Cover Story

  December 2016

How to Improve Whatcom Water-use Efficiency?

by Eric Hirst The Colorado River Research Group wrote that, “Water users consume too much water from the river and, moving forward, must strive to use less, not more. Any conversation about the river that does not explicitly acknowledge this … Continue reading

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  December 2016

Stormwaters Run Deep: Bellingham’s Solution to Toxic Runoff

by Robert Johnson Annual rainfall is rising in Whatcom County, bringing with it big storms and increased water pollution in the form of heavy runoff from roads and hard surfaces (1). Runoff carries toxic crud such as oil, pesticides and … Continue reading

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  Oct/Nov 2016

The Chuckanut Formation in Our Backyard

by Ron Kleinknecht Fifty million years ago, there were giant, 7-foot-tall chickens wading around palm trees in the subtropical swamp that is now Whatcom County. And the remnants of this geology are still present. (1) Those chickens were Diatryma, a … Continue reading

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  Oct/Nov 2016

Human Trafficking in Whatcom County

Jill  (last name removed)  remembers everything. The way she got into sex-trafficking, her arrest, the King County police officer who stayed with her and guided her to Engedi Refuge Ministries in Lynden. The programs there included addiction recovery and therapy, … Continue reading

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  September 2016

The Bromance Between the Mogul and the Senator

by Michael Riordan          Donald Trump shaking hands with Sen. Doug Ericksen at the Lynden rally.                                                                 Photo: Ericksen Facebook page Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the … Continue reading

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  September 2016

Pushing the Cart Before the Horse: Construction Before Cleanup on the Bellingham Waterfront

  by Robert Johnson The Port of Bellingham and the Washington state Department of Ecology have expedited the cleanup of toxic industrial chemicals embedded in the soil and groundwater of the Waterfront District under pressure from one of the port’s … Continue reading

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  August 2016

Whatcom’s Homeless Women and Children

by Kara Spencer and Vanessa Thomas   It was her third pregnancy but her first baby. Cradling the newborn in her arms, Lauren smiled. “I’m going to do it all for you.” Lauren, not her real name to protect her … Continue reading

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  August 2016

My Journey Towards “Greener Pastures:” A Mid-Course Correction

by Justus Peterson On Jan. 15, 2016, I went back to work for a small, local, design/build residential contractor, after 10 years of lucrative employment in the oil industry.  I turned my back on the oil industry for a number … Continue reading

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  July 2016

Irrigation Dominates Whatcom Water Use

Whatcom County faces a variety of water supply, water quality and fish habitat problems. Understanding and resolving these problems require a detailed and accurate knowledge of who uses water, for what purposes and when. Irrigation is the largest – and … Continue reading

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  July 2016

Birchwood, Alderwood Neighborhoods Labeled as a Food Desert

by Christian Conahan, Janae Easlon and Elizabeth Kayser Walking inside a corner store on a recent day, browning bananas are two for $1. No burger meat but plenty of beef jerky and soda. No produce. The little store has microwavable … Continue reading

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