A Good Year for Goofiness, P.8

NOTEWORTHY NEWS, P.10 * CELEBRATE BELLINGHAM, P.14 * LITTLE BIRD THEATER, P.15 cascadia

REPORTING FROM THE HEART OF CASCADIA WHATCOM*SKAGIT*ISLAND*LOWER B.C. 12.y.11 :: #52, v.06 :: !-

MIDNIGHT MADNESS: PARTY LIKE IT’S 2012, P.18 }} HUNGER GAMES: THE YEAR IN FOOD, P.32 DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS: A GOOD YEAR FOR GOOFINESS, P.8

30 30 cascadia As part of the community FOOD minded—and free—annual collective of events dubbed 24 happening Dec. 29-Jan. 1, take B-BOARD A glance at what’s happening this week advantage of free ice skating sessions at the Sportsplex 22 22 FILM FILM 18 MUSIC 16 ART ART 15 STAGE STAGE 14 WORDS 12 PHOTO BY MATT MCDANIEL MATT BY PHOTO GET OUT

8 Help say farewell to 2011 and usher in 2012 with humor—and possibly some CURRENTS CURRENTS

6 sweet dance moves—at three New Year’s

VIEWS VIEWS Eve shows happening Dec. 31 at the

4 0/ MAIL MAIL

2 2 ) . 4[12.y.11] Lutheran Church COMMUNITY MUSIC DO IT IT DO DO IT 2 MUSIC Playing for Mr. B.: 8pm, Lincoln Theatre, Mount Open House: 12-5pm, Bellingham Railway Museum The Randy Linder Band: 8pm, Skagit Valley Vernon Casino Resort Cole Anderson: 7:30pm, Whatcom Museum GET OUT

.11 Jasmine Green Band: 8:30pm, Boundary Bay COMMUNITY Nature Babies: 9:30-11am, Connelly Creek 28 WORDS Brewery Celebrate Bellingham: Through Jan. 1, Sports- Nature Area Note of Thanks: 10:30am-12pm, Bellingham The All-Nighters, Yogoman Burning Band: 9pm, plex, Arne Hanna Center, Lake Padden Eagle Viewing: 10am-4pm, Howard Miller Steel- Public Library the Shakedown

.06 12. Open House: 12-5pm, Bellingham Railway Museum head Park, Rockport Acorn Project, Polecat: 9pm, Wild Buffalo 52 Roller Skating Beneﬁt: 7-10pm, Lynden Skateway Kids’ Cross Country Clinic: 10am, Salmon Ridge # COMMUNITY Kong: 9pm, Longhorn Saloon, Edison Open House: 12-5pm, Bellingham Railway Museum Sno-Park The Lights of Christmas: 5-10pm, Warm Beach DANCE VISUAL ARTS Camp, Stanwood !-$ 4[12.z.11] New Year’s Eve Contra Dance: 8pm-1pm, Norway Holiday Sale: 10am-6pm, Whatcom Art Guild Market ONSTAGE Hall New Year’s Eve Salsa Party: 8pm-1pm, Blue Horse Holiday Theatresports: 8pm and 10pm, Upfront /#0-. 4[12.y.11] Gallery Theatre ./0- 4[12.zx.11] CASCADIA WEEKLY ONSTAGE COMMUNITY MUSIC ONSTAGE 2 Good, Bad, Ugly: 8pm, Upfront Theatre Wonders of Whatcom: 1:30pm, Bellingham Public The Atlantics: 7pm-1am, Resort Semiahmoo, Blaine New Year’s Eve Shows: 7pm, 9pm and 11pm, The Project: 10pm, Upfront Theatre Library The Paperboys: 8pm, Lairmont Manor Upfront Theatre Celebrate Bellingham’s New Year’s Eve Party: MUSIC Blues Union: 9pm-1am, VFW Hall Best of the Seattle Comedy Competition: 9pm, 6-9pm, Sportsplex Colin Wheatley, Cole Anderson: 7pm, Faith Range Nogales Quintet: 8pm, Hotel Bellwether Mount Baker Theatre.

Last Chance Marathon: 9am, Fairhaven Park IRUD*UHDW&DUHHU 30 30 Pavilion 1RZ\RXJHWWKHDGYDQFHGVNLOO\RXQHHGWRSXUVXHLW Kids’ Cross Country Clinic: 10am, Salmon FOOD Ridge Sno-Park Eagle Viewing: 10am-4pm, Howard Miller

Steelhead Park, Rockport 24 Ring of Fire: 7pm, Birch Bay Beach

VISUAL ARTS B-BOARD Holiday Sale: 10am-6pm, Whatcom Art Guild Art Market 22 22

.0) 4[01.x.12] FILM GET OUT 18 New Year’s Ride: 10am, Fairhaven Park Resolution Run: 11am, Lake Padden MUSIC Polar Bear Plunge: 12pm, Birch Bay water-

front 16 Polar Dip: 12pm, Lake Padden 7KHQ3UDFWLFLQJ

(*) 4[01.y.12] 2#2'4&4'#/5 12 WORDS

Book Group: 7pm, Village Books GET OUT Poetrynight: 8:30pm, Amadeus Project 0GY;GCTĀU

:LWKD&RPSDVVDQGD0DS 8

/0 . 4[01.z.12]

:LWK%7&\RXFDQFKDUWDFRXUVHWRDZKROHQHZFDUHHU CURRENTS GET OUT 20% Social Ride: 10am, Pioneer Park, Ferndale 6 Avalanche Awareness Clinic: 6pm, REI

All-Paces Run: 6pm, Fairhaven Runners S VIEWS

OFF 4 '8'4;6*+0) MAIL MAIL

2 A $16* 2 DO IT IT DO

5614'5 DO IT #NOQUV#UMHQTFGVCKNU

(KPF*7)'5#8+0)5 .11 QP*1.+&#;+6'/5 28 L CUYGNN .06 12. 52 6YQ&C[U1PN[ . will provide # live tunes at the Bellingham Saturday 7KHQ)LJXULQJ2XW

JAN. 1st (QJLQHHULQJSURJUDPVDQGVRRQ\RXFRXOGILQG\RXUVHOI CASCADIA WEEKLY 11am -7:00pm RQWKHSDWKWRDSURPLVLQJIXWXUH TO GET YOUR EVENTS 3 LISTED, SEND DETAILS TO Can’t make it in? Call us! ú$SSO\IRU)DOO12: ú

Mel Gibson’s wife of 31 E 360.647.8200

30 30 years, Robyn Gibson, received an early Christ- Editorial

FOOD mas present last week Editor & Publisher: in the form of a $425 Tim Johnson million payout from the E ext 260 much-maligned celebrity. 24 ô editor@ mail In a divorce settlement cascadiaweekly.com ﬁnalized Fri., Dec. 23, TOC LETTERS STAFF Arts & Entertainment

B-BOARD the Oscar winner was ordered to fork over half Editor: Amy Kepferle of his fortune—not to Eext 204 mention 50 percent of ô calendar@ 22 22 all his future residuals. cascadiaweekly.com But, hey, he’s still got FILM FILM Music & Film Editor: more than $400 million, Carey Ross and he’s single, so take Eext 203 18 note, ladies. ô music@ cascadiaweekly.com MUSIC VIEWS & NEWS Production

16 4: Mailbag Art Director: Jesse Kinsman ART ART 6: Gristle & Views ô jesse@ 8: Rhodes’ roster kinsmancreative.com 15 Graphic Artists: 10: Police blotter, Index Stefan Hansen STAGE STAGE 11: Last week’s news ô stefan@ cascadiaweekly.com Send all advertising materials to

14 ARTS & LIFE [email protected] 12: A Canadian New Year Advertising WORDS 14: Celebrate, Bellingham Account Executive: 15: Pop-up theater Scott Pelton

12 E360-647-8200 x 253 16: Spring in winter ô spelton@ 18: Party planning cascadiaweekly.com GET OUT 20: Clubs Distribution 8 22: Loud, close and extreme Frank Tabbita, JW Land & Associates 23: Film Shorts ô distro@ cascadiaweekly.com CURRENTS CURRENTS REAR END HOLIDAY HUMBUG was only one of two radio stations in Washington

6 Letters 24: Bulletin Board, Sudoku Send letters to letters@ I’m sorry to see you print so much “bah, hum- State that aired the Grateful Dead Hour, which is a cascadiaweekly.com. bug” about the holidays. Doesn’t anybody love nationally syndicated radio show. I helped co-host

VIEWS VIEWS 25: Wellness Christmas anymore? I do. For me it’s a wonderful this show for 10 of the 12 years it was on KUGS NOTEWORTHY NEWS, P.10 * CELEBRATE BELLINGHAM, P.14 * LITTLE BIRD THEATER, P.15 cascadia 26: Free Will Astrology REPORTING FROM THE HEART OF CASCADIA WHATCOM SKAGIT ISLAND LOWER B.C. month or more of catching up with people I love with local all-around good guy Rich Donnelly. 4 * * *

4 12.y.11 :: #52, v.06 :: !- 27: Crossword but don’t get to have in my life day to day. For the last year, I went through the chain of MAIL MAIL MAIL 28: This Modern World, It’s gathering with dear friends and toasting the command at Western to plead our case. I started

good things we cherish; it’s a time to stop and with Kevin Majkut, Director of VU Student Activi-

2 Tom the Dancing Bug talk about what we are grateful for. And it’s a time ties. Majkut refused to meet with us. I suppose if 29: Advice Goddess

DO IT IT DO for all my family members to use herculean efforts he did, he might have felt compelled to actually do

MIDNIGHT MADNESS: PARTY LIKE IT’S 2012, P.18 }} HUNGER GAMES: THE YEAR IN FOOD, P.32 3O: The year in food DUBIOUS ACHIEVEMENTS: A GOOD YEAR FOR GOOFINESS, P.8 to pull away from the frenzy and take a day or something. I contacted Western’s HR Department COVER: art by Ares two just to hang out and have a good time be- and even called and wrote to Dean Pratt, Dean of .11

28 ing together. We don’t spend heaps of money, but Students. He and his ofﬁce didn’t even deem it we love decorating and sparkling up the place, we necessary to call or email back. Not a great way to love baking and making stuff, we play games and treat two community volunteers with 22 years of ©2011 CASCADIA WEEKLY (ISSN 1931-3292) is published each Wednesday by .06 12. Cascadia Newspaper Company LLC. Direct all correspondence to: Cascadia Weekly watch movies in our pjs and we love each other. combined service to Western. And in all that time, 52

# PO Box 2833 Bellingham WA 98227-2833 | Phone/Fax: 360.647.8200 [email protected] Maybe alternative press has deﬁned itself by be- Rich and I never missed a single show. Though Cascadia Weekly is distributed free, please take just one copy. Cascadia ing against things, but these days being for things The Grateful Dead Hour was the epitome of “buy Weekly may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Any person removing papers in bulk from our distribution points risks prosecution just might be the alternative. I think there’s an local.” The wonderful folks at Fairhaven Dental SUBMISSIONS: Cascadia Weekly welcomes freelance submissions. Send material to either the News Editor or A&E Editor. Manuscripts will be returned if you undercurrent of “something we want” under all supported half the cost to procure the show each include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. To be considered for calendar list- the “anti” banter, what might that be? I’d love to week. The other half was done by yearly pledge ings, notice of events must be received in writing no later than noon Wednesday the week prior to publication. Photographs should be clearly labeled and will be see more press exploring that question. drives where fans of the show would donate their returned if accompanied by stamped, self-addressed envelope.

CASCADIA WEEKLY LETTERS POLICY: Cascadia Weekly reserves the right to edit letters for length and —Saphir Lewis, Bellingham hard-earned bucks. content. When apprised of them, we correct errors of fact promptly and courteously. I’m told Western cares a great deal about its In the interests of fostering dialog and a community forum, Cascadia Weekly does 4 not publish letters that personally disparage other letter writers. Please keep your GRATEFUL DEAD HOUR, RIP relationship with our community. When the show letters to fewer than 300 words. It has been one year this month since the Grate- was abruptly cancelled, fans of the Grateful Dead ful Dead Hour was unceremoniously taken off the Hour called and emailed KUGS, but to no avail. air by KUGS General Manager Jamie Hoover. The The above named people do a great disservice to NEWSPAPER ADVISORY GROUP: Robert Hall, Seth Murphy, Michael Petryni, David Syre reason? Well, it’s never been clear. Western’s KUGS the students and staff at Western who do care about the community and the rules of conduct set forth as policy at Western.

Over the years, Rich and I felt privileged

to work with many great students and 30 staff who supported us and the show. Rich and I would like to thank all of FOOD those supporters of the show, especially Fairhaven Dental and all of our Dead- 24 icated listeners. —Marty Weber , Bellingham B-BOARD THE 25-CENT SOLUTION Your article on RE Sources’ lawsuit against SSA Marine states “RE Sources 22

maintains the penalty was inadequate FILM given the seriousness of the viola- tions.” I’ll say. 18 If you were to take the ﬁne, plus costs, and compare it as a percentage MUSIC of gross income of SSA Marine and then ﬁne that same percentage to the gross 16 income of the average household in

1'.'-0))( -'/*Prizes! ART Whatcom County you, as a person from Whatcom County, would have been ﬁned less than a quarter. Less than 25 cents. :DOO\ 7KH%HDYHV 5RDPLQJ3HUIRUPHUV 15 Would that detour you away from doing IHDWXULQJ'DQQ\9HUQRQ

*HW

that are behind the Keystone pipeline. IT DO 6DWXUGD\SP±SP South American economies are boom- ing and showing no signs of slowing down .11

anytime in the near future. And the one 28 area they are in desperate need to fill 7KXUVGD\V7KXUVGD\V CLUB 542 NOW OP AT 10AM is in the energy department. And with DPSP SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS5OOD AND BEER SPECIALS! :LWK:LQQHUV&OXE&DUG deep water ports on either side of their .06 12. 52 continent that are just a fairly quick oil WWW.NOOKSACKCASINO.COM # tanker ride away from the Gulf States in the United States this leaves me highly $#!%&5%5 skeptical of the purported benefits most $" 5#%##! "!" 5 "!" Americans or Canadians would share in. If they really wanted to stabilize pe- troleum prices in North America and New Year’s Day Only! CASCADIA WEEKLY decrease Arab influence, why not just build new refineries in Canada near the IRU6ORW7LFNHW I 6O W 7L N W 5 tar sands? Think about it! IRU 9DOLG6XQGD\-DQXDU\2QO\ —Bill Walker, Maple Falls 9DOLGRQO\DW1RRNVDFN5LYHU&DVLQR5HGHHPDW:LQQHU¶V&OXE%RRWK9DOLGRQO\8VHRIFRXSRQLPSOLHVDQXQGHUVWDQGLQJDQGDF FHSWDQFHRIDOOUXOHV0DFKLQHPDOIXQFWLRQYRLGVDQ\DVVRFLDWHGUHZDUGV/LPLWRQHRIIHUSHUSHUVRQSHUGD\0XVWEH:LQQHUV&OXE0HPEHU (edited for length) WRUHGHHP1RWYDOLGZLWKDQ\RWKHURIIHU0HPEHUDQG\HDUVRIDJHWRUHGHHP0DQDJHPHQWUHVHUYHVDOOULJKWV THE GRISTLE

INTO THE BRIAR PATCH: The Washington State Redis-

30 30 tricting Commission this week released recommendations for the state’s new legislative boundaries, after FOOD canceling their scheduled meeting last week because views of profound differences of opinion that remain on OPINIONS THE GRISTLE how the political boundaries should be drawn in the 24 Puget Sound area. The commission—created by voters to meet after each U.S. Census to adjust represen-

B-BOARD tative districts to reﬂect changes in population—includes two Democrats and two Republicans as voting members, and a non-voting, non-partisan chair. Their BY AMY GOODMAN 22 22 recommendations on Congressional and Legislative

FILM FILM districts will be forwarded to the state Legislature for approval. Republican commissioners last week released their 18 Urge to Purge recommendations for the northern Puget Sound

MUSIC legislative districts, including Whatcom and Skagit IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM, ENJOIN THEM (FROM VOTING) counties, while Democrats conﬁned their recom-

16 mendations to the peninsula and southwest portions ALL EYES are on Iowa this week, Holder recently spoke on this alarm- of the state. Fearing to butt heads, commissioners as the hodgepodge ﬁeld of Republi- ing trend. He said: “Our efforts honor ART ART struggled to come to terms before their January 1 can contenders gallivants across that the generations of Americans who have deadline. Negotiations stumbled and stalled again farm state seeking a win, or at least taken extraordinary risks, and willingly 15 this week, but reported progress on the drawing of “momentum,” in the campaign for the confronted hatred, bias and ignorance— the new 10th congressional district. party’s presidential nomination. But as well as billy clubs and ﬁre hoses, bul- STAGE STAGE Republicans favor leaving the legislative boundar- behind the scenes, a battle is being lets and bombs—to ensure that their ies of Whatcom County much as they currently are, waged by Republicans—not against children, and all American citizens,

14 addressing population changes by shifting more of each other, but against American vot- You don’t have to look far for peo- would have the chance to participate in dense, populous Bellingham south into the 40th LD. ers. Across the country, state legisla- ple impacted by this new wave of the work of their government. The right

