkey” offerings are based on themes ranging from
surprises to revenge, angst, magic and wishes (plus one wild card pick).
The topics of the plays, and the plays themselves, are a product of the downtown Bellingham theater’s 2014/2015 season, and didn’t just appear out of thin
air. Throughout the past year, iDiOM hosted short play “cold readings” on the
aforementioned topics, with submissions coming in from both near and far. At
the end of each live reading, the audience voted for their favorite script, with the
winning entry from each event being added to the “Best of Brass Monkey” lineup.
Helmed by artistic director Glenn Hergenhahn-Zhao and longtime iDiOM
I
PROF I L ES
veteran Ian Bivins (who also acts in two
of the plays), there’s something for just
about everyone.
For example, Will Arbery’s The Dust Veil
of 536 A.D—based on an actual longago weather event that darkened the
skies between Europe and Asia Minor and
brought decreased temperatures, drought
and food shortages to the affected regions—starts things off on a serious and
haunting note as a family must struggle
to keep hope alive and either “fight the
dust” or die.
For those who prefer love stories, there
are a couple twisted versions of the genre
to be found. Colby Day’s Wishes sees a
ghost fall in love with a
girl, and vice-versa, but
will the requests they’re
granted by their very
strange wish-granters allow them to find everlasting love? (I’m not telling.)
Conversely, In Lu Tyler’s
The Flower and the Song,
SEE IT
two misfits are searching
WHAT: Best of
Brass Monkey
for their soul mates, but
WHEN: 7:30pm
are stymied by a variety
May 21-22 and
of factors—including a
May 28-30
very proprietary cat.
WHERE: iDiOM
Weird relationships beTheater, 1418
Cornwall Ave.
tween humans are further
COST: $10-$12
explored in Andrew Biss’
INFO: www.
The Craft (a play within
idiomtheater.
a play where a man and
com
woman onstage are sharing their inner dialogues with the audience rather than the lines of that “other”
play) and in Raven Burnett’s An Evening of
Surprises, where literally nothing is as it
seems and each character has his or her
own secrets to share.
Another play by Colby Day kind of defies description. No Farting in Beantown is
comedic, sure, but it’s also kind of tragic,
as those who flout the law are jailed for
their crimes.
Perhaps that story’s not for you. That’s
O.K. Similar to the theater’s ballyhooed 48
Hour Theater Festival—which is coming
up again June 6-7, so mark your calendars
now—it’s great fun to see so many stories
being told in such a short time, and in such
different fashions.
And, if one play doesn’t appeal to you,
there’s a good chance the next one—and
perhaps the one after that—will.
doit
STAGE
THURS., MAY 21
GOOD, BAD, UGLY: Watch “The Good, the
Bad and the Ugly” at 8pm every Thursday
at the Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St. At
10pm, stick around for the “Project.” Entry
is $4-$7.
733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM
MAN AND SUPERMAN: Academy Award
nominee Ralph Fiennes plays Jack Tanner in
Man and Superman at a big-screen National
Theatre live showing at 7:30pm in Mount
Vernon at the Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First
St. Tickets are $12-$16. The reinvention
of Shaw’s witty, provocative classic shows
again at 2pm Sun., May 31.
WWW.LINCOLNTHEATRE.ORG
MAY 21-22
WHAT-A-SHO!: Theater, dance, music and
poetry readings—with a little comedy inbetween—will be part of the “What-a-Sho!”
variety show at 7pm Thursday and Friday at
Bellingham High School, 2020 Cornwall Ave.
Tickets to the all-ages performances will be
$8 at the door.
676-5006
MAY 21-23
MARINA: Bellingham TheatreWorks presents the world premiere showing of the
musical Marina at performances at 7:30pm
Thursday through Saturday at the Mount
Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St. The
story focuses on Marina, a grief-stricken
woman who owns a cabaret and must deal
with “the woes and wonders of life in
Blaine, Washington circa 1908.” Tickets
are $10-$24.
734-6080 OR
WWW.MOUNTBAKERTHEATRE.COM
SPRING REP: A Spring Rep series continues this week with showings of Best of
Brass Monkey at 7:30pm Thursday and Friday
at the iDiOM Theater, 1418 Cornwall Ave.
See Broken Holmes and In a Handbag Darkly
at 9:30pm Friday and 7:30pm Saturday.
Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the
door. Additional Spring Rep shows continue
through May 30.
WWW.IDIOMTHEATER.COM
MAY 22-23
BLENDER: Mainstage players will join
forces with other top-notch improv groups
from around the region at “Blender” shows
at 8pm and 10pm Friday and Saturday at
the Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St. Tickets
are $10 in advance and $12 at the door; see
the mingled magic happen again at May
29-30 performances.
WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM
MAY 22-24
LIT TLE SHOP OF HORRORS: An uproarious version of Little Shop of Horrors performed by youth ages 13-16 can be seen
at 7pm Friday, 2pm and 7pm Saturday, and
2pm Sunday at the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth, 1059 N. State St. Tickets
to the musical are $10. Since the second
cast will be taking over this weekend,
there’ll be an Opening Night Gala starting
at 6pm Friday. Tickets to that event are
$15. Additional showings happen through
May 31.
WWW.BAAY.ORG
doit
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B-BOARD 27
FOOD 34
INFLAMMABLE CIRCUS: Della Moustachella hosts “Inflammable Circus” shows at
8:30pm Friday and Saturday at the Bellingham Theatre Guid’s Cirque Lab, 1401 6th St.,
suite #102. The third annual fundraising
fire show features stunning aerials, flaming
bellydancing, torch juggling, fire contortion, world-class fire poi spinning and more,
all set to music by Bar Tabac, the Cornwall
Marching Band, and Strangely. Tickets are
$12-$22. Show up starting at noon Sunday
for a variety of circus performances happening throughout the day. Tickets for Sunday’s
festivities will be $10 at the door only.
WWW.BELLINGHAMCIRCUSGUILD.COM
SUN., MAY 24
ART 18
MUSIC 20
LAUGHING AT THE STARS: Comedians
from Bellingham and beyond entertain
the masses at the weekly “Laughing at the
Stars” Stand-Up Comedy Show at 8:30pm at
the Star Club, 311 E. Holly St. Joel O’Connor
hosts the entertaining event. Entry is free.
WWW.STARCLUBBELLINGHAM.COM
MON., MAY 25
FOLK DANCE: Join the Fourth Corner Folk
Dancers to learn lively folk dances from Eastern Europe, Greece, Turkey, and Israel from
7:15-10pm every Thursday at the Fairhaven
Library, 1117 12th St. Suggested donation is
$5; students and first-timers are free.
STAGE 16
GET OUT 14
WORDS 12
CURRENTS 8
at 6:30 pm ~ All Welcome
4LYPKPHU:\P[L
VIEWS 6
THURS., MAY 21
meditation center
bellingham.shambhala.org
MAIL 4
DA NCE
New Thursday Evening Class
Begins May 14th, 7:00 pm
Open Meditation ~ Thursdays
(360) 380-0456
S
EO P L E
GP
’S
Voted #1 Italian Restaurant
S
KA
DANCE PART Y: A mix of swing, Latin and
ballroom will be highlighted and danced to
with an introductory lesson at the weekly
Friday Night Dance Party from 7:30-10pm
at the Bellingham Dance Company, 1705 N.
State St. Admission is $5-$7.
10
GI T P U B
LI
IN
C
FRI., MAY 22
H
Try our New Full Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Menus!
WWW.BELLINGHAMDANCECOMPANY.COM
SAT., MAY 23
BALLROOM DANCING: All ages and
levels of experience can attend “Ballroom
Dancing” events from 6:30-9pm on the
second and fourth Saturdays of the month
at the Bellingham Senior Activity Center,
315 Halleck St. The social dances feature
traditional ballroom and swing music for
foxtrot, east coast swing, waltz, nightclub
two-step, cha cha, rumba, salsa, samba
and more. Entry is $5.
(360) 671-7764
SEND YOUR EVENT INFORMATION TO
CALENDAR@CASCADIAWEEKLY.COM
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11am–3pm
360-592-2297
Dinner hours
www.everybodys.com
Hiway 9 – Van Zandt
DO IT 2
WWW.BELLINGHAMSHCOOLS.ORG
05.20.15
HONK!: Squalicum High School’s drama
department finishes up its season with
performances of Honk! The Musical at
7:30pm Thursday and Friday, and 2pm and
7:30pm Saturday, at the school’s Forum
Theater, 3773 E. McLeod Rd. Tickets to the
family-friendly adaptation of Hans Christian
Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling are $5-$10.
#20.10
MAY 28-30
CASCADIA WEEKLY
WWW.ACOUSTICTAVERN.COM
JOY
Living with
GUFFAWINGHAM: A weekly open mic for
comedians, “Guffawingham!,” takes place
at 9:30pm every Monday at the Green Frog,
1015 N. State St. Entry is free.
Lunch hours
3pm–10pm
360.419.0674
WWW.GRANAIO.COM
EAT-ITALIAN@GRANAIO.COM
£ääÊÊÌ}iÀÞ]Ê-ÕÌiÊ££ä]ÊÕÌÊ6iÀ
17
doit
B-BOARD 27
FOOD 34
visual
G A L L ER I ES
OPEN I NGS
P ROF I L E S
U P COM I NG E V EN TS
THURS., MAY 21
AF TER HOURS ART: Bring your favorite pencil
and sketchpad and study the female figure with
poses inspired by the paintings and sculpture of
Tom Sherwood at an “AHA! After Hours Art: Figure Sketching” gathering from 5:30-7:30pm at
Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building, 250
Flora St. Entry is $13-$18; register in advance.
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
DO IT 2
MAIL 4
18
“VEILED IN VIOLET,” BY SHARON KINGSTON
VIEWS 6
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
778-8961
BY STEPHEN HUNTER
Homage
A NEW LOOK AT NATURE
ne sunny Thursday, I stretched out in my self-driving car and typed
in: “Great food and someplace beautiful.” Opening my eyes, I found
myself in Edison. How does this tiny village enjoy a monopoly on
tasty eats and good art?
I enjoyed sandwiches and homemade soup in a blooming garden overlooking the slough, then stepped next door to Smith & Vallee Gallery. Their current homage to the work of Sharon Kingston and Eric Eschenbach is more
than merely beautiful; it’s a comment on the clash of nature and civilization.
