![Let It No Calm, P.20 Winter Adventures in the North SNOW Cascades, P.14 THURSDAY [12.11.14] COMMUNITY](http://data.docslib.org/img/c28a3de520120c76868956fd37f168fb-1.webp)
The Gristle, 3ɀɆ * Film Shorts, 3ɂɆ * Market Mission, 3ɃɄɄ cascadia Pickford Calendar Inside
REPORTING FROM THE HEART OF CASCADIA WHATCOM *SKAGIT*ISLAND*LOWER B.C. {12.10.14}{#50}{V.09}{FREE}
SILENT NIGHT Of train whistles and quiet zones, P.08 BEOWULF IN BELLINGHAM Ancient epic at the mead hall, P.16 SALLIE FORD All storm and Let It no calm, P.20 Winter adventures in the North SNOW Cascades, P.14 THURSDAY [12.11.14] COMMUNITY
Shop, Dine, Celebrate: Through Sunday,
34 ONSTAGE throughout downtown Bellingham Mary and Joseph: 7:30pm, iDiOM Theater Deck the Hall: 12-5pm, Whatcom Museum’s Old
FOOD FOOD cascadia Miracle on 34th Street: 7:30pm, Bellingham City Hall Theatre Guild Celebrate the Season: 12-5pm, Port of Anacortes Bob’s Your Elf: 7:30pm, Anacortes Community Event Center
28 Theatre Good, Bad, Ugly: 8pm, Upfront Theatre GET OUT The Project: 10pm, Upfront Theatre Jingle Bell Run: 9am, Bellingham High School
B-BOARD B-BOARD Holiday Boat Parade: 6:30pm, La Conner MUSIC A glance at what’s happening this week Winter Concert: 7pm, Bellingham High School FOOD 24 Fidalgo Youth Symphony: 8pm, McIntyre Hall, Breakfast with Santa: 8-11am, Bellingham Mount Vernon Senior Activity Center
FILM Breakfast with Santa: 9-11am, Bellingham Childcare & Learning Center Breakfast with Santa: 9-11am, Christ the King
20 FRIDAY [12.12.14] Church, Ferndale ONSTAGE Bellingham Farmers Market: 10am-3pm, Depot
MUSIC The Nightmare Before Christmas: 7pm, BAAY Market Square Theatre Mary and Joseph: 7:30pm, iDiOM Theater
18 VISUAL ARTS Miracle on 34th Street: 7:30pm, Bellingham Coast Salish Winter Festival: 10am-5pm, Lummi
ART Theatre Guild Gateway Center A Christmas Story: 7:30pm, Claire vg Thomas Gift Sale: 10am-3pm, Ragfinery
16 Theatre, Lynden Holiday Craft Bazaar: 10:30am-12:30pm, Dem- White Christmas: 7:30pm, Lincoln Theatre, ing Library Mount Vernon Pacific Arts Market: 10am-6pm, Sunset Square STAGE Bob’s Your Elf: 7:30pm, Anacortes Community Allied Arts Holiday Festival: 10am-6pm, 4145 Theatre Meridian St.
14 Home for the Holidays:: 8pm and 10pm, Upfront Holiday Make.Sale: 12-6pm, Make.Shift Art Space Theatre Anchor Closing Reception: 2-5pm, Anchor Art Space
GET OUT MUSIC BUG Holiday Concert: 7pm, Bellingham Public Library SUNDAY [12.14.14]
12 Skagit Symphony: 7:30pm, McIntyre Hall ONSTAGE COMMUNITY Miracle on 34th Street: 2pm, Bellingham WORDS Shop, Dine, Celebrate: Through Sunday, Theatre Guild Holiday costumes for both humans and canines are throughout downtown Bellingham A Nightmare Before Christmas: 2pm, BAAY 8 Deck the Hall: 12-5pm, Whatcom Museum’s Old Theatre encouraged at the annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk City Hall A Christmas Story: 2pm, Claire vg Thomas Theatre, Lynden
CURRENTS CURRENTS for Arthritis happening Sat., Dec. 13 in downtown VISUAL ARTS White Christmas: 2pm, Lincoln Theatre, Mount Pacific Arts Market: 10am-6pm, Sunset Square Vernon
6 Bellingham Allied Arts Holiday Festival: 10am-6pm, 4145 Bob’s Your Elf: 2pm, Anacortes Community Theatre Meridian St.
VIEWS DANCE The Nutcracker: 2pm, Mount Baker Theatre
4 SATURDAY [12.13.14] MUSIC
MAIL MAIL Kris Kringle takes on the cynics at the final weekend of ONSTAGE Skagit Valley Chorale: 2pm, McIntyre Hall The Nightmare Before Christmas: 2pm and Celtic Yuletide: 3pm, Lincoln Theatre, Mount
2 Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical performances Dec. 7pm, BAAY Theatre Vernon 2 11-14 at the Bellingham Theatre Guild A Christmas Story: 2pm and 7:30pm, Claire vg Arto and Antii Jarvela: 7:30pm, Nancy’s Farm DO IT IT DO DO IT IT DO Thomas Theatre, Lynden Mary and Joseph: 7:30pm, iDiOM Theater COMMUNITY Miracle on 34th Street: 7:30pm, Bellingham Shop, Dine, Celebrate: Throughout downtown Theatre Guild Bellingham White Christmas: 7:30pm, Lincoln Theatre, Deck the Hall: 12-5pm, Whatcom Museum’s Old 12.10.14 Mount Vernon City Hall Bob’s Your Elf: 7:30pm, Anacortes Community Celebrate the Season: 12-5pm, Port of Anacortes .09 Theatre Event Center 50 # Home for the Holidays: 8pm and 10pm, Upfront Theatre VISUAL ARTS Pacific Arts Market: 10am-6pm, Sunset Square DANCE Allied Arts Holiday Festival: 10am-6pm, 4145 Contra Dance: 7-10:30pm, Fairhaven Library Meridian St. The Nutcracker: 7:30pm, Mount Baker Theatre
MUSIC
CASCADIA WEEKLY MONDAY [12.15.14] Candlelight Concert: 7pm, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Mount Vernon ONSTAGE 2 Kulshan Chorus: 7:30pm, Bellingham High School Vaudevillingham: 7pm and 9pm, Cirque Lab A Broadway Cabaret: 7:30pm, Jansen Art Center, Guffawingham: 8pm, Green Frog Lynden Skagit Valley Chorale: 7:30pm, McIntyre Hall WORDS Poetrynight: 8pm, Bellingham Public Library GAMING FLOOR NOW OPEN TO 18 AND OLDER! 34 FOOD FOOD 28
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34 Editorial Editor & Publisher: FOOD FOOD Tim Johnson ext 260 { editor@ mail 28 cascadiaweekly.com TOC LETTERS STAFF Arts & Entertainment Editor: Amy Kepferle B-BOARD B-BOARD ext 204 {calendar@
24 cascadiaweekly.com The CIA’s harsh interrogations of terrorist detainees during Music & Film Editor:
FILM the Bush era didn’t work, were more brutal than previously Carey Ross revealed and delivered no “ticking time bomb” information ext 203 that prevented an attack, according to a Senate Intelli- {music@ 20 gence report released this week. Interrogations that lasted cascadiaweekly.com for days on end. Detainees were forced to stand on broken
MUSIC legs, or go 180 hours in a row without sleep. A prison was Production so cold, one suspect froze to death—an innocent man who was misidentified. The report is as brutal as the techniques. Art Director: 18 Jesse Kinsman
ART {jesse@ kinsmancreative.com VIEWS & NEWS Graphic Artist: 16 4: Mailbag Roman Komarov {roman@
STAGE 6: Gristle & Goodman cascadiaweekly.com Send all advertising materials to 8: The price of silence [email protected] 14 10: Last week’s news Advertising 11: Police blotter, Index Account Executive: GET OUT Scott Pelton ARTS & LIFE 360-647-8200 x 202 { spelton@ 12 12: Slower, smaller, happier cascadiaweekly.com 14: Let it snow Stephanie Young
WORDS 360-647-8200 x 205 16: Beowulf in B’ham { stephanie@ cascadiaweekly.com 8 18: Artful gifts 20: Singing with Sallie Distribution 22: Clubs Distribution Manager: CURRENTS CURRENTS JOY WORTH REPEATING County was sold on Oct. 13, according to the real Scott Pelton 24: Gods and kings I am pleased with the 2014 election results for estate transactions listed in the Bellingham Her-
6 360-647-8200 x 202 26: Film Shorts { spelton@ the 42nd Legislative District. ald. An online search of county records revealed cascadiaweekly.com Voters sent three fantastic candidates to Keizer Meats of Lynden was purchased by Cascade VIEWS Whatcom: Erik Burge, represent our values in Olympia. As a Whatcom Food Corporation of Tacoma. REAR END Stephanie Simms, 4
4 County resident, I share their values of setting Since the county approved a rezone that al- Robin Corsberg 28: Bulletin Board, Free Will priorities and sticking with them, working to- lows slaughterhouses on 88,000 acres of land in MAIL MAIL MAIL MAIL Skagit: Linda Brown, 29: Advice Goddess Barb Murdoch gether to protect our way of life, and consistent the agricultural zone, it will be interesting to
support in being local. see what this out-of-county corporation envi- 2 30: Wellness Canada: Kristi Alvaran I am disappointed with the amount of outside sions for its new acquisition. Wasn’t this rezone 31: Crossword DO IT IT DO Letters environmental money that was spent. Vast sums supposed to support local meat production and 32: Comix Send letters to letters@ of the dollars spent went to printhouses in Seattle supply? Why didn’t any of the proponents of the cascadiaweekly.com 33: Slowpoke, Sudoku and to Washington, DC consulting groups. This re- rezone step up individually or collectively to en-
The Gristle, P.ɀɆ * Film Shorts, P.ɂɆ * Market Mission, P.ɃɄɄ sulted in nominal economic activities for Whatcom sure that their vision of locally sourced meat for cascadiac a s c Pickford Calendar Inside
12.10.14 34: Market mission REPORTING FROM THE HEART OF CASCADIA WHATCOM *SKAGIT*ISLAND*LOWER B.C. {12.10.14}{#50}{V.09}{FREE} County business, and a frightening day at Skyline local consumers would be a reality? Elementary School when these DC consultants Opponents of the rezone cited many possible
.09 SILENT NIGHT ©2014 CASCADIA WEEKLY (ISSN 1931-3292) is published each Wednesday by Of train whistles and 50 quiet zones, P.08 showed up to take pictures and negative outcomes, including corporate meth-
# BEOWULF IN Cascadia Newspaper Company LLC. Direct all correspondence to: Cascadia Weekly BELLINGHAM Ancient epic at the PO Box 2833 Bellingham WA 98227-2833 | Phone/Fax: 360.647.8200 mead hall, P.16 then sped away. These outsiders are out of odologies that are driven by profit and lead to SALLIE [email protected] FORD All storm and touch with Whatcom County. practices that negatively affect communities, Though Cascadia Weekly is distributed free, please take just one copy. Cascadia Let It no calm, P.20 Winter Weekly may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Any person removing adventures in the North Now that the dust has settled the end result animals and the environment. As predicted and papers in bulk from our distribution points risks prosecution SNOW Cascades, P.14 SUBMISSIONS: Cascadia Weekly welcomes freelance submissions. Send material of the election is a renewal of support for the opposed, the corporate takeover appears to to either the News Editor or A&E Editor. Manuscripts will be returned if you COVER: Photo by John continued efforts to correct 30 years of under- have begun. include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. To be considered for calendar list- D’Onofrio ings, notice of events must be received in writing no later than noon Wednesday funding education, operate with a balance bud- —Virginia Watson, Bellingham the week prior to publication. Photographs should be clearly labeled and will be CASCADIA WEEKLYreturned if accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelope. get and protecting my fellow citizens from gov- LETTERS POLICY: Cascadia Weekly reserves the right to edit letters for length and content. When apprised of them, we correct errors of fact promptly and courteously. ernment overreach. I believe Washington state’s A FAILED DEMOCRACY 4 In the interests of fostering dialog and a community forum, Cascadia Weekly does not publish letters that personally disparage other letter writers. Please keep your future is looking brighter today. Many of us were raised to believe voting is a letters to fewer than 300 words. —Karen Brown, Bellingham civic duty—that all good citizens vote in a de- mocracy. And no one questioned that we lived in BLOOD SPORT a democracy. The only USDA slaughter facility in Whatcom But is it democracy when barely a third of eli- NEWSPAPER ADVISORY GROUP: Robert Hall, Seth Murphy, Michael Petryni, David Syre gible voters go to the polls, as in our most recent election? Is it democracy when our choice is usually limited to two individuals, and we vote for one not be- GO NORTH FOR CASINO FUN! cause we truly support that person, but 34 rather because we find the other person MODERN COMFORTS WITH OLD-FASHIONED HOSPITALITY more offensive? Is it democracy when we FOOD choose a president who vows to end the “excesses” of the previous administra- 28 tion, and then turns around and expands the very excesses he said he opposed?
Is it democracy when the majority of B-BOARD people in Congress—the people who are supposed to represent you and me—are 24 millionaires, as is now the case? Is it de- mocracy when the gap between rich and FILM poor continues to grow, concentrating
money at the top, regardless of whether 20 it’s Republicans or Democrats in power?
It should be no surprise, then, that MUSIC most eligible voters don’t vote.
America might be better characterized 18 as a failed democracy, or perhaps an oli- ART garchy, where a small group of people control things. Zephyr Teachout’s analy- 16 sis of power and corruption ring true.
We’re always voting for someone who STAGE promises to change things, but then things continue pretty much as before— until the next election, that is, when 14 someone else comes forward to “bring about real change.” GET OUT Bill Moyers, no raving radical, sug- gests in his essay, “The End Game of 12 Democracy,” that “The predator class... have bought the political system, lock, WORDS stock and pork barrel, making change from within impossible.” 8 If that is the case, is voting still the “right thing to do?” Or is voting for
this Congress of millionaires, whether CURRENTS Democrat or Republican, more correctly viewed as support for a broken system 6 and a vote for continued injustice and
CELEBRATING 7 YEARS OF FUN! VIEWS inequality?
—Tim Baker, Bellingham 4 4 MAIL MAIL NOT SO FAST ON FAST-TRACK MAIL
The Trans-Pacific Partnership and its 2 “fast track” are not so much a free trade DO IT IT DO agreement as a giveaway to monster trans-national corporations. It would allow corporations to sue governments for regulations protecting people, com- munities and the environment. It would 12.10.14 allow them to expand the monopoly on .09
pharmacy patents and it would allow for 50 the blocking of websites accused of vio- # lating copyright laws. The Obama administration, on behalf GET 12X POINTS ON 12/12! of the United States, with the back- ing of the most powerful 600 corpora- ?KHF*+IFMH*+:FHG?KB=:R%=><>F;>K*+ tions, has been pushing for the TPP’s harshest intellectual property laws. To CASCADIA WEEKLY put it bluntly, the TPP would sacrifice BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA national sovereignty, public health WHERE THE FOOD AND FUN NEVER ENDS! 5 and internet freedom, all in the name N of keeping CEOs’ wallets fat and their 100'000'21-0 MPHMNKGLH?? E BADGER RD NORTHWOOD RD shareholders happy. 20.)GHKMAPHH=KH:=ERG=>GP:21+/- MA>G>P@NB=> —Joni Peterson, Monroe GHKMAPHH=&<:LBGH'
AULD LAND SIGNS: Should old acquaintance be forgot
34 and never brought to mind? Bellingham City Council turned on an interesting dis- FOOD FOOD cussion in their committee meeting this week, whether views impact fees—and in particular transportation impact OPINIONS THE GRISTLE fees (TIF)—the city charges for growth are adequate to 28 recover the costs associated with growth. Inherent in their discussion is the understanding that the broader
B-BOARD B-BOARD community does in fact use and benefit from road im- provements, but the weighted benefits accrue to those
24 who stand to profit directly from development. Do those who profit most pay their share? FILM The base TIF is calculated from estimates of peak- BY AMY GOODMAN hour vehicle trips that result from new development.