WORDS The plan alarms Whatcom County Democrats, who see tures and governors are pushing laws voter-purging laws. Darwin Spinks, an to vote is not only the cornerstone of their traction eroding in future state elections in the that seek to restrict access to the vot- 86-year-old World War II veteran from our system of government—it is the northern tier. However, while commissioners remain ing booth, laws that will disproportion- Murfreesboro, Tenn., went to the De- lifeblood of our democracy.” 12 guarded in their remarks to one another and their ately harm people of color, low-income partment of Motor Vehicles to get a Just this week, the Justice Depart- discussion of process, one senses the real disagree- people, and young and elderly voters. photo ID for voting purposes, since ment blocked South Carolina’s new GET OUT ments lie farther south, in around around Seattle, The National Association for the Ad- drivers over 60 there are issued driver’s law requiring voters to show photo with our region mostly a mixing zone of collective vancement of Colored People and the licenses without photos. After waiting IDs at the polls, saying data submit- 8 bargaining and sacriﬁce gambits. NAACP Legal Defense and Educational in two lines, he was told he had to pay ted by South Carolina showed that mi- Coloring it a different way, the chair of Whatcom Fund have just released a comprehen- $8. Requiring a voter to pay a fee to nority voters were about 20 percent Republicans expressed concern that proposed changes sive report on the crisis, “Defending vote has been unconstitutional since more likely to lack acceptable photo CURRENTS CURRENTS could tilt the 40th District to Democratic outcomes—a Democracy: Confronting Modern Bar- the poll tax was outlawed in 1964. Over ID required at polling places. 6

6 tilt, by the way, that is already the standard. riers to Voting Rights in America.” in Nashville, 93-year-old Thelma Mitch- By some estimates, the overall “For the record, I think the 42nd Legislative District In it, they write: “The heart of the ell had a state-issued ID—the one she population who may be disenfran- VIEWS VIEWS VIEWS is far more competitive for both parties than the 40th modern block the vote campaign is a used as a cleaner at the state Capitol chised by this wave of legislation is District,” Luanne Van Werven noted in an email to Bell- wave of restrictive government-issued building for more than 30 years. The ID upward of 5 million voters, most of 4 ingham Herald political reporter Jared Paben. “With the photo identiﬁcation requirements. In had granted her access to the gover- whom would be expected to vote with

MAIL MAIL addition of liberal Bellingham precincts, the 40th is re- a coordinated effort, legislators in 34 nor’s ofﬁce for decades, but now, she the Democratic Party. The efforts to

liably Democratic for another decade. For the most part states introduced bills imposing such was told, it wasn’t good enough to get quash voter participation are not gen- 2 Republican voters will be disenfranchised and without requirements. Many of these bills were her into the voting booth. She and her uine, grass-roots movements. Rather,

DO IT IT DO inﬂuence in south Whatcom County.” modeled on legislation drafted by the family are considering a lawsuit, an un- they rely on funding from people like

Her concern is remarkably at odds with recommenda- American Legislative Exchange Council fortunate turn of events for a woman the Koch brothers, David and Charles. tions Van Werven delivered to the commission in May (ALEC)—a conservative advocacy group who is older than the right of women That is why thousands of people, led .11

28 when they took comments at Western Washington Uni- whose founder explained: ‘Our leverage to vote in this country. by the NAACP, marched on the New versity. There, Citizen Van Werven recommended (no- in the elections quite candidly goes up It is not just the elderly being given York headquarters of Koch Industries tably without identifying herself as party chair) the as the voting populace goes down.’” the disenfranchisement runaround. The two weeks ago en route to a rally for .06commission 12. should consider heaving all of Bellingham It is interesting that the right wing, Brennan Center for Justice at the New voting rights at the United Nations. 52 # south into the 40th District. Now she begs that the long an opponent of any type of na- York University School of Law points to Despite the media attention showered kicking hare not be thrown into that briar patch. tional identification card, is very keen “bills making voter registration drives on the Iowa caucuses, the real election Unpacked, her remarks serve to confirm the fears of to impose photo-identification require- extremely difficult and risky for volun- outcomes in 2012 will likely hinge more 42nd District Democrats that proposed changes will ments at the state level. Why? Ben teer groups, bills requiring voters to on the contest between billionaire po- indeed skew their once powerfully centrist and swing Jealous, president of the NAACP, calls provide specific photo ID or citizen- litical funders like the Kochs and the legislative district conservative for the next decade— the voter ID laws “a solution without ship documents... bills cutting back on thousands of people in the streets, de-

CASCADIA WEEKLYanother decade of Overstreets and Ericksens, perma- a problem. ...It’s not going to make early and absentee voting, bills making manding one person, one vote. nent Republican outcomes for Whatcom County, and the vote more secure. What it is going it hard for students and active-duty 6 continued partitioning and isolation of Bellingham. to do is put the ﬁrst ﬁnancial barrier members of the military to register to Amy Goodman is the host of “Democ- Yet the Democrats’ proposed map is hardly better, between people and their ballot box vote locally, and more.” racy Now!” Denis Moynihan contributed driving the 39th District north to create a huge rural since we got rid of the poll tax.” Unoted States Attorney General Eric research to this column. district, bisecting Whatcom County along the Guide Meridian, politically isolating Foothills communities VIEWS EXPRESSED ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF CASCADIA WEEKLY Andrew L. Subin THE GRISTLE CRIMINAL DEFENSE

while still not doing much to sweeten the

disposition of the 42nd District. The D’s 30 map in particular seems to conﬁrm the sense that the real political imperatives MON - FRI, 5 - 11 P.M. FOOD lie in alignments south, sacriﬁcing larger territories in the homogenous northern SAT, 2 - 11 P.M. 24 Sound to greater polarization. The reality is that, whether they’re in the 40th or 42nd districts, precincts GIVE YOUR HONEY B-BOARD north and east in Bellingham still shade non-progressive. The Gristle hesitates Drug, Alcohol & SOME LOVERS MEAD 22 to employ the term “conservative” to Driving Related

describe these precincts because the Offenses FILM values expressed in those areas of the LIVE MUSIC city sometimes align with conservative

FREE 18 values but are themselves not strictly, CONSULTATION TUES - SAT 8PM durably conservative. And we are talking MUSIC here about very delicate (but measur- (360) 734-6677 able) shadings of fractions of percents in 16 political preferences and outcomes. www.andrewsubin.com The alignment, as it so often does in ART county politics, likely arrives through land-use policy. Not only do those areas 15 represent newer, often more affordable STAGE STAGE housing and the socio-economics that implies, but the interstate divides the city in a very mechanical way. Topog- 14 raphy and street layouts are dramati- cally different in northern and eastern WORDS portions of the city, with a dearth of sidewalks and trails compared to coastal 12 Bellingham. The freeway creates a physi- cal curtain pierced only in a few places, and those places uniformly require a car GET OUT to safely navigate. We’ll speculate that 8 the need for a car confers a suite of at- titudes about land use and real estate, about parking and street improvements CURRENTS CURRENTS and transportation spending priorities, 6 about big-box convenience and pricing 6 versus downtown centers, that often do VIEWS VIEWS align with values expressed in rural areas VIEWS that are similarly car-dependent. 4 What we’re suggesting here is that while folks in Fairhaven are just as likely MAIL as anyone to own a car, a policy decision to direct more road funds to multimodal 2

transportation alternatives is not as in- IT DO PEP tensely irritating as the decision might PER be to someone in Meridian or Cordata .11

neighborhoods. Yet it’s a fragile align- 28 ment, easily broken on the uniform slate SISTERS of (non-municipal) rightwing goals on

SINCE .06 12. items like women’s reproductive freedom COOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX 1988 52 and prayer in school. Open Nightly Except Monday 1055 N State St B’ham 671-3414 # These volatile, loosely aligned precincts represent the battleﬁeld of local redistricting efforts, as the dilution or Aggressive. concentration of these precincts mag- nify outcomes in Whatcom County and ǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞĚ͘īĞĐƟǀĞ͘ the 42nd District. As Van Werven noted, ͻ&ĞůŽŶǇ͕DŝƐĚĞŵĞĂŶŽƌ͕/ŶĨƌĂĐƟŽŶ͕h/͕ CASCADIA WEEKLY the district was seen as largely competitive. Proposed changes—whether by di- ƐƐĂƵůƚ͕ƌƵŐΘ^ĞǆĂƐĞƐ͘ 7 lution or bisection—will make it less so, ͻ͞ZŝƐŝŶŐ^ƚĂƌ͕͟tĂƐŚŝŶŐƚŽŶ>ĂǁΘWŽůŝƟĐƐ͘ as the county’s largest population center ƩŽƌŶĞǇůĞǆZĂŶƐŽŵ is strangled voiceless by the ligatures of gerrymandering. ;ϯϲϬͿϲϳϭͲϴϱϬϬ ĂƌĂŶƐŽŵΛƚĂƌŝŽůĂǁ͘ĐŽŵ The Peeing in your Waterhole Ribbon. For decades, self-entitled boaters, abetted by property

rights proselytizers and pusillanimous politicians,

30 30 have maintained that it’s perfectly safe to plunk their motorboats into our municipal reservoir. This FOOD year, we learned these jolly mariners infected the currents already degraded Lake Whatcom Reservoir with in- vasive Asian clams that can impair water quality 24 NEWS POLITICS FUZZ BUZZ INDEX and clog intake pipes. “Look on the bright side,” one weekend boater was alleged to have comment-

B-BOARD ed. “These little buggers might be really tasty when steamed with butter and garlic.” The Eighth Circle Crown. Named after the circle 22 22 of Hell in which Dante placed the hypocrites, this

FILM FILM year’s crown goes to County Council member Tony Larson. Tony had campaigned on the empty slogan “Get Whatcom Working,” but when presented with 18 his only opportunity to do just that, decided it

MUSIC wasn’t such a great idea after all. Tony was the sole council member to vote against a program that uses

16 whatcom economic development funds to spur construction of affordable housing, a project that, well, gets ART ART Whatcom working. Voters, generally unimpressed with Tony’s on-the-job performance, have seen to 15

STAGE STAGE DUBIOUS TONY LARSON CAMPAIGNED ON THE EMPTY SLOGAN “GET 14 ACHIEVMENT WHATCOM WORKING,” BUT WORDS WHEN PRESENTED WITH HIS ONLY OPPORTUNITY TO 12 ards 20 aw 11 DO JUST THAT, DECIDED IT GET OUT WASN’T SUCH A GREAT IDEA 8 8 AFTER ALL

it that Tony will be out of a job in January.

CURRENTS CURRENTS By Alan Rhodes CURRENTS CURRENTS The War on Wildlife Wreath. The visionary chaps

6 running the Port of Bellingham were successful this year in deliberately driving away the bayside Cas- VIEWS VIEWS pian tern colony that was already drawing tourists and their dollars to Bellingham’s waterfront. Cham- 4 AN ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF SILLINESS ber of Commerce president Ken Oplinger cheerfully

MAIL MAIL supported this ornithological diaspora, labeling the

AND BAD BEHAVIOR terns “squatter birds” and demanding their forced 2 migration. Oplinger’s logic inspired me to purchase

DO IT IT DO a shotgun to exterminate the gangs of lawless

It’s been a good year for goofiness. Nationally, chickadees squatting in my lilac bushes. The Fox Guarding the Henhouse Garland. Wor- .11 nothing can top the travelling clown show known as 28 ried Whatcomites who suspected the County Coun- the Republican presidential primary debates, with cil conservative majority might be little more than a front group for developers had their suspicions .06 12. weekly candidate meltdowns, mounting evidence confirmed early in 2011 when it came to light that 52 # the council was letting developers’ attorneys write that most contenders flunked high school history, a sensitive zoning ordinance. “I don’t think there’s and periodic revelations that Herman Cain has man- anything wrong or unusual,” chirped council neo- phyte Kathy Kershner, possibly not recalling these aged to retain his teenage hormones long past ado- same attorneys were in the process of suing the lescence. Here in Whatcom County we’ve had our county over this very issue.

CASCADIA WEEKLY The In Need of a 12-Step Program Trophy. Like own share of silliness and bad behavior, so let’s roll ﬁdgety junkies waiting for an overdue shipment 8 from Colombia, local shopping addicts lined up out this year’s prizes. this year in gale-force winds and icy rain for the post-Thanksgiving mainline injection known as Black Friday. A new record was set this year, with corybantic consumers queuing up at Best Buy 48 hours tossing them into a nearby punchbowl. ally bad art, could any creation surpass the gaudy and before the midnight opening. Unlike their fellow ad- The Corporate Contemptuousness Cup. The Seattle- dildoesque sculpture at the corner of Bay and Holly?

dicts in other parts of the country, denizens of the based corporation SSA Marine is eager to build a mam- Apparently, The Woods Coffee thought they were up to

City of Subdued Excitement did manage to avoid fisti- moth coal terminal at Cherry Point. So antsy was SSA the challenge, planning a sculpture in front of their Bay 30 cuffs and pepper spray in the struggle to get first grab to get started on this wildly unpopular project that the Street cafe that would feature a giant disposable paper at an Xbox. company opted for a convenient shortcut: the unauthor- cup pouring coffee on the sidewalk. The concept alone FOOD The Dim Bulb Decoration. In April, County Council ized grading of the Cherry Point property. When caught President Sam Crawford sent a sensitive email to his in the act of illegally plowing up protected wetlands, 24 cronies. The email, covering zoning and growth policy SSA—borrowing a bit of terminology from Donald Rums- IN THE WORLD OF REALLY BAD changes, was sent from Sam’s personal account. Inten- feld–conceded that “mistakes were made.” tionally ignoring a nicety of state law requiring that The Malevolent Meddler Medallion. While we’re on ART, COULD ANY CREATION B-BOARD a copy be sent to staff, the crafty Crawford used the the subject of corporate disdain for communities, let’s foolproof ploy of adding this request to his email: “If not neglect American Traffic Solutions (ATS), an arro- SURPASS THE GAUDY AND 22 22 you forward this email, PLEASE remove the elements gant band of interlopers from Arizona contracted to DILDOESQUE SCULPTURE AT THE

that indicate I sent it to you using my personal email, install red-light traffic cameras in Bellingham. Leading FILM as well as this introductory commentary.” Sam’s many up to last November’s local election ATS did all it could CORNER OF BAY AND HOLLY? critics were not surprised by his shifty action, but were to force its business plan on Bellingham residents, roll- 18 quite astonished to learn that he is not nearly as bright ing out its legal team in an attempt to keep an initia- APPARENTLY THE WOODS COFFEE as they had thought. tive off the ballot which allowed citizens to express MUSIC The Doug Ericksen Award. State Sen. Doug Ericksen (R- an opinion on these cameras. The legal machinations THOUGHT THEY WERE UP TO THE Ferndale) does so many asinine things during the course of ATS failed and voters, consequently, gave an over- 16 of a year that awhile back we established the annual whelming thumbs down to the traffic-camera scheme. CHALLENGE Doug Ericksen award to be awarded annually to Doug The Shoot Yourself in the Foot Citation. Speaking ART Ericksen. This year’s greatest hit occurred last March at of red-light traffic cameras, in a town such as Belling- lit up the internet with the angry cries of outraged art one of Doug’s fraudulent “town hall” meetings. Inter- ham—awash with civil libertarians, flaming lefties, lovers, recyclers and downtown preservationists, spark- 15 net journalist Shane Roth was forbidden by Sir Douglas seditious students and geriatric hippies—would any ing a protest movement that shut the project down. STAGE STAGE to plug his recording equipment into the sound system, politician be foolhardy enough to become the champi- That’s it for 2011. Let’s close with an appropriate as Roth does at every political event in the county. So on of this inflammatory project, especially in an elec- observation from the eminent social philosopher Chris steadfast was Doug in his opposition to the free flow of tion year? Well, that’s exactly what Mayor Dan Pike Rock, who commented, “I don’t get high, but some- 14 information that he threatened to have Roth arrested. did, chaining himself and his chances for reelection to times I wish I did. That way, when I messed up in life

Rumor has it that Doug, drunk with power, then patrolled this anvil of aggravation and kicking it off a cliff. I would have an excuse. But right now there’s no rehab WORDS the room, snatching cell phones from photo-takers and The Tasteless Art Laurel Leaf. In the world of re- for stupidity.” 12 GET OUT 8 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL

2 DO IT IT DO

.11 28 .06 12. 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY

9 aircraft, but the entire shape looked more index round, however I could not clearly make out

FUZZ the shape, only the lights were very clear,” The top stories of 2011, as selected by 30 30 she reported. “Of course, I initially thought it was an aircraft just playing tricks with my Associated Press editors:

FOOD BUZZ eyes, but it then started rapidly moving in a GABRIELLE GIFFORDS SHOT: The popular third-term congresswoman horizontal direction and stop, then rapidly from Arizona suffered a severe brain injury when she and 18 other ALIEN SKIES in a vertical direction and then stop. I don’t 24 people were shot by a gunman as she met with constituents outside a On Dec. 12, spook lights were active in believe, nor have I ever believed in UFOs, x Tucson supermarket in January. Six people died, and Giffords' painstaking recovery Skagit County. A witness reported seeing but I was completely bafﬂed (and a little

B-BOARD is still in progress. “more than 20 lights on the mountainside freaked out).” flashing in a pattern very brightly. They OCCUPY WALL STREET PROTESTS: It began Sept. 17 with a protest at a New were from one end of the mountain to the On Aug. 18, a Bellingham skywatcher ob- 22 22 York City park near Wall Street, and within weeks spread to scores of commu- other. Right in the middle of all the lights served a bright red light transit the ho- nities across the United States and abroad. The movement depicted itself as FILM FILM there was the brightest of them all flash- rizon. “ I realized quickly that the light leaderless and shied away from specific demands, but succeeded in airing its complaint ing its own pattern of lights. This would was too vivid and bright to be a planet that the richest 1 percent of Americans benefit at the expense of the rest. As winter go on for another two hours. They would and called my cousin outside to witness it 18 approached, local police dismantled several of the protest encampments. also move around the mountain in a trian- with me,” the observer reported. “The light

