For this assignment we asked residents of Bellingham an icebreaker question. I went to the Fairhaven neighborhood to ask how living in a college town impacts their lives.
“I grew up here. I hardly think of (Bellingham) as a college town,” said Debra Martin an artist at Good earth Pottery located at 1000 Harris Ave. in Fairhaven. She said living in a college town allowed her to go to college for “a few years here and there.”
“For us it’s a good source for employees,” said Robin Bigelow, 51 co-owner of Fairhaven Toy Garden located at 1147 11th St. “Four of our current employees go to Western.” Bigelow holds one of her favorite toys in the store a stuffed unicorn named Abracadabra. She said the store employees Western students every year.
“I’ve always lived in a college town, so I’m used to students being all over the place,” said Katherine Hales, 21, an employee at Papa’s Sweets located at 1102 Harris Ave. She is not a student but she said having students in Bellingham keeps a good rhythm in the community, but it messes with parking a lot. The store opened in April.
Celeste Erickson 
Posted on October 12, 2011