Bashes, Balls and Midnight Revelry, P.20

THE GRISTLE, P.6 .+-2'-2'+ LAST DANCE, P.16 cascadia REPORTING FROM THE HEART OF CASCADIA WHATCOM SKAGIT ISLAND LOWER B.C.

12.y.10 :: #52, v.05 :: !-

Bashes, balls and midnight revelry, P.20

POLAR PARTIES: PLUNGING INTO A NEW YEAR, P.14 }} FREE WILL: YOUR FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT, P.31 DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS 2010: DOLTISH DEEDS AND BAD BEHAVIOR, P.6

34 34 cascadia FOOD Even if you have to brave snow

27 27 or rain, join the Mt. Baker Bike Club for a + '$)/# ) 24 - outing Jan. 1 CLASSIFIEDS A glance at what’s happening this week starting at Fairhaven Park 24 [12. .10] FILM FILM 2 ) . 4 y COMMUNITY

20 20th Annual Note of Thanks: 10:30am-12pm, Bellingham Public Library MUSIC /#0-. 4[12.z.10]

18 ON STAGE

ART ART Good, Bad, Ugly: 8pm, Upfront Theatre The Project: 10pm, Upfront Theatre

16 MUSIC Jim Brickman’s Holiday Concert: 7:30pm, Mount

STAGE STAGE Baker Theatre

COMMUNITY 14 Family New Years Fun: 9am-8pm, Bellingham Sportsplex, Arne Hanna Aquatic Center

GET OUT VISUAL ARTS Caryn Friedlander: 4-7pm, Willows Inn, Lummi Island 12 !-$ 4[12.zx.10] WORDS ON STAGE

8 New Year’s Eve Shows: 7pm, 9pm and 11pm, Upfront Theatre

DANCE CURRENTS CURRENTS U&Me Dance’s Speak Easy: 7pm, Fairhaven Library 6 Contra Dance Gala: 8pm-1am, Norway Hall

VIEWS VIEWS MUSIC New Year’s Eve by the Sea: 6:30pm, Resort 4 Semiahmoo The Timebenders: 8pm, Skagit Valley Casino MAIL MAIL Resort

Rivertalk: 8pm, the Conway Muse 2 The Paperboys: 8pm-2am, Lairmont Manor Salvadore Dali Llama: 9pm, Mount Baker The- DO IT IT DO DO IT 2

atre’s Encore Room A Hip-Hop Odyssey: 9pm, Casa Que Pasa

10 Yogoman Burning Band: 9pm, Wild Buffalo

.29. Spaceband: 9:30pm, Fairhaven Pub

12 Vaughn Kreestoe, Polecat: 10pm, Boundary Bay Brewery .05 52

# COMMUNITY Family New Years Fun: 9am-9pm, Bellingham Sportsplex, Arne Hanna Aquatic Center Vigil for Peace: 4pm, corners of Cornwall Avenue and Magnolia Street Performers will ﬁnd the funny GET OUT Last Chance Marathon: 9am, Fairhaven Park CASCADIA WEEKLY in the ./*!yx at New ./0- 4[01.x.11] 2 Year’s Eve shows happening thrice ON STAGE Serial Killers: 8pm and 10pm, iDiOM Theater on Dec. 31 at the Upfront Theatre MUSIC Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams Sr. Memo- rial Jam: 8pm, Green Frog Acoustic Café 34 34 GET OUT

New Year Pedal: 10am, Fairhaven Park FOOD Resolution Run, Polar Dip: 11am, Lake Padden Penguin Dip: 11am, Clear Lake Polar Bear Plunge: 12pm, Birch Bay waterfront 27 Eagle Tour: 1:30pm, with Whatcom Land Trust

.0) 4[01.y.11] CLASSIFIEDS ON STAGE Comedy Night: 8pm, Fairhaven Pub 24 DANCE FILM FILM Swing Night: 5:30pm, Wild Buffalo

COMMUNITY 20 Laughter Club: 4pm, Co-op Connection Build- ing MUSIC FOOD Community Breakfast: 8am-1pm, Rome Grange 18 ART ART (*) 4[01.z.11]

ON STAGE 16 Cemetery Club Auditions: 7pm, Claire vg

Thomas Theatre, Lynden STAGE

MUSIC Phantom of the Opera Auditions: 7-9pm, 14 Squalicum High School The Kortet: 9:30pm, Wild Buffalo GET OUT WORDS Ideas Worth Discussing: 1pm, Lynden Public 12 Library Poetrynight: 8pm, the Amadeus Project WORDS GET OUT

Snowshoe Basics: 6pm, REI 8

/0 . 4[01.{.11]

ON STAGE CURRENTS Cemetery Club Auditions: 7pm, Claire vg 6 Thomas Theatre, Lynden

MUSIC VIEWS American Idol’s Tim Urban: 7pm, Blaine High School 4

GET OUT MAIL

Nature Babies: 9:30am, Connelly Creek Nature 2 2 Area Alpine Awareness: 6pm, REI DO IT IT DO DO IT

10 .29. 12 .05 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY

Former American Idol contestant Tim Urban brings his boyish charms to the area for a Jan. 4 fund- 3 raiser at the Blaine Performing Arts Center

SEND EVENTS TO CALENDAR@ CASCADIAWEEKLY.COM Contact THIS ISSUE Cascadia Weekly: E 360.647.8200

34 34 Editorial Editor & Publisher: FOOD Tim Johnson E ext 260 mail ô editor@ 27 27 cascadiaweekly.com CONTENTS ›› LETTERS ›› STAFF Arts & Entertainment Editor: Amy Kepferle

CLASSIFIEDS Eext 204 ô calendar@ As of Tuesday, New York City and its airports, trains, cascadiaweekly.com

24 streets, businesses and residents were still dealing with a backlog of snow-related issues from the Christmas-weekend Music & Film Editor:

FILM FILM blizzard that brought the metropolis to its knees. “This storm Carey Ross is not like any other we’ve had to deal with,” Mayor Michael Eext 203 R. Bloomberg said at a press conference. “We are doing every- ô music@ 20 thing we possibly can.” cascadiaweekly.com

MUSIC Production VIEWS & NEWS Art Director: Jesse Kinsman

18 4: Mailbag ô graphics@

ART ART 6: Gristle & Rhodes cascadiaweekly.com 8: Slamming sprawl Graphic Artists: 16 10: Last week’s news Kimberly Baldridge ô kim@ 11: Police blotter STAGE STAGE kinsmancreative.com Stefan Hansen ARTS & LIFE ô stefan@ 14 cascadiaweekly.com 12: Snow day Send All Advertising Materials To [email protected] 14: A New Year’s plunge GET OUT 16: Last dance Advertising Advertising Director:

12 18: Winter wonderlands Nicki Oldham 20: Countdown to fun E360-647-8200 x 202 ô nicki@ WORDS 22: Clubs cascadiaweekly.com

8 24: Game on Account Executives: REGAL EMPEROR HAS NO CLOTHES did city planners allow this monstrous stealth 26: Film shorts Holley Gardoski I live near Barkley Village and am one of the alien landing in our neighborhood?! E360-421-2513 ô holley@ people who have been hit in crosswalks next to —Mel Taylor, Bellingham CURRENTS CURRENTS REAR END cascadiaweekly.com the “urban village” and lived. As far as I know It’s about time we all stop pretending that the

6 27: Employment, rentals Scott Herning at least one has died. I was hit on the suppos- Barkley Company’s planned development resembles 28: Wellness E360-647-8200 x 252 edly pedestrian friendly Railroad Trail crossing an “urban” village, characterized by walkability,

VIEWS VIEWS ô scott@ at Woburn. Barkley Village is not a village and vibrancy and human-scale development, and in- 29: Advice Goddess cascadiaweekly.com is not pedestrian or bicycle friendly. It is an stead admit that they have successfully created an 4 4 30: Crossword Distribution auto-oriented, retro-looking shopping center “auto” village, characterized by trafﬁc, anonymity MAIL MAIL MAIL 31: Free Will Astrology JW Land & Associates surrounded by some light industry! I have lived and extended parking infrastructure. And while I’m ô distro@ in big cities and know what urban villages (real sure someday I’ll enjoy a summer blockbuster in the 32: This Modern World,Tom the Dancing

2 cascadiaweekly.com Bug Letters neighborhoods) are, and this is not it. swanky new theater over there, I certainly won’t The new proposed megatheater ﬁnally removes hang out before or after walking around spending DO IT IT DO Send letters to letters@ 33: Sudoku, Troubletown cascadiaweekly.com. the emperor’s new clothes. It will destroy the sur- my money at a local restaurant or boutique or ser- 34: The year in food rounding affordable housing neighborhood. Also, vice provider. Even more importantly for the future 10 once it is built, it will probably eventually be the of this great place (and the whole point of urban .29.

12 only for-profit film theater in Whatcom County. villages!), I definitely will never, ever, live there.

THE GRISTLE, P.6 .+-2'-2'+ LAST DANCE, P.16 .05 Cascadia Newspaper Company LLC. Direct all correspondence to: Cascadia Weekly cascadia REPORTING FROM THE ﬁnally sounding the death knell for that strug- Bellingham, because—while not perfect—it is an HEART OF CASCADIA WHATCOM SKAGIT ISLAND LOWER B.C. 52 PO Box 2833 Bellingham WA 98227-2833 | Phone/Fax: 360.647.8200 12.y.10 :: #52, v.05 :: !- # [email protected] gling mall. And what about the sleazy, rundown actual “urban village.” Though Cascadia Weekly is distributed free, please take just one copy. Cascadia Weekly may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Any person removing Sehome Theater? These megatheaters usually —Cathy Lehman, Bellingham papers in bulk from our distribution points risks prosecution allow large cinema companies to close all their Regardless of your opinion on land-use issues SUBMISSIONS: Cascadia Weekly welcomes freelance submissions. Send material to either the News Editor or A&E Editor. Manuscripts will be returned if you other theaters in small communities like Whatcom in and around the Barkley area, claiming the include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. To be considered for calendar listings, notice of events must be received in writing no later than noon Wednesday County. You can imagine what the trafﬁc coming planned multiplex will bring an “acne seared Bashes, balls and midnight revelry, P.20 the week prior to publication. Photographs should be clearly labeled and will be POLAR PARTIES: PLUNGING INTO A NEW YEAR, P.14 }} FREE WILL: YOUR FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT, P.31 DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS 2010: DOLTISH DEEDS AND BAD BEHAVIOR, P.6 returned if accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelope. from all over the county will eventually be like in teen” to rip your tickets, a “wall-eyed twit LETTERS POLICY: Cascadia Weekly reserves the right to edit letters for length and

CASCADIA WEEKLY the evenings and on weekends at Barkley. serving up the popcorn” or “another pierced content. When apprised of them, we correct errors of fact promptly and courteously. Cover: See the Paperboys at the In the interests of fostering dialog and a community forum, Cascadia Weekly does Lairmont Manor on New Year’s With the area east of Bellis Fair becoming a limpus lardering on the butter,” with “a couple not publish letters that personally disparage other letter writers. Please keep your 4 Eve. For a full listing of holiday letters to fewer than 300 words. big-box ghost town, why isn’t the theater be- more telling fart jokes” is an abhorrent show of happenings, turn to p.20 ing built there? A few years ago, Regal’s original opinionated rudeness unbecoming of a legiti- plan was to move the theater at Bellis Fair Mall mate news source. to a new bigger detached buiding. What inter- A job is a job at this point. Not everyone NEWSPAPER ADVISORY GROUP: Robert Hall, Seth Murphy, Michael Petryni, David Syre ests caused them to change their plans, and why can drive their Volvo station wagon to work downtown at a local nonproﬁt. There ANOTHER PIPELINE PASSES are only so many of those jobs. THRU Sometimes students serve popcorn I appreciated the Weekly’s coverage at movie theaters, you judgmental of the amount of coal moving through 34

yuppies. I hope you ride your Xtra- Bellingham. Note that about 10 mil- FOOD cycle off Oyster Dome and choke on lion tons per year of coal is already your quinoa lunch. How do you like being shipped through Bellingham (to it, hippies? China) by BNSF—about three trains a 27 Also, fart jokes are funny sometimes. day, more than 100 cars per train and Lighten up; go give Patty Murray over 100 tons per car. a hug. She will pet you with her lib- That’s a lot of carbon de-seques- CLASSIFIEDS eral tennies and give you the power tration.

to hear NPR in your head. I hope you —George Dyson, Bellingham 24 accidentally recycle your paychecks. You sucked last week, Weekly. RUDE AWAKENING FOR FILM —Diana Pinney, Bellingham DREAM ACT

The Gristle’s feverish characteriza- DREAM Hacked. Incomprehensibly, 20 tion of theater personnel was meant even a measure that enables the best lightheartedly and with tongue in and the brightest to fully belong to so- MUSIC cheek, however inartfully it was ex- ciety failed to pass the U.S. Senate re- pressed. The point was not to deni- cently, amid a governance climate that 18

grate the legitimate jobs people do pairs nativism and partisan absolutism. ART in a tough economy, but to note that Demagoguery about “amnesty” and

myopic land-use decisions can quickly lawbreakers contrasts with wiser coun- 16 foreclose on land available for any dif- tries that welcome higher lifetime earn- ferent future or economy. Barkley has ings and entrepreneurialism of youth STAGE a beautiful piece of well-serviced prop- through humane migration policy. erty that, with a bit of vision, could Hopefully, the principles of liberty 14 be home to—for example—the next and justice for all will prevail. Destiny Win a Week-Long Haskell Corporation or software devel- certainly will. Youth are the future, opment campus. We’ll try to express and our path ahead. Getaway to Hawaii! GET OUT that better in the future. —James Loucky, Bellingham 6 night/7 day trip for two 12 WORDS

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DISTRICT X: Data released last week by the U.S. Cen-

34 34 sus Bureau conﬁrmed what many in Washington had already predicted: Steady population growth over the FOOD past decade means the state has nabbed a new 10th views congressional district and a new member of Congress. OPINIONS ›› THE GRISTLE

27 27 Population growth in the West was strong overall, up 13.8 percent, with the region surpassing the Mid- west in terms of population. At 14.1 percent, Wash- ington saw the highest levels of growth among the CLASSIFIEDS Paciﬁc coast states, adding an additional 830,419 new residents over the decade. Idaho also regis- 24 tered exceptional levels of growth. Average U.S.

FILM FILM population growth was 9.7 percent, with consider- able hollowing out in the nation’s midsection as aging populations drift to the coasts in retirement. BY ALAN RHODES 20 Washington was among eight states that gained a total of 12 congressional seats in the new census MUSIC count. Ten states lost representatives. Still, Washington’s rate of growth registered as the 18 Whatcom Dubious lowest since the 11.1 percent noted in the 1940 Cen- ART ART sus, another period of economic distress and downturn reﬂecting the Great Depression years. The 2000 Census 16 found Washington had grown 21.1 percent, to 5,894,121 Achievements Awards 2010 residents, a robust period of growth that has tended to STAGE STAGE color the area’s subsequent comprehensive planning, FROM SAPPY TO SINISTER, WE’VE GOT THE COUNTY COVERED where Whatcom cities have planned for high levels of

14 growth based on statistical highs. Perhaps these as- sumptions can be revisited as the county and its cities IT’S BEEN a year of such lunacy The Bait and Switch Citation. The

GET OUT take up the growth debate again in 2011. that Daily Show host Jon Stewart felt name of a Meridian Street store— For more than a century after the ﬁrst census was it necessary to journey to the nation’s Dollar Plus—would suggest any item taken in 1790, the number of House seats grew with capital to hold a Rally to Restore San- on the shelf could be had for a buck 12 the country, but the number has been ﬁxed at 435 since ity. We’ve had our usual share of cra- and some change. This unfairly false 1913. The Constitution requires that each state be al- ziness right here in Whatcom County advertising was exposed in September WORDS lotted at least one representative, but does not provide as well, and now it’s time once again when police raided the low-end bou- a solution to the inevitable problem of how to avoid to pass out our annual Whatcom Du- The Slow Learner Citation. Af- tique and reported that the boxes of 8 fractional allocations of representatives, since districts bious Achievements Awards in which ter Bellingham-based Horizon Bank opium poppies sold under the counter do not cross state lines. Since 1940, the remaining 385 we celebrate doltish deeds and honor went belly up and the feds shut it were retailing at $475 apiece. A dollar seats have been doled out based on an uneasy formula bad behavior. down, scolding Horizon for a portfolio just doesn’t go as far as it used to. CURRENTS CURRENTS that—such as is the case in Massachussetts—can call Silliest Remark by an Elected Of- packed with screwball loans, former Collateral Damage. In early Octo- 6

6 for a loss in representation even though the population ﬁcial. It takes transcendent talent to bank director Bob Diehl said: “I think ber, anti-abortion enthusiasts were of that state has remained stable. make the year’s stupidest statement to a man we were so proud of the bank out on the Guide holding a peppy ral- VIEWS VIEWS VIEWS “This is a great day for the people of Washington,” by a public ofﬁcial, but county coun- and the way it was running... I don’t ly called Life Chain. Unbeknownst to Secretary of State Sam Reed reacted to the news. cil member Kathy Kershner rose to the think there was a loan we made that the owners of several local business- 4 “We gain in clout, with another strong voice in Con- challenge, explaining that “Phospho- we wouldn’t make again, given the es, including Quiznos and Washing-

MAIL MAIL gress to be added in 2012. We gain an Electoral Col- rus in Lake Whatcom does not affect same circumstances.” Rumor has it the ton Federal Bank, Life Chain had pub- lege vote and our population gain means we get a the drinking water quality... Phospho- bank also stands by its earlier conﬁ- lically listed them as meeting points

2 little larger slice of the pie as federal grants are rus affects the lake, not the drinking dence in its portfolio of email invest- for the day’s fun, resulting in irate apportioned out based on population.” water.” This was a relief to everyone ment offers from Nigeria. phone calls to these businesses from DO IT IT DO

At the national level, the news launches a big tus- who had mistakenly assumed that the The Tim Eyman Trophy. Local so- people who didn’t think they should sle for the future control of Congress, with Repub- lake was made out of, uh, water. cial fabric shredder Brett Bonner was be turning their parking lots over to 10 licans in many parts of the country well positioned Dumbest Vote by an Elected a shoo-in for this annual award for the cause of forced pregnancy. .29.