MUSIC gular shape then turn all one color. Orange seemed stationary at first, at about 50 de- and red and white were what they would grees above the horizon, but then slowly FISCAL SHOWDOWNS IN CONGRESS: Partisan divisions in Congress led to several showdowns on fiscal issues. A fight over the debt ceiling prompted

16 use,” the witness reported. “Once the lit- moved northward. While the light traveled tle ones would turn red the others on top north, it may have changed speed a few Standard & Poor's to strip the United States of its AAA credit rating. Later, ART ART would send a white signal to the others and times. It also pulsed quickly all the while, the so-called "supercommittee" failed to agree on a deficit-reduction package of at they would turn red. There was the bright- like a star.” Following this, the observers least $1.2 trillion—potentially triggering automatic spending cuts of that amount 15 est light on the very tip, it would flash the thought they may have heard a sound like starting in 2013. brightest white light to all!” a plane crashing to earth. Nothing further STAGE STAGE was observed. GADHAFI TOPPLED IN LIBYA: After nearly 42 years of mercurial and of- On Nov. 12, the Sedro-Woolley saucer nest ten brutal rule, Moammar Gadhafi was toppled by his own people. Anti- 14 was active again. “I am a night owl and we TRUTH IN LABELING ~ government protests escalated into an eight-month rebellion, backed by live in a relatively rural area. I am always On Dec. 18, a woman suffered minor in- NATO bombing, that shattered his regime, and Gadhafi finally was tracked down

WORDS out watching for raccoons so they do not juries as a passenger in a car involved in and killed in the ﬁshing village where he was born. get the feral cats and typically am watching a collision on Meridian Street in Belling- the night sky. Lately, I have noticed several ham, the result of an improper turn by an- PENN STATE SEX ABUSE SCANDAL: One of America's most storied college 12 bright lights that do not appear to be stars other vehicle. As police were interviewing football programs was tarnished in a scandal that prompted the ﬁring of nor satellites,” the amateur astronomer re- the victims, they noticed a jar perched in Hall of Fame football coach Joe Paterno. One of his former assistants, Jerry

GET OUT } ported. “There were two distinctly bright the center of the car’s instrument panel. Sandusky, was accused of sexually molesting 10 boys; two senior Penn State officials orbs that appear to be relatively close. The jar was clearly labeled “marijuana.” A were charged with perjury; and the longtime president was ousted. 8 8 They seemed to set off some type of flare check of the contents of the jar confirmed or flash and seem to illuminate. Around the it was accurately labeled. Police arrested US ECONOMY: By some measures, the U.S. economy gained strength as the two brightest orbs dimmer orbs seemed to the vehicle’s occupants for possession of year progressed. Hiring picked up a bit, consumers were spending more, and CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS come and go. The bright object and the less than five grams of marijuana. the unemployment rate finally dipped below 9 percent. But millions of Ameri-

6 | dimmer objects were very distinctly posi- cans remained buffeted by foreclosures, joblessness and beneﬁt cutbacks. tioned, so these are not just some random On Dec. 9, Blaine Police received a report VIEWS VIEWS lights, they are patterned,” she reported. of a man acting suspiciously, attempting EU FISCAL CRISIS: The European Union was wracked by relentless ﬁscal tur- to solicit marijuana a hotel. “The report- moil. In Greece, austerity measures triggered strikes, protests and riots, while 4 On Nov. 20, the same amateur astronomer ing parties said that the subject asked Italy's economic woes toppled Premier Silvio Berlusconi. France and Germany

MAIL MAIL { was “looking in one of my typical observa- them if they could ‘help him out with some led urgent efforts to ease the debt crisis; Britain balked at proposed changes.

tion spots in the sky and all of the sudden weed,’" police narrated. ”The suspect, who 2 there was what appeared to be a very slow appeared highly intoxicated, was quite sur- ARAB SPRING: It began with demonstrations in Tunisia that rapidly toppled the longtime strongman. Spreading like a wildﬁre, the Arab Spring protests DO IT IT DO shooting star and/or comet-type object ex- prised to see the police and quite urgent

cept I could see a disc-like object in it and in his denial that he had been panhandling z sparked a revolution in Egypt that ousted Hosni Mubarak, fueled a civil it left a very visible trail. The disc disap- for pot. He was warned to leave the other war in Libya that climaxed with Moammar Gadhaﬁ's death, and fomented a bloody .11

28 peared,” she reported, “almost as if it were tenants alone,” police continued. uprising in Syria against the Assad regime. Bahrain and Yemen also experienced going into a wormhole or time warp, yet the major protests and unrest. trail of smoke or cloud lingered on beyond On Nov. 12, the landlord of an Anacortes .06 12. the time I stayed to observe. I had never rental property called police after he dis- JAPAN'S TRIPLE DISASTER: A 9.0-magnitude earthquake off Japan's north- 52 # seen anything like it. The sky was clear and covered an illegal indoor marijuana grow east coast in March unleashed a tsunami that devastated scores of com- my visibility was excellent. I felt lucky to operation at a house he was showing it to y munities, leaving nearly 20,000 people dead or missing and wreaking an have seen something so amazing.” a potential new renter. Anacortes Police estimated $218 billion in damage. About 100,000 people evacuated from the area found approximately 45 marijuana plants have not returned to their homes. On Nov. 29, a Bellingham woman reported growing inside of a closet and dozens of she and her daughter saw a brightly lit object baggies and jars containing marijuana. Of- OSAMA BIN LADEN'S DEATH: He'd been the world's most-wanted terrorist for

CASCADIA WEEKLY move accross the sky in vertical and hori- ﬁcers also found a large quantity of glass nearly a decade, ever since a team of his al-Qaida followers carried out the zontal movements. “The lights were strange smoking pipes, marijuana seeds, a scale, attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. In May, the long and often-frustrating manhunt 10 x because they were exceptionally bright hundreds of empty baggies, and cultiva- ended with a nighttime assault by a helicopter-borne special operations squad on his and looked different than normal aircraft tion equipment. A 20-year-old man who compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Bin Laden was shot dead by one of the raiders, lights,” she reported. “It appeared to be a had earlier been evicted from the home ar- and within hours his body was buried at sea. bright light with smaller lights below it. I rived and was immediately arrested. He was thought I could see a very small tail, like an booked into jail on felony drug charges. SOURCE: Associated Press currents ›› last week’s news

30 30

in an armed robbery at the Deming Quick Stop FOOD store last night. Deputies are unable to locate t the masked assailant, described as in his late ek h 24 e a 20s of average build.

t Whatcom and Skagit county watersheds are B-BOARD W among 19 that will receive federal grants for water quality improvements. The state depart- W BY TIM JOHNSON ments of Commerce and Ecology, working with 22 e

Puget Sound Partnership, will distribute more FILM

LAST WEEK’S than $6.3 million in 23 grants. Whatcom will re-

a ceive $358,000 for water quality enhancements

NEWS 18

T DEC20-27 to the Nooksack River basin. Skagit will receive s $200,000 to establish a transfer of development MUSIC rights (TDR) program. PHOTO COURTESY THE WASHINGTON DEPT. OF NATURAL RESOURCES 12. .11 16

yz ART FRIDAY BNSF Railway Co. agrees to pay $1.5 mil- 15 lion for Puget Sound restoration projects to

12.y.11 STAGE resolve a lawsuit over stormwater pollution at TUESDAY its Seattle facility. In 2009, the Puget Sound-

A woman is shot with a taser after she allegedly threatened What- keeper Alliance sued BNSF, alleging it violated 14 com County Sheriff’s deputies. Deputies were called to check on the federal clean-water laws with stormwater dis- welfare of someone at a Lynden home. They say the woman met them charges from its Balmer Yard facility. Under the WORDS at her door with a butcher knife and continued to threaten them consent decree ﬁled in federal court this week, until she was subdued. BNSF will pay the $1.5 million to a third-party 12 group for projects to improve water quality in 12.yx.11 TOP: Crews used seasonal high tides to successfully lift a 500-ton Puget Sound.

tank from tidal waters at Cherry Point. GET OUT WEDNESDAY ABOVE: A rare sight in the Pacific Northwest, snowy owls from the 8 Arctic are wintering in Western Washington this year. They should 12.y|.11 8 A high ranking official at Western Washington University is fired be around the region until about March when they start making SUNDAY for improper use of scholarship funds. The Bellingham Herald reports their way north. an internal audit found Karen Copetas, who has served as the school’s A 9-year-old Whidbey Island girl dies when CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS CURRENTS admissions director for 20 years, used scholarship money to illegally a tree limb breaks free in a windstorm. The girl compensate students who worked in her office. Four of the students 12.yy.11 was a passenger in a car struck by the limb, de- 6 didn’t have legal immigration status. THURSDAY scribed by officials as several feet long and about a foot in diameter. An adult is also injured. VIEWS The Whatcom County Ethics Commission will not review a com- A methamphetamine and heroin ring is taken 4 plaint filed against County Council Chair Sam Crawford. The complaint down in Whatcom County, resulting in six ar- 12.y~.11 alleged Crawford had helped a property owner avoid standard fees for rests. Federal prosecutors say the ring distrib- MAIL a rezone of his property, thereby denying the county revenue. The uted meth and heroin across three nortern coun- TUESDAY commission finds county code allows officials to render such aid, and ties, and used a corrupt corrections officer to try Saying Mayor Dan Pike and city government 2

that application fees are not required. to avoid arrest. Investigators used wiretaps to “have declared war,” Occupy Bellingham pro- IT DO

uncover how the group planned to move drugs testers vow to ﬁght a city order to leave Mari- Crews begin the work of removing a 970,000 pound cylin- and launder money. time Heritage Park. The mayor signed a notice .11

der that tumbled into water off the BP refinery at Cherry Point to vacate the property by 9am Wed. Protestors 28 earlier this month. The 140-foot nitrogen tank sank in 55 feet A Deming convenience store clerk is robbed say they’ll fight the notice in the courts and in of water. at knifepoint. Officers are looking for a suspect public places. .06 12. 52 #

RESTAURANT X RETAIL X CATERING Can you survive a divorce? Let me help you. Attorney Lauren E. Trent CASCADIA WEEKLY Divorce / Dissolution of Marriage • Child Custody • Parenting 11 Plans • Support Orders – Protection Orders The Lustick Law Firm Bellingham – Mount Vernon

(360) 685-4221 www.Lustick.com 100 N. Commercial St. next to Mount Baker Theatre X 360-594-6000 X bellinghampasta.com doit FRI., DEC. 30 NATURE BABIES: Wild Whatcom Walks will

host its kid-friendly Nature Babies outings 30 30 from 9:30-11am Fridays in December at the Connelly Creek Nature Area. Entry is by do- FOOD G nation, and no registration is necessary. etout WWW.WILDWHATCOM.ORG HIKING RUNNING CYCLING SKIING

24 DEC. 30-31 CROSS COUNTRY CLINIC: The Nooksack Nor- dic Ski Club and Fairhaven Bike & Ski pres-

B-BOARD ent a Kid’s Cross Country Ski Clinic starting at 10am Friday and Saturday at the Salmon Ridge Sno-Park (located 13 miles east of

22 22 Glacier on the Mt. Baker Hwy). Cost is $25 and an additional clinic happens Jan. 7.

FILM FILM STORY AND PHOTO BY JOHN D’ONOFRIO 733-4433 OR WWW.FAIRHAVENBIKE.COM DEC. 30-JAN. 1

18 EAGLE VIEWING SEASON: Educational programs, speakers, guided walks and more

MUSIC Frigid Fun will be part of the feathered fun when the Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Cen- ter opens from 10am-4pm Fri.-Sun. every 16 NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE PEMBERTON HOTEL weekend through Jan. 29 at Rockport’s

ART ART Howard Miller Steelhead Park. We were the only visitors to the “resort,” WWW.SKAGITEAGLE.ORG which was fortunate, as all but one of the 15 cabins were out of commission due to burst SAT., DEC. 31 pipes. Apparently it was cold even for DONUT RIDE: At 7:30am every Saturday STAGE STAGE through February, meet with members of Birkenhead Lake. We secured the one re- the Mount Baker Bike Club for a “Donut maining cabin and hauled our gear inside. Ride” of anywhere from 25 to 45 miles

14 Even with the heater going full blast leaving from Kulshan Cycles, 100 E. it was frigid in the tiny cabin. We turned Chestnut St. WWW.MTBAKERBIKECLUB.ORG WORDS the oven on, opened the door and huddled around it in down jackets. This was LAST CHANCE MARATHON: Join the Skagit Ultra Runners for a “Last Chance the life! 12 12 Marathon” starting at 9am at Belling- In the morning we strapped on our cross- ham’s Fairhaven Park Pavilion. Runners can country skis and headed out along the choose from a half-marathon or full mara- GET OUT GET OUT lake. Within seconds, our eyelashes were thon. Entry is $25 for both, and registra- iced up, but as long as we kept moving, tion is limited to 200. 8 WWW.SKAGITULTRARUNNERS.COM the cold was manageable. The woods were RING OF FIRE: Attendees should BYOF absolutely silent—no wind (thank God), no (Bring Your Own Flares) to the annual “Ring birds, certainly no other people. of Fire & Hope” starting at 7pm at Birch CURRENTS CURRENTS We climbed through the black trees, Bay Beach on the Birch Bay shoreline (from

6 grateful for the heat of the effort. The sun Birch Bay State Park to Birch Bay Village). shone brightly, but its warmth was nothing The bay is intended to become a ring of ﬁre signifying hope for the coming year. Entry VIEWS VIEWS more than a vicious rumor. is free. As evening fell, we drove into the village 371-5004 OR WWW.BIRCHBAYCHAMBER. 4 of Pemberton and checked into the Pem- COM

MAIL MAIL berton Hotel, a classic bit of Canadian cin- SUN., JAN. 1 derblock architecture. The hotel was situ- NEW YEAR’S RIDE: Join members of the 2 ated beside the railroad tracks, and each Mt. Baker Bike Club for a New Year’s Day passing train shook the battered furniture Ride starting at 10am at Fairhaven Park DO IT IT DO

in our cell-like room. and continuing along Chuckanut Drive to It was New Year’s Eve and the locals Edison (13.8 miles). You’ll enjoy a lunch

.11 at the Edison Inn before heading back.

28 was to enjoy a little winter camping trip up at Birkenhead were getting ready to celebrate in the THE IDEA Please RSVP. Lake, about 120 miles north of Vancouver, B.C. hotel bar, funny hats and all. The juke- WWW.MTBAKERBIKECLUB.ORG We drove past Whistler and headed up into the north woods. The snow- box played music for dancing but nobody POLAR PLUNGE: Registration for the 28th

.06 12. covered Pemberton Valley was a glittering, frozen vision. We paused on the danced. Midnight came with the requisite annual New Year’s Day Birch Bay Polar Bear 52 # banks of the Lillooet River, which was frozen solid. honking of plastic horns—a strange and Plunge begins at 9:30am at the Birch Bay There were tracks in the snow and the small signs of life only emphasized the melancholy sound when mufﬂed by the Visitor Information Center, 7900 Birch Bay Dr. Costumes are encouraged, and prizes silence and solitude. We walked along the frozen river, its surface a carpet of cinderblock walls. Times Square had nev- can be won in ﬁve categories. The plunge hoarfrost. Distant peaks seemed close enough to touch in the crystalline air. er seemed so far away. itself starts at noon on the waterfront Hoo Boy, it was cold! Later, the horns fell silent and the mu- Entry is free. Truth be told, I love the cold: the clarity of the air, the stillness, the hard- sic on the jukebox got lonely and sad. I WWW.BIRCHBAYCHAMBER.COM POLAR DIP: No registration is required for

CASCADIA WEEKLY edged landscapes. I’ve enjoyed my share of zero-degree days out in the woods, missed my sweetie. On the way back up to but this was different: it was 30 degrees below zero. Meteorologically speaking: my threadbare room, I passed an ancient- the annual Resolution Run starting at 11am at Lake Padden. At noon, hearty souls can 12 damn cold. “Holy crap” cold. looking man in a battered cowboy hat in take part in the Padden Polar Dip. Heated By the time we turned onto the Birkenhead Lake Road we were having the hallway. As I opened the door to my showers and goodies for everyone exiting second thoughts about camping. Third thoughts, even. So when we saw the room, he stopped as if he had something the water will be part of the fun. Birkenhead Resort—a cluster of hunter’s cabins huddled among the trees— to tell me. WWW.COB.ORG we reconsidered our camping plans and pulled in. “Happy New Year” was all he said. doit TUES., JAN. 3 SOCIAL RIDE: Join the Mt. Baker Bike Club

for a Social Ride every Tuesday starting at 30 30 10am at Ferndale’s Pioneer Park. The 30- to 40-mile ride is chosen based on where the FOOD riders want to regroup for lunch. 671-6910 OR WWW.MTBAKERBIKECLUB.ORG ALL-PACES RUN: Join staff from 24 Fairhaven Runners at 6pm every Tuesday for an “All-Paces Run” leaving from the store at 1209 11th St. Other weekly runs include B-BOARD “Evening Epic Runs” at 6pm Wednesdays, “Hit the Trail” runs at 6pm Thursdays, and a drop-in walking group for all levels at 8am every Saturday. All events are free. 22 WWW.FAIRHAVENRUNNERS.COM FILM FILM AVALANCHE AWARENESS: An American Alpine Institute guide will lead an “Ava-

lanche Awareness” clinic at 6pm at REI, 400 18 36th St. This one-hour session introduces and explains where and why avalanches oc- MUSIC cur and provide a basic approach to manag- ing risk in the back country. Please register

in advance for the free presentation. 16 647-8955 OR WWW.REI.COM ART ART

WED., JAN. 4 Just in time for the holidays! GARDEN CLUB: Bellingham Parks Vol- 15 unteer Coordinator Rae Edwards will talk Baxter Mini Bundt Cakes

about water conservation, native plant- STAGE ings, backyard habitats and volunteer op- Rum Apricot | Tequila Lime | Scotch Pecan portunities with the Bellingham Parks De- GrandGrand Marnier Poppy Seed | Bourbon Chocolate 14 partments at the Birchwood Garden Club’s 12 meeting at 7pm at the Whatcom Museum, Packaged in a commemorative tin. 121 Prospect St. Entry is free and the pub- WORDS VOTED BY BELLINGHAM Great for Group Gifting! WORDS lic is invited. WWW.BIRCHWOODGARDENCLUB.ORG Another Great Gift!

