Barkley plans for a brighter future

Following in the trend set by bigger cities such as Seattle, the city of Bellingham has sparked plans to shift to LED street lights within the next two years.

At the quarterly Barkley Neighborhood Association meeting Nov. 11, Mayor's Neighborhood Advisory Commission representative Jim Brennan, informed attendees that all streetlights in Bellingham will be switched to energy-efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs) in the next two years.

"Some of the street lights in Bellingham are hardly any help at all," Brennan said. "Even though they're on, it's still dim and hard to see."

The switch to LED should create a safer place for citizens and students, Brennan said. Places such as the Western Washington University 'C Lot' have fallen victim to poor lighting, something that LED lights should help eliminate, Brennan said.

Residential LEDs use about 75 percent less energy, and last 25-times longer compared to incandescent lighting, according to Energy Saver, the U.S. Department of Energy's consumer resource on saving energy and using renewable energy technologies.  

LEDs could make a significant difference for the community and benefit the city, Brennan said.

"Think about what this switch could mean for Bellingham's carbon emissions," Brennan said. "The city will save so much money by converting."

Back in March, conversion work began in the Seattle area arterial roadways, according to Seattle City Light; converting all arterial roadway lights is expected to take two to three years. For Seattle, the switch to LEDs means 48 to 62 percent lower energy consumption and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

What could this mean for the Barkley neighborhood?

As one of the most populated neighborhoods in Bellingham, converting all streetlights to LEDs will make the neighborhood a safer place for its community.

"It will make it less dangerous for people to walk at night and cross the street," Brennan said. "In an area that has cars moving through it all the time, having LED streetlights will illuminate the area and make it safer for pedestrians."

Upcoming events as Praise 106.5 prepares its move to Barkley

With 2016 quickly approaching, Praise 106.5 is keeping busy as the team prepares to move to Barkley after 35 years in Lynden. The move is expected to happen in the first quarter of the new year and while much of the focus is on preparing for moving day, the radio station is staying involved with the community. Listed below are a handful of upcoming community events and Praise events.

35th Annual Bazaar at Bellingham Covenant Church
The Women's Ministry of Bellingham Covenant Church is hosting its 35th annual Holiday Bazaar and will host 60 vendors and their hand-crafted treats, including hand knitted and crocheted items, fabric creations, wood-crafted items, jewelry, soap and lotions, original artwork and cards, ceramic, glass, paper crafts, candy and so on. Take a break from shopping and enjoy baked goods and espresso drinks available for purchase at the espresso counter and bake sale.

Date: Nov. 14, 2015
Location: Bellingham Covenant Church
Time: 9 a.m.
Cost: Free

Lights of Christmas
Join Jim Bouma and the Praise Street Team on the annual trip to Warm Beach and see the Lights of Christmas! See over 1 million Christmas lights create dazzling light displays and munch on fresh hot donuts while listening to the carolers sing.

Date: Dec. 4, 2015
Location: Warm Beach Camp
Time: 6 p.m.
Cost: Adult: $16, military & seniors: $12, youth 4-12: $11, children aged 3 and younger: free

Skagit Jingle Bell Run/Walk
The Arthritis Foundation is hosting its 8th annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk to raise awareness and support arthritis research and help those in need. The event includes a 5k Run/Walk, a Dog Trott, and Kids Fun Run with the Elves.

Date: Dec. 5, 2015
Location: Burlington Visitor Center
Time: 9 a.m.
Cost: $30

Register at: Skagit Jingle Bell Run/Walk

Crime rates remain steady in Barkley

In comparison to 2014, crime rates in the Barkley neighborhood have increased and continue to remain steady throughout 2015.

As a neighborhood that has been through a lot developmentally in recent years, such as the growth of Barkley Village and the implementation of the Cornerstone Building apartments, crime has remained consistent throughout.

Aside from public order maintenance calls and traffic offenses/accidents encountered on a daily basis, theft and domestic violence are two of the most reported incidents in the Barkley neighborhood.

According to crime statistics provided by the City of Bellingham, there were 52 reports of domestic violence and 130 reports of theft in 2014. So far this year, there have been 44 reports of domestic violence and 106 reports of theft, a trend similar to the year prior.

Crime Statistics for Barkley neighborhood, 2014 v. 2015

Megan Runyan, a barista at the Woods Coffee in Barkley Village, says that the company has experienced theft first hand.

"Our bagels at the store keep getting stolen," Runyan said, "It's actually really annoying. The Bagelry leaves them out by our front door every morning and they get stolen."

As one of the "better off" neighborhoods in Bellingham, crime does not always get associated with Barkley, but the statistics say otherwise.

Though not prevalent compared to other places in Bellingham, the homeless community in the Barkley neighborhood may be an indicator for steady theft rates.

A resident of the Barkley neighborhood for the last 12 years, Harold Crook has his observations on the situation.

"When security is lax or absent, there tends to be misbehavior from kids, the homeless..." Crook said.

Even with crime rates remaining steady in the Barkley neighborhood, it does not stray community members from seeing the area as a relatively safe place.

"Overall, it's an ideal, well-managed place that has little one can complain about." said Crook.