Oct/Nov 2020
Editor’s Note: 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 by citizens — this column is designed to add daylight to [Read More...]
by Stoney Bird Vote Yes on Proposition 2020-14 Ten years ago, Bellingham voters adopted our local Transportation Fund. The fund is responsible for providing us with many of the repaving projects that we’ve been seeing in the last 10 years and nearly all the nonmotorized projects. And it’s been supporting [Read More...]
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.” — John F. Kennedy Do You Enjoy poetrywatch? Artwork by [Read More...]
Compiled by Bill McCallum Action Taken at August 11, 2020 Meeting Shall the commission: 62. Renew a lease with Mount Baker Products? The tenant produces plywood products on 6.7 acres at 2929 Roeder Avenue. The rent for the five-year renewal period (8/1/2020 through 7/31/2025) will be $929,612 plus state leaseholder [Read More...]
Action Taken at August 24, 2020 Meeting Announcements: The mayor recently signed a letter from Washington state leaders that urge Congress to extend the census deadline. At this time, about 70 percent of Washington state has been counted. The newest portal for gathering public feedback is called Engage Bellingham, and [Read More...]
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at August 5, 2020 Meeting Shall the council: 133. Authorize the executive to sign a $239,047 contract (amendment #22) with Washington State University? At the 1/29/2019 meeting, vote #20, council voted to jointly share costs for faculty positions and support for various WSU Extension [Read More...]
Lorraine Loomis USEPA Photo by Eric Vance. Public domain image by Lorraine Loomis What we don’t know about populations of harbor seals and California sea lions in western Washington could be hurting salmon, orcas and other marine species — as well as fishing communities and economies — far [Read More...]
Washington has one of the strongest reporter shield laws, as depicted in this map from the RCFP. RCW 5.68.010, which went into effect in 2007, “provides the news media with absolute protection for confidential sources and qualified protection for other journalistic materials and information.” Source: https://www.rcfp.org/reporters-privilege/. by Jennifer Karchmer Seattle [Read More...]
The Rim Fire burned more than 250,000 acres of forest near Yosemite National Park, in 2013.Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture by Jayson O’Neill As wildfires have raged across Western states in recent weeks amidst another record-breaking wildfire season that is destroying lives and communities, new research released by [Read More...]
Glaucous-winged gull with starfishphoto: Joe Meche by Joe Meche Needless to say, the summer of 2020 has been one to remember, and possibly one that we would just as soon forget. In addition to the Covid-19 pandemic and the rash of wildfires in the West, political divisiveness and [Read More...]