Think of the English Romanticist, J.M.W. Turner, and his pictures of clouds
and sky. Now, think Minimalism. Subtract boats, water and architecture—
everything but sky—and you have Kingston’s “atmospheric” paintings.
As some artists listen to jazz or classical music, Kingston fuels her creative energy with the poetry of Rilke and Denise Levertov. Hence, one canvas: “A Ballast Against all that Light-filled Loveliness,” in which you feel
the lift of the clouds against the blue above, their dark undersides revealing the hint of a rainstorm. She describes her portrayal of atmosphere as
O
intended “to create spaces that are undefined,
contemplative and allow room to reflect and
accept uncertainty.”
Kingston has cultivated a discipline of careful and subtle gradation of light and shadow. A
row of five cloud portraits with a mere suggestion of horizon beneath is an engaging sight.
“Ineffable,” is almost as beautiful as a real
sunset, in tints of rose and blue and already
the blackness of night rising from the earth.
What distinguishes these splendid paintings
from photographs of clouds and sky? It must
be the mediation of the artist’s heart.
The gallery chose landscapes by Eschenbach
to complement Kingston’s
skies. He displays a distinctive, personal style: a
whiff of Primitivism and a
set of favorite color choices—light yellow green,
tawny yellow, baby blue
SEE IT
water and clouds always
WHAT: “Homage”
white. He achieves his deWHEN: 11am-5pm
scriptions with consistent
Wed.-Sun., through
ease, without fussiness or
May 31
WHERE: Smith
trying to be too exact.
& Vallee Gallery,
Most of these free and
5742 Gilkey Ave.,
confident
scenes are innoEdison
cent
of
human
presence.
INFO: www.
See,
for
example,
his “Wismithandvallee.
com
lapa Bay,” and “Deception
Pass.” In the beautiful
“Gold Creek,” however, a grand sweep of river
is pocked with weathered stumps where a forest once stood.
A century ago, Modernist painting gloried
in portraits of factories, warehouses, ships
and locomotives. So too, in his “Padilla Bay,”
Eschenbach includes the twinkling lights and
trailing steam of oil refineries beyond the tide
flats. Is it accidental or deliberate that the
curators have exiled this lovely painting to the
back room, on the wall opposite the toilet?
Not quite so hidden are two marvelous
landscapes by Lisa Gilley, whose work has
been spotlighted previously at the gallery:
“Hidden Valley” and “Alaska Range” have the
same exciting, crisp, abstracted approach to
landscape as in one of my favorites from the
1920s, the Canadian, Lawren Harris. I could
stare at them for hours.
As usual, some fine woodwork is on display,
including geometric sculptures by Andrew Vallee in cedar, walnut and maple. And Peregrine
O’Gormley’s small, exquisite pieces—a knotted
skink in black walnut and a massive earthworm
in bronze—never cease to amaze.
MAY 22-24
ART BY THE AIRPORT: The Whatcom Art Guild
will host its annual “Art by the Airport” spring
show from 2-8pm Friday and 10am-5pm Saturday
and Sunday at Hampton Inn’s Fox Hall, 3985
Bennett Dr. The judged show will feature the
work of more than 45 well-known community
artists. Offerings include fine art originals,
affordable prints, photography, handcrafted
fabrics, pottery, jewelry and more one-of-a-kind
items. Demos and a daily raffle will also be part
of the festivities. Entry is free.
WWW.WHATCOMARTGUILD.COM
MAY 23-24
LUMMI STUDIO TOUR: More than 40 artists
and craftspeople will be showing their work at
23 locations as part of the semiannual Lummi
Island Artists’ Studio Tour taking place from
10am-6pm Saturday and Sunday throughout
the lovely land mass. Peruse and purchase
everything from paintings to prints, notecards,
jewelry, photography, sculpture, glass, pottery,
metalwork, stonework and more. Entry to the
self-guided tour is free; pick up maps at participating locales, or at the Islander store (directly
to your left when you exit the ferry).
WWW.LUMMI-ISLAND.COM
SUN., MAY 24
SECONDS SALE: Reap the rewards of imperfection, experimentation and maturation at
the annual “Ski to Sea Seconds Sale” from
10am-5pm at Good Earth Pottery, 1000 Harris
Ave. Bring boxes and bags along to stock up on
“perfectly good pots at perfect prices.”
WWW.GOODEARTHPOTS.COM
ONGOI NG E X H I BI TS
ALLIED ARTS: In honor of Arts Education
Month, view professional work by Allied Arts
Teaching Artists in Whatcom County through
May at Allied Arts, 1418 Cornwall Ave.
WWW.ALLIEDARTS.ORG
ART IN THE CIT Y: Works by Sarah Denby,
Francis X Donovan, Peter Rand, Samuel EisenMeyers, Jeremy and Ron McManmon and more
can be seen at Art in the City through June 14
at 1213 Cornwall Ave. The pop-up gallery is
intended to bring energy and diversity to the
Cornwall block and surrounding areas.
(503) 415-1642 OR SEMARTWORKS@GMAIL.COM
ART WOOD: Mirrors, art pieces for the walls and
small tables by Ray deVries will be highlighted
through May at Artwood Gallery, 1000 Harris
Ave. Visitors can also view watercolor paintings
by Brenda Lowery.
WWW.ARTWOODGALLERY.COM
FISHBOY GALLERY: Check out the contemporary folk art of RR Clark from 1:30-5pm every
Mon.-Fri. at the FishBoy Gallery, 617 Virginia St.
714-0815 OR WWW.FISHBOYGALLERY.COM
FOOD 34
B-BOARD 27
WWW.FOURTHCORNERFRAMES.COM
Ski to
Open eekend
W
a
!
Se
e Now
Reserv
FILM 24
Bre
June wery T
13 @ our
noon
WWW.GOODEARTHPOTS.COM
MUSIC 20
Sunday-Thursday 4-6pm
601 West Holla;\*MTTQVOPIUWA
*--:;
ART 18
WWW.JANSENARTCENTER.ORG
Family Friendly
HoPPY Hour
ChuckanutBreweryAndKitchen.com
MONA: “Neo-Naturalists,” “Etsuko Ichiwaka,
Hakoniwa Project: To Touch & Be Touched,” and
“Study in Green” are currently on display at La
Conner’s Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S. First
St. Entry is free.
WWW.MONAMUSEUM.ORG
STAGE 16
WWW.MATZKEFINEART.COM
Join us for the LIVE TAPING of the
Chuckanut Radio Hour
featuring the author of
BORN TO RUN
GET OUT 14
MATZKE GALLERY: “The Celebration of
Spring” shows through June 14 at Camano
Island’s Matzke Fine Art Gallery and Sculpture
Park, 2345 Blanche Way. The multi-artist
exhibit is open every weekend.
&KULVWRSKHU
0F'28*$//
May 25TH 12-5PM
Natural Born
HEROES
Tickets $5 available at Village Books & brownpapertickets.com
One FREE with each purchase of Natural Born Heroes
Sunday, June 14, 7pm
WWW.SCOTTMILO.COM
WWW.SKAGITCOUNT Y.NET/MUSEUM
SMITH & VALLEE: View “Homage” until May
31 at Edison’s Smith & Vallee Gallery, 5742
Gilkey Ave. The exhibit features works by oil
painters Sharon Kingston (Bellingham) and Eric
Eschenbach (Seattle).
WWW.SMITHANDVALLEE.COM
WATERWORK S: “Keeping Time,” paintings
by Anelecia Hannah Brooks, can be viewed
through May 25 in Friday Harbor at Waterworks
Gallery, 315 Argyle St.
WWW.WATERWORKSGALLERY.COM
WHATCOM MUSEUM: “Tom Sherwood:
A Golden Perspective,” “The Owl and the
Woodpecker: Photographs by Paul Bannick,”
and “A Curator’s Perspective: Selections from
the Collection” can currently be viewed on the
Whatcom Museum campus.
BBQ Tickets & Flag Reservations available at bellewoodfarms.com
6140 Guide Meridian (360) 318 7720
Join us for a Booked at the
Baker Series event with
renowned author and
environmentalist
DAVID
SUZUKI
at the Mount Baker Theatre
MAIL 4
SK AGIT MUSEUM: “Salt of the Earth” shows
through July 12 at La Conner’s Skagit County
Historical Museum, 501 S. Fourth St. Through
May 31, visitors can also view “The Art of Mark
Iverson: A Friend Remembered.”
Support of Growing Veterans
=>Help Us Build A Human Flag sign up now
=>Badd Dog Blues Society Live Music!
=>Barbeque $15, Spirits & Brews
=>Lawn Games
=>In
How a Daring Band of Misﬁts
Mastered the Lost Secrets of
Strength and Endurance
B U I L D I N G YO U R
DO IT 2
SCOT T MILO GALLERY: A new collection of
oils and pastels by Amanda Houston will be
featured through May in Anacortes at the Scott
Milo Gallery, 420 Commercial Ave.
in the Heiner Theater at WCC
Introducing
PROFESSIONAL
BRAND
05.20.15
WWW.LACONNERQUILTS.ORG
WORDS 12
Thursday, May 21, 6:30pm
QUILT MUSUEM: View “Revealing the Hidden”
(Contemporary QuiltArt Association), “Impressions in Fabric” (Denise Miller and Nancy Ryan)
and “Pastels and More: Selections from our
Permanent Collection” through June 28 at
the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, 703 S.
Second St.
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Stand out in today’s competitive job market.
Info Session
Thurs., May 28 | 5:30 p.m.
Technology Development Center
1000 F Street
Read more at villagebooks.com
VILLAGE BOOKS
1200 11th St., Bellingham
360.671.2626
CURRENTS 8
JANSEN ART CENTER: “Promising Futures:
Whatcom County High School Student Art,” an
exhibit of works by Seattle-based artist Quincy
Anderson, and the continuing Spring Juried
Exhibit can be seen until May 30 at Lynden’s
Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St.
VIEWS 6
GOOD EARTH POT TERY: Ann Marie Cooper’s
works will be featured through May at Good
Earth Pottery, 1000 Harris Ave.