20 Council approved a decrease in the gross dollar amount of the fee in 2015 based on a reduced number of road MUSIC construction projects forecast in the city’s six-year Hands Up, Don’t Choke transportation planning horizon. While approving
18 the reduction, some council members expressed their POLICE KILLINGS ARE BECOMING ROUTINE
ART opinion the base fee is too low and needs to be reex- amined next year. nother police killing of an old. She added, “They caused so “I’m concerned about how we go about charging im- unarmed man of color. An- much pain.” 16 pact fees and what the real nexus is to the impact it- Aother grand jury deciding Nearby, another young African-
STAGE self,” Council member Jack Weiss said. “To use a recent not to indict: Not for murder. Not American girl, who only gave her example at King Mountain, the developer is putting in for manslaughter. Not for assault. first name, Aniya, was solemnly 170 homes and will maybe get charged $340,000, less Not even for reckless endanger- marching. She was 13. I asked her 14 than $2,000 apiece for impacts. ...We’re putting in $3.8 ment. We live in a land of impunity. what she hoped to accomplish with million in a roundabout to serve that area. At least, for those in power. cellphone and videoed the whole the protest: “To live until I’m 18 and
GET OUT “I see that $340,000 just doesn’t cut it,” he said. This past summer, after cover- thing. Pantaleo was caught red- not get shot.” She added: “You want “We continue to subsidize, at tremendous cost, new ing the protests in Ferguson, Mo., I handed. The evidence was there for to get older. You want to experience
12 and incoming people.” flew back to New York City and went everyone to see. Well, the grand life. You don’t want to die in a mat- Weiss’ example focused on King Mountain, and it’s a straight to Staten Island to cover jury decided not to indict Pantaleo. ter of seconds because of cops.” cautionary tale. The area was brought in as Bellingham’s the march protesting the police Only two people were arrested in The news of the Garner grand jury WORDS 24th neighborhood in 2009 with the understanding by killing of Eric Garner, a 43-year-old the wake of Garner’s death: Ramsey was released on Staten Island as,
8 policymakers that development there would attempt to African-American father of six. This Orta, who shot the video, and his hundreds of miles away in Cleve- model the urban village concept of a tight, walkable story was strikingly similar to the wife, Chrissie Ortiz. Chrissie told a land, a funeral of yet another Af- community centered around public and market ameni- police killing in Ferguson, where local television station that since rican-American killed by police was
CURRENTS CURRENTS ties. Gaining the annexation, the major property owner Officer Darren Wilson gunned down Ramsey was identified as the vid- wrapping up. Twelve-year-old Tamir promptly made it known that no such model would be unarmed African-American teen- eographer, they had been subjected Rice had been waving a toy gun in a 6 6 pursued, and King Mountain would instead be developed ager Michael Brown. Both cases in- to police harassment. Ramsey was public park on Nov. 22, when Cleve- into single-family homes at dismal density. James Street volved white police officers using arrested the day after the city land police in a cruiser drove in, VIEWS VIEWS VIEWS would require a $20 million improvement in part to ser- deadly force. Both of the victims medical examiner declared Garner’s jumped out of the car and shot him
4 vice those homes, with an expectation among planners were unarmed African-Americans. death a homicide. Chrissie was later dead. Aniya’s dream from months that James Street might some day be punched through In both cases, local prosecutors, arrested as well. I saw them at the earlier is haunting in the shadow of MAIL MAIL all the way north of Bakerview Road to Van Wyck Road, with close ties to their local police Staten Island march that Saturday, Tamir’s funeral: “To live until I’m 18
flaying open the city’s northeasterm quadrant to sprawl. departments, were allowed to con- standing near where Garner died. I and not get shot.” 2 Bellingham’s transportation impact fee rate is one of trol the grand jury. There were some asked them for comment, but they As news spread that Officer Dan- DO IT IT DO the lowest in Whatcom County (while the county itself differences between the cases. were afraid. They huddled on the iel Pantaleo was cleared in the kill- collects no impact fees), and is in the bottom third in Most notably, Eric Garner’s killing same stoop that Ramsey was on ing of Eric Garner, New York Mayor western Washington. The city’s TIF rate is about half was captured on video. when he filmed Garner’s death. Bill de Blasio stood with African- that of the statewide average. There’re good reasons for If you look at the video closely, At that march on Staten Island on American leaders on Staten Is- 12.10.14 this, staff argues, including economic development in- just as NYPD Officer Daniel Panta- Aug. 23, while Ramsey and Chris- land. “Our history requires that we centives, robust access to state and federal road funds, leo puts him in an illegal choke- sie chose not to speak, many did. say, ‘Black lives matter,’” he said. .09
50 and a rate standard well grounded and conservative in hold, you see Eric Garner put his “The Staten Island [district attor- Centuries of history, he stressed. # state law that—as a result—does not invite challenge. hands up, the international signal ney] should not be prosecuting this Across the city, people gathered in “It’s a defensible model,” Public Works Director Ted of surrender. He is then taken down case,” Constance Malcolm told me. Staten Island at the scene of Gar- Carlson said. by a gang of police officers. You “We need the feds to come in and ner’s death, and in Harlem, in Times Carlson cautioned that developers do pay costs in hear him repeatedly say, “I can’t take this case right now. We need Square, in Union Square. Among the addition to impact fees in a complex calculation. Still, breathe!” He says it a total of 11 accountability.” signs: “Ferguson is everywhere.” the pass-through to general taxpayers is considerable. times before he goes limp and dies. And then there was Imani Mor- The protests against impunity are
CASCADIA WEEKLY Carlson estimated that 52 percent of the city’s trans- Where did this video come from? rias. She said, “We need to show just beginning. portation costs are related to costs associated with A young man named Ramsey Orta the community that these police 6 growth and new development, according to data col- was standing near Garner on that officers need to be disciplined and Amy Goodman is the host of “Democ- lected in the transportation element of the city’s 2006 July 17 afternoon when the police they need to be sentenced, for all racy Now!” Denis Moynihan contrib- Comprehensive Plan, still the current plan for transpor- moved in. Orta flipped open his that they caused.” Imani is 12 years uted research to this column. tation planning in Bellingham. That’s unfortunate, since the 2006 plan is bloated VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF CASCADIA WEEKLY THE GRISTLE with overheated assumptions about population growth at a peak moment 34 in Bellingham—recall the housing bubble collapsed the following year— FOOD that have never manifested. Those as- sumptions were based on calculations 28 gamed out of all coherence by the tox- ic lobbying of the construction indus- try, which insisted the city select the dec 11–14 & 18–21, B-BOARD highest population growth forecast welded to the most cheerless outlook 24 on land supply, then larded with an enormous and ludicrous “safety fac- FILM tor” for market uncertainties in the housing supply. In short, 2006 was ƭơƮ Opening Night 20 a horrible year upon which to base ƝƞƜƀƀ Reception – $25 ưƢƭơƝƫƢƧƤƬƚƧƝƚƩƩƞƭƢƳƞƫƬ assumptions for future growth, but MUSIC those assumptions are woven deep ƟƫƢ FREE Performance ƝƞƜƀƁ ƬƩƨƧƬƨƫƞƝƛƲƜƚƬƚƪƮƞƩƚƬƚ into the DNA of city planning for lev- 18 tickets and details at els of service, with only minor edits ART planned for 2016. Two Free Events at Village Books While a saner Whatcom County Coun- 16 cil appears to favor midline population Sat., December 13th, 4pm
growth numbers forecast by the state, STAGE Bellingham still aims high, from a floor -RKQ'RHUSHU elevated all out of proportion to real- Eating Well 14 ity. Always a useful comparison, Skagit A Guide to Foods of County and its cities have traditionally the Pacific Northwest selected the lower bound of population GET OUT growth forecasts provided by the state Tue., December 16th, 7pm and have seen these predictions borne 12 out with eerie precision. :HV*DQQDZD\ Strikingly at odds with the city’s .HQW+ROVDWKHU WORDS comprehensive plan are the results of a community survey of public atti- Drive-Ins, Drive-Ups, 8 tudes toward growth. The survey, con- & Drive-Thrus ducted by Bellingham-based Applied The History of Drive-In Movie Theaters and
Research Northwest, was released by Drive-In Food Places in Whatcom County CURRENTS the city last month as preparation for 6 that 2016 update. DWWKH%RRN)DUH&DIpLQ9LOODJH%RRNV 6 Planning and land use topped the list VIEWS of things residents would change about .DWH VIEWS the city where they live, with 51.4 per- 4 cent expressing strong disapproval of /HER current approaches to planning and MAIL
development. What would ’hamsters 2 change? That can be gleaned from 3,( DO IT IT DO other questions, with huge support for a clean, healthy environment focused SCHOOL on access to green spaces and strong Lessons in Fruit, preference for a tight, well-integrated,
Flour and Butter 12.10.14 walkable city focused on improving its centers rather than its edges. Mean- (QMR\DSLH .09
while, 52 cents out of every tax dollar EDNLQJ 50 # spent on transportation is for the sorts GHPRQVWUDWLRQ of road projects at the city’s edge that DWDVW\VDPSOH the public does not want. DQGZDUP In his remarks, Weiss pointed out EHYHUDJH that limited federal, state and local dollars could be directed toward trans- Tickets $5 - available now at Village Books & brownpapertickets.com portation projects the public favors if CASCADIA WEEKLY they were not being directed to proj- Thursday, Dec. 18th, 7pm ects the public does not favor. 7 Council is right to revisit assump- tions a decade old. They should start VILLAGE BOOKS with the values upon which those as- 1200 11th St., Bellingham sumptions are made. 360.671.2626 hat’s the price for a little peace and quiet? W Federal regulations require train engineers to sound locomotive
34 horns for 15 to 20 seconds as they ap- proach crossings where railroad tracks FOOD FOOD currents intersect with streets. It’s a safety pre- caution, but the uptick in freight train NEWS POLITICS FUZZ BUZZ INDEX traffic has caused communities across 28 the West to consider establishing quiet zones. Bellingham is one of them, but the
B-BOARD B-BOARD solution is not cheap. Mayor Kelli Linville announced this
24 week that her office is preparing a letter to BNSF Railway Company, which oper-
FILM ates the main rail line through the city, to initiate a dialogue about the creation
20 of quiet zones. She said a more complete response will require a resolution from
MUSIC city policymakers. Bellingham City Coun- cil will discuss the letter and resolution
18 at their Dec. 15 meeting.
ART Silent “We have been talking to neighbors nonstop for the last couple of years or more about creating quiet zones,” Lin- 16 ville reported to Bellingham City Coun-
STAGE cil this week. “As a result of meetings we’ve had recently, I have asked staff to draft a letter requesting the federal 14 Night rail authority to establish a quiet zone in Bellingham.”
GET OUT BELLINGHAM Currently, approximately 11,000 trains pass through the city each year. That
12 CONSIDERS number could increase to 17,000 trains as a result of new energy planned for export out of the region to markets overseas. WORDS QUIET ZONES FOR A train horn chimes in at more than 96
8 TRAINS decibels, nearly as loud as a jet on take- off. Noise from trains could be reduced through crossing upgrades, but traffic BY TIM JOHNSON CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS 8 safety itself could be improved through upgrades that eliminate warnings from 6 trains on the move. Local governments must work in coop- VIEWS eration with the railroad and the state
4 transportation authorities to assess the risk of collision at each proposed grade MAIL MAIL crossing. A determination may then be
made about the safety engineering im- 2 provements necessary to reduce the risk DO IT IT DO associated with silencing horns. The de- termination is based on local conditions such as road traffic volumes, train traffic volumes, the accident history and phys- 12.10.14 ical characteristics of the crossing, and existing safety measures, city staff noted. .09
50 The city already has funding in place # to create two street improvements that would assist in the creation of these zones, Linville said, and “we’re just wait- ing for Burlington Northern to say yes, we’re ready to accept your check and do the work.”
CASCADIA WEEKLY Quiet zone corridors must be at least a half-mile long. Cities bear the costs of 8 creating them by installing extra cross- ing arms, medians and other barriers to prevent motorists from sneaking across railroad tracks when a train approaches. Other measures include the installation of crossing horns that direct sound down “This is in no way an effort to let Bur- streets toward approaching vehicles; con- lington Northern off the hook for any- Six apply for the position at the end of the inter- verting streets to one-way traffic; and thing,” she said. “Whatever control the im term. closing crossings. city has, we want to use that, including City Council will hold a special
But the zones can be expensive. Dou- a request that the federal rail commission City Council meeting at 7pm Weds, Dec. 17 for 34 ble-arm crossing gates and associated allows us to pursue this.” the purpose of selecting and ap- equipment, including sensors, can cost up Council members commented that mu- Ward 3 pointing the interim replacement FOOD to $1 million, according to railway data. nicipal governments are disadvantaged who will serve out the remainder of The City of Bellingham has 10 streets under federal rules regarding crossing Lehman’s term. Ward 3 represents 28 that cross the railway, Linville noted, that standards controlled by the federal gov- position all or part of nine neighborhoods in are divided between Fairhaven and the ernment. A more coordinated response Bellingham—more than any other central waterfront. Federal regulations from the city could gather support for ellingham City Council has ward—and touches several others at B-BOARD mandate that all crossings must receive funding by elected representatives in the announced receiving six ap- the very heart of the city. an upgrade before a quiet zone may be nation’s capital, council members agreed. plications to fill the position Each applicant will be given five B 24 established. The cost for a quiet zone “It’s not just a problem here,” agreed of what is perhaps the city’s most minutes to present his/her qual- in Fairhaven is estimated at $2 million, Terry Bornemann, serving as interim pres- dynamic political division. ifications, after which time, City FILM while costs for improvements on the cen- ident of the council. “The same things Last August, City Council Presi- Council will go into closed execu-
tral waterfront could exceed $3.5 million, we’re facing are things other councils dent Cathy Lehman, the current rep- tive session to discuss the appli- 20 according to city estimates. around the country are facing.” resentative of Ward 3, announced cants’ qualifications. Executive
Once all the necessary safety engi- Council members last year met with her intention to resign. Her resig- session is permitted under Wash- MUSIC neering improvements are complete, their counterparts in other communities nation will take effect after the ington law to evaluate the qualifi-
the city must certify to federal railway along the BNSF rail line that have noted final regular City Council meeting cations of a candidate for appoint- 18 officials that the required level of risk an increase in train traffic and noise as- of 2014, which will be Dec. 15. But ment to elective office. ART reduction has been achieved. A quiet sociated with it, attempting to develop council members want their new col- The Council will return to open zone may be established only after all a regional response. league who will replace Lehman to session to make their nominations 16 necessary safety measures are installed Linville serves on a committee of have a choice of committee assig- and vote. Once any nominee re-
and operational. the Association of Washington Cities ments in 2015. ceives four affirmative votes, vot- STAGE “This is a more consolidated approach studying the issue of quiet zones. The The city received applications ing will cease and that nominee will to an issue that we’ve been aware of for rail safety committee was formed by the from Scot Barg, an educational con- be appointed to the vacancy. If no some time,” Linville said. “Quiet zone is- association earlier this year to address sultant; Dan Hammill, an event plan- nominee receives four votes, Coun- 14 sues have been going on for far longer municipal concerns related to rail safe- ning coordinator for area nonprof- cil will adjourn to executive session than we have been talking about con- ty, mobility, and service, attempting to its; Richard Dean “J.R.” Johnson, a to further refine their discussion of GET OUT struction at Cherry Point, and it will coordinate affected cities, Washington’s marine vessel broker and former ed- qualifications before returning to continue to be a problem” whatever the congressional delegation, state, federal, ucator; Michelle Magee, a teacher at vote again in open session, accord- 12 outcome of a proposed new export pier and local agencies, and other stakehold- the Bellingham Cooperative School; ing to city officials. there, she said. ers to develop recommendations. Lin- Iris Maute-Gibson, a development The appointed person will take WORDS That project could require fairly ex- ville noted that Gov. jay Inslee is aware and outreach coordinator for the the oath of office that night and be
tensive upgrades to railway infrastruc- of the concern and has advocated for a Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center; eligible for committee assignment 8 8 ture, based on impact studies that have state response to the concerns about and and Andrew Reding, a public at Council’s organizing meeting at not yet been issued for the Gateway Pa- the escalation of train traffic and noise policy professional. All have experi- the start of the new year. CURRENTS CURRENTS cific Terminal. associated with it. ence on city and county boards and CURRENTS Linville said the city’s efforts were not The mayor will present additional infor- commissions as well as deep roots in The resumes of applicants are avail- intended to preempt the study and miti- mation discussed by the AWC committee community organizations. All have able online at the city’s website, 6 gation of the impacts of increased train as well as a proposed resolution for the expressed an interest in running for www.cob.org. traffic through the city. consideration of council next week. VIEWS 4 PHOTO: DYLAN HALLETT MAIL MAIL
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12.10.14 .09 50 # may be exchanged for physical card gift and holder * Gift cards purchased* Gift online are PDF vouchers and admin offices on the mountain when open. at Bellingham business office or CASCADIA WEEKLY
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MUSIC BY TIM JOHNSON 18 ART TARA NELSON TARA 16 12.03.14 Rescue operations were underway on the Bellingham pier Tuesday. The U.S. Coast Guard rendered assistance after the mooring cleats holding the the port tenant Horizon Fairbanks gave way in high wind, swinging the vessel around in Whatcom Waterway.
STAGE WEDNESDAY multiple domestic calls to police and the failure The state Attorney General’s recommendation could save Puget of the parents to render a level of medical at- 14 Sound Energy customers money. The AG finds PSE is overcharging its tention to their children deemed appropriate by customer base by as much as $35 million a year. The Seattle Times re- state health officials. The children were found to
GET OUT ports that a recalculation of rates by the state’s largest private utility be undernourished and suffering from infections. could return a refund to more than one million customers. The parents said their children were healthy and
12 the state had no reason to take them. The com- 12.04.14 missioner tells the couple to seek counseling and to abide by the state’s instruction for the medical WORDS THURSDAY care of their children. “A tragic loss,” a pregnant orca is found dead in British Columbia.
8 A Washington state woman claims a $90 million Powerball lot- tery jackpot after buying a ticket for the first time. She is the first Researchers say complications from the pregnancy may have killed the 12.07.14 18-year-old whale, a member of the J-pod, one of three families of a Powerball jackpot winner in Washington state. She says perhaps she unique population of southern resident killer whales that spend time SUNDAY CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS 8 may quit her job at Boeing and buy a new car. in the inland waters of Washington state and Canada. Two additional whales were confirmed missing and presumed dead this year. Fewer Gov. Jay Inslee visits Bellingham in a private 6 Washington State’s gun background check law goes into effect. than 80 remain. fundraiser and shares his thoughts on the challeng- Initiative 594 was approved by 59 percent of voters in November, es awaiting the Legislature next session. Issues VIEWS expanding background checks to private sales and transfers, such as from behind, pushing it into the waiting vehicle. foremost on the governor’s mind include improv-
4 online gun sales, gun shows and many loans and gifts. The measure’s People in all three vehicles were hurt, including ing rail safety and finding a means to fund the goal is to ensure every buyer goes through the same background two infants and a couple in their 70s. The eldest, a state’s response to global climate change. MAIL MAIL check, regardless of whether the purchase is with a licensed dealer resident of Lynden, later dies from injuries.
or a private sale. 2 12.08.14 12.05.14 MONDAY DO IT IT DO A car misses a turn at the corner of Ellis Street and Sunset Drive FRIDAY near the hospital and slams into the porch of a Bellingham home. Having eliminated its executive director and No one is injured and the porch is slightly damaged. A Whatcom County couple is granted anoth- mothballed the organization, Bellingham City er chance to demonstrate they are responsible Council votes 4 to 2 to dissolve the Bellingham 12.10.14 In a more serious incident, eight people are injured in a crash parents. After three days of hearings, a Whatcom Public Development Authority. Former Mayor Dan on Hannegan Road. A car with five people in it was waiting behind County District Court commissioner reviews the Pike praised the PDA’s work and predicted the city .09
50 another vehicle that was turning left. A third vehicle struck that car case presented by a state attorney concerning would have need of it again. #
WATCH THE GAMESAM ON THE BIG SCREEN! Winners FOOTBALLOOTBALL ENTERTAINMENTNTERTAINMENT LOUNGE SUNDAY 12/14 FRIDAY & SATURDAYY CASCADIA WEEKLY Seahawks vs. 49ers 12/12 & 12/13, 9 PM – 1 AM 10 1:25 pm M-80s GAME TIME SPECIALS 80’s Pop and New Wave Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe I-5 Exit 236 • theskagit.com • 877-275-2448 Specials available in the lounge and at the bar top during Seahawks games plus Sundays, Monday & Thursday Night Football. CW Must be 21 or older with valid photo ID. going issues of people leaving garbage, feces index FUZZ and other things behind,” police noted, and requested anyone seen setting up camp on the
property be removed from the property. Offi- BUZZ 34 cers contacted two people who were sleeping
in an alcove of the building and removed them. FOOD UPPITY CUPPA On Dec. 3, a man entered the Starbucks on On Dec. 8, a passerby noticed a man squat- 28 West Bakerview Road and produced a knife, ting to relieve himself at 5am at a parking demanding his morning coffee. The 35-year- garage on Railroad Avenue in downtown Bell- old “left without receiving coffee,” Belling- ingham. B-BOARD ham Police reported. He was booked for at- tempted robbery. On Dec. 7, two people were contacted by 24 police at 2am in the concrete bunker known
BLAINE’S ALWAYS as the Parkade in downtown Bellingham. One FILM LAST TO KNOW was found to have an outstanding arrest war-
On Nov. 25, Blaine Police were dispatched to a rant and was escorted to another concrete 20 report of protestors gathered near the Post Of- bunker a few blocks away known as the jail.
fice when a passerby advised that the members MUSIC had been yelling at people and acting disorder- STACK 9
ly. “An officer contacted the group and learned On Dec. 6, University Police responded to a 18 they had gathered to demonstrate against a report of a drunk and hysterical student at 8 ART recent judicial decision in another city,” police the Fairhaven College residence stack. She RANK of Bellingham among the Best Beer Cities in the 2014 survey by Livability.com, reported. “They were not causing a disturbance was taken to the hospital. the only city in Washington to make their list. 16 or impairing traffic, and peacefully protested
in the rain for another hour.” On Dec. 6, University Police returned to the STAGE Fairhaven College residence stack to check on TO SERVE AND PROTECT another drunk student who was not hysteri-
$605,531,176 14 On Nov. 25, during an unrelated traffic stop, cal. She was not taken to the hospital. a Blaine patrol officer noticed a 10-year-old THE City of Bellingham’s 2015-2016 citywide budget approved by Bellingham City girl marching down the truck route in the rain, WE INTERRUPT THIS Council this week. Of that amount, $109,735,808 is held in reserve. GET OUT swept by rushing cars and trucks. “He con- BROADCAST... tacted the child and and learned she missed On Dec. 7, two men and a woman drove a car 12 her school bus and was going to trudge the through the Ridgeway residence complex at 87 11c several miles to her home,” police reported. Western Washington University yelling on a WORDS “The officer called her parent and found that loudspeaker and causing a ruckus. “They were PERCENT of city budget that is required PORTION of every city dollar that by law, non-discretionary or otherwise is spent on treating wastewater,
Mom had no idea her daughter was stranded. not very respectful of the RA who requested 8 restricted. stormwater or solid waste. Another 10¢ 8 The officer gave the stalwart girl a ride to a they stop,” campus cops noted. Police caught is spent treating and distributing the nearby warm, dry business while Mom imme- up with them and lectured them about their city water. CURRENTS CURRENTS diately drove into town to pick her up.” rude misuse of the PA system. CURRENTS SAP TIME NAP TIME ALIEN SKIES $605,495,469 6 On Nov. 26, a man told Bellingham Police he’d On Nov. 27, a motorist returning home from a VIEWS been struck in the head by a blunt object. Po- Thanksgiving dinner observed the landing of a TOTAL funds available, meaning the city will continue a slight deficit in 2015-16.