12 to make what may amount to permanent gains. In Ofﬁcial. County Councilman Sam community destruction. The Brettster The Tabloid Trash Trophy. Our lo- Washington, the struggle may be more subtle as Crawford, long famous as the Devel- led the charge to successfully defeat cal daily paper usually snags at least

.05 Olympia and Vancouver, Wash., compete to become oper’s Homeboy and Mother Nature’s a miniscule sales tax boost to prop- one award for the ostentatiously dis- 52 # the epicenter of a 10th Congressional District in Nemesis, had a new target in 2010: erly maintain bus service throughout mal quality of its product, but this Southwest Washington, a district that will still re- public safety. Slammin’ Sam was Whatcom County. Not only did the de- year the Bellingham Herald added main somewhat progressive in outlook. the only vote on the council against feat of this legislation save residents the crassest commercialism to its The actual work of redividing the state into equal- an ordinance requiring gas pipeline from a staggering two-tenths of one achievements. Immediately follow- sized congressional districts and legislative districts corridors to be 500 feet away from percent tax hike, but it resulted in the ing the September death of a toddler will be the task of a bipartisan citizen commission. schools and hospitals. Sam’s defeat elimination of Sunday bus service, al- struck by a car on Cornwall Avenue, Four voting citizen members—two Republicans and two lowing scores of low-wage workers, the Herald was selling photos of the CASCADIA WEEKLY on this issue will probably not deter Democrats—will be appointed by legislative caucus him from his proposed 2011 crusade seniors and physically challenged tragedy online, everything from a 6 leaders. The four will choose a fifth, nonvoting, person against bicycle helmets, elemen- folks to rediscover the joys of hiking snapshot of the smashed car to pic- as chair. The panel will have all of 2011 to develop and tary school crosswalks and regular to their Sunday destinations during tures of the grieving family. Good finalize the maps, and three of the four voting members dental checkups. invigorating winter rainstorms. God, Herald! must vote for the final product. The ideal size of each congressional district will be 672,454; the ideal size of VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF CASCADIA WEEKLY The Honor System Award. As the recent near-collapse of the American econ- THE GRISTLE omy so cogently demonstrates, nothing

works quite as successfully as letting new legislative districts will be 137,235,

parties with vested interests regulate according to the Secretary of State. Un- 34 themselves. It was in that spirit that in der state law, the Legislature has virtually February the newly constituted conser- no role in redistricting and the governor lettuce eat FOOD vative Whatcom County Council voted cannot sign or veto the resulting maps.

5-2 to let septic tank owners do their If the commission fails to come to agree- LLC 27 own inspections. Hmm, let’s see here… ment, redistricting duties fall instead to a guy inspects his tank, it’s leaking into the state Supreme Court. the groundwater and will cost several According to Census data released so CLASSIFIEDS thousand dollars to ﬁx…and he’s the far, the state saw its largest popula- only person who knows about it. Nope, tion growth around Vancouver, where no ﬂaws in this plan. Portland’s restrictive growth laws have 24

Farcical Fiscal Follies. Whatcom tended to push new residential popula- FILM County Council merits a second award tions north across the Columbia River. a v e g e t a r i a n d r i v e t h r u this year, this one for its amazing abil- But the Vancouver exurbs are already

Vegetarian, Vegan, & Gluten Free Options. 20 ity to combine both shirking and ﬁscal strongly represented as the population Punch Cards & Gift Certificates available. Students receive 25% off. fatuity into one legislative triumph. Ap- center of Congressional District 3. A 0IJP4U#FMMJOHIBNt MUSIC parently unaware they were elected to stronger case might be made to form a /PX0QFO.PO8FEBNQNt5IVST'SJBNQN make grownup decisions on their own, new congressional district around Olym- 18 the council majority mandated a public pia, the largest Puget Sound city not vote any time previously unused capac- central to any particular district, bal- ART ity to raise property taxes is tapped. kanized at the edges of the 3rd, while The vote, which is nonbinding, would Tacoma and Federal Way are at the heart The Prospect Street Cafe 16 require an election, which could eas- of the 9th Congressional District. The ily cost taxpayers as much as $80,000, 9th District itself, represented by Dem- STAGE the results of which could be ignored by ocrat Adam Smith of Tacoma, was added the council. This must be an example of after the 1990 census. 14 the common sense pecuniary principles Of course, the farther north the epi- New Year’s Eve Tasting Menu Reservations accepted, No regular menu at that time

these folks campaigned on. center of District 10, the larger the rip- GET OUT The Starbucks Syndrome. The ple effect on redistricting in Northwest Recovery Menu available New Year’s Day Woods Coffee recently announced that Washington. Kumamoto Oyster with Habenero Champagne Mignonette; Yukon Gold Potato blini with gravlox 12 it will soon open a 10th store, this one A 10th district coming into existence or Dungeness Crab cakes, arugula, wasabi aioli, sriracha ketchup in downtown Bellingham which, at last south of Seattle will tend to press the Ahi tartare, truffle soy aioli, quail egg; Crispy Ahi avocado rice paper roll, sweet chili vinaigrette WORDS count, already has 478 espresso bars, population epicenter of Congressional or Maine diver scallops, grapfruit glaze, sweet potato purée, cilantro jalapeño agave pesto including one owned by the Woods Cof- District 2 north, lessening the inﬂuence Crispy duck breast, roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash purée , glogg sauce 8 fee. The Merry Woodsman has either of Everett (which conceivably could ﬁnd Foie gras torchon, huckleberry jam, toast points gotten in touch with his inner Gordon itself peeled into District 1), an out- or Orange soy glazed Sockeye Salmon, champagne tobiko butter, sweet pea wasabi cakes Gekko or, in a hyper-caffeinated state, come that will favor Democrat Rep. Rick

Umpqua Valley lamb chop, black trumpet mushrooms, gnocchi, red wine jus CURRENTS is out to answer that age-old question, Larsen, who did well in Bellingham but or Mishima Ranch Wagyu NY steak, fingerling potatoes, chard, celery root remoulade, veal jus 6

“Just how much coffee can Belling- lost in large portions of this district. 6 hamsters drink?” District 2 may also likely lose that small Apple tart, spiced caramel, shortbread crust or sea salt caramel, Mexican sipping chocolate ice cream VIEWS VIEWS The Worst Guy in Whatcom. For sliver of eastern King County, again in- 360 714 8262 | prospectstreetcafe.com | Open Wed thru Sat, 5pm till close VIEWS sheer loathsomeness, nobody in the creasing the role Bellingham could play Around the corner from the Whatcom Museum, Bellingham 4 county surpassed this year’s winner, as the major population center.

Douglas Spink, operator of a bestiality Perhaps more signiﬁcant will be the MAIL farm in Sumas where the repulsively redrawing of state legislative districts. depraved could pay to have Doug ﬁlm We’ve already noted the widening po- YOGA NORTHWEST 2 them having sex with animals. Doug litical divide between the county and THE B.K.S. IYENGAR YOGA CENTER OF BELLINGHAM IT DO the Detestable is currently serving a its major population center, Belling- Welcome to our three-year stretch in a federal slam- ham. By résumé and interests, our 40th 10 mer, and one can only hope there re- District representatives seem to have .29. ally is a Hell. more of a Bellingham vibe than the FREE 12 Well, that wraps things up for 2010. arch-conservatives who now dominate

Anticipating the year ahead, we can the 42nd District. And, from the stand- Iyengar Yoga Classes! Jan 3-9 .05 52 expect 2011 to be a fruitful period for point of relative afﬂuence and voter # Dubious Achievements. The recent lo- outlook, Bellinghamsters continue to cal election swept into local ofﬁces a share a lot in common with residents colorful cluster of know-nothings, reli- of San Juan and Island counties (the gious cranks and free-market fraggers, state’s most progressive voters). 12-week whose rascality will doubtless fuel this A redistricting could calcify this, Voted Best Winter Session column in the months to come. Writing continuing to snip Bellingham votes starting Jan 10 CASCADIA WEEKLY in the year 1919, poet William Butler from the 42nd District and cast them Yoga Studio Yeats noted, “The best lack all convic- south. A better, more lasting outcome 2010! 7 tion, while the worst are full of pas- might be to bring Bellingham more fully Check our website: for our free and winter class schedules. sionate intensity.” Unfortunately, his into Whatcom politics in an effort to yoganorthwest.com observation sounds a little too con- heal a cultural divide that just makes 360.647.0712 1440 10th Street Historic Fairhaven Bellingham temporary for comfort. no sense played at the local level.

34 34

FOOD currents NEWS ›› COMMENTARY ›› BRIEFS 27 27 CLASSIFIEDS 24 FILM FILM 20 MUSIC 18 ART ART 16

STAGE STAGE BY TIM JOHNSON 14

GET OUT Division and Subdivision

12 STATE SLAMS COUNTY FOR ALLOWING TOO MUCH SPRAWL IN RURAL AREAS WORDS 8 8 After spending all of 2010 redoing legislative land-use decisions related to the county’s urban areas, Whatcom County Council CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS

6 got slapped with a ruling from a state growth board last week

VIEWS VIEWS that the county’s plan for its rural areas is inadequate to slow 4 sprawl and is therefore invalid under the state’s growth laws. MAIL MAIL

2 The Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (GMHB) DO IT IT DO last week sharply rebuked the county’s plan for rural growth, finding

10 no dispute that county policy has allowed too much subdivision of land .29.

12 outside designated growth areas.

.05 The board found the county’s plans for potentially Counties that are considered in compliance with 52 # thousands of rural acres “promote the inappropriate the state’s growth laws have a certain latitude in conversion of undeveloped land into sprawling low-den- their planning decisions. Out of compliance, the sity development and substantially interfere with the burden can shift to the county to demonstrate (and fulﬁllment” of governing sections of the Growth Man- show the work) that their planning decisions are not agement Act. Therefore, the hearings board took the ex- in continued violation of state growth laws. It’s like traordinary step of declaring the county’s plan invalid. the difference between being presumed innocent and

CASCADIA WEEKLY “It’s a game-changer for the county,” Whatcom being under a cloud of indictment. County Planning Commissioner Jean Melious ob- While the exact nature of the GMHB “order of invalid- 8 served. “County Council clearly has felt no urgency ity” remains understated and vague—an early warning in responding to the state Supreme Court and the perhaps of the state’s more aggressive enforcement of hearings board. It has had the planning commission’s its own laws—it’s clear the hearings board has noticed recommendation for over a year and has not come up the county’s lack of progress in developing a compli- with a proposal or held a public hearing.” ant plan. The order throws into uncertainty a number of “THE COUNCIL NOW MIGHT BELIEVE THAT ITS INACTION WILL HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR CHIHUAHUA

PROPERTY OWNERS, WHICH COULD INSPIRE IT TO Mexican Restaurant 34

TRY TO DO ITS JOB AND COMPLY WITH STATE LAW.” FOOD — PLANNING COMMISSIONER JEAN MELIOUS 50% OFF 27 Combo #1-20 commercial development plans in the ru- THE NATURE OF LAMIRDS ral county, creating an environment where Under GMA, the county must contain with purchase CLASSIFIEDS each could be subject to future scrutiny by rural growth within a LAMIRD, a limited of same & 2 drinks the state hearings board—the very nadir area of more intense rural development.

(equal or lesser value) 24 of predictability and certainty these proj- LAMIRDs are designated receiving areas Valid Sun-Thurs only

ect developers require as they approach for developments of a rural character—the FILM offer expires February 2, 2011 banks and lenders for financing. kinds of structures you might see at coun- “The council now might believe that its try crossroads, resort and recreational com- COME FEAST AT OUR TACO TRUCK 20 inaction will have consequences for prop- munities, and historical small town centers erty owners, which could inspire it to try like Van Zandt—shorn of the growth hor- TWO LOCATIONS, DOWNTOWN FERNDALE AND OUR TACO MUSIC to do its job and comply with state law,” mone that might allow them to become TRUCK ON IOWA ST (NEXT TO TOYOTA) BELLINGHAM Melious observed. areas of a more active and urban character. 18 The GMBH ruling gives the county three As community and cultural centers for ru- Exit 252, 5692 3rd Ave., Downtown Ferndale months to get into compliance with state ral life, LAMIRDs are understood to support ART growth laws or face possible economic that rural life. Ideally under GMA, lands sanction (possibly in the form of con- outside LAMIRDs would retain the charac- 16 striction on tax revenues and grants re- ter and level of development they currently STAGE STAGE ceived from the state), although—given enjoy—in other words, farms stay farms the makeup of Whatcom County Council— and the industries that support farms are their ability to complete the work to get confined within LAMIRDs. 14 into compliance seems remote to impos- Some rural communities in Whatcom • Swimwear All Year • Skirts, Slacks & Jeans sible, many observers believe. Indeed, a County—areas like Glacier, Hinotes Cor- 30% GET OUT few on the council have expressed their ner, and Point Roberts—are bounded by a • Layering Thermals OFF continued defiance of state law is an geography strong enough to make assign- • Jackets & Sweaters one item exp 1/31/11 12 exercise in principled representation of ing them as LAMIRDs relatively easy. Other • Sleepwear & Intimates one coupon landowner rights. areas, such as along the Guide Meridian, per person

• Accessories & more! WORDS Council President Sam Crawford ex- prove more difﬁcult to assign boundaries. pressed his frustration in an interview with In 2009, the Whatcom County Planning • Ed Hardy Remote Control 8 8 the Bellingham Herald, “If the hearings Commission issued recommendations on Wall Climbers & Helicopters board continues to treat Whatcom County the size and scope of Whatcom LAMIRDs, Everything Under $99 • Including Designer Items with a bureaucratic and overreached regula- but a newly elected majority on Whatcom CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS tory response, this is going to galvanize, I County refused to adopt those recom- Open Mon thru Sat 10am - 7pm think, the County Council, who are elected by mendations and has continued to allow 6 Located in Ferndale Station (near Sonic) the people, to spend a lot of taxpayer dollars additional subdivision and development to go to court to prove that we’ve reached of lands outside those areas. In April, a VIEWS the property balance of growth controls in council committee majority narrowly de- 360.393.3190 findyourfashion.com | 4 Whatcom County.” cided, essentially, not to decide the matter

Council was supposed to have complet- and to reject through inaction the state’s MAIL ed the rural element of the county’s com- requirement to designate LAMIRDs, believ- prehensive plan in 2010, but tabled that ing those requirements in some instances 2 work to revisit earlier decisions related placed too great and arbitrary a burden on IT DO to Whatcom’s urban areas. That work inidividual property owners. The county, U U on the urban element of the comp plan these council members reasoned in com- 10 was scheduled to be picked up again in mittee, might remain out of compliance .29. council’s 2011 legislative session, mean- with state law as the best means to best MON - SAT, 5-11 PM 12 ing the council’s inversion of priorities safeguard individual property rights. Most has blown at least a year in planning and council discussion on these matters has .05 52 policymaking for rural lands. since been held in brief work sessions, with MEAD FOR # In April, Council President Crawford little coming forward to the full council. asked staff to bring forward a proposal “It avails the county nothing that it THE HOLIDAYSS with no density reductions from today’s is allowing subdivision within LAMIRDs current zoning, in all areas, and support ‘recommended by the planning commis- that proposal with an analysis of what it sion,’” the state hearings board scolded. LIVE MUSIC

would take to develop that proposal in “The state Supreme Court has found the CASCADIA WEEKLY a manner consistent with the county’s county’s LAMIRD criteria to be noncompli- TUES - SAT 8PM Comprehensive Plan and countywide ant with the Growth Management Act. The 9 planning policy. Crawford noted this county ought not be allowing develop- was the new majority view of how to ap- ment within ‘recommended’ LAMIRDs until proach state requirements in a way that it has adopted LAMIRD criteria found to least impedes property owners. comply with the Act.” currents ›› week in review

34 34 FOOD ek th +.." . 27 27 e a W t CLASSIFIEDS

W BY TIM JOHNSON 24 e

LAST WEEK’S

FILM FILM

NEWS a Sam Taylor, the gifted T government affairs

20 DEC20-DEC28 reporter for The Belling- s ham Herald, has taken

MUSIC a job as city clerk with the City of Ferndale. Ferndale City Council 18 approved the hire 4-to-

ART ART 3, with some members expressing concern

16 Taylor was hired before PHOTO BY DAVE ELLIFRIT OF THE CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH. a vacancy for the posi- A calf was born to one of the pods of Puget Sound orcas in the San Juan Islands earlier this month. The calf tion was officially an- STAGE STAGE was identified as L117 and brings the total Southern Resident orca population to 87. nounced. While at the 12.y.10 Herald, Taylor set new 14 standards for commu- MONDAY nication with readers Washington State gets a 10th con- significant progress in enrolling unin- by skillfully employing

GET OUT A Thurston County jury awards $57 million to thousands of gressional seat under the 2010 Census sured children covered under Medic- a variety of social- home health care workers who saw their pay cut under a state figures released today. Oregon remains aid. The money is part of a joint state networking tools. rule that was in effect from 2003 to 2007. In 2003, the Depart- at five congressional seats. Washing- and federal program that awarded 12 ment of Social and Health Services decided to cut payments by ton’s population has grown by 14.1 $206 million to 15 states. 15 percent to Medicaid beneficiaries who had caregivers living in percent since 2000, to 6,724,540. Or- WORDS their home. The state argued that taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay egon’s grew 12 percent to 3,831,074. 12.y.10 in-home caregivers for tasks they would perform on their own— 8 8 TUESDAY such as grocery shopping, laundry or meal preparation. But the 12.y~.10 state Supreme Court struck down the state’s arguments, finding One man is killed and several that under federal law all Medicaid beneficiaries must be treated MONDAY family members are injured in a CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS equally, thus giving rise to the lawsuit. The state has not decided Four women are found after they multiple stabbing at a home north-

6 whether to appeal. spend a frigid night in the Cascade east of Bellingham, Whatcom County Mountains after their snowshoeing sheriff’s ofﬁcials conﬁrm. According VIEWS VIEWS 12.yx.10 trip went awry. The women reportedly to reports, three were stabbed, in- became lost Sunday afternoon after cluding one adult male who dies from 4 TUESDAY they went off trail at a popular rec- his injuries. An arrest is made in con-

MAIL MAIL Two Bellingham men are arrested on six counts of forgery in an reation area near Snoqualmie Pass. A nection with the stabbings.

alleged counterfeiting operation here. Police say the arrests were cell phone call by one of the women 2 the result of an investigation that began last week after a Bellis alerted rescuers that the snowshoers The Bellingham Bay Swim Team

DO IT IT DO Fair Mall store received several counterfeit $100 bills. More coun- were stranded. says its former treasurer stole

terfeit bills were discovered at other stores including Emerald City $200,000 from the club’s coffers.

10 Smoothies, where the owner says he saw a suspect get into a car. Washington State will receive Former treasurer Larry Eugene Bax

.29. Police arrest Billy J. Pinnell, 20, and Daniel R. McCoy, 21, whom about $17 million from the federal was arrested last week for allegedly

12 they say later admitted to manufacturing the bills. government as a bonus for making embezzling money since 2004. .05 52 # Can you survive a divorce? Let me help you.