#20.10
FOURTH CORNER FRAMES: “Hidden Treasures” shows from May 22-June 30 at Fourth
Corner Frames & Gallery, 311 W. Holly St. The
exhibit features the work of Robert Finnigan
(1927-1997), a New York artist with a strong
mid-century style of what he called “Modified
Realism.” A reception takes place June 5 during the next Art Walk.
CHUCKANUT BREWERY
& KITCHEN
CASCADIA WEEKLY
doit
19
wwu.edu/enrich
Active Minds Changing Lives
AA/EO
B-BOARD 27
FOOD 34
music
Ski to Sea
FOR YOU AND ME
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
DO IT 2
VIEWS 6
BY CAREY ROSS
MAIL 4
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC
20
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
SHOW PREVIEWS › › RUMOR HAS IT
20
lthough the racecourse itself has undergone some rerouting due
to the nearly nonexistent snowpack in the mountains (climate
change is real, folks), Ski to Sea soldiers on with all the pluck,
creativity and dogged determination the event has shown since its inception some 40 years ago.
Which is a good thing, not just because the multi-stage race has become
a hallmark of our community, participated in and watched by thousands
every year, but also because with Ski to Sea come Ski to Sea celebrations.
I think it has been well established around these parts that the only
thing we love as much as a community race is a community party to celebrate that race.
In past years, it seemed that nearly every venue in town had some
sort of Memorial Day/Ski to Sea weekend blowout taking place, but times
and entertainment trends change, and these days the events are fewer in
number, but what they lack in quantity, they make up for in other ways.
For many years now, when we look to celebrate just about anything,
we’ve looked to Boundary Bay Brewery to throw us a party—and the brewpub rarely disappoints. As of this week, the beer garden—a harbinger of
summer for locals, transplanted locals and newcomers alike—is open and
the potent pints are flowing.
Coincidentally, Boundary’s beer garden also happens to be the place
for a couple of events that bookend the Ski to Sea festivities. The first,
which begins at 5pm Fri., May 22, is a newish annual happening, the Ski
A
to Sea Community Block Party. The familyfriendly gathering features games, raffle
prizes and other giveaways, and various
other elements that combine to form a fun
outing. Music is, of course, an important
piece of this, and will come courtesy of
a band that, like Boundary, is also a beloved local institution, the Atlantics. Best
of all, engaging in this community revelry
will cost you nothing, although you’d be
well-advised to indulge in a pint (or three)
of the beer (or the house-brewed root beer
for those members of the family who aren’t
yet of age) that is the brewpub’s reason for
being. As they so often do, Boundary has
brewed something especially for the occasion, and a limited run of Ski to Sea ESB
will be on tap and flowing strong.
But if you miss your chance at that particular party, Boundary will offer you redemption just a couple of days later when
they play host to a Ski to Sea barbecue
that takes place Sun., May 24. Intended
to be a decidedly lower-key affair than the
Community Block Party, this is the place
to go when you don’t feel like cooking dinner and wouldn’t mind a wander through
downtown Bellingham with a stop to slake
your thirst in the always-welcoming beer
garden. The barbecues heat up at 4pm; at
Rumor Has It
IN THIS AREA, Ski to Sea is the big event on our
immediate horizon. But as hard is it can be to
believe, Bellingham is not, in fact, the center
of the known universe, and one need not travel
very far during the upcoming holiday weekend to
find an even larger happening that draws huge
musical acts and huge crowds alike.
What I’m talking about here is Sasquatch.
In case you’ve been somewhere dark and
sweaty for the past decade-plus, the Sasquatch Music Festival is a giant music festival
that takes place over Memorial Day weekend at
the Gorge Amphitheatre. It draws top-drawer
talent that this year includes Sleater-Kinney,
Robert Plant, Kendrick Lamar, Modest Mouse,
and about a jillion other musicians.
Truthfully, my interest in Sasquatch or any
other festival of its ilk waxes and wanes—but
it mostly wanes. Unless, of course, said giant
festivals happen to include local bands and
musicians, in which
case, I get real interested real quick.
I’m pretty interested right now.
The parties responBY CAREY ROSS
sible for piquing that
interest are Odesza and Manatee Commune, who
are scheduled to play Sasquatch this weekend.
Odesza, Sasquatch alums, are alums of Western Washington University as well. This dynamic duo of Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight
met in college, set out to create their own
dreamy brand of EDM music, moved to Seattle—and then suddenly they were everywhere.
Their YouTube videos garnered thousands of
views in the blink of an eye, their Facebook
likes (the currency of the times in which we
live) climbed to a couple of hundred thousand,
and they went from playing Bellingham-sized
rooms to Sasquatch and Coachella. Now their
shows are selling out all over the world and
they are, as they say, living the dream.
Although Manatee Commune’s rise hasn’t
been quite as meteoric—yet—Grant Eadie
(the Manatee in question) is building an impressive career nonetheless.
What Eadie does is a little unusual in the
realm of electronic music—and a lot compelling.
From the beginning, his mix of recorded music
and live instrumentation have exhibited real vision—not the mention the courage to trust that
vision—and as he’s grown and become more
experienced, that vision has become distilled
rather than diluted. I’m far from the only one to
be swayed by Eadie’s charms, and he’s been enjoying increasing exposure that will see Manatee
Commune perform not just at Sasquatch, but at
Bonnaroo as well. Add to that the fact that Eadie
has played more than his fair share of benefits
and fundraisers in this town, leading me to believe he possesses a strong streak of community-mindedness, and has a reputation for being
unfailingly nice, and I’m inclined to say success
couldn’t happen to a more deserving dude.
734-8158 OR WWW.COMMUNIT YFOOD.COOP
NIGHT BEAT: Soprano Amber Sudduth-Bone and
pianist Jay Rozendaal will perform works by Barber,
Menotti, Heggie, and Deak at a Bellingham Music
Club “Night Beat” concert at 7:30pm at the First
Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Ave. Thom
Mayes on bass, baritone Nathaniel Voth, and
soprano Anjani Briggs also will perform. Tickets
are $10.
WWW.BELLINGHAMMUSICCLUB.ORG
FRI., MAY 22
GEORGE CABLES: The Arlington Arts Council
hosts a concert with jazz pianist George Cables
at 7:30pm at Arlington’s Byrnes Performing Arts
Center, 18821 Crown Ridge Blvd. Barisax player
Gary Smulyan, bassist Chuck Deardorf, and drummer
Matt Jorgensen will play along. The show opens
with the Arlington High School Jazz I, directed
by John Grabowski, with a special guest, Thomas
Marriott, on trumpet. Tickets are $15.
WWW.NWFOLKLIFE.OG
TUES., MAY 26
UNIVERSIT Y CHOIR: Attend a “University Choir”
performance at 8pm at Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. Entry is
free and open to the public.
650-3130
WED., MAY 27
SPRING CHORAL CONCERT: Students in the
mixed treble choir, concert choir and Showstoppers
choir will perform at a “Spring Choral Concert” at
7pm at Bellingham High School, 2020 Cornwall Ave.
Admission is free and open to the public.
676-6470
MILO PE TERSEN QUARTE T: The Milo Petersen
Quartet performs at a concert that will pay homage
to master guitarist Wes Montgomery at 7pm at
the Whatcom Jazz Music and Arts Center at the
Majestic, 1023 N. Forest St. Entry is $5 for students
and $10 general.
WWW.WJMAC.ORG
WWW.BYRNESPERFORMINGARTS.COM
MAY 22-25
NW FOLKLIFE FEST IVAL: More than 5,000
performers from throughout the region and beyond
will perform at the 44th annual Northwest Folklife
Festival 11am-10pm Friday through Sunday, and
11am-9pm Monday, at the Seattle Center grounds.
THURS., MAY 28
TRIBUTE CONCERT: The Mount Vernon High
School instrumental music department celebrates
our country’s troops at a Tribute Concert at 7pm
at the Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St. Tickets are
$4-$8.
WWW.LINCOLNTHEATRE.ORG
FOOD 34
B-BOARD 27
FILM 24
MUSIC
20
MUSIC 20
ART 18
STAGE 16
GET OUT 14
WORDS 12
1255 Barkley Blvd. | 360-746-8815
CURRENTS 8
WITH THIS COUPON
VIEWS 6
This year’s cultural focus, “Beats, Rhymes and
Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today’s Branches,”
will highlight in great depth the cross-cultural
roots of Hip Hop in the Northwest. Per usual, the
event is free.
2 ENTREES 10%OFF
MAIL 4
CO-OP CONCERT: Hear songs influenced by Tanya
Hladik’s love of the natural world and the deep
mystery of life when the singer and songwriter
performs with Brit Keeton and Zach Bauman from
6-8pm at the Swan Cafe at the Community Food
Co-op, 1220 N. Forest St. Entry is free.
UP TO
DO IT 2
THURS., MAY 21
BUBBLE TEA » NO MSG » VEGETERIAN DISHES AVAILABLE
05.20.15
musicevents
Delicious Home Style
Asian Cooking
#20.10
7pm Fence-Fire will show up to provide
a soundtrack of live music, and if you
happen to be there and still hungry after 8pm, Boundary will even cook you
a pizza.
But Boundary Bay isn’t home to the
only Ski to Sea beer garden in town. And
the other one can be found at a place
that has also earned status as a muchloved local mainstay.
To find this fun, you’ll have to do as
the Ski to Sea racers do and take yourself to Fairhaven. This is where the finish line is located and is also the place
where you’ll find the Historic Fairhaven
Festival, an event that kicks off at 10am
Sun., May 24 and runs all day, drawing
thousands of people, consuming much
of the Southside and causing a traffic
nightmare for anyone foolish enough
to try and drive or park anywhere near
the heart of Fairhaven or its surrounding side streets (hot tip: the Whatcom
Transportation Authority provides ample shuttle opportunities. Take advantage of them. Trust me on this).
Of course, this is the party that used to
be known as It All Ends in Fairhaven, an
apocalyptic-sounding name that I took
great glee in writing about every year,
which, now that I think of it, might have
been a contributing
factor to its name being changed to the
much more benignsounding
Historic
Fairhaven Festival.
