Cover Story
Character — The Content of Bellingham’s Neighborhoods
by Dick Conoboy Bellingham faces numerous housing and land use problems. Rents and housing prices are soaring while landlords undercut housing availability by buying up affordable houses to rent at prices that lock out families. Vacation rentals are beginning to … Continue reading
Cover Story
Oil Tankers Could Doom Puget Sound’s Orcas
by Nick Turner This article reprinted with permission by Crosscut.com and first published December 13, 2016. Canada’s recent approval for the construction of a pipeline in British Columbia could signal big changes for killer whales in the Puget Sound. Canadian … Continue reading
Beaks and Bills
by Joe Meche From a statistical point of view, the popularity of birds has never been higher. More people than ever participate in bird watching and bird feeding while citizen scientists add valuable data in tracking bird populations throughout the … Continue reading
Being Frank
Climate Change is Damaging Treaty Rights
by Lorraine Loomis Climate change isn’t happening to some of us. It’s happening to all of us, and it’s going to take all of us to meet its challenges. A recent report from the treaty Indian tribes in western Washington … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at December 6, 2016 Meeting Shall the council: 226. Appoint Stephen Nyman to fill a vacancy on the Wildlife Advisory Committee? At the 7/7/2015 meeting, vote # 131, council created the Wildlife Advisory Committee, … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Andrew S. McBride Action Taken at December 6, 2016 Meeting Shall the commission: 195. Authorize the executive director to accept a property insurance settlement payment for Bellingham Shipping Terminal pier damage? On 12/9/2014, during a windstorm, the Horizon … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Boris Schleinkofer Action Taken at December 5, 2016 Meeting Shall the council: 209. Authorize the mayor to award the low bid of 2,811 to Hytech Roofing of Lynden to re-roof the downtown Bellingham library? The engineer’s estimate was … Continue reading
Agriculture
State Water Quality Permit Sacrifices Public Health
The coalition backing the following statement includes Citizens for a Healthy Bay, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, the Center for Food Safety, Snake River Waterkeeper, OneAmerica, the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, Aqua Permanenté, the Waterkeeper Alliance, the Center for … Continue reading
Conservation District Election
Whatcom Conservation District Election
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
Editorial
Repealing the Affordable Care Act
by Bob Schober “The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” — Albert Einstein Editor’s note: With the dawning of the … Continue reading
Election Results
Please use this link to view the results of the 2016 General Election Greenways IV Levy. Greenways IV
Human Rights Film Festival
17th Human Rights Film Festival
The Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival offers the Bellingham community an annual 10 day film festival of powerful, thought-provoking films on the rights of people and Earth. The Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival is composed of volunteers whose primary goal … Continue reading
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor, I did not vote in this election since neither candidate gave my conscience enough comfort. I now feel a small elation that Donald Trump has blown a hole through the corruption of our present regimes, allowing fresh … Continue reading
Letter to the Editor
To the Editor, I see the same facts as Michael Riordan, (front page, January 2017) but come away with a much different lesson. Based on the numbers in the same issue of Whatcom Watch, 37 percent of voters in Whatcom … Continue reading
Northwest Gardening
Looking Ahead to the Spring Season
by Peter Heffelfinger In the middle of February we usually get a winter thaw: The cold lets up for a bit; the sun comes out a little brighter, and the hardy, over-wintering plants in the vegetable garden perk up, thinking … 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
Twenty Years Ago
Winter Solstice Thoughts on Fairhaven Woods
by Dudley Evenson To celebrate 25 years of publishing Whatcom Watch, we will be printing excerpts from 20 years ago. The below excerpts are from the February 1997 issue. Editor’s Note: In 1996, the Madrona Development Corporation of Seattle proposed … Continue reading
Unsung Heroes
Erik Dyrland, Advocate for Kids
by Kathryn Fentress Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County (Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden and Blaine) is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach … Continue reading