CASCADIA WEEKLY Attorney Lauren E. Trent

10 Divorce / Dissolution of Marriage • Child Custody • Parenting Plans • Support Orders – Protection Orders The Lustick Law Firm Bellingham – Mount Vernon (360) 685-4221 www.Lustick.com index On Dec. 9, a Blaine resident called po-

lice to report a man who had identiﬁed

FUZZ himself as a cable service provider had 34 come to her door and made her uncom- BUZZ fortable with several persistent questions FOOD he asked about her current TV cable ser-

SPECIAL REPORT: 10TH vice. “Officers found and interviewed the 27 FOOT FOUND man a short distance away,” Blaine Po- On Dec. 5, a man walking along a shore lice reported. ”He was confirmed to be a near Tacoma stumbled across a severed cable system employee, conducting qual- CLASSIFIEDS human foot, raising to 10 the tally of feet ity checks on their service and offering found on Pacific Northwest beaches since upgrades to customers.” 2007. The foot has not been identified 24

yet, but police believe it belonged to a CAT CONTRAINDICATED FILM juvenile or small adult. It was encased in On Dec 24, a York Street resident called a boys’ size 6 “OzArk Trail” hiking boot, Bellingham Police to report that a piece of 20 a brand sold in Wal-Mart Stores in 2004 a model boat he kept in his apartment had and 2005. Police speculate the boot could suffered damage. Usually, he explained, MUSIC have floated in from the Puyallup River or the cat is responsible for breaking the the Puget Sound. model boat. This time, though, it’s differ- 18 ent, he reported to police. “There is not The discovery of this foot adds yet another any evidence to support a claim of illegal ART layer to the unsolved mystery of several activity,” police responded. human feet that have washed ashore in re- 16 cent years in British Columbia and Western DISAPPEARING INK STAGE STAGE Washington. All of the previous nine were On Dec. 21, a woman reported some of in running shoes. The last foot was found her art supplies were missing inside her Aug. 27, 2010, on Whidbey Island. Blaine apartment. Police investigated 14 and found no evidence the disappearing }~y{|{ The first severed foot, discovered in ink was criminal in nature. ”A day later,” POPULATION of Washington State, according to data released last week by the U.S. GET OUT August 2007 on Jedediah Island, north- police reported, “the woman called police Census. Washington State ranks 27th in overall population density. east of Nanaimo, was associated with a to advise that she had found her paints deceased man whose name police with- inside her apartment.” 12 held at the request of his family. A man’s right foot found on Gabriola Island in THE CONTINUING CRISIS WORDS August 2007 remains unidentified. Two On Nov. 13, a Blaine Police officer com- 8 xz x{x 8 feet found on Valdez and Westham is- plained, “For about the sixth time in a AVERAGE percent growth throughout POPULATION growth in Washington. lands in July 2008 belonged to the same week, officers responded to the nighttime the West, surpassing the Midwest in total population. man. And two female feet found in Rich- activation of a commercial alarm at a CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS mond in December 2008 belonged to the closed business. The alarm was cancelled same woman. as the officer was en route. The alarm sys- 6 tem,” the exasperated officer observed, THE GRIFT THAT KEEPS “is in sore need of repair.” ~ VIEWS ON GIVING AVERAGE percent population growth throughout the United States. The population of 4 On Dec. 24, a Bellingham family received IN-N-OUT the U.S. now stands at 308.7 million people. a phone call announcing they had won a On Dec. 20, an elderly motorist uninten- MAIL Mega Jackpot involving a large amount of tionally turned a restaurant into a drive- money. All they had to do was send in a through. Blaine Police reported, “The man 2

payment to receive the winnings. Belling- was trying to back out of a parking stall IT DO } { ham Police noted the matter was a com- by the front door, but instead drove his ESTIMATED percentage of growth related to new births versus population growth mon fraud scheme. SUV forward into the wall of a business. through immigration. 10 No one was injured, but the building’s wall .29.

THE PROFESSIONALS sustained some substantial damage.” 12 On Nov. 30, an elderly Blaine resident was home alone after dinnertime when DISTRACTED DRIVERS .05 52

z # a man he did not know appeared on his On Dec. 8, Blaine Police responded to a doorstep, claiming to be a vacuum cleaner report that a man in a vehicle was un- NUMBER of chinook salmon that passed through the Columbia River’s Bonneville Dam salesman. The homeowner did not want conscious and unresponsive. “The ar- in 2009, a 29 percent increase over the previous year. a vacuum and did not want the aggres- riving ofﬁcers contacted a driver who sive stranger present, but was not having explained that he had picked up his any luck getting the man to leave. Fortu- passenger in Birch Bay a short time ear- ª| {z

nately, a neighbor came over to check on lier,” police reported. ”The man report- CASCADIA WEEKLY NUMBER of new baby orcas added to NUMBER of mountain caribou remaining his friend and ordered the salesman off edly told the driver he had just injected the Puget Sound resident pods, up from a in the Selkirk Mountains of northern the property. The alleged salesman joined heroin, and began losing consciousness decline the previous year. Idaho and Washington, a unique species, 11 another man who was waiting in a car, while they were en route to Blaine. The three fewer than in previous herd counts. and they drove away. A description of the subject was responsive when contacted men and their car was forwarded to Blaine by police, and was transported to hospi- SOURCES: U.S. Dept. of Commerce; U.S. Census Bureau; Cascadia Scorecard; U.S. Fish patrol units. tal by medics.” and Wildﬁre Service; Center For Whale Research; Selkirk Conservation Alliance

34 34

FOOD words COMMUNITY ›› LECTURES BOOKS 27 27 CLASSIFIEDS 24 FILM FILM 20 MUSIC 18 ART ART 16 STAGE STAGE families were close. In Peg Meier’s new WHEN WE THINK ABOUT book, Wishing for a Snow Day, you’ll read 14 about childhood through the eyes of kids CHILDHOOD, MANY OF US and former kids.

GET OUT While “happily” digging around in papers REMEMBER OURS FONDLY: and photos at Minnesota historical societies, journalist Peg Meier found a surprising amount SCHOOL DAYS, FAVORITE 12 12 of decades-old information about, and from, PETS, BEST-LOVED TOYS, children who’d kept written accounts. WORDS WORDS What she discovered, she says, was “two EVEN CHORES CAN MAKE entirely separate worlds:” childhood, and 8 the adulthood that remembered it. US SMILE. When we think about childhood, many of us remember ours fondly: school days, fa- CURRENTS CURRENTS vorite pets, best-loved toys, even chores snow was more than something to shovel,

6 can make us smile. and a restaurant meal was a rare treat. For some kids, though, These were times when the Jesse James

VIEWS VIEWS childhood was best for- gang fascinated impressionable kids, fruit gotten. In the mid-to-late made excellent Christmas gifts, little boys 4 1800s and early 1900s, didn’t wear long pants until age nine and

MAIL MAIL child abandonment was Orphan Trains pulled into town regularly. common, and orphans It was a time when children were shielded

2 were sometimes treated from talk of war, facts of life and, some- like dogs; in fact, hu- times, their true date of birth. DO IT IT DO GET IT WHAT: Peg Meier’s mane societies originally Has this winter season got you thinking tended to both. Attitudes about wonderful times and memories past? 10 Wishing for a toward children were such Then you’re going to love spending some .29. Snow Day 12 BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER WHERE: Minnesota that many considered kids quiet, contemplative time with Wishing for Historical Society to be merely small adults a Snow Day.

.05 Press, 2010 with adult-like abilities. Author and journalist Meier did a stellar 52 # COST: $29.95 Meier found, for in- job in gathering together a wide variety of Snow Day stance, an account from recollections and photographs, and what 1892 in which a 12-year-old boy arrived in she found is priceless. You can’t help but MEMORIES FROM MINNESOTA Minneapolis from Norway. He’d made the smile at a stinky skunk tale. Your heart will voyage alone and was supposed to meet his break at the stunned look on a bereft fa- family there. They were never found. ther’s face. You’ll want to tell your grandkids about the ﬁrst time a little girl ever CASCADIA WEEKLY THEY ARE the stories your kids and grandkids love best. Most children, however, were lucky: they They can’t hear enough about the time your father was horsing were wanted, loved and cherished. Toys saw an apple. 12 around, fell off a sled and skidded down the hill on his hinder. They might not have been too plentiful, but While most of Wishing for a Snow Day is set laugh at tales of your brother, who always managed to cheat at imaginations were. Pets weren’t always the in Minnesota, the memories inside are uni- games. And they’ve heard about your childhood ﬁshing trips so many dog-and-cat variety, and Mom was easygoing versal for kids and former kids everywhere. times, they can almost tell the stories themselves. about otters and geese in the house. Swim- Truly, this is a book to share with every gen- Ah, the golden days, when cares were few, life was innocent and ming in the lake was a summertime ritual, eration. This is a book to wish for. doit

THURS., JAN. 6

CHANGING BODIES, WORLDS: Frank Foren-

cich shares ideas from his latest book, Change 34 Your Body, Change the World, at 7pm at Village

Books, 1200 11th St. FOOD i 671-2626 OR WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM 27 27 Face painting will be one of the many activities happening on New Year’s Eve when the COMMUNITY Sportsplex and Bellingham Parks & Rec team DEC. 29-30

up to offer free, family-friendly fun. CLASSIFIEDS SOLDERING WORKSHOP: Kids ages 10 and up can learn to solder and put together a ﬂash- ing LED circuit at a Soldering Workshop hap- WORDS 24 pening from 1-3pm today and tomorrow at the American Museum of Radio, 1312 Bay St. Cost WED., DEC. 29 FILM NOTE OF THANKS: The 20th annual “Note of is $15-$18, and tools and materials will be pro- Thanks” happens from 10:30am-12pm at the vided. Pleas sign up in advance.

Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Ave. i WWW.AMRE.US 20 Young children wanting to take part in the FRI., DEC. 31

making of thank-you notes should be accom- MUSIC panied by an adult. FREE FAMILY FUN: As part of a collaboration i 778-7221 with Bellingham Parks & Rec and the Sports-

plex, families can take advantage of a variety 18 BOOK CLUB #1: Women interested in being of free events today at the Sportsplex (1225 part of the “Soaring Butterﬂies” Book Club can ART Civic Field Way) and the Arne Hanna Aquatic show up for tonight’s meeting from 6:30-8pm Center (1114 Potter St.). From 6-9pm at the at Sunnyland Square’s Butterﬂy Life. Decem- Sportsplex, there’ll also be carnival games, a 16 ber’s reading selection is David Gutersun’s castle maze, face painting, clowns and much Snow Falling on Cedars.

more. STAGE i 671-0669 i 778-7000 MON., JAN. 3 VIGIL FOR PEACE: Join the longest-running Happy 14 BOOK CLUB #2: The Deming Book Club will meet Peace Vigil in the country—48 years and to discuss Mary Ann Shaffer’s The Guernsey Liter- counting—from 4-5pm every Friday afternoon ary and Potato Peel Society at 10am at the Dem- at the corners of Cornwall Avenue and Magno- GET OUT ing Public Library, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy. lia Street. i 592-2422 i WWW.WHATCOMPJC.ORG 12 IDEAS WORTH DISCUSSING: As part of its SAT., JAN. 1 New Year! 12 “Ideas Worth Discussing” series, show up to NEW YEAR’S DAY RETREAT: Attend a New talk about Jean-Paul Sarte’s Why Write? and WORDS Year’s Day Retreat starting at 9am at the Dhar- WORDS Richard Wright’s Bright and Morning Star at 1pm makirti Buddhist Center, 301 W. Holly St. Ev- at the Lynden Public Library, 216 4th St.

eryone is welcome. Cost is $5 per session or 8 i 354-4883 $15 for the day. VB READS: Discuss Carolyn Wall’s Sweeping i WWW.MEDITATEINWASHINGTON.ORG Up Glass at tonight’s “VB Reads” discussion at

7pm at Village Books, 1200 11th St. Authors SUN., JAN. 2 We’ll be open when you get hungry CURRENTS do not attend. LAUGHTER CLUB: The Bellingham Laughter i WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM Club meets from 4-5pm at the Co-op’s Con- OPEN 11am - 3am every week! 6 POETRYNIGHT: Read your original verse at nection Building, 1220 N. Forest St. Entry

poetrynight at 8:30pm at the Amadeus Proj- is $2. VIEWS ect, Cornwall Ave. Sign-ups start at 8pm. i 734-4989 1215 Railroad Ave. Downtown B’ham i WWW.POETRYNIGHT.ORG 4 MON., JAN. 3

JAN. 3-6 COURAGE TO CHANGE: Attend a “Courage to MAIL MODERN BUDDHISM: At a special series in- Change” workshop from 8:30am-2pm at What-

troducing Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s newest book, com Community College. You’ll learn practical 2 Modern Buddhism: The Path of Compassion and strategies to renew feelings of self-worth, as DO IT IT DO

Wisdom in Northwest Washington, participants well as techniques designed to help you com- can learn more about Buddha’s teaching. Ses- municate effectively. The event is free, but sions happen Jan. 3-31 in Bellingham (301 W. registration is required. 10 Holly St.), Jan. 4-25 in Anacortes (1010 6th i 383-3132 OR WWW.WHATCOM.CTC.EDU St.), and Jan. 6-27 in Mount Vernon (Unity .29.

ASK THE ORGANIZERS: Organizing experts 12 Church). Cost is $10. Naomi Whitmore and Jesse Larsen from Har- i [email protected] mony Matters will offer free “Ask the Orga- .05

nizers” sessions from 5-7pm every Monday in 52 WED., JAN. 5 January at the Bellingham Public Market, 1530 # DREAMS OF GOLD: Lifelong Whatcom County Cornwall Ave. resident Michael Impero reads from his book, i WWW.HARMONYMATTERS.COM Dreams of Gold: History of the Mount Baker Mining District, at 7pm at Village Books, 1200 11th St. WED., JAN. 5 i 671-2626 HEALTH CARE REVOLUTION: Mychal Beebe WINTER WRITING COURSES: Sign up for D.C. will helm a workshop focused on “The New non-credit courses for writers and editors Health Care Revolution” at 6:30pm at Mount CASCADIA WEEKLY starting this week at Western Washington Vernon’s Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 2020 S. University. “The Novel: Experience and Write First St. Entry is free, but registration is re- 13 Fiction” and “Knock Out Editing: From Polish quested. to Publish” happen Jan. 5-Feb. 23. Cost for the i WWW.SKAGITFOODCOOP.COM eight-week courses are $475. i 650-3308

34 34

FOOD getout HIKING ›› RUNNING ›› CYCLING 27 27 CLASSIFIEDS 24

FILM FILM THE TASK STILL LAY

20 BEFORE US: WE’D RUN

MUSIC INTO THE BRINY BAY,

18 SUBMERGE OURSELVES

ART ART IN ITS RISKY EMBRACE

16 FOR AS LONG AS IT

STAGE STAGE TOOK TO WASH OFF THE KARMIC FILTH THAT 14 14 HAD ACCUMULATED THE GET OUT GET OUT PREVIOUS YEAR AND,

12 SOON THEREAFTER, EMERGE WITH A CLEAN WORDS SLATE AND RENEWED 8 PURPOSE. CURRENTS CURRENTS 6

BY AMY KEPFERLE aged guy in spandex tives and encouragement alike, heads disap- VIEWS VIEWS bike shorts with the peared, brieﬂy, underwater, before eventually smug stance of some- reemerging and slogging through the current 4 one who’d ﬁnished a 40- and back to the beach. MAIL MAIL Taking the Plunge mile ride, uphill, before I’d like to be able to say I also baptized dawn—shook his head myself fully in the holy waters of Belling-

2 ATTEND as he watched us strip ham Bay that morning, but, alas, I got cold COLD FEET, WARM HEART WHAT: Resolution Run down to our suits and feet—no to mention cold thighs, torso and DO IT IT DO and Padden Polar Dip WHEN: 11am for the announced, simply but assorted digits. By the time I’d gotten chest- BEFORE I got the invite asking me to join the newly formed Lady Polar run, 12pm for the dip with authority, “You deep, my body had had enough and forced an 10 Bears Club for an outing in Bellingham Bay, I’d never given serious thought to WHERE: Lake Padden people are crazy.” about-march. .29. Park 12 high-fiving a new year by purposefully throwing myself into a body of water Maybe so, but the In hindsight, I can see that my problem COST: Free that, especially in winter, is frigid enough to inflict hypothermia (and death) task still lay before us: arose from my initial approach. I should’ve INFO: 778-7000 or .05 on those who linger too long in its icy clutches. www.trithe we’d run into the briny careened in without testing the waters and 52 # But after factoring in the guild president’s promise to host a gourmet fireside cookie.com bay, submerge ourselves not given my body any time at all to alert brunch immediately following the excursion, I threw aside my qualms, made in its risky embrace for my brain as to the dangers it was subjecting sure my pink swim-skirt was presentable and, come New Year’s morning, hitched WHAT: 28th annual as long as it took to it to. Still, though, a partial plunge is better Birch Bay Polar Bear a ride in a white Volkswagen van named Alice to the litter-strewn shores of the wash off the karmic filth than no plunge at all, and there’s no denying Plunge small beach that abuts the decaying hulk of the former Georgia-Pacific mill. WHEN: Noon that had accumulated I felt tingly and fully alive as we swaddled Eschewing the sanctioned gatherings happening that same morning in public WHERE: On the water- the previous year and, ourselves with towels, crammed into Alice front by the Birch Bay

CASCADIA WEEKLY bodies of water at both Birch Bay and at Lake Padden, the Lady Polar Bears had, soon thereafter, emerge and proceeded to spend the next few hours apparently, decided to participate in this bracing rite of passage by choosing Visitor Info Center with a clean slate and warmed by friendship, food and fire. COST: Free 14 the one beach in Whatcom County guaranteed not to—at least in the tepid renewed purpose. But if the LPBC decides to convene again INFO: www.birchbay light of day—draw a crowd. chamber.com En masse, the mem- this year—I’m still waiting for the summons— But we were plungers with a purpose, and wouldn’t be deterred by torn condom bers of the Lady Polar I’ll know to bypass the brain and plunge, wrappers, the threat of accidentally swallowing a dose of mercury-flavored saltwa- Bears Club—one of whom sported a beard— willy-nilly, into the first day of 2011, mercury ter or the fact that the one person we saw in the vicinity of the beach—a middle- quickly rushed the waves. Bellowing exple- poisoning and nerve endings be damned. GetOut ‘16oz of Fresh Served Daily!’ Bellingham Family Health Clinic DO IT

DEC. 30-JAN. 1 CELEBRATE NEW YEAR’S: Bellingham 34 Parks & Rec and the Sportsplex will help FOOD families celebrate the transition into the new year with a variety of activities Our Patients Say: this weekend. Indoor ice skating, horse- 27 drawn rides, swimming at the Arne Han- Women's Health na Aquatic Center and much more will be Men's Health Friendly, Helfpul, part of the free fun. For a full listing of Teens and Children events, call the number below. Gourmet Pizzas, Buffalo Burgers Family planning and STD & open minded CLASSIFIEDS i 778-7000 Bonnie Sprague, ARNP Steaks, Appetizers, Game Room Colds flu coughs

FRI., DEC. 31 Check website for Live Music Stress and Depression Fast, Friendly, 24 LAST CHANCE MARATHON: End the Happy Hour 1:30 - 4 Mon - Thurs Holistic Approach year on the right foot by taking part SCENAR Therapy Fantastic. FILM in today’s “Last Chance Marathon” at Mon - Thu: 11am to 11pm 9am at Fairhaven Park. The informal Most Insurances

Fri, Sat, Sun: 11am to Last Call 20 event will see runners going two times Let us be your healthcare provider. 302 36th St. Heather Whitaker, ARNP out-and-back on the Interurban Trail to 10459 Mt. Baker Hwy, Glacier, WA Clayton Beach. Sehome Village FOR AN APPOINTMENT CALL: MUSIC Chair9.com i WWW.MARATHONMANIACS.COM Bellingham, WA 98225 SAT., JAN. 1 www.BellinghamHealth.com 360-756-9793 18

NEW YEAR PEDAL: Join the Mt. Baker ART Bike Club to “Pedal in the New Year” starting at 10am at Fairhaven Park. The

16 13.8-mile ride will follow Chuckanut Drive and end with lunch in Edison. Sign up in advance. STAGE i WW.MTBAKERBIKECLUB.ORG 9,//$*(9,//$*( EAGLE TOUR: Join members of the 14 14 Whatcom Land trust for a New Year’s Day %22.6%22.6at Eagle Tour starting at 1:30pm at one of the sites protected by the nonproﬁt. GET OUT GET OUT Sign up in advance to ﬁnd out where to meet. Suggested donation is $5-$10.

i 605-9470 2#2'4&4'#/5 12 MON., JAN. 3

SNOWSHOE BASICS: Learn about de- WORDS sign, equipment, clothing and places 0GY;GCTĀU to go at a “Snowshoeing Basics” clinic 8 at 6pm at REI, 400 36th St. The class is free, but registration is requested. i 647-8955 CURRENTS CURRENTS JAN. 3-9 20%20% 6 FREE YOGA: Yoga Northwest will host a variety of free yoga classes through the week at their digs at 1440 10th St. S Rocket Donnuts Café rocketdonuts.com VIEWS Choose from a variety of levels, and sim- 306 W. Holly (3606 ) 671-6111 ply show up to take part (pre-registra- OFFOFF 4 tion isn’t necessary).