lice say the man reported he was unconscious mysterious craft near Custer. “At first I thought 4 for approximately two hours before waking it was a bright moon peeking through the up. Meanwhile, his attackers reportedly took clouds but then it became apparent that it was MAIL
several items from his home. two very bright landing lights, the brightest 2 I’ve ever seen,” the driver said, “and we were 73 DO IT IT DO NAUGHTY AND NICE at least 20 miles away from the nearest com- On Dec. 4, Bellingham Police spoke to a mercial airport. It drifted down to my left and MILLIONS of Americans aged 18 to 34 years old, the largest such population in 44-year-old man who had escaped community for its size—I would say it was at least 75 feet the last three decades. Nonetheless, their share of the population is actually smaller today than in 1980, when the young adult population included the baby boomers custody on a felony warrant who was peeing long—made absolutely no sound. There were born between 1946 and 1964. along Holly Street at 3pm. He was found in no other cars on the road at that moment and 12.10.14 possession of methamphetamines and heroin. the only sound was the rain on the windshield. .09
He was arrested for all those things, along It had some small lights on its belly. It was 50 with resisting arrest and making false state- somewhat delta-shaped but it appeared to have 15 21 # ments to a police officer. two sections carved out of its tail giving the PERCENT of young adults who were PERCENT of young adults in impression of wings but it was still one solid born outside the United States, Washington who say they were born On Dec. 7, University Police scolded a stu- object. It followed the tree line, floating majes- compared to 6 percent of this cohort outside the United Sates, slightly higher in 1980. than the national average. dent who was being uncooperative in hand- tically over it, banked and then descended into ing over drug paraphenalia and a substance a field on the other side of the tree line. I dou- that is discouraged on campus. bled back to see if I could get another better 11CASCADIA WEEKLY glimpse of it, but it was gone,” the driver said. 11 HO-HO-HOBOES “Since this sighting was so close to the Canadi- CHANCE in five (20%) a young adult CHANCE in five (22%) a young adult On Nov. 25, Bellingham Police spoke to some an border, is it possible that ICE has drones of American lives in poverty. American holds a college degree. homeless people who had set up camp along that size that make absolutely no sound—like Whatcom Creek near State Street. “The building battery-powered motors that don’t announce SOURCES: Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC; U.S. Department of Energy; International Energy Agency; Oil Price Information Service; New York Times; manager has been having problems with on- themselves when making drug busts?” VOX; Sightline; Livability.com doit WORDS
WED., DEC. 10 34 SECOND CHAPTER: Discuss Brian Doyle’s Mink River at a 2nd Chapter book discussion FOOD FOOD group from 2-3:30pm at the Bellingham Public words Library, 210 Central Ave. All are welcome. COMMUNITY LECTURES BOOKS 778-7230 28
WRITERS THEATER: The Chuckanut Sand- stone Writers Theater hosts its monthly Open B-BOARD B-BOARD Mic at 6:30pm at the Colophon Cafe, 1208 11th churned around him? How could he afford to St. Bring anything you are working on or have live in New York City only working two days on hand, including holiday poems and stories, 24 a week? essays or plays. Time limit is six minutes for each reading. FILM If you are interested in a similar lifestyle WWW.CHUCKANUTSANDSTONE.BLOGSPOT.COM but aren’t sure how to begin, Powers suggests starting with a “pay yourself first” philoso- 20 MAMA GONE GEEK: Lynn Brunelle will read phy; find a way to begin taking 10 percent from her memoir Mama Gone Geek: Calling On My Inner Science Nerd to Help Navigate the Ups
MUSIC of any pay you receive and putting it in a savings ac- and Downs of Parenthood at 7pm at Village Books, 1200 11th St. Brunelle is a four-time
18 count. Some “expenses” Emmy Award-winning writer for the television can probably be reduced series Bill Nye the Science Guy. ART by studying your joy-to- WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM stuff ratio and being hon- 16 est about how much joy is SAT., DEC. 13 SUMAS BOOK CLUB: Discuss Jill Lepore’s The
STAGE created by each thing you Life and Opinions of Jane Franklin at a Sumas GET IT purchase. A lighter envi- Book Club meeting from 10-11am at the Sumas HOW: Visit ronmental footprint is one Library, 452 2nd St. Entry is open to all adults.
14 www.wcls.org 305-3600 to request New reason to move in this di- Slow City in the rection; health is another, CORRESPONDENCE RENAISSANCE: Tallie
GET OUT library catalog as two-thirds of all Ameri- Jones of Mindport Exhibits leads a “Corre- or download it cans currently report that spondence Renaissance” presentation from as an eBook from they suffer from feeling 10:30am-12:30pm at the SkillShare Space at 12 12 the Washington the Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Anytime Library stressed. Ave. Attendees will learn techniques for mak- (nwwanytime.lib. If you are like me, Pow- WORDS WORDS ing artful mail from recycled, salvaged and overdrive.com). ers’ five-day-weekend, found materials, as well as trying out writing The free MORE: two-day-workweek sounds tools from decades past. All materials will be 8 Library Now great, but isn’t exactly fea- provided. Entry is free. app makes it 778-7217 REVIEWED BY LISA GRESHAM easy to use your sible. Small steps Powers
CURRENTS CURRENTS smartphone or suggests as contributing SANTA BOOK SIGNING: The big fella in red mobile device to to a slower-paced, higher- will sign copies of Santa is Coming to Bellingham 6 do either (avail- serenity lifestyle include from 11am-12pm at Village Books, 1200 11th able from any app New Slow City seeking out urban sanctu- St. In the book, Santa has loaded up his sleigh VIEWS store). aries and spending more and, with the help of one red-nosed reindeer, will soar over rooftops in Bellingham neighbor-
4 EMBRACING A MORE MINDFUL LIFESTYLE time outside or practicing silent meals spent hoods, including Birchwood, York, Silver Beach, doing nothing but enjoying all of the sensory Happy Valley and, of course, Fairhaven. Those MAIL MAIL ” ozy” takes on new meaning in William Powers’ latest account of small- components of the meal. (No talking about the who visit can also expect a treat.
space living, New Slow City: Living Simply in the World’s Fastest City. workday allowed!) Try scheduling “technology 671-2626 2 Embracing a slower-paced, more mindful lifestyle often comes ac- fasts” and making better use of vacation auto C BEOWULF READING: Attend a marathon DO IT IT DO
companied by the idea that to succeed, one must response settings (which Powers calls “the best community reading of the earliest English get away from the hustle and bustle and head back invention of the Internet age”). epic, Beowulf, as part of a “Wild Literarians” to nature. Powers and his wife of less than half a It’s pretty sobering, but I love the analogy series starting at 7pm at Honey Moon, 1053 N. year, Melissa, put this assumption to the test by jet- Powers related in an interview when asked State St. (in the alley). Participants will take 12.10.14 tisoning 80 percent of their belongings and moving why he went to such efforts to slow down his turns reading from Seamus Heaney’s award- from a 2,000-square-foot townhouse in Queens to a life. Besides the it’s-the-right-thing-to-do- winning translation in 5- to 10-minute incre-
.09 ments over the course of four or five hours. 350-square-foot “micro-apartment” in Greenwich Vil- for-the-earth reasons, he describes life as be- 50 Readers and audience members may choose # lage. How big is that? One answer—only big enough ing like getting into a boat, rowing out into to come and go or stay for the duration. The for a three-foot-long bathtub! the middle of a lake, and sinking. Kind of puts event is free and open to all ages. Call the Powers is not new to small living; his excellent memoir Twelve by Twelve re- things into a different perspective, doesn’t it? number below to sign up to read. counts a season spent living off the grid in a small North Carolina cottage. A Too precious to squander and we know full 774-0728 OR WWW.HONEYMOONMEADS.COM
mild climate, land to wander and a sizable permaculture garden all provided well from the outset that no one lives forever. SPIRIT SUMMONER: Longtime writer and plenty of space for activities and reflection that could be done outside the And with that thought, I think I’ll clock out and Western Washington University graduate Mat-
CASCADIA WEEKLY cabin. He grew much of his own food, kept bees and hauled water from No go commit an afternoon of idleness treason! thew Campbell reads from his first full-length Name Creek. The peacefulness and solitude of the setting made it easy to novel—a book of fantasy called Spirit Sum- 12 turn inward and live reflectively. Lisa Gresham is the Collection Support Manager moner—at 7pm at Village Books, 1200 11th St. WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM New Slow City explores how to make this 12x12 philosophy work in “the belly for Whatcom County Library System. She selects of the go! go! beast.” How realistic is the quest to live slowly and with serenity nonfiction, audiobooks and downloadable ma- SUN., DEC. 14 in a supercharged environment? Is it seditious to idle on a park bench reading terials for county readers and aspires to some- BELLINGHAM POEMS: Clayton Beach’s naked haiku, as Powers was sometimes wont to do, while the frenetic workday pace day live in a tiny house and practice being idle. doit
sunbathers, the aroma of poached salmon and Open Mic” at 7:30pm at Whatcom Museum’s ancient stories found in Salish baskets are some Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St. Festive holiday of the subject matter to be found when locals refreshments and an open-mic sharing of local Charles Luckmann, Tim Pilgrim, and Paul Piper history, research, stories and artifacts will be 34 read from Bellingham Poems at 4pm at Village preceded by a short membership meeting and Books, 1200 11th St. board elections. Suggested donation is $3. FOOD WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG
MON., DEC. 15 DEC. 11-14 28 POETRYNIGHT: Those looking to share their verse DECK THE HALL: Shop, sing, see Santa, enjoy as part of Poetrynight can sign up at 7:30pm at the dozens of decorated trees and enter to win a Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Ave. Read- special “decked out’ tree for your home at part B-BOARD ings start at 8pm. Entry is by donation. of “Deck the Old City Hall” from 12-5pm every WWW.POETRYNIGHT.ORG Thursday through Sunday through Dec. 28 at 24 Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall, 121 Prospect joy. TUES., DEC. 16 St. Entry is free with museum admission. FILM DRIVE-INS, DRIVE-UPS: Wes Gannaway and WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG Kent Holsather share stories from Drive-Ins,
Drive-Ups, and Drive-Thrus: The History of Drive- DEC. 12-14 20 In Movie Theaters and Drive-In Food Places in SHOP, DINE, CELEBRATE: Downtown No matter who you are, you are invited Whatcom County at 7pm at Village Books, 1200 Bellingham Partnership presents “Shop, Dine, to wait and wonder with us as we celebrate MUSIC 11th St. The book was written to help people Celebrate” from Friday through Sunday through- the third Sunday of Advent: December 14, 10 a.m. remember days gone by, when drive-ins were the out downtown Bellingham. Carolers, visits with
gastronomical and social hot-spot of every com- Santa, specials, raffles and more will be part 18 munity in Whatcom County. of the festive fun. Pick up a free copy of the ART WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM Holiday Shopping Guide at the Greenhouse, Back- country Essentials, Garys’ Men’s and Women’s FIRST CONGREGATIONAL WED., DEC. 17 Wear, and other retailers. 16 OPEN MIC: Attend South Whatcom Library’s WWW.DOWNTOWNBELLINGHAM.COM CHURCH OF BELLINGHAM “Poetry, Prose & Music” Open Mic from 6-8:30pm STAGE at the Creekside Cafe at the Sudden Valley YMCA, SAT., DEC. 13 an open and affirming congregation of the 8 Barn View Court, Gate 2. Entry is free. HOLIDAY FAIRE: Craft workshops, fun activi- WWW.WCLS.ORG ties for kids, puppet plays, live music, soup and UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 14 treats, a Gnome Village and visits with the Snow SENSELESS KNOWLEDGE: Master humorist Queen will be part of an annual Holiday Faire Kent Woodyard brings new life to the memory taking place from 10am-4pm at the Whatcom 2401 Cornwall Ave, Bellingham GET OUT devices of a bygone era when he reads from his Hills Waldorf School, 941 Austin St. Entry is free; www.fccb.net | facebook: fccbucc | twitter:1stCongBhamUCC first book, Non-Essential Mnemonics: An Unneces- the cost of activities varies from $1-$3. 12 12 sary Journey into Senseless Knowledge, at 7pm at WWW.WHWS.ORG Village Books, 1200 11th St. WORDS WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM VISITS WITH SANTA: Get free pictures with WORDS Santa Claus at a photo shoot from 10am-12pm and 12:30-2:30pm at the Industrial Credit 8 COMMUNITY Union’s Northwest branch, 3233 Northwest Ave. Each family will receive a photo that can be WED., DEC. 10 picked up at the branch the following week; ad- GUYS NIGHT: Shopping assistance, free gift ditional sizes and prints will be made available CURRENTS wrap, in-store specials and guy-themed snacks online for you to order at your own cost. 6 and refreshments will be part of a “Guys Night” WWW.INDUSTRIALCU.ORG holiday shopping experience from 5-8pm in
downtown Mount Vernon. CARRIAGE RIDES: Horse-drawn carriage rides VIEWS WWW.MOUNTVERNONDOWNTOWN.ORG with Creamer Classics and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus will take place from 12-3pm at the 4 HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: Join the Whatcom Hu- Fairhaven Village Inn, 1200 10th St. The free fes- man Rights Task Force, the Whatcom Peace & tivities take place every Saturday through Dec. 20. MAIL
Justice Center, and Amnesty International for WWW.FAIRHAVEN.COM an International Human Rights Day Celebration 2 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Fairhaven College Audi- LIVING ABROAD: Speakers will share insights DO IT IT DO torium on the WWU campus. “Write for Rights,” for teaching English as a Second Language a presentation by WHRTF founding board member abroad, service projects, and explore other work Devin Burghart, and a traditional vigil led by abroad opportunities at a “Working and Living Shirley Osterhaus will be part of the free com- Abroad” presentation from 2-4pm at the Fern-
munity celebration. dale Library, 2125 Main St. Entry is free. 12.10.14 WWW.WHATCOMPJC.ORG 305-3600 .09
THURS., DEC. 11 DEC. 13-14 50 # REAL HEROES: Join the Mt. Baker Chapter CELEBRATE THE SEASON: Anacortes Schools of the American Red Cross for its 17th annual Foundation presents family-oriented “Celebrate “Real Heroes” Celebration at 6pm at the Best the Season” events from 12-5pm Saturday and Western Lakeway Inn, 714 Lakeway Dr. The Sunday at the Port of Anacortes Events Center, 100 event honors local “everyday heroes” who ex- Commercial Ave. Activities include photos with emplify the mission of the American Red Cross Santa, “reindeer” games, crafts, hot beverages by making our community a safer and better and cookies, gingerbread contests (Saturday), and
place to live and work. Suggested minimum more. Entry is $5 per person or $20 per family. CASCADIA WEEKLY donation is $100. WWW.ANACORTESNOW.COM WWW.REDCROSS.ORG 13
HISTORY HOLIDAY: The public is invited to join members of the Whatcom County Historical SEND YOUR LISTINGS TO Society for the group’s annual “History Holiday [email protected] White Salmon Road (#3075): A short, easy route with great views of Shuksan. The White Salmon Road is unique in that it offers a descent on the way in (remem-
ber: what goes down must come up). 34 Relatively high elevation means lots of FOOD FOOD outside snow. No avalanche issues. HIKING RUNNING CYCLING Hannegan Pass Road (#32): The first three miles offer fine views of Shuksan 28 and the Nooksack River and possible camps—after that it’s avalanche city.
