Bellingham Parks & Recreation Leisure Guide
Issue link: https://bpr.uberflip.com/i/1525351
1 1 Unlike many in my family who adore the hot sunshine of Summer, I welcome Autumn as my favorite season. The shift into Fall kicks me into gear like no other time of year. Nathaniel Hawthorne said it well: "I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house." Bellingham's park system is amazing in the Fall, and we have new ideas and transportation to help you explore our city and region. Our new 12-passenger van is bringing adventure trips to people of all ages! We have some great destinations that will certainly get you out of the house, like Chilhuly Garden & Glass Museum, Mary Poppins at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre, a Mariners game, culinary shopping tours, and more! Our imaginative Recreation staff have new programs to check out including Youth Cooking Competitions and 'No School" Purple Friday day trips! Or how about forming a co-ed kickball team and joining the Wednesday night league at Squalicum Creek Park? It is a fun and easy game that anyone can play. We are also working to finish several projects this Fall. Our construction projects often are located in sensitive shoreline and riparian areas and must be completed within time frames that have the least impact on fish and wildlife. Expect to see construction happening down at Boulevard Park to restore eroding shoreline and improve the resilience of the park to sea level rise and king tides. If all goes as planned, construction will begin soon on the pier at Little Squalicum Park. The naming of the pier is still in process, with recommendations coming to Parks & Recreation Advisory Board in August, and a final name to be selected by City Council in September. Take a look at page 23 of the Playbook and check out all the work our Park Operations staff have been up to. Although Summer is our busiest season bringing many more visitors, it is also an important time to get outdoor projects and upgrades done to better serve our community. I hope this Autumn inspires you to get out and enjoy the autumnal sunshine! Sincerely, Nicole C. Oliver Parks & Recreation Director READY FOR FALL? Fall City Hall Refl ection, Photo by Vanessa Story Photo by Kate Bemis We acknowledge that we gather on territory that has been the traditional and ancestral homeland to the Lhaq'temish (the Lummi people), Noxws'áʔaq (the Nooksack people), and other Coast Salish tribes of this region Since Time Immemorial. We honor our shared responsibility to this land and these waters, we commit to learning from Indigenous wisdom, and we strive to repair and deepen our relationships as neighbors and friends. Front Cover Photo by Kate Bemis Director's Letter cob.org/parks • (360) 778-7000