MAIL i WWW.YOGANORTHWEST.COM '8'4;6*+0)

TUES., JAN. 4 2 NATURE BABIES: Join Wild Whatcom $16*

A IT DO Walks for “Nature Babies” excursions from 9:30-11am every Tuesday at the

Connelly Creek Nature Area. Meet at 5614'5 Voted Best Mexican 10 the south entrance on Donovan Street #NOQUV#UMHQTFGVCKNU Voted Best Mexican .29.

between 32nd and 24th streets in the 12 Happy Valley Neighborhood. 6 YearsYears inin a Row!Row! i WWW.WILDWHATCOMWALKS.WORDPRESS.

L .05 COM 6YQ&C[U1PN[ 52 # ALPINE AWARENESS: Anyone who plays in the snow should sign up for an Friday Alpine Safety Awareness program start- st ing at 6pm at REI, 400 36th St. DEC. 31 i 647-8955 E 9am-6pm WED., JAN. 5 GARDEN CLUB: Laurel Baldwin of the Saturday st CASCADIA WEEKLY Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board JAN. 1 will be the guest speaker at the Birch- 10am -8:30pm 15 wood Garden Club’s meeting at 7pm at the Whatcom Museum, 121 Prospect St. 1200 -1206 11th St., i WWW.BIRCHWOODGARDENCLUB.ORG Historic Fairhaven, Bellingham 360.671.2626 11711117 W.W MagnoliaMagagnoolil a St.StSt. BellinghamBeBelll ininghghamam 360-756-071136360-0-75756-6-070 1111 HoursHoHoururs 11AM-9PM1111AMAM-99PMPM doit STAGE

THURS., DEC. 30 34 34 GOOD, BAD, UGLY: Watch “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” at 8pm FOOD g every Thursday at the Upfront The- sta e atre, 1208 Bay St. At 10pm, stick

27 27 THEATER ›› DANCE ›› PROFILES around for “The Project.” Entry is $7 for the early show, $4 for the late one. i 733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM

CLASSIFIEDS FRI., DEC. 31 NEW YEAR’S SHOWS: Experience

24 the best and worst of 2010 at special New Year’s Eve Shows at 7pm, 9pm

FILM FILM and 11pm at the Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St. Tickets are $15 for the BY AMY KEPFERLE ﬁrst two shows, $20 for the late one 20 (a champagne toast is included). Tickets sell out for these festive

MUSIC fetes, so get yours early. i 733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM

18 One Last Dance SAT., JAN. 1

ART ART SERIAL KILLERS: Don’t miss the A FUNDRAISING FETE TO REMEMBER ﬁrst installment of the elimination CW: When did ﬁnd out you’d playwriting festival known as “Se- 16 16 have to shut down? rial Killers” starting tonight with TS: We have been really 8pm and 10pm shows at the iDiOM STAGE STAGE STAGE STAGE struggling for the past two Theater, 1418 Cornwall Ave. The Saturday-only performances—which years, but things really came continue through Jan. 29—will 14 to a head at the end of No- begin with six short plays, one of vember. We decided we were which will be “killed” before the next show.

GET OUT getting too far into debt i and would not be able to re- 201-5464 OR WWW.IDIOMTHEATER.COM ATTEND cover, and therefore had no WHAT: U&ME Dance’s 12 “Speak Easy” option but to close. SUN., JAN. 2 WHEN: 7pm Fri., CW: Tell me about the COMEDY NIGHT: The weekly Comedy WORDS Dec. 31 “Speakeasy” coming up on Night begins at 8pm at the Fairhaven Pub & Martini Bar, 1114 Harris Ave. WHERE: Fairhaven New Year’s Eve. 8 Library, 1117 12th St. Tickets are $15. TS: Some friends and stu- COST: $15 per person i WWW.FAIRHAVENPUB.COM dents of ours wanted to or $20 per couple JAN. 3-4 INFO: 223-1986 or help U&ME Dance to pay

CURRENTS CURRENTS CEMETERY CLUB AUDITIONS: The tonisimler@uandme- some of our bills, so they Lynden Performing Arts Guild will

6 dance.com came up with the idea of a hold auditions for upcoming perfor- Speakeasy-themed dance at mances of The Cemetery Club at 7pm

VIEWS VIEWS the Fairhaven Library. It is a potluck, black tie- at the Claire vg Thomas Theatre, 655 optional event that will offer ballroom dancing Front St. Performances happen Feb. 4 9-27. (swing, Latin, and ballroom). i WWW.CLAIREVGTHEATRE.ORG

MAIL MAIL CW: What would you like to tell the people who sup- WHEN BELLINGHAM’S U&Me Dance opened in September of ported U&Me Dance over the years? THURS., JAN. 6

2 2002, it was with a mission to bring quality ballroom instruction to people TS: I have made so many new friends and ac- CODY RIVERS: The Cody Rivers Show presents its latest sketch of all ages. And, although the family-run organization made the decision to quaintances during the past eight years! We saw DO IT IT DO

comedy installment, “Just Regu- close their doors in early December, they’re holding one last fundraising fete. many people’s lives change through dancing and lar Hungry,” at a beneﬁt for the Read below to ﬁnd out why this particular New Year’s Eve celebration will be that has always made it so worth it for me. I Friends of Gordon at 6:30pm at 10 worth your while. would like to thank everyone who supported us Bellingham High School, 2020 .29. Cornwall Ave. Tickets are $15. If 12 Cascadia Weekly: What was your role at U&ME Dance? through the years, and hope they will all con- you missed the fellas when they Toni Simler: Mary, my daughter, and I opened the studio together. She had a tinue dancing! performed at their sold-out runs .05 dance teacher background and I had just retired. I had been taking ballroom CW: Anything else you’d like to add? at the iDiOM Theater, now’s your 52 # dancing lessons with my husband since 1995. Mary taught me to teach as TS: I’d like to mention that while U&ME Dance has chance to see the show. well as my son, Nathan, and another teacher, Tiffany. The four of us taught closed, the teachers of U&ME Dance are continu- i WWW.CODYRIVERS.COM to begin with and slowly added more teachers. I stopped teaching regularly ing to offer quality dance lessons in the com- JAN. 6-7 a few years ago, and did all of the payroll, etc. I also brought the birthday munity. Mary has started the Bellingham Dance THE WIZARD OF OZ: Flying mon- cakes. Company (www.bellinghamdancecompany.com) keys and local munchkins will be CW: What were the most popular classes? and Nathan is teaching as Nathan Simler Ball- represented when a nationally tour- ing production of The Wizard of Oz

CASCADIA WEEKLY TS: Salsa has always been one of the favorites, but East Coast Swing, West room (www.nathansimlerballroom.com). stops by Bellingham for shows at Coast Swing, and Argentine Tango were also popular. We offered many dif- CW: What’s in the future for you? 7:30pm Thurs. and 8pm Fri. at the 16 ferent types of classes throughout the years. TS: I am going to take a little rest once we are Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Com- CW: Did the recession have an impact on the number of people taking classes? done with all the ugliness that comes with go- mercial St. Tickets are $20-$69. TS: Deﬁnitely. Two years ago we were doing great, but when the recession hit ing out of business. I’m sure my husband and I i 734-6080 OR WWW. we saw a big drop in group classes and parties—and fewer people could af- will also continue dancing, but for now we’ll let MOUNTBAKERTHEATRE.COM ford to take private lessons. someone else work the party.

doit 2%34!52!.4s2%4!),3(/0s#!4%2).'

Downtown Bellingham

+PJOVTGPS $ 00 34 5 /FX:FBST&WF FOOD

Foot Long %JOOFS 27 Cold Subs "DDFQUJOH3FTFSWBUJPOT 'SFTI1BTUBt4BMBETt4PVQT CLASSIFIEDS GPSQBSUJFTPGBOZTJ[F 4BOEXJDIFTt%FTTFSUT

%BJMZ4QFDJBMT 24 Six teams will perform for their lives All Day, when the ﬁrst installment of the /PSUIXFTU#FFS8JOF FILM elimination playwriting festival dubbed Every Day “Serial Killers” hits the stage Jan. 1 at

$MPTFE4VOEBZT.POEBZ&WFOJOHT 20 the iDiOM Theater We accept all Competitor’s Coupons! /$PNNFSDJBM Valid at this location only - expires 1/31/11 /FYUUP.PVOU#BLFS5IFBUFS

)BQQZ)PVS MUSIC :0DJQROLD6W%HOOLQJKDP 5VFTEBZ'SJEBZ QN 360.594.6000 JAN. 7-8 5IVSTEBZ4BUVSEBZ oQN CFMMJOHIBNQBTUBDPN 3+)$; 18 LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS: Due

to popular demand, the Bellingham ART Arts Academy will present encore performances of Little Shop of Hor- 16 16 rors at 7pm Fri.-Sat. at Bellingham High School, 2020 Cornwall Ave. STAGE STAGE Tickets are $8-$10. STAGE i WWW.BAAY.ORG 14 DANCE

Medicinal Herbs & Teas GET OUT THURS., DEC. 30 FOURTH CORNER FOLK DANCERS: Assorted Organic Flours

Join the Fourth Corner Folk Danc- 12 ers from 7-10pm every Thursday at Notary Public Services the Fairhaven Library, 1117 12th St. BENEFIT PERFORMANCE & SILENT AUCTION WORDS Beginners are welcome to take part Sicilian Jack $8.99 Lb. JANUARY 6 @ BELLINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL in the all-ages weekly event, which AUCTION 5:30PM CODY RIVERS 7PM t 8 features Balkan, Greek, and Israeli Local Raw Berry Honey folk dancers. Entry is $5. Proceeds benefit Friends of Gordon Carter, a non-profit organization i 380-0456 German & Italian Salami committed to supporting environmental education opportunities to all students of the Bellingham School District at the Gordon L. Carter FRI., DEC. 31 ͙͝ά Oơ Any ͛ ines Environmental Education Site on the shores of Lake Whatcom. CURRENTS CONTRA GALA: The Bellingham 6 Country Dance Society will host a New Year’s Eve Gala from 8pm-1am Happy New Year Y’all $

TICKETS 15 VIEWS at Norway Hall, 1419 N. Forest St. Hiway 9 – Van Zandt Online at or at: Seattle’s Red Crow band will provide supportFGC.org www.everybodys.com 4 live music, and callers Cindy Holmes and Marlin Prowell will take part. MAIL MAIL Tickets to the alcohol-free event are Milano’s

$5-$15. 2 i 676-1554 OR WWW. restaurant & deli BELLINGHAMCOUNTRYDANCE.ORG DO IT IT DO

WED., JAN. 5 Celebrating our SCANDINAVIAN DANCE: Nordic 10

Dancers NW present Scandinavian 20th anniversary .29. dance instruction at 7pm every MAKE YOUR OWN 12 Wednesday at Norway Hall, 1419 N. SMOKES

Forest St. Entry is $5 per class. SAVE BIG $$! .05

i WWWN.NORDICDANCERSNW.ORG 52 $ 99 # 34 /box of 200 smokes FEATURING THURS., JAN. 6 $ 99 PARKINSON’S CLASS: Pam Kuntz 4 / box of 20 smokes Milano's Restaurant Fresh Pasta Dinners will helm a nine-week dance course Fast In-Store Machine & Deli Sandwiches, for people with Parkinson’s Disease No Chemicals – No Additives and other movement and neuro- 9990 Mt. Baker Highway Espresso & Dessert logical disorders starting today at NEW YEARS SPECIAL Glacier, WA 9:30am at the YWCA Ballroom, 1026 January 7th, 8th, 9th CASCADIA WEEKLY N. Forest St. Drop in rate is $5, or $ 99 Open 7 days a Week you can pay $40 for the whole se- 24 /box of 200 smokes “Après Ski Happy Hour” 17 ries. WHAT A DEAL Mon-Thu 11:30am – 8:00pm i 510-4711 OR TOBACCOJOESNETs Fri-Sun 10:00am – 9:00pm 2pm – 6pm Sun - Fri [email protected] %-APLE3T 3UITE (across from Boomer’s) AT THE BASE OF MT. BAKER IN GLACIER "ELLINGHAM 7ASHINGTON

34 34 FOOD visual

27 27 GALLERIES ›› OPENINGS ›› PROFILES CLASSIFIEDS

24 STORY AND PHOTOS BY AMY KEPFERLE FILM FILM

20 Cold Comfort

MUSIC LOOKING FOR BEAUTY IN A WINTER GARDEN 18 18 18 ART ART ART ART 16 STAGE STAGE 14 GET OUT 12

es currently have to tangled WORDS barbed wire. As I did when Thanksgiv- 8 ing’s unexpected storms dumped inches of snow on the ground, I’ve made sure to CURRENTS CURRENTS keep my digital camera nearby

6 SUBMIT to document the changes that WHAT: Winter Gar- dens Photography make tending a garden a year- VIEWS VIEWS Contest round enterprise. It helps me WHEN: Jan. 8-Feb. to remember that the dark 4 22, 2011 days won’t last forever, and WHERE: Christian- MAIL MAIL shows me that, even in a win- son’s Nursery, 15806 ter garden, there’s a plethora Best Rd., Mount 2 Vernon of beauty to be savored. INFO: (360) 466- When I came across the no- DO IT IT DO

“There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest By paying attention to random acts of nature 3821 or www. tice for Christianson’s Nurs- clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecstasy of nature, during the coldest months of the year, those who christiansons ery’s “Winter Gardens Photog- 10 nursery.com wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every depend on the earth to sustain their sanity in raphy Contest,” it made me .29.

12 intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance.” warmer weather can ﬁnd countless stories in the realize I’m not the only one prowling the dredges of —WILLIAM SHARP soil—not to mention in the trees and bushes—if December for the hopes of spring.

.05 they take the time to look closely. Open to both professional shutterbugs and amateurs 52 # UNLESS YOU have to drive through two feet of the stuff, On the surface, unending days of gray skies and alike, the contest—which happens in conjunction with snow can be a welcome addition to the blahs of the season. bare gardens don’t have much to offer in the way of the Mount Vernon mainstay’s annual Winter Festival In addition to providing blankets of beauty via the transfor- sensory satisfaction. But things are happening out- in February—invites photographers to submit up to mation of pared-down winter landscapes into glistening fields side, every second, even if spring’s nowhere near to two previously unpublished images for consideration. of white, the cold condensation also provides the frigid fodder being around the corner. Categories call for artistic (in-camera) impressions of for snowball fights and angel-making, can be used for drink- In the past week alone, for example, I’ve discov- a winter garden or a single plant utilizing close-up, multiple exposure or special focus techniques and/or CASCADIA WEEKLY ing water if the power goes out and acts as a natural sound ered a hidden cache of healthy thyme thrusting out silencer—especially if nobody’s out braving the icy roads in their of a beachside bungalow’s pathway on Lummi Is- artistic computer-enhanced impressions. 18 four-wheeled conveyances. land, found wild purple pansies growing out of the Even if you don’t end up winning the contest, But, as any gardener worth their organic mushroom compost dredges of last summer’s garlic patch, pointed out don’t fret about it. Any time you spend outside in knows, there’s a lot more to winter wonderlands than watching the the vibrant clumps of red berries on a neighbor’s the garden looking for your own winter wonderland snowfall turn branches into balancing acts or spending a day watch- holly plant to my visiting nieces and taken note of will be well spent, and, before you know it, spring ing fat flakes wend their way from the sky to the ground below. the resemblance my bare backyard blackberry bush- really will be just around the corner. doit THANK YOU

for Thinking Local First! this Holiday Season! 34 34 Your commitment to Thinking Local First keeps our community unique and our economy strong! FOOD 27 27 CLASSIFIEDS 24 FILM FILM 20

Various prints, paintings, cards and paper by the Sweat Shop’s Scott Rickey can be viewed and pur- chased through the end of December at DIGS in downtown Bellingham MUSIC 18 18 18 ART ART ART ART ONGOING EXHIBITS HONEY: Art by Seattle artist Irene Wood can be seen through Dec. 31 at Honey Salon, 310 ALLIED ARTS: Painter Victor Flovera’s “Visual W. Holly St. 16 Poetry” shows until Dec. 31 at Allied Arts, i WWW.HONEYBELLINGHAM.COM 1418 Cornwall Ave. i WWW.ALLIEDARTS.ORG LOOMIS HALL: Brian Major’s “Perceptions in For a directory of local, independently owned businesses visit STAGE Painting” shows through December at Blaine’s ANCHOR ART: “This Is Us: Lindsey, Klamser, www.sustainableconnections.org/directory/search-directory Loomis Hall Gallery, 288 Martin St.

Roberts, & Moe” shows through Dec. 31 at An- 14 i WWW.LOOMISHALLGALLERY.COM chor Art Space, 216 Commercial Ave. i WWW.ANCHORARTSPACE.COM MINDPORT: “Material World,” a collection of recent works by the Island Quilters, can be BELLINGHAM RAILWAY MUSEUM: The mu- GET OUT seen through December at Mindport Exhibits, seum is open to the public from noon-5pm 210 W. Holly St. Tues. and Thurs.-Sat. at 1320 Commercial St. i WWW.MINDPORT.ORG Choose local business taking action for a healthy community. i 393-7540 12 MONA: “Thomas T. Wilson: a Survey,” Karen BLUE HORSE: “Hard Times: Then and Now,” Willenbrink-Johnsen’s “A Journey in Glass,”

”New Perspectives” and works by Willow Bader WORDS and “Guy Anderson and Other Friends: The Paul and Michael Magrath can be viewed through I. Gingrich, Jr. Collection” will show through December at the Blue Horse Gallery, 301 W. Jan. 2 at La Conner’s Museum of Northwest Art, 8 Holly St. 121 S. First St. i WWW.BLUEHORSEGALLERY.COM i WWW.MUSEUMOFNWART.ORG CEDARWORKS: View and purchase a variety of

QUILT MUSEUM: Peruse the exhibits “Double CURRENTS Native American art from 10am-6pm Wed.-Sat. Take” and “Constructed Inquiries: Tapestries” at the CedarWorks Art Gallery, 217 Holly St. through Dec. 31 at the La Conner Quilt & Tex- 6 i 647-6933 tile Museum, 703 S. 2nd St. COLOPHON: Pieces by photographer Carmen

i WWW.LACONNERQUILTS.COM VIEWS Moise and abstract painter Brian Simpson will SKAGIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM: “The Way be featured through December at the Colophon We Played: Early Skagit Recreation” can be 4 Café, 1208 11th St. seen through July, 2011, at La Conner’s Skagit i WWW.COLOPHONCAFE.COM County Historical Museum, 501 4th St. MAIL DEPOT ARTS CENTER: “Exploring Baskets,” i (360) 466-3365

a show and sale of work by members of the 2 SMITH & VALLEE: More than 20 artists will Casino Open 24 Hours Northwest Basket Weavers Guild, shows exhibit three-dimensional works through Dec.

