Pickford patrons enjoy a beer with their film

Beginning Feb. 17, Pickford Film Center permits the consumption of beer and wine in its designated 21 and older theater.   Bellingham moviegoers requested that Pickford Film Center allow people to take their alcoholic beverages from the lobby into the theater to watch the film. 

Pickford Film Center got the approval to allow the consumption of beer and wine from The Washington State Liquor Control Board. 

To get this approval, Pickford Film Center was required to designate one of their two theaters as a 21 and older room at all times.  Pickford Film Center decided to go along with this requirement due to the public support for being able to have a glass of wine or beer along with their other concessions items while watching a film, according to Pickford Film Center’s website.

Pickford Film Center was founded in 1998 by a small group of film fans and has been playing independent, foreign and documentary films at 1318 Bay St. ever since.

Until now, alcohol was only permitted in the lobby of the theater, Alice Clark Pickford Film Center’s Executive Director said.

“Serving beer and wine is a strategy non-profit arts leaders have adopted to keep their doors open,” Michael Falter, Pickford Film Center program director said. 

Across the country many theaters are beginning to allow alcohol in their theaters as a way to entice people into going out to see a film, rather than stay at home.

“We believe that if patrons can have a drink at home, then there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to have that same experience at Pickford Film Center,” Falter said. 

Many of Pickford Film Center’s staff was inspired to pursue getting a permit so that people could take their alcoholic drinks into the theater because they had been to other theaters that had allowed this.

Falter traveled to Europe 25 years ago and noticed almost all theaters served beer and wine.

“I couldn’t wonder why American theaters couldn’t offer the same experience,” Falter said.

With the new policy in place, many Bellingham residents have been able to enjoy this new way of watching a film.

“So far we have 95 percent praise for the freedom to have a drink in our theater,” Falter said.  “Most people are here to watch a movie, so the alcohol is simply an adjunct to that experience.”

Western student Rae Parks recently went to a showing of “The Love of Beer,” which was played in the 21 and older theater.

“It’s really fun to bring beer into a theater,” said Parks.  “I have never been to a theater where that was allowed before so I will definitely go again.”

Those who have responded with questions are concerned about access for people under 21 years old, which is something Falter has concerns about too.

“We want to remain all ages on all screens, and that’s our ultimate goal,” Falter said.

Rep. Jim Moeller (D-Vancouver) proposed a new bill that would allow minors and people over 21 drinking alcohol to watch a movie in the same theater.

Until Moeller’s bill passes, Pickford Film Center is trying to make sure all of their major features, such as silent film “The Artist,” have at least a week in the all-ages theater.

Some other films that are currently being shown at Pickford Film Center are “A Separation,” which received an Oscar nomination and also “Forty Guns.”  “Forty Guns” will be shown in the 21 and over theater on March 15. 

Businesses struggling on Cornwall Avenue

Cornwall Avenue, located in downtown Bellingham, has not been thriving with business recently, said Brianne Beets social media intern at The Downtown Bellingham Partnership.  The high turnover of stores has The Downtown Bellingham Partnership worried.  They moved from Cornwall Avenue to Magnolia Street Jan. 9. Beets said many businesses, like The Partnership, have come and gone from Cornwall Avenue and it has become slow to foot traffic. 

            ModSock, a sock boutique, opened at 1323 Cornwall Ave. Dec. 10, but had its grand opening event Feb. 11.  Owner Urania Shaklee moved from New York, where she owns another sock store, The Purple Doorknob, to open a second sock store. 

            “I knew businesses had not been successful here, but this is not my first retail store,” she said.

Shaklee chose ModSock’s location because the space was available and a was good size for a store with a small inventory.  She said she has noticed the vacancies on Cornwall Avenue. especially on the 1300 block.

            “The buildings are really big,” Shaklee said.  “What kind of business is going to open during a recession in such a big space?”

            Shaklee said she wishes the empty buildings would fill because it would attract more people to Cornwall Ave. and make it easier for the small businesses, such as ModSock, to thrive.

            Despite the vacancies, Shaklee is determined to succeed with her sock business. 

            “I like to accept the challenge,” she said.

            Shaklee said she uses marketing techniques to promote ModSock such as using of Facebook and Twitter, and she also draws arrows to her store with sidewalk chalk.

            “Advertising can be expensive, so it is all about getting creative when it comes to bringing in clientele,” she said.

            Shaklee’s favorite way to attract customers is to put someone in her sock-monkey costume and have them stand on Cornwall Avenue to get attention from people passing by.

            “I think there is a critical mass of businesses on other streets,” she said.  “Railroad is a downtown hotspot.”

            However, Shaklee believes she has something for everyone with her sock boutique. 

            “Everyone needs socks,” Shaklee said.

            ModSock has a variety of socks, all of which are under $30.  Shaklee said her fair price points appeal to people in Bellingham.