“BEST SANDWICH” 12 Year After Year Avenue Bread Gift Cards GET OUT 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 Downtown 1313 Railroad VIEWS VIEWS www.avenuebread.com 360-715-3354 4 MAIL MAIL

2 DO IT IT DO

.11 28 .06 12. 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY Whether you choose to celebrate New Year’s Day by thrusting yourself into frigid waters 13 at Birch Bay (Polar Plunge), Lake Padden (Polar Dip), or Bellingham Bay (secret loca- tions won’t be printed here), lots of opportu- nities exist to wake yourself up in 2012. doit WORDS WED., DEC. 28 30 30 NOTES OF THANKS: Kids are invited to the annual “Note of FOOD words Thanks” gathering from 10:30am- COMMUNITY LECTURES BOOKS 12pm at the Bellingham Public Li- brary, 210 Central Ave. Materials 24 to make the thank-you cards will be provided. 778-7200 OR WWW. B-BOARD BELLINGHAMPUBLICLIBRARY.ORG POETRY CONTEST: The Winter- stomp Farms and Food Poetry 22 22 Contest is seeking submissions from area writers through Jan.

FILM FILM BY AMY KEPFERLE 17. The event happens Feb. 4 at Mount Vernon’s Lincoln Theatre, and poems will be judged by local 18 writers and Skagit River Poetry Project board members. Submis- MUSIC Celebrate Bellingham sions should focus on “Winter/ Migration” or “Farms at Rest” YOU CAN GO YOUR OWN WAY Show up Sat., Dec. 31 at the 16 categories. Bellingham Public Library for the WWW.SKAGITRIVERPOETRY.ORG ART ART Last summer, when I signed up for a latest “Wonders of Whatcom” MON., JAN. 2 series, “Four Seasons in the nighttime kayaking excursion with the Garden,” which highlights photos 15 BOOK GROUP: Discuss books Community Boating Center, I didn’t an- taken throughout the year at Big from a variety of genres at 7pm on ticipate my favorite part of the paddle Rock Garden Park

STAGE STAGE the first Monday of every month would be skirting through the pilings at Village Books, 1200 11th St. under Taylor Dock. It was a rainy night, Tonight’s gathering will focus on for families (up to four). 393-7540 OR WWW. 14 14 but people still strolled on the board- Tom Standage’s A History of the BELLINGHAMRAILWAYMUSEUM.ORG walk, completely unaware that we were World in 6 Glasses (authors do not attend). WORDS WORDS THURS., DEC. 29 even there (no, I didn’t hear anything WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM salacious). Although it’s a little chilly to ROLLER SKATE BENEFIT: Mt. POETRYNIGHT: Read your Baker Red Cross and Lynden Skate- kayak past dusk this time of year, those original verse at poetrynight at 12 way team up for a Roller Skate who head to the boardwalk late at night 8:30pm at the Amadeus Project, Benefit from 7-10pm at the rink’s will be treated to the tail end of a string 1209 Cornwall Ave. Sign-ups start headquarters at 421 Judson St. at 8pm. GET OUT of super-sized low tides. Keep your eyes Entry is $5 and all funds raised go WWW.POETRYNIGHT.ORG peeled and your ears alert for maritime to benefit the work of the Ameri- 8 creatures meandering on the beach, and WED., JAN. 4 can Red Cross-Mt. Baker. 354-3851 OR WWW. MORTAL AFFECT: Vincent Stand- listen for the not-so-dulcet sounds of LYDENSKATEWAY.COM the seagulls. Of course, a daytime ex- ley reads from his satirical tome,

CURRENTS CURRENTS A Mortal Affect, at 7pm at Village cursion with the family is still accept- DEC. 29-JAN. 1 Books, 1200 11th St. CELEBRATE BELLINGHAM: In- 6 able, but if you’re the nocturnal type, 671-2626 door ice skating, horse-drawn it’s worth checking out Taylor Dock in wagon rides, open swimming, a

VIEWS VIEWS THURS., JAN. 5 the wee hours. New Year’s Eve carnival, a Resolu- SMALL FIRES: What have you Finally, those looking to educate tion Walk/Run and a Polar Dip—

4 given up in order to become who among other things—will be part PHOTO BY ROGER DOLLARHIDE youth and/or get outdoors in the waning you are? That’s the question Ju- of the annual Celebrate Belling- MAIL MAIL of one year and the waxing of another lie Marie Wade probes in her new ham evens offered for free to FOR AS many years as I can remember, the City of Belling- would do well to stop by Maritime Heri- book, Small Fires, at 7pm at Vil- community members Dec. 29-Jan.

2 lage Books, 1200 11th St. ham has made it a point to herald the coming of a new year and tage Park. In addition to the numerous 1 at a variety of venues. WWW.VILLAGEBOOKS.COM bid farewell to the old through a series of free, family-friendly amenities the waterfront park has to of- 778-7000 OR WWW.COB.ORG DO IT IT DO

events dubbed “Celebrate Bellingham!” fer—a look at the ﬁsh hatchery, strolls SAT., DEC. 31 And, while I’m conﬁdent the events on the lineup—indoor to identify plants, and the burgeoning COMMUNITY COLLAGE WORKSHOP: The .11

28 ice skating, horse-drawn wagon rides, swimming, a New Year’s Salmon Art Trail are but a few of the off- Whatcom Folk School will offer Eve celebration and the annual Resolution Run and Lake Pad- season activities that might draw your WED., DEC. 28 a “Collage Workshop: Heralding LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS: More den Polar Dip—are a ﬁne way to pass the time and perhaps interest—those who make their way in the New Year” from 1-4pm in than one million lights will be Bellingham. Instructor Alicia Wil- .06 12. even meet new friends, I’ve compiled a short list of addendums to the downtown acreage can ﬁnd out glowing at the annual “Lights of

52 lis will teach participants how to # to the roster. more about peaceful civil disobedience Christmas” celebration taking release their creativity and con- Since ”Hamsterville is currently in that strange space of time by dropping by the Occupy Bellingham place from 5-10pm at Stanwood’s nect with their intuitive, creative when the holidays aren’t quite over but the Christmas prepara- encampment—provided it’s still there Warm Beach Camp. Entry is $9- self. Entry is $20. $15. WWW.WHATCOMFOLKSCHOOL.ORG tions are (ﬁnally) completed, there’s just not as much going on. (as we were going to press, protesters WWW.WARMBEACHLIGHTS.COM Western Washington University students won’t be clogging the announced they’d received an eviction WONDERS OF WHATCOM: “Four walkways of the campus again until Jan. 3, so now is the per- notice from Bellingham Police for Wed., DEC. 28-30 Seasons in the Garden” will be RAILWAY HOLIDAYS: Gala the topic of the latest Wonders

CASCADIA WEEKLY fect time to stroll the verdant acreage without worrying you’re Dec. 28). Among the tents and teepees holiday decorations, free cook- of Whatcom series at 1:30pm at going to get caught in a steady surge of academia. Whether are those who’ll be more than happy to ies, decorated model trains and the Bellingham Public Library, 14 you’re just looking to take in the stellar views from the hill or answer questions you have about why more will be part of the seasonal 210 Central Ave. The presentation want to peruse the world-class outdoor sculpture collection— they’re there, and you might just learn fun from 12-5pm Wed.-Fri. at will feature photographs taken which represents works from the early 1960s to the present— something. “Democracy is worth it,” or- the Bellingham Railway Museum, through the year at Bellingham’s Big Rock Garden. rest assured parking will be readily available and your panora- ganizers say on their website. Find out 1320 Commercial St. Entry is $2 for children, $4 for adults, or $7 778-7323 mas will be unobstructed. for yourself if they’re right. doit STAGE WED., DEC. 28 30 30 PLAY PROPOSALS: Proposals for the Bellingham Theatre Guild’s 2012-2013 G FOOD sta e season are being accepted through Jan. 22, 2012. Anyone interested in di- THEATER DANCE PROFILES recting a full-length show during the Guild’s 84th season is welcome to ap- 24 ply, and newcomers and veterans alike are encouraged to submit. The Guild is B-BOARD looking for well-known and well-loved shows that have not been staged lo- With more than $9,000 raised as of Dec. 28, McCa- cally in the past ﬁve to seven years. rthy is keeping all her digits crossed that the remain- WWW.BELLINGHAMTHEATREGUILD.COM 22

ing monies are pledged by Sun., Jan. 8 and that, come THURS., DEC. 29 FILM spring, the ﬁrst of many theatrical collaborations will GOOD, BAD, UGLY: Watch “The Good, grace the as-yet-unknown stage. the Bad and the Ugly” at 8pm every If the venue space sounds a little iffy, it’s because Thursday at the Upfront Theatre, 1208 18 that’s meant to be a part of Little Bird Theater’s mo- Bay St. At 10pm, stick around for “The Project.” Entry is $7 for the early show, MUSIC dus operandi. Instead of having a permanent home, $4 for the late one. the pop-up theater will inhabit a single space for 733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM 16 the entire rehearsal and performance process, and then move on for the next show. FRI., DEC. 30 ART HOLIDAY THEATRESPORTS: Watch “Being mobile is a great way to keep things fresh classic games with a seasonal twist 15 15 for our audience and our designers,” says McCarthy, when teams of improvisers go head- who’s hoping to rent and utilize empty spaces in the to-head and laugh-to-laugh at Holiday STAGE STAGE urban core. “This model keeps overhead relatively Theatresports matches at 8pm and STAGE low, which makes Little Bird ﬁnancially viable. I get 10pm Fri.-Sat. at the Upfront Theatre, 1208 Bay St. Tickets are $8-$10. 14 sad when I walk by so many 733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM empty buildings in downtown

Bellingham. I’m excited to SAT., DEC. 31 WORDS bring life to some of the many NEW YEAR’S IMPROV: Look back on 2011 and forward to 2012 at high- vacant spaces around town.”

energy New Year’s Eve shows at 7pm, 12 While she won’t be paying 9pm, and 11pm at the Upfront Theatre, to build a permanent theater, 1208 Bay St. Tickets to the ﬁrst two

McCarthy says the one-time- shows are $15 and entry will be $20 for GET OUT only fundraising effort will go the ﬁnal show (includes a champagne

toast). 8 GET IT toward the theater’s building WHAT: Little Bird 733-8855 OR WWW.THEUPFRONT.COM Theater Kickstarter blocks—which includes a mo- COMEDY WINNERS: Mike Baldwin, the Campaign bile stage, lights and a sound 2011 Seattle Comedy Competition win- CURRENTS CURRENTS GOAL: $12,000 system. Remaining funds will ner, will be joined by past champions

BY: Sun., Jan. 8 provide seed money for the Marcus and David Crow for a “Best of the 6 INFO: www.little ﬁrst show, and after that the Seattle Comedy Competition” show at birdtheater.com 9pm at the Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. VIEWS VIEWS hope is the theater will be Commercial St. Tickets are $20-$24. self-sustaining. 734-6080 OR WWW. 4 Since Little Bird Theater will present mostly orig- MOUNTBAKERTHEATRE.COM

inal works, the creative collective plans to debut MAIL BY AMY KEPFERLE McCarthy’s newest play, February September (about

a single woman who decides to get pregnant, and DANCE 2 her family’s reaction) in April 2012. A handful of lo- SAT., DEC. 31 IT DO

cal actors McCarthy’s worked with at venues such as GALA CONTRA DANCE: The Bellingham Mobile Magic the iDiOM Theater, Western Washington University, Country Dance Society will host a New Year’s Eve Gala Dance from 8pm-1am at .11

and the Bellingham Theatre Guild have already com- 28 LITTLE BIRD THEATER TAKES FLIGHT Norway Hall, 1419 N. Forest St. Festive mitted to the gig, and all that remains is to get the attire is encouraged, and attendees thing off the ground. can bring ﬁnger foods to share. Entry is

WHEN SHE saw that the powers that be at the online funding plat- Once that happens, McCarthy says she wants $10 for students and $15 for adults and .06 12. 52 form known as Kickstarter had highlighted her Little Bird Theater project people who see the shows she and her creative includes non-alcoholic beverages and # on their homepage—alongside those for creative concoctions in New York, partners produce leave the theater feeling more party favors. Contra Sutra will provide live music, and Marlin Prowell will do Los Angeles, and Boston—Carolyn McCarthy knew she was a little closer to “connected and alive.” But how will she ensure the calling. realizing her dream. that happens? 676-1554 OR WWW. “My goal for a long time has been to create big-city work in a small town,” “I’ve had the most success in this realm by mak- BELLINGHAMCOUNTRYDANCE.ORG McCarthy says. “To me, that means exhibiting professionalism, having high ing myself vulnerable through my writing and SALSA PARTY: Wear your dancing shoes to Café Cubano New Year’s Eve Salsa Par-

expectations, working hard and generating stellar work. It means honoring performance,” McCarthy says. “Often, this means CASCADIA WEEKLY people’s time and talent by paying them and treating them well.” mocking myself ﬁercely while tackling the big ty happening from 8pm-1am at the Blue Horse Gallery, 301 W. Holly St. Entry will 15 To attain that lofty objective, the longtime Bellingham thespian, play- questions. The best way I’ve found to connect with be $10 at the door. wright and director is enlisting help from friends, family, fans and patrons audiences is to write about what matters most to WWW.BLUEHORSEGALLERY.COM of the arts—not to mention the far-ﬂung strangers who’ve heard about me. The best way I’ve found to connect with art- Little Bird Theater on Kickstarter’s homepage and donated dineros—to ists is to treat them with love and respect and give fund her campaign to the tune of $12,000. them an opportunity to shine.” doit EVENTS

30 30 DEC. 30-JAN. 1 HOLIDAY SALE: The Whatcom Art Guild

FOOD will host a Holiday Sale to bring in the New Year from 10am-6pm at the Art Mar- visual ket in McKenzie Alley in Fairhaven. More than 30 local artists will be showing and

24 GALLERIES OPENINGS PROFILES selling their wares. 738-8564 OR WWW.WHATCOMARTGUILD. ORG B-BOARD

furls, and that’s the color and the feeling I am ONGOING 22 22 talking about. EXHIBITS

FILM FILM CW: Many of your works are quite big. Do you prefer ALLIED ARTS: “Serene Scenes,” fea- working in a larger scale? turing the work of Lisa McShane, Vikki JC: I love working on large surfaces. I think I was in- Jackson, and Tore Ofteness, will be on 18 fluenced by the first painting I did. I was a child in display through Dec. 31 at Allied Arts, an adult painting class. We had to paint something 1418 Cornwall Ave. MUSIC WWW.ALLIEDARTS.ORG small on a five-foot canvas. I chose a hot dog. AMADEUS PROJECT: View Lanny Lit- CW: How long have you been a painter? 16 16 tle’s landscape paintings through De- JC: I have been painting for 25 years. The last 10 cember at the Amadeus Project, 1209 ART ART ART ART years, I have really gotten serious with my art ca- Cornwall Ave. reer, taking on big projects and working toward WWW.THEAMADEUSPROJECT.ORG 15 making art my full-time career. BELLINGHAM RAILWAY MUSEUM: CW: What will your Jan. 11 talk focus on, and as an The museum is open to the public from STAGE STAGE noon-5pm Tues. and Thurs.-Sat. at 1320 artist what are some of the questions you get asked Commercial St. more often? 393-7540

14 JC: My talk will be about the body of work at Chuck- BLUE HORSE: View Valerie Collymore’s anut Bay Brewery and what my next body of work “The “French Riviera Collection” paint-

WORDS will be, a show called “Poppies ings and Donald Simpson’s photographic and White.” artwork through Dec. at the Blue Horse Gallery, 301 W. Holly St. For painting, I mostly get

12 WWW.BLUEHORSEGALLERY.COM asked about my technique. I CEDARWORKS: Peruse and purchase BY AMY KEPFERLE use a lot of colors and a lot of a variety of Native American art from GET OUT layers. Often I start by paint- 10am-6pm Wed.-Sat. at the CedarWorks ing a completely abstract piece, Art Gallery, 217 Holly St. 8 . $/ and then build on that. As for 647-6933 WHAT: Paintings being an artist, the question I CHUCKANUT BREWERY: Paintings by Springtime by Julia Clifford Bellingham ar tist Julia Clif ford will be on WHEN: Through get asked the most is how do

CURRENTS CURRENTS display through Jan. 28 at the Chuckanut Jan. 28, 2012 I ﬁnd the time. I don’t see my Brewery and Kitchen, 601 W. Holly St.