Signature Seafood Buffet IT DO

through Jan. 29 at the Depot Arts Center, 611 19 at the “Objectiﬁcation 3” exhibit at Edison’s R Ave., Anacortes. 4:30pm to 11pm – $29.95 Add Lobster Tail for $5 Smith & Vallee Gallery, 5742 Gilkey Ave. i WWW.DEPOTARTS.COM

i WWW.SMITHANDVALLEE.COM Breakfast Buffet 10 DIGS: “It Is,” a collection of paintings, prints, 3am to 8am – $15.95 WHATCOM ART GUILD: From 10am-6pm every .29. cards and paper by the Sweat Shop’s Scott Rick- Friday through Sunday, stop by the Whatcom 12 ey can be viewed through December at DIGS, Art Guild’s Art Market at Fairhaven’s Waldron New Year’s Eve Music 113 W. Holly St.

Building, 1314 12th St. .05 i WWW.DIGSSHOWROOM.COM

Beginning at 9 p.m. 52

i WWW.WHATCOMARTGUILD.ORG # FOURTH CORNER: Rob Vetter’s plein-air WHATCOM MUSEUM: “1934: A New Deal for oil paintings, “The Parks, Revisited,” will be Upcoming Events at Club 542: Artists,” “Beautiful Necessities,” and “Outside on display through Dec. 31 at Fourth Corner the Home: Photographs of Women in the Work- Holiday Bowl Party Decemberember 30th Frames and Gallery, 311 W. Holly St. place” can currently be viewed at the Whatcom i 734-1340 Museum. FOG: View a variety of works by noted artists i WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG at the new Fairhaven Originals Gallery, 960 WORKS ON CANVAS: “Landed,” an exhibit Harris Ave. CASCADIA WEEKLY featuring painters James Lourie, Sharon i WWW.BELLINGHAMFOG.COM Kingston, and Kathleen Faulkner, can be GOOD EARTH POTTERY: “Beyond Pottery” is 19 seen until Jan. 1 at Works on Canvas Gallery, the theme of the month Good Earth Pottery, 301 W. Holly St. 1000 Harris Ave. i WWW.WORKS-ON-CANVAS.COM i WWW.GOODEARTHPOTS.COM WWW.NOOKSACKCASINOS.COM xä{nÊ "1 /Ê ,Ê79ÊÊUÊÊ Ê7ÊUÊnÇÇ°Îx°Îää FOLLOW US ON TWITTER! WWW.TWITTER.COM/NOOKSACKRCASINO Rumor Has It

34 34 AS 2010 DRAWS to a close, I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be the time we all look back on FOOD the year past, draw some pithy conclusions and prepare to relegate it to the realm of nostalgia.

27 27 music To me, 2010 was a year like many others when it SHOW PREVIEWS ›› RUMOR HAS IT comes to the recent history of Bellingham’s music scene. We, as a community, weathered more and varied adversity, said goodbye to some things, CLASSIFIEDS and learned how to live with a little less. Venues closed—in particular the Nightlight (again, and 24 for good this time) and Plan B (we hardly knew

FILM FILM ye)—and we’ve yet to ﬁll the void they left. The all-ages scene took it on the chin a few times with the closure of the Department of Safety, the 20 20 loss of WhAAM’s home in the Old Foundry and a scaled-back ASP Pop program. MUSIC MUSIC Along the way, I fell for some new bands (Bright Weapons, Mary Mary, and every “band” 18 that played the Jinx Band ART ART Lottery, I believe we are all looking at you), and 16 watched as others grew and progressed in such STAGE STAGE a manner as to make me most proud (Sugars,

14 So Adult, Dog Shredder, Baltic Cousins—the list

GET OUT goes on—I’m talking about you). I listened to the most impressive

12 BY CAREY ROSS spate of albums I’ve heard come out of this town in years, by the likes WORDS of Rooftops, Pan Pan, Holy Tailfeathers, Kristin Allen-Zito and, of course, Black Breath. 8 2010 saw other happenings as well. After years of waiting and no small amount of effort, Bell- ingham ﬁnally passed a revised noise ordinance, CURRENTS CURRENTS one that codiﬁes the value of the city’s music

6 scene in such a manner as to protect it. A video called “Bellingham State of Mind” went viral, gar-

YOGOMAN BURNING BAND PHOTO BY HOLLIE HUTHMAN VIEWS VIEWS nering tens of thousands of views on YouTube during a single morning. LadyFest happened 4 (successfully, I might add). I said some things BY CAREY ROSS

MAIL MAIL are also welcome to partake in the “Auld Lang about it. That also went viral, but in a wholly dif- Syne/midnight make-out sesh, as these are ferent way. Lessons have been learned.

2 traditions that do not discriminate. For all its challenges, 2010 yielded any num- Per usual, ringing in the New Year with mu- ber of moments that, even as they were hap- DO IT IT DO New Year’s Eve sic makes for a no-brainer way to plan the pening, I knew were going to be etched into perfect holiday. And while this year’s celebra- my memory forever. Many of them happened to 10 RING IT IN tory whatdoings feature the conspicuous ab- take place in the Jinx basement (Rooftops, you .29.

12 sence of several bands we’re accustomed to were great. Black Breath, you totally killed it. LET’S FACE it: 2010 was kind of a bitch. Of course, I can’t seeing on our familiar stages (not to mention But that ﬁrst Zorbatron show will live on in my

.05 speak for everyone when I say this—maybe your year was, in the the reunions of bygone bands that have be- personal pantheon of unforgettable music mo- 52 # words of that sage of supercalifragilistic, Mary Poppins, “practically come de rigueur in this town), that doesn’t ments), although I owe a special debt of grati- perfect in every way”—but according to most people I’ve polled, mean amusements are either slight or hard to tude to Brent Cole’s aging process for gifting 2010 can’t become yesterday’s news soon enough. come by. I offer as evidence this ring-in-theme with easily the best show I saw all year in But, just because 2010 wasn’t the year of your dreams, that doesn’t New-Year rundown. the form of the Federation X/Sharpie reunions. mean you should ring it in by hunkering down and hiding out until Boundary Bay Brewery: I’ve rung in several 2010 also managed to set the stage for what the stroke of midnight has relegated it to the recent past. Give this New Years at Boundary Bay. There’s a decent is shaping up to be a decent 2011. WhAAM and Make.Shift are on track to make our music scene CASCADIA WEEKLY year the goodbye it so richly deserves by indulging in some musical chance you have too. Odds are, you were revelry, up to and well past the time when we all join in an off-key there—or had been there or were on your way a better place in a big way. It’s looking like the 20 chorus of “Auld Lang Syne,” perhaps to be followed by another year- there—at the stroke of midnight last year. Plan B space will reopen under new ownership. end tradition: the midnight make-out. And, if I were a betting girl, I’d say you’ll Perhaps the world will become a kinder, gentler Even—some might say especially—if your year was everything be there at some point during the evening place for all those who attempt to make or aug- you needed it to be, New Year’s Eve is your time to say goodbye this year as well. What’s the draw? Simply ment their living doing what they love. Hey, it’s a to a good year and hello to what could be an even better one. You put, year after year, Boundary does holidays new year. Anything could happen. musicShows

NEW YEAR’S, FROM PAGE 20 34 34 FOOD better than any bar in town. The formula no surprise that SmokeWagon has been a is straightforward: a plentiful variety of hit on every stage they’ve graced here in award-winning beer and an all-local musi- town. Now they want to help you ring in 27 cal lineup—in this case Vaughn Kreestoe, your New Year, and they’ll be at the Green former Boundary Monday mainstay Pole- Frog, ready and willing to take you into cat, and DJ Einstein. 2011. You may want to get there early, CLASSIFIEDS Where: 1107 Railroad Ave. More info: however, as the Green Frog is not large

www.bbaybrewery.com and the sundrenched sounds of surf rock 24 Brown Lantern Ale House: I have, on are sure to draw a crowd. occasion, dreamed of moving to Ana- Where: 902 N. State St. More info: www. FILM cortes. And, when I entertain this fan- acoustictavern.com 20 tasy, the Brown Lantern usually looms Honeymoon: Not everyone wants to 20 large in my vision of life in this seaside usher out the old year and invite in the MUSIC town. The folks are friendly, the food is new one with well drinks, loud music and MUSIC ridiculous and the entertainment aims to all the attendant debauchery. And no one please. Come New Year’s Eve, the Brown should be punished for that by having to 18

Lantern will throw itself a dance party, stay home with nothing but television ART and DJ Wayne Bueno (yep, you read that GUINNESS AND THE REPARATIONS PHOTO BY HOLLIE HUTHMAN coverage of the ball drop in Times Square

right—and it only gets better when you as entertainment. Instead, you can take 16 learn Bueno’s typical handle is Dr. Jimmy the Reparations, Mateo Mblem, and C&T. lent foodstuffs and Eye of the Tiger-in- yourself to the Honeymoon, where you’ll

Hotdog) will provide the soundtrack for Proceeds from the show will go toward ducing shufﬂeboard tables draw me back, be treated to a New Year’s Eve perfor- STAGE your sweet moves. Make.Shift and WhAAM, who will use the time and again. Come New Year’s Eve, the mance by Big Sur—a band that always Where: 412 Commercial Ave, Anacortes funds to take over the world in 2011. Edison will offer all of the above, with puts on a good show regardless of the 14 More info: www.brownlantern.com Where: 1415 Railroad Ave. More info: the addition of music by Euphoric Recall. occasion—and will get to toast the New The Cabin Tavern: New Year’s Eve tends 756-8226 I’m sure they’d even let you toast each Year with something slightly tastier than to be nothing if not a local-music show- Conway Muse: Conway may be the tini- other with oyster shooters at midnight, if warm beer and well drinks. GET OUT case, and the tiny Cabin Tavern has a est town on this entertainment map, but you were so inclined. Because the Edison Where: 1053 N. State St. More info:

lineup that rivals anything that can be don’t tell the Conway Muse that, as they is just that kind of place. 734-0728 12 found at Bellingham’s most expansive aim to throw a New Year’s party to enter- Where: 5829 Cains Ct., Edison More info: Lairmont Manor: Yep, you read that

music venues. Sugar Sugar Sugar (you tain all 94 residents and then some. World www.theedisoninn.com right. I did indeed say “Lairmont Manor.” WORDS knew they were going to pop up some- beat and reggae are on the roster, cour- Fairhaven Pub: While several New Year’s The historic mansion, which is a thing of where) will share the night with the Holy tesy of the 12 members of Rivertalk. The Eve musical mainstays seem to be taking beauty smack-dab in the middle of the 8 Tailfeathers and the rarely seen and even Jezebel Rebels will bring the burlesque New Year’s Eve off, Spaceband—easily the Southside (or Edgemoor, as the case may more rarely heard Star Spangled Bastards. in 2011, with a 12:15am performance in hardest working band on the Southside— actually be), does not exactly have a repu-

But, if you’re like me, you’ll be heading the Muse’s Parlor. You can even satiate will be right where they belong: onstage tation for being a place to party. But that CURRENTS to the Cabin for the debut performance more than just your entertainment appe- at the Fairhaven Pub, plying their musi- is all going to change—at least for one 6 of the Slacks, the long-rumored Leather- tite with an early dinner in the Parlor (if cal wares. With a setlist that roams the night. Keep in mind, however, this isn’t Pants/Andy Piper project everyone’s been you’ve already got tickets in hand, that ever-widening range of all your favorite some rowdy rock show, rather the Paper- VIEWS VIEWS dying to see. is, as dinner tickets are sold out. Tickets songs from eras in both the near and dis- boys, always popular around these parts,

Where: 307 W. Holly St. More info: www. still remain for the rest of the evening’s tant past, and an unerring ability to get will be on hand to provide the ﬁrst round 4 myspace.com/thecabintavern festivities, however), where you’ll be the party started—and keep it going into of entertainment. They’ll be followed by Casa Que Pasa: As I’ve said before, treated to a violin performance by Sharyn the wee hours—it’s no wonder they’re en- Nathan Cox, whose name you may remem- MAIL

once upon a time, during Bellingham’s Peterson, as well as Elfa’s traditional fam- trusted with just about every good time ber from the viral phenomenon known as 2 long-distant musical history, it was not ily dessert. that is to be had at this Southside pub. “Bellingham State of Mind.” Will Cox per- DO IT IT DO unusual to see a show at Casa. These Where: 18444 Spruce/Main St., Conway Where: 1114 Harris Ave. More info: www. form his big hit? (Methinks the chances are days, however, live music at the burrito More info: www.theconwaymuse.com fairhavenpub.com better than good.) Even if he doesn’t, he’ll barn is a rarity indeed. As such, when Edison Inn: I’m not the kind of person Green Frog Cafe Acoustic Tavern: Did be spinning the deep cuts all night long. 10 they do decide to shove aside the tables who yearns for that which I do not cur- you know Bow—as in that wee burg in Where: 405 Fieldston Rd. More info: www. .29. and chairs and invite bands to visit, you’ll rently have, but Edison is a place for which the Chuckanut Flats—is a bastion of surf lairmontmanor.com 12 want to make certain you’re in the audi- I pine. Much of this has to do with the rock? Well, perhaps “bastion” is overstat- Mount Baker Theatre: It’s New Year’s Eve .05 ence to witness whatever happens. This Edison Inn, a seemingly unassuming bar ing the case a bit, but it is home to one all over town, and that includes the Mount 52 # year, what will be happening is hip-hop, that holds a wealth of good times inside surf rock band, SmokeWagon. As Belling- Baker Theatre as well. The venerable struc- and it’ll come courtesy of Guinness and its well-worn walls. Friendly staff, excel- ham loves its surf rock, it should come as CONTINUES ON PAGE 25

musicEvents

THURS., DEC. 30 MON., JAN. 3 TUES., JAN. 4 THURS., JAN. 6 CASCADIA WEEKLY JIM BRICKMAN: Platinum-selling pianist and song- PHANTOM AUDITIONS: Instrumentalists and vocalists TIM URBAN: Former American Idol Top 10 ﬁnalist MUDDY BOOTS: Folk-rock and blues will be per- writer Jim Brickman presents his 15th annual holiday can audition for a March performance of Phantom of the Tim Urban will perform at a beneﬁt concert for formed alongside “beatnik hobo stomp” when James 21 concert at 7:30pm at the Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Opera at 7pm at Squalicum High School, 3773 McLeod Blaine High School’s Wind Ensemble at 7pm at the Higgins and the Muddy Boots Band perform at Commercial St. Tickets are $20-$49. Rd. The event will be part of a collaboration with the school’s Performing Arts Center, 975 H St. Tickets 12:30pm at the Whatcom Museum, 121 Prospect St. i 734-6080 OR WWW.MOUNTBAKERTHEATRE.COM Mt. Baker Youth Symphony and Northwest Ballet. An ad- are $20. Suggested donation is $3. ditional audition happens Jan. 10. i 332-6045 OR 380-1634 i WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG i 421-2527 musicvenues 34 34 See below for venue FOOD addresses and phone 12.29.10 12.30.10 12.31.10 01.01.11 01.02.11 01.03.11 01.04.11 numbers WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 27 27 Boundary Bay Vaughn Kreestoe, Polecat, Henry Wesson (early), Bob's Your Uncle Brewery DJ Einstein Jazz Jam (late)

CLASSIFIEDS Brown Lantern Ale Open Mic DJ Wayne Bueno Vinyl Night House 24 The Business Corpus Collosum FILM FILM

Holy Tailfeathers, Sugar

20 Cabin Tavern Live Music 20 Sugar Sugar MUSIC MUSIC Guinness and the Reps, Casa Que Pasa Mateo Mblem, C&T 18 New Year's Eve 2011 w/the

ART ART Commodore Ballroom Famous Players CORPUS CALLOSUM/Jan. 3/The Business 16 Conway Muse Rivertalk STAGE STAGE

Edison Inn Euphoric Recall Ron Bailey, Al Kaatz 14

Archer Ale House UI4Ut | Boundary Bay Brewing Co. 3BJMSPBE"WFt]Brown Lantern Ale House$PNNFSDJBM"WF "OBDPSUFTt ]The Business 402 Commercial

GET OUT "WF "OBDPSUFTt | Cabin Tavern8)PMMZ4Ut]Chuckanut Brewery8)PMMZ4Ut]Chuckanut Ridge Wine Company/4UBUF4Ut]Commodore Ballroom (SBOWJMMF4U 7BODPVWFSt ]Common Ground Coffeehouse1FBTF3PBE #VSMJOHUPOt | Conway Muse4QSVDF.BJO4U $POXBZ ]Edison Inn $BJOT $U &EJTPOt | Glow&)PMMZ4Ut| Fairhaven Pub & Martini Bar )BSSJT"WFt]Graham’s Restaurant.PVOU#BLFS)XZ (MBDJFSt ]Green Frog

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)UHH3DUW\)DYRUV6WDUWLQJSP 10 &KDPSDJQH)RXQWDLQ .29. 12 7KH)XQDWLFV/LYHSPWRDP

.05 1R&RYHUFKDUJH 52 # &DVK$FURVV7KH&RXQWU\'UDZLQJV FDVKGUDZLQJVKRXUO\IURPSP XQWLODPZLWKDVSHFLDOGUDZLQJ Tuesdays DW0LGQLJKW3LFNXS\RXUIUHHHQWU\DW WKH:LQQHUV&OXE

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See below for venue FOOD addresses and phone 12.29.10 12.30.10 12.31.10 01.01.11 01.02.11 01.03.11 01.04.11 numbers

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 27

Open Mic Showcase w/ Fairhaven Pub Karaoke Leatherhorn, more Spaceband College Night Chuck D CLASSIFIEDS Graham's Restaurant Bent Grass 24 5th Annual Townes Van Green Frog Café Sumner Brothers SmokeWagon Zandt and Hank Williams Open Mic Robert Sarazin Blake Bent Grass FILM Acoustic Tavern Sr. Memorial Jam 20 New Year's Eve Party w/ Owen & His Checkered 20 Honeymoon Open Mic The Naked Hearts The Penny Seekers Big Sur Past MUSIC MUSIC

Main St. Bar and Grill Country Karaoke Blindfate Country Karaoke Karaoke 18 ART ART Nooksack River Casino Karaoke Open Mic New Year's Eve Party 16

Sing for Your Supper

Poppe's DJ Clint STAGE Karaoke

Blake Angelos Jazz Trio 14 The Ridge LEATHERHORN/Dec. 30/Fairhaven feat. Julian MacDonough PHOTO BY HOLLIE HUTHMAN

New Year's Eve w/Bobby GET OUT Rockﬁsh Grill Jack Hamilton Colonel and Doubleshot Holland and the Breadline 12

