Free art sessions build up the neighborhood

The Whatcom Weavers Guild is bringing back art to the historic Roeder Home in the Cornwall Park neighborhood.

Spinners and weavers are offering free art sessions at the historic Roeder Home in the Cornwall Park neighborhood to rebuild the cultural and art activities, according to the free art session committee.

The Whatcom Weavers Guild began the Northwest Fiber Arts free drop-in sessions in March, said Sheri Ward, the free art session director.

Spinning is taking fiber from a sheep or cotton and turning it into yarn, according to Ward. Weaving is the interaction of threads on a loom, she said.

The free art sessions allow people to “wet their feet in new interests,” said Meg Jobe, an avid weaver and instructor at the sessions.

The sessions have history

According to Ward, in 1971, the Whatcom County Parks Department funded cultural and arts activities at the Roeder Home. The parks department bought five looms for the spinning and weaving art classes, she said.

But in 2008, the budget cuts cut funding for the cultural and art activities, Ward said. Some people thought the Roeder Home closed because there weren’t any classes or activities offered, she said.

Whatcom Weavers Guild members wanted to bring back spinning and weaving classes at the Roeder Home because they knew the looms were available but not in use, Ward said.

The free art sessions were created to bring art back to the community, Ward said.

Ward said the first drop-in session only had three to four people attend. She said she
is still trying to get the word out about the sessions.

The number of people who attend the sessions has now improved to five to six people, she said.

“It was a slow start,” Ward said.

Volunteers help at the sessions

Whatcom Weavers Guild members volunteer at the sessions to teach the spinning and weaving, Ward said. Usually five to six volunteers will attend the sessions to teach she said.

There are five committee members and they helped formulate the program and they help organize and run the event, Ward said. Ward has taught at every free session since they began in March.

“I like making things with my hands,” Ward said. “It’s very satisfying.”

Meg Jobe, a weaving instructor, said she likes to share weaving with other people.

“It’s a nice opportunity for people to come because it has low commitment,” Jobe said.

If people aren’t in an economical position to start up this expensive hobby, they can come to the free sessions, Jobe said.

“I find the history of weaving fascinating,” Jobe said. “If people didn’t weave, we wouldn’t have clothes.”

The sessions help connect and calm people

Vice President of the Whatcom Weavers Guild Juliet Barnes, said the sessions build community and fellowship. The sessions and instructors are very welcoming, she said.

“I think the sessions are a wonderful idea to get spinning and weaving back out into the public’s hands,” Barnes said.

Barnes said spinning and weaving are an enjoyable hobby and the sessions are an enjoyable experience.

“It’s a social opportunity for people with similar interests to get together,” Barnes said.

Ward said weaving is rhythmic and repetitious. She said it allows the mind to drift off to other places.

“If you have a lot of mind chatter, weaving can make it fade away,” Ward said.

The sessions welcome all

All ages are welcome to attend the free sessions but children are asked to be accompanied by an adult, Ward said.

Ward said the sessions are informal and anyone can walk in at any time during the session. According to Ward, the Roeder Home is wheelchair accessible so virtually anyone can attend the sessions.

People with all varieties of knowledge can come to the sessions, Sheri Ward said.

“I hope the sessions continue possibly indefinitely,” Ward said.

The sessions are available for people to attend on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month at 2600 Sunset Drive from 1p.m. to 3 p.m. #

Find more information at:

http://http//www.whatcomweavers.blogspot.com/

http://http//whatcomweaversguild.org/

http://http//www.co.whatcom.wa.us/parks/culturalarts/roeder.jsp

Photo courtesy of Sheri Ward

The Grace Cafe helps boost Annual Dine Out

The Grace Café in the Cornwall Park neighborhood greatly contributed to the 10th Annual Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn on Tuesday, May 4, according to the café owners.

Heidi Larson, co-owner of the Grace Café, said the café donated $350 to the Dine Out.

The Dine Out is a special event held by the Opportunity Council where local restaurants and cafés donate 20% of their proceeds to Maple Alley Inn, according to the Opportunity Council Director of Communications Sheri Burgler-Emerson.

Maple Alley Inn is a program that serves free, hot meals to the homeless and hungry, she said.

Burgler-Emerson said she does not know the exact amount donated from all the participating restaurants but she knows it is more than $20,000. She said the exact amount will be available by the end of May.

“I’m really excited,” Burgler-Emerson said. “Thanks to generous restaurants and tremendous community support, this will be a great year.”

Hospital traffic makes crosswalk dangerous

The busy crosswalk on Ellis Street and Plymouth Drive has Parkview Elementary School parents worrying about their children's safety.

Crossing the busy intersection at Ellis Street and Plymouth Drive near St. Joseph’s Hospital is dangerous for Parkview Elementary School students because drivers are focused on getting to their medical appointments, Parkview Elementary parents said.

