Cover Story
More Than 10,000 Expected at Lummi Stommish Grounds
by Tara Nelson Part 2 Imagine a young person telling you they have no direction, purpose, or sense of belonging within their own community. It’s something that’s been heard repeatedly and it’s exactly the kind of thing Paddle to Lummi … Continue reading
Cover Story
This Year We Could Really Use Ranked Choice Voting
by Stoney Bird And here is a chance to try it out! This year Bellinghamsters and their neighbors have a huge array of contested elections and the candidates to go with them. Of nine elections total, we have eight — … Continue reading
Cover Story
How Ranked-Choice Votes Are Counted
by Stoney Bird For both single-winner elections (like mayor or county executive) and multi-winner elections (like the state legislature or the county council), the voters vote for as many candidates as they favor and rank their choices. If the election … Continue reading
Beaks and Bills
by Joe Meche The Methow River is a tributary of the Columbia, the largest river in the Pacific Northwest. The Methow’s 1,890 square mile watershed drains much of the wilderness areas of the eastern slope of the North Cascades. Its … Continue reading
Being Frank
Politics, Not Science Behind Water Quality Rollback
by Lorraine Loomis I don’t know how you can be against clean water, but some of the industries in our state are. They have convinced the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to roll back the water quality standards we established two … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at May 7, 2019 Meeting Shall the council: 97. Appoint Rodd Pemble to represent business/industry on the Solid Waste Advisory Committee? The committee meets four times a year and has 11members from public interest … Continue reading
Watching Government
Action Taken at May 6, 2019 Meeting Shall the council: 78. Spend 5,000 to purchase a 12-acre parcel of property located in the Lake Whatcom watershed? This purchase is part of the city’s Lake Whatcom Watershed Property Acquisition Program. The … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Bill McCallum Action Taken at May 7, 2019 Meeting Shall the commission: 56. Authorize the executive director to sign the 2019-2021 collective bargaining agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters, Local 106? Wage increases are 3.0 percent … Continue reading
Climate
Climate Action Task Force: June Meeting Update
by Betsy Gross Bellingham’s Climate Action Plan Task Force’s June meeting included PowerPoint slide shows, so it was moved to City Council chambers. As I looked around the room, I guessed the change of location might also be due to … Continue reading
Northwest Gardening
by Peter Heffelfinger Over the years I have been fortunate to have the advice and frequent garden visits of a local retired nurseryman, who stays active doing multiple vegetable gardens to supply fresh produce to local churches and nonprofits. We … Continue reading
poetrywatch
“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy Do … Continue reading
Twenty Years Ago
by Nicole C. Oliver Editor’s Note: This is an abbreviated version of the article. To read the full article go to: http://www.whatcomwatch.org/old_issues/v8i7.html#story1. The Olympic Pipe Line explosion happened on June 10, 1999, on the afternoon of my daughter´s 7th birthday. … Continue reading
The Nooksack Indians and the Nooksack River
by Allan Richardson This article is based on excerpts from “Nooksack Place Names: Geography, Culture, and Language,” coauthored by Allan Richardson and Brent Galloway. (1) The Nooksack People The Nooksack Indians are a Coast Salish people with a distinct Salishan … Continue reading
Mayor: Candidate – Seth Fleetwood
1. Background: The Bellingham Municipal Code 13.16 outlines city regulations for 5G small cell installations. These were drafted in response to a 2018 City Council vote to support 5G installs. On January 14, 2019, new FCC regulations went into effect … Continue reading
Mayor: Candidate – Garrett O’Brien
1. Background: The Bellingham Municipal Code 13.16 outlines city regulations for 5G small cell installations. These were drafted in response to a 2018 City Council vote to support 5G installs. On January 14, 2019, new FCC regulations went into effect … Continue reading
Mayor: Candidate – Pinky Vargas
1. Background: The Bellingham Municipal Code 13.16 outlines city regulations for 5G small cell installations. These were drafted in response to a 2018 City Council vote to support 5G installs. On January 14, 2019, new FCC regulations went into effect … Continue reading
Mayor: Candidate – April Barker
1. Background: The Bellingham Municipal Code 13.16 outlines city regulations for 5G small cell installations. These were drafted in response to a 2018 City Council vote to support 5G installs. On January 14, 2019, new FCC regulations went into effect … Continue reading
Bellingham Third Ward Candidate: Dan Hammill
1. Background: For almost a half a century (1972 to present), Western Washington University (WWU) has not built a dormitory on campus, while increasing enrollment by 50 percent (5,000+ students) over the same period. WWU continues to house only about … Continue reading
Bellingham Third Ward Candidate: Ashanti Monts-Treviska
1. Background: For almost a half a century (1972 to present), Western Washington University (WWU) has not built a dormitory on campus, while increasing enrollment by 50 percent (5,000+ students) over the same period. WWU continues to house only about … Continue reading
Bellingham Third Ward Candidate: Raymond Straka
Raymond A. Straka 360-684-2070 rayastraka1@yahoo.com 1. Background: For almost a half a century (1972 to present), Western Washington University (WWU) has not built a dormitory on campus, while increasing enrollment by 50 percent (5,000+ students) over the same period. WWU … Continue reading
Bellingham City Council: At-Large Candidate – Hollie Huthman
1. Background: For almost a half a century (1972 to present), Western Washington University (WWU) has not built a dormitory on campus, while increasing enrollment by 50 percent (5,000+ students) over the same period. WWU continues to house only about … Continue reading
Bellingham City Council: At-Large Candidate – Von Emeth Ochoa
1. Background: For almost a half a century (1972 to present), Western Washington University (WWU) has not built a dormitory on campus, while increasing enrollment by 50 percent (5,000+ students) over the same period. WWU continues to house only about … Continue reading
Bellingham City Council: At-Large Candidate – Dana Briggs
1. Background: For almost a half a century (1972 to present), Western Washington University (WWU) has not built a dormitory on campus, while increasing enrollment by 50 percent (5,000+ students) over the same period. WWU continues to house only about … Continue reading