B-BOARD B-BOARD Twin Lakes Road (#3065): A steady uphill for four miles with possibilities for 24 camps. Beyond four
FILM miles, the avalanche danger is high. Wells Creek Road 20 (#33): This road is
MUSIC gated beyond Nook- ATTEND sack Falls, so unless
18 the snow level is very WHAT: “Ava- low, you might have ART lanche Aware- ness” with the to walk awhile before American Alpine strapping on the snow- 16 Institute; whether shoes or skis. There is you ski, snow-
STAGE avalanche danger af- shoe, snowboard or snowmobile in ter three miles. Great the backcountry, scenery and a good 14 14 recognition of chance for solitude. avalanche danger Glacier Creek Road is an essential GET OUT GET OUT (#39): Drive to snow- and potentially lifesaving skill line and then climb the road. Although
12 WHEN: 6pm Tues., Dec. 16 popular with snowmo- WHERE: REI bilers, the road grants WORDS Bellingham 400 access to Heliotrope 36th St. Ridge (no snowmo- 8 COST: Entry is free; register in biles allowed) and advance grand views of Baker. INFO: 647-8955
CURRENTS CURRENTS This one is best early or www.rei.com or late in the season 6 (when you can drive farther up the road before strapping on the snowshoes) and VIEWS midweek (when the snowmobile crowd is
4 diminished). Deadhorse Road (#37): A beauti- MAIL MAIL ful route along the Nooksack with lots
of great camps. The road climbs for 13 2 miles to the Skyline Divide trail. Great DO IT IT DO
for early or late season trips when you can drive much of the way before en- STORY AND PHOTO BY JOHN D’ONOFRIO countering snow. Canyon Creek Road (#31): Drive to the 12.10.14 snowline and then snowshoe to the Dam- fino Lakes trailhead. This is snowmobile .09 central, so avoid it like the plague on 50 Welcoming the White # weekends in midwinter. SNOW AND SAFETY IN THE NORTH CASCADES Considerations: 1. Dress for Success: Think dry and warm—layers of fleece s winter snows fall in the mountains, a great softening occurs. The sharp Artist Point: The supreme overnight and wool and Gore-Tex. Carry the 10 es- and angular peaks are frosted with white and the rough-and-tumble high- destination around Mt. Baker. Easy ac- sentials. Always check avalanche condi- A lands are rendered whipping-cream smooth. cess and views that will knock your tions before setting out (www.nwac.us). CASCADIA WEEKLY If you think this is an invitation to explore, you are correct. gaiters off. A jaunt with low avalanche 2. Avoid Dying: If you don’t have any Our own beloved Mt. Baker Highway will whisk you from the soggy-gray saltwater risk—avoid the last switchback below gear or knowledge of snow conditions, 14 lowlands to soul-stirring scenes of winter beauty in a thrice. It is certainly our good Huntoon Point (which has slid) by head- stay out of potential avalanche areas. fortune to have such ready access to a sublime winter wonderland so close at hand. ing directly up the steep ridge. There Seriously. 3. Be Righteous: If you’re Splendid explorations abound, conveying you—with scant effort—to silent for- are tremendous camps on Kulshan Ridge. snowshoeing, please don’t walk in ski ests and sweeping snow-sculpted meadows. Go for the afternoon. Go for a week. Table Mountain and Ptarmigan Ridge are tracks. It’s extremely poor form and se- Here are just a few choice excursions available from the Mt. Baker Highway: high-risk avalanche areas. riously bad karma. doit Sleighbells Ring WED., DEC. 10 CROSS-COUNTRY BASICS: Learn more about @ BelleWood 2014 the fundamental differences between back- 34 country, telemarking and touring ski styles at a “Cross-Country Skiing Basics” class at 6pm at FOOD FOOD REI, 400 36th St. Additional topics will cover proper clothing and information on where and how to get started in this fun winter activity. 28 Entry is free; register in advance. December 13th-14th : SHOP & SIP 647-8955 OR WWW.REI.COM Open Daily 10 – 5 pm Live Music! B-BOARD GROUP RUN: All levels of experience are GIVE the GIFT of Pumpkin welcome at a weekly Group Run beginning at 6pm Spice Liqueur & Reserve Brandy Saturday: KID’Sax Ensemble &
in Mount Vernon at the Skagit Running Company, <ŝĚƐŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐŽŽŬŝĞĞĐŽƌĂƟŶŐ Bellingham Youth Jazz Band 24 702 First St. The 3- to 6-mile run is great for ŽŶ&ŝƌĞΘ^͛ŵŽƌĞĂƌ Sunday: Harmony Northwest & beginners or for others wanting an easy recovery. Community Sing A Long FILM Entry is free and no registration is required. Sunday Visit with SANTA from 1-5p WWW.SKAGITRUNNERS.ORG ,KZ^ ZtE^> /', >>dZK>> zZ/ ^
ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚƚŚĞŽƌĐŚĂƌĚϮͲϱƉŵ 20 GARDEN CLUB MEETING: Tina Swanson will tŝƚŚ,ŽƚŝĚĞƌΨϳtŝƚŚƌĂŶĚLJΘDƵůůĞĚŝĚĞƌΨϭϬ share her expertise to help attendees build their ĞůĞďƌĂƚĞďLJŐŝǀŝŶŐĂƵƚŚĞŶƟĐůŽĐĂůĐŽƵŶƚƌLJŐŝŌƐƚŚŝƐŚŽůŝĚĂLJ͊ MUSIC own holiday arrangements at the Birchwood Learn what to expect—and what to bring along—at a Garden Club’s monthly meeting from 7-9pm at the "Winter Camping Basics" clinic Mon., Dec. 15 at REI Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Ave. Check 6140 Guide Meridian ͻ (360) 318-7720 ͻ www.BelleWoodFarms.com 18
the website for a recommended list of supplies to Barrel Construction” presentation at 3:30pm at ART bring along. the SkillShare Space at the Bellingham Public WWW.BIRCHWOODGARDENCLUB.ORG Library, 210 Central Ave. Entry is free. 16 778-7217 THURS., DEC. 11 WOMEN’S WAX & WINE: Bring your skis or HOLIDAY BOAT PARADE: A “Holiday Boat STAGE boards along when She Jumps hosts a “Women’s Parade” begins at 6:30pm at La Conner’s Swin- Wax & Wine” event from 7-10pm at Backcountry omish Yacht Club and can be viewed from the 14 14 Essentials, 214 W. Holly St. The event features town’s Gilkey Square, Washington Street Park, a wax tutorial (and wine) in the back shop, an the La Conner boardwalk or on the deck of area avalanche awareness course (with wine) and restaurants. GET OUT GET OUT more. Entry is free and open to all women who WWW.LOVELACONNER.COM are interested in exploring and staying safe in the backcountry. DEC. 13-14 12 WWW.SHEJUMPS.ORG OR WWW. FISH HATCHERY TOURS: In conjunction with BACKCOUNTRYESSENTIALS.NET the return of bald eagles to the Skagit River
watershed system, volunteer guides will provide WORDS FRI., DEC. 12 free tours from 11am-3pm every Saturday and
WILD THINGS: Kids, adults and adventurers can Sunday through Feb. 1 at the Marblemount Fish 8 join Wild Whatcom Walks for “Wild Things” excur- Hatchery, 8319 Fish Hatchery Rd. Tours start sions from 9:30-11am every Friday in December inside the visitor’s center and proceed outdoors. at the Connelly Creek Nature Area in the Happy Sturdy footwear is recommended. Entry is free. CURRENTS CURRENTS Valley neighborhood. A frequently traveled WWW.SKAGITFISHERIES.ORG
corridor for wildlife of all kinds, this trail winds 6 through surprisingly diverse and mature tree SUN., DEC. 14 stands. Entry is by donation. RABBIT RIDE: Join members of the Mount VIEWS WWW.WILDWHATCOM.ORG Baker Bicycle Club for a “Rabbit Ride” starting at 8:30am every Sunday at Fairhaven Bike & Ski, 4 DEC. 12-13 1108 11th St. The 32-mile route takes riders WONDERLAND WALK: Local service groups, down Chuckanut and back via Lake Samish. This MAIL MAIL clubs, businesses and families will decorate is intended to be a fitness ride, and you’re en- COLD BEER GREAT FOOD
campsites with festive lights and holiday cheer couraged to push yourself. The group also holds Weekly events: 2 as part of a “Wonderland Walk” happening from weekly rides Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, The Corner Pub Monday -
5-8pm in Anacortes at Washington Park, 6300 and Saturdays. IT DO
Sunset Ave. The event is free and open to the WWW.MTBAKERBIKECLUB.ORG Meatloaf Monday is Open! PM community. P.S. Bring your own flashlights or Trivia 7 headlamps to help guide the way. MON., DEC. 15 Tuesday - WWW.ANACORTES.ORG WINTER CAMPING BASICS: Instructor Greg Live Music Thursdays Tacos, Tallboys and Tequila Nace will cover how to plan, how to stay warm, & Some Saturdays Wednesday - 12.10.14 Bingo Night 4:30PM SAT., DEC. 13 how to select winter-appropriate gear and what All music starts at 7:30PM JINGLE BELL RUN: If you’re looking for a fun to expect when setting up camp and during your Thursday - .09 PM Knut Bell Live Music 7:30 50 and festive way to kick off your holidays by help- overnight at a “Winter Camping Basics” clinic at # ing others, take part in annual “Jingle Bell Run/ 6pm at REI, 400 36th St. Register in advance for Friday - PM Walk for Arthritis” starting at 9am at Bellingham the free workshop. Steak Night 5 High School, 2020 Cornwall Ave. Whether you’re 647-8955 OR WWW.REI.COM Unwind Special-%!1%$3/6!1$ running the 5K, signing your children up for (but not exclusive by any means) a shorter Kids Fun Run, or bringing along the TUES., DEC. 16 Argo and Star Dec 10 /41!1$ /1+).'%)'("/12 family dog, wear a holiday-themed costume and GIVE AND GLOW RUN: Donations for the Bell- PM PM %+./68/4#!.931%!,,8%.*/8! prepare to have fun. Entry is $10-$35; funds ingham Food Bank will be matched by reps from Dec 17 6 -8 Bad Santa Ugly Sweater drink on your lunch break so come raised benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Asics as part of a “Give and Glow Run” starting Party with Pelican Brewery "!#+!.$4.6).$6)3(8/41,4.#( CASCADIA WEEKLY WWW.ARTHRITIS.ORG at 6pm at Fairhaven Runners, 1209 11th St. The receipt for 50%off your first drink!
run—20 minutes out and 20 minutes back—will 15 Dump Run special-1).').8/41 RAIN BARREL CONSTRUCTION: Presenter Brad be followed by pizza, presents and prizes. Glow Open 11-9 Monday thru Wednesday receipt from the Skagit Transfer Walters will demonstrate how to prep, assemble sticks will be provided, but runners should also 11-10 Thursday thru Saturday Station and get a beer and a shot and maintain a rain barrel and will be available bring a headlamp or flashlight. 10-9 Sunday &/1*423"!13%.$%12#(/)#% to answer questions on the process at a “Rain WWW.FAIRHAVENRUNNERS.COM Always open later if everyone is having a good time! ,,%. %23 /!$:/6 : doit STAGE
WED., DEC. 10 34 COMEDY AT THE SHOE: Attend the weekly “Shoe Me the Funny” comedy showcase start- FOOD FOOD stage ing at 9pm every Wednesday at the Ranch Room at the Horseshoe Cafe, 113 E. Holly St. The event features six comedians vying for
28 THEATER DANCE PROFILES your vote, a highlighted comedian, host Mike Cramblett, and chances to win platters of cheesy fries. Entry is free. B-BOARD B-BOARD WWW.FACEBOOK.COM
me to make my way to Honey Moon Meads
24 THURS., DEC. 11 Sat., Dec. 13 for a marathon reading of the GOOD, BAD, UGLY: Watch “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” at 8pm every Thursday at FILM lengthy masterpiece. The event, part of a “Wild Literarians” se- the Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St. At 10pm, stick around for the “Project.” Entry is $4-$7. ries at Honey Moon, will see various commu- 20 733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM nity members take to the podium to bring the
MUSIC Dark Ages back to life on what will be one DEC. 11-14 of the darkest, longest nights of the year. In MARY AND JOSEPH: Playwright Tim Greger’s Serial Killers-winning play, Mary and
18 other words, don’t expect to be overloaded Joseph: A Bible Story, returns as a full-length with holiday cheer.
ART production starting this weekend with shows “The poem doesn’t specify a season, but at 7:30pm Thursday through Sunday at the there’s no denying that its mood is heavy iDiOM Theater, 1418 Cornwall Ave. The show 16 16 and dark,” Honey Moon features a modern take on the trials and tribulations of one young couple’s unplanned
STAGE co-owner Anna Evans STAGE immaculate conception. Tickets are $10 in says. “Much of the ac- advance and $12 at the door; additional tion takes place at showings happen Dec. 18-21. (P.S. There’ll 14 night, or underwater, or be a post-show reception opening night, and both. And while the text the Fri., Dec. 12 show is free.) WWW.IDIOMTHEATER.COM GET OUT frequently makes refer-
ence to ‘Almighty God,’ MIRACLE ON 34th STREET: Is Santa a the setting is decidedly myth? Find out when Kris Kringle takes on
12 ATTEND WHAT: Marathon pagan and pre-Chris- the cynics in an adaptation of the popular Community Reading tian. It seems totally holiday favorite, Miracle on 34th Street: WORDS of Beowulf appropriate to this time The Musical, concluding this weekend with WHEN: 7pm Sat., performances at 7:30pm Thursday through of year. And much as we
8 Dec. 13 Saturday, and 2pm Sunday, at the Bellingham WHERE: Honey love the holidays, the Theatre Guild, 1600 H St. Tickets are $8-$14. Moon Meads, 1053 Christmas barrage starts WWW.BELLINGHAMTHEATREGUILD.COM N. State St. (in the
CURRENTS CURRENTS in October these days. alley) A night of battling an- A CHRISTMAS STORY: A one-legged lamp, a Red Ryder BB Gun, a kid who freezes his
6 COST: Free INFO: Call cient monsters seemed tongue on an icy flagpole and the phrase BY AMY KEPFERLE 734-0728 or email like it might provide a “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” will all be VIEWS info@honeymoon welcome respite.” part of A Christmas Story: The Musical show- meads.com to get ings concluding this weekend at 7:30pm
4 While there’s no direc- on the roster tive on how theatrical the Friday, 2pm and 7:30pm Saturday, and 2pm Sunday at Lynden’s Claire vg Thomas Theatre, MAIL MAIL readings will be, I can’t Beowulf in Bellingham 655 Front St. Tickets are $8-$12.
help but think that the plethora of area actors, WWW.CLAIREVGTHEATRE.COM 2 WELCOME TO THE DARK AGES poets and other performance-oriented folks BOB’S YOUR ELF: Comedy and the holidays DO IT IT DO
who call Bellingham home will step up to the “When we crossed the sea, my comrades/And I, I already knew that all/My purpose was plate to make the event a night to remember. combine when Bob’s Your Elf continues this weekend with 7:30pm shows Thursday this: to win the good will/Of your people or die in battle, pressed/In Grendel’s fierce grip. If you’re interested in being part of the posse through Saturday, and 2pm Sunday, at the Let me live in greatness/And courage, or here in this hall welcome/ My death!” bringing the 3,000-plus lines of Beowulf to life Anacortes Community Theatre, 918 M Ave. 12.10.14 —Lines 632-638 from Beowulf Saturday night for the estimated four- to five- Tickets are $18 and additional showings hap- hour reading, sign up in advance for a slot. pen weekends through Dec. 20. .09 or a refresher course on the subject matter behind the earliest English For those worried about getting the ca- WWW.ACTTHEATRE.COM 50 # epic, Beowulf, I Googled “Beowulf for Dummies” and was soon directed to dence of Old English poetry just right, be DEC. 12-13 F a website focused on explaining history to children. aware that the text Beowulf-ers will be us- WHITE CHRISTMAS: The Theater Arts Guild “Beowulf is a great warrior and hero,” I read. “He sails to Denmark to save King ing is from Seamus Heaney’s bestselling 2000 concludes showings of the beloved holiday Hrothgar from a terrible monster called Grendel. There’s a fight, and Beowulf translation, which Evans says will bring the musical known as White Christmas this tears off Grendel’s arm, so Grendel goes home and bleeds to death. “ancient action to life for a modern audience weekend at 7:30pm Friday and Saturday at Mount Vernon’s Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First “The next night,” the plot summary continues, “Grendel’s mother comes and at- with vivid, visceral force.” St. Tickets are $10-$24.
CASCADIA WEEKLY tacks King Hrothgar’s hall, so Beowulf fights and kills her too with a magic sword. By the time Beowulf has become King WWW.LINCOLNTHEATRE.ORG Everyone is happy and Beowulf gets lot of rewards.” of the Geats and met the dragon that will 16 While the recitation of facts contained a few more paragraphs of prose about take his life, it’s likely countless dragoons HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS: The seasonal the additional adventures the Scandinavian stud embarks upon during the course of mead will have been consumed by those “Home for the Holidays” show can be seen at 8pm and 10pm every Friday and Saturday of Beowulf, it became clear the abbreviated version of the classic tale doesn’t re- in attendance, making the event a little less through December at the Upfront Theatre, ally do the story justice. intimidating. It’ll still be dark, but it won’t 1208 Bay St. The improvised hilarity will To get a more realistic idea of how epic Beowulf really is, it might behoove be the Dark Ages. doit
34 FOOD FOOD 28 B-BOARD B-BOARD 24 FILM 20 MUSIC 18 ART
The Theater Arts Guild channels the holiday magic of A White Christmas with showings of the musical for 16 the final weekend Dec. 12-13 at Mount Vernon’s Lincoln Theatre 16 STAGE Lester & Hyldahl STAGE focus on three characters and their arrival home a little bit of rock and roll. Entry is $5 per class. for holiday get-togethers. Tickets are $10 in (360) 354-4325 advance and $12 at the door. 14 WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM SNOWFLAKE BALL: Dress in your finery and make your way to a “Snowflake Ball” happening DEC. 12-14 from 7:30-10:30pm at the Bellingham Dance GET OUT NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS: Two casts Company , 1705 N. State St. Foxtrot lessons will of 25 actors ages 9 to 12 will share their talents kick things off, and holiday treats will be avail- at musical versions of The Nightmare Before able. There will also be music, photos, dance Tom Lester DUI/Criminal 12 Christmas at 7pm Friday, 2pm and 7pm Saturday, demos and more. Entry prices vary. and 2pm Sunday at the Bellingham Arts Acad- WWW.BELLINGHAMDANCECOMPANY.COM Doug Hyldahl Personal Injury
emy for Youth, 1059 N. State St. Tickets are $10 WORDS online or at the door. Kids 5 and under are free. SAT., DEC. 13 Attorneys Bankruptcy
WWW.BAAY.ORG CONTRA DANCE: Live music will be provided by 8 Beauty and the Beats at the Bellingham Country at Law MON., DEC. 15 Dance Society’s Contra Dance from 7-10:30pm at VAUDEVILLINGHAM: The Bellingham Circus the Fairhaven Library, 1117 12th St. No experi- Guild presents its monthly variety show ence or partner is necessary, and beginning CURRENTS fundraiser, “Vaudevillingham,” at 7pm and 9pm instruction will be provided. Entry is $6-$10. 6 performances at the Cirque Lab, 1401 6th St., WWW.BELLINGHAMCOUNTRYDANCE.ORG 360.733.5774 suite 102. Expect to see everything from aerial
[email protected] VIEWS acts to dance, comedy, magic, theater, jugging, SALSA NIGHT: Join Rumba Northwest for burlesque and more. Suggested donation is $5- “Salsa Night” starting at 9:30pm every Saturday 119 N. Commercial Street, Suite 175 4 $10. (Note: A “Holiday Bazaar” begins at 6pm at Cafe Rumba, 1430 N. State St. After an at the space, so make sure to show up early to introductory lesson, attendees can dance to the MAIL MAIL EO P G P L E N ’ S check it out.) a mix of Latin rhythms, including salsa, meren- I H C S I WWW.BELLINGHAMCIRCUSGUILD.COM gue, bachata, cha-cha-cha, and more. Entry to L
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the all-ages event is $4. Voted #1 Italian Restaurant
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WWW.RUMBANORTHWEST.COM 0 GUFFAWINGHAM: A weekly open mic for A DO IT IT DO
K S comedians, “Guffawingham!,” takes place at by Evening Magazine & King 5 TV! 9:30pm every Monday at the Green Frog, 1015 DEC. 13-14 Try our New Full Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Menus! N. State St. Entry is free. THE NUTCRACKER: Northwest Ballet Theatre WWW.ACOUSTICTAVERN.COM continues its run of performances of the
seasonal holiday ballet The Nutcracker at 7:30pm 12.10.14 Saturday and 2pm Sunday at the Mount Baker Four Course Sunset Specials DANCE Theatre, 104 N. Commercial St. Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE DURING LUNCH! Ê££>È«ÊUÊ->ÌÊEÊ-ÕÊΫȫ .09 $ 95* 50 $20-$34. Additional showings of the Christmas 15 15 Entrees to choose from # THURS., DEC. 11 classic can be seen Dec. 20-21 at McIntyre Hall FOLK DANCE: Join the Fourth Corner Folk in Mount Vernon. ««iÌâiÀ]Ê-Õ«ÊÀÊ->>`]Ê iÃÃiÀÌ Dancers to learn lively folk dances from WWW.MOUNTBAKERTHEATRE.COM OR Eastern Europe, Greece, Turkey, and Israel from WWW.NORTHWESTBALLET.ORG 7:15-10pm every Thursday at the Fairhaven Now Offering Ravioli, Gnocchi & Veal Library, 1117 12th St. Suggested donation is $5; TUES., DEC. 16 /FX%FTTFSU0QUJPOTtCréme Brulee made In-House students and first-timers are free. BAAY WINTER SHOW: Bellingham Arts
(360) 380-0456 Academy for Youth’s dance company presents CASCADIA WEEKLY *Offer valid 7 days a week (holidays excluded) For additional offers visit www.granaio.com performances by their two dance groups at a FRI., DEC. 12 “Winter Show” featuring choreography by artis- CALL FOR RESERVATIONS 17 WESTERN LINE DANCING: A Western Line tic director Lisa Markowitz at 7pm at the BAAY Lunch hours 360.419.0674 Dance class meets at 6pm Friday at Lynden’s Theatre, 1059 N. State St. Suggested donation 11am–3pm Ten Mile Grange, 6958 Hannegan Rd. The group is $5 at the door. WWW.GRANAIO.COM Dinner hours [email protected] dances the oldies to the latest western, with WWW.BAAY.ORG 3pm–10pm £ääÊ Ê Ì}iÀÞ]Ê-ÕÌiÊ££ä]Ê ÕÌÊ6iÀ doit
UPCOMING EVENTS
34 DEC. 10-14 ALLIED ARTS HOLIDAY FESTIVAL: The
FOOD FOOD annual Allied Arts Holiday Festival continues from 10am-6pm Wednesdays through Sundays visual through Dec. 24. at 4145 Meridian St. (near 28 GALLERIES OPENINGS PROFILES Park Bowl). The works of more than 100 local artisans and craftspeople can be perused and purchased at the festival.
