Independent, fact-based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties

News from the Salish Current July 14, 2023

Dear Reader—
This week we hear from reporter Matt Benoit about the violence, even death, journalists may face these days in pursuit of the best available version of the truth. His report includes note of a perhaps surprisingly uplifting documentary showing in Bellingham next week about a young reporter who was killed on the job.

We delve into the political realm by way of two primary election candidate forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County. Four of the six (!) aspirants to the Whatcom County Executive job and all five (!) vying to be Bellingham’s mayor shared their ideas about housing the unhoused, racial equity, the new jail proposal, serving those experiencing mental illness, managing land use and urban growth, redevelopment (or not) at Cherry Point and much more.

That’s lots of information, yes, and the candidates have more to say and more opportunities to do so in even more forums over the next few weeks. We’ve listed those of which we’re aware in Skagit, San Juan and Whatcom counties below, and recordings of others already held are online at sponsors’ websites.

Tune in! Show up! Listen! Do some fact-checking! You’ll need that information in order to make best use of your vote by Aug. 1 ... you are registered, yes?

Please take a second or two to share Salish Current articles among your friends, family or colleagues — including recent stories about the importance of school board elections and the perspectives of young voters. Our nonpartisan, fact-based journalism is all possible thanks to your support.

—Amy Nelson, Publisher

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#SayTheirNames #BlackLivesMatter #NoJusticeNoPeace

Want more environmental news? Salish Sea News and Weather is a weekday curated compilation of news from Salish Sea news sources. Free via email or on the web.

Salish Sea News Week in Review July 14 2023: Shark day, geoduck farm, green crabs, LNG exports, NW forests, deer Covid, ship LNG, Elwha fish, WA gas prices.

Support Us

‘Lyra’ sheds light on power, dangers of journalism

Director Alison Millar hopes audiences find the story of Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee, who was killed while covering a story, inspiring and energizing toward pursuit of their own dreams. (Courtesy Jess Lowe Photography)

By Matt Benoit
“Lyra,” showing July 18 at Bellingham’s Pickford Film Center, documents the story of murdered Northern Ireland journalist Lyra McKee and spotlights the dangers and power of journalism — and why that matters.

Choices! Aug. 1 primary election voters will narrow the field from six to two candidates for Whatcom County Executive.

By Editorial Staff
Responses in a candidates forum from four (of six) vying for Whatcom County Executive sketched out four differing perspectives on how to serve.

Bellingham may be a small city, as cities go, but the issues facing its mayor are complex. The five candidates vying for the office responded to questions on how to address those issues in a forum presented by the League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County Tuesday evening.

By Editorial Staff
What should be the way forward for downtown Bellingham vitality, a new jail, waterfront development and housing? Bellingham mayoral primary candidates offered responses in an online forum this week.

Letters to the Editor

• What changes with “Rights of Nature”?

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News from around the region...

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Health and Safety

Tiny homes. The newly purchased property on Meridian Street in Bellingham may be the new location for Unity Village and Swift Haven, tiny home villages that have been operating on temporary permits at Post Point Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Civic Athletic Complex respectively. (KGMI)

Education

Blaine schools. The Blaine school district released a draft budget for the 2023/24 school year that spends nearly $3.5 million less than last school year and reduces the district’s anticipated end of year deficit to $2.1 million. The district will be eliminating 59.5 positions, which would include 50 layoffs. (The Northern Light)

The Border & Beyond

Living with fire. "I’m living through B.C.’s worst ever fire season," writes Amanda Follett Hosgood, The Tyee’s northern B.C. reporter who lives in Wet’suwet’en territory. (The Tyee)

Nature

Forest plan. A 21-member panel of regional experts will spend the next two years updating the 30-year-old Northwest Forest Plan by focusing specifically on the impacts of climate change. (Washington State Standard) /

Island tuna. A near-perfectly preserved 100-pound Pacific bluefin tuna washed ashore on Crescent Beach on Orcas Island this week. Bluefin tuna has never been scientifically documented in the Salish Sea and its origins and cause of death are currently a mystery. (Islands Sounder)

Low tides. Extreme low tides will occur July 14–20 and July 29–Aug. 4, and will provide a chance to get up close to marine creatures in rocky tide pools. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)

Creosote pilings. San Juan County is contracting with Environmental Science Associates (ESA) to complete a countywide assessment of creosote pilings in advance of developing a plan for their removal. (San Juan County)