Royal Lip Sync Contest DJ Jester DJ Jester DJ Jester Karaoke WORDS

New Year's Eve Party w/DJ Betty Desire Show, DJ Throwback Thursdays w/DJ Rumors short-wave, DJ Postal, VJ DJ Mike Tollenson Karaoke w/Poops DJ Postal, DJ Shortwave 8 Postal Shortwave Scott Rickey New Year's Eve By the Sea w/The Atlantics Jon Mutchler (Pierside), Semiahmoo Resort CURRENTS (Ballroom), JB Quartet Falcon Grady (Packers) (Packers) 6 Silver Reef Hotel The Motown Cruisers The Motown Cruisers

Casino & Spa VIEWS New Year's Eve Gala w/The 4 Timebenders (Showroom), Buckaroo Blues Band Skagit Valley Casino Buckaroo Blues Band (Lounge) MAIL MAIL (Lounge)

2 Skylark's Rhythm Trio The Spencetet Stirred Not Shaken Irish Session DO IT IT DO

TOWNES VAN ZANDT MEMORIAL JAM/ Temple Bar Bar Tabac Jan. 1/Green Frog 10 .29. 12 Three Trees Open Mic w/Ashleigh and Open Mic w/Matt Howey Coffeehouse Kaydra .05 52 # Village Inn Karaoke

Watertown Pub Karaoke w/Rick DJ Ben Brown

New Year's Eve w/Yogoman Reggae Night w/Blessed Peter's Wild Ride, Barefoot Swing Night w/Saltwater The Half Bees, Austin

Wild Buffalo Burning Band, SambAmore, The Kortet CASCADIA WEEKLY Coast DJs Brothers Octet Santiago Bar Tabac 23 Jinx Art Space 'MPSB4Ut | Main Street Bar & Grill .BJO4U 'FSOEBMFt | Nooksack River Casino.U#BLFS)XZ %FNJOHt | Poppe’s-BLFXBZ%St | Rockﬁsh Grill $PNNFSDJBM"WF "OBDPSUFTt ]The Royal &)PMMZ4Ut]Rumors Cabaret3BJMSPBE"WFt| Semiahmoo Resort4FNJBINPP1LXZ #MBJOFt | Silver Reef Casino )BYUPO8BZ 'FSOEBMFt ]Skagit Valley Casino Resort /%BSSL-BOF #PXt ]Skylark’s Hidden Cafe UI4Ut ]Swinomish Casino$BTJOP%S "OBDPSUFTt |Temple Bar8$IBNQJPO4Ut| Three Trees Coffeehouse 8)PMMZ4Ut | Underground Coffeehouse 7JLJOH6OJPOSE 'MPPS 886 | Village Inn Pub /PSUIXFTU"WFt | Watertown Pub $PNNFSDJBM"WF "OBDPSUFTt | Wild Buffalo 8)PMMZ4UtXXXXJMECVGGBMPOFU]5PHFUZPVSMJWFNVTJD MJTUJOHTJODMVEFEJOUIJTFTUFFNFEOFXTQSJOU TFOEJOGPUPDMVCT!DBTDBEJBXFFLMZDPN%FBEMJOFTBSFBMXBZTBUQN'SJEBZ avoids bias (not that conservatives won’t scream that, regardless) is by focusing on the personal. Fair Game is about a marriage and reputations torn asunder in an

effort to make political hay.

34 34 The always-intense and left-leaning Sean Penn is a bit too apt to play Joe Wilson, the diplomat who raised a FOOD stink about George W. Bush’s claims about Iraqi efforts film to acquire nuclear materials. But Liman’s film (with a 27 27 MOVIE REVIEWS ›› MOVIE SHOWTIMES script by Jez and John Henry Butterworth) shows Wil- son as a somewhat insufferable absolutist, a guy given to insulting dinner guests who don’t have the on-the- ground knowledge of geopolitics that he does. CLASSIFIEDS When the government sends Wilson to Nigeria, a country he’d long been stationed in (sent by Demo- 24 24 crats), to track down a rumor about Iraqi nuke shop- FILM FILM FILM FILM ping, he dug around and disproved it for them. And when George W. Bush ignored and twisted that very report as a justification for invading Iraq, Wilson got 20 REVIEWED BY ROGER MOORE on his high horse and told the world. That high horse is what makes Penn so perfect for the part. Who better? MUSIC Bush people (David Andrews is Scooter Libby, Adam LeFevre is Karl Rove) move to discredit their critic. 18 Fair Game And the donnybrook begins, with Wilson struggling ART ART to save his reputation even as his wife becomes col- YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK lateral damage—outed by Libby (on whose orders, we 16 STAGE STAGE THE STALKING BY THE PRESS, 14 THE ATTACKS BY INNUENDO AND THE IMPOTENT RAGE OF A GET OUT HUSBAND UNABLE TO DEFEND

12 HIMSELF OR HIS WIFE ARE

WORDS MUCH MORE CHILLING THAN

8 THE FILM’S MOMENTS OF FEAR THAT SOMEONE WITH A GRUDGE

CURRENTS CURRENTS AGAINST “THE AGENCY” MIGHT

6 SHOW UP AT THEIR HOUSE. VIEWS VIEWS do not know) to conservative pundit Robert Novak, 4 ending her career. She tries to quiet her husband, but

MAIL MAIL nothing doing. “They have all the power,” Penn-Wilson shouts.

2 “What do I have? My word.” The movie has melodramatic moments, as Plame DO IT IT DO

must elude her employers as if they’re Bourne Identity villains bent on making her disappear. And did Iraqis 10 actually die because of this leak? .29.

12 But for every spycraft scene, every illustration of the deadly blowback from the leak that Liman dra-

.05 THE LADY isn’t shy about showing a little leg. Americans aren’t liked deals with people who could matizes, the movie has half a dozen scenes of a del- 52 # Maybe it lands her a meeting with the businessmen do her harm. She risks her life, and others, to get icately balanced home life turned on its head by a she deals with her in line of work. America the hard intelligence to discern the inten- government bent on destroying one of its critics. The But in some corners of the world, a creep could get tions of our enemies. stalking by the press, the attacks by innuendo and the wrong idea. Fortunately, she’s able to handle her- And somebody in the Bush White House gave her the impotent rage of a husband unable to defend himself. She is, after all, a secret agent. up. Plame, an undercover agent with an outspoken self or his wife are much more chilling than the ﬁlm’s In the opening scene of Fair Game, Valerie Plame, diplomat husband, was “fair game” in the Washington moments of fear that someone with a grudge against

CASCADIA WEEKLY played with matter-of-fact cunning and uncluttered of the run-up to the Iraq War. “the Agency” might show up at their house. directness by Naomi Watts, turns around an ugly situ- Director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) walks the That makes Fair Game, as spy thrillers go, more chill- 24 ation and gets her man when we wonder if he will straight and narrow with this politically charged tale, ing than thrilling. But that’s what makes it easy to get her ﬁrst. The real stakes in her real world become never going beyond what the courts decided happened relate to. When you’re dealing with the real world and clear. This isn’t James Bond or Jason Bourne, who leap when political appointees and their sympathetic jour- not that of spy novels or James Bond movies, a power- tall buildings, dodge bullets and sip martinis. An ac- nalists broke the law and endangered Plame, her fam- ful person taking away your career, your privacy and tual CIA agent working in corners of the world where ily and her many contacts in the ﬁeld. The way Liman your safety is as serious as it gets. musicShows

NEW YEAR’S, FROM PAGE 21 34 34 FOOD 27 27 CLASSIFIEDS 24 24 FILM FILM FILM FILM 20 MUSIC

POLECAT 18

ture will open the doors to its Encore drop during the midnight champagne ART Room for some New Year’s revelry, so toast. It gets no better than that.

don your fancy duds and get ready to hit Where: 9565 Semiahmoo Pkwy., Blaine 16 the town. Want to have a drink? Do it More info: www.semiahmoo.com at the full bar. Feeling a little peckish? Skagit Valley Casino Resort: Spend- STAGE Nosh on some snacks. Ready to dance ing New Year’s Eve at a casino seems the night away? Salvadore Dali Lama like a great idea, any way you look at 14 is prepared to provide the soundtrack. it. First of all, there’s the nonstop en- Looks like the Baker has provided ev- tertainment that already exists in the erything you need for a memorable New form of slot machines, buffets and the GET OUT Year’s Eve. How thoughtful of them. potential to emerge a big winner of

Where: 104 N. Commercial St. More many dollars. But the Skagit has opt- 12 info: www.mountbakertheatre.com ed to up the ante, so to speak, with

Rumors Cabaret: Rumors is another its New Year’s celebration, offering up WORDS of my go-to destinations for New Year’s a party in its expansive Paciﬁc Show-

Eve carousing. The reasons for this room that features the talents of the 8 should be obvious—it is Rumors, af- Timebenders, as well as party favors, ter all, one of the only places in town a local-celebrity host, keepsake gift where the potential exists to have the and much more. As this is a party the CURRENTS best unanticipated dance party of your Skagit has some experience throw- 6 life every night of the week. But, come ing, I can gift you with some helpful New Year’s, they like to take the normal facts: 1. When it comes to ringing in VIEWS VIEWS revelry-ready atmosphere and dial it up the New Year, trust me when I say they NOW SHOWING AT THE PICKFORD CINEMA: DEC 31 - JAN 6 as high as it will go. Expect DJ Short- know what they’re doing, and 2. this 4 Wave and DJ Postal to provide the deep shindig has a tendency to sell out, so 127 Hours MAIL dance cuts, while VJ Scott Rickey (yes, buy your tickets now. Nominated for 3 Golden Globes

that Scott Rickey) stimulates your vi- Where: 5984 N. Darrk Lane More info: including Best actor: James Franco 2 sual cortex all night long. www.theskagit.com DIRECTED BY DANNY BOYLE DO IT IT DO Where: 1119 Railroad Ave. More info: Wild Buffalo: The Buff always, but al- STARRING JAMES FRANCO 671-1849 ways, throws a big show for New Year’s “127 Hours -- just like “Slumdog Millionaire” -- is a Semiahmoo Resort: Sometimes, you Eve, and they don’t aim to disappoint masterful slice of four-star cinema” Mike Scott, Times-Picayune 10 just want to ring in the New Year in with this installment. This year, they’ve “Is the film watchable? Yes, compulsively.” .29. real style. I’m talking about the kind of tapped the Yogoman Burning Band—a Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times 12 style that sees you dusting off clothing local crew with big-time draw who don’t t64"tNJOt3 .05 that is best described not as an “out- play around these parts nearly enough, 'SJ 52 # ﬁt,” but rather an “ensemble.” Where despite the fact that they seem to play 4BU t4VO .PO5IV donning your dancing shoes isn’t a pretty constantly just about everywhere metaphor or a loose descriptor, but an else (I guess that draw extends far be- action you actually undertake. This is yond Bellingham’s borders as well)—as Fair Game when you should rustle up a date and well as SambAmore (all 20 pieces of NAOMI WATTS as VALERIE PLAME take yourselves to the Semiahmoo Ball- them) and Bar Tabac to provide the en- “Doug Liman’s Fair Game is a model exercise in dramatizing room. Let’s face it: New Year’s Eve is as tertainment we all so deeply desire. All recent political scandal, and easily the best fact-based CASCADIA WEEKLY Hollywood political thriller since “All the President’s Men.” close to prom as we adults can get, and that and a midnight champagne toast J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader 25 it seems Semiahmoo understands that and balloon drop? Oh, Wild Buffalo, I t64"tNJOt1( notion perfectly. Their gala celebration have a feeling you and I are going to 'SJ t4BU comes complete with dinner, dancing have a very good 2011 together. 4VO t.PO5IV and music courtesy of the Atlantics. Where: 208 W. Holly St. More info: There’s ice sculptures. And a balloon www.wildbuffalo.net $8.75 regular | $6.75 matinees & under 12 | $5.25 members | 1416 Cornwall | showtimes: pickfordcinema.org | 360.738.0735 ﬁlm ›› showtimes

34 34 FOOD BY CAREY ROSS 27 27 FILMSHORTS

127 Hours: Danny Boyle (the man responsible for CLASSIFIEDS Slumdog Millionaire) crafts another incredible tale of perseverance and redemption, this time revolv- 24 24 ing around the trials of climber Aron Ralston and an equally incredible performance by James Franco. ★★ FILM FILM FILM FILM ★★★ 3tISNJO 1JDLGPSE$BMMGPSTIPXUJNFT

20 Black Swan: When is a ballet movie more than just a ballet movie? When it’s also a psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie MUSIC Portman. Yes, this is the movie you’ve been hearing about for months. Yes, it’s the same one appearing

18 on all those year-end, best-of lists. Believe the hype. ★★★★

ART ART 3tISNJO 4FIPNF]]]

16 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: This coulda been the third install- NFOUPGXIBUTIPVMEBCFFOB)PMMZXPPENFHBGSBO- STAGE STAGE chise. Instead, it’s a frustratingly bad continuation of a series of movies featuring a poorly rendered

14 $(*MJPOBOEBCVODIPGXIJOZLJET"UMFBTUUIFSFT EXBSWFTJOUIJTPOF★★ 1(tISNJO #FMMJT'BJS]]] (6--*7&3453"7&-4 GET OUT Fair Game: See review previous page. ★★★★ 1( tISNJO i)PXEPZPVLOPXXIFOZPVSFUSBQQFEJOBTUBO- Tron: Legacy 3D:5IJTJT IBOETEPXO UIFXPSTU 1JDLGPSE$BMMGPSTIPXUJNFT

12 EBSEJTTVF)PMMZXPPESPNDPN w5IFBOTXFS+BDL NPWJF*TBXJOXIJDIJTTBZJOHTPNFUIJOHBT The Fighter: One of the many end-of-the-year releases Nicholson is involved and he’s not playing someone XBT BMTP UIF XPSTU ZFBS GPS NPWJFT JO SFDFOU UIBUIPQFUPCFDPOUFOEFSTJOUIFVQDPNJOHBXBSETTFB- TDBSZ)PXFWFS BTUIJTPOFJTEJSFDUFECZ+BNFT- NFNPSZ&WFOUIF%BGU1VOLTPVOEUSBDLBOEDBN- WORDS son, this is a based-on-a-true-story yarn about a boxer #SPPLT *NXJMMJOHUPFOUFSUBJOUIFOPUJPOUIBUJU FPDBOUTBWFJU 1(tISTNJO (Mark Wahlberg), his brother (Christian Bale) and the NJHIUOPUUPUBMMZCMPX.BZCF★★ 1(tIS 4FIPNF]]]]]] 8 XBZTJOXIJDIGBNJMJFTDBOCPUICVPZBOETJOLBQFSTPOT NJO ] 4VOTFU4RVBSF]]] dreams. ★★★★ 3tISNJO True Grit: The Coen brothers remake this classic 4VOTFU4RVBSF]]] Little Fockers:5IJTJTBOFYBNQMFPGXIBUIBQQFOT 8FTUFSO JO TVSQSJTJOHMZ TUSBJHIUGPSXBSE GBTIJPO

CURRENTS CURRENTS Gulliver’s Travels 3D: Dear innovators of user- XIFO)PMMZXPPENJMLTBGPSNFSMZGVOOZGSBODIJTFUP and, in doing so, manage to craft one of the best GSJFOEMZ%UFDIOPMPHZ *CFMJFWFXJUIZPVSJOWFOUJPO death. Can Mother Fockers be far behind? ★ 1( NPWJFTPG4VSF +FGG#SJEHFTJOUIFSPMFUIBU 6 you intended to do a good thing. But I fear you’ve #FMMJT'BJS]]]]]] earned John Wayne his only Oscar is great, but it’s DSFBUFEBNPOTUFS:PVSJOWFOUJPOIBTOPXGBMMFOJOUP ] OFXDPNFS)BJMFF4UFJOGFMEXIPUPUBMMZTUFBMTUIJT

VIEWS VIEWS TIPXIFS BOEBMMUIFRVJSLZ$PFONBHJDUIBUDPO- the hands of those least able to use it judiciously. In Tangled: Disney revamps Rapunzel, and turns our tinues to entertain and entrance. ★★★★ 1( TIPSU/PPOFXBOUTUPTFF+BDL#MBDL+BDL#MBDLBT hairy heroine from a damsel in distress into a maiden 4 tISTNJO BHJBOU OPMFTTJOTPNBOZEJNFOTJPOT5IJTJTZPVS XJUINPYJF8IJMF1JYBSNBZMBZDMBJNUPNPTUBOJ- 4VOTFU4RVBSF]]]]] MFHBDZBOEUIFIFMMZPVIBUIXSFBLFE★★ (PG) mated adventures, no one handles a fairytale like the MAIL MAIL ]]] #FMMJT'BJS]]]] )PVTFPG.PVTF★★★★ 1(tISNJO

#FMMJT'BJS]]] Yogi Bear 3D: Jellystone Park is the subject of a 2 Harry Potter and the Dealthly Hallows: Part 1:)BS- EPDVNFOUBSZ EPFTUIBUNBLFUIJTNPWJFUIFmSTU SZTHSPXJOHVQBOEHFUUJOHEBSLJOUIJT UIFmSTUQBSU The Tourist: Angelina Jolie gets Johnny Depp into

DO IT IT DO BOJNBUFE%NPDLVNFOUBSZJOIJTUPSZ BOE:PHJJT PGUIFMBTUQBSUPGUIFNPTUTVDDFTTGVMmMNGSBODIJTF BXIPMFXPSMEPGUSPVCMFJOUIJT&VSPQFBOTFUDBQFS SFBEZGPSIJTDMPTFVQ#VUBSFZPVSFBEZGPSBmMNUIBU JO)PMMZXPPEIJTUPSZ★★★ 1(tISTNJO 3FNFNCFSUIFMBTUUJNF+PMJFUFBNFEVQXJUIBOJN- 4VOTFU4RVBSFBN]]] features the vocal talents of Dan Akroyd (as Yogi) and

10 possibly sexy actor? Because Jennifer Aniston sure Justin Timberlake (as Boo Boo)? ★★★ (PG) does. ★★★ 1(tISNJO .29. How Do You Know:*NOPUTVSFXIBURVFTUJPOUIJT #FMMJT'BJS]]]] 12 UJUMFJTUSZJOHUPBOTXFS CVU*UIJOLJUDPVMECF 4VOTFU4RVBSF]]]] #-"$,48"/ .05 52 # E D E E D E EveryEve ydadayy D CASCADIA WEEKLY D 26 1530 CORNWALL AVENUE, BELLINGHAM Terra OrganicasHEALTHFOODGROCERY Seven Loaves PizzeriasPIZZA SALADS GRINDERS Panini Grill & DelisPANINI SOUPS SALADS The Bookworm BurrowsCHILDRENSBOOKS BargainicasDISCOUNTNATURALFOODS Stuart’s at the MarketsESPRESSO TEAS DESSERTS MakizushisSUSHI TERIYAKI PARTYTRAYS Mount Baker BookssUSEDBOOKS Living Earth HerbssHERBSORGANICBODYCARE Juice ItsFRESHJUICE SMOOTHIES LUNCHITEMS Schnitzel HaussTRADITIONAL'ERMANFOOD Flea Markets3ATURDAYS3UNDAYSONLY broadcast

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EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT RENTALS RENTALS RENTALS RENTALS RENTALS RENTALS 27