Regardless of what
it’s called, the event
ATTEND remains much the
WHAT: Community same. Music hapBlock Party
pens all day long on
WHEN: 5pm Fri.,
two stages, and such
May 22
bands as Spaceband,
WHAT: Ski to Sea
BBQ
Nashville Northwest,
WHEN: 4pm Sun.,
Divas and Dudes, Up
May 24
from the Ashes, and
WHERE: Boundary
more will be workBay Brewery, 1107
ing hard to entertain
Railroad Ave.
COST: Free
you mightily. Along
INFO: www.
with the ample supbbaybrewery.com
ply of music will be
--------------an equally ample supWHAT: Historic
ply of foodstuffs, at
Fairhaven Festival
WHEN: 10am
a variety of differSun., May 24
ent booths. And it
WHERE: Fairhaven
wouldn’t be the It All
COST: Free
Ends at the Historic
INFO: www.
Fairhaven
Festival
fairhaven.com
without the beer and
wine garden, which I’m told will feature
unique entertainment all its own. The entertainment is free, the food and drink are
not, the bus is a dollar. Feel free to make
a day of it.
CASCADIA WEEKLY
SKI TO SEA, FROM PAGE 20
21
FOOD 34
B-BOARD 27
musicvenues
See below for venue
addresses and phone
numbers
Boundary Bay
Brewery
05.20.15
05.21.15
05.22.15
05.23.15
05.24.15
05.25.15
05.26.15
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Aaron Guest (early), High
Mountain Stringband
(late)
Happy Hour BBQ w/Chas
Justice
Ski to Sea Community Block
Party
ART 18
MUSIC
20
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
Brown Lantern Ale
House
Cabin Tavern
Commodore Ballroom
Open Mic
STAGE 16
GET OUT 14
Irish & Folk Night,
Piano Night
Paul Klein
Ebb, Slack & Flood
Open Mic
Live Music
East Coast Dave and The
Boobs
Akio Chai Forsyth, Casey
Graham
The Mavericks, Whitney
Rose
Jungle
Milky Chance, Fmlybnd
Milky Chance, Fmlybnd
Father John Misty, Courtney Marie Andrews
Eric Apoe and They
The Fire Inside
Les Dames Dangereux
Chuck Dingee
Bandzandt
Bow Diddlers
Girl Meets Boy
DJ Boombox Kid
Ski to Sea After Party
Corner Pub
Knut Bell and the 360s
Edison Inn
DJ J-Will
Bass Area Crew
CLINTON FEARON/
May 23/Wild Buffalo
Bellewood Acres (VJEF.FSJEJBO-ZOEFOt
| Bobby Lee’s Pub & Eatery 8.BJO4U&WFSTPOt | Boundary Bay Brewing Co. 3BJMSPBE"WFt]Brown Lantern Ale House
$PNNFSDJBM"WF"OBDPSUFTt
]The Business$PNNFSDJBM"WF"OBDPSUFTt
| Cabin Tavern8)PMMZ4Ut]Chuckanut Brewery8)PMMZ4Ut]
Commodore Ballroom(SBOWJMMF4U7BODPVWFSt
]Conway Muse4QSVDF.BJO4U$POXBZ
] Corner Pub"MMFO8FTU3PBE#VSMJOHUPO
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
DO IT 2
MAIL 4
VIEWS 6
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
Ski to Sea BBQ w/
Fence-Fire
Karaoke
Conway Muse
Glow Nightclub
Bellingham Firefighters
Pipes & Drums Fundraiser
Weeknights - 7:00 p.m.
22
Listen to our live audio stream!
Find us on Facebook.
05.23.15
05.24.15
05.25.15
05.26.15
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
The Lowest Pair (early),
James Beach (late)
Achilles Wheel, The High
Council
Rose's Pawn Shop
Slow Jam (early), Buzz
Brump (late)
Open Mic (early), Guffawingham (late)
Aaron Crawford
Karaoke
KC's Bar and Grill
Gallowglass
Karaoke
Karaoke
Jonathan Warren & the
Billygoats
The Original Devillies
Main St. Bar and Grill
Karaoke
Electric Soul Society
Old World Deli
Soul Magnets and Limited
Run
Stop the Buck
Little Joe Argo
Max's Midnight Kitchen
Royal
Karaoke
Karaoke
Country Night
DJ Jester
Rumors Cabaret
Leveled
Throwback Thursday
DJ Postal, DJ Shortwave
DJ Mike Tolleson
The Shakedown
Hump! Dance Party
The Spider Ferns, Nightmare
Fortress, Casey Proctor
N7E Comp Release w/Agonizer, Dead Hookers, more
Karaoke Competition Finals
Phoenix
Phoenix
Faucher Four
Skagit Valley Casino
Bryan John Appleby,
K. Skelton, Biagio
Biondolillo
Skylark's
Walt Burkett & Vocals
The Sonja Lee Band
Star Club
Aireeoke
TGIF Karaoke
Songwriter Night
Pad Pushers
Cat Bomb, The Purrs, Tin
Foil Cat
Swinomish Casino and
Lodge
The Popoffs
The Popoffs
The Underground
DJ B-Mello
DJ B-Mello
Karaoke
Karaoke
Karaoke
Karaoke
Jam Night
Karaoke
Road to Rockstar
Free Funk Friday
Clinton Fearon and the
Boogie Brown Band
Flannel, more
Via Cafe and Bistro
Karaoke
The Village Inn
Wild Buffalo
‘90s Night
Treble Tuesday
Tom Waits Night
Aireeoke
MAIL 4
Laughing at the Stars
DO IT 2
Karaoke
Karaoke w/Zach
FATHER JOHN MISTY/
May 24/Commodore
Ballroom
#20.10
Swillery Whiskey Bar
ROSE’S PAWN SHOP/
May 23/Green Frog
The Devilly Brothers
GET OUT 14
Rockfish Grill
The Shadies
CURRENTS 8
Kulshan Brewing Co.
Marcel's Bluegrass Night
ART 18
Write Riot
WORDS 12
Open Mic
VIEWS 6
Honey Moon
STAGE 16
H2O
Lindsay Lou and the
Flatbellys (early), Terrible
Tuesday Soul Explosion (late)
05.20.15
Green Frog
B-BOARD 27
05.22.15
FILM 24
05.21.15
THURSDAY
MUSIC
20
MUSIC 20
05.20.15
WEDNESDAY
Open Mic w/Chuck D.
The Green Frog /4UBUF4UtXXXBDPVTUJDUBWFSODPN | Edison Inn $BJOT$U&EJTPOt
| The Fairhaven )BSSJT"WFt| Glow&)PMMZ4Ut]Graham’s
Restaurant.PVOU#BLFS)XZ(MBDJFSt
| H20, $PNNFSDJBM"WF"OBDPSUFTt
| Honey Moon/4UBUF4Ut]KC’s Bar and Grill8.BJO4U
&WFSTPOt
]Kulshan Brewery +BNFT4Ut | Make.Shift Art Space 'MPSB4Ut | Main Street Bar & Grill .BJO4U'FSOEBMFt
]McKay’s
Taphouse&.BQMF4Ut
| Nooksack River Casino.U#BLFS)XZ%FNJOHt
| Poppe’s-BLFXBZ%St| Paso Del Norte 1FBDF1PSUBM%S#MBJOFt
]The Redlight /4UBUF4UtXXXSFEMJHIUXJOFBOEDPGGFFDPN]Rockfish Grill $PNNFSDJBM"WF"OBDPSUFTt
]The Royal &)PMMZ4Ut]Rumors Cabaret
3BJMSPBE"WFt| The Shakedown /4UBUF4UtXXXTIBLFEPXOCFMMJOHIBNDPN]Silver Reef Casino )BYUPO8BZ'FSOEBMFt
]Skagit Valley Casino Resort 5984 N.
%BSSL-BOF#PXt
]Skylark’s Hidden Cafe UI4Ut]Star Club &)PMMZ4UtXXXTUBSDMVCCFMMJOHIBNDPN]Swillery Whiskey Bar8)PMMZ4U]Swinomish Casino
$BTJOP%S"OBDPSUFTt
|Temple Bar8$IBNQJPO4Ut] The Underground &$IFTUOVU4Ut | Underground Coffeehouse 7JLJOH6OJPOSE'MPPS886 | Via
$BGF#JSDI#BZ%S#MBJOFt
]7JMMBHF*OO1VC /PSUIXFTU"WFt ]7JOPTUSPMPHZ8)PMMZ4Ut] Wild Buffalo 8)PMMZ4UtXXXXJMECVGGBMPOFU]5PHFUZPVS
MJWFNVTJDMJTUJOHTJODMVEFETFOEJOGPUPDMVCT!DBTDBEJBXFFLMZDPN%FBEMJOFTBSFBMXBZTBUQN'SJEBZ
CASCADIA WEEKLY
See below for venue
addresses and phone
numbers
FOOD 34
musicvenues
23
FOOD 34
Film
VIEWS 6
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
B-BOARD 27
MOVIE REVIEWS › › SHOWTIMES
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
DO IT 2
MAIL 4
REVIEWED BY TY BURR
24
Far From the
Madding Crowd
A MODERN LOVE STORY
ar From the Madding Crowd is a Masterpiece Theatre version of Thomas Hardy’s
1874 novel, shot with sumptuous taste and care, rife with emotions repressed
and unbound, and featuring expertly nuanced performances from a tony, mostly British cast. It will greatly please discerning audiences while causing Hardy to spin
discreetly in his grave. That’s a fair tradeoff, especially if the movie sends you back
to the book.
Carey Mulligan (An Education) makes for a more modern Bathsheba Everdene than
the one on the page—yes, Hunger Games fans, this is where your no-nonsense Katniss
got her surname (with a slight spelling tweak) and spine—but if the heroine seems
more 21st-century free spirit than 19th-century path-breaker, her dimples and indomitability overcome all objections.
The novel was daring in its day for poking ragged holes in England’s class system.
In the opening scenes, shot amid the rolling Dorset landscape on which Hardy overlaid his fictional Wessex, Bathsheba is a poor relation helping out at an aunt’s farm;
shortly thereafter, a dying uncle’s bequest puts the young woman in the novel posi-
F
tion of running a large farm of her own. No
husband needed, thank you.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Oak (Belgian actorhunk Matthias Schoenaerts) has lost the
sheep farm by which he tried to bootstrap
himself up from the peasantry, and his
fumbling marriage proposal to Bathsheba
has come to naught. With pleasant Victorian coincidence, he finds himself hired
on to help manage the Everdene estate,
smoldering manfully and sympathetically
for the remainder of the film’s two-hour
running time.