B-BOARD B-BOARD WWW.ALLIEDARTS.ORG
expansive downtown space can also imbibe hot THURS., DEC. 11 24 soup and cider (and adult holiday beverages) TEEN ART SHOW: A reception for a “What- comics! Teen Art Show” happens from 6:30- FILM and listen to a cappella singing throughout the 8:30pm at the Lynden Library, 216 4th St. day. For more gift choices, don’t forget to pe- Art published in the anthology can be seen ruse the “Miniatures” exhibit currently on dis- through December. 20 play in the upstairs gallery space. 305-3600
MUSIC WHEN: 12-6pm Sat., Dec. 13 WHERE: 306 Flora St. MORE DEC. 12-14 INFO: www,makeshiftproject.com PACIFIC ARTS MARKET: Several dozen well- 18 18 18 Is it a gallery exhibit, or a holiday art sale? known local artists and crafters will show If you’re talking about Smith & Vallee’s current and sell a variety of work—including jewelry, ART ART show, Objectification: 7, the answer is “both.” fine art, photography, textiles, clothing, bath While it’s typical that items purchased during & body, specialty foods, home decor, paper 16 crafts and much more—at the 18th annual an exhibit would be delineated with a “sold” Pacific Arts Market from 10am-6pm every
STAGE sticker and picked up when the rest of the art Friday through Sunday through Dec. 21 at comes down, that’s not the case with this popu- Sunset Square, 1125 E. Sunset Dr. Live music PETER RAND AT "OBJECTIFICATION” PETER RAND AT lar multi-artist installation. Once your selection and artist demos will happen throughout the 14 has been paid for—whether it’s a light box by weekend. Admission is free. WWW.PACIFICARTSMARKET.COM Peter Rand, a porcelain piece by Inge Roberts,
GET OUT a Humperdinck Hats cloche by Angela Cook, or a SAT., DEC. 13 thought-provoking sculpture by Karen Hacken- COAST SALISH FESTIVAL: Find unique berg—you can take it home and either gift it to handcrafted gifts created and sold by Lummi 12 yourself or wrap it up for someone special. This community members at the fourth annual Coast Salish Winter Festival happening from year’s focus is on accessible and practical forms 10am-5pm at Ferndale’s Lummi Gateway Cen- WORDS of art (ceramics, textiles, haberdashery, house- ter, 4920 Rural Ave. The event happens again wares, furniture, etc.) and, since pieces will be Sat., Dec. 20. 8 sold throughout the duration, the exhibit will WWW.LUMMIGATEWAYCENTER.COM be constantly changing. Seems like now might KIDS’ BAZAAR: Attend a “Kids and Teens
CURRENTS CURRENTS be the right time for a short road trip to Edison. Holiday Craft Bazaar” from 10:30am-12:30pm WHEN: 11am-5pm daily WHERE: 5742 Gilkey Ave., Edison at the Deming Library, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy. VAUDEVILLINGHAM HOLIDAY BAZAAR HOLIDAY VAUDEVILLINGHAM MAKE.SALE HOLIDAY AT SOWN DESIGN 6 MORE INFO: www.smithandvallee.com Bring the whole family to shop at this sea- sonal event. BY AMY KEPFERLE Last month’s inaugural Holiday Bazaar that VIEWS took place prior to the Bellingham Circus Guild’s WWW.WCLS.ORG
4 monthly “Vaudevillingham” variety show was GIFT SALE: Come shop for unique, handmade successful enough that the organizers are con- presents as part of a Gift Sale happening from MAIL MAIL Naughty or Nice? sidering adding an arts and crafts element to 10am-3pm at Ragfinery, 1421 N. Forest St. WWW.RAGFINERY.COM
the monthly performances throughout the year. 2 Although that’s not set in stone just yet, those GETTING CREATIVE FOR CHRISTMAS ANCHOR CLOSING: A closing reception for DO IT IT DO involved are feeling good about the second hol- Jean Behnke’s “Kinda Vital/Slightly Precise” ith Christmas a little more than two weeks away, it’s crunch iday-focused bazaar that will happen Mon., Dec. installation and exhibit—and for the space time when it comes to making lists, checking them twice and 15 at the group’s Cirque Lab. “Vaudevillingham itself, which is shuttering its doors today— deciding who among your family and acquaintances has been has been a type of community art share for six takes place from 2-5pm at Anchor Art Space,
12.10.14 W 216 Commercial Ave. The exhibit also includes naughty, nice or somewhere in between. I, for one, tend to err on the side years now, so including this bazaar into the mix new work by Russell Prather, Margaret David- of creativity when it comes to gift-giving. This means trying as hard as feels like a perfect, natural fit,” says organizer son, and Sandra Westford. .09 possible to avoid the big-box mayhem, and focusing my attention on ac- Della Moustachella. “And just like ”Vaudevil- WWW.ANCHORARTSPACE.ORG 50 # quiring items that won’t show up under just any tree. If that’s your modus lingham,’ more artists are welcome to come and operandi, too, then the following events are sure to pique your interest. share their homemade goods.” In addition to DEC. 13-14 Knitted beer cozies, one-of-a-kind coffee mugs, earrings made from those who might still hop onboard, those who HOLIDAY GLASS SALE: Find affordable glass gifts and watch ongoing glassblowing buttons and rabbit-shaped Christmas tree ornaments are some of the head to the Cirque Lab before the shows can ex- demos at an annual Holiday Sale and Open gifts I’ve picked up at the annual Holiday Make.Sale, which is put on pect to find items such as science-inspired ear- Studio from 10am-5pm Saturday and Sunday every December at Make.Shift Art Space. The fourth annual event, which rings, circus costume pieces, homemade cards, at Glass Mountain Studios, 927 Yew St. Entry is free. CASCADIA WEEKLY this year takes place Sat., Dec. 13, crams the creative space on Flora leather and metal bracelets, tie-died baby one- Street with offerings by more than 20 local artists and crafters—Sown sies, pottery, jewelry, knit hats, yoga bags, WWW.GLASSMTN.COM 18 Designs, Schwarzenncrahft stihlworks, NOMAD, Red Boots Design, Fringe chocolate, dyed slips and more. WED., DEC. 17 & Feather, Rubycat Designs, Jess Flegel Handmade, Localmotive Jewelry WHEN: 6pm Mon., Dec. 15 (“Vaudevillingham” shows 3D PRINTING: Find out what 3D printing is, Creations, Osteal Jewelry, Bomber Audio, You Did A Thing, Remedios the happen at 7pm and 9pm) WHERE: 1401 6th St., suite how the printer works and see demos from Beauty Clothing, and others—who will have their wares on display and #102 MORE INFO: (360) 421-7827 or www.bellingham 6:15-7:45pm at the Lynden Library, 216 4th for sale. To add to the festive atmosphere, those wandering through the circusguild.com doit
St. This free program is useful if you have never mano Island’s Matzke Fine Art Gallery & Sculpture
used a 3D printer before and want to know how Park, 2345 Blanche Way.
it works. WWW.MATZKEFINEART.COM 34 305-3600
MONA: “Accreted Terrane” and “To Be Alone To- FOOD gether” show through Jan. 4 at La Conner’s Museum ONGOING EXHIBITS of Northwest Art, 121 S. First St. Entry is free. WWW.MONAMUSEUM.ORG 28 ALLIED ARTS: View “Abstraction” through Dec. 20 at Allied Arts, 1418 Cornwall Ave. The PEACEHEALTH: “Healing Through Art” is on
exhibit features work from Yvette Neumann, display through Jan. 31 at PeaceHealth St. B-BOARD Katherine Payge, Craig Dunstan-McGrail and Joseph Medical Center, 2901 Squalicum Pkwy. The Eileen Reardanz. exhibit features works by painters Mary Moore WWW.ALLIEDARTS.ORG Bailey, Cathy Schoenberg, and Linda Hirsh. Select 24 works from private collections include paintings ARTWOOD: An unusual array of holiday orna- by Clayton James, Jack Gunter, William Slater, FILM ments will be highlighted through December at at and others. Fairhaven’s Artwood Gallery, 1000 Harris Ave. Art 733-5361 20 on the walls by Chris Romine will also comple- ment the many gift items also available: QUILT MUSEUM: View “Elin Noble: Vox Stel- WWW.ARTWOODGALLERY.COM . larum,” Grace Hawley’s “Hawaiian Quilting: MUSIC Traditions Continue” and “Best of the Festival” 18 CHUCKANUT BREWERY: Local artist Evan through Dec. 28 at the La Conner Quilt & Textile 18 Whitehead’s “Evergreen Art” paintings can be Museum, 703 S. Second St. ART ART seen through Jan. 10 at Chuckanut Brewery & WWW.LACONNERQUILTS.ORG Kitchen, 601 W. Holly St.
WWW.CHUCKANUTBREWERYANDKITCHEN.COM SCOTT MILO: Jennifer Bowman’s acrylics will 16 be highlighted through Jan. 27 in Anacortes at
DEMING LIBRARY: View Neo-Expressionist the Scott Milo Gallery, 420 Commercial Ave. Also STAGE works by painter Gregg Laananen through Jan. 15 showing are acrylics by Cynthia Richardson, oils at the Deming Library, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy. and pastels by Amanda Houston, photo encaus-
WWW.WCLS.ORG tics by Kathy Hastings and photography by Lewis 14 Jones, Dick Garvey, and Randy Dana. FISHBOY GALLERY: Check out the contempo- WWW.SCOTTMILOCOM
rary folk art of RR Clark from 1:30-5pm every GET OUT Mon.-Fri. at the FishBoy Gallery, 617 Virginia St. SEIFERT & JONES: Check out images by Grant 714-0815 OR WWW.FISHBOYGALLERY.COM Gunderson, one of the ski industry’s most
dedicated photographers, through December at 12 GALLERY CYGNUS: View a new exhibit featuring Seifert & Jones Wine Merchants, 19 Prospect St. paintings by Becky Fletcher and vessels by Allen Works by painters FishBoy (R.R. Clark) and Rob WORDS Moe through Dec. 14 in La Conner at Gallery Geisher are also on display. Cygnus, 109 Commercial Ave. WWW.SJWINEMERCHANTS.COM 8 WWW.GALLERYCYGNUS.COM SKAGIT MUSUEM: “Over the River...To Grand- GOOD EARTH: Deb McCunn’s “Animated Sur- mother’s House” can be seen through Dec. 31 at
faces” will be highlighted through December at La Conner’s Skagit County Historical Museum, 501 CURRENTS Good Earth Pottery, 1000 Harris Ave. S. 4th St. WWW.GOODEARTHPOTS.COM WWW.SKAGITCOUNTY.NET/MUSEUM 6
HONEY SALON: Check out “Wild at Home,” a SMITH & VALLEE: Functional and three- VIEWS new collection of paintings and mixed-media dimensional artwork from more than 20 local and
fiber art by Moth and Squirrel’s Libby Chenault , regional artists can be perused and purchased at 4 through Jan. 31 at Honey Salon, 310 W. Holly St. “Objectification: 7” through Dec. 28 at Edison’s
WWW.HONEYBELLINGHAM.COM Smith & Vallee Gallery, 5742 Gilkey Ave. MAIL WWW.SMITHANDVALLEE.COM
JANSEN ART CENTER: Peruse black-and-white 2 photography by Tommy Gibson, oil paintings by WATERWORKS: Check out the annual multi- DO IT IT DO Mary Alice Phillips, and a “Winter Exhibit” at Lyn- artist “Think Red Holiday Show” through Jan. 3 at den’s Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St. Entry is free. Friday Harbor’s Waterworks Gallery, 315 Argyle St. WWW.JANSENARTCENTER.ORG WWW.WATERWORKSGALLERY.COM
LUCIA DOUGLAS: View painter Mary Moore WHATCOM ART MARKET: From 10am-6pm every 12.10.14 Bailey’s “Images Within” through Dec. 21 at Thursday through Monday, stop by the Whatcom Fairhaven’s Lucia Douglas Gallery, 1415 13th St. Art Guild’s Art Market at Fairhaven’s Waldron .09 The works can also be seen Jan. 2-17. Building, 1314 12th St. 50 WWW.LUCIADOUGLAS.COM WWW.WHATCOMARTGUILD.ORG #
MAKE.SHIFT: View a multi-artist “Miniatures” WHATCOM MUSEUM: “Reaching Beyond: exhibit through Dec. 27 at Make.Shift Art Space, Northwest Designer Craftsmen at 60,” “Leo 306 Flora St. The show challenged local artists to Adams: Eastern Light,” “Peak of Their Profes- create an art piece three inches or smaller, and sions: The Murrow Brothers,” and “Big Cameras, the result is a diverse group show “featuring all Big Trees: Darius Kinsey at Large in the Woods” kinds of wonderful, strange, tiny things.” can currently be viewed on the Whatcom Museum CASCADIA WEEKLY WWW.MAKESHIFTPROJECT.COM campus, both at the Old City Hall at 121 Prospect St. and the Lightcatcher Building at 205 Flora St. 19 MATZKE GALLERY: The works of more than 40 Admission is free for children under 2, $4.50 for artists working in glass, ceramics, sculpture and children ages 2-5, $8 for seniors and students paintings can be seen the 24th annual “Honey, with valid ID, and $10 general. I Shrunk the Art” exhibit through Jan. 18 at Ca- WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG Rumor Has It
IT IS TRUE that if you are a musician and your 34 mother emails me to tell me about your show,
FOOD FOOD the likelihood is high that I’ll mention it. I don’t know why. I’m sure I’ll get to the bot- music tom of it with a therapist at some point in my 28 SHOW PREVIEWS ›› RUMOR HAS IT future, but for now, the fact remains. Nancy Orlowski has been reaching out to me
B-BOARD B-BOARD for years to let me know what her son—former Bellinghamster-turned-Seattleite Kris Orlows- ki—is up to, so it was no surprise to find her in 24 my inbox not long after Kris booked a Fri., Dec.
FILM 12 show at the Green Frog. Even more delightful was finally meeting Nancy in person just a few
20 short hours before writing this. 20
Mom aside, Orlowski has been busy of late, MUSIC MUSIC
MUSIC writing and recording a seasonal song called “Is This Christmas” with Hollis of the Flavr
18 Blue, which he’s likely to perform at the Green ART Frog, seeing as how it’s topical and whatnot. He 16 may be wearing an ugly
STAGE Christmas sweater when he does so, but I don’t think we should expect 14 too much here. The songwriter released his BY CAREY ROSS GET OUT first full-length album Believer earlier this year, and I happened to catch one of his songs being used on a reality 12 television show I’d name, but then you’d all know that I (binge) watched it (in my paja- WORDS mas while Googling the cast members) and we BY CAREY ROSS and so she cast herself in the role of gui- can’t have that. Suffice it to say that having 8 tar player—and then spent countless hours one’s songs featured on a television show is making certain she was up to that task. a sign of success in this modern age, so Or-
CURRENTS CURRENTS Sallie Ford She also advanced her chosen era by a de- lowski seems to be doing all right for himself. cade or two, writing garage rock songs with He’ll play with a full band at the Green Frog, 6 A SECOND ACT SURPRISE surfy overtones that skew more ’60s and ’70s so expect smart songs and fleshed-out sound. than the Sound Outside’s Say hi to Nancy while you’re there. VIEWS rockabilly roots. And My next entertainment suggestion isn’t a mu-
4 allie Ford sings like a woman who knows what she wants, knows when it came time to sical one—in fact, its appearance here is ow- how to get it and isn’t afraid to go after it. The Portland musician record those songs, Ford ing more to the fact that it’s goddamn crazy MAIL MAIL S is no soft-spoken navel gazer. Quite the opposite. Her voice and knew exactly who to turn than anything else—crazy being good in this
delivery are all attitude, and whether she’s telling you to take her home to: multi-instrumentalist instance. If you happen to be in the vicinity 2 or kiss her ass, you can bet she’s doing it with no small amount of swag- ATTEND and Decemberist Chris of the Honey Moon at 7pm (or for an estimated DO IT IT DO ger. She’s all storm and no calm. A music critic recently said, “If a middle WHO: Sallie Ford, Funk, a Portland musical eternity thereafter) Sat., Dec. 13, you should finger could sing, it would sound like Ford,” and that sounds about right. Old Light institution unto himself. stop in for a glass of mead and a whole lot of Which is all to say that hers is not a gentle talent. WHEN: 9:30pm The result of all this Beowulf. Not just extended excerpts of the epic Ford, who originally hails from Asheville, N.C. (i.e. the Portland of the Thurs., Dec. 11 creative intention is an poem (and I do mean epic—Beowulf is one WHERE: Wild 12.10.14 South) first garnered attention as the vocal powerhouse fronting rockabilly Buffalo, 208 W. album called Slap Back, mighty piece of work), but the whole kit and band Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside. Formed in 2007, the band borrowed Holly St. billed as a solo effort, kaboodle, all 3,000-plus lines of it will be read .09 the style and musical sensibility of the 1950s, hitched it to Ford’s strong, COST: $6-$8 and that choice is a sign by performers, patrons and interested parties. 50 # downright unnerving voice and almost instantly began to make inroads in INFO: www.wild Ford is firmly in the driv- The idea was spearheaded by Honey Moon’s Portland’s richly saturated music scene. From there, they did what bands buffalo.net er’s seat with her foot on Anna Evans, and in a town that just proved it- do—namely recording and touring—gaining toeholds beyond Ford’s adopt- the gas. Whereas in the self eager to take in five hours of theater at a ed home in the Pacific Northwest. past she’s been compared to Ella Fitzgerald, stretch in the form of the iDiOM’s These Seven However, even for a band on the rise, making it is hard, self-sacrificing for Slap Back Ford channeled what she calls Sicknesses, I think a group reading of the entire business. At the end of 2013, things began to unravel for the Sound Out- “all the babe rockers”—Pat Benatar, Joan text of Beowulf probably has a willing audience.
