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Independent, fact-based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties
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News from the Salish Current May 26, 2023
Dear Reader—
We certainly are moving into summer under full steam. Best wishes for a safe and sunny — and enjoyable — Memorial Day weekend.
This week we feature Kathryn Wheeler's story about the challenges in doing business in Friday Harbor, Matt Benoit’s past-to-present account of Whatcom County's "poor farm," and John Dunne's profile of James Hawthorn. As always, our readers have their say in letters to the editor.
This election year, Salish Current will focus on key issues and key contested campaigns before the Aug. 1 primary elections by scrutinizing candidate positions and campaign claims. We'd like to do it in a way that not only informs but engages you, our readers, the voter. Our reporting staff is small but smart so we ask for your help by having you tell us what campaigns and issues are important to you — and why — to guide our reporting in the months to come.
• Write to me using our comment form;
• Write a letter to the editor of no more than 300 words;
• Suggest to our managing editor a Community Voices essay of no more than 800 words.
Just a reminder that Salish Current is a not-for-profit newsroom that is nonpartisan and cannot endorse candidates. We are also independent because we are community-supported, free to read and free from advertising. That's thanks to you because of your support and donations.
—Amy Nelson, Publisher
Salish Current affirms its commitment to work for truth, justice,
equity and healing for all people.
#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 5/26/23: Buddha birthday, clam cancer, Canada oil spill response, kelp forests, kelp seed bank, Native gasoline, Delta port suit, Seattle tree rules, Skagit R., CWA weakened.
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Can small businesses survive in Friday Harbor?
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Kris Drain is among Friday Harbor merchants struggling to stay in business; her art gallery is also among a number of businesses up for sale in the face of challenges. (Kathryn Wheeler / Salish Current photo © 2023)
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By Kathryn Wheeler
Friday Harbor small businesses struggling to stay afloat cite rent prices, failing infrastructure and workforce shortage — and, some say, difficult landlord relationships.
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Office stack planned to replace historic building on onetime Poor Farm site
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Then and now: An expansive lawn in front of the Northwest Annex in the 1940s now accommodates parking needs. The 1920s-era building is slated for teardown and replacement, while a group of veterans advocates for preservation. (Top: Courtesy Whatcom Museum; Bottom: Matt Benoit / Salish Current photo © 2023)
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By Matt Benoit
Whatcom County’s process to demolish a past work farm and nursing home site to build government offices is underway.
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Community Voices / Homeless by choice
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James Hawthorn plays guitar, harmonica, harmonium and tambourine, which also doubles as a drum. Though homeless for the past nine years, Hawthorn makes and sells jewelry, and works on songwriting and a plan for a food truck business. (John Dunne photo © 2023)
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By John Dunne
Bobby Joe, the Singing Hillbilly, has stories, songs and jewelry to share.
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• Questions and answers on justice system projects and a new jail
• Emotional and mental health addressed in palliative care
• PeaceHealth: Withhold donations, revoke tax exemption
• PeaceHealth: Invite community to open forum discussions
Our policy: Salish Current welcomes letters to the editor from our readers. Letters should be sent with the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Those accepted for publication will focus on issues addressed in news articles or commentaries in Salish Current and be factual. No snark or put-downs will be acceptable; general nastiness will be rejected. Letters should not exceed 300 words and may be edited for length and clarity. Salish Current will publish letters sent to the editor at its sole discretion.
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Salish Current affirms its commitment to work for truth, justice, equality and healing for all people.
#SayTheirNames #BlackLivesMatter #NoJusticeNoPeace
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News from around the region...
(The links found here may have limited access for those who don’t subscribe to the source publication. Sorry for any inconvenience!)
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Health and Safety
New jail. Whatcom County executive Satpal Sidhu notified the county council that a new county jail could cost between $137 million and $207 million, with associated services that could include diversion programs and mental health and substance abuse treatment facilities. Funding could come from a construction bond funded by a sales tax approved by voters. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)
Lighthouse Mission. The Whatcom County Council voted to rescind its motion of May 9 to not allocate $750,000 to the Lighthouse Mission with a vote of 5-1-1, with Frazey opposed and Galloway abstaining. The council requested that the Administration bring forward a contract with the Lighthouse Mission to fund kitchen equipment and specialty shelter furnishings, funded from ARPA, in the amount of $750,000 with a vote of 4-1-2, with Frazey opposed and Donovan and Galloway abstaining.(Whatcom County Council meeting summary)
Beach safety. Avoid illness from fecal bacteria in the water of beaches you visit by checking out the state's website before you dip in. (WA Dept of Ecology)
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Education
BS watch. Jevin West, who researches misinformation at the University of Washington and co-founded the school's Center for an Informed Public, talks about "generative AI," which can write everything from poetry to scientific papers to computer code. How do we know what's real anymore? (KNKX)
No waste. The Dining Dollars Project at Western Washington University is a way for students to donate unused dining dollars for the purchase of food and toiletry items from on-campus venues for distribution to students on campus and to Bellingham unhoused people. (The Front)
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The Border
Terminal expansion. The Lummi Nation chair Tony Hillaire objects to the Port of Vancouver expansion of its Roberts Bank terminal, saying that the expansion will devastate efforts to revitalize native fishery. (KGMI)
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Nature
New lights. Western Washington University's campus now features 250 LED bulbs along walkways which will meet campus safety, save money and reduce light pollution. (CDN/paywall)
Skagit River. Big river, big story. (Smithsonian)
Blaine toxics. Remediation of toxic contamination at Blaine Harbor's former fish processing Sea K Fish site and the Westman Marine boat maintenance and repair site has started under Port of Bellingham's responsibility. (CDN/paywall) Comments open until July 5: Westman Marine; Sea K Fish
Cotton fluff. The cotton we see floating in the air is the release of the seeds from black poplar and black cottonwood trees, which fly off their branches when they are mature, and the pod is dried. (KUOW)
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Business
"Filthy Four." The Triton-America pier in Anacortes is one of the state Department of Natural Resources's “Filthy Four” — a group of large derelict structures on state-owned aquatic lands— and a new law gives the agency