BUYER BEWARE Grill. Meals reimbursed for windows,skylights,laminate ful yard, Carport, keyed locked place and energy efficient ap- woodstove and space for tie Roth Building. This unit has $850 2 br house on Hor- completion of online survey flooring in living and dining mailbox, across the street pliances (fridge, dishwasher, 2 cars. Rent $1050 Deposit a great view of the bay from ton Road east of Guide:

Whenever doing busi- form. Please apply at www. room. Brand new rugs in all from Silver beach store, near microwave, garbage disposal, $1050 Please contact our the living room and bedroom. 2 bedroom, single bath, farm CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS ness by telephone or e- bestmark.com the bedrooms. It’s a1500 sq.ft busline. No Pets or N/S. For washer, and dryer) this place rental agent @ Sun-Mark Rent includes gas heat & hot style home. Horton Road, off mail proceed with cau- home with fresh paint on more info please call 360 319- has it all. Included ameni- Properties 360-733-3700 water, garbage, water and the Guide. On 5 acres on a tion when cash or credit the outside and inside. This 5300. References required. ties: garbage, covered park- sewer. Laundry facilities on dead end road. Includes utility 24 cards are required in advance 200 home is on a one acre land ing, 5-star clubhouse, fitness $800 / 2br - Two Bedroom site and free parking. On the room, full bath, large country of services. RENTALS . Non- smoking and no pets. Roomy Condo Available, center, kitchen/party room, Home With New Carpet: bus line and easy walking dis- style kitchen. Air tight stove,

1st month rent and $800.00 $850 Very nice 1 bath and BBQ area and indoor/outdoor Two-bedroom home with fam- tance to all of downtown. Ap- with electric heat as back up. FILM HELP WANTED security deposit, and refer- 1bed + office/guest bed 810 fireplace. Please call Phil ily room, new carpet & new plication fee is $35 (includes Very cute. Large yard in pri- RENTALS: ences required. Please call Sq Ft condo with great layout. 360.739.9900 if interested. decks. No pets. Rent $800. credit & background check). vate setting. Stove and fridge, Mystery Shoppers BELLINGHAM Dave at 671-6535. Large pantry, storage, and Deposit $800. Please contact Move in requires $600 depos- water , sewer and garbage 20 Wanted! National Mar- laundry room w/cabinets and $1050 / 4br - 4 Bedroom our rental agent @ Sun-Mark it; 6 month lease. No smoking paid. $850 plus deposit. Pets ket Research Firm seeks 3 bedroom & 2 bath New- 2 bedroom 1 bath Condo counters. Bedroom has a deck Home With 2 Baths: 4 Properties 360-733-3700 and no pets. Contact Carol or ok with references. 671-5692

individuals to evaluate ly renovated 3bedrooms- on Lk Whatcom Lovely and en-suite bath. With a fire- bedroom home with 2 baths, Marcie for more information evenings available January 1st MUSIC service at local Bar and 2baths home. New roof, Quiet 2 bedroom condo on Lk $800 / 2br - 2ba apt, very at (360) 734-2340 (Parberry/ Whatcom with southerly expo- nice, W/D in unit, big!: NW Recycling) $750 / 1br - great space-

sure of the Lake and mountain. Very nice 2 bedroom 2 bath all utilities included! 18 Large master suite with walkin Curious about Lummi Island? apartment in quiet complex $1800 / 4br - 4 bd 2.5 (South Hill): Great unique Hey Home Buyers... closet, Kitchen with pantry, all For complete information in Ferndale on WTA bus line. bath home (160 S 46th space with hardwood floors ART applicances including deluxe Washer/dryer in unit, dish- St): Gas heat W/S/G Paid and huge bay windows. 4min Maytag steam front loading on island living and all the washer, large patio, pets 2500+ Square Feet 3 Level 2 from WWU Close to Fairhaven

washer and dryer in Laundry welcome, approx 1000 sq ft Car Garage NS NP Available and Downtown Rent includes: 16 Let me show you room, extra storage, Private listings from Available today!! Please call January Call for appointment water/sewer/garbage, heat, deck over the Lake and beauti- 360-927-8884 to view!! 360-318-4242 electric Love the place but the town! resident STAGE island specialists… $800 / 1br - 1 Bedroom in Bow: 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, Liv-

Jerry Swann, ing Room, Spare room, Water 14 Call and Garbage included. Call Your HomePro Realtor 360.758.2094 360-661-2131

Zip Realty Inc. or visit $725 / 1br - Bayview GET OUT Apartment Downtown: 360-319-7776 lummiislandrealty.com 1106 W. Holly St #C9 - One bedroom, one bathroom - Lot- 12 Cerise Noah Fairhaven house ® We Fix: Virus & Spyware REALTOR Under the Sea WORDS for sale Laptops & Mac Professional, Enjoy the stability of Aquatic maintenance for salt & fresh 8 knowledgeable, homeownership for water aquariums. Supplies & fish. ONLY $170,000 fun & friendly Mount Vernon 360-840-5101 to work with. 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bath CURRENTS 1,018 sq. ft., LEED Silver Only 3 years old 6 Windermere Real Estate Whatcom, Inc. On a bus line Landscaped with VIEWS (360) 393-5826 native plants 4 [email protected] MAIL MAIL

‘I sold my car using the 2 DO IT IT DO Cascadia Weekly Classifieds’ You may ~ Scott H., Bellingham be eligible if you: Have good credit 10 and are able to .29. obtain a bank loan 12 Haven’t owned .05

a home in the 52 last 3 years # Meet the income guidelines for your family size Apply Now! For more information visit CASCADIA WEEKLY www.KulshanCLT.org or call 27 360-671-5600, ext. 7

They work! 200 200 RENTALS RENTALS

have to give it up in order to floor plan, 3 car garage,

34 34 study abroad. I want to rent radiant floor heat, huge it as soon as possible. Call kitchen with full appliances or text if youre interested or package, skylight, island, FOOD have any questions: (425)- hickory cabinets and more, 232-5274 master bedroom with walkin closet and private bath. 27

27 27 $1275 / 3br - Charming Vaulted ceilings and a gar- Craftsman on Large Lot den window are just a few Wellness (Lynden): 2100 square foot of the extra touches of the craftsman home on 12,000 home. Call Misty Mountains WONDERLAND square foot lot in the heart of Realty, LLC, (360) 599-2200 CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS Lynden. This home features a n n large master bedroom with $800 / 3br - 3 Bedroom, ensuite and loft area on the 2 Bath: Home available A private space to top floor, two roomy bed- Now, Large 3 bedroom, 2

24 /RFDOO\PDGH qigong nurture body, mind rooms, a spacious, newly Bath home has large open Spices U Healing Tea Blends remodeled bathroom, a din- kitchen, built in cabinetry, yoga & spirit… FILM FILM ing room and kitchen with large master suite, 2 decks, Body Care U Colorful Teapots newer appliances and original shed, all located on a large reiki GIFTS U Oils U Vitamins U Jewelry character, and a large inviting wooded lot. Call Misty Guided Wellness 1109 Cowgill Avenue

20 living room on the main floor, Mountains Realty, LLC, Sessions EGNI#+.41#&&T'..+0)*#/ ~ Bellingham and a 700 square foot base- (360) 599-2200 By Appointment ment with ample space for GJNgKGGgNIEK 10am–4pm (360) 306-8560 MUSIC storage. The backyard is fully ROOMMATES 999T910&'4.#0&6'#052+%'T%1/ Groups welcome! www.jiva-yogi.net fenced in and features a beau- WANTED tiful raised stamped patio

18 with cedar railings. There is Home shared room for

also a small lawn and garden rent, $445 Room in new 6LQFH

ART ART <2*$1257+:(67 shed located in the backyard. spacious house full bath, 0$! ' / %5!*#.5+# !*0!.+"!((%*#$) The yard has been recently large kitchen off street park- landscaped and has a coming, garage...deck large yard

16 plete sprinkler system. This quite neighborhood near home is perfect for a couple bus line, hospitial,shopping. or family. Please inquire by Furnished or unfurnished...in- AW]PI^M\PMZQOP\\WUMLQKITUIZQR]IVI STAGE STAGE e-mail or call 815.7006. 1 dog cludes all utilities w/ washer OK, extra pet fee applies. and dryer....call 360-220-1501 ;INM4MOIT+WVNQLMV\QIT

14 RENTALS: 1 room available in a 5 9RWHG%HVW bedroom house, $365 Q[Q\][("NIKMJWWSKWU\V__K 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 baths, ings. It can fit any size bed Medical Marijuana is available to people with approved medical conditions only. garage and deck for bbq. all and a large desk. There are WK6WUHHW+LVWRULF)DLUKDYHQ%HOOLQJKDP Clinic appointments are opening in Bellingham. Contact us today to schedule yours. appliances like stove, fridge, railings to hang clothing, dishwasher, garbage dispos- built-in shelves for stor- 12 Body Type The Best Choice er, washer, and dryer inside. age, a large window and a Bra Fitting for Immediate conveniently access your ga- wooden floor. The room is Medical Care rage from kitchen. Gas heat- available beginning Novem- Red Mountain WORDS ing and gas cooking. Walking ber 7 and our lease ends July Maria Monti, Postural Therapist ➲ Flu & Other Immunizations ➲ distance to schools and other 1, 2011. We are looking for a ﬁ Injury & Illness Treatment s#USTOM TTEDs#USTOM ALTERED ➲ Lab & X-Ray Available 1R0RUH-HOO\%HOO\ 8 amenities. trash paid. Call chill roommate (male or fe- s#USTOM MADE 360-961-3576 male), who is green friendly ➲ Mammography & Ultrasound Available s,ONGLASTINGs'REATvALUE ➲ 3LODWHV(TXLSPHQW&ODVVHV and preferably a student. Occupational Health Care ➲ School, Sports & DOT Physicals Currently, there are 4 of The RENTALS: Healthy Bra Company ➲ Travel Consultations 'LJ'HHS«/LYH/LJKW us in the house plus a little ➲ CURRENTS CURRENTS FERNDALE Fairhaven - 360-815-3205 Work-Related Injuries chihuahua. We are all male 'URSLQ)ORZ

VIEWS VIEWS by appt. only ties included). I am a single out the room and meet with www.theHealthyBraCompany.com Urgent Care for Medicare & DSHS Patients Welcome female looking for 2 single us, (206) 788-7064.

4 females to rent rooms in my home. Work and rental refer- Barkley Sunset area, ences requires, background renter needed ASAP, What are you waiting for? MAIL MAIL Can’t Lose Weight… no matter what you do? checks conducted. Located $290 2 rooms for rent, in minutes from I5 in a great a spacious 4 br house. Rent

2 and friendly neighborhood in is $290 plus utilities which t -FUPVSUSBJOFEFYQFSUFYQMBJOXIZ $225 FOR A TOTAL OF 13 WEEKS northern Ferndale. Please call comes out to between $40 Call to register if interested, 360-223-0536. to $90 dollars depending OF ADVERTISING COVERING ALL OF DO IT IT DO

t 6ODPWFSUIFQSPQFSTPMVUJPOGPSZPVSCPEZ on the season, also there’s free WHATCOM, SKAGIT, ISLAND COUNTIES RENTALS: a $300 deposit. Currently t 3FWFBMIPXUPLFFQJUPò for a there’s 3 guys and 1 girl 10 LYNDEN AND LOWER MAINLAND, B.C.! who live here and they’re all t PGPVSDMJFOUTMPTFQPVOETPSNPSF consultation. .29. Spacious 3 bdrm 2 in their twenties (renters in 12 bth, $1000 Very spacious their twenties prefered, no JOEBZTBOEUIFSFTVMUTMBTU 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom couples). Our environment CALL TODAY! house in nice Lynden neigh- is laid back and no pets are t .05 1FSTPOBMDPBDIQSPWJEFEBOE borhood! Home has been allowed. If you rely on pub-

52 Advertising 360-647-8200, ext. 202 # newly refurbished, has nice lic transportation the bus #JPGFFECBDLTVQQPSU large living room, and wood stop is close and very user [email protected] floors throughout. All appli- friendly. 1 room is available t $BMMUPSFHJTUFSGPSB ances are included, along November 6th, the other with W/S/G. $1000 Damage is available January 1st. FREEDPOTVMUBUJPO deposit and 1 year lease re- Room available Nov 6th call quired. No pets. Please call 425-445-8618 (leave msg) 360-410-8305 for more information. This is the main floor 500 new house on unit of a duplex (the other acreage New house near

CASCADIA WEEKLYunit is in the basement). Nugents Corner. Big room Lost 42 lbs. in 42 days w/large closet. All utilities over two years ago… 28 RENTALS: included. I am a young man and kept it off! MAPLE FALLS so would prefer someone who is younger aswell. $1100 / 3br - Almost Must have steady income new 3 bedroom 2 bath and references. Must be home Extremely nice 3 clean and responsible. Call bedroom home on huge for more details or ques- lot. Home boasts an open tions. 360-224-0645. spending a whole bunch of money

BY AMY ALKON on a girl who now never wants to 34 34 see him again—charming as some

may ﬁnd it when a guy mutters over FOOD THE ADVICE the check, “Let’s see, you had that 27

extra packet of ketchup—that’s 27 GODDESS probably two cents right there…” FLIGHT AT THE END OF

I’LL HAVE THE SCRIMP CLASSIFIEDS COCKTAIL! THE TUNNEL CLASSIFIEDS I sympathize with “On Hold,” the guy I’d love your take on a bizarre ﬁrst date. sick of girls saying they wanted to see 24 I suggested happy hour drinks, but he him again and then not returning his wanted to take me to dinner, and picked FILM calls. Why do women think it’s O.K. to a really nice restaurant. When we were ignore a guy—the guy they let buy them ordering, he suggested we play “a fun dinner…the very same guy they agreed 20 game,” which entailed closing our eyes to see again when he walked them to

and picking a number (the entrees were MUSIC their car?! numbered). I said O.K., then he said I —Been There, Resented That couldn’t pick numbers between 20 and 18 25 because those entrees were expensive. When a woman isn’t returning ART ART Completely disenchanted, I opened my your call, you want to hope for the eyes and chose something cheap. Later, best—that it’s because she died, is 16 the bill came, and sat and sat. He ﬁnally still in a coma, or was kidnapped Make gift giving easy picked it up, muttered audibly about by Bolivian terrorists while picking with a Plato’s Gift Card STAGE who had what, and eventually put his up a prescription at the drugstore. card out. Obviously, I turned down his But, you know—we all know— request for a second date. what no callback almost always 14 means. And it isn’t that women —Not Into “Games”

think it’s O.K. to ignore a guy. It’s GET OUT Just think of the “fun game” he just that lying and saying they’ll had in store for date two—probably !CROSSFROM"ELLIS&AIRDOWNFROM2OSSs-ERIDIAN3T"ELL!CROSSFROM"E INGHAM see him again seems kinder and 1 w sWW PLATOSCLOSETBELLINGHAMCOM 12 something like “Close your eyes, less awkward than being honest to Babe, and pretend we aren’t under his face. Sure, a woman could say a bridge waiting in line for free something vaguely honest, like “I WORDS soup.” just don’t think it’s going to hap- 8 It’s a tough economy, and people pen for us.” But, the guy could end are increasingly worried that they’ll up pressing her for what’s really on be dining on Fancy Feast casserole at her mind: “You aren’t as cute as I CURRENTS CURRENTS 80 (or 45). More than ever, men need thought you’d be, and you chew like to be wary of gold diggers. But, this you’re bad in bed.” By the way, it 6 guy had good intel that you aren’t isn’t just women who’ll say whatever one of them. The girl who suggests it takes to close the door on a date. VIEWS happy hour drinks is not the girl who Men will pledge a sincere-sounding 4 orders the lobster dinner—and then “I’ll call you!” while thinking “You adds, “Oh, and can I get another one sucked the oxygen out of the room. MAIL of those to go?” Couldn’t you hear the sound of my

He’s the one who chose to up the brain cells dying?” 2 price tag of getting to know you.

Shaking your ﬁst at the sky be- IT DO

The reasonable assumption would cause rejection doesn’t come in be that he was inviting you, not your preferred form won’t make it 10 you and your Visa card. Assuming any less a rejection; it’ll just make .29. he didn’t lose his job between “Pick you increasingly bitter, making you 12 you up at 8?” and appetizers, he’s increasingly unattractive to women. either a pathological cheapskate Understand that not getting a prom- .05 52 trying to pass himself off as Mr. ised callback is a common side-ef- arts, entertainment, news # Big Spender or is convinced that all fect of modern dating— especially women are out to milk ‘n’ bilk him. if it was a ﬁrst date, especially if it Either way, a date with him seems originated on the Internet. When like a twist on “L’Oreal—because you’re just getting to know a woman, you’re worth it.” His motto: “Don’t make dates cheap, short and local— even think of incurring the $2 sub-

drinks rather than dinner. Hope for CASCADIA WEEKLY stitution fee for onion rings—be- the best, but until a woman’s get- cause you’re not.” ting into your car to go on date two, 29 The ironic thing is, even if you’d think of “I’d love to see you again” picked one of the pricier entrees, as an announcement akin to “I’m go- how much more would it have cost ing to go home and give birth to a him…$10 plus tip? He ended up litter of squirrels.” rearEnd ›› ”Key Words” — played on the piano ›› by Matt Jones

34 34 FOOD 27

27 27

piano? 5 Troubled 32 “...long walk ___ 46 Indicates 42 Person with 6 Filmdom’s “one man short pier” 48 Shade in old CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS phobias army” 33 Stash stuff pictures 43 Roots expose it 7 Sewing machine 34 Trace (to) 49 Rings out 24 47 Combine inventor Howe 38 Substances that 50 Fuzzy ‘dos

FILM FILM 48 Getaway spot 8 Like some generals: make paint set 53 Hiatuses 51 Winter month, in abbr. more quickly 54 Court ﬁgure: abbr.