Parents feel scared for their children’s safety when their students cross the busy intersection to get to school, Parkview parents said.

Connie Streubel, a Plymouth Drive resident, said she always walks her daughter to school. This is the first year Streubel’s daughter, Audrey, a fifth-grader at Parkview Elementary, is allowed to bike to school by herself.

“It still makes me nervous,” Streubel said.

According to Streubel, at least 10 children live on Plymouth Drive and have to cross Ellis Street to get to school. She also said people always walk through Plymouth Drive to take a shortcut to get to Meridian Street.

Parents teach their children safety

Lisa Geraghty, a mother of three boys and a resident on Plymouth Drive, said she crosses Ellis Street four to six times a school day. She said her kindergartner gets out of school before her fourth-grader, so she makes multiple trips across Ellis Street.

Geraghty said this is the first year she started allowing Reese, her 10-year-old fourth-grader, to bike to school by himself.

“We practiced crossing the street so he can handle crossing the street by himself,” Geraghty said.

First, her son has to make eye contact with the drivers and wait for them to make a complete stop, she said. Before walking his bike across Ellis Street, her son has to wave to the drivers to make sure it is safe to cross, Geraghty said.

Geraghty said she would never let her 6-year-old first-grader ride his bike to school by himself. She said drivers tend not to stop and younger kids cannot judge how fast something is coming at them.

“I feel a 10-year-old can judge pretty well,” Geraghty said.

A parent shares her frightening experience

Streubel said in June 2009, she was crossing Ellis Street with her children when she was almost hit by a car.

The car directly in front of her had stopped at the crosswalk on Ellis Street, Streubel said. The car behind the stopped car swerved into the turn lane, almost hitting the baby stroller, she said.

Streubel said if she did not react as fast as she did, the car would have hit the stroller with her baby inside.

“I was crying,” she said. “I was so scared, I was shaking.”

Parents hoping for crosswalk improvements

Streubel said people are so focused on getting to the hospital or medical appointments, that they don’t pay attention to the kids who want to cross the street. Streubel said a blinking-crosswalk light would be the best improvement on Ellis Street because it would get drivers to notice pedestrians.

“People don’t pay attention,” Streubel said. “No one stops.”

A crosswalk monitor before and after school would also help drivers see children crossing the street, Streubel said.

Geraghty said a blinking-crosswalk light would be fabulous but she cannot envision that happening because of budget cuts.

“Walking flags would be the best idea because they’re low cost and very visible,” Geraghty said.

The city will help if there is a problem

The City of Bellingham’s Planning Division Transportation Options Coordinator, Kim Brown, said there is a marked crosswalk and school crossing signs on Ellis Street warning drivers of the crosswalk. Brown said if there is a problem, the Planning Division will take a look.

Brown said the police would assess if there was a speeding issue on Ellis Street. She also said the Operations and Engineering Staff would look at the roadway, number of lanes and current status of the crosswalk and signs.

Brown said the Operations and Engineering Staff would repaint the marked crosswalk if it worn down.

“The marked crosswalk and signage meet the city’s safety criteria,” Brown said.

Brown said the best technique to help students cross Ellis Street is to create a "walking school bus." She said a parent could walk with a group of students across the street. The parent would ensure safety by supervising and leading the group of students.

“A walking school bus would help improve safety,” Brown said. #

CP Neighborhood cafe donates to Dine Out

Cornwall Park’s local neighborhood café, The Grace Café, contributes to the 10th Annual Dine Out to feed the homeless and hungry.

The 10th Annual Dine Out for Maple Alley Inn on Tuesday, May 4, boosted business at the Grace Café in the Cornwall Park Neighborhood, café employees said.

Customers felt happy that part of their purchase was donated to help the homeless and hungry, according to café employees.

Jacque Rafferty, a barista at Grace Café, has worked at the cafe for two years.

“It’s definitely been busier than usual today,” Rafferty said.

Maple Alley Inn has been helping the homeless and hungry for almost 20 years, according to Opportunity Council Director of Communications Sheri Burgler-Emerson. In 2009 Maple Alley Inn served more than 15,000 meals, she said.

How Dine Out helps the hungry

The Opportunity Council is a private, non-profit agency that operates the Maple Alley Inn program, according to Burgler-Emerson. She said the Opportunity Council holds the annual Dine Out event to boost donations.

According to Burgler-Emerson, in 2009, restaurants and cafes donated $20,000 to Dine Out.

Twenty percent of proceeds are donated to feed free, hot meals to the homeless and hungry, Burgler-Emerson said. This year 40 restaurants participated in Dine Out, she said.

Co-owner of the Grace Café, Heidi Larson, said the café has been participating in Dine Out since 2003. Larson said she and her husband decided to participate in Dine Out because it is a good way to give back to the community. She said Maple Alley Inn program is a good resource for people who are hungry.

