The Downtown Dish: Diving into Downtown

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

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.

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Saint Patrick's Day Parade Goes Green

One of the main goals this year of Bellingham’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is to be aware of environmental protection and sustainability during all aspects of the March 17 event.

The parade committee suggested participators use alternative energy sources and recycled materials for their floats. People viewing the parade are encouraged to walk, bike or take the bus downtown instead of driving.

It was recommended by the committee that all latex balloons be recycled into compost and all streamers be put into recycling bins after the parade.

The parade begins at noon on the corner of Ohio and Cornwall Street and goes through downtown ending on the corner of E. Maple and Cornwall Avenue.

Links:

Parade website: http://www.stpatsbham.com/green.php

Parade Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stpatsbham

Parade Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/stpatsbham

More about recycling balloons: http://savetheballoons.com/

Bellingham's third annual St. Patrick's Day parade goes green

One of the main goals this year of Bellingham’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade is to be aware of environmental protection and sustainability during all aspects of the March 17 event.

It was recommended by the committee that all latex balloons be recycled into compost and all streamers be put into recycling bins after the parade.

The parade begins at noon on the corner of Ohio and Cornwall Street and goes through downtown ending on the corner of E. Maple and Cornwall Avenue.

Event Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/stpatsbham

Event Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/stpatsbham

Chef Josh Silverman seeks new location for Dashi Noodle Bar

Bellingham chef Josh Silverman, opened Dashi Noodle Bar last October. Located at 207 Unity St., the noodle bar was a change of pace for Silverman who closed the doors of his high-end restaurant Nimbus in 2011.

When Silverman opened the noodle bar, he wanted the location to be temporary and to move to a more permanent location with indoor seating if it proved to be successful during the first six months.

“I am currently looking for a bigger location downtown to move Dashi,” Silverman said.

With the change in location, Silverman said he wants to extend the hours, which are currently 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., to cater to late-night crowds. He also plans on creating student specials to appeal to a broader spectrum of Bellingham residents.

“Dashi will move as soon as I find the right place for it,” Silverman said.

In the mean time, Silverman recommends Dashi’s house-made Udon noodles with braised pork shoulder. For money-conscious people he suggests the steamed buns that come with a variety of fillings, such a chicken coconut curry, for $6.

Protesters warn shoppers about Dole's use of Tar Sands oil

Jan. 21, Adam Gaya, ForestEthics organizer, led a group of five Bellingham activists in a protest of Dole at the Sehome Haggen store.

According to ForestEthics, Dole gets its truck fuel and diesel for its refrigerators from refineries that use the Alberta Tar Sands.

Gaya said the goal of the protest was to get the attention of both shoppers and the store’s produce manager. He hoped to inform them about the negative effects the Tar Sands have on the environment and also the people who live in the areas surrounding the Tar Sands.

"We want major companies, such as Dole, to take action on the problem of Tar Sands refineries in their footprint," Gaya said.

The protesters carried out a similar approach to the protest at Haggen as they did at Fred Meyer earlier that day. Western student Andy Ingram, stood in a shopping cart wearing a banana suit and yelled to shoppers through a megaphone.

Gaya said this second protest was successful, like the first, in getting the information they wanted to about the Tar Sands out to the crowd of shoppers.

Protester Andy Ingram speaking to Sehome Haggen shoppers, Photo provided by Adam Gaya