Slide 1Slide 1In the wake of budget cuts and two recent fundraisers, “The Magic of Sterling” and the Jog-a-thon, the Silver Beach Education Association is seeking support to continue funding for Silver Beach Elementary. Community members are asked to help. Recycled electronics such as used cell phones, laptops and empty inkjet and laser cartridges can be donated to the recycling box in Silver Beach Elementary office. The school, in turn, gets cash for the items. The Fred Meyer Rewards Card can be linked to the school so that purchasing products associated with the Campbell’s Labels for Education directly benefits Silver Beach. Also through Campbell’s is the Campbell’s Soup Labels program; anyone can bring in specific labels to the school library, which will then be transferred into points that help to buy merchandise for the school. Collecting box tops for the Box Tops for Education program allows supermarket items to be used for funding to the school.
The Silver Beach Education Association is also looking to fill its President, Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator positions by June 8. The work of these along with all other committee positions is used to enrich students’ education through projects that include art programming, library funding, assemblies, playground equipment and field trips.
All donations and work by the Silver Beach Education Association will be used to benefit students’ educational experiences. For more information on Silver Beach Elementary, click here.
BELLINGHAM — Silver Beach is proving to be one of the more popular neighborhoods for home ownership in Bellingham.
With a population just over 3,000, the Silver Beach neighborhood is being sought after for its schools and environmental assets, which include Big Rock Garden, Bloedel Donovan Park, and Lake Whatcom. These combined factors contribute to the value of living in the neighborhood for prospective homebuyers.
Offering the amenities
The neighborhood has features that potential homebuyers are looking for. “For a lot of buyers it’s going to be that they have a lake view, an established neighborhood near an elementary school and Squalicum,” said Aryn Robinson, an agent for Windermere Real Estate.“It’s a neighborhood to raise a family in. It’s a little bit outside of downtown Bellingham, but not too far.”
Location is the key for families according to another Bellingham agent. “Selling features for Silver Beach are the schools and the location in regard to access to Bloedel [Donovan Park] and the lake,” said Julie Just, an agent with John L. Scott Real Estate who currently has property listed in Silver Beach. “Number one is the school. Right now people with families look at school districts when they’re shopping for a home.”
According to Lori Larkin, the Silver Beach Education Association president, Silver Beach Elementary is unique because it has a very dedicated group of parent volunteers and teachers who work in the classroom and on large school events to ensure students have a well-rounded educational experience.
Ranging from one-bedrooms to one-of-a-kind views
The Silver Beach neighborhood offers a wide range of homes, from waterfront properties to smaller one-level houses. Just said a home in Silver Beach can cost anywhere between $199,000 and $1.4 million.
According to Robinson, the bulk of homes in Silver Beach are priced between $300,000 and $600,000 with a lake-view property costing more. In Bellingham, the average sale price of a home through Windermere Real Estate is $325,000.
Just said that the median price of a Silver Beach home is $449,000 and the market appears to be fairly stable in this area. “From what I’ve seen on market and what has sold, I haven’t really seen any short sales or foreclosures,” said Just. “And for buyers, interest rates are low and instant equity is available.”
In addition, now that the first-time homebuyer’s tax credit is no longer valid, there is renewed interest in the higher-priced homes. Just said people looking to make purchases prior to the tax credit expiring wanted to buy under the $300,000 price range, but now it appears that Silver Beach homes in the $350,000 to $550,000 are gaining buyers’ interest again.
Welcoming people to the neighborhood The Silver Beach neighborhood highlights unique features in a family-friendly setting. “I think Silver Beach is one of the more popular neighborhoods on this side of the freeway,” said Just. “Otherwise, I think that the competition is Geneva, Fairhaven, Barkley and South Hill.”
Robinson agreed, adding that there is a subdued quality to Silver Beach that sets the neighborhood apart. “Silver Beach is definitely one of the more desirable neighborhoods,” she said. “There’s not a ton of stuff that comes up there.”
BELLINGHAM — Silver Beach Elementary students took to the field on April 27 and 28 to raise money for their school in response to this year’s budget cuts.
The annual Silver Beach Elementary Jog-a-thon, a tradition at the school for over 10 years, took place at the school’s soccer and baseball recreation area. Kindergarten, first and second graders participated on April 27 while third, fourth and fifth graders participated on April 28.
Jogging with purpose
According to the Silver Beach Education Association Jog-a-thon committee chair, Alice-Marie Carr, the event is the school’s largest fundraiser. “The kids get about 20 laps by walking or running,” said Carr. “They go out and then come back after the run to collect money.” Students collected monetary donations from sponsors, who pledged a donation at a flat rate or per-lap.
The students ran in half-hour increments throughout the two days with each grade level jogging together at a particular time. “We had a great turnout even though it rained,” said Carr. “There were great spirits, lots of parents and fun music.
