Cover Story
Washington: A Democracy Leader
by Stoney Bird But there is too much big money in our politics In 2011, when Washington state adopted voting by mail for all elections, we weren’t thinking that we would be preparing ourselves for the coronavirus crisis, but we … Continue reading
Cover Story
Mt. Baker Glaciers Are Disappearing
by Clara Deck On the first of August 2019, a team of five glaciologists at various levels in their careers hiked through the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Stepping out of the trees and into a field of purple and yellow … Continue reading
Cover Story
During this uncertain time, Whatcom Watch is not suffering like a lot of free publications, which are dependent on advertising for revenue. Subscribers provide the majority of our income. Last year, 40 percent of our revenue was from advertising, up … Continue reading
Beaks and Bills
Birding in the Time of Covid-19
by Joe Meche It seems that it’s been a long wait for spring birding and the wait increased slightly with the arrival of Covid-19. This pandemic created a major disruption in our everyday activities, from work to recreational pursuits. However, … Continue reading
Being Frank
Cooperation Key to Containing Green Crab Invasion
by Lorraine Loomis Treaty tribes are encouraged by cooperative efforts with federal and state natural resources managers and others to monitor and stem the invasion of European green crab across western Washington. We depend on fish and shellfish for our … Continue reading
Watching Government
Action Taken at March 9, 2020 Meeting Shall the council: 36. Spend 7,000 to acquire 9.39 acres from Charles E. and Maria L. Swift located in the Lake Whatcom Watershed? The purchase will be made in connection with the city’s … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at March 10, 2020 Meeting Shall the council: 42. Authorize the executive to sign a jail use agreement (amendment #1) with the cities of Sumas, Ferndale and Everson? Until 2019, when additional jail capacity … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Bill McCallum Action Taken at March 3, 2020 Meeting Shall the commissioners: 20. Declare specified equipment as surplus and sell it at public auction? The surplus property includes: 25 light fixtures, two 1-ton electric hoists, one electric car, … Continue reading
Community Service Providers
Northwest Youth Services Profile
by Lisa Jones There are over 100 organizations in Whatcom County working to provide supportive services to those experiencing chronic poverty and its associated effects: addiction, homelessness, incarceration, mental illness, and unemployment. Whatcom Watch believes these organizations often labor unnoticed … Continue reading
Internet
Can Bellingham Expand Into New Internet Options?
by Leslie Shankman We have been sequestered with our technology and the relationship has deepened. And thus, the ad that flashes on my screen has timely relevance: “… T-Mobile’s commitment to building the world’s best broad and deep nationwide 5G … Continue reading
Journalism
Freedom of the Press Amid Covid-19
by Jennifer Karchmer KUOW Pulls Plug on Live White House Briefings On March 25, 2020, public radio station KUOW announced that it would stop airing President Trump’s live Coronavirus Task Force briefings. With no time to adequately fact-check the president’s … Continue reading
Life Before Flowers
by Fred Rhoades Springtime turns a mycologist’s attention to morels, one of the most desirable of edible fungi. If you want lots of morels, go east of the mountains (see below). Our choices in the western part of the county … 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
Where the Ocean Meets the Land
by Patrick Mazza Since January 2014, Whatcom Watch has been rerunning articles from issues printed 20 years ago. The below article appeared in the May 2000 issue of Whatcom Watch. Last month, we reprinted part five of a six-part series … Continue reading
5G: An Overview and Important New Study
by Art Baner By now, most of us know that 5G is the fifth generation of cellular communication technology. What many may not know, however, is that 5G is not just one thing. It makes use of a wide variety … Continue reading