To read the book is to be immersed in
Hardy’s almost obsessively detailed description of outer events and inner intents. You’re never sure where the novel
is going because he describes everything
down to the wallpaper glue and follows
every emotion back to its source. There
are fires and drownings and fallen women
and returns from the dead; there’s also a
sharpness of psychological insight that’s
well ahead of its time.
A movie can’t begin to re-create this
exhaustive narrative flow, although John
Schlesinger’s 1967 adaptation of Far From
the Madding Crowd, starring Julie Christie
as Bathsheba and Alan Bates as Oak, gave
it a good three-hour go. That version is
weird in a 1960s way that oddly matches
up with Hardy’s own eccentricities, and
it’s truer to his undercurrents of eroticism—the other reason the novel ran
into problems—than this very romantic
but not remotely kinky new film.
Granted, the scene in which the cad
army officer Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom
Sturridge) demonstrates his swordsmanship on and around Bathsheba in a secluded glade is almost as ripely pre-Freudian
as in the book. By this point, Bathsheba
is also being wooed by William Boldwood
(Michael Sheen), a repressed landowner
sent into a tizzy after she sends him a
teasing anonymous valentine. Far From
the Madding Crowd envisions a rural England on the verge of societal meltdown—
no wonder it horrified keepers of public
morals—and the movie, to its credit,
holds on to the book’s singular vision of
a willful woman undoing several social
strata of hapless men.
So, are we supposed to be on Team Troy,
Team Boldwood, or Team Oak? Hardy keeps
a reader guessing, but the movie votes
for Farmer Oak early on. Schoenaerts has
been alarmingly intense in several European dramas (Bullhead, Rust and Bone), but
here he’s steadfast and doe-eyed, always
doing the right thing by Bathsheba and
the farm while she busies herself elsewhere, the silly. No, it doesn’t make much
sense, unless you accept that a work of
subtle and acerbic social acuity has been
transformed into a reasonably intelligent
romance and that one of the rules of romance is to keep lovers apart even if it
renders them vaguely dull-witted.
That said, Mulligan has the quickness
necessary for a screen Bathsheba, and
the sense and foolhardiness too. The director is Thomas Vinterberg, a Dane who
has made some fine, nerve-racking films
The Celebration (1998), The Hunt (2013)—
but whose gift for naturalism doesn’t sit
well with the story’s melodramatic turns.
Vinterberg seems slightly embarrassed by
them; he also seems uninterested in the
vanishing rural England of characters and
dialects that the book depicts in such
profusion. The locals who threaten to
take over Hardy’s narrative, with names
like Joseph Poorgrass and Laban Tall,
speaking in Dorset idioms that barely
qualify as English, are nodded to only in
passing here.
That raises an interesting point: Can
only an Englishman do right by Hardy?
Can a Dane play the 19th-century British class-war blues? Vinterberg’s Far From
the Madding Crowd looks tremendous and
it positively swoons with rough passions
filmed at golden hour. It’s a very solid
night at the movies. But, when all is said
and done, all it has in common with its
source is a title and a plot.
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FOOD 34
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ART 18
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WORDS 12
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CASCADIA WEEKLY
2012 Chevrolet
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Camaro 1LT
CURRENTS 8
Experts in helping you register
& import back to the US *Hassle Free
VIEWS 6
CARS COST LESS IN CANADA!
25
FOOD 34
film ›› showing this week
BY CAREY ROSS
pretty good time at the movies. +++ (PG-13 • 1 hr.
54 min.)
FILM 24
Clouds of Sil s Mar ia: Featuring a trio of powerhouse performances from Juliette Binoche, Kristen
Stewart, and Chloe Grace Moretz, this movie is a
shrewd meditation on aging, show business and aging in show business, all set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss Alps. +++++ (R • 2 hrs.
4 min.)
ART 18
Avengers: Age of Ultron: Summer blockbusters,
meet your new God. ++++ (PG-13 • 2 hrs. 21 min.)
STAGE 16
Poltergeist: The original was the first horror movie
my sister and I ever saw together—she felt great terror and I took great satisfaction in poorly re-enacting
various scenes of the movie in order to freak her out
over and over again. This movie might have some
things going for it—namely that it, much like its
predecessor, was produced by Steven Spielberg—but it
can never match the glory of what came before. +++
(PG-13 • 1 hr. 33 min.)
The Age of Adeline: Blake Lively, a preternaturally beautiful woman who never seems to age, plays
Adeline, a preternaturally beautiful woman who never
seems to age. +++ (PG-13 • 1 hr. 49 min.)
MUSIC 20
B-BOARD 27
FILM SHORTS
Tomorrowland: All I know about Tomorrowland is
it’s the place at Disneyland where Michael Jackson
(disguised as Captain EO) lives and it is also home to
Space Mountain, which is good enough for me. All I
know about its cinematic namesake is that it stars
George Clooney, is directed by Brad Bird and isn’t a
remake or part of a franchise. More than good enough
for me. +++ (PG • 2 hrs. 10 min.)
Ex Machina: Alex Garland (28 Days Later, Sunshine)
crafts for us a prescient story about a future in which
machines become sentient and robots are our sexy
new gods. +++++ (R • 1 hr. 48 min.)
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
DO IT 2
MAIL 4
VIEWS 6
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
IRIS
26
Far From the Madding Crowd: See review previous
page. +++++ (PG-13 • 1 hr. 59 min.)
Fur ious 7: Seven movies in, and this series remains
high-speed Hollywood entertainment at its most implausibly pleasurable. Although this movie will always
bear the distinction of being Paul Walker’s cinematic
swan song, it serves his memory well. ++++ (PG-13
• 2 hrs. 9 min.)
Welcome to Me: Kristen Wiig is a rare talent,
capable of creating characters that are funny without
being completely ridiculous and portraying serious
roles that are imbued with equal measures of humor
and humanity. In this, she plays a woman with borderline personality disorder and lottery winnings who
buys herself a talk show and proceeds to work out her
mental and emotional issues in front of a live studio
audience. ++++ (R • 1 hr. 45 min.)
What We Do in the Shadows: Spawned from the
twisted minds responsible for Flight of the Conchords,
this is the completely hilarious, must-see vampire
spoof we have all been waiting for. +++++ (Unrated
• 1 hr. 27 min.)
Home: An animated adventure in which an alien
teams up with a little girl on a quest to find her
mother. At some point, the alien eats a urine cake,
which pretty much lets you know the level of humor
you can expect here. ++ (PG • 1 hr. 33 min.)
Hot Pursuit: This isn’t the worst movie you’ve ever
seen and that’s the absolute best thing I can say
about it. + (PG-13 • 1 hr. 27 min.)
Ir is: This film pairs legendary 87-year-old documentarian Albert Maysles with Iris Apfel, the quick-witted, flamboyantly dressed, fearless 93-year-old style
maven who has had an outsized presence on the New
York fashion scene for decades. +++++ (PG-13 • 1
hr. 23 min.)
Mad Max: Fur y Road: In 1981, George Miller
unleashed his futuristic, post-apocalyptic fantasy
The Road Warrior on the movie-going public, and the
Mad Max saga was born. Now, some 30-plus years
later, Miller reboots his franchise, with a little help
from stars Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, and proves
himself to still be the right man to deliver a crazy,
frenetic, ass-kicker of a Mad Max movie. +++++ (R
• 2 hrs.)
POLTERGEIST
Monkey Kingdom: The House of Mouse sends
a bunch of cameras to southern Asia to follow a
monkey mother and her baby. You can have your
by-the-numbers princesses. This is the Disney movie
I’ve been waiting for my whole life. +++++ (G •
85 min.)
Paul Blar t: Mall Cop 2: I would watch Modern Times
Forever, an experimental Danish film with a running
PEP PER
SISTERS
COOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Open Nightly Except Monday
1055 N State St
SINCE 1988
B’ham 671-3414
time of 10 days, sans bathroom breaks, before I would
watch 10 minutes of this brain-cell killer. Suck on
that, Blart. + (PG • 1 hr. 34 min.)
Pitch Per fect 2: Sure, it’s thin on plot and many of
its jokes are infantile at best, but it’s a movie about
competitive a cappella singers, not Citizen Kane.
The girl-power vibe, killer soundtrack and increased
presence of scene-stealing Rebel Wilson make it a
Showtimes
Regal and AMC theaters, please see
www.fandango.com.
Pickford Film Center and
PFC’s Limelight Cinema, please see
www.pickfordfilmcenter.com
Windermere Real Estate Whatcom, Inc.
(360) 393-5826
cerisenoah@windermere.com
BUY YOUR
OWN HOME!
More than 100
families just like
yours have
purchased
affordable,
high-quality
homes in our
community!
It’s easier than
you think. Let us
show you how.
360-671-5600, x2
info@KulshanCLT.org
www.KulshanCLT.org
“Medicare 101” will be
the subject of discussion
with Australia Cosby, Coordinator of the Whatcom
County Statewide Health
Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) program, from
6:30-8pm Thursday, May 28
at the Cordata Community
Food Co-op, 315 Westerly
Rd. The workshop will examine the ins and outs of
the Medicare system including what Medicare does and
does not cover, Medicare
enrollment, enrollee rights,
health plans and supplements, Part D prescription
drug plans, and Medicare
savings programs. Entry is
free, but you need to register. More info: 734-8158 or
www.communityfood.coop
Co-Dependents Anonymous meets from 7-8:30pm
most Mondays at PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s Community Health Education Center, 3333 Squalicum Pkwy,
conference room B. Entry is
by donation. More info: (360)
676-8588
A Grief Support Group
meets at 7pm every Tuesday
at the St. Luke’s Community
Health Education Center,
3333 Squalicum Pkwy. The
free, drop-in support group
is for those experiencing the
recent death of a friend or
loved one. More info: 7335877
SEEKING SALES REPRESENTATIVE
CASCADIA WEEKLY NEWSPAPER BELLINGHAM, WA
The Cascadia Weekly, the region's #1 Arts and Entertainment
Newspaper, is in search of an energetic, charismatic and
driven full time Sales Representative to join our team.