CASCADIA WEEKLY side, with members experiencing tour fatigue so strong they were unwill- Jett, Heart, and the like. Her lyrics are not If that doesn’t suit your fancy, the Shake- ing to continue on, and the band called it quits. complicated—this is a collection of straight- down’s Hollie Huthman will celebrate her birth- 20 It was the end of Ford’s first act. For her second, she’d do things her way. forward kiss me/kiss off songs—but her abil- day that same night with a show featuring This time, when she put her band together, Ford made the conscious de- ity to sound like she’s giving it all while si- Tacos, Bright Weapons, Seminars, and her own cision to enlist female musicians, hoping to fulfill an until-then-unspoken multaneously giving no fucks sets her apart new band, Dryland. I keep waiting for someone desire to have an all-girl band. As for her place in this lady lineup, Ford in this incarnation as surely as it did in her to jump out of a cake at one of Huthman’s birth- wanted to do more than stand behind a microphone and belt out songs, previous one. day shows, so maybe this will be my year. musicevents
THURS., DEC. 11 KULSHAN CHORUS: “Songs of Billy Joel and
BHS SHOWSTOPPERS: Enjoy a medley of Robert Frost: American Authors” will be the theme
uniquely choreographed music performed by of tonight’s Kulshan Chorus concert starting at 34 talented local students when the Bellingham High 7:30pm at Bellingham High School, 2020 Cornwall
School Showstoppers present “Holiday Happiness” Ave. Tickets are $13-$16. FOOD from 10am-12pm at Whatcom Museum’s Old City WWW.KULSHANCHORUS.ORG OR Hall, 121 Prospect St. Entry is free. WWW.TICKETS.WWU.EDU
WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG 28 A BROADWAY CABARET: After sold-out perfor- WINTER CONCERT: Talented student singers and mances in Bellingham, an encore performance of SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
musicians (and alumni) will share their talents at “A Broadway Cabaret” will take place at 7:30pm Brunch! B-BOARD an annual Winter Concert at 7pm at Bellingham at Lynden’s Jansen Art Center, 321 Front St. With 10 AM TO 2 PM High School, 2020 Cornwall Ave. The free concert quick-change songs, dances and vignettes, the
will feature the large ensembles from the school, cast recreates moments from beloved Broadway 24 EST. 2014 including the band, orchestra and concert choir. and stage hits from the last 100 years. Tickets
The public is encouraged to attend. are $15. FILM 676-6470 WWW.JANSENARTCENTER.ORG 20 20 YOUTH SYMPHONY: Members of the Fidalgo DEC. 13-14 ROCK AND RYE Youth Symphony present a Holiday Concert at 8pm HERALDING CHRISTMAS: The Skagit Valley OYSTER HOUSE MUSIC at Mount Vernon’s McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Chorale presents “Heralding Christmas” concerts MUSIC Way. Entry is $10-$15. Students with valid ID and at 7:30pm Saturday and 2pm Sunday at Mount 1145 NORTH STATE STREET IN THE HISTORIC HERALD BUILDING children can get in for $1. Vernon’s McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way. 18 WWW.MCINTYREHALL.ORG Tickets are $16-$25. Advance purchase is recom- 360.746.6130 mended. ART FRI., DEC. 12 WWW.MCINTYREHALL.ORG
BUG HOLIDAY CONCERT: Members of the 16 Bellingham Ukulele Group’s orchestra will play at SUN., DEC. 14 a free Holiday Concert at 7pm at the Bellingham CELTIC YULETIDE: The Boulding family will STAGE Public Library, 210 Central Ave. All are welcome. return to Mount Vernon for their annual “Magical WWW.BELLINGHAMUKULELEGROUP.COM Strings Celtic Yuletide” performance at 3pm at the
Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St. The Tara Academy 14 FAMILY HOLIDAY CONCERT: The Whatcom Irish Dancers, fiddler Jocylyn Pettit, singer Girls Chorus presents Family Holiday Concert at Colleen Raney, guitarist Colm MacCarthaigh, and
7pm at Trinity Lutheran Church, 119 Texas St. percussionist Matt Jerrell will join the festivities. GET OUT Carolyn Troutman directs, and JoAnn Armstrong tickets are $15-$24. will accompany the girls on piano. Entry is by WWW.LINCOLNTHEATRE.ORG
donation. 12 WWW.WHATCOMGIRLSCHORUS.COM ARTO AND ANTII: Finland’s Arto and Antti Jarvela bring their musical talents to Belling- WORDS CHORAL CONCERT: Allegra women’s vocal ham for a 7:30pm concert at Nancy’s Farm, 2030 ensemble and the Whatcom Sound Jazz Singers E. Smith Rd. The cousins are part of a musical
will present an evening of holiday and nocturnal- heritage of performers that have been “fiddling 8 themed music at a Choral Concert at 8pm at the in the front line of Ostrobothnian weddings for Lummi Island Congregational Church, 3913 Legoe generations.” Suggested donation is $15. Bay Rd. Suggested donation is $5-$10. WWW.NANCYSFARM.COM CURRENTS CURRENTS WWW.BELLINGHAMSINGS.ORG
MON., DEC. 15 6 SKAGIT SYMPHONY: An array of seasonal HOLIDAY CHAMBER CONCERT: The Mount favorites can be heard when the Skagit Symphony Baker Youth Symphony will perform at a Holiday VIEWS presents its Holiday Concert at 7:30pm at Mount Chamber Concert at 7pm at the Leopold Crystal
Vernon’s McIntyre Hall, 2501 E. College Way. Ballroom, 1224 Cornwall Ave. “Holiday Favorites 4 Brass Menagerie, a quartet of brass instrumental- from Many Lands” will be the theme of the festive
ists from the area, will also perform. Tickets are performance. Tickets are $1-$10. MAIL $20-$40. WWW.MBYS.ORG
WWW.MCINTYREHALL.ORG 2 WED., DEC. 17 DO IT
SAT., DEC. 13 MVHS CHOIRS: Choral works featuring gospel, CHRISTMAS CAROL SING-ALONG: April Eaton carols, classical works, and other seasonal favor- and Susan Thomson will lead Backstage @ the ites can be heard when the award-winning Mount Border’s fifth annual Christmas Carol Sing-Along Vernon High School Choirs present “Winter Con- from 7-9pm at Blaine’s Christ Episcopal Church, cert” performances at 4pm and 7pm at McIntyre 12.10.14 382 Boblett St. In addition to the varied songs— Hall, 2501 E. College Way. Tickets are $6 for the everything from “Silent Night” to “Grandma Got early show, $8 for the later one. Run Over by a Reindeer—there will be homemade WWW.MCINTYREHALL.ORG .09 50
goodies and a raffle. Suggested donation is $7 at # the door; proceeds benefit community members THURS., DEC. 18 in need. HOLIDAY JAZZ #1: Pianist and composer Scot WWW.BACKSTAGEATTHEBORDER.COM Raney explores popular holiday and Christmas mu- sic in a variety of styles at a Brown Ban “Holiday CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: As part of a “Candle- Jazz Concert” at 12:30pm at Whatcom Museum’s light Concerts” series, attend a “Dreamscapes for Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St. Suggested donation Guitar, Flute & Viola” concert at 7pm in Mount is $3. CASCADIA WEEKLY Vernon at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 415 South WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG 18th St. Flutist Jeffrey Cohan, violinist Roxanna 21 Patterson, violist and composer Huntley Beyer, HOLIDAY SONGS: Celebrate the holidays with and guitarist Michael Nicolella will perform songs performed by the Kendall Elementary School Beethoven-era early 19th century chamber music. Student Choir at a free concert at 12:30pm in Maple Suggested donation is $15-$25. Falls at the North Fork Library, 7506 Kendall Rd. WWW.CANDLELIGHTSEATTLE.ORG WWW.WCLS.ORG musicvenues 34 See below for venue
FOOD FOOD addresses and phone 12.10.14 12.11.14 12.12.14 12.13.14 12.14.14 12.15.14 12.16.14 numbers WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
28 Bellingham Incanus, New Psychedel- Alternative Library ics, more
B-BOARD B-BOARD Boundary Bay Aaron Guest Piano Night Paul Klein Brewery
24 Brown Lantern Ale Open Mic Sky Colony House FILM
James Honeycutt, Shine
Cabin Tavern JP Falcon North Born, Tracy B Goggles, more 20 20
Doc Walker, The Road Skinny Puppy, Front Line MUSIC MUSIC MUSIC Commodore Ballroom The Tea Party, Pigeon Park Down, Orange Goblin, more Hammers, more Assembly, more
18 KRIS ORLOWSKI/ Conway Muse Slim Fat Lips, City Dog, more Cheryl and Dylan Hodge Brass Menagerie Quintet Dec. 12/Green Frog ART
Knut Bell and the 360s 16 Corner Pub STAGE Edison Inn Piano Night Eddie Turner Blues Band Orville Johnson Band 14 Glow Nightclub Shadow Variable Twisted Thursday Girl Meets Boy DJ Boombox GET OUT 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(SBOWJMMF4U 7BODPVWFSt ]Conway Muse4QSVDF.BJO4U $POXBZ ] Corner Pub"MMFO8FTU3PBE #VSMJOHUPO 12 WORDS 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL
2 DO IT IT DO
12.10.14 .09 50 # CASCADIA WEEKLY
22 musicvenues 34
See below for venue FOOD FOOD addresses and phone 12.10.14 12.11.14 12.12.14 12.13.14 12.14.14 12.15.14 12.16.14 numbers WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
The Nicholas Peter, more Simon Kornelis, more 28 Robert Sarazin Blake, Rev- Slow Jam (early), Salsa Open Mic (early), Guf- Green Frog Shagbark Hickories (early), Kris Orlowski, more (early), The Marshall DJ Yogoman erie Machine Night (late) fawingham (late) (late) McLean Band (late) B-BOARD B-BOARD
The Rafael Tranquilino H2O DJ Triple Crown Karaoke Band 24
Honey Moon Open Mic w/Tad Kroening Write Riot Poetry Slam Bilongo Quartet Beowulf The Shadies FILM 20 20
KC's Bar and Grill Karaoke Karaoke MUSIC MUSIC
Daddy Treetops Ugly Sweater Party Luminous Skye
Kulshan Brewing Co. 18 ART Electric Soul Society, Show Main St. Bar and Grill DJ Booker Karaoke The Replayzmentz Pony Kick 16
Baltic Cousins, Fools Rush, STAGE Make.Shift Art Space Make.Sale more 14 Old World Deli Live Music GET OUT DOC WALKER/Dec. 15/ Rockfish Grill Stilly River Band Deanne Savage and Friends Wayne Hayton Commodore Ballroom 12
Royal Karaoke Karaoke Karaoke, DJ Karaoke, DJ Partyrock WORDS 8 Rumors Cabaret Leveled Throwback Thursday DJ Postal, DJ Shortwave DJ Mike Tolleson DJ Enz Karaoke w/Zach Treble Tuesday
Deep Sea Diver, Ben Von Author and Punisher, Fisch- Tacos, Bright Weapons, CURRENTS The Shakedown Heavy Rotation Tom Waits Night Aireeoke Wildenhaus kopf Sinfoniker, more more 6
Skagit Valley Casino M80s M80s VIEWS 4 Skylark's Bryan Forsloff The Julianne Thoma Quartet The Spencetet MAIL MAIL
2 Star Club Aireeoke Electro Swing Night Singer Sunday Irish Night Open Mic DO IT
Songwriter Night w/Bailey Wolves Killing Wolves, Swillery Whiskey Bar Karaoke Mostafa, Hash Adams, more Music Video Night Martinet Eroder, more 12.10.14 Via Cafe and Bistro Karaoke Karaoke Karaoke Karaoke Karaoke .09 50 # The Village Inn Jam Night Karaoke
Wild Out Wednesday w/ Wild Buffalo Sallie Ford, Old Light 90s Night Lifted Blessed Coast
The Green Frog /4UBUF4UtXXXBDPVTUJDUBWFSODPN | Edison Inn $BJOT$U &EJTPOt | The Fairhaven )BSSJT"WFt| Glow&)PMMZ4Ut]Graham’s CASCADIA WEEKLY
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 23 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'MPPS 886 | Via $BGF#JSDI#BZ%S #MBJOFt ]7JMMBHF*OO1VC /PSUIXFTU"WFt ]7JOPTUSPMPHZ8)PMMZ4Ut] Wild Buffalo 8)PMMZ4UtXXXXJMECVGGBMPOFU]5PHFUZPVS MJWFNVTJDMJTUJOHTJODMVEFE TFOEJOGPUPDMVCTDBTDBEJBXFFLMZDPN%FBEMJOFTBSFBMXBZTBUQN'SJEBZ even an edge despite the horrific things his character orders or performs. Edger- ton and Scott clearly want us to see the humanity in Ramses, especially when the
Ten Plagues take a crushing toll on his 34 family, but in the end you feel indiffer-
FOOD FOOD ent about him. Are we to fear him? Loathe Film him? Empathize with him? Even Edgerton MOVIE REVIEWS ›› SHOWTIMES seems unsure with Ramses often behav- 28 ing more like a petulant rock star than a cruel dictator deserving of divine retri-
B-BOARD B-BOARD bution. Sure, Yul Brynner played Ramses mighty broad in The Ten Commandments,
but his villain was at least as memorable 24 24 as Heston’s hero. FILM FILM While Ben Mendelsohn has a bit of hammy fun in a small role as a corrupt 20 MUSIC
18 , ART It’s a testament to
16 Bale’s approach that his
STAGE Moses remains human,
14 relatable and never turns into a wooden GET OUT figure spouting Epic
12 Dialogue. WORDS
viceroy, the rest of the supporting cast 8 hardly register. Turturro’s Seti seems to belong more in either a drag queen show
CURRENTS CURRENTS or a campy Baz Luhrmann version of the REVIEWED BY JIM VEJVODA tive in what parts of Moses’ saga it tells, Old Testament. Sigourney Weaver’s Queen 6 recounting his infancy anecdotally rather Tuya has maybe five lines total as well as than showing it. Moses is seen at various a shoehorned in disdain for Moses. And VIEWS points as a warrior, a herald, a guerrilla if you were excited to see Breaking Bad’s
4 Exodus fighter, a family man, sometimes defiant Aaron Paul in this, then dial back those of God, and even a bit of loony, but it’s expectations; he’s not in it that much and MAIL MAIL GODS AND KINGS a testament to Bale’s approach that his his character Joshua really only has one
Moses remains human, relatable and never scene to make any true emotional impact. 2 irector Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings forgoes the usual “baby in a bas- turns into a wooden figure spouting Epic While Ridley Scott is rightly hailed as DO IT IT DO
ket” start to Moses’ (Christian Bale) story, beginning instead with him as a Dialogue. As Bale himself has said, “you a master cinematic world-builder, Exo- D general in Pharaoh Seti’s (John Turturro) army and devoted figurative brother can’t out-Heston Charlton Heston.” While dus’ ancient Egypt sometimes feels small to heir Ramses (Joel Edgerton). This Moses is initially skeptical of religion, and also it’s not one of the Oscar winner’s best per- and CG-heavy despite the use of practi- not overly concerned with the plight of the Hebrews (but he’s still more sympathetic formances, it is an engaging and compel- cal sets, locations and swooping camera 12.10.14 to their treatment than anyone else in his Egyptian circle). ling one. moves meant to convey an “epic” feel. It’s not until an elder, Nun (Sir Ben Kingsley), secretly reveals to Moses that he is in Scott and his screenwriters deserve ku- The grandeur and scale of Rome that .09 fact a Hebrew that he slowly, reluctantly starts to accept his true identity. Banished dos for making this the story of a very hu- Scott’s Gladiator conveyed is missing in 50 # by Ramses, Moses wanders through the desert until he arrives in a village where he man Moses—one full of inconsistencies, his depiction of Egypt. meets Zipporah (the fetching María Valverde in an underwritten role), who eventually doubts and ultimately conviction—who More impressive, though, is his execu- becomes his wife. finds himself on an uneasy spiritual jour- tion of the Ten Plagues, which are realized The film then jumps ahead several years to find Moses now a husband, father, ney. The scenes between Moses and an here as frightening elements worthy of a and shepherd. When an accident leads him to a fateful encounter with God—chan- angry, vengeful God are some of the most horror movie. As effective as the frogs neled here as a mercurial little boy/messenger named Malak (a commanding Isaac An- captivating in the film, with young An- and locusts sequences are, it’s Scott’s de-
CASCADIA WEEKLY drews)—Moses starts to behave erratically, his very concept of what’s true and what drews not only holding his own with Bale, piction of the death of the firstborn that isn’t shaken to its core. He ultimately accepts his mission to deliver the Hebrews from but also upstaging him at some points. is especially frightening. But what should 24 bondage, which leads to devastating consequences for the Egyptians in the form of Unfortunately, the rest of the cast is be the film’s most impressive and memo- God’s vengeful Ten Plagues. Pharaoh Ramses, who believes himself a god, refuses to either underutilized or outright wasted. rable set-piece, the parting of the Red negotiate with Moses or to accept the will of the Hebrew God, leading to even more Edgerton seems miscast as Ramses not just Sea, feels rather underwhelming after calamity for Ramses’ people. because of his ethnicity but also because the Ten Plagues. Perhaps you can’t out- Scott approaches Moses’ story as a classic Hero’s Journey tale. The film is very selec- he never projects any sense of menace or DeMille Cecil B. DeMille. film›› opening this week BACHELOR’S DEGREES
BEGIN HERE 34 Winter quarter starts Jan. 7 FOOD FOOD
Complete your freshman
and sophomore years 28 - smaller class sizes
- tuition savings B-BOARD
Transfer to top-ranked 24 colleges, including 24 FILM WWU and UW FILM
Earn credits online 20 or on campus MUSIC Ready to begin? www.whatcom.ctc.edu/beginhere
COMMUNITY COLLEGE Meet with an advisor! 360.383.3080, [email protected] 18 ART 16 STAGE
REVIEWED BY MICHAEL O’SULLIVAN 14 GET OUT
Antarctica 12 A YEAR ON ICE WORDS ntarctica: A Year on Ice is not your what Powell calls the “people you see on
normal nature documentary. Shot the National Geographic Channel,” but 8 A in Antarctica over the course of the firemen, mechanics, office admin- 10 years, it includes, as one might hope, istrators, retail store clerks, pilots and some breathtaking time-lapse photogra- chefs who keep McMurdo Station running. CURRENTS
phy of moving clouds, ice, shadows and (That’s the U.S. research center where 6 lights. This last category includes not much of the film was shot.)
just the psychedelic atmospheric phe- Antarctica is a starkly handsome VIEWS nomenon known as the aurora australis, place, to be sure, but its hardships seem or the southern lights, but the normally to take some getting used to, judging by 4
dependable sun—which never dips below the comments of the film’s subjects, all MAIL the horizon for several months of Antarc- of whom readily admit that 12 months tic summer and then disappears all win- at the bottom of the world isn’t for ev- 2 ter. Keep in mind that the seasons here eryone. Homesickness, cabin fever and DO IT are reversed from what we know in the something called polar T3 syndrome—a Northern Hemisphere. drop in the level of the thyroid hormone What makes Antarctica unusual is that triiodothyronine, causing forgetfulness
it focuses not on wildlife, despite a few and other cognitive impairments—make 12.10.14 requisite scenes of penguins, but on peo- a career in Antarctica a difficult choice
ple. First-time feature documentarian for most. .09 50
Anthony Powell, a longtime year-round It’s also surprisingly poignant to hear # denizen of Antarctica, where his day people rattle off the simple things they job involves setting up and maintaining miss, such as fresh cauliflower, a bath and communications equipment, turns his the sound of falling rain. lens largely on the “winter-overs” like That’s really what makes Antarctica himself—meaning the hardy few workers so moving. Yes, it features some of the who stick around when the highly transi- most rapturous footage of calving gla- tory population drops from around 5,000 ciers and ice floes—alternately freezing CASCADIA WEEKLY in summer to below 700, along with the and thawing—that you’re likely to have 25 falling temperatures. seen (much of it captured on equipment These self-described eccentrics, who designed and built by the filmmaker). But include Powell’s wife, Christine, come on it is the simple glimpses of ordinary life in camera to talk about what living year- an extraordinary place that are the most round in Antarctica is like. They’re not stirring moments in the film. film ›› showing this week
BY CAREY ROSS 34
FOOD FOOD FILM SHORTS
Antarctica: A Year on Ice: See review previous 28 page. +++++ (Unrated • 1 hr. 31 min.)
Big Hero 6: I confess that each time an animated B-BOARD B-BOARD adventure is released, my main interest in it can
be summed up by a single question: Pixar or not? However, I may have to revise that inquiry to include 24 24 Disney, as they’ve upped their animation game of late (Frozen, I’m looking at you) and this tale of a boy, his FILM FILM endearing robotic companion and their crime-fighting capabilities will only bolster the House of Mouse.
