Cover Story

  May 2021

Invasive Mussels Threaten Drinking Water

by Karlee Deatherage   The small mussel, about the size of a grain of rice, appeared on an aquarium moss ball sold at a Seattle Petco earlier this year. It sounded the alarm across the United States, prompting agencies to … Continue reading

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  May 2021

Whatcom Conservation District 2021 Election Results

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  May 2021

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

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  May 2021

Caspian Terns in Bellingham

In 2009, Caspian terns starting nesting on the former Georgia-Pacific property now called the Waterfront District. Approximately 250 birds produced about 100 chicks. The next year, between 2,500 and 3,000 birds produced over 1,000 young terns. The Port of Bellingham … Continue reading

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  May 2021

Lake Whatcom’s Decline Is Unabated

Editor’s Note: The Lake Whatcom Monitoring Project was initiated in the 1980s to measure and track long-term lake data for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity, and nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus. The work is performed by WWU’s Institute for … Continue reading

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  May 2021

From Survival to Safety

by Melissa Bird and Ashley Buerger Editor’s Note: There are over 100 organizations in Whatcom County working to provide supportive ser- vices to those experiencing chronic poverty and its associated effects: ad- diction, homelessness, incarceration, mental illness, and unemployment. Whatcom … Continue reading

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  May 2021

Whatcom Community College Adjusts During the Pandemic

by Ron Kleinknecht We often hear how the pandemic has uprooted students, parents and teachers among the K-12 schools. Parents of school-age children have experienced the upheaval first hand, and it’s been difficult. However, we’ve not heard as much about … Continue reading

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  May 2021

Preventing Incarceration: A Different Approach

by Maddie Smith Part 2 Whatcom County does not keep track of recidivism rates. When a formerly incarcerated person gets arrested again, they recidivate. This rate is used to keep track of people who have a history in the system … Continue reading

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  May 2021

Ocean Conditions, Lost Habitat Drive Salmon Concerns

by Lorraine Loomis Treaty tribes and our state salmon co-managers are looking ahead to another grim year of fishing because of poor ocean conditions that reduce marine survival, and the ongoing loss of freshwater habitat. Higher marine water temperatures, changing … Continue reading

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  May 2021

Spring Into Summer

by Joe Meche As we transitioned from winter into spring, the seasons and the birds around us changed accordingly. Cherry blossoms greeted us in just about every part of town, along with scattered greenery here and there. Rain was still … Continue reading

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