Slice of the 'Ham // March 2009
In a dark alley just blocks from downtown Bellingham, people are gathering. Some chain their bicycles to poles, others slam car doors shut, but all follow painted signs hanging from a chain-link fence. Wind sweeps up the alley and gives the night air a bitter chill.
Jessica Edwards, also known as Hollywood, pulls her knee to her chest as she sits in the administrative office of the Lummi Youth Academy - a safe haven and living space for young victims of substance abuse or broken families.
A group of adventurers carefully descend the stairs of the temple of Shar, the evil goddess of darkness. Stopping just short of a pit, they manage to rig a makeshift bridge across and open the door into the inner sanctum where they are immediately attacked
It's 11 o'clock on a Wednesday night. The icy January fog consumes Bellingham, covering rooftops, softening traffic sounds and crystallizing every surface outside.
"I'll shake your hand," Western junior Josh Foley says to the man next to him as he pours apple juice into a red plastic cup. "I'm a hand-shaker."
On a Sunday afternoon in early November, the sun is shining. A large, dark blue truck is parked on the hill of Forest and Cedar Park in Bellingham. The truck bed is overflowing with a white, icy substance. The temperature is about 50 degrees and the sky is cloudless.
Nobody recognizes Zac Robertson when he shows up on his bicycle for a local gathering that rotates houses in downtown Bellingham. After walking through the front door, bravely peeling off all of his clothing and politely removing his shoes