We need someone that can develop their own territory and
wants to be a part of the community.
{Requirements}
Team Oriented Deals well with ambiguity and little
direction able to meet sales goals and remain on task
Self Starter Detail oriented Deadline driven Tech savvy
Comfortable with cold calls and can maintain relationships
with clients Must have own transportation and cell phone
Baseline pay, plus commission, stipend for gas and cell phone.
Send your cover letter describing your experience and why your a good fit for the
position and your resume to spelton@cascadiaweekly.com. No phone calls.
B-BOARD 27
FILM 24
MUSIC 20
ART 18
Dermatologist Liz Vennos, M.D., will focus on
“Melanoma Prevention: Start
Young, Grow Old!” at a presentation at 6:30pm Thurs.,
May 26 at the St. Luke’s
Community Health Education Center, 3333 Squalicum
Parkway. Dr. Vennos will review the latest information
STAGE 16
Professional,
knowledgeable,
fun & friendly
to work with.
Learn how easy it is to
compost your food scraps
by harnessing the work of
worms at a free “Vermicomposting with Callie Martin”
workshop at 6:30pm Tues.,
May 26 in Mount Vernon at
the Skagit Valley Food Co-op,
202 S. First St. Callie Martin
is the Waste Reduction/Community Education/Outreach
Specialist for Skagit County.
Please register in advance.
More info: www.skagitfoodcoop.com
GET OUT 14
REALTOR ®
on how to prevent malignant
melanoma skin cancer starting at a young age. Entry is
free; register in advance.
More info: (360) 778-8238 or
www.bellinghamderm.com
WORDS 12
Cerise Noah
An “Intro to Yoga” course
for all ages and skill levels
takes place from 10:3011:30am Fridays from May
22-June 19 at the Deming Library, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy.
Come once, or to all five
sessions. Please bring your
own yoga mat (or towel or
blanket) and water bottle.
Entry is free and no registration is required. More info:
305-3600
CURRENTS 8
range of cancer prevention
and therapeutic strategies
including diet, herbs and
nutrients, chemo, radiation,
and more. Entry is $5. More
info: 734-8158 or www.communityfood.coop
VIEWS 6
“Take Control of Your
Health: Cancer” will be the
focus of a discussion with
Jim Ehmke, CN from 6:308:30pm Wed., May 20 at the
Cordata Community Food
Co-op, 315 Westerly Rd.
Ehmke will talk about a wide
MAIL 4
MIND & BODY
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MIND & BODY
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MIND & BODY
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MIND & BODY
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200
FOOD 34
bulletinboard
27
28
CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
05.20.15
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MAIL 4
VIEWS 6
CURRENTS 8
WORDS 12
GET OUT 14
STAGE 16
ART 18
MUSIC 20
FILM 24
B-BOARD 27
FOOD 34
Down
1 Grafton whose
works are in letters
2 “That’s it!”
3 “Gloomy” guy
4 Naive
5 Damsel in distress’s cry
6 Out to lunch
7 7’7” center Ma-
B-BOARD 27
FILM 24
MUSIC 20
ART 18
STAGE 16
GET OUT 14
Last Week’s Puzzle
WORDS 12
32 Turns brown,
maybe
33 Obstruction in
the night
37 Pinky, for one
38 More reptilian, in
a way
39 Common Market
inits.
40 Besting
42 Prefix on the
farm
43 By way of
44 Tooth doc’s deg.
45 Broadcast studio
2015 Jonesin’
Crosswords
(editor@jonesin
crosswords.com)
CURRENTS 8
took off
19 Drug dropped in
the ‘60s
20 “Girls” creator/
star Dunham
21 Rap’s ___ Boys
23 Come together
27 Pirates’ stashes
28 Seek water with
a divining rod
29 Birthplace of
Robert Burns
31 “___ Ho” (“Slumdog Millionaire”
showstopper)
45 Tater Tots brand
46 Color in “America
the Beautiful”
47 Longest river in
France
48 Get up
50 Off-road goer,
briefly
52 Equal, in Cannes
56 Driver’s lic.
figure
57 Basketball Hall
of Fame coach
Hank
58 Lifeboat mover
59 Tiny complaint
MAIL 4
1 Long stories
6 Bridge support
beams
11 “I’m not feelin’
it”
14 Communications officer on
49-Across
15 Not at all
16 Tatyana of “The
Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air”
17 Manhattan area
where punk rock
nute ___
8 Obsessive whaler
of fiction
9 Man of many synonyms
10 It accrues with
unsavory language
11 Bottle handy
with fish and
chips
12 Borden’s spokesbovine
13 Lies low
18 Bach’s “Mass ___
Minor”
22 Body wash, e.g.
23 Build on
24 “Just ___ know
...”
25 High school
in a series of
1980s-’90s novels
26 They’re closed,
don’t you see?
30 Puts back
33 Biol., e.g.
34 “___ + Cat” (PBS
Kids show)
35 Chill-causing
36 “Put ___ in it!”
38 Stunned
41 Emphatic
exclamation, in
Ecuador
42 Gets in on the
deal
VIEWS 6
Across
alert
46 “Northern Exposure” setting
49 See 14-Across
51 “The Misanthrope” playwright
53 “Suits you to
___”
54 “The Family
Circus” cartoonist
Keane
55 What some
goggles provide
60 “Able was I ___ I
saw Elba”
61 Choice of words
62 Home of the Burj
Khalifa
63 “Curious George”
author H.A. ___
64 Hits with snowballs
65 Splitsville
FOOD 34
rearEnd ›› “.My TV is Broken”—so I’ll do this puzzle instead
05.20.15
DO IT 2
In a criminal case,
sometimes it takes a trial.
(360) 685-4221
www.Lustick.com
rdict endant:
e
V
def
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nd th
fi
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the J
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CASCADIA WEEKLY
#20.10
Highly Experienced Trial Attorneys
Former Federal, State & Local Prosecutors
Nationally Recognized &
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29
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/ D E \ U L Q W K
MUSIC 20
ART 18
Whistler was an influential painter in the latter half
of the 19th century. He advocated the “art for art’s
sake” credo, insisting that the best art doesn’t need
to teach or moralize. As far as he was concerned, its
most important purpose was to bring forth “glorious
harmony” from chaos. But the immediate reason
I’m nominating him to be your patron saint for the
coming weeks is the stylized signature he created: an
elegant butterfly with a long tail that was actually a
stinger. I think you’ll thrive by embodying that dual
spirit: being graceful, sensitive and harmonious and
yet also feisty, piquant and provocative. Can you
manage that much paradox? I think you can.
ǡʹͶǡͷ
±
ǡͶǦͷƬ͸Ǧ͹
Ǥǯ
ʹͳͳ͹Ǥ̷
ǤǤ

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Renowned author
COLD BEER GREAT FOOD
STAGE 16
GET OUT 14
WORDS 12
CURRENTS 8
VIEWS 6
MAIL 4
DO IT 2
ARIES (March 21-April 19): James McNeil
Weekly events
is Open!
Live Music Thursdays
& Some Saturdays
All music starts at 7:30PM
Monday
PM
Meatloaf Monday | Trivia 7
Tuesday
Tacos, Tallboys and Tequila
Wednesday
Karaoke Night, starts at 7PM
Thursday
Knut Bell Live Music 7:30PM
Enjoy this beautiful weather
in our BEER GARDEN!
Horseshoes and Put Put with
stunning views of the Valley!
Open 11-9 Monday thru Wednesday
Thursday
9-9 Saturday & Sunday
Always open later if everyone is having a good time!
14565 Allen West Ro #9Bow, W9
Over 100,000
Hits Per Month!
Friday
Steak Night 5PM
Unwind Special- Geared toward
(but not exclusive by any means)
.30 0#.0*(-&$(&'!.01
We know you can't really enjoy a
drink on your lunch break so come
back and unwind with your lunch
0$"$(/2%.0.<7.30;012#0(-*
Dump Run special- Bring in your
receipt from the Skagit Transfer
Station and get a beer and a shot
for just $4 (bartenders choice)
George Bernard Shaw was secure in his feeling that
he did good work. He didn’t need the recognition of
others to validate his self-worth. The British Prime
Minister offered him a knighthood, but he refused
it. When he found out he had been awarded a Nobel
Prize for Literature, he wanted to turn it down but his
wife convinced him to accept it. The English government also sought to give him the prestigious Order
of Merit, but he rejected it, saying, “I have already
conferred this order upon myself.” He’s your role
model for right now, Taurus. Congratulate yourself for
your successes, whether or not anyone else does.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Aha!” is your mantra for the coming weeks, Gemini. Keep it on the tip
of your tongue, ready to unleash. This always-readyto-be-surprised-by-inspiration attitude will train
you to expect the arrival of wonders and marvels.
And that will be an effective way to actually attract
wonders and marvels! With “Aha!” as your talisman,
all of your wake-up calls will be benevolent, and all of
the chaos you encounter—or at least most of it—will
be fertile.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do you chronically
indulge in feelings of guilt? Do you berate yourself
for the wrong turns and sad mistakes you made in the
past? These behaviors may be sneaky ways of avoiding change. How can you summon enough energy to
transform your life if you’re wallowing in worries and
regrets? In presenting the possibility that you might
be caught in this trap, I want you to know that I’m not
sitting in judgment of you. Not at all. Like you, I’m a
Cancerian, and I have periodically gotten bogged down
in the very morass I’m warning you against. The bad
news is that right now you are especially susceptible
to falling under this spell. The good news is that right
now you have extra power to break this spell.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the TV comedy-drama
Jane the Virgin, the fictional character known as
Rogelio de la Vega is a vain but lovable actor who
performs in telenovelas. “I’m very easy to dress,” he
tells the wardrobe supervisor of a new show he’ll be
working on. “Everything looks good on me. Except
for peach. I don’t pop in peach.” What he means is
that his charisma doesn’t radiate vividly when he’s
wearing peach-colored clothes. Now I want to ask
you, Leo: What don’t you pop in? I’m not simply
talking about the color of clothes that enable you to
shine, but everything else, too. In the coming weeks,
it’s crucial that you surround yourself with influences
that make you pop.
