March 2019 (volume 28, issue 3)

The Nooksack River: A Treasure to Preserve

by Ron Kleinknecht Part 1 Lay of the River The Nooksack River is neither a large nor a long river by most standards as it runs only 75 miles from its origin in the glaciers of the North Cascade Mountains … Continue reading

Updated Nooksack Watershed Plan Failed

by Eric Hirst This article is different from the ones I usually write. I pride myself on an analytical approach that is data-driven. This article is about my thoughts and opinions on the recent process in response to legislation passed … Continue reading

Equinox

by Joe Meche Equinoxes occur on any planet that has a tilted rotational axis. On Earth, the equinox is the time of year when the plane of our equator passes through the center of the sun, resulting in equal times … Continue reading

Proposed State Budget Underfunds Culvert Replacement

by Lorraine Loomis   This column represents the natural resources management interests and concerns of the treaty Indian tribes in western Washington. Treaty tribes in western Washington are concerned that Gov. Jay Inslee’s two-year billion budget now before the … Continue reading

Bellingham City Council

Action Taken at January 7, 2019 Meeting Shall the council: 1. Approve the mayor’s reappointment of Sharon Rice as the Bellingham Hearing Examiner? Sharon Rice provides hearing examiner services for eight cities and three counties. The City Council approved her … Continue reading

Port of Bellingham

Compiled by Bill McCallum Action Taken at January 8, 2019 Meeting Shall the commission: 1. Delegate certain administrative powers and duties to the executive director? The administrative powers will run from 2/1/2019 to 1/31/2020. (Resolution 1106-U) 8027/Consent Agenda B Approved … Continue reading

Whatcom County Council

Whatcom Watch Readers: We believe that a healthy democracy requires citizens to have meaningful information on decisions by elected officials. In the February, 2019 issue, page 2, a table with the title “Votes by Elected Officials Pass 12,000 Mark” documents … Continue reading

Wings Over Water Birding Festival

On March 15-17, the 17th Annual Wings Over Water (WOW) Festival will take place in Blaine, with numerous events and activities in a variety of venues. We’re expanding this year to cover locations stretching from Lake Terrell on the south … Continue reading

City and County Seek Climate Solutions

by Betsy Gross Editor’s Note: This is the first column by Betsy Gross covering local committees created to tackle climate change. Global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide need to fall by approximately 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030 … Continue reading

Bellingham Climate Action Plan Task Force

At the May 7, 2018 meeting, the Bellingham City Council voted to establish the Climate Action Plan Task Force as part of the 2018 Climate Protection Action Plan. The committee consists of nine voting members appointed by the mayor and … Continue reading

Anecdotes Don’t Prove Anything

by Matteo Tamburini Anecdotes should not be used to decide public policy. I’ll include a few examples: • Two friends from out of town were pulled over by the police. They were looking for my place in the late evening, and … Continue reading

poetrywatch

Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor “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.” — … Continue reading

Middle Fork Diversion Dam

The city of Bellingham operates a water diversion dam on the Middle Fork Nooksack River, approximately 20 miles east of the city of Bellingham. The city has diverted water from the Middle Fork since 1962 to supplement its main water … Continue reading

Scudder Pond: The Pond That Almost Wasn’t

by Al Hanners and Vikki Jackson Editor’s Note: The pond, located near the corner of Alabama Street and Electric Avenue, is abutted by the city Railroad Trail. In November of 1987, Scudder Pond was donated by Veda Armitage (in memory … Continue reading

Lies That Could Power Hoover Dam

by Lyle Harris Sr. This section is devoted to studying the impacts of the Trump administration. The U.S. Constitution is based on trust that we citizens, at any time in history, will understand the importance and meaning of certain fundamental … Continue reading