On Saturday, the residents of the Happy Valley neighborhood in South Bellingham turned out for their long planned day of painting the streets. Literally. The intersection of Harris Avenue and 22nd Street was chosen a year ago to become a sort of informal but colorful center of the neighborhood - a visual focal point for the future. Aaron Walters, one of the leaders of the neighborhood association, has led the way, getting the cooperation of the city public works department. The concept has roots in Portland, Oregon, where several street corners have been thus improved.

Happy Valley is the first place this has been done in Bellingham. Perhaps other neighborhoods will check this out and look for a place they can create their own design on an intersection that meets the criteria for becoming a local focus point. Happy Valley is perhaps our city’s most eclectic neighborhood with a very strong and natural community feeling. Several “firsts” and innovative concepts and programs have come out of this neighborhood - which sits adjacent to the better known Fairhaven neighborhood, which is actually much more conservative.

A cool one minute video showing the entire morning project was produced by Jeffrey Littlejohn. His business, Visual Impressions, creates these with GoPro cameras and an aerial drone.

- John Servais