20 Mexico 9 2000s wireless 39 Trait carriers 55 ___ chi 52 “Stayin’ Alive” is company 40 Gave the look to 56 Mess up MUSIC suddenly unhip, on 10 Ltd., in the States 41 Wheel covers the piano? 11 Mellow 44 Be derisive to ©2011 Jonesin’ 18 55 Rips to shreds 12 Swashbuckler’s 45 “___ you glad I Crosswords ART ART 57 Sea eagle variety sword didn’t say ‘ba- 58 Storyline paths 14 Croatian capital nana’?” 16 59 Chesley “Sully” 17 Second side in

STAGE STAGE Sullenberger, for a game, perhaps one 19 Sicilian volcano Last Week’s Puzzle

14 60 Dipstick wipers 23 Omen 61 Bug 24 Pay attention

GET OUT Across 16 Mail-in payment 28 Cole slaw left out 62 Full of lip to 1 Recipe amt. 18 Caught the villain, in the sun, on the 63 Sault ___ Marie 26 Painter Degas 4 Less leafy, like a on the piano? piano? Canals 27 Reacted to a 12 tree 20 “The Waste Land” 32 Pet for Harry trapeze artist 9 Govt. group with a poet Potter 29 Taina of “The WORDS director 21 How-___ (instruc- 35 Prince’s unpro- Down Mirror Has Two

8 12 Evening, in France tion guides) nounceable symbol, 1 Wrecks (a car) Faces” 13 “___ of Two Cit- 22 In ___ (hurried) for one 2 Encouragement to a 30 “___ think so?” ies” 25 Free letters in the 36 Boxing match div. vocalist 31 Annenberg/___ CURRENTS CURRENTS 14 “I got you good “Wheel of Fortune” 37 Make a pop star 3 Woods’ ﬁeld (non-proﬁt be-

6 on that one!” bonus round eat the meat dress 4 Shakespeare, for hind educational 15 ___ extra charge 27 Audrey Tautou role she wore, on the one programming) VIEWS VIEWS 4

MAIL MAIL New Year’s Eve Limited Dinner Special-

2 Reserve forMisty Isle Steak for 2 - $24.95! DO IT IT DO Bowl Game Fun in the Bar Dec 30, Jan 1/3/4 Brewery Tour Sun Jan 9 at noon 10 Now Open on .29. 12 Sundays, 8:30-4:00 .05 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY

30 every step, every day, over and over 300 W. Champion Street Downtown Bellingham 738-DROP righteous music. I suggest that you make Tinariwen’s cry your question of the year in 2011. It will be an

BY ROB BREZSNY excellent use of your time to meditate on how to call

forth, nurture, and direct your ineffable, insatiable 34 yearning. (Hear the song: www.tinyurl.com/Assouf.)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 2011, I believe FOOD FREE WILL you will have the chance to weave your fortunes together with an abundance of allies who are good for 27

you. They will be your equals, they will share at least 27 ASTROLOGY some of your most important values, and they will respect you for who you are. That’s excellent news, ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Just because right? My only worry is that you might shy away from everything is different doesn’t mean anything has CLASSIFIEDS

the demands that such invigorating collaborations CLASSIFIEDS changed,” said writer Irene Peter. That should be will make on you. It would be less work, after all, to cautionary advice for you in 2011, Aries. From what fall back into reliance on more prosaic relationships I can tell, it will be relatively easy for you to rear- that don’t ask so much of you. Please don’t take the 24 range the way things look, but trickier to transform easy way out, Libra. Rise to the occasion! them from the inside out. You will have to be vigi- FILM FILM lant to keep from getting swept up in the giddiness SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Michelangelo didn’t of big talk at the expense of practical action. You’ll think of himself as primarily a painter. Sculpture was have to push hard to make sure that seductive ideas his ﬁrst love. Yet in 1508 he was coaxed into paint- 20 are translated into concrete details. Can you do it? ing prodigious frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine I think you can. Chapel. As he worked for four years, covering 12,000

square feet with sublime images, he sometimes com- MUSIC TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1967, John Mc- plained and felt resentful. The project took him away Cain was a U.S. Navy pilot ﬁghting in Vietnam. Shot from two large sculptures he would have preferred to down during a bombing mission, he was captured 18 be working on. He feared his enemies had convinced and jailed in the notorious Hanoi Hilton prison camp,

the Pope to give him this task in order to demon- ART where he was tortured. After being freed in 1973, strate how mediocre his painting was. But today his he returned to the U.S. and eventually launched a work at the Sistine Chapel is regarded as a master- political career. When he ran for president in 2008, 16 piece. I suspect that in 2011 you may face a version his candidacy got an endorsement from an unlikely of Michelangelo’s dilemma, Scorpio: being offered a source: Tran Trong Duyet, the Vietnamese prison job you don’t consider your forte. It’s quite possible, STAGE commander who had supervised his torture. In the PEPPER however, that accepting this “diversion” will yield coming months, Taurus, I expect you to experience a interesting results. turnaround that will have comparable poetic justice. 14 I’m not sure how it will unfold. Maybe an adversary SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “When I will praise you, a person who wounded you will make became a man I put away childish things,” said SISTERS amends, or a force of nature that once opposed you Sagittarian author C.S. Lewis, “including the fear of GET OUT will come over to your side. Twenty-eleven will be a childishness and the desire to be very grown up.” I COOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX SINCE 1988 Year of Vindicating Reversals. suggest you take up that attitude yourself in 2011, Sagittarius. One of your top assignments in the Open Nightly Except Monday 1055 N State St B’ham 671-3414

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Can you ﬁnally es- 12 coming months will be to play with greater inten- cape the pain you got imprinted with during ado- sity and more frequency and a heightened imagina- lescence? Is it a realistic possibility that you could

tion. If you want to achieve your adult goals, you’ll WORDS triumph over the conditioning you absorbed before be wise to recreate your childhood wisdom on a you knew how to talk? Do you have the power to do Aggressive. higher octave. what few of us have done, which is to get out from 8 under the weight of the past, shed the inertia of CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “We Americans ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ͘īĞĐƟǀĞ͘ your memories, and live brave and free in the raw are the best informed people on earth as to the truth of NOW? If there will ever in your life be a time events of the last 24 hours,” wrote historian Will Du- ͻ&ĞůŽŶǇ͕DŝƐĚĞŵĞĂŶŽƌ͕/ŶĨƌĂĐƟŽŶ͕h/͕ when you can accomplish at least some of this noble rant some decades ago. “We are the not the best in- ƐƐĂƵůƚ͕ƌƵŐΘ^ĞǆĂƐĞƐ͘ CURRENTS quest, Gemini, it will be in 2011. formed as to the events of the last sixty centuries,” he concluded. Today this describes many Western- ͻ͞ZŝƐŝŶŐ^ƚĂƌ͕͟tĂƐŚŝŶŐƚŽŶ>ĂǁΘWŽůŝƟĐƐ͘ 6 CANCER (June 21-July 22): Decades ago, the ers, not just Americans. We are adrift in the Age of U.S. built a network of sleek expressways to make the Short Attention Span—a time when the lessons >ĂǁKĸĐĞƐŽĨůĞǆĂŶĚĞƌZĂŶƐŽŵ VIEWS it fast and easy for cars to travel between cities. of the past are becoming lost or irrelevant. But in But like many of America’s impressive engineering 2011, I’ll be rooting for you to elude this curse, Cap- ;ϯϲϬͿϯϵϮͲϴϯϳϳǁǁǁ͘ƌĂŶƐŽŵͲůĂǁĮƌŵ͘ĐŽŵ feats, this one took little account of what the human 4 ricorn. It’s crucial for you to be in close touch with soul might enjoy. Ugly buildings or empty spaces both the lessons provided by the grand sweep of hu- surround many of those roads. Visually, the differ- MAIL man civilization and by your own personal history. ence between I-95 in Georgia and I-74 in Illinois

is negligible. “The Interstate highway system has AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “The third-rate 2 made it possible,” said Charles Kuralt, “to go from mind is only happy when it is thinking with the

majority,” said author A.A. Milne. “The second-rate IT DO sea to shining sea without seeing anything.” You cannot afford to let this be your operative metaphor mind is only happy when it is thinking with the mi- in 2011, Cancerian. Your potential for rapid, exten- nority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is sive progress is sizable, but it would be a mistake to thinking.” You will have an excellent chance to cul- 10 barrel along with your eyes fixed on the prize in the tivate that definition of a first-rate mind in 2011, .29. distance as you neglect what’s happening along the Aquarius. According to my reading of the astrologi- 12 way. Be both global and local; romance the details cal omens, life will be conspiring to strengthen your

as you revel in the big picture. brain. You will have everything going for you if you .05

make it your intention to sharpen your wits, use lan- 52 LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Fixing people’s teeth is # guage more precisely, and see the world with greater one of Dr. Peter Kertesz’s specialties. The British dentist clarity and objectivity. To get the fun started, make has a thriving business in London. Now and then he’s a list of what you could do to push your intelligence also called on to practice an exotic variation: animal beyond its current limits. dentistry. Recently, he corrected the tooth problems of two tigers in a zoo. Other species he has helped include PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Anything you’re elephants, whales, and pandas. In 2011, Leo, I suggest good at contributes to happiness,” said philosopher you consider branching out like Dr. Kertesz. What would Bertrand Russell. If I had my way, Pisces, you’d write that on a note and tape it to your bathroom be the equivalent, in your domain, of expanding the CASCADIA WEEKLY ways you use your primary skills? mirror for the duration of 2011. I think it would raise your appreciation for the power your personal VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “What can I do with 31 gifts have to bestow blessings on both yourself and this eternal longing?” That’s the first line of “As- others. And I hope it would inspire you to spend souf,” a song by the African band Tinariwen. During a lot of quality time finding out all you can about the rest of the tune, the singer never offers a de- what you’re good at and deepening your capacity to finitive answer to that plea, but as he tumbles and do what you’re good at. rumbles over the possibilities, the band plays a lot of Books to live by. rearEnd ›› comix

Wellness Support. 34 34 FOOD 27

27 27 CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS Food is Good Medicine. 24 All Food Considered!

FILM FILM Find us on Facebook too. 20

MUSIC Open daily in downtown Mount Vernon A community owned www.skagitfoodcoop.com natural market

18 since 1973 ART ART New Year’s Eve 16 Masquerade Ball at

STAGE STAGE Trumpeter Public House 14 GET OUT 12 WORDS

8 9pm to Close Live Music with Rich Rorex Quartet $12 Single Light Appetizers $20 Couple Pre-sale CURRENTS CURRENTS Champagne Toast at Midnight $25 Couple @ Door

6 Mask / Costume Contest 360-588-4515 VIEWS VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL

2 DO IT IT DO

10 .29. 12 .05 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY

32 rearEnd ›› comix

34 34 FOOD 27

Sudoku 27 HOW TO SUDOKU: Arrange the digits 1-9 in such a way that each digit occurs only once in each row, only once in each column, CLASSIFIEDS and only once in each box. Try it! CLASSIFIEDS

4 5 24 1 9 5 FILM 20 2 7 8 6 MUSIC

3 7 8 2 18 ART ART 9 7 4 2 1 3 16

8 9 7 4 STAGE

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3 5 1 12 WORDS 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL

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34 34 34 FOOD FOOD chow 27 27 RECIPES ›› REVIEWS ›› PROFILES CLASSIFIEDS 24 FILM FILM 20

MUSIC IN DECEMBER, A FEDERAL JUDGE TOOK SOME

18 SWEETNESS OUT OF MONSANTO’S SUGAR

ART ART BEET DIVISION BY ORDERING THAT 258 VERY

16 IMPORTANT ACRES OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED

STAGE STAGE SUGAR BEETS BE DESTROYED.

14 and the recall of 35,000 pounds of beef In other livestock pharmaceutical when E. coli was detected at a Southern news, the FDA ﬁnally released esti-

GET OUT California distributor. (Story #4 was “Cal- mates, in December, for the first time orie count on menus goes national.”) ever, of total antibiotic use in the na- This public perception makes the cur- tion’s livestock industry. In 2009, that 12 rent food safety bill especially timely. figure was 29 million pounds, most of The bill finally got though Congress it for non-therapeutic use—to expe- WORDS Dec. 21, and will most certainly pass in dite weight gain, for instance. Such some form next year, but perhaps not use is partly why there’s an epidemic 8 in a form as considerate to small farms. of antibiotic-resistant staph, or MRSA, Following closely on the food safety in feedlots. The report expresses FDA’s bill’s heels, the landmark Child Nutri- newfound intention to curb antibiotic CURRENTS CURRENTS tion Act suffered no such snags and is use in agriculture.

6 headed for Obama’s desk. Amid this climate of agency self-exam- Another important policy move went ination, my pick for the sleeper story of

VIEWS VIEWS down in February, when USDA modi- the year was broken by a Colorado bee- ﬁed its organic standards for beef and keeper named Tom Theobald. Concerned 4 dairy. The new “Access to Pasture” rule, about annual losses in his colonies that

MAIL MAIL named after an infamous longstanding had grown to 40 percent, he began to loophole in the organic standards, ﬁ- suspect an agricultural chemical called

2 nally speciﬁed a minimum number of clothianidin used in area cornﬁelds. days per year that organic cattle must The Bayer-patented neurotoxin has DO IT IT DO

spend on pasture to qualify as organic. been used in seed coatings since 2003, The requirement raises the bar, espe- though Bayer’s permission to market it 10 BY ARI LEVAUX cially for the large producers trying was granted conditionally, dependent .29.

12 to qualify as organic, forcing them to on the submission of evidence that it more truly live up to organic principles. was safe for bees.

.05 For small milk and meat producers, and Theobald tracked down a lengthy 52 # The Year in Food the consumers who are willing to pay a correspondence between Bayer and the little extra for their product, this clar- EPA in which Bayer repeatedly stalled FARM LAWS AND SPILLED SECRETS ity in the law is welcome. and EPA granted numerous extensions In other bovine product-related de- until Bayer finally conducted a study. SOME WILL argue 2010 was the year homemade sausage finally came of age, velopments, USDA has apparently got- That study was never released, and lay or the year the school garden movement exploded. Others will remember 2010 as the ten serious about investigating the buried for years until Theobald, just trying to figure out what happened to CASCADIA WEEKLY year KFC’s Double Down sandwich made its glorious debut. many ways unregulated pharmaceu- With so many food preferences and priorities, you can hardly make an end-of- ticals are getting into our meat and his bees, finally found it online. 34 year food list to please everyone, so let’s start with what the people think—some dairy. An April report by the USDA’s Of- The study, done in Canada, was con- of them, anyway. fice of the Inspector General called out ducted so poorly that the results could A market research firm called Wakefield surveyed 1,000 Americans on what they felt was its own agency for its near total lack of not be considered conclusive, or even “the most significant food story of 2010.” Interestingly, the top three were threats to food oversight in recent decades, and made indicative, that clothianidin used on safety: the impact of the BP oil spill on the seafood industry, the nationwide egg recall recommendations for reform. corn is safe for local bees. Theobald wrote about this saga in Bee Cul- ture in July of this year, and soon afterward eatit received a phone call from the EPA saying his article had led to an internal investigation. That inquiry resulted in a Nov. 2 memo in 34

which the EPA acknowledged the tragedy FOOD of errors that led to the continued permit- ted use of clothianidin, and acknowledges that scientists inside the EPA expressed 27 concerns as early as 2003, partly because a similar pesticide had recently caused bee die-offs in Europe. CLASSIFIEDS Bees help pollinate about a third of the A Classic Returns to KBTC

food grown in the United States. Theobald 24 says he’s hardly the only beekeeper on the On Prince Edward Island, a brother verge of having to fold the tent, because and sister expect to take on an FILM you can’t sustain that kind of colony loss orphan boy to help around their for too long. farm. Instead, an orphan girl is 20 Perhaps the beekeepers and their allies sent by mistake. Anne Shirley is could use a few pages from the playbook of a dreamer with a different MUSIC the Center for Food Safety, which has used point of view. She soon gets the National Environmental Policy Act to Learn how to spend less money on into all kinds of trouble, but 18 supper at a free “Eating Better on a stop the planting of genetically modiﬁed ends up charming her new ART Budget” workshop Jan. 2 at the Skagit crops in places where they endanger the Valley Food Co-op home and community with

local environment, and the livelihoods that h e r fire y spirit a nd 16 depend on it. imagination.

In one case, Monsanto appealed its way Anne of Green Gables STAGE to the Supreme Court, each time losing FRI., DEC. 31 starting New Year’s Day at 9 a.m. to the argument that selling genetically FOOD NOT BOMBS: A free commu- 14 modiﬁed alfalfa before the completion of nity meal is provided by Food Not an environmental impact study would en- Bombs at 4:15pm every Friday at the Federal Building in downtown Bell- GET OUT danger the rights of farmers to grow non- ingham (on the corner of Cornwall genetically modiﬁed alfalfa. In June, the Avenue and Maple St.).

Supreme Court demanded more USDA over- SUN., JAN. 2 12 sight, and the completion of an Environ- COMMUNITY BREAKFAST: Attend

mental Impact Study, before allowing the the monthly Community Breakfast WORDS crop to be commercialized. from 8am-1pm at the Rome Grange, Family Law Attorney 2821 Mt. Baker Hwy. Pancakes, Then, in December, a federal judge took with 18 years experience Collaborative 8 some sweetness out of Monsanto’s sugar French toast, scrambled eggs and more are on the menu, and you just We Care about Your beet division by ordering that 258 very im- might get served by your favorite Children’s Well-Being Divorce portant acres of genetically modiﬁed sugar elected ofﬁcial. Entry is $2 for kids (360) 647-8897 CURRENTS beets be destroyed. These sugar beets were and $5 for adults. Settle Your Case

[email protected] 6 i 671-7862 intended to pollinate and produce seeds Without Going to Court 1010 Harris Ave. #201 for the 2012 sugar beet season. BUDGET MEALS: Attend a free Free Consultation Bellingham VIEWS Currently, 95 percent of the nation’s sugar “Eating Better on a Budget” workshop at 6:30pm at Mount Vernon’s Patrick Gallery beets are grown from Monsanto’s Roundup Skagit Valley Food Co-op, 202 S. Divorce With Dignity & Mutual Respect 4 Ready seeds. The seeds are popular because First St. The event will include a tour MAIL MAIL they save farmers the expense and hassle of through the store.

i WWW.SKAGITFOODCOOP.COM spraying chemicals on the crop, since the 2 plants manufacture herbicides internally. MON., JAN. 3 DO IT IT DO Monsanto produces its sugar beet seeds SOUP KITCHEN: Volunteers and do- on several properties in Oregon’s Wil- nations are welcome at the weekly s(OUSEHOLD Quality Household Furnishings lamette valley. This happens to be the Soup Kitchen, which happens from s&URNITURE 10 6-7pm every Monday through March #ONSIGNBY!PPOINTMENT worst place in the entire country for that .29.

at the Little Cheerful Café, 133 E. s/UTDOOR 12 crop, because the risk of gene contamina- Holly St. s#OLLECTIBLES 360-650-1177 tion there is so great. i 224-6429 s!NTIQUES .05 Beet seeds are wind-pollinated, and the #ORNWALL!VENUEs"ELLINGHAM 7! 52 TUES., JAN. 4 # Willamette Valley is where most of the na- s!RT-ORE AM PM -ONDAYTHROUGH3ATURDAY LOAVES & FISHES: At 5:30pm every tion’s table beet seeds are grown, as well Tuesday, get a hot meal at Loaves & as most of the chard seeds. Both chard Fishes at Bellingham’s First Baptist Eff!Xjmefsnvui!BSOQ!!XpnfoÖt!Ifbmui!Ovstf!Qsbdujujpofs!'!Dmbttjdbm!Ipnfpqbui and table beets can crossbreed with sugar Church, 110 Flora St. beets. Judge Jeffrey White ruled Monsanto i 671-8426 was endangering neighboring, non-genet- COFFEE & SANDWICHES: From ically modiﬁed seed industries by letting 6:30-7:30pm every Tuesday, drop by CASCADIA WEEKLY for C.A.S.T.—coffee and sandwich- its beets go to seed in the valley. es—at the Interfaith Health Center, 3487!Nbjo!Tusffu-!Tvjuf!4 35 How appropriate that seeds are the ﬁnal 220 Unity St. Gfsoebmf-!XB!:9359 topic of this year’s recap. Because when we i 733-3970 reconvene on the other side of the holi- )471*!495.3:11 xxx/cfuufsifbmuiczdipjdf/dpn!!!!!Dpwfsfe!cz!nptu!jotvsbodf!qmbot days, it will be time to think about spring 35!zfbst!pg!fyqfsjfodf planting. Prepare your seed catalogs! jo!dmjojdbm!qsbdujdf XpnfoÖt!Ifbmui!Dbsf MORE WINNERS!

MORE REWARDS!

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