Business

Gas prices. Backers of the state's climate policies which have prompted record-high gasoline pump prices and complaints say oil companies and profit-taking are to blame. (Washington State Standard)

Tourism's back. Visitor spending in Whatcom County in 2022 exceeded pre-pandemic levels of 2019, according to Bellingham-Whatcom County Tourism’s year-in-review. (The Northern Light)

Sustainable tourism. For many years, Washington has been a top destination for adventure seekers. But increased foot traffic wears trails out faster and with more people comes more waste. (The Planet Magazine)

San Juan real estate. Merri Ann Simonsen reports that the first half year dollar volume was $155,252,925 with a total of 154 transactions. The numbers reflect a 26% decrease in both the dollar volume and in the number of transactions as compared to the same six-month period in 2022. (San Juan Islands Lifestyle)

Community

Mud Bay Cliffs. South Bellingham's Edgemoor neighborhood residents are objecting to development of a 38-lot residential subdivision proposed to be built on 38 acres at the top of cliffs above Chuckanut Bay. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)

Mobile homes. The Blaine City Council voted 5–2 on July 10 to uphold its decision to enact a six-month emergency moratorium on processing manufactured-home-park building permit applications. (The Northern Light)

Museum exhibit. Skagit County Historical Museum has reopened its permanent Native American exhibit after an inventory of tribal cultural items, some of which will be returned to their tribes of origin. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)

Clayton Beach. After a decade and a half, an overhead walkway over railroad tracks allows visitors to officially access Clayton Beach at Larrabee State Park. (KGMI)

Arts & Leisure

"Mama Mia". Fairhaven Outdoor Cinema. Entertainment: Quickdraw String Band, July 15. Movies start at dusk and entertainment about 2 hours prior to the movie. $7 per person cash, $8 per person credit card; kids 4 and under are FREE. Information.

Say no. The Friday Harbor Film Festival Best of the Fest features "The Boys Who Said NO!" a film profiling the young men and women who actively opposed the military draft to end the Vietnam War. July 21, 7 p.m., San Juan Island Library. To livestream, go here.

Pioneer Park plays. Unsubdued Theatre Collective, a Bellingham-based theatre company, performs "The Unsubdued Revue 3" and "Clytemnestra Has Blood on Her Hands," in Ferndale's Pioneer Park in July. Free. Show and showtime details here.

Three plays. Fairhaven Summer Repertory Theater presents "Keely and Du" by Jane Martin; "Gidion’s Knot" by Johnna Adams; and "What the Constitution Means to Me" by Heidi Schreck. June 27–July 23, Firehouse Arts and Events Center, information and tickets here.

Park music. Bellingham's Elizabeth Park summer concerts are presented every Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 24. Donations welcomed. Program information.

Library jazz. Bellingham Public Library presents Friends of the Library Summer Jazz in various locations on July 15, Aug. 5, Aug. 19. Free. Information and registration. Also check out the Jazz for Kids programs.

Jump in!

Hospital districts 101. The LWV of Bellingham-Whatcom County holds an online Zoom public forum, “Public Hospital Districts 101: Making Democracy Work for Local Healthcare.” July 17, 10–11:30 a.m. Registration required.

Hospital District 304. The LWV of Skagit County will host an in-person forum for the candidates for the position of Commissioner, Position 2, Hospital District 304. July 17, 6:30–8 p.m., Skagit PUD Building. The forum will also be available for viewing by Zoom and for viewing later.

About drugs. The Bellingham Public Library is making available multiple copies of Sam Quinones' book, "The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth," in advance of his Aug. 1 visit, "All Hands Whatcom: An Evening with Sam Quinones" 6 p.m. at Bellingham High School. The event is free and open to the public. Register and submit questions at Chuckanut Health Foundation. https://ChuckanutHealthFoundation.org/allhands

Invasive removal. Join with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association and Whatcom Land Trust on Saturdays in July (22, 29) to clear out invasive vegetation from the banks of the North and South forks of the Nooksack River. Registration is limited and required.

Government

Elections
Candidate forums:
• Whatcom County Executive primary forum hosted by Indivisible Bellingham will feature candidates Barry Buchanan, Sukhwant Gill, Alicia Rule and Satpal Sidhu. July 17, 7 p.m., Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.