30
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Are you willing to
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FREEWILL
ASTROLOGY
ǡǡǡƬ
FILM 24
B-BOARD 27
FOOD 34

BY ROB BREZSNY
entertain an outlandish possibility? Here’s my vision:
You will soon be offered unexpected assistance, either
through the machinations of a “guardian angel” or
the messy blessings of a shape-shifting spirit. This
divine intervention will make it possible for you to
demolish a big, bad obstacle you’ve been trying to
find a way around. Even if you have trouble believing
in the literal factuality of my prophecy, here’s what I
suspect: It will at least come true in a metaphorical
sense -- which is the truest kind of truth of all.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Glory” is the theme
song of the film Selma. It’s an anthem about the ongoing struggle for equal rights by African Americans.
I want to borrow one of its lines for your use in the
coming weeks: “Freedom is like a religion to us.” I
think those will be good words for you to live by. Are
you part of a group that suffers oppression and injustice? Are you mixed up in a situation that squashes
your self-expression? Are you being squelched by the
conditioned habits of your own unconscious mind?
It’s high time to rebel. The quest for liberation should
be your spiritual calling.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you’re planning on
breaking a taboo, sneaking into a forbidden zone, or
getting intimate with an edge-dweller, don’t tell boastful stories about what you’re doing. For now, secrecy
is not only sexy; it’s a smart way to keep you safe and
effective. Usually I’m fond of you telling the whole
truth. I like it when you reveal the nuanced depths of
your feelings. But right now I favor a more cautious
approach to communication. Until your explorations
have progressed further, I suggest that you only
discuss them sparingly. As you put your experiments in
motion, share the details on a need-to-know basis.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There are
many possible ways to create and manage a close
relationship. Here’s one of my favorite models: when
two independent, self-responsible souls pledge
to help each other activate the best versions of
themselves. If you don’t have a partnership like this,
the near future will be a favorable time to find one.
And if you already do have an intimate alliance in
which the two of you synergize each other’s quest
for individuation, the coming weeks could bring you
breathtaking breakthroughs.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It’s a challenge
to drive a car through Canada’s far north. For example,
if you want to get from Dawson in the Yukon Territory
to Inuvik in the Northwest Territory, you take Dempster
Highway. It’s gravel road for the entire 417-mile
trip, so the ride is rough. Bring a spare tire and extra
gasoline, since there’s just one service station along
the way. On the plus side, the scenery is thrilling. The
permafrost in the soil makes the trees grow in odd
shapes, almost like they’re drunk. You can see caribou,
wolverines, lynx, bears, and countless birds. Right
now, the sun is up 20 hours every day. And the tundra?
You’ve never seen anything like it. Even if you don’t
make a trip like this, Capricorn, I’m guessing you will
soon embark on a metaphorically similar version. With
the right attitude and preparation, you will have fun
and grow more courageous.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author
James Joyce wrote Ulysses, one of the most celebrated
and influential novels of the 20th century. The narrative is both experimental and tightly structured.
Its chaotic stream-of-consciousness passages are
painstakingly crafted. (Anyone who wonders how the
astrological sign of Aquarius can be jointly ruled by the
rebellious planet Uranus and the disciplinarian planet
Saturn need only examine this book for evidence.)
Joyce claimed he labored over Ulysses for 20,000
hours. That’s the equivalent of devoting eight hours
a day, 350 days a year, for over seven years. Will you
ever work that hard and long on a project, Aquarius? If
so, now would be an auspicious time to start.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The English writer
and caricaturist Max Beerbohm moved away from his
native land when he was 37 years old. He settled in
Rapallo, Italy, where he lived for much of the rest of
his life. Here’s the twist: When he died at age 83, he
had still not learned to speak Italian. For 40 years,
he used his native tongue in his foreign home. This
is a failing you can’t afford to have in the coming
months, Pisces. The old proverb “When in Rome, do
as the Romans,” has never been so important for you
to observe.
©2015, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. Got
a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave,
#280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail
AdviceAmy@aol.com
FOOD 34
B-BOARD 27
FILM 24
ART 18
STAGE 16
GET OUT 14
WORDS 12
CURRENTS 8
SKAGIT VALLEY CASINO
U.S.I.T.
VIEWS 6
In the sock department, as in other
areas, it’s the nuances that count. So,
go ahead and make a statement—but
maybe one that stops short of “I’m really a Japanese schoolgirl!”
Novelty sock wearing for men has actually been a thing in North America for
a few years. The really wacky ones may
work as what anthropologists and animal behaviorists call a “costly signal.”
This is an extravagant or risky trait or
behavior that comes with a substantial price—handicapping a person’s or
critter’s survival or chances of mating—thus suggesting that it’s a reliable sign of their quality. An example
is a peacock with a particularly lush
(and heavy) tail. His managing to escape predators while dragging around
big feathered hindquarters like a train
on a royal wedding dress tells peahens
(girl peacocks) that he must be a real
Chuck Norris among big feathery birds.
Still, there are costly signals—“I’m
man enough”—and too-costly signals:
“It’s raining men! Hallelujah!” To figure
out where the line lies for you, average
all the variables: degree of manliness,
girliness of sock choice, occupation
(like if you’re a British graphic designer
or a guy who goes to work in oversize
red shoes), and the eccentricity level
of the women you like. But keep in
mind that certain socks are risky for
any man, such as—and yes, these actually exist—Superman insignia socks,
complete with tiny red capes attached.
Sure, let your socks tell a woman that
you want to take her home with you—
but maybe not so you can tear off all
your clothes and make her watch as you
play with your action figures in your
Superman Underoos.
MUSIC 20
I’m a 31-year-old straight guy. I dress pretty
boringly—except for my socks. I go for crazy
colors and patterns. My buddy says these make
me look “weird” and “less manly.” Come on.
Do women really want you to be a carbon copy
of every black-sock-wearing dude out there?
—Mr. Fun
SHOP
CIGARETTES & SMOKELESS TOBACCO
MAIL 4
Is there some crater somewhere where
all his promises go to die?
There is sometimes a good reason your
boyfriend can’t return your text for days,
like that it’s 790 B.C. and there’s a snowstorm and he’s sending his eunuch with
the bum knee over the Alps with a set
of stone tablets. When there is no good
reason, his acknowledging an error, like
by admitting to being “distracted,” is
a first step in mending his ways. That
is, except when he shows you—repeatedly—that it’s his only step (perhaps
because it’s tricky to text you back when
his other, more local girlfriend is sitting
right next to him).
Getting somebody to respect your
boundaries starts with appearing
to have them. Sure, there are sometimes allowances to be made, like for
an all-nighter at work or illness. As a
friend of mine once wrote: “Sorry I
didn’t respond to your email; I was in
a coma.” But a man who cares about
you generally acts in ways reflecting
that—like by dashing off a text to
tell you “sleepy—w/write u in am” or
“kidnapped. w/be in touch w/ransom
demand.” Instead, this guy gives you
yet another apology—which basically
translates to, “Sorry that it’ll be a few
days before I can do this to you again.”
To have a caring, attentive man, you’ll
need to make room for him in your life.
You do this the same way you make room
for a new TV: by putting the old broken
one out on the curb. It’s tempting to
keep believing the excuses, which allows
you to believe that you’re loved. Unfortunately, believing you’re loved never
plays out like actually being loved. The
problem is, in the moment, our emotions
are our first responder, and reason—that
slacker—burrows under the covers, hoping it won’t get called in to work.
Overriding wishful thinking-driven
gullibility takes planning—having a prepacked set of standards for how you want
to be treated and then pulling them out
SOCKS AND THE CITY
$5000- $7850
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DO IT 2
I’ve been dating this guy long distance for
six months. He’ll often fail to return texts
for an entire day or even a few days. I
keep breaking up with him, but he keeps
apologizing, acknowledging that he can be
“distracted” and then offering convincing
excuses or making me feel I’m overreacting.
This is getting old.
—Annoyed
05.20.15
THE SHOO MUST GO ON
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GODDESS
at excuse o’clock and holding them up
to how you’re actually being treated.
This is how you end up with a boyfriend
who keeps his word. Keeps it and puts
it on his phone and texts it to you—as
opposed to keeping it in a drawer with
slightly used chopsticks, old answering
machine tapes, and a Ziploc baggie of his
sister’s hamster’s ashes.
on most brands
CASCADIA WEEKLY
BY AMY ALKON
EXPRESS DRIVETHRU
31
*Price at time of printing. Limit ﬁve cartons/rolls per customer per day. Must have valid ID. Cigarettes are not legal for resale.
Prices subject to change. No Returns. Skagit Valley Casino Resort and U.S.I.T. Tobacco Shop owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.
SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Quitting Smoking Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.
CW
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32
tomorrow
exchange
buy * sell*trade
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Sudoku
FOOD 34
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FILM 24
Arrange the digits 1-9 so that each digit occurs once in each row, once in
each column, and once in each box.
MUSIC 20
ART 18
Region's #1 Source for
Arts and Entertainment.
GET OUT 14
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WORDS 12
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RECIPES
34
BY ARI LEVAUX
Beer and Brats
INVITE YOUR GRILL FRIENDS
eople from Wisconsin are generally a congenial, easygoing lot. Until
Scott Walker came around, there wasn’t much to argue about, except,
well, beer and bratwurst.
Wisconsin’s largest ancestry group is German, and the original immigrants
brought their bratwurst with them. Today, bratwurst are a defining characteristic of the local cuisine. And while brats—which rhymes with “pops,” not
“rats”—are beloved by all Sconnies, there is quiet discord with respect to the
purely Wisconsin ritual of bathing brats in beer. They disagree, for the most
part politely, not only over when to do this, but also why.
The dominant sentiment among beer soakers, within and beyond Wisconsin,
is that the brats should soak in hot beer before going on the grill. There is,
however, a small but highly knowledgeable contingent of brat scholars that
puts its brats in warm beer after cooking, not before.
Bratwurst is a raw, pork-based sausage that must be thoroughly cooked
before serving. The idea behind soaking bratwurst in hot beer prior to grill-
P
ing is they cook all the way through ahead
of time, so the grill master needn’t worry
about serving an undercooked pork sausage. The pre-cooked brats spend a brief
amount of time on the grill to get browned,
and are served. By spending less time on
the grill the brat is less likely to dry out,
and some pre-soakers believe the brat
soaks up a meaningful enough amount of
beer to influence the flavor and juiciness.