6 WHERE: Chuckanut friends as much as I like, but WWW.CHUCKANUTBREWERYANDKITCHEN. in January Brewery & Kitchen, it’s what I need to do in order COM 601 W. Holly St. VIEWS VIEWS COLOPHON CAFÉ: Photos that were INFO: www. to become a full-time, ﬁnan- JULIA CLIFFORD’S FIELDS OF DREAMS submitted to the Galbraith “Shoot the chuckanutbrewery cially successful artist. 4 Trails” contest and fundraiser will be on andkitchen.com CW: Is it possible to be a full- display through December at the Colo-

MAIL MAIL ------LOTS OF people paint ﬂowers. Bellingham artist Julia Clifford time artist in Bellingham? phon Café, 1208 11th St. WHAT: Informal takes the petal process a step further, often painting renderings of JC: It is. I know a few, and some WWW.COLOPHONCAFE.COM

2 Art Talk with Julia poppies, irises and the like that not only recreate gardens of glory, but Clifford are quite ﬁnancially successful. DEMING LIBRARY: View works by art- do so in a way that invite the viewer in for a smell. They’re gargantuan I am not one, yet, but I will be. ists Beth Anna Margolis and Vikki Jack- DO IT IT DO WHEN: 7pm Wed.,

and gorgeous, and, as she says of her current exhibit at the Chuckanut Jan. 11 I work as much as I possibly can son through Dec. 30 at the Deming Li- brary, 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy. Brewery, evoke “springtime in January.” WHERE: Chuckanut after-hours and on weekends. .11 Brewery 592-2422

28 Cascadia Weekly: You paint ﬂowers and landscapes so beautifully. Are Learning how to run your own DIGS: “Here Sometimes,” Seattle art- you also a gardener? business is the biggest stumbling block for most ist Eddy Lee’s collection of emotive Julia Clifford: I’m not really a gardener, but I love visiting some close artists. I get better at it every year. In the mean- female portraiture inspired by the mu-

.06 12. friends of mine who have this amazing, slightly wild flower garden. time, I work full time doing people’s taxes. sic of Blonde Redhead, will be on dis- 52 # Their gardens inspire me the most. Then living in and driving around CW: You’re also a filmmaker and children’s book au- play through December at DIGS, 200 W. Holly St. Bellingham and Whatcom County in spring and summer, I get in- thor. Is there any medium you prefer? WWW.DIGGSSHOWROOM.COM spired every time. JC: Right now, I am fully engaged in finishing a FISHBOY GALLERY: Check out the CW: What else do you consider to be your main inspirations? five-year project, a documentary called The Fac- contemporary folk art of RR Clark from JC: I don’t know the answer fully, but I do know that I am usually in- es of Change about children of the civil rights 12-5pm every Mon.-Fri. at the FishBoy spired by moments of beauty and grace. It can be a scene or a phrase movement. It’s a fantastic story. I can’t wait to Gallery, 617 Virginia St. 714-0815 OR WWW.FISHBOYGALLERY.COM

CASCADIA WEEKLY or a story. Capturing a feeling or a moment of grace is tricky. It’s get home and work on it. That’s what happens. like putting air in a scene. When you walk into the Chuckanut Bay When I am working on one project, others pop FOG: View a variety of works by noted artists at the Fairhaven Originals Gal- 16 Brewery, the ﬁrst painting you see has this quality. into my head. When I complete one, I am ready lery, 960 Harris Ave. CW: What else is on display at the Chuckanut? to start on the others. A lot of times, I work on WWW.BELLINGHAMFOG.COM JC: The show focuses on spring. You walk in to a scene of color and more than one at a time. It’s like being a plate FOURTH CORNER FRAMES: “Earth, light. It feels like spring just as it starts to unfold. Think of that spinner, really. I keep them all moving forward Sea, Sky,” an exhibit featuring works bright green you ﬁrst see on the trees right before the leaf un- as much as possible. doit New Winter Hours start Jan 1 Get a Running Start at Open Noon Sun-Thurs/11:30am on Fri/Sat by Laurie Potter, Sharon Kingston, and Bellingham Technical College!

Rob Vetter, can be viewed through De- Enjoy Beer Specials in the Bar Sun-Fri cember at Fourth Corner Frames, 311 W. Earn College Credit in High School 30 30 Holly St. Brewery Tour Jan 22 at noon

734-1340 FOOD GALLERY WALK OF FAITH: Rosie Har- ris’ “Gallery Walk of Faith” can be viewed from 10am-5pm Tues.-Sat. and 1-4pm 24 Sun. through Dec. 30 at 221 Prospect St. WWW.GALLERYWALKOFFAITH.COM

GOOD EARTH: Julie deRouche’s Art B-BOARD Nouveau pottery can be seen through December at Good Earth Pottery, 1000 Harris Ave. 22 22 WWW.GOODEARTHPOTS.COM

HONEY: “Bs to Honey,” Bellingham art- FILM ist Tom Semple’s abstract, acrylic and mixed-media paintings, can be viewed

through Jan. 3 at Honey Salon, 310 W. 18 Holly St. For

MORE INFO: WWW.HONEYBELLINGHAM.COM MUSIC MATZKE FINE ART: “Honey, I Shrunk the Art,” a multi-artist exhibit featuring 16 small works, will be on display through For more information call 752-8459 or email: [email protected]

Jan. 28 at Camano Island’s Matzke Fine ART Art Gallery and Sculpture Park, 2345

Blanche Way. 15 16 WWW.MATZKEFINEART.COM ART ART

MONA: “The First 30 Years: MoNA Col- STAGE lects” shows through Jan. 1 at La Con- ner’s Museum of Northwest Art, 121 S.

First St. The comprehensive exhibit will 14 ﬁll every gallery on both ﬂoors of the museum. WWW.MUSEUMOFNWART.ORG WORDS MOUNT BAKERY: New works by Nancy Leshinsky will be on display through 12 Jan. 3 at the Mount Baker Café, 308 W. Champion St. WWW.ARTNORTHWEST.NET GET OUT QUILT MUSEUM: “A Quilted Garden” and

AWE: Award Winning Entries” are cur- 8 rently on display at the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum, 703 Second St. WWW.LACONNERQUILTS.COM * CURRENTS SKAGIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM: “Paint

Me A River Too! Arts Meets History Again, 6 which features more than 100 local artists reﬂecting their personal view of VIEWS VIEWS Skagit history, shows through Dec. 31 at La Conner’s Skagit County Historical 4 Museum, 501 S. 4th St.

(360) 466-3365 OR WWW.SKAGITCOUNTY. MAIL NET

ST. JOSEPH’S: “Healing Through Art: 2 Northwest Naturals” shows through DO IT IT DO January 7 at the PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center. 733-5361 OR 296-2951

.11

WATERWORKS: View small format paint- 28 ings by Lisa Gilley, David Ridgway, and Richard See through Jan. 4 at Friday Har- bor’s WaterWorks Gallery, 315 Argyle St. .06 12. WWW.WATERWORKSGALLERY.COM 52 # WHATCOM ART GUILD: From 10am-6pm every Friday through Sunday, stop by the Whatcom Art Guild’s Art Market at Fairhaven’s Waldron Building, 1314 12th St. WWW.WHATCOMARTGUILD.ORG WHATCOM MUSEUM: “Lesley Dill’s

Poetic Visions: From Shimmer to Sister CASCADIA WEEKLY Gertrude Morgan,” “Jack Carver: At the Blossom Time Parade” and “A Paper Trail: 17 Prints from the Collection” are currently on display at the Whatcom Museum’s Lightcatcher Building, 250 Flora St. WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.COM *estimate based on family of four Rumor Has It

30 30 I SUPPOSE, WITH 2012 upon us, this is the time when I should look back and try to sum some FOOD things up. By my own scattershot system of measure- music ment, it seems it was a decent year for our mu- 24 SHOW PREVIEWS ›› RUMOR HAS IT sic scene. As 2010 became 2011, Make.Shift and WhAAM were joining up via a Kickstarter cam-

B-BOARD paign to raise money for a yet-to-be-found all-ages venue and creative space. The two nonproﬁts more), which means you can dance until found a surprising home at Jinx Art Space. With 22 22 you drop—or until the world ends, which- a whole slew of shows booked in January, and

FILM FILM ever comes ﬁrst. a future that includes nothing but growth, 2012 New Year’s WHERE: 301 W. HOLLY ST. COST: $10. MORE INFO: could very well be the year the all-ages scene in WWW.RUMBANORTHWEST.COM this town ﬁnally comes into its own. 18 18 The purchase of that business afforded

MUSIC Boundary Bay Brewery: In an ever-chang- Jinx founder Michelle Schutte the time she MUSIC ing world, some things remain constant. needed to help steward another music haven One such constant: For every holiday or into existence, the Shakedown. While Hollie 16 otherwise celebratory occasion, there will Huthman and Marty Watson deserve much ART ART be a big ol’ party at Boundary Bay Brewery. credit as the undeniably hardworking owners But the holiday Boundary arguably does of the music venue, it’s been clear since its 15 best (except, perhaps, for St. Patrick’s Day) March opening that Bellingham’s best little is New Year’s Eve. This year will be no dif- rock bar is a music-scene family affair. Nearly STAGE STAGE ferent, with music from Jasmine Greene, nine months later, the Shakedown continues Snug Harbor, and more on the stage and to get a whole lot

14 Boundary’s potent award-winning beers on of things just right. tap. As ever, the icing on the New Year’s Eve Here’s hoping 2012

WORDS cake is the annual drop of the lighted keg is even bigger and at midnight, an essential part of this purely better than ever for Boundary holiday experience. the Shakedown crew, 12 WHERE: 1107 RAILROAD AVE. COST: $6. MORE INFO: and, by association,

ALL-NIGHTERS PHOTO BY MARTY BY PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO ALL-NIGHTERS WATSON/ELEMENTARY WWW.BBAYBREWERY.COM all of us.

GET OUT 2011 was not quite Cabin Tavern: If karaoke makes you feel like as successful for the 8 a rock star, imagine the megalomania kara- Green Frog. Owner BY CAREY ROSS oke with a live backing band could induce. James Hardesty made the seemingly wise de- If this sounds appealing (and even if you cision to move his wee slice of musical heaven CURRENTS CURRENTS don’t karaoke, it remains the best specta- from one side of State Street to the other—

6 tor sport around), hie thyself to the Cabin and promptly encountered a whole mess of Tavern where Uncanny Valley will bring their problems he is still trying to resolve. Howev-

VIEWS VIEWS musical instruments and impressively long er, the legendary persistence Hardesty brings song list to make you a star as 2011 becomes to bear on nearly everything he does will un- 4 2012. From LaRoux to R. Kelly, Uncanny Val- doubtedly be in evidence in 2012, and here’s

MAIL MAIL ley plays it all, all at your request. hoping we see the reemergence of the Green WHERE: 307 W. HOLLY ST. MORE INFO: WWW. Frog sooner rather than later. It is worth not-

2 PARTY ’TIL THE WORLD ENDS BY CAREY ROSS FACEBOOK.COM/CABINTAVERN ing that when Hardesty does throw open the doors of the Green Frog again, he will have DO IT IT DO

IF YOU’RE an adherent of the Mayan Calendar or just some kind of Conway Muse: You really never know who’s some welcoming musical neighbors in the general apocalypse ghoul, you may be of the mind that the upcoming going to show up at the Conway Muse. Last form of the Redlight, which now inhabits the .11

28 New Year’s Eve very well could be the last one you’ll ever celebrate. weekend, it was local favorites Flowmotion. space once occupied by Chuckanut Ridge and Hell, even if you don’t believe Judgment Day is nigh, an End of Come New Year’s Eve, it will be Tubaluba. has its grand opening New Year’s Eve. Days excuse is more than reason enough to party like you really Aside from having a band name I am forced As always, I attended many shows in 2011,

.06 12. mean it (as if it being New Year’s Eve isn’t reason enough). to say over and over again because it gives so it's a strange coincidence that the two best 52 # Per usual, Bellingham and its surrounding environs are rife with me a giggle, the Seattle band has also been shows I saw fell during the same weekend. The places to kiss 2011 goodbye (preferably with a little harmless mid- bringing funk-infused New Orleans brass first came courtesy of Portland’s School of Rock night make-out session, if you’re so inclined). So, without further band sound to the bars—and streets—for and its “modern prog” showcase. While the en- ado, let me apprise you of just some of your options to ring this New nearly two years now. But that’s just one tire thing was a display of jaw-dropping skill Year in right. of a few parties that are happening at this by the kids involved, the finale, a cover of Dog Blue Horse Gallery: I believe it was that great oracle of our tiny-but-mighty entertainment hub. The Shredder’s “Boss Rhino,” reminded me that in- spiration comes in forms both young and old. I CASCADIA WEEKLY time Britney Spears (with a little help from something called a only catch: you must to be a Muse member “Ke$ha”), who recently urged us all to “keep on dancing till the to attend. Luckily, the nice folks there will was reminded again just a couple of days later 18 world ends.” Far be it from me to question the advice of someone be more than happy to sign you up. when 60-plus-years-old Charles Bradley stormed as knowledgeable as Spears, and if you find yourself wanting to WHERE: 18444 SPRUCE/MAIN ST., CONWAY. MORE the stage at the Wild Buffalo (another venue heed her wise counsel as well, the Blue Horse Gallery is the New INFO: WWW.THECONWAYMUSE.COM that had a bangin’ year). Year’s Eve destination you seek. Because salsa dancing is on the I have no idea what 2012 has in store for us, entertainment menu there (along with cha cha, merengue, and Graham’s Restaurant: If you prefer your but it sure looks like I’m about to find out. musicevents NEW YEAR GALA for MUSE MEMBERS ONLY 3 rooms w/ Tubaluba, the space has seen, this year’s will be

NEW YEAR'S, The Friendly Lions & The Polka Dot 30 the ﬁrst the Shakedown will ring in Gang, Blessed Coast Soundsystem

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE there. As such, it’s only proper that FOOD the show be a memorable one. En- Saturday, December 31, 2011 New Year’s Eve sounds to be steeped ter the All-Nighters, who, although Tickets at the Conway Muse or in sex and straight out of the garage, wildly popular, aren’t exactly regulars 24 http://www.brownpapertickets.com you’re going to have to journey to Gla- on the show circuit these days. Their cier to get it. Because that’s where surf rock will be served up with a side David Lindley & Jim Lauderdale Tony Furtado and opening the night is Tracy Spring B-BOARD perennial faves Sugar Sugar Sugar have of the Yogoman Burning Band (and if Thursday, January 5th Saturday, January 14th landed this year, and they’re dragging you want to see a Yogo lineup that $23 advance/members, $28 at the door. $12 pre $15 all Ages Presented by Headmix Acoustic bluesman, Presented by Headmix and the Conway Muse.

the rarely seen but always beloved Star consists of Robert Blake, Sarah Jerns, and the Conway Muse. 4ICKETSATTHE#ONWAY-USE 3KAGIT6ALLEY&OOD#O OP 22 Spangled Bastards up the 542 with Aaron Harmonson, and Mars Lindgren, Tickets at the Conway Muse or or http://www.brownpapertickets.com them for what is sure to be a hot show do not miss this show, as it may not http://www.brownpapertickets.com FILM Zydeco Dance Party with Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco in this cold mountain town. happen again soon), for a night of lo- Leif Totusek’s Freestyle Playboys and opening the night is Daddy Treetops 18 WHERE: 9989 MT. BAKER HWY. MORE INFO: cal music that will end this year prop- Candela “soukous guitar, Cuban Friday, January 27th 18 WWW.SUGARSUGARSUGARMUSIC.COM erly and start the next one off right. Rumba and inspirations from $12 pre./members $15 door all Ages.

Presented by Headmix and the Conway Muse. MUSIC WHERE: 1212 N. STATE ST. COST: $15. MORE Hendrix to Haiti” MUSIC Saturday, January 7th 4ICKETSATTHE#ONWAY-USE 3KAGIT6ALLEY&OOD The Redlight: This is the night we’ve all INFO: WWW.SHAKEDOWNBELLINGHAM.COM Co-op or http://www.brownpapertickets.com Carrigaline Band been waiting for since local artist Re- 16 “modern touch on traditional irish “Banjo Extraordinaire” Danny Barnes becca Ogden and local musician Shea Wild Buffalo: If past years are any music” & Lindsay Street /PENINGTHENIGHT,ANE&ERNANDOTHE0ULLAND"E$AMNED3TRING"AND ART Hagan (Ship to Ship) took over the space judge, there’s a decent chance you’re Friday, January 13th Saturday, February 4th $12 advance/members, $15 at the door

that used to house Chuckanut Ridge. only reading this rundown to ﬁnd out 15 NEW EXCITING MENU Presented by Headmix and the Conway Muse. They’ve been hard at work transforming where Acorn Project are playing. Well, 4ICKETSATTHE#ONWAY-USE 3KAGIT6ALLEY&OOD

it into the Redlight, a wine bar and cof- read no further (read just a little fur- STAGE CHEAP DATE NIGHT Co-op or http://www.brownpapertickets.com fee roaster—make that a wine bar and ther). They’ll ring in your New Year Every Wednesday at 6pm coffee roaster featuring live music. The on what could easily be described as For just $30 you’ll get 1 appetizer, 14 space is certainly no stranger to music, their home stage at the Wild Buffalo. 2 main courses, 1 dessert The Bad Plus “rule-breaking jazz trio” and a bottle of wine or 2 pints of beer. Sunday, March 11th and its new stewards will be furthering If you’re disappointed that you’ve read 2 shows 5pm & 8pm $22 advance/members, $27 at the door a tradition lovingly nurtured by former this far and there’s been no mention Happy Hour! Presented by Headmix and the Conway Muse. Tickets at the Conway WORDS owner John Powers. Given the honor of of Polecat playing anywhere, you’ll be 7ED 4HU&RI s3AT3UN PM Muse or http://www.brownpapertickets.com playing the grand opening/New Year’s pleased to know they’ll be sharing the 6SUXFH0DLQ6WUHHW&RQZD\:DVKLQJWRQ 12 Eve celebration will be Falling Upstairs, Buff’s stage with Acorn Project, for a and something tells me you’ll want to get one-two punch of a show that will sell GET OUT there early or you won’t get in at all. out early and keep everyone dancing

WHERE: 1017 N. STATE ST. MORE INFO: WWW. potentially until the world ends, but 8 REDLIGHTWINEANDCOFFEE.COM more likely until the bar closes and 2012 is upon us.