• Bellingham mayor primary forum hosted by the Bellingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Bellingham Partnership, July 18, Whatcom Museum Rotunda, 6 p.m. sign in; 6:30 p.m. program. Information.

Watch this space. This guide won’t tell you who to vote for, but should help you make the choice for yourself. Bellingham Primary Election. (Crosscut)

Public Disclosure Commission July 14, 2023
City of Bellingham Mayor
• Kim Lund: Raised $49,575.72, Spent $12,499.48
• Michael McAuley: Raised $14,497.60, Spent $8,884.68
• Kristina Michele Martens: Raised $4,000.06, Spent $3,463.94, Outside For $415.74
• Seth Fleetwood: Raised $15,921.45, Spent $12,699.36
• Chris McCoy: Raised $8,044.15, Spent $6,939.73

Whatcom County Executive
• Satpal Sidhu: Raised $76,426.78, Spent $30,367.60, Debt $12,135.59
• Alicia Rule: Raised $11,307.00, Spent $5,318.16
• Barry Buchanan: Raised $7,533.19, Spent $5,313.14, Debt $7,529.19
• Misty Flowers: Raised $1,160.84, Spent $2,092.64
• Dan Purdy: Raised $3,192.64, Spent $27,041.51, Debt $21,997.76
• Sukhwant Gill: Raised $10,793.64, Spent $9,585.86

Aug. 1 Primary
Whatcom County candidate filings
Skagit County candidate filings
San Juan County candidate filings

San Juan County.
The council met on July 11. Click here for agenda and video of session.
The council will meet again on July 17.

City of Bellingham.
The council met on July 10. Agenda items included:

Public hearing:
• The council unanimously approved a Greenways Program V resolution to submit a property tax levy proposal to voters for a 41 cents per $1,000 valuation to address climate resiliency. Resolution.

Public Works and Natural Resources Committee:
• The council unanimously awarded a bid of $1,263,168.00 to Bear Wood Windows to repair the exterior of Old City Hall.

•Committee of the Whole
• The council unanimously adopted an amended conservation easement, a second amended conservation easement, and an assignment agreement for the Hundred Acre Wood property with the Chuckanut Community Forest Park District and Whatcom Land Trust. Conservation Easement.

• The council voted to defer to voters initiatives to raise the minimum wage and economic displacement assistance.

The council will meet again on July 24.

Whatcom County.
The council met on July 11. Agenda items included:

Public hearings:
• The council approved 5-0 (Kershner excused, Donovan abstained) an amended ordinance for submission to the voters a collection of a local sales and use tax of two-tenths of one percent for the purpose of providing funds for costs associated with public health, safety and justice facilities and services, including behavioral health, supportive housing, public safety, and criminal justice facilities and programs.

• The council approved (4-2, Byrd and Elenbaas opposed, Kershner excused) an amended ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Section 11.20.025, to prohibit floatation devices on the South Fork of the Nooksack River from June 1 to Oct. 31 to better protect ESA-listed Chinook salmon.

Consent agenda:
• The council unanimously authorized the County Executive to enter into an interlocal agreement between Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Commerce to fund homelessness crisis response systems, in the amount of $10,543,379.

• The council unanimously authorized the County Executive to enter into a contract amendment between Whatcom County and the Bellingham Food Bank to extend the agreement through December 2024 for an additional $1,000,000 for a total cost of $1,500,000.

• The council authorized (4-2, Byrd and Ellenbaas opposed, Kershner excused) the County Executive to enter into a contract between Whatcom County and RE Sources to implement waste reduction and recycling education programs, in the amount of $65,000.

Other items:
• WITHDRAWN: Resolution acknowledging the rights of the Southern Resident orcas. Resolution.

The council will meet again on July 25.

Port of Bellingham.
The commission met on July 11. Video link and agenda include:

• Consent agenda approved unanimously.

• Presentation: Update on Paper Whale (Nick Hartrich and Gretchen Leggett [18:50-38:00] Paper Whale is an interactive experience to inspire creatives in the Pacific Northwest. We began by offering the creative community a voice to contribute meaningful ideas that help create place and protect a unique artistic flavor on Bellingham's Waterfront District.

• The commission unanimously authorized a budget increase of $11 million for BST Main Pier Repairs.[41:28-57:20]

The commission will meet again on Aug. 8.