The beer also makes the sausage casings
more pliable, and less likely to split.
Once, when I told a bartender from Milwaukee that I wanted to try the beer bratwurst thing, he preached to me about the
holy trinity of beer flavorings: garlic, onion and black pepper. And before he would
agree to fill my growler, he made me promise to pre-cook in Old Milwaukee, not the
fancy micro-brewed IPA he was pouring.
But in Sheboygan, Wis., widely considered
to be capitol of the bratwurst belt, many
locals politely shake their heads at this pre-
soaking business.
Chuck Miesfeld is a fourth-generation sausage maker and owner of Miesfeld Meat Market in Sheboygan. He agreed to speak with
me about when to soak a brat in beer, and
why, in hopes that it might help “straighten
those people out.”
“The whole deal with soaking them in
beer,” Miesfeld told me, “is about keeping
the brats warm until you put them on your
hard roll. If you’re cooking brats on a charcoal grill, which is the only way you should
be doing it, and there’s nobody standing
there with a hard roll, there has to be a way
to keep them warm.”
As for the idea that the pre-soaking in beer
results in a juicier brat, Miesfeld isn’t impressed. If a brat dries out on the grill, he said,
it was either overcooked, or a subpar product.
But while the primary purpose of a postgrill soak in beer is to keep the brats in optimal shape for serving, Miesfeld concedes
that the submersion adds more than heat.
“You do grab some flavors from the beer,
but that’s not the real point. If you were doing it for flavors you’d want to leave the brat
in there a long time, but you don’t want to
leave the brats in too long, because they get
mushy. It’s just a half-half hour thing.”
Miesfeld’s post-cooking brat bath includes
butter and onions in the beer. And as the
bartender from Milwaukee had advised,
Miesfeld urged me not to use good beer. It
should be kept at around 170-180 degrees,
he said, which is not quite simmering. And
there is no place for black pepper, despite
what the bartender from Milwaukee says.
While he isn’t a pre-soaker, Miesfeld does
drop the brats into cold water for five minutes before grilling, which softens the casings, making them less likely to split.
The key to the proper grilling of brats is
to not have the fire too hot, he told me.
Control any flare-ups with water, and turn
them often. When the internal temperature
reaches 180 degrees, it’s done.
I followed Miesfeld’s instructions, mixing
a can of cheap lager with a tablespoon of
butter and half an onion, sliced, on a burner.
And against everyone’s advice, I couldn’t
help making another beer bath with a highquality IPA.
I compared brats that were pre-soaked in
each of my two beer baths with those that
were immersed after grilling. I also made a
brat that was simply grilled, and without any
exposure to beer (except in my mouth).
The brats placed in beer after grilling were
noticeably juicier, with the first bite exploding awkwardly in my face. They had more of
a beery flavor, and I’m sure the butter didn’t
hurt. I preferred them. The pre-soaked brats
were closer in flavor to the non-soaked brat,
and juicier, but less juicy than brats soaked
after cooking.
As for any difference between the fancy
IPA and the cheap lager, I couldn’t detect
any. At least, on this point, Mr. Miesfeld,
myself and the bartender from Milwaukee
can all agree.
doit
WED., MAY 20
Students will be coming from China, France, Germany, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Thailand and Vietnam. Host families
are compensated to cover living costs.
Hosts may include married or unmarried couples, with or without
children, single hosts, homes with extended family members,
ember
ers,
er
s, native
nat
ativ
ivee
iv
and non-native English speaking families, homes with and
nd
d wi
w
without
thou
outt pe
ou
pets
ts
in Bellingham, Ferndale and Lynden.
WWW.CIAOTHYME.COM
(360) 384-7474
BLOSSOM T IME BREAKFAST: Get fed before
the Ski to Sea Parade at an annual “Blossom Time
Breakfast” taking place near the parade route
from 8am-12pm at the Bellingham Senior Activity
Center, 315 Halleck St. Tickets are $4 for kids, $6
for adults or $18 per family.
733-4030
MOUNT VERNON MARKE T: The Mount Vernon
Farmers Market opens for the season today
from 9am-2pm at the city’s Waterfront Plaza.
In addition to the fresh, local food, expect
activities for kids, cooking demos and special
events through the season, which continues
through Oct. 17.
WWW.MOUNTVERNONFARMERSMARKET.ORG
ANACORTES FARMERS MARKE T: Vegetables,
fruit, baked goods, fresh meat and dairy, cut flowers, wine, eggs, art and much more can be found
at the Anacortes Farmers Market, which takes
place from 9am-2pm every Saturday through Oct.
24 at the Depot Arts Center, 611 R Ave.
WWW.ANACORTESFARMERSMARKET.ORG
COMMUNIT Y MEAL: Shepherd’s pie, green salad,
bread and brownies will be on the menu at the
bimonthly Community Meal from 10am-12pm at
the United Church of Ferndale, 2034 Washington
WWW.BELLINGHAMFARMERS.ORG
MON., MAY 25
BARBECUE BENEFIT: Attend a Memorial Day
Barbecue from 12-5pm at BelleWood Acres, 6140
Guide Meridian. Entry to the barbecue is $15;
funds raised benefit Growing Veterans. There’ll
also be lawn games, live music from the Badd Dog
Blues Society, brews and spirits and more.
FILM 24
WWW.BELLEWOODFARMS.COM
TUES., MAY 26
CAMP COOK ING BASICS: Equipment (stoves,
cook sets and fuel), planning and preparation,
along with some tips and tricks to make your
meals the hit of the trip, will be part of a “Camp
Cooking Basics for Backpackers” clinic at 6pm
at REI, 400 36th St. Register in advance for the
free workshop.
647-8955 OR WWW.REI.COM
DO IT 2
PANCAKE BREAKFAST: Attend a monthly
Pancake Breakfast from 8-11am at Ferndale’s
American Legion, 5537 2nd Ave. The breakfasts
are held on the fourth Saturday of every month,
excluding July and December.
BELLINGHAM FARMERS MARKE T: Peruse and
purchase a plethora of locally grown produce,
ready-to-eat foods, crafts and more at the
Bellingham Farmers Market from 10am-3pm at
the Depot Market Square, 1100 Railroad Ave. The
market runs every Saturday through Dec. 19.
05.20.15
SAT., MAY 23
714-9029
H O M E S TAY
whatcom.edu/international
#20.10
383-3200
St. Entry is free and open to all.
Call 360.383.3270 or email housing@whatcom.ctc.edu
WED., MAY 27
SEDRO MARKE T: Suss out spring offerings at
the weekly Sedro-Woolley Farmers Market from
3-7pm every Wednesday through September at
Hammer Heritage Park (on the corner of Ferry and
Metcalf streets).
WWW.SEDROWOOLLEYFARMERSMARKET.COM
MEDITERRANEAN RECIPES: Chef Nahla Gholam
will bring the flavors of Lebanon to life at a “Recipes from Around the Mediterranean Sea” class
from 6:30-8:30pm in Mount Vernon at Gretchen’s
Kitchen, 509 S. First St. Entry is $40.
WWW.GRETCHENSKITCHEN.COM
CASCADIA WEEKLY
PART Y OF ONE: Celebrate the art of dining
alone when Mary Ellen Carter leads a “Party of
One” cooking class from 6-8pm at the Community
Food Co-op, 1220 N. Forest St. The menu will
include a savory flatbread, charred asparagus
with hollandaise sauce, chicken scaloppini, and,
for dessert, a fruit crisp with a dollop of cream.
Entry is $35.
Sample sauces and vote for your favorite at a “Spaghetti Sauce Taste-Off” taking place Thurs., May 21
at La Conner’s Maple Hall
WORDS 12
INCOGNITO: Get surprised by seasonal ingredients at the monthly “Incognito” dinner at 6pm
at Ciao Thyme, 207 Unity St. The details of the
multi-course menu are concealed until mealtime.
Entry is $68.
CURRENTS 8
WWW.LOVELACONNER.COM
MUSIC 20
Whatcom Community College needs homestay hosts!
VIEWS 6
SPAGHE T T I TASTE-OFF: Join the La Conner
Chamber of Commerce for a “Spaghetti Sauce
Taste-Off & Silent Auction” from 4:30-7:30pm at
Maple Hall, 104 Commercial St. Entry is $6 for
kids and $8 for adults and includes samples of
all the sauces and a full-plate spaghetti dinner.
Beer, wine and dessert will be available for an
additional fee.
MAIL 4
THURS., MAY 21
ART 18
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENT
WWW.GRETCHENSKITCHEN.COM
STAGE 16
HOST
A WCC
MEMORIAL DAY GRILLING: Danny Geer from La
Conner Seafood and Prime Rib Restaurant focuses
on “Grilling Recipes for Memorial Day” at a course
from 6:30-8:30pm in Mount Vernon at Gretchen’s
Kitchen, 509 S. First St. Entry is $40.
GET OUT 14
WWW.LYNDENCOMMUNIT YCENTER.ORG
B-BOARD 27
FOOD
FOOD 34
34
LADIES TEA: Dress up for a fancy tea with
traditional tea sandwiches and other delectable
treats, music and door prizes at an annual “Ladies
Tea” from 2-3:30pm at the Lynden Community
Center, 401 Grover St. Entry is $9; women of all
ages are invited.
35
T HURSDAYS,
M AY 21 & 28
EARN TICKETS: Now - May 28
W EEKLY D RAWINGS :
2 - 7:30 pm
8 PM G RAND P RIZE D RAWINGS :
$10,000
$5,000 • $2,500
PLUS!
LUNCH
BUFFET
– JUST –
PLAYERBUCKS!
At Rewards Club Center
BEE GEES GOLD DANCE PARTY
Starring John Acosta as Barry Gibb
Saturday, July 25 at 8 pm
9 AM – 3 AM
NOW - MAY 25
15
$
FREE-PLAY
*
Present your card at Rewards Club Center
to activate your Free-Play offer at card-in.
Comedy Central & Showtime Comedian
SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO
Friday & Saturday, September 25 & 26 at 8 pm
Casino opens at 9 am daily. Must be 21 or older with valid ID. *Must be a Rewards Club Member.
Must be present to win. Visit Rewards Club Center for details. Management reserves all rights.