“It’s a big tradition for parents to come, too, so it’s really neat to see how many parents take off work to come support their child. Students receive a Popsicle when they’re done and a certificate. It’s a really fun way for people to come together, get fit and raise money for the school.”
Teachers and staff members also participated in the event and showed their support for the joggers. “From a health perspective, I think it’s awesome that they’re using any kind of physical activity, whether it’s to raise money or not,” said Jan Facciano, the Silver Beach Elementary nurse. “I encourage it and support it 100 percent. I think that we see the results of it just in terms of how excited the kids are and that they all participate. I think it’s great.”
Keeping school programs alive
Students will continue to collect their pledge money and return it to Silver Beach Elementary through May 7. The proceeds from the event will go directly towards school projects, which include art-enrichment materials, field trips, science fairs, books and technology updates for the library and daily snacks for the upcoming Measurement of Student Progress state test, which takes place May 5-19.
“With budget cuts, it’s pretty much going to supplement everything,” said Carr.
In addition to cutbacks in the school budget, Silver Beach Elementary found out that Haggen was discontinuing their Haggen Bucks program, which provided the school approximately $2,000 each year. As a result, Silver Beach Elementary has needed to rely on fundraisers and community support.
Much of that foundation comes from the Silver Beach Education Association, a parent group that sponsors special activities in order to enrich the school environment. The association is made up of committees that work to supply money through fundraisers like the Jog-a-thon.
Past projects that have been funded by the Silver Beach Education Association include a laser show assembly that students voted to see, a science exhibition put on by a representative from the Pacific Science Center, and improvements to the soccer field.
“We have wonderful parent group here at Silver Beach who organizes all the fundraisers and does a great job,” said Silver Beach secretary Cathy Riber. “I really appreciate all the work they do to help enhance their children’s educational experience.”
As the work of the Jog-a-thon come to a close, the efforts of the Silver Beach Education Association carry forward. The association’s sponsorship for school activities will continue through the remainder of the school year, which ends on June 17, before beginning to plan for fall 2010.
Local elementary school and award-winning magician host a new fundraiser to improve playground equipment and school grounds.
BELLINGHAM — The Silver Beach Elementary Association brought a new act to town on April 24 with “The Magic of Sterling,” an entertainment show held at Bellingham High School in order to help raise funds for the elementary school’s playground.
For the association’s playground chair, Kim Peterson, it was all about thinking of a fresh approach to fundraising that differentiated from traditional bake sales or cookie dough orders in order to improve the Silver Beach Elementary playground site. The popular gathering area for children currently has unsmoothed grounds and 15 to 20-year-old equipment.
Updating the playground structure does not come at a small price. It costs the association $9,000 to improve the grounds and $15,000-$30,000 for better playground equipment.
After seeing one of his shows, Peterson contacted and organized performance slots with magician Sterling Dietz, 19. The Silver Beach Elementary Association hoped to raise over $5,000 from the shows, which were held at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets were sold for $10 each in a presale and $12 at the door.
“Families and the community can come and get great entertainment,” said Peterson. “If we pack the house, we could think about putting in a new playground structure.”
A promoter of giving back and community service, Dietz, originally from Lynden, Wash., is an award-winning magician who has competed internationally. His most recent travels have taken him to Beijing, Las Vegas and New York City.
Dietz’s credentials include being titled the World Teen Champion of Magic after placing first at the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas in addition to being a member of Magic Castle, the International Brotherhood of Magicians, the Society of American Magicians and the Northwest Ring of Fire. Collectively, he has performed in over 1,500 magic shows and funds four scholarships to high school seniors who are pursuing the arts.
Dietz started his career five years ago after seeing a magician at Bellingham’s local Mount Baker Theater.
“I don’t remember exactly the content of the performance, but I remember the emotions and feelings,” said Dietz. “I remember turning to my dad and saying, ‘This is what I want to do.’”
It was then that Sterling immersed himself into the world of magic. His illusions are mainly self-taught. “I try to do that to make the magic more unusual and unique so that it’s an experience that isn’t seen anywhere else,” said Dietz.
Dietz channels this energy into his performances, which include all different types of magic, ranging from sleight of hand, comedy, grand illusion and audience participation. “This isn’t your average magic show,” said Dietz. “I want to take the audience back to a point in their lives where anything and everything is possible.”
Prior to the show, Dietz said he wanted to make the Silver Beach Elementary performance special by showing that particular audience a special piece. “I’m going to be debuting a new act that I’ll be competing with in a magic competition circuit in upcoming years,” said Dietz. “The show changes so much all the time. People who have seen it before will see new additions to their favorite illusions.”
After “The Magic of Sterling,” the Silver Beach Elementary Association will continue its pursuit to enrich the school by supporting teachers, various academic programs, funds to the library and the playground environment for students.
“If you make these small editions, then you can keep up with the times,” said Peterson. “If the kids play hard, they’ll be much better to sit down and read, do math and focus again.”