The Shakedown: While it’s far from WHERE: 208 W. HOLLY ST. COST: $25-$20. CURRENTS the ﬁrst New Year’s Eve celebration MORE INFO: WWW.WILDBUFFALO.NET 6 VIEWS VIEWS 4

musicevents MAIL

WED., DEC. 28 SAT., DEC. 31 2 COLE ANDERSON: Award-winning pianist Cole An- THE ATLANTICS: Local “party band,” the Atlantics, DO IT IT DO derson performs the music of Brahms and Schubert will perform at tonight’s “New Year’s Eve by the Sea” at 7:30pm at the Whatcom Museum, 121 Prospect Gala from 7pm-1am at Resort Semiahmoo. Tickets are St. Suggested donation is $5. $85 and include a buffet dinner, champagne toast at .11

733-4676 OR WWW.WHATCOMMUSEUM.ORG midnight, party favors and a balloon drop. 28 WWW.SEMIAHMOO.COM THURS., DEC. 29 THE PAPERBOYS: Bellingham favorites, the Pa- BENEFIT RECITAL: Violist Colin Wheatley, who’s

perboys, return to town for a New Year’s Eve gig .06 12. currently studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of starting at 8pm at the Lairmont Manor, 405 Field- 52 Music, will perform works by Bach, Brahms, and # ston Rd. Bartok at a beneﬁt recital for the Bellingham Music 647-1444 OR WWW.THEPAPERBOYS.COM Club at 7pm at Faith Lutheran Church, 2750 McLeod RANE NOGALES: Rane Nogales brings her Jazz Big Rd. Pianist Cole Anderson will also perform. Sug- Band along for a night of dance and music starting gested donation is $10. at 8pm at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom. Tickets WWW.BELLINGHAMMUSICCLUB.ORG are $95 and include appetizers, a three-course din- PLAYING FOR MR. B: Musicians who have moved ner and a sparkling wine toast at midnight. away are coming home from New York, Los Angeles, 392-3200 CASCADIA WEEKLY Dallas, and all over Washington to take part in a BLUES UNION: The Jazz Project and Vietnam Vet- “Playing for Mr. B” concert at 8pm at Mount Ver- 19 erans of America host a fundraising New Year’s Eve non’s Lincoln Theatre, 712 S. First St. The perform- Party with Blues Union from 9pm-1am at the VFW ers are all past students of former lauded Mount Hall, 625 N. State St. Tickets are $12 in advance and Vernon High School band director Mr. John Babrai- $15 at the door. tis. Tickets are $19.50. WWW.JAZZPROJECT.ORG WWW.LINCOLNTHEATRE.ORG musicvenues 30 30 See below for venue FOOD addresses and phone 12.28.11 12.29.11 12.30.11 12.31.11 01.01.12 01.02.12 01.03.12 numbers WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

24 The Thomas Harris Café Cubano New Year's Eve Salsa Blue Horse Gallery The Thomas Harris Quintet Havilah Rand Quintet Party B-BOARD Boundary Bay Snug Harbor, Jasmine Greene, The Wayfaring Brewery more Strangers 22 22 Brown Lantern Ale Open Mic Spoonshine

FILM FILM House

Feeding Frenzy, Brandon 18 18 The Business Reid MUSIC MUSIC The Uncanny Valley New Year's Cabin Tavern Kings of the Philistines, The Reds Eve Spectacular 16

ART ART Tubaluba, The Friendly Lions, The HAVILAH RAND/Dec. 30/ Conway Muse Live Music Nick Moyer Polka Dot Gang, more Blue Horse Gallery 15

Commodore Ballroom Headstones Mother Mother Mother Mother New Year's Eve w/Famous Players STAGE STAGE

14 Edison Inn New Year's Eve w/The Clouds Live Music WORDS Beach Store Cafe //VHFOU3Et | Blue Horse Gallery 8)PMMZ4Ut | Boundary Bay Brewing Co. 3BJMSPBE"WFt]Brown Lantern Ale House$PNNFSDJBM"WF "OBDPSUFT t ]The Business$PNNFSDJBM"WF "OBDPSUFTt | Cabin Tavern8)PMMZ4Ut]Chuckanut Brewery8)PMMZ4Ut]Commodore Ballroom(SBOWJMMF4U

12 7BODPVWFSt GET OUT 8 CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL

2 DO IT IT DO

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20 WWW.NOOKSACKCASINOS.COM 9750 NORTHWOOD ROAD LYNDEN WA 877.777.9847 musicvenues 30 30

See below for venue FOOD addresses and phone 12.28.11 12.29.11 12.30.11 12.31.11 01.01.12 01.02.12 01.03.12 numbers WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY 24 Sugar Sugar Sugar, Star Spangled Graham's Restaurant Basterds B-BOARD

New Year's Eve Party w/The Penny METAL CHOCOLATES/ Honeymoon Open Mic The Prozac Mtn. Boys The Librarians The Shadies Stinkers Dec. 30/Wild Buffalo 22 FILM FILM

Main St. Bar and Grill Country Karaoke Live Music New Year's Eve Party w/Voyager 18 18 MUSIC MUSIC Poppe's DJ Bird Man DJ Clint DJ Clint 16 ART ART The Redlight Falling Upstairs 15

New Year's Eve w/Steve Raible Rockﬁsh Grill Fidalgo Swing STAGE and the Newscasters 14 Royal Lip Sync Contest DJ Jester DJ Jester DJ Jester Karaoke WORDS

Betty Desire Show, DJ Throwback Thursdays w/ DJ Postal, DJ Short-

Rumors DJ QBNZA DJ Mike Tolleson Karaoke w/Pete 12 Postal DJ Shortwave wave

New Year's Eve By the Sea w/ GET OUT Semiahmoo Resort The Atlantics (Ballroom), Jon

Mutchler (Stars) 8

Kowalski, Black Beast Revival, New Year's Eve w/The All-Night- The Shakedown Open Mic w/Jenni Potts 90s Night Tom Waits Mondays Metal Tuesday Zero Down ers, Yogoman Burning Band CURRENTS 6 Silver Reef Hotel New Year's Eve Celebration w/ City Zu Casino & Spa City Zu VIEWS 4 Rock-In the New Year w/British Steve Rutledge and Stranded Export (Showroom), Steve Rut- Skagit Valley Casino MAIL (Lounge) ledge and Stranded (Lounge)

Skylark's Chad Petersen & Friends The Julianne Thoma Quartet The Spencetet IT DO

.11

Temple Bar Bar Tabac 28 .06 12.

MOTHER MOTHER/Dec. 52 The Underground 70s Funk and Disco 80s Night DJ BamBam DJ BamBam 90s Night # 29-30/Commodore

Metal Chocolates, Bad Tenants, My Bboy Conference, JuiceBox, The Half Wild Buffalo Acorn Project, Polecat Dad Bruce, Darwin vol. 20 Bees, DJ Booger

Common Ground Coffeehouse1FBTF3PBE #VSMJOHUPOt | Conway Muse4QSVDF.BJO4U $POXBZ ]Edison Inn $BJOT$U &EJTPOt | Glow 202 E. Holly CASCADIA WEEKLY 4Ut| Fairhaven Pub & Martini Bar )BSSJT"WFt]Graham’s Restaurant.PVOU#BLFS)XZ (MBDJFSt ]Green Frog Café Acoustic Tavern/4UBUF4Ut] Honey Moon/4UBUF4Ut]Jinx Art Space 'MPSB4Ut | Main Street Bar & Grill .BJO4U 'FSOEBMFt | Nooksack River Casino.U#BLFS)XZ %FNJOHt 21 | Poppe’s-BLFXBZ%St| The Ridge Wine Bar/4UBUF4Ut]Rockﬁsh Grill $PNNFSDJBM"WF "OBDPSUFTt ]The Royal &)PMMZ4Ut]Rumors Cabaret3BJMSPBE"WFt| Semiahmoo Resort4FNJBINPP1LXZ #MBJOFt | The Shakedown /4UBUF4UtXXXTIBLFEPXOCFMMJOHIBNDPNSilver Reef Casino )BYUPO8BZ 'FSOEBMFt ]Skagit Valley Casino Resort /%BSSL-BOF #PXt ]Skylark’s Hidden Cafe UI4Ut]Swinomish Casino$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]5PHFUZPVSMJWFNVTJDMJTUJOHTJODMVEFEJOUIJTFTUFFNFEOFXTQSJOU TFOEJOGPUPDMVCT! cascadiaweekly.com. Deadlines are always at 5pm Friday. and oblivious to the effect his actions have on others, Oskar has whatever form of ﬁctionally skewed autism suits such gifted-outsider sto-

rytelling. The most relevant symptom here is

30 30 the fact that the young man fixates on a task and obsesses about it until completion, all the FOOD while rattling off thematically useful facts like film some sort of latter-day Jonathan Lipnicki. Oskar’s primary preoccupation is finding the

24 MOVIE REVIEWS ›› MOVIE SHOWTIMES lock that ﬁts a key stashed within an envelope hidden inside a blue vase stored on the top shelf

B-BOARD of his parents’ closet. For no good reason, Oskar believes the key will open some understanding into the death of his father, a jeweler named 22 22 22 Thomas Schell (Hanks) who was caught in the FILM FILM FILM FILM Twin Towers on Sept. 11. Oskar came home early from school that day and found six messages on the answering machine. Daldry shows the boy’s 18 REVIEWED BY PETER DEBRUGE face as he listens, processing the information as his dad’s recordings get progressively more MUSIC dire. Since the envelope containing the key was 16 Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close labeled “Black,” Oskar decides, as only a child ART ART might, that he should interview every New HEAVY HEARTS AND HEAVY BOOTS Yorker with the last name Black. The ﬁrst one 15 he visits is played by Viola Davis, an actress gifted enough to draw tears of identiﬁcation in STAGE STAGE a cameo as brief as this. The rest are handled mostly via montage, a blur of faces in what ap-

14 pears to be a futile search. Daldry allows audiences to believe that Os-

WORDS kar’s mother (Bullock) is either oblivious or un- caring enough to let her son go out exploring New York City alone, with only his tambourine 12 to calm him against the many things that trig- ger his anxiety. The ﬁlm uses these two shaky

GET OUT assumptions as the basis for a pair of cathar- tic twists, relying on its powerful supporting 8 cast and sheer production value to disguise the trickery involved. Though absent for much of Oskar’s quest, CURRENTS CURRENTS Bullock makes a strong impression portraying

6 a mother who can’t compete with the special bond shared by her son and husband (played by

VIEWS VIEWS Hanks as a sort of super-dad). Max von Sydow supplies an odd paternal presence as a myste- 4 rious mute ﬁgure known only as “the renter,”

MAIL MAIL who accompanies the boy on his search, com- municating via handwritten notes. Coinciden-

2 tally, the ﬁlm has the same basic foundation as the recent Hugo: Both tell the story of a boy DO IT IT DO

who has lost his father desperately looking for some last message and instead ﬁnding a surro- .11

28 gate family in the process. But whereas Martin Scorsese’s ﬁlm speeds past the tragedy—much as Foer does in his novel, focusing instead on

.06 12. MORE THAN a decade after the World Trade Center terrorist at- Thus, although Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock the need to move on—Daldry transforms the 52 # tacks, the time is right for a sensitively made studio picture that address- figure prominently in the film’s marketing cam- experience into a “where were you on 9/11” es the confusion, anger and emptiness those events forced upon New paign, audiences hoping to see the two Oscar sharing session. Yorkers. For some, Stephen Daldry’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close will winners onscreen may be surprised and disap- With its re-enactments of that fateful day, be that movie; others will reject its approach as too implausible or ma- pointed to find a story that instead focuses on Extremely Loud plays a bit too much like one nipulative to take seriously. With a heavy heart and even heavier hand, their characters’ 11-year-old son, Oskar Schell. of those perfectly lit, heart-tugging segments Daldry addresses the tragedy through the experience of a boy struggling As played by Jeopardy Kids Week champion TV networks air during the Olympics. And yet, the 9/11 imagery featured—including views of CASCADIA WEEKLY to accept the death of his father. Thomas Horn, who also narrates, Oskar is bright Because the wounds of 9/11 are still fresh for many, tackling the sub- for his age, but severely impaired when it comes the Twin Towers smoking and Tom Hanks falling 22 ject head-on requires a careful choice of material. Daldry and producer to even the simplest social interactions. through the air in slow-motion—is sure to trig- Scott Rudin have limited their risk somewhat by adapting Extremely Loud Oskar acknowledges that he might have ger wildly different responses from every person & Incredibly Close from Jonathan Safran Foer’s generally well-received Asperger syndrome: “Test results were inconclu- who sees the film, leaving audiences room to novel of the same name, which grapples with adult themes through the sive,” he says. The line gets a laugh, but the take away more than that which the filmmakers skewed understanding of a precocious young misfit. film leaves little doubt: Bullied by his peers so insistently intended for them to feel. film ›› showtimes

30 30 FOOD BY CAREY ROSS ter three ﬁlms worth of foreplay, Bella and Edward ﬁnally make sweet vampire love. I'm sure some other ★★ stuff happens too, but who cares? 1(tIS 24 FILMSHORTS NJO $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT

The Adventures of Tintin: Steven Spielberg has War Horse: See Film Short about The Adventures of B-BOARD the kind of cred and clout that suggests the only Tintin. Then marvel at the sorcery of Steven Spielberg. person who could knock this film out contention for ★★★★ 1(tISTNJO 22 22 Christmastime 2011 box-office supremacy is... Ste- $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT 22 ven Spielberg. Since the truth is never stranger than The Way: Martin Sheen stars in son Emilio Estevez's FILM FILM Hollywood, it's Tintin vs. War Horse—in other words, FILM recounting of the inspirational and affecting true Spielberg vs. Spielberg—in a head-to-head duel of story of a father trekking the Camino de Santiago in holiday releases. To the Spielberg goes the spoils, I memory of his late son. Warning: After seeing this 18 guess. ★★★★ 1(tISNJO film, you may find yourself in the grip of a sudden $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT

desire to make the pilgrimage yourself. ★★★★ (PG- MUSIC The Adventures of Tintin 3D: Now you're just rub- tISNJO bing it in, Spielberg. ★★★★ 1(tISNJO Pickford Film Center 3:30 $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT 16 We Bought a Zoo: The title pretty much sums it Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked: The up: family loses its mother. Father goes crazy with ART end of 2011 has been heralded by a smattering of grief and buys zoo. Other than the fact that it's based better-than-usual family-friendly ﬁlms. This isn't one on a true story, this movie would seem to have little 15 PGUIFN#VUJGZPVhEMJLFUPBOUFVQGPSNJOVUFT to recommend it. That is, until you ﬁnd out that it

worth of animated rodents singing at an artiﬁcially stars Matt Damon and was directed by Cameron Crowe. STAGE irritating pitch, be my guest. ★★ (tISNJO There's more to this zoo than meets the eye. ★★★ $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT 1(tISTNJO

$BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT 14 Arthur Christmas: This is the movie that aims to answer two questions—How does Santa manage to YOUNG GOETHE IN LOVE Weekend: A weekend in the life of two strangers

deliver all those presents in one night? And what hap- who meet, are attracted to each other and spend the WORDS pens if he misses someone on his list?—in madcap realm, the end result is a must-see. ★★★★ 1(t Pickford Film Center See www.pickfordﬁlmcenter.com OFYUIPVSTUPHFUIFSEPJOHUIPTFUIJOHTUIBUUIF animated fashion. ★★★★ 1(tISNJO ISTNJO for showtimes. newly attracted do. This ﬁlm is that, and a medita-

$BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT tion on the ways in which even the most insignificant 12 My Week with Marilyn: Michelle Williams is a de- encounters can have profound effects upon a person's The Darkest Hour 3D: If it isn't vampires, it's zom- Like Crazy: Long-distance first love gets a tender ceptively understated actress of stunning skill. Watch life. ★★★★ 6OSBUFEtISNJO bies. And if it isn't zombies, it's aliens. This time, treatise in this authentically wrought and heart- her dial up both the sex appeal and wounded vulner- Pickford Film Center See www.pickfordfilmcenter.com GET OUT it's aliens. They've attacked Moscow. Some attractive breakingly relatable romantic drama. ★★★★ (PG-13 ability in equal measure as she portrays inimitable for showtimes. ★★★★ young people survive the attack and live to fight an- tISNJO screen siren Marilyn Monroe. 3 t IS 8 other day. Insert special effects, too-accessible 3D Pickford Film Center See www.pickfordfilmcenter.com NJO The Women on the 6th Floor: No one can craft technology and other formulaic elements here. ★★ for showtimes. Pickford Film Center See www.pickfordfilmcenter.com a comedy of manners with the kind of style and sly 1(tISNJO for showtimes. humor that French filmmakers routinely pull off with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol: Tom Cruise $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT great deftness. This one, a story of the ways in which CURRENTS stops being a weirdo for long enough to actually make New Year's Eve: Remember that one time Holly- the lives of domestic workers intersect with those

The Descendants: Director Alexander Payne teams a movie. Can the character of Ethan Hunt extricate wood gave nearly every mediocre actor in existence a 6 they serve, is yet another fine example of that skill. up with George Clooney and a whole lot of dark humor himself from danger and resurrect Tom Cruise's box cameo in a film and called it Valentine's Day? Different ★★★★ 6OSBUFEtISNJO in what has to be an effort to win every Oscar on office clout at the same time? Or is this truly a mis- holiday, same movie. ★★ 1(tISNJO $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT VIEWS Earth this year. They've got my vote. ★★★★★ 3t sion impossible? ★★★ 1(tISTNJO $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT

ISNJO $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT Young Adult: Charlize Theron joins forces with 4 Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows: 2011 $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT Juno's Diablo Cody and Jason Reitman to play the The Muppets: If you, like me, are holding your breath will go down as the year Hollywood used Ryan Gos-

ultimate home-wrecking mean girl. Gleefully snarky MAIL The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Although the and waiting to see if this movie is going to sully your ling to try and come between me and my movie star hijinks ensue. ★★★★ 3tISNJO

Swedish version was superb, I confess a strong curi- sacred memories of the Muppets, therefore destroy- boyfriend, Robert Downey Jr. It almost worked, but

$BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT 2 osity to see what director David Fincher can bring to ing your childhood, all I can say is this: IT DOESN'T RDJ redeemed himself with this movie, thus proving bear on this weirdly compelling bestseller by author SUCK. At all. Now go forth and see it. ★★★★★ (PG himself to be more than worthy of my enduring love. Young Goethe in Love: He's a failed lawyer and DO IT IT DO Stieg Larsson. ★★★★ 3tISNJO tISNJO Also, this movie also features a plot, Jude Law and failed poet who doesn't ﬁnd either himself or his muse $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT Noomi Rapace, some stuff that blows up and prob- until his father sends him away and he has a fortu-

ably some kind of evil arch-villain, but I don't think itous but star-crossed meeting with lovely Lotte who .11 Hugo 3D: The rampant misuse of 3D in the film in- My Reincarnation: Filmed over 20 years by ac- that's what's really important here. ★★★ 1(t will change everything for him. ★★★★ 6OSBUFEt 28 dustry has left me wary of anyone who thinks they claimed documentarian Jennifer Fox, this movie ISTNJO ISNJO can employ it successfully. However, when one of chronicles the epic story of the high Tibetan Buddhist $BMMGPSUIFBUFSTBOETIPXUJNFT PFC's Limelight See www.pickfordfilmcenter.com for the world's greatest living filmmakers—Martin Scors- Master, Chpogyal Namkhai Norbu, and his Western-

showtimes. .06 12. ese—decides to apply his skills and talents to the 3D born son, Yeshi. ★★★★ 6OSBUFEtISNJO The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn—Part 1: Af- 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY

30 30 TO PLACE AN AD D

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24 YOGA YOGA MIND & BODY MIND & BODY MIND & BODY REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE REAL ESTATE

Yoga Northwest will of- emy, 414 Bakerview Rd. #110. event is free and open to the Co-Dependents Anony- Learn about Emotional fer a variety of free classes More info: www.yogawith public. More info: 671-2626 or mous meets from 7-8:30pm Freedom Techniques (EFT) B-BOARD B-BOARD B-BOARD for students new to the joani.com www.villagebooks.com every Tuesday at PeaceHealth at a variety of workshops in venue from January 2-8 at St. Joseph’s South Campus, Bellingham. More info: www. its headquarters at 1440 “Essential Remedies: 809 E. Chestnut St. Entry is by eftsettings.com 10th St.. Classes are limited Nature’s Wonder-cleaners donation. More info: 676-8588

22 22 200 to the first 25 students, so MIND & BODY and Super-germ-killers” takes A Grief Support Group meets come early to ensure your place at 6:30pm Wednesday, Intenders of the Highest at 7pm every Tuesday at the

FILM FILM spot (pre-registration is not Nancy Moore, M.Ac., L.Ac., January 11 at Mount Vernon’s Good Circle typically meets St. Luke’s Community Health required). More info: www. leads a Natural Healthcare Skagit Valley Food Co-op. Mi- at 7pm on the second Friday Education Center. The free, yoganorthwest.com Brown Bag Series focused chelle Mahler leads the class of the month at the Co-op’s drop-in support group is for

18 on “Acupuncture and Herbal (entry is free, but there’ll be a Connection Building, 1220 N. those experiencing the recent Sign up for Free Introduc- Medicine: Wellness During $5-$7 supply fee). Please reg- Forest St. Len-Erna Cotton, death of a friend or loved one. 100 ¶ tory Yoga Classes happening Difficult Times” at noon on ister in advance. More info: part of the original group in More info: 733-5877

MUSIC at 10:30am January 3-4 at the Wednesday, January 4 at Vil- www.skagitfoodcoop.com Hawaii, is the facilitator. More Affordable Chinese Martial Arts Acad- lage Books, 1200 11th St. The info: www.intenders.org A Breastfeeding Café Homes meets at 10:30am every Mon-

16 day at the Bellingham Birth More than 100 The John Holt Community School Cerise Noah Center’s Life Song Perinatal Homeowners ART ART Wellness Center, 2430 Corn- A new private school offering an REALTOR® alternative and exciting new learning wall Ave. Here, you’ll find Hundreds of breastfeeding support and reasons to say 15 Professional, encouragement, solution-fo- experience for students from Whatcom Thank You Curious about Lummi Island? knowledgeable, cused dialogue and other net- and Skagit Counties, in all grades working perks. Entry is $10. and

STAGE STAGE fun & friendly More info: www.lifesongperi- Happy Holidays Open House natal.com Thurs., Dec. 29th & Fri., Dec. 30th to work with. Christian Czingula Renew Your 14 Old Foundry Building leads an “Introduction to Membership 100 E. Maple St., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Ayurveda” from 6:30-8:30pm Windermere Real Estate Whatcom, Inc. Wednesday, January 11 at New Address WORDS 1303 Commercial St. #6 Enroll Anytime More Information: the Community Food Co-op’s Connection Building, 1220 N. Call Resident (360) 595-2630 email: [email protected] (360) 393-5826 Forest St. The event is free, www.KulshanCLT.org 360-671-5600, ext. 5 12 www.thejohnholtcommunityschool.com [email protected] but registration is required. Specialists at: Participants will learn more about the healing modal- 360-758-2094 or ity from India, which literally GET OUT means “the science of life.” lummiislandrealty.com More info: 734-8158 8 Sudoku 300 MEDITATION 900 900 900 HOW TO SUDOKU: Arrange the digits 1-9 in such a way that each LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE CURRENTS CURRENTS A Reiki Energy Share and digit occurs only once in each row, only once in each column, and Sound Healing Circle happens 6 only once in each box. Try it! from 6-7pm on the fourth Mon- IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON day of every month at Jiva Yogi Wellness, 1109 Cowgill Ave. FOR WHATCOM COUNTY VIEWS VIEWS Suggested donation is $5. More info: www.jiva-yogi.net Chicago Title Insurance Company, an insurance corporation,

4 485 7 3 9 Plaintiff/Interpleader, Attend a Meditation Hour vs. from 5:30-6:30pm every first MAIL MAIL and third Wednesday of the The Estate of William L. Kinder, Gloria Kinder, Personal Representative month at psychic Jill Miller’s

1 and Randy J. Kinder, Defendant/Sellers, and Curtis Brewer and Lisa Bishop, 2 offices at 1304 Meador Ave. Entry is $5. No registration Defendant/Buyers. is required, but please be on DO IT IT DO

NO. 11-2-02357-1 2 5 3 4 time, as the doors will close right at 5:30. More info: www. The State of Washington to the said RANDY J. KINDER, defendant: jillmillerpsychic.com .11 You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty (60) days after the 28 8 3 7 2 4 Attend a Healing hour at date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty (60) 5:30pm every second and fourth Wednesday of the days after the 14th day of December, 2011 and defend the above- month at psychic Jill Miller’s entitled action in the above-entitled court, and answer the complaint .06 12. offices at 1304 Meador Ave.

52 5 of the plaintiffs, Chicago Title Insurance Company, and serve a copy of

# Entry is $5. No registration is required. More info: www. your answer upon the undersigned attorneys for plaintiffs, Thomas D. jillmillerpsychic.com Sandstrom, of the Law Offices of Skinner & Saar, P.S., at their office 6 1 8 3 9 The Bellingham Shambha- below stated; and in case of your failure to do so, judgment will be la Meditation Center hosts an rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, open house and introductory talk at 7pm most Mondays at which has been filed with the clerk of said court. The objective of this 9 3 1 its digs on the third floor of the action is to discharge plaintiff’s obligations to defendant seller and Masonic Hall, 1101 N. State St.

CASCADIA WEEKLY defendant buyer and require the defendants be interpled and settle A variety of meetings and workshops happen through- between themselves any rights to earnest money deposited with 24 7 2 4 out the week. More info: plaintiff pursuant to a real estate transaction that failed to close. 483-4526 or www.bellingham. shambhala.org DATED this 6th day of December, 2011. 4 3 6 7 8 LAW OFFICE OF SKINNER & SAAR, P.S. CALENDAR@ Thomas D. Sandstrom / #41370 CALENDAR@ CASCADIAWEEKLY.COM CASCADIAWEEKLY.COM Attorneys for plaintiff/interpleader

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Matt Van Dyke, L.Ac., leads body’s innate healing abili- clothes and bring an exercise info: www.joyofpilates.net a Qi Gong class at 9am Sat- ties. Entry is free. More info: mat or blanket, pillow and wa-

urday, January 7 at Mount www.skagitfoodcoop.com ter. More info: 383-3200 A Reiki Share begins at CASCADIA WEEKLY Vernons’ Skagit Valley Food 6:30pm Monday, January 16 at Co-op. Qi Gong consists of “Pilates: An Introductory Joy of Pilates will host an Mount Vernon’s Skagit Valley 25 a series of gentle, rhythmic Workshop” happens from Anniversary Celebration from Food Co-op. They are a great exercises which mirror na- 5:30-7:15pm Wednesday, Jan- 4-7pm Saturday, January 14 at way for the curious to expe- ture, especially the fluidity uary 11 at the Whatcom Com- the studio located at 209 Pros- rience Energy healing and of water. These exercises are munity College. The event, pect St. (suite #4). Free chair for the seasoned healers to uniquely suited to relieving which is led by Hannah Lind- massages, light refreshments, practice and offer their gifts stress, boosting the immune berg, is free, but registration contests and door prizes will to others. More info: www. system, and increasing the is required. Wear comfortable be part of the festivities. More skagitfoodcoop.com arts, entertainment, news DIVORCE and FAMILY LAW MARRIAGES AND DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS of your possibilities in the coming months. As you seek out the resources that will help you follow your Child Custody and Visitation BY ROB BREZSNY dreams, be prepared to look beyond what you already 30 30 Dividing Property and Debts know and what’s immediately available. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Professional basket- FOOD Alimony and Child Support FREE WILL ball player Ron Artest petitioned the court to let him Traditional and Collaborative Representations change his name to “Metta World Peace.” “Metta” is a Buddhist term that signiﬁes loving-kindness and $350 Flat Fee Advice Packages Also Available 24

benevolence. When the new moniker finally became 24 ASTROLOGY Daniel Sobel - VISIT WWW.DANIELSOBEL.COM TO LEARN MORE official, Metta World Peace sealed a radical shift Family Lawyer FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION (360) 510-7816 ARIES (March 21-April 19): In North America, a away from his old way of doing things, symbolized farmer who grows wheat gets only five percent of the by the time he leaped into the stands in the middle B-BOARD B-BOARD B-BOARD money earned by selling a loaf of bread made from his of a game to punch a fan in the head. The com- crop. When my band recorded an album for MCA, our ing months will be an excellent time for you Libras contract called for us to receive just seven percent of to initiate a rite of passage that will expedite an 22 22 the net profits. I encourage you to push for a much equally dramatic transformation. bigger share than that for the work you do in 2012. It SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Many of the ques-

FILM FILM s(OUSEHOLD Quality Household Furnishings will be an excellent time to raise the levels of respect tions we had as children never got resolved or an- s&URNITURE you have for your own gifts, skills, and products—and swered to our satisfaction. They still remain mari- #ONSIGNBY!PPOINTMENT to ask for that increased respect, as well. nating in the back of our minds. Meanwhile, fresh 18 s/UTDOOR TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For much of the queries keep welling up within us as the years go by. s#OLLECTIBLES 360-650-1177 19th century, aluminum was regarded as a precious After a while, we’ve got a huge collection of enig- MUSIC metal more valuable than gold. It was even used for mas, riddles, and conundrums. Some of us regard this s!NTIQUES #ORNWALL!VENUEs"ELLINGHAM 7! the capstone of the Washington Monument, dedi- as a tangled problem that weighs us down, while cated in 1884. The reason for this curiosity? Until others see it as a sparkly delight that keeps making 16 s!RT-ORE AM PM -ONDAYTHROUGH3ATURDAY the 1890s, it was difﬁcult and expensive to extract life more and more interesting. Where do you stand

ART ART aluminum from its ore. Then a new technology was on the issue, Scorpio? If you’re in the latter group, developed that made the process very cheap. In you will be fully open to the experiences that will be 2012, Taurus, I’m predicting a metaphorically similar ﬂowing your way in 2012. And that means you will 15 progression in your own life. A goodie or an asset be blessed with a host of sumptuous and catalytic will become more freely available to you because of new questions. STAGE STAGE your increased ability to separate it from the slag SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The ﬁrst half it’s mixed with. of 2012 will be an excellent time to for you to exor- GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The coming year cize any prejudices you might be harboring toward 14 will be a good time for you to consider investigating anyone who lives or thinks differently from you. the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Devotees You’ll be able to see your own irrational biases with of this religion call themselves Pastafarians. Their

WORDS exceptional clarity, and are also likely to have excep- main dogma is the wisdom of rejecting all dogma. tional success at scouring yourself free of them. This Having such a light-hearted approach to spiritual will give you access to new reserves of psychic en- matters would be quite healthy for you to experi- ergy you didn’t even realize you were shut off from. 12 ment with. For extra credit, you could draw inspi- (P.S. I’m not saying you possess more intolerance or ration from a church member named Niko Alm. He narrow-mindedness than any of the rest of us. It’s convinced authorities to allow him to wear a pasta just that this is your time to deal brilliantly with GET OUT Stock up Now! strainer on his head for his driver’s license photo. your share of it.) Closing December 31st for the Season Having a jaunty approach to ofﬁcial requirements 8 CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In Botticelli’s and formal necessities will also serve you well. painting “The Birth of Venus,” the goddess of beauty CANCER (June 21-July 22): Terrence Malick’s and love is shown arriving on dry land for the ﬁrst Tree of Life is an ambitious work that deviates from time after having been born in the ocean. Naked,

CURRENTS CURRENTS formulaic approaches to ﬁlm-making. Some observ- she is trying to cover her private parts with her hand ers hated its experimental invocation of big ideas, and thigh-length hair. Her attendant, a fully clothed

6 while others approved. New York Times critic A.O. nymph, is bringing a cloak to cover her up. Analyz- Apple pies, fresh cider, caramel apples, country gifts, Scott compared the movie to Herman Melville’s ing this scene, art critic Sister Wendy suggests it’s

VIEWS VIEWS & distinctive local foods Visit www.bellewoodapples.com Moby Dick, one of America’s great works of litera- actually quite sad. It symbolizes the fact that since ture. Here’s what Scott wrote: “Mr. Malick might we humans can’t bear the confrontation with sub-

4 Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Sonata, Orin, Boskoop, & Fuji have been well advised to leave out the dinosaurs lime beauty, we must always keep it partly hidden. and the trip to the afterlife and given us a delicate Your assignment in the coming year, Capricorn, is

MAIL MAIL chronicle of a young man’s struggle with his father to overcome this inhibition. I invite you to retrain Percocet, OxyContin, Heroin? and himself. And perhaps Melville should have sup- yourself so that you can thrive in the presence of pressed his philosophizing impulses and written a intense, amazing, and transformative beauty. 2 Opiate Dependent - Addicted? lively tale of a whaling voyage.” Using this as a AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The coming template, Cancerian, I urge you to treat 2012 as DO IT IT DO

months will be an excellent time to take an inventory Medication assisted treatment with Buprenorphine, Counseling a time when you will be like Melville and Malick of your life to determine whether there are any ways in your chosen ﬁeld. Trust your daring, expansive in which you act like a slave. Do you ﬁnd it hard to

.11 and support available for those seriously wanting recovery. vision. defeat an addiction that saps your energy and weak- 28 LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I love the way they ens your ability to live the life you want? Are there Call: 676-2187 ext. 134 celebrate the New Year in Stonehaven, Scotland. A institutions that you help sustain even though they Cascade Addiction Medicine & procession of revelers swings big ﬂaming baskets cause harm to you and others? Is it hard for you to

.06 12. around on the ends of long chains. I recommend that change or end your relationships with people who

52 Catholic Community Services Recovery Center you carry out a comparable ritual as you barge into are no damn good for you? Are you trapped in a role # 2012, Leo. Symbolically speaking, it would set the or behavior that is at odds with your high ideals? perfect tone. The coming months should be a kind Discover what these oppressors are, Aquarius—and of extended ﬁre festival for you—a time when you then summon all your intelligence and willpower to Family Law Attorney faithfully stoke the blaze in your belly, the radiance escape them. with 18 years experience Collaborative in your eyes, and the brilliance in your heart. Are PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): California engineer you ready to bring all the heat and light you can Ron Patrick put a jet engine in his silver VW Beetle. We Care about Your to the next phase of your master plan? I hope so. Now he’s got a 1,450-horsepower vehicle—but it’s Divorce Burn, baby, burn. CASCADIA WEEKLY Children’s Well-Being not legal for him to drive on public highways. In (360) 647-8897 VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Historian David the coming year, Pisces, I suspect you’ll be tempted Settle Your Case 26 [email protected] McCullough wrote The Greater Journey, a book tell- to try something similar: create a dynamic tool with Without Going to Court ing the stories of ambitious young American artists a modest appearance or a turbo-charged source of 1010 Harris Ave. #201 who relocated to Paris between 1830 and 1900. They energy in a deceptively small package. But if you Free Consultation Bellingham had to move away because their home country had do, please make sure that you can actually use it to Patrick Gallery no museums or art schools at that time. You Virgos improve your ability to get around and make your Divorce With Dignity & Mutual Respect may want to consider seeking a similar enlargement life better. rearEnd ›› ”The Worst of 2011” — it’s year-end, my friend — by Matt Jones

empty 42 Rowing machine 33 Cote d’Ivoire’s 63 Tackle box item 30 prime minister turned hair acces- 24 Crazy Horse’s unit FOOD Guillaume ___ sory that was one group of Sioux 44 “Was ___ das?” (hidden in WIND- of Yahoo!’s “Worst 26 Org. for an admiral 45 Actor Ethan 24

