The power of photography, safety on the water, armchair travel
Participate in a day of family-friendly trail-building, learn about Afghanistan in the early 1970s.
The Impact of Photography
The Institute for Global Engagement’s winter quarter Reel World Film Series at Western Washington University is a free monthly film screening that is open to the public. Showing at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1, in Miller Hall 138 is the 74-minute 2015 documentary “A Single Frame.” While on a trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia, in 2007, Texas filmmaker Jeff Bowden encounters a photograph of a refugee boy taken during the 1990s war in Kosovo by Alexandra Boulat, a photojournalist who died two weeks after Bowden first saw her photograph. Driven by this haunting image, Bowden sets out to find the child. His journey takes him from Texas to Paris and ultimately to the post-war culture of the Balkans, where he combines forces with an experienced wartime fixer. “A Single Frame” goes beyond Bowden’s quest to pay tribute to Boulat and to offer a view of life in Kosovo during and after a horrifying war that saw Serbian forces enact a policy of ethnic cleansing toward Kosovar Albanians. Info: 360-650-7544, international.wwu.edu/reelworld.
Safety on the Water
Bellingham open ocean rower Dale McKinnon talks about her rowing experience in open water throughout southeast Alaska and the Salish Sea at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, at the Whatcom Educational Credit Union education center at 600 E. Holly St. She will speak on paddler and rower safety, navigation, philosophy of small boats, small-boat rescue, cold-water immersion and hypothermia, marine weather, tides and VHF radio protocol. In addition, U.S. Coast Guard Station Bellingham Marine Rescue crew members will offer insights on water rescues, and USCG Auxillary education officer Kathryn Wellington will talk about local boating educational opportunities and programs geared especially for female boaters. The Bellingham Canoe & Kayak Sprint Team will be serving treats; donations appreciated. McKinnon began rowing in 2002 at age 57 and in 2004 rowed solo from Ketchikan to Bellingham. In 2005, she rowed from Ketchikan to Juneau. In 2006, she founded the annual Dan Harris Challenge, a 9-mile paddling and rowing race that benefits Bellingham’s Community Boating Center. Info: ColdWaterAunties@gmail.com and on Facebook.
All Out on Galbraith Mountain Bike Park
Join Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition and REI from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, for a family-friendly day of trail building and mountain bike recreation at Galbraith Mountain Bike Park. Food and beverages will be provided for volunteers. REI will provide snacks, coffee and juice in the morning, and lunch for the build crew. The plan is to give the lower trails on the mountain some maintenance so they are easily accessible for families and kids. Bring weather-appropriate clothing, work boots and gloves. Meet at the Galbraith Mountain Bike Park south parking lot, 4991 S. Samish Way. See the WHIMPS Mountain Bike Coalition website, wmbcmtb.org, for trail day details as the event nears; weather will dictate the exact location. Info: wmbcmtb@gmail.com.
An Irish Musician’s Legacy
Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College Winter World Issues Forum presents “Revolutionary Songs: A Centennial Celebration of the Irish Revolution of 1916” at noon Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Fairhaven Auditorium. Bellingham musican Peadar MacMahon, a native of Limerick, an ancient walled city in the west of Ireland, talks about his latest project, a CD and show of the life and works of one of Ireland’s greatest songwriters, Percy French, who lived from 1852 to 1920. MacMahon’s performance will examine the importance and role of songs as tools in the creation of the nationalist movement in Ireland. It is hoped that those in attendance will come away with a clearer view of Irish history and an appreciation for the power of song. Info: 360-650-6680, fairhaven.wwu.edu/world-issues-forum.
Armchair Travel to Afghanistan
Local traveler Richard Abbott will offer a slide presentation titled “Afghanistan As It Was: 1972/1973” at 7 p.m. Thursday., Feb. 2, at Whatcom Museum’s Old City Hall, 121 Prospect St., sponsored by the Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department and Whatcom Museum. Abbott worked in Afghanistan in 1972-73 on a U.S. foreign aid (USAID) project designed to increase production of wheat by small farmers. He will show pictures taken during his travels and provide background on the history, agriculture and tribal areas of this fascinating country, including an update on the impact of years of war. The talk is free for museum members; $5 donation is suggested. Info: 360-778-7000, cob.org/services/recreation.
What are you going to get out and do next weekend? Share with Margaret Bikman: 360-715-2273, facebook.com/bellinghamherald. Tell us about your event at least three weeks in advance to be considered for this column.
This story was originally published January 25, 2017 at 12:00 PM.