“It’s a good way to funnel our resources to this organization to help feed people,” Larson said.

Andy Catterall,a first-time customer at The Grace Café, sat at a table sipping his grande drip coffee and typing on his laptop. Catterall said he lives in Redmond, Wash., and was visiting Bellingham for business.

“I’m very pleased and happy to contribute,” he said.

Café hopes to make big donation

Burgler-Emerson said the proceeds do not last the entire year but the Dine Out event gives Maple Alley Inn a big boost. She said the money goes directly toward food needs and staffing needs.

“If we could do the same that would be great,” said Burgler-Emerson, about this year’s donations.

Larson said out of the seven years that the café has donated proceeds to Dine Out, last year’s contribution was lower than ever. Larson said the hard economy stopped people from coming to the café.

Larson said she hopes to donate more than $300 to Dine Out this year.

“Any money at all really helps the program,” Burgler-Emerson said.

Pie and bagels keep customers coming back

Dressed in a matching blue sweater and blue pants with a paisley walking cane, Carlene Beasley, 87, sat by the café window eating her lunch. Beasley said she lives in Fairhaven, and she does not drive that often. She said she only comes out to the Grace Café about once a month.

“It’s a fine way to help them out,” said Beasley about proceeds being donated to Maple Alley Inn.

Her silver and gold bangles on each wrist jingled every time she took a bite of her chocolate cream pie.

“I can’t resist the pie,” Beasley said. “They make them so good.”

Heidi Larson said her husband, Todd Larson, makes the café’s pies from scratch. She said the café offers other homemade baked goods like bagels, gooey cinnamon rolls and huge cookies.

Jack and Marla Sprouls, regular customers from Lynden, and visit the restaurant two to three times a month. Marla Sprouls said it is a very nice thing for a restaurant to donate part of their proceeds to help feed the homeless and hungry.

“It’s their civic duty,” she said.

Marla Sprouls said not every café has salt bagels and salmon cream cheese. Jack Sprouls said the bagels and cream cheese keep him and his wife coming back to the Grace Café.

“It’s a nice, homey place to come,” Marla Sprouls said. “Everyone here is friendly.” #
 

Aggressive panhandling at Birchwood Shopping Center scares CP residents

Panhandling in the Cornwall Park neighborhood has Birchwood Shopping Center customers and employees constantly looking over their shoulders waiting for the next person to ask for spare change.

Begging people for money was against the law until the Supreme Court ruled the law a violation of freedom of speech. Now, an aggressive panhandling law protects victims of aggressive panhandling.

A person standing outside of a shopping area or street corner asking or begging people for money is panhandling. When the person being asked for money is being harassed and name called by the panhandler, the panhandling becomes aggressive and against the law.

Panhandlers at the Birchwood Shopping Center stand outside the front doors of Subway, Little Caesars and Albertsons asking customers for spare change.

Damon Holden, an employee at Little Caesars, said panhandlers keep customers from coming inside.

“It’s definitely bad for business,” Holden said.

Donating doesn't help

Bellingham Police Public Information Officer Mark Young, said panhandlers suffer from an addiction to alcohol and drugs. He said the problem with panhandling exists when the money being received is used to intoxicate themselves.

Young said an addiction is a “strong, compelling drive” and panhandlers would rather feed their addiction than buy food. He said the people who give “hand ups” do not help panhandlers’ addictions.

Holden said the first time he was asked for money from a panhandler he gave the man money. Holden said he sees the panhandler out on the streets everyday and the panhandler continues to ask him for money.

Young suggests people who feel compelled to help those who beg for money, donate to relief agencies like the Lighthouse Mission.

Young also said to tell the panhandler, “‘No thank you’ and move away.”

Candice Lucas, a mother who lives in the Brampton Court Apartments located next to the shopping center, said every time she goes shopping she gets harassed by panhandlers.

“I go out a lot less than I usually would because I’m afraid of being approached for money when I have my kid with me,” Lucas said.

Employees strive for safety

Employees from Little Caesars do take safety precautions but they still feel scared, according to Melissa Harkness, an employee at Little Caesars. Harkness said when she works the night closing shift, she and the other employee working, always lock up and walk out together.

“I never walk out to my car alone when I get off work,” Harkness said.

Nancy Ho, an Albertson’s cashier, lives four minutes away from work. Ho said she feels uncomfortable when she sees people hanging out in the parking lot and standing around on empty sidewalk corners.

“I’ll get a ride home when I get off work at 10 p.m.,” Ho said.

Young said the police receive numerous complaints about panhandlers. He said the police cannot take action unless the panhandler is causing a disturbance.

Panhandlers keep going back to the shopping area because people keep giving them money, according to Young.

“Stop feeding it, and it’s gonna move away,” Young said.