20 Step aside, Elsa. Baymax is coming for you. ++++ (PG • 1 hr. 33 min.) MUSIC Birdman: We all love a story in which art imitates life, and this one’s a doozy. Michael Keaton plays 18 a man who turns his back on a superhero franchise
ART in order to pursue projects he finds to be more artistically fulfilling, with unpredictable, sometimes hilarious, surprisingly touching results. Keaton turns 16 in a career-defining performance, one the Academy will be hard-pressed to ignore. +++++ (R • 1 hr.
STAGE 59 min.)
Dear White People: If spot-on, hilariously biting 14 satire is the stuff that makes you swoon (and it should), this film, about a group of young African Americans navigating life and politics at a predomi- GET OUT nately white university (possibly similar to the one DEAR WHITE PEOPLE you’d find in, say, Bellingham), was made for you. +++++ (R • 1 hr. 48 min.) 12 The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part 1: Katniss trying to scare up footage of breaking news events, by both his limitless intellect and limited body. Dumb and Dumber To: Because my sense of humor is back, and this time she aims to stir up a little revo- he turns in what can only be described as a monster ++++ (Unrated • 2 hrs. 3 min.)
WORDS is dysfunctional, I was not one of the people clam- lution. Or part one of a revolution, at least. +++ of a performance. ++++ (R • 1 hr. 57 min.) oring for a sequel to Dumb and Dumber. However, (PG-13 • 2 hrs. 5 min.) Top Five: See review on the following page. ++++
8 because I am not a monster, I can be happy for all Penguins of Madagascar: Since live-action (R • 1 hr. 41 min.) of you who are hyperventilating with excitement Interstellar: People seem to be holding this near- penguins are the most loveable animals on the planet, right now. Enjoy your poop jokes. I hope they are future space saga to a much higher standard than animated penguins should be double loveable. (I’m as disgusting as they are plentiful. + (PG-13 • 1 hr. they’d normally use to judge movies, which speaks to pretty sure there’s a math equation locked up at Pixar CURRENTS CURRENTS 50 min.) the extraordinary expectations that now come with somewhere that determines animated vs. live-action every Christopher Nolan film. I’d just like everyone animal magnetism by allowing you to solve for x with 6 Exodus: Gods and Kings: See review previous page. to keep in mind that Nolan and his team of scientists a cuteness coefficient.) However, methinks something ++ (PG-13 • 2 hrs. 22 min.) built the most accurate simulation of a black hole got lost in animation here. Drop off the kids and sneak VIEWS ever created for this movie. Feel free to be awed ac- into something else. +++ (PG • 1 hr. 32 min.) Fury: A gritty war drama, the likes of which Hol- cordingly. ++++ (PG-13 • 2 hrs. 49 min.) 4 lywood doesn’t really make anymore, and it stars Brad St. Vincent: This movie stars Bill Murray and Melissa Pitt’s determined jawline and flinty gaze. What’s not Meet the Mormons: I’m sure there’s some logic as McCarthy and apparently a child is involved, which MAIL MAIL to like? ++++ (R • 2 hrs. 15 min.) to why someone would pay the inflated price of a would normally give me pause, but I want this film
movie ticket to watch what is essentially an over- to take my money anyway. Five stars. Four for Bill 2 The Homesman: Hilary Swank, just a girl from a long, critically derided infomercial about Mormon- Murray and then one more for Bill Murray. +++++ trailer park with a dream, turns in a gritty, intense ism that presumes its audience is either stupid or (PG-13 • 1 hr. 43 min.) DO IT IT DO
performance in this Western written, directed and gets all its info about the LDS church from episodes Showtimes also starring Tommy Lee Jones. ++++ (R • 2 hrs. 2 of Sister Wives, but that reasoning eludes me. + (PG The Theory of Everything: Stephen Hawking is Regal and AMC theaters, please see min.) • 1 hr. 18 min.) the Smartest Man Alive, a feat made all the more www.fandango.com. amazing by the fact that he’s done the bulk of his big,
12.10.14 Horrible Bosses 2: Because there are always more Nightcrawler: Jake Gyllenhaal (my onetime movie- universe-changing thinking while also battling ALS. Pickford Film Center and bad bosses out there that haven’t been sufficiently star boyfriend) is charting an interesting career path But before all that, he was a college kid with a giant PFC’s Limelight Cinema, please see www.pickfordfilmcenter.com .09 punished with mediocre toilet humor. ++ (R • 1 hr. these days. In this account of a sleazy dude who brain, a mysterious medical condition only beginning 50
# 48 min.) parrots self-help mantras while prowling the streets to manifest and a love interest that would be tested PEPPER CASCADIA WEEKLY Bellingham's new absolutely FREE classified ad and barter website! 26 SIST • Find friends and give/barter privately or simply give publicly. ERS • Join the "Give and Get Back section" raffle to win free local goods or services. COOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX SINCE 1988 • Clear away clutter and give unwanted items or find things you need. Connect with your community - "the more you give, the more you get." Open Nightly Except Monday 1055 N State St B’ham 671-3414 film›› opening this week NOW SHOWING December 12 - 18
34 FOOD FOOD
THE HOMESMAN (R) 122m - “Tommy Lee Jones, as 28 always, knows what he’s doing. In only his second feature as a director, he has made a wrenching,
relentless and anti-heroic western that stands among B-BOARD the year’s most powerful American films.” Salon Fri: (3:30), 6:15, 9:00 24 Sat & Sun: (11:40AM), (2:30), 5:15, 8:00 24 Mon - Wed: (3:30), 6:15, 9:00; Thu: (3:30), 6:15 FILM FILM BIRDMAN (R) 119m “The thrilling cinematic joyride that, among other improbable feats, puts Michael Keaton, smack in the 20 middle of the Oscar race for best actor.” Portland Oregonian MUSIC Fri: (3:45), 6:30, 9:15
Sat & Sun: (2:45), 5:30, 8:15 18
Mon - Thu: (3:45), 6:30, 9:15 ART CAT WOMEN OF THE MOON (NR) 64m REVIEWED BY SCOTT FOUNDAS the film’s opening day in the company of Space travellers confront a hostile tribe of females on 16 Times profile writer Chelsea Brown (Rosa- the border between the light and dark side of the moon. rio Dawson), but under pressure from his Sat: (Noon) - Rocket Sci-Fi Matinee STAGE agent (Kevin Hart), he finally acquiesces. FRANKENSTEIN: NATIONAL THEATRE Top Five And when he meets Chelsea and sees she’s Directed by Danny Boyle 14 nobody’s fool, he begins to open up to her. Sun: (11:00AM) - Starring Jonny Lee Miller as Creature As the day winds on and reporter and A STAR IS REBORN SKYLIGHT: NATIONAL THEATRE 120m GET OUT subject grow flirtatiously closer, Rock Starring Carey Mulligan and Bill Nighy “ ometimes a movie is just a movie,” stages at least a half-dozen rude and out- Wed: 6:30
remarks one character early on in rageous set pieces that recall the Farrelly 12 Chris Rock’s Top Five; but in the case brothers at their most inspired and irrev- CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY (1944) 93m S A classic noir by Robert Siodmak, starring Gene Kelley of Rock’s own third turn in the director’s erent, starting with Andre’s recollection WORDS Thu: 6:30 - Acme Noir chair, it’s also a candid, fresh, ferociously of a Texas hotel-room tryst involving a
funny snapshot of life in the celebrity bub- couple of enthusiastic hookers and a con- COLDSMOKE WINTER TOUR 8 ble. After a couple of ambitious but mid- cert promoter (played to the hilt by Ced- A hand-crafted selection of short films showcasing dling first attempts (Head of State, I Think ric the Entertainer) that ends in tears of the diversity of winter culture.
Thu: 9:00 CURRENTS I Love My Wife), Rock has finally found a shame, police activity, and several crop-
big-screen vehicle for himself that comes circle-sized stains on the mattress. 6 close to capturing the electric wit, shrewd Most movies could scarcely top such
social observations and deeply autobio- a scene, and yet Rock manages to do PICKFORD FILM CENTER: 1318 Bay St. | 360.738.0735 | www.pickfordfilmcenter.org VIEWS graphical vein of his standup comedy. just that only a short while later, when
Box Office is Open 30 Minutes Prior to First Showtime 4 Whereas Rock turned to French New Wave Chelsea one-ups Andre by describing the Join us for a drink! Mary’s Happy Hour: 4-6pm, M-F $2.50 Beer/$3.50 Wine
master Eric Rohmer as the source for I Love evolution of her boyfriend’s suspect sex- MAIL My Wife, Top Five bears the conspicuous ual fetish. But while Rock delivers some
influence of classic-era Woody Allen in its great, gross-out payoffs here, they’re NOW SHOWING December 12 - 18 2 ever-present scenes of characters walking leavened with lots of wry pop-culture DO IT and kvetching on the streets of Manhat- commentary and an unusually rich invest- PFC’s Limelight Cinema tan and its jaundiced depiction of a once- ment in character that always keeps the 1416 Cornwall Avenue Parentheses ( ) Denote Bargain Pricing successful comic actor whose fans clamor movie tethered to reality.
for him to get back to his “earlier, funnier” Andre is an alcoholic, in recovery but 12.10.14 self. Perhaps that’s one reason Rock has holding on by a thread, and wondering if
borrowed Allen’s surname for his Top Five sobriety has dulled his ability to be fun- .09 50
alter-ego, Andre Allen, a former standup ny. Moreover, he’s a newly minted reality- ANTARCTICA: A YEAR ON ICE (PG) 91m # who hit the Hollywood big-time as the title TV star, with a Bravo series documenting “If beauty and revelation is your bottom line, star of Hammy the Bear, an action-comedy his impending nuptials to Erica (Gabrielle Anthony Powell’s rhapsodic Antarctica will prove trilogy in which he plays the ursine partner Union), who helped him to get on the a grand time at the movies.” Village Voice Fri: 6:00; Sat: (1:10), 6:00 of a human policeman. wagon but may not be the love of his life. Sun: (12:10), 5:00; Mon - Thu: 6:00 But whereas Michael Keaton’s similarly It can be hard for a movie to dwell franchise-fatigued Birdman character seeks on the problems of the rich and famous DEAR WHITE PEOPLE (R) 108m CASCADIA WEEKLY career validation in Broadway and Ray- without seeming a touch self-serving, but “Narrative invention, visual instincts and a story with mond Carver, Andre seeks his in the form Rock always keeps things in perspective. something on its mind. A slyly provocative achievement 27 of Uprize! a big-screen passion project dra- He shows us how far Andre has strayed and a serious calling card.” Chicago Tribune matizing the 1791 Haitian Revolution that, from the prodigal comic he was in his Fri & Sat: (3:30), 8:15 when Top Five opens, has just been savage- youth, and how much he’d like to go back, Sun: (2:30), 7:15; Mon - Thu: (3:30), 8:15 ly panned in The New York Times. That gives but how hard that is in the sycophantic, Andre pause when he’s asked to spend yes-man bubble of A-list fame. decided it was safe to dig up his fortune. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recall where he had put it, and never did bulletinboard BY ROB BREZSNY find it. Let’s draw a lesson from his experience, Virgo.
It’s fine if you want to stash a treasure or protect a se- cret or safeguard a resource. That’s probably a sensible
34 200 200 200 200 MIND & BODY MIND & BODY MIND & BODY MIND & BODY thing to do right now. But make sure you remember every detail about why and how you’re doing it. FOOD FOOD FREEWILL Attend an Open House from in Mount Vernon at the Skagit If you’d like to learn how 676-8588 6-8pm Wednesday, December Valley Food Co-op, 202 S. to use simple essential oil LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Even if you are not 10 at Rolfing Works, 1110 Lar- First St. Entry is free; there’s combinations for increased A Grief Support Group formally enrolled in a course of study or a training 28
28 rabee Ave., Suite 204. In addi- an optional $5 supply fee. energy and immune defense meets at 7pm every Tuesday ASTROLOGY tion to finding out more about Please register in advance. during the holiday season, at the St. Luke’s Commu- program, you are nevertheless being schooled. Maybe Rolfing, attendees can enjoy More info: www.skagitfood- sign up in advance for the nity Health Education Center. you’re not fully conscious of what you have been learn- complimentary food, drinks coop.com free course. Optional suppl 3333 Squalicum Pkwy. The ARIES (March 21-April 19): Lord Byron (1788- ing. Maybe your teachers are disguised or unwitting. B-BOARD B-BOARD B-BOARD and music. Entry is free. More fees are $10 for each roll- free, drop-in support group is info: www.rolfingworks.com “An Update on Depression, on bottle. More info: www. for those experiencing the re- 1824) was an English poet who loved animals. In the But I assure you that the universe has been dropping Bipolar and Anxiety Disor- skagitfoodcoop.com cent death of a friend or loved course of his life, he not only had dogs and cats as some intense new knowledge on you. The coming week Plants from the Pacific ders” will be the focus of a one. More info: 733-5877 pets, but also monkeys, horses, peacocks, geese, a will be an excellent time to become more conscious
24 Co-Dependents Anony- Northwest will be the focus of NAMI Whatcom Community crocodile, a falcon, a crane, and a parrot. When he of the lessons you have been absorbing. If you have a “Nourishing Herbs” course Education event from 6:30- mous meets from 7-8:30pm with Kelly Ann Atterberry at 8:30pm Thursday, December most Mondays at Peace- enrolled in Trinity College at age 17, he was upset intuitions about where this educational drama should FILM 6pm Thursday, December 11 11 at the Bellingham Public Health St. Joseph’s Commu- that the school’s rules forbade students from having go next, be proactive about making that happen. Library, 210 Central Ave. This nity Health Education Center, pet dogs, which meant he couldn’t bring his adored event is open to all members 3333 Squalicum Pkwy, con- Newfoundland dog Boatswain. There was no regula- SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You now have a
20 of the community, with no ference room B.. Entry is by registration required. More donation. More info: (360) tion, however, against having a tame bear as a pet. special ability to detect transformations that are hap- info: (360) 671-4950 or nami@ So Byron got one and named it Bruin. I think it’s time pening below the threshold of everyone else’s aware-
MUSIC healthsupportcenter.org for you to find a workaround like that, Aries. Be cun- ness. Anything that has been hidden or unknown will ® ning. Try a gambit or two. Find a loophole. reveal itself to your gentle probes. You will also be In the wake of recent nation- NEED A DEDICATED REALTOR TO HELP al news stories about violent skilled at communicating your discoveries to people 18 WITH YOUR HOME SEARCH? crimes against real estate TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Whenever I lost one who are important to you. Take full advantage of agents, Esther Spence- ART of my baby teeth as a kid, I put it under my pillow be- these superpowers. Don’t underestimate how pivotal Crabb, a mortgage consultant with Cornerstone Home Lend- CallCall JERRY SWANN at fore I went to sleep. During the night, the Tooth Fairy a role you can play as a teacher, guide, and catalyst. ing in Anacortes, will sponsor sneaked into my room to snatch the tooth, and in its The future success of your collaborative efforts 16 Would you a free self-defense class from ZipRealty place left me 25 cents. The same crazy thing happened depends on your next moves. 1-5pm Thursday, December to every kid I knew, although for unknown reasons like to 11 at Rockpile Fitness. Space STAGE is limited and open only to Bellingham my friend John always got five dollars for each of his SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Harper Lee become a real estate agents working teeth—far more than the rest of us. I see a metaphori- was born and raised in Alabama. At the age of 23, she in Whatcom County. RSVP in 360.319.7776 cally comparable development in your life, Taurus. It relocated to New York City with hopes of becoming a homeowner? advance. More info: Esther@ 14 probably won’t involve teeth or a visit from the Tooth writer. It was a struggle. To support herself, she worked houseloan.com Join us for Find over 30 client reviews at: Fairy. Rather, you will finally be compensated for a loss as a ticket agent for airline companies. Finding the KulshanCLT’s Jean Christensen, SSearchWhatcomSkagitHomes.com or deprivation or disappearance that you experienced time to develop her craft was difficult. Seven years
GET OUT FREE LMP, will lead a “Craniosa- in the past. I expect the restitution will be generous, went by. Then one Christmas, two friends gave her a re- cral Therapy” workshop at HomeBuyer 6:30pm Tuesday, December too—more like John’s than mine. markable gift: enough money to quit her job and work Education 16 in Mount Vernon at the Cerise Noah on her writing for a year. During that grace period, Lee 12 Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 202 GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Through the scien- created the basics for a book that won her a Pulitzer Class REALTOR® SS. First St. Christensen will tific magic of grafting, a single tree can be altered Prize: To Kill a Mockingbird. I don’t foresee anything explore what CranioSacral Mon. & Wed. Therapy is and how it can help to grow several different kinds of fruit at the same quite as dramatic for you in the coming months, Sagit-
WORDS Professional, March 18 & 20 you in achieving graceful liv- time. One type of “fruit salad tree” produces apricots, tarius. But I do suspect you will receive unexpected ing as time passes. Register knowledgeable, nectarines, plums, and peaches, while another bears help that provides you with the slack and spaciousness 6pm–9pm in advance for the free event. 8 grapefruits, lemons, oranges, limes, and tangelos. I’m you need to lay the foundations for a future creation. More info: www.skagitfood- fun & friendly Call to pre-register coop.com to work with. thinking this might be an apt and inspiring symbol 360-671-5600, x2 for you in the coming months, Gemini. What multiple CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In the ancient Michelle Mahler www.KulshanCLT.org focuses blooms will you create on your own metaphorical Greek epic poem the Odyssey, Odysseus’s wife Penelope CURRENTS CURRENTS on “Holiday Aromatherapy version of a fruit salad tree? describes two kinds of dreams. “Those that that pass for Energy and Immunity” at Windermere Real Estate Whatcom, Inc. a clinic at 6:30pm Thursday, through the gate of ivory,” she says, are deceptive. But 6 December 18 at the Skagit CANCER (June 21-July 22): No other structure dreams that “come forth through the gate of polished Valley Food Co-op, 202 S. (360) 393-5826 on the planet is longer than the Great Wall of China, horn” tell the truth. Another ancient text echoes these First St. VIEWS [email protected] which stretches 3,945 miles. It’s not actually one ideas. In his poem the Aeneid, Virgil says that “true unbroken span, though. Some sections aren’t con- visions” arrive here from the land of dreams through
4 nected, and there are redundant branches that are the gate of horn, whereas “deluding lies” cross over roughly parallel to the main structure. It reminds me through the gate of ivory. Judging from the current
MAIL MAIL of your own personal Great Wall, which is monumen- astrological omens, Capricorn, I expect you will have tal yet permeable, strong in some ways but weak in interesting and intense dreams flowing through both
2 others, daunting to the casual observer but less so the gate of ivory and the gate of horn. Will you be able to those who take the time to study it. Now is an to tell the difference? Trust love. DO IT IT DO
excellent time to take inventory of that wall of yours. Is it serving you well? Is it keeping out the influences AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Your chances of you don’t want but allowing in the influences you do going viral are better than usual. It’s a perfect mo- want? Could it use some renovation? Are you willing ment to upload a Youtube video of yourself wearing a to reimagine what its purpose is and how you want it crown of black roses and a V for Vendetta mask as you 12.10.14 to work for you in the future? ride a unicycle inside a church and sing an uptempo parody version of “O Come All Ye Faithful.” It’s also
.09 LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Arctic Monkeys are a favorable time for you to create a buzz for you and
50 British rockers who have produced five studio albums, your pet causes through less spectacular measures. # which together have sold almost five million copies. Promote yourself imaginatively. Rolling Stone magazine called their first album, re- leased in 2003, the 30th greatest debut of all time. Yet PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): At age 80, author when they first formed in 2002, none of them could Joan Didion has published five novels, 10 works of play a musical instrument. I see the current era of your non-fiction, and five screenplays. When she was 27, life, Leo, as having a similar potential. How might you she wrote, “I have already lost touch with a couple of start from scratch to create something great? people I used to be.” That wasn’t a good thing, she added: “We are well-advised to keep on nodding terms CASCADIA WEEKLY VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Alan Turing (1912- with the people we used to be, whether we find them 1954) was a British mathematician and pioneering attractive company or not. Otherwise they turn up 28 computer scientist. After World War II broke out, he unannounced and surprise us, come hammering on the got worried that the German army might invade and mind’s door and demand to know who deserted them, occupy England, as it had done to France. To protect who betrayed them, who is going to make amends.” I his financial assets, he converted everything he owned recommend her counsel to you in the coming months, into bars of silver, then buried them underground in the Pisces. Get reacquainted with the old selves you have countryside north of London. When the war ended, he outgrown and abandoned. RESTAURANT RETAIL CATERING Come in BY AMY ALKON put it, “You could say, ‘Elmore, the Mar- tians just landed on your tennis court,’ & get your
and he’d say, ‘Wait! It’s Final Jeopardy!’” gift cards THE ADVICE Sure, your girlfriend could be “do- purchased 34 ing so many other things,” like star- GODDESS ing blankly into a bookcase or tossing early. We will FOOD back four martinis and passing out on be closed
the sofa with an olive in her ear. But 28 th 28 AMERICAN IDLE TV-watching is the brain vacation that Dec. 22-25 . My girlfriend is beautiful, highly intelligent, works for her. It’s only “sad” if her boy- 100 N. Commercial St. next to Mount Baker Theatre 360-594-6000 bellinghampasta.com B-BOARD and interesting. She’s smart for a living (as friend, despite the neuroscience mini- B-BOARD a strategic planner in advertising), so I find tour above, remains too entrenched in
it sad that she watches so much televi- his beliefs to respect a TV-watching 24 sion—maybe two hours of it upon coming woman. Unfortunately, once disgust for home from work. She could be spending her a partner is afoot in a relationship, the FILM time doing so many other things. thing is probably shot. Though, rather
—Dismayed incredibly, “the idiot box” can help a 20 person be a smarter decision-maker at
There comes a point in the day of a work, scientists have yet to discover MUSIC brainy person when she’s about a half any similarly unbelievable lowbrow step from being entertained by cat toys. cures for ailing romantic partnerships, 18
But this is nothing to be boohoo- like a month of eating Big Macs for a ART ing about. Engineering professor relationship-saving McDonald’s cleanse.