27 Word with a com- 49 Wax removers SOR, ONTARIO) Trends of 2011” 24 34 Metacritic’s 66 Health care assn. mon origin 50 Milquetoast 28 Athlete’s knee 51 Medium where B-BOARD

lowest-rated Fall 67 Come up B-BOARD injury site, often addresses include 2011 TV show 68 Sing from the 29 Take third place “@” 39 “Nice haircut...did mountaintops

30 Secretly is conspir- 52 Rizzo of “Midnight 22 you ___ bet?” 69 Neighbor of Isr. ing against Cowboy”

40 Dorm leaders 70 Underneath FILM 32 Michael of “Ar- 54 Grain holders 41 Artless 71 Persuasive piece rested Develop- 57 Take some tabacky

43 His “Seeking Major 18 Down ment” 59 Chums Tom” made Pitch- 35 Approve some- 60 Section 1 Pilgrim to Mecca MUSIC fork’s “Worst Album 2 “Woe be unto me!” thing again on 61 Count (on) Covers of 2011” list 3 Excellent Facebook 63 Laundry detergent 16 46 Kettle Brand’s line 36 Late comedian brand 4 1997 David Sedaris ART of corn chips book Kinison 64 Before, to poets 47 Skin art, slangily 5 Simile center 37 Helper, for short 65 Reuben bread 15 48 Chang’s Siamese 6 Guns, in old slang 38 Cinematographer ©2012 Jonesin’

twin STAGE 7 ___ d’art Nykvist Crosswords 49 Doomed Netﬂix 8 Company with a

offshoot on CNET’s green mascot Last Week’s Puzzle 14 “20 Worst-Named 9 Course for immi-

Across 17 Adam Sandler 23 Scrappy-___ Tech Products” grants: abbr. WORDS 1 ___-Barbera car- cringefest that (crime-ﬁghting 53 “The Darjeeling 10 Abbr. on a busi-

toons topped many pup) Limited” director ness card 12 6 Thesaurus guy “Worst Movie of 25 HP tablet released Anderson 11 Gymnastics 11 Fight determina- 2011” lists in July 2011, then 55 Fork point event in the GET OUT tion 19 “Who ___ you kid- discontinued six 56 Brand of big rig Olympics 14 Another name for ding?” weeks later (then 58 Steel beam named 12 Seoul’s location 8 a person 20 “Very interest- revived later in the for the letter it 13 How hair may 15 With a BMI over ing...” year!) resembles stand CURRENTS CURRENTS 30 21 “Hey, wait ___!” 28 Leftover in a tray 62 Dominique 18 Supermodel 16 Burgundy played 22 U.S. Treasury 31 Yukon manufac- Strauss-Kahn’s Campbell 6 by Will Ferrell agents turer former org. 22 It may be VIEWS VIEWS 4

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8 THANK YOU for Thinking Local First! this Holiday Season! CURRENTS CURRENTS 6 VIEWS VIEWS 4 MAIL MAIL

2 DO IT IT DO

.11 28 .06 12. 52 #

Your commitment to Thinking Local First keeps our community unique and our economy strong!

For a directory of local, independently owned businesses visit CASCADIA WEEKLY www.sustainableconnections.org/directory 28

Choose local business taking action for a healthy community. NOW SHOWING DEC 30-JAN 5 BY AMY ALKON just bailing and to get so caught up in

the momentum of your efforts that you

neglect to consider whether the thing 30 THE ADVICE should just be put out on the curb. In continuing to get in bed with a man FOOD GODDESS who can keep his hands off you and pretty 24

much does, you’re a co-conspirator in HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Due to studio closures and 24 BRIEF-STRICKEN your feeling like crap. It’s really dam- print deadlines, please see our web or weekly email for this week’s times, starting 12/30. B-BOARD A divorced male friend and I recently aging to be with somebody who isn’t B-BOARD www.pickfordfilmcenter.org or sign up for our became “friends with benefits.” How- into you. Even in an FWB situation, you weekly email -- it’s free! Send ‘subscribe’ to ever, I’m not receiving the same, uh, need a man who finds you hot—or at [email protected] level of benefits as he is. He isn’t giving least is enough of a friend to give you 22 me orgasms from intercourse, and his the sense that he’s undressing you with

My Reincarnation (NR) HD/100m. NEW! FILM pleasuring of me is measured in seconds his eyes, not using them to drop a re- Tibetan Buddhist Master Choogyal Namkhai Norbu rather than minutes, despite my telling frigerator box over you. watches as his western-born son, Yeshi, who was 18 him this is a problem. (I haven’t felt this recognized at birth as the reincarnation of a famous spiritual master, considers departing from tradition pressure before: “You’ve got 60 seconds EPIC FRAIL to embrace the modern world. “Languid and MUSIC to orgasm!”) He also keeps reminding me I’ve had a crush on a guy who’s been contemplative, the film is typical of the intimate, that he doesn’t want any kind of commit- ﬂirting with me at my neighborhood

paired-down aspect of Fox’s style, a documentary in 16 ment. I get that, and I keep telling him coffeehouse. Today, he sat by the door, which lives accumulate in small moments.” LA Times so, but he’s persisted with the warnings to watching as four elderly people struggled ART the point where I have to say stuff like, to go out—a couple pushing walkers and, My Week with Marilyn (R) 35mm/99m. HELD “I hear and understand the boundaries about five minutes later, a couple who “[Williams’] performance is both an eerie imitation 15 of this relationship and am in agreement were all hunched over and using canes. I and a touching revelation.” St. Louis Post-Dispatch STAGE STAGE with them.” I’ve known him since we were was seated in the back, but when I saw Like Crazy (PG-13) 35mm/90m. LATE ONLY 8, and he isn’t a player. Part of me thinks nobody was helping them, I ran over and “...a romantic drama that makes other romantic he isn’t attracted to me. He’s fit and held the door. Is his behavior a clear sign films look obvious and calculated in comparison.” 14 I’m…less-than-fit and have big boobs, that he’d be bad boyfriend material?

and I think they freak him out. However, —Door Closing Weekend (NR) HD/97m. NEW! WORDS out of bed, we laugh and have fun and “There is also a need for stories that address the connect. Oh, what to do… —Bothered Sometimes it’s hard to know what to complex entanglements of love and sex honestly, do when you see somebody in need. without sentiment or cynicism and with the 12 appropriate mixture of humor, sympathy and erotic This guy treats pleasuring you like A person falls down on the sidewalk heat. Weekend, Andrew Haigh’s astonishingly self- it’s something on a chore wheel. in front of you. Do you just step over assured, unassumingly profound second feature, is GET OUT Bizarrely, you’re in “friends with ben- him? Or do you stop and take his wal- just such a film.” New York Times efits” relationship that’s short on bene- let and then step over him? In as- 8 fits, which is like buying a blender that sessing people, I tend to go with F. The Way (PG-13) 35m./123m. RETURNS doesn’t blend, a Cuisinart that doesn’t Scott Fitzgerald’s notion: “Action is “Audiences seeking uplift will find it here.” Ebert cuise. Unfortunately, the elusive fe- character.” Or, in this case, inaction. CURRENTS male orgasm is especially persnickety I personally don’t know how you sit 6 when one’s partner sets up a sexual back and enjoy the view as a parade NEW PICKFORD FILM CENTER: 1318 Bay St. | 360.738.0735 | PickfordFilmCenter.org ambience reminiscent of one of those of infirm elderly people struggle out Open 1pm-Close Mon-Fri & 30 Min Before First Showtime on Sat-Sun VIEWS movies where Bruce Willis and Samuel a door, but I do know that things L. Jackson are staring down a ticking aren’t always as they seem. Maybe it Join us for a drink before your movie! Mary’s Happy Hour: 4-6pm, M-F $2 Beer/$3 Wine 4

time bomb: “Hey, baby, just relax, lay looked like he was looking but he was MAIL back and let it happen—anytime be- in some sort of fugue state. Maybe fore this kitchen timer I’ve placed on he has a cranky, independent granny NOW SHOWING DEC 30-JAN 5 2 your nightstand strikes :60!” who sees any help as an insult: “Why at PFC’s Limelight Cinema DO IT IT DO Sure, poor Booboo might have nig- don’tcha just throw me in a hole and at 1416 Cornwall gling fears you’ll get attached, but it stick a wreath over my head?!” If Check out our old theater’s .11

isn’t like you’re buying baby clothes and you end up going out with him, do revamped new space! 28 leaving wedding magazines around. what you should with any guy you It’s unlikely he’d force numerous icky date: Look closely at his behavior, conversations about boundaries on especially when he thinks nobody’s .06 12. 52 some chickie of his more recent ac- watching. Be honest with yourself if # quaintance. But, probably because he’s it seems a fundamental lack of em- known you forever, he feels free to go pathy kept him in his seat—much The Women on the 6th Floor (NR) 104m. manners-optional and let his worries as you’d like to believe that there’s “The French have a knack for it. They’ve been all hang out: “Don’t take your coat off. a rash of pranksters going around to making funny and agreeable movie farces for You won’t be staying. And by the way, coffeehouses and gluing all the hot forever, and seeing [this film] makes you hope I’d prefer if you’d fake your orgasms. It guys’ feet to the floor. they’ll never stop.” LA Times CASCADIA WEEKLY would be so much less work for me.” Young Goethe in Love (NR) 100m. Yep, this boy toy of yours is a real ©2011, Amy Alkon, all rights reserved. “A delight on its own terms, even if it has little 29 animal in bed—a rat gnawing away at Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 to do with the real Goethe; here is a randy your self-confidence. Why are you still Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA young man not a million miles apart from Tom involved with him? Well, there’s a ten- 90405, or e-mail [email protected] Jones.” Roger Ebert dency to try to fix a thing instead of (www.advicegoddess.com) response to contamination events from previous years, but it set the tone for the year to come as well. The year’s number one story

was the cantaloupe-borne listeria that killed 30 30

30 30 people, while Cargill’s 36-million-pound turkey recall took fourth. FOOD FOOD The food-safety bill has yet to stem the chow tide of factory-farm-borne disease, but it’s already created problems for small farmers, who

24 RECIPES REVIEWS PROFILES are ﬁnding themselves overwhelmed with the so-called Good Agricultural Practices the bill

B-BOARD mandates. County and university extension agents are scrambling to set up web pages to help deal with the surge of annoyed farmers 22 22 BY ARI LEVAUX trying to follow the new rules.

FILM FILM Perhaps the most bafﬂing entry on the Hunter list was a food-safety issue of a different sort: the USDA lowered the internal 18 Hard to Swallow temperature requirements for commercially MUSIC THE YEAR IN FOOD 16

ART ART WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT AMERICA THAT 15 MEDIUM-RARE PORK STAGE STAGE IS BIGGER NEWS THAN

14 TENS OF THOUSANDS OF

WORDS NORTH AFRICANS THAT STARVED THIS YEAR? 12 GET OUT served pork from 160 to 145 degrees. Per- 8 haps the masses are anticipating moister pork loin whilst out on the town. I doubt many members of the general public even CURRENTS CURRENTS own a meat thermometer for home cooking.

6 What does it say about America that medium-rare pork is bigger news than tens of

VIEWS VIEWS thousands of North Africans that starved this year from a harsh mix of drought and war? But 4 then, most Africans probably wouldn’t rank

MAIL MAIL Michelle Obama’s MyPlate nutritional guide as their #2 news story of the year, either.

2 The only place North African starvation intersects with the Hunter list is in posi- DO IT IT DO

EVERY DECEMBER for the last nine years, the Hunter PR firm has on news coverage. Forty-five percent were tion # 3: record-breaking global food prices. announced the results of a nationwide survey of Americans’ picks for the influenced to cook more at home. Who can And prices might just go higher. The world’s .11

28 top 10 food news stories of the year. The list says as much about the media blame them? population is growing, the land base isn’t, that writes the headlines as it does about the people who remember them. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act was speculation on food commodities is virtually The survey also investigated how Americans respond to the news, and signed Jan. 4, a milestone that took sixth unregulated, we’re eating more meat, and se-

.06 12. found that 61 percent of those surveyed changed their food habits based place on the Hunter survey. The bill was in vere weather events are wreaking havoc on 52 # CASCADIA WEEKLY

30 crops with greater frequency than ever. tential to destroy important sectors of Half of Hunter’s top 10 involved nutri- the organic industry. tional issues. This can be encouraging Agency support for biotech grew even and frustrating. It’s important to get as evidence came to light of the health 30 30 people thinking about nutrition, and and environmental hazards of geneti- 34 FOOD mandatory nutritional labeling of chain cally modiﬁed crops. Several studies FOOD restaurant menus (#5), for example, may found that consumption of GM corn encourage that. But we still have to ap- and soybeans causes signiﬁcant organ %":40/-: ply critical thinking to the numbers, disruptions in rats and mice. And there +"/6"3: 24 and even understanding the numbers is so much evidence that Monsanto’s can be derailed by a faulty premise. rootworm resistant corn plant is breed- B-BOARD Two of the most envelope-pushing ing GM corn-resistant rootworms, you’d 4UBSU nutrition stories on the Hunter list think former Monsanto lawyers were GPS evolved from court cases. In slot #9, writing the USDA’s regulations. (Which QMVTHFUGSJFOEQBTTFT 22 General Mills is being sued for market- they are.) 0GGFSWBMJEXJUINPOUISFHJTUSBUJPO 0UIFSSFTUSJDUJPOTNBZBQQMZ ing sugary fruit leather as health food, Recent surveys have shown more than FILM #FMMJOHIBN+B[[FSDJTF $PSOXBMM"WF FBTZQBSLJOH when such formulations are in fact reci- 90 percent of Americans want labels CFMMJOHIBNKB[[FSDJTFDPN 3FHJTUFSBUKB[[FSDJTFDPN *OQFSTPOPSCZQIPOF

4BUVSEBZBNBN 18 pes for obesity. on their food indicating whether it in- 4VOEBZBNBNQNQN .POEBZBNQNQNQN In another child obesity story (#8), cludes genetically modified ingredients. $IJMEDBSFBWBJMBCMF.POEBZ'SJEBZBUPVSBNDMBTT 5PMFBSONPSFWJTJU Ohio courts removed a 200-pound I wouldn’t be surprised if in 2012 this KB[[FSDJTFDPNTVQFSTBMF MUSIC 8-year-old boy from his Cleveland home. vast majority will finally get its wish. A $IFSZM#VSLF 5XPUJNF$IBNQJPO %BODJOHXJUIUIF4UBST The move was justified on the basis of broad coalition of organizations, led by 16 KB[[FSDJTFDPNt '*5*4*5 imminent health risk, including diabetes, the Center for Food Safety, has launched ART heart problems and other forms of early Just Label It, a campaign aiming to ei-

death and disability. Poor nutrition, ac- ther convince the FDA to mandate la- 15 cording to the court, can equal neglect. beling, or convince President Obama to

And now, here’s a rundown of a few make the agency do it. The campaign STAGE important stories that escaped the has momentum, public support and an YOGA Hunter survey’s radar. election year on its side. NORTHWESTsince 1979

THE B.K.S. IYENGAR YOGA CENTER OF BELLINGHAM 14 Prices fetched by Midwestern agri- This year saw the food police em- cultural land hit record heights, with powered by FDA’s Food Modernization WORDS choice parts of Iowa breaking $20,000 Act, and they repeatedly clashed with FreeJan Classes 2 - 8 an acre thanks in part to the market for locavores. The Rawesome food-buying corn-based ethanol. Today farmers can club was raided and shut down by fed- 12 essentially grow bushels of gasoline in eral and Los Angeles County officials for their cornfields. But the writing is on selling raw milk, a crime that has been GET OUT the wall for the industry: political sup- prosecuted in various ways elsewhere New Student port for corn-based ethanol subsidies is around the nation. Winter12-week Session 8 crumbling, and $6 billion in subsidies Regulations designed to address the Discount Jan 9 - Apr 1 are in danger of being dropped from profit-chasing ways of big food corpora- $20 Off! next year’s farm bill. tions don’t currently leave much room CURRENTS Dramas over biotechnology provided to operate for small farmers and con- 6 no shortage of important headlines this sumers. Producers are being strangled Check our website: for our free and winter class schedules. past year. Despite overwhelming oppo- by red tape, while the people looking Voted VIEWS VIEWS sition from public comments, agency to buy their food can’t do so without yoganorthwest.com Best Yoga 360.647.0712 1440 10th Street Historic Fairhaven Bellingham in Bellingham scientists and even a few pesky court breaking some law. 4 rulings, USDA and FDA only increased This kind of meddling in our mouths their efforts to improve the bottom won’t fly in America. Expect such clash- MAIL

lines of genetically modiﬁed (GM) crop es to continue until food safety laws are 2 companies. Such agency advocacy in- modiﬁed to allow small-scale, local ag- DO IT IT DO cluded the approval of GM alfalfa and riculture to thrive in peace, unmolested sugar beets, which both have the po- by bureaucrats. .11 28 .06 12. 52

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