            The most popular socks are the graphics socks, which are covered with everything from farm animals to strips of bacon.

            Shaklee is determined to stay open and does not plan on moving from Cornwall Avenue. 

            “I’m not disappointed,” she said.  “I find it sustainable and my business will keep growing.”

            Evolve Body Jewelry employee Neil Slack noticed Cornwall Avenue gets less attention than other downtown streets such as Railroad Avenue.

            “People are only using Cornwall for parking and as a throughway,” Slack said.

            The piercing and body jewelry store opened at 1307 Cornwall Ave. last Oct. and had a slower start than Slack would have liked, but has begun to pick up. 

            “We’ve gone from sitting around not doing anything to having lots of clientele,” Slack said.

            Like Shaklee, Slack and other Evolve employees use creative marketing tactics to bring in business, such as using Facebook and Twitter.  Also, Evolve will have a promotional ad and coupon in Western’s Blue Book that is handed out to students in the beginning of every quarter. 

Word of mouth is the best way of getting new clients, said Slack.  He encourages people to tell their friends and family about Evolve and gives them more information through handing out fliers with the store hours and address. 

Slack said the 1300 block of Cornwall Avenue particularly seems to be slow.  He has noticed businesses going in out and of business. 

“I have also noticed that everyone who walks by has a brown paper bag,” Slack said.  “It seems the dispensary is the booming business on Cornwall [Avenue].”

Last April, a Northern Cross medical marijuana co-op opened at 1311 Cornwall Ave. 

Across the street from the dispensary, Life’s a Party opened at 1306 Cornwall Ave.  Formerly Johnson’s Flower Shop, Life’s a Party is an event oriented floral store.  Owner K.C. Kippenbrock has not yet had a grand opening for Life’s a Party, but is doing business while still unpacking her store.  She said she has noticed an increase in foot traffic on Cornwall Avenue and is happy with her store’s location.

“We wanted to be downtown and this space was the right size for a good price,” Kippenbrock said.

Kippenbrock uses similar marketing tactics as Shaklee and Slack, including promoting her business through Facebook, but in addition she works closely with The Bellingham Chamber of Commerce.  This spring she will be attending their business expo to further promote Life’s a Party.  

Bellingham Circus Guild hosts fundraiser for the Caleb Kors Memorial Fund

Feb. 14, members of The Bellingham Circus Guild swung from the trapeze, performed acrobatics and juggled to raise money for The Caleb Kors Memorial Scholarship Foundation. 

            At The Cirque Lab on Iron St., community members gathered for the annual Valentine’s Day show.  This year, The Bellingham Circus Guild used the ticket proceeds to start a fund in honor of 10-year-old Caleb Kors.

            Kors died Jan. 10 with brain damage from lack of oxygen caused by an accidental hanging, according to King County Medical Examiner’s office.

            Kors was known for his acrobatics in The Bellingham Circus Guild’s variety shows and also for his juggling at The Bellingham Farmers Market, where he was known as “Flip.” 

            Western student Arielle Spayd met Kors through working at a vegetable stand at the farmers market. 

            “Caleb was so full of life and was always running around playing with kids and talking to adults,” Spayd said.  “I quickly became friends with him because he was so outgoing and got along with everyone he met.” 

            Spayd said the Caleb Kors Memorial Fund is a great way to honor Kors because he was so passionate about the performing arts and would want other kids to be able to pursue their interests too.

            Leading the board of the scholarship fund is guild member Strangely Doesburg, who taught Kors acrobatics tricks and was a mentor to Kors in the circus guild.

            “There is a lot of energy going toward raising money for his [Kors’] family and the medical bills, but I wanted to put energy toward something for Caleb,” Doesburg said.

            Beginning this year, kids ages 10 and 11 can write an essay and apply for a $200 scholarship for pursuing the performing art of their choice.  The scholarship board will pick a winner. 

            The memorial fund was inspired by Caleb’s love for performing. 

            “I really love the idea of kids from the community having the opportunity to follow their dreams,” Della Moustachella, guild member said.  “With arts programs sometimes being financially unfeasible, this scholarship feels very significant.”

            Moustachella said the Valentine’s Day show was the perfect way to raise money for the Caleb Kors Memorial Fund.

            “In the past, the Valentine’s Day show was a way to bring people together in a place where everyone feels welcome and loved, whether you are a couple or not,” said Moustachella.  “We decided to incorporate the Caleb Kors Memorial Fund because of how much we and the community loved and still love him.” 

            The Valentine’s Day show was a success nearly selling out of both of the performances that evening.  Whether they knew Kors or not, the audience members were responsive to the goals of both the show and the scholarship fund, Doesburg said.

            Moustachella said Kors had a sparkle in his eyes that could inspire anyone. 

“He was like a fun, brilliant, enlightened, present, clever, hilarious, beautiful adult in an adorable kids body,” she said.

Moustachella honored him through her own performance in the Valentine’s Day show as a fan-dancing pig that learns she can fly.  This was an act from a previous show, The Circus Supernova, which Kors was originally a part of. 

            “Part of the message of the act is that anything is possible, which is also the message Caleb shared with people,” Moustachella said. 

            A winner of the scholarship will be chosen by the board, which includes Doesburg, this spring.  The board will review the applications and choose the child with the best essay explaining his or her passion for a certain kind performing arts.

            Moustachella hopes the Caleb Kors Memorial Fund will inspire other organizations and businesses to start similar scholarships and programs for children and teenagers to pursue their passions. 

           

             

            

Protesters caution Fred Meyer shoppers about Dole

Jan. 21 at 2 p.m., protesters wrapped Lakeway Fred Meyer’s Dole banana stand in caution tape while a man in a banana suit stood in a shopping cart and spoke to shoppers through a megaphone about Dole’s use of oil that comes from Tar Sands in Alberta. 

Bellingham activist Adam Gaya coordinated the group of five to stand against Dole for its support of the use of Canada’s Tar Sands.  Tar Sands are a type of petroleum deposit that is turned into fuel.  Dole, among other large corporations, feed the expansion of Tar Sands by getting their fuel from oil refineries that use Tar Sand petroleum, Gaya said. 

Gaya became interested in the issue through his work at ForestEthics, a nonprofit environmental organization that has a branch in downtown Bellingham. Both ForestEthics’ and Gaya’s goal is to help drive down U.S. demand for oil and therefore demand for Tar Sands. 

 In total eight cities participated in the action at more than 25 grocery stores, Gaya said.

Gaya said Dole has the largest fleet of refrigerator containers in the world, which use diesel.  Dole also uses an abundance of fuel for transporting of goods. 

Dole did not return phone calls, however according to ForestEthics, Dole has denied that it uses oil from Tar Sands. 
The ForestEthics website said this is incorrect, “Fuel in certain states, from Ohio to Oregon, comes from at least one Tar Sands refinery.”

Gaya and the four other protesters ate breakfast at Downtown Bellingham’s Old Town Café and planned the protest.  

“We want to get major companies, such as Dole, to boycott oil refineries that use Tar Sands,” Gaya said.

Western student Chelsea Thaw was also part of the protesting group. 

“I’ve been doing environmental justice work for years now, and I am particularly interested in fighting the Tar Sands,” she said. 

According to ForestEthics, producing one barrel of Tar Sands oil makes three to five times the global warming emissions that producing the same amount of conventional oil would.  The environmental impacts are the main concern regarding Tar Sands for the protesters.

However, Thaw brought up the health risks for the people who work in the open-pit mines and for the natives to the area of Northern Alberta where the Canadian Tar Sands are. 

“This is a huge issue for environment, indigenous rights and culture,” Thaw said. 

All of Bellingham’s Haggen stores, Fred Meyer and The Food Co-op carry Dole bananas.  The group decided to focus on protesting at Fred Meyer first.

Bellingham activist Andy Ingram wore a banana suit and yelled into a mega phone while being pushed in a shopping cart by another protester.

“The Tar Sands' toxic lakes grow by 1.8 billion liters each day, and are leaking dangerous chemicals into the nearby soil and water,” he said. 

This fact was just one of many that Ingram yelled before being pulled out of the cart by a Fred Meyer cashier.

This scene was meant by the protesters to be a diversion.  While it was happening, the remaining members of the group covered the Dole banana stand in plastic wrap so customers could not grab the bananas.  They then wrapped caution tape around the stand.

After one customer complained about how he needed bananas, a Fred Meyer employee unwrapped the stand and told the protesters to leave the store.

This protest prompted mixed reactions from the crowd of shoppers.  Some shoppers cheered and applauded, while others complained about their shopping being disrupted.

Corporate Fred Meyer customer service representatives who work with media did not know about the protest and chose not to comment.

The protesters left Fred Meyer feeling accomplished.

“I definitely feel like our actions in Bellingham were successful,” Gaya said.

Gaya and the other protesters plan on doing similar demonstrations around Bellingham in other grocery stores that carry Dole bananas.  The only store directly in the Downtown neighborhood that this affects is The Food Co-op.  The protesters decided to approach the co-op with information about the issue instead of doing a protest.  

Diving into Downtown

For this news site I will be spending the quarter getting to know Bellingham's Central Business District.  I will be listening to, observing, and interviewing people in the Downtown area and investigating further into the issues people are concerned with.  

This reporting will come in the form of news posts, blog entries and photographs.  It is meant to be practice for my future journalism career and also as an aid to better acquaint myself with the town I call home.  

Downtown Bellingham is bustling with activity and therefore will be an interesting source for discussion topics and stories.  With this blog I hope to showcase a few of the many captivating people, businesses and happenings this area has to offer.