Barbara Oakley explains in her neu- 16 roscience-based book on learning, A JURASSIC SPARK Ŭ 2 '
Mind for Numbers, that our brain has I’m a 45-year-old woman, and my new boy- STAGE two modes of problem-solving that it friend is 30. I look good for my age, but I shifts between. There’s the “Heigh- keep making “old” jokes, which he finds dis- 14 ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to work we go!” turbing. Although he seems really into me, I focused mode and the resting-state, guess I’m worried that a much younger man brain-in-the-La-Z-Boy diffuse mode. won’t be around for long. Miracle GET OUT Focused-mode thinking is what we’re —Mrs. Robinson using when we put our attention on on 34th Street 12 a problem or on learning, writing, or When you’ve got a bit of funny claw-
memorizing. It’s direct and intense, ing to get out of its pen, it’s tempting WORDS like shining a flashlight on a raccoon. to undo the latch: “Waiter, a glass of 2!
But your brain is not a Denny’s and chardonnay for me and a box of crayons 8 should not be expected to be “always for my date.” But consider that some Nov. 28 – Dec. 14, 2014 open!” In fact, Oakley explains, you jokes are jokes and some are fear with Book, Music and Lyrics by Meredith Wilson will be far more efficient if you take a laugh track. CURRENTS “Delivers a sleighful of Based on the 20th Century Fox Picture with story by breaks and let your diffuse mode take Your fears that this won’t last aren’t gifts… an utterly festive 6 over. This is the subconscious pro- exactly unfounded. Men evolved to outing.” Valentine Davies and screenplay by George Seaton cessing that goes on when you turn be attracted to signs of peak fertil- Denver Post Directed by Ed and Julie Marantette VIEWS your focus away from a problem, like ity—youth being a biggie—but some by taking a walk, cleaning the gerbil use older women as sexual grazing Tickets: ÇÎΣn££ÊU More Info: bellinghamtheatreguild.com 4 cage, or—horrors!—watching some- areas while between relationships. thing dopey on TV. And while the fo- There are exceptions—May/December MAIL
cused mode can get you roadblocked pairings that make it to twin rocking 2 into an overly narrow set of poten- chairs on the porch of the senior living DO IT IT DO tial solutions, diffuse mode involves facility. However, the reality is noth- big-picture thinking that draws on a ing’s forever—including relationships wide range of neural networks. This between two hot 22-year-olds. The means that afterward, when you re- trick to fully enjoying this (or any) re- focus on the problem, answers come lationship is accepting that it will end 12.10.14 more easily, and sometimes—almost and resolving to have the absolute .09
magically—you experience the mental best time you can while it lasts. To 50 # equivalent of going to sleep, having take possession of older-woman sexy, mop-wielding elves crawl out of your consider that some men are into the heat vent, and then waking up to a sexual confidence women tend to gain blindingly clean kitchen floor. with age, as well as what the French Consider the sort of “slackers” who call being bien dans sa peau (com- watch TV—like the late crime writer fortable in one’s skin). Whatever you
Elmore Leonard, who was awarded the do, avoid regularly exhuming the late CASCADIA WEEKLY National Book Foundation’s 2012 Medal Groucho Marx to inform the guy of all 29 for Distinguished Contribution to Amer- the ways 45 is actually the new 75. If ican Letters. After a long day working you’re doing that, you might as well on one of his 45 novels, he’d be on his cut to the chase: Yank up your support couch watching Jeopardy and Wheel of hose and run after him with your cane, Fortune. As his researcher of 33 years yelling, “Hey, kid, get off my lawn!”
34 FOOD FOOD 28 28 B-BOARD B-BOARD B-BOARD 24 FILM 20 MUSIC 18 ART 16 STAGE 14 GET OUT 12 WORDS 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL
2 DO IT IT DO
12.10.14 .09 50 # CASCADIA WEEKLY
30 rearEnd ›› “Gimme All Your Lovin”— hugs and kisses all around
49 Assumes the 8 “Star Trek” coun- walk 62 “Senses Working 34 role of selor Deanna 37 Cluttered up Overtime” band
50 Infrequently 9 Streisand movie 41 Genetic info 63 “___ y Plata” FOOD 52 Opening piece? 10 Afro-___ lan- carrier (Montana’s 28
53 Produce guages 44 Leon who sang motto) 28 57 Bassoons’ 11 Song that goes the theme to “Mr. 64 “Uh-uh!”
smaller relatives “So whyyyyyy Belvedere” 65 Once around B-BOARD B-BOARD B-BOARD 59 Swing in the don’t you use it?” 46 School of ©2014 Jonesin’ ring 12 Item stating thought Crosswords 24 60 The most one- “World’s Greatest 48 Hands-together (editor@jonesin-
sided line in US Dad” time crosswords.com) FILM history? 13 Nestle’s ___- 51 News outlets
65 Money in Milan, Caps 54 Tolerate 20 before the euro 19 It’s sealed with 55 Holy book 66 Destroy a shake 56 Major tests MUSIC 67 Emcee’s delivery 23 Code for a scan- 58 Serious seven- 18 68 Sandler on ner some ART guitar 24 It’s below the 60 Beats by ___ 69 “Nurse Jackie” femur 61 Diaphragm alter- 16 star Falco 25 Reunion at- native
70 Posh neckwear tendee STAGE Across of something!” actresses on 71 Is the author of 26 Beer buy Last Week’s Puzzle
1 Little bites 21 “___ my heart “Baywatch”? Down 28 “Hey, that’s 14 5 Full of snark open...” (Papa 38 Modeler’s mold- 1 Health food claim cool!”
10 Bill dispensers Roach lyric) able medium 2 “Famous Pota- 29 Model, like GET OUT 14 Frigg’s husband, 22 Vegetarian op- 39 Devious little toes” state clothes
in Norse myth tion devil 3 Rice side 31 Dept. formerly 12 15 Be loud, like a 24 Academic aides, 40 Less complicated 4 “Celebrity Jeop- headed by Kath-
radio briefly 42 Eisenhower’s ardy” broadcaster, leen Sebelius WORDS 16 Brush off 27 Hidden beneath WWII command for short 32 Well-behaved
17 Succumb to the surface 43 “J’adore” per- 5 Network Stephen 34 ___ one’s time 8 gravity 30 Avant-garde fumier Colbert is mov- (waits) 18 Spanish guy who composer Glass 45 Author of “The ing to 35 “Germinal” au- CURRENTS CURRENTS joined a Germanic 33 Big house fix- Watergate Dia- 6 Carte or mode thor Zola tribe? ture ries”? preceder 36 Mission that 6 20 “I just thought 34 Like many 47 Actress Pompeo 7 Levy included a moon- VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL
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34 exchange tomorrow FOOD FOOD buy * sell*trade 28 28 B-BOARD B-BOARD B-BOARD 24 FILM 20 MUSIC 18 ART 16 STAGE 14
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34 FOOD FOOD 28 Sudoku 28 B-BOARD Arrange the digits 1-9 so that each digit occurs once in each row, once in B-BOARD each column, and once in each box. is accepting my 24
75 8 insurance and FILM 98 47 fitting my budget 20 MUSIC 289 make Planned Parenthood 18 753 6 your health care provider ART 9 16 STAGE 31 52 14 46 1.800.230.PLAN
mbpp.org GET OUT Bellingham · Mount Vernon 89 Friday Harbor 12 123 WORDS 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS 4
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2 DO IT IT DO WE’RE STILL HERE. 12.10.14
If you are between the ages of 40-64, .09 50 you may be eligible for a free breast, # cervical and colon cancer screening. Online: www.freescreen.me
Call toll free: 1-888-651-8931 CASCADIA WEEKLY
In partnership with the Washington Breast, Cervical and Colon Health Program, underin- 33 sured and uninsured men and women can receive yearly health exams that include colon and/or cervical screenings and mammograms throughtout Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Pierce and Whatcom Counties. To see if you qualify for the program, visit www.freescreen.me or call toll free 1-888-651-8931. doit WED., DEC. 10 FUN WITH FERMENTATION: “Creative
Holiday Gifts: Preserved and Fermented
34 Foods” will be the focus of a class from 34 6-7:30pm at Burlington’s WSU Exten- FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD sion Office, 11768 Westar Lane, Ste. chow A. If you’ve been what to do with your RECIPES REVIEWS PROFILES preserved and fermented foods, this class
28 will show ways to turn them into edible and creative holiday gifts! There will also be a demonstration on the basics of food
B-BOARD B-BOARD preservation and fermentation skills. slab of gouda from Samish Bay Cheese, Entry is $10. and a $6 loaf of smokey wheat and rye (360) 428-4270 24 bread from Raven Breads—a one-woman HOLIDAY COOKIE SALE: A “Holiday
FILM organic bread company run by baker So- Cookie Sale” takes place in Maple Falls phie Williams. through Dec. 23 during open hours at the I still had $3 left, and that’s when I North Fork Library, 7506 Kendall Rd. All 20 funds raised go toward maintaining the made a beeline to Evolve Truffles. After North Fork Community Library building.
MUSIC warming me up with a sample of the drink- WWW.WCLS.ORG ing chocolate, I had just enough to bring THURS., DEC. 11 18 home a gift-wrapped holiday truffle. The soup and open-faced toasted cheese CHRISTMAS DESSERT: Attend the ART “Women’s Annual Christmas Dessert” sandwiches I made with my haul later that at 6:30pm in Anacortes at Westminster night—and again the next day—were just Presbyterian Church, 1300 9th St. Tickets 16 right for the season, and made for another are $10 and can be purchased in advance at the front office.
STAGE successful experiment. (360) 293-3880
14 SAT., DEC. 13 BREAKFAST WITH SANTA: A bearded POTATO LEEK SOUP guy in red will be among the menu items
GET OUT —From www.onceuponachef.com at a “Breakfast with Santa” community gathering from 8-11am Bellingham Senior INGREDIENTS Activity Center, 315 Halleck St. In addi-
12 STORY AND PHOTO BY AMY KEPFERLE 3 tablespoons unsalted butter tion to noshing on pancakes, biscuits and 4 leeks, white and green parts only, gravy , sausage, fruit and more, there’ll be great photo ops with Santa and Taz the
WORDS roughly chopped mini-horse. Entry is $4 for kids, $6 for 3 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed adults or $18 per family.
8 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled Market Mission WWW.WCCOA.ORG and roughly chopped into half-inch AN EDIBLE EXPERIMENT FOR THE SEASON pieces BREAKFAST WITH SANTA #2: Celebrate the holiday season at a “Breakfast with CURRENTS CURRENTS 7 cups low-sodium chicken or veg- Santa” fundraiser from 9-11am at Belling- ere’s a hint: If you’re visiting the Bellingham Farmers Market on a blustery etable broth 6 Saturday morning and the alchemists behind the counter at Evolve Truffles ham Childcare & Learning Center, 2600 2 bay leaves Squalicum Pkwy. Photos will be available ask if you want a homemade marshmallow to go with your drinking chocolate, 1 sprig fresh thyme, plus more for for purchase. Proceeds benefit subsidized VIEWS H do not hesitate in answering in the affirmative. garnish if desired childcare at the center. Entry to the
4 Trust me when I say that after sipping the warming concoction, 1 teaspoon salt pancake breakfast is $4-$6. WWW.BELLINGHAMCHILDCARE.COM you’ll forget not only that you were cold just moments beforehand, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper MAIL MAIL but also that there’s evil in the world. 1 cup heavy cream BREAKFAST WITH SANTA #3: Eat bis-
My stop at Christy and Shannon Fox’s truffle booth at the mar- 2 Chives, finely chopped (optional) cuits, eggs, sausage and more at a “Break- ket came at the tail end of my annual December sojourn to the fast with Santa” fundraising breakfast from
DO IT IT DO INSTRUCTIONS: Melt the butter over
market. The edible experiment is simple: I show up with $20 and 9-11am at Ferndale’s Christ the King Church, see what local foodstuffs are still available as we edge ever- medium heat in a large soup pot. Add 5627 3rd Ave. Visits and pictures with the leeks and garlic and cook, stirring closer to winter. Sometimes I have a menu in mind, and other ATTEND Santa, a silent auction and more will be regularly, until soft and wilted, about 10 part of the festivities. Entry is $6-$12. times I wing it depending on what’s offered by the farmers still WHAT: Belling- minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary so WWW.CHILDRENSHOUSE 12.10.14 ham Farmers in attendance at the Depot Market Square. as not to brown. INTERNATIONAL.COM For this visit, I was looking for recipe items that would put to Market Add the potatoes, stock, bay leaves,
.09 WHEN: 10am- use the last of the leeks from my garden. The steady downpour thyme, salt and pepper to pot and bring COMMUNITY MEAL: All are welcome 50 3pm Dec. 13
# to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down at the bimonthly Community Meal from decided it for me; it was most definitely a soup-and-sandwich and 20; monthly to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until 10am-12pm at the United Church of kind of a day. markets happen the potatoes are very soft. Ferndale, 2034 Washington St. Per usual, Jan. 17, Feb. 21, If I’d needed to, I could’ve acquired arm-length leeks from a Fish out the thyme sprig and bay entry is free. and March 21 number of purveyors still sticking it out in the chillier months leaves, then purée the soup with a hand- 714-9029 WHERE: Depot held immersion blender until smooth. of the market, but since I had those covered I went in search of Market Square, (Alternatively, use a standard blender BELLINGHAM MARKET: Attend the Yukon gold potatoes for potato leek soup. 1100 Railroad to purée the soup in batches.) Add the weekly Bellingham Farmers Market from CASCADIA WEEKLY I found what I needed at Alm Hill Gardens, where the spectac- Ave. heavy cream and bring to a simmer. 10am-3pm every Saturday through Dec. INFO: www. ular spuds were selling for $2.50 a pound. After eyeballing what Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and 20 at the Depot Market Square, 1100 34 bellingham I thought was the correct amount the recipe called for—two pepper. If soup is too thin, simmer until Railroad Ave. farmers.org pounds—I went to pay and discovered I was over by more than a thickened. If it’s too thick, add water or WWW.BELLINGHAMFARMERS.ORG stock to thin it out. Garnish with fresh pound. Rather than remove a couple taters, however, I was told I’d only have to pay for herbs if desired. GINGERBREAD DAY: As part of a “Cel- two pounds. ebrate the Season” roster, watch student Other purchases included hot peppers for 25 cents each from Dona Flora, a $5 doit
and adult culinary teams battle it out as part of “Gingerbread Day” events from
12-5pm at the Port of Anacortes Event 34 Center. Entry is $5 per person or $20 per 34 family. Additional festive activities hap- FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD pen throughout the weekend. WWW.ANACORTESNOW.COM 28 EATING WELL: Renowned food critic John Doerper teams up with Chuckanut Editions to celebrate the 30th anniversary B-BOARD B-BOARD of Eating Well: A Guide to Foods of the Pacific Northwest at 4pm at Village Books, 1200 11th St. The book investigates the 24 unique climate of our regions, and is FREE packed with recipes drawn from its most FILM inventive chefs. Mezzanine WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM
Large Party 20 MON., DEC. 15 HEALTHY DESSERTS: Holistic health Reservations MUSIC coach and food educator Alexis Orsini leads a “Health-supporting Desserts for 1317 Commercial St. the Holidays” presentation at 6:30pm in [email protected] 18
Mount Vernon at the Skagit Valley Food ART Co-op, 202 S. First St. Attendees will take home recipes and inspiration for creating enjoyable, healthy, and delicious holiday 16 treats. Register in advance for the free
class. STAGE WWW.SKAGITFOODCOOP.COM
WED., DEC. 17 14 MEAT RABBITS: Robert Fuit focuses on “Raising Meat Rabbits” at a free GET OUT class at 6:30pm in Mount Vernon at the Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 202 S. First St. Learn about rabbit care and what is 12 involved in developing and maintaining a humane, family-scale rabbitry. Register
in advance. WORDS WWW.SKAGITFOODCOOP.COM 8 CHOCOLATE AND WINE: Forte Choco- late’s Karen Neugebauer, one of a handful of Master Chocolatiers in the United States, will helm an “Artisan Chocolate CURRENTS & Wine” event at 7pm in Anacortes 6 at Potluck Kitchen Studio, 910 A 11th St. Neugebauer will talk about her background and share what makes her VIEWS chocolates so special. Tickets are $10 and include a round of chocolates with a red 4 wine pairing. Chocolates will also be on MAIL MAIL sale to purchase after the event.
WWW.POTLUCKKITCHENSTUDIO.COM 2 THURS., DEC. 18 DO IT PIE SCHOOL: Author and baker Kate Lebo shares recipes from her new book Pie School: Lessons in Fruit, Flour, and Butter at 7pm at the Book Fare Cafe at Village
Books, 1200 11th St. Lebo will discuss 12.10.14 her techniques for creating delicious
fruit-based pies, while also demonstrating .09
how to make a pie. A hot beverage will Vegetable Pate’ 50 #
be served with a delicious pie sample. Morel Leek Jack Tickets are $5. WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM Vartanyan Chenin Blanc Organic Pomegranates Aged Swiss Gruyere Carob Peanut Clusters CASCADIA WEEKLY Deluxe Sushi Nori 35 Magical Mystery Store KATE LEBO 360-592-2297 www.everybodys.com Hiway 9 – Van Zandt 2 – 8 pm
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