Controlling Motion

“I’ve been skating for over nine years now,” said Daniel Kelmis, a life-long Bellingham local. Kelmis also said that he just recently celebrated his twenty-first birthday. Kelmis enjoys skating every day with his friend David Poletta, age 22, who just recently was permitted to leave Washington after being caught with cocaine and other hard drugs nearly 4 years ago. Kelmis and Poletta will soon part ways when Poletta moves to San Francisco. “I’m ready to go skate San Francisco” Poletta said. 

Paul Spring, a 46-year-old second grade teacher at Acme Elementary School in Bellingham, plays games with his son Raphael, age nine, at Mallard ice cream shop before going to karate class together every Tuesday night.

Environmental Portrait: capturing people in their most natural environments

“I rarely come home anymore so I don’t have time to ride. Which is why we need to find new homes for some of our horses,” 19-year-old Makenzie Peterson admitted somberly while spending time with her 8 horses in her family’s barn during her Oregon school’s midwinter break.  

Ice Breaker

Upon being asked 

"IF MONEY DIDN'T MATTER WHAT WOULD YOUR 

OCCUPATION BE," 

six strangers responded with 6 very different answers. 

"I would be an artist so I could draw big swirls," 10 year old Mika
Watabayashi said. "I would be a soccer player," Watabayashi's 7 year
old brother, Reese, said as the siblings paused from a game of catch with
their father at Sehome High School last Saturday.

"If money didn't matter I would volunteer at a veterinary clinic," 63 year old Craig Rampey said. Rampey also added he would enjoy utilizing the experience as a veterinary technician he acquired prior to his retirement.

48 year old Tami Adams said she would continue using her knowledge
and experience with clean, renewable water resources. "I would bring clean
water to third world countries because clean water is important," Adams said
after picking up her mail at the post office in Downtown Bellingham.

16 year old Charles Sherman (right) and friend 19 year old Gavin Shinn (left) agreed that if money didn't matter they would move to Jamaica. "Tropical islands are not cold like Bellingham," Sherman said.

21 year old Natalia Shafa said she would promote renewable energy policy
by working to create policies that would keep city's carbon footprints
down. "Renewable energy is one of the most important issues of our time.
Other issues matter too, but if you don't have a clean environment to do them
in, they're moot," Shafa said between bites of ice cream.

20 year old Alex Antonelli said he would pursue a music career playing
the guitar or violin. Antonelli also expressed interest in becoming a volunteer
 lawyer for people who couldn't afford one. "My grandfather moved to
America from Norway and was tricked by a con artist.  He did not
have the money to pay a lawyer, so he died alone and poor," Antonelli said.