Watching Government

  January 2017

Port of Bellingham Commission

Compiled by Andrew S. McBride

Action Taken at November 1, 2016 Meeting Shall the commission: 176. Authorize the executive director to sign an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration to transfer $5 million in airport improvement funds to Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport? The Bellingham airport does … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

Whatcom County Council

Whatcom Watch

Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at November 9, 2016 Meeting Shall the council: 197. Cancel accounts between 5/3/2002 and 4/1/2014 as uncollectible? There are 482 accounts totaling $25,745 deemed uncollectible under state law by the Administrative Services finance department. … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

Bellingham City Council

Compiled by Boris Schleinkofer

Action Taken at November 7, 2016 Meeting Shall the council: 181. Authorize the city attorney’s office to intervene in Whatcom County Association of Realtors, et al. v. Whatcom County? At the 8/9/2016 meeting, vote #150, the Whatcom County Council approved … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

Do You Enjoy poetrywatch?

poetrywatch editor Boris Schleinkofer

Want to see it continue? Then please, send your poems to us and let the Whatcom Watch share them with our readership! Seriously, we really do want your roughly 25-line poems (though length is by no means a deal-breaker; it’s … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

The Costs of Driving

Whatcom Watch

by Jemae Pope and Aaron Ostrom To celebrate 25 years of publishing Whatcom Watch, we are printing excerpts from 20 years ago. The article  below is from the January 1997 issue of Whatcom Watch. Washington residents drove over 50 billion … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

How Electrifying Rails Can Be Accomplished and the Benefits

Whatcom Watch

by Debbie Cantrell Solutionary Rail A people-powered campaign to electrify America’s railroads and open corridors to a clean energy future Bill Moyer, author Patrick Mazza, editor J. Craig Thorpe, illustrator Backbone Campaign, 2016 108 pages, paperback, $19.95 ISBN-13 978-09980963-0-8 Reviewed … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

State Water Quality Standards Finally Updated

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis It took a long time on a rough road to get there, but today Washington has some of the most protective water quality standards in the nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month finalized updated state … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

Moving East to West

Whatcom Watch

by Peter Heffelfinger Editor’s note: This is a new column, and the Watch welcomes Peter Heffelfinger, who will write monthly about gardening in the Pacific Northwest. Please feel free to submit questions and thoughts!!   Contact Peter at:   peterh.heffelfinger@gmail.com As … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

Whatcom Conservation District Election

Whatcom Watch

An election for one seat on the Whatcom Conservation District Board will be held on Tuesday, March 14, 2017, at 6975 Hannegan Road, Lynden. Polls will be open between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. All registered voters residing within Whatcom … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

It’s Time to Shake Off Our Shock and Fire Up!

Whatcom Watch

Editor Bob Schober The last election, and Trump’s cabinet nominees, promise wide-scale attacks on the many social and environmental programs and values that many of us have supported over decades. And even though many of these programs, including environmental protection, … Continue reading →

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