IN THE KNOW
Big Move for Tiny Homes
O
IN THE KNOW
Shaping Clay & Community
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urnish Clay Studio opened last February, after owner Heather Hitts moved from Seattle to join Bellingham’s vibrant clay community. If you visit the homey studio, located on North State Street, you might take note of the pots and plates on display, smell the chalky clay in the air, or hear a radio quietly playing in the back. The studio offers several ways to get involved. Less-experienced ceramists can take a one-session course, while those looking to expand their knowledge can sign up for an eight-week class. The studio also offers a membership program for those who simply want a place to work or need access to a kiln. Aside from hosting private parties and personal lessons, the space also serves as a supply store with the most diverse selection of tools in the area.
What’s Your Favortie Haunted House? In the spirit of this ghastly month, here are five locations that will give you chills and thrills. Ray Garcia
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BellinghamAlive.com
What’s most important to Hitts, though, is the community around the art. In Seattle, she made art alongside a software developer, an insurance executive, and a waitress. Despite having different backgrounds and viewpoints, they came together with a common passion. Adult life can be limiting, Hitts says. Between family and work, it’s easy to get caught in a bubble of perception and ideas. That’s what her studio is for — developing a diverse community of people who share a love of clay. “It just provides a safe space for people to push their boundaries, push their horizons,” Hitts says. “They think they’re coming here to just play in the mud, but really it’s also about getting to experience other people.” Sam Fletcher
Elke B. — Lotus Hall Loftus Hall in Wexford, Ireland! It’s original, not much restored, and would be a perfect set-up for a scary movie. Many medieval graveyards around there.
ver the summer, HomesNow! Not Later received a permit allowing them to operate a tiny home encampment, Unity Village, in Fairhaven. Since 2017, the nonprofit has worked to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness by providing safe, temporary housing and necessities such as showers, cooking facilities, and bathrooms. They also help people find employment and access stable long-term housing. The organization previously operated a tent encampment called Safe Haven in the Sunnyland neighborhood. Jim Peterson, president of HomesNow!, says he always wanted to employ tiny homes over tents, emphasizing how they give residents a better sense of security. Despite the big move, Peterson says they are all glad to be in a new location, seeing it as an opportunity to educate another community about homelessness and the people who experience it. “We want to show people that not all homeless people are drug addicts, alcoholics… they’re just like everybody else.” Ray Garcia
Steven T. — The St. James Hotel The St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico is a creepy and eerie place. They have rooms where lights will turn on, on their own. It’s filled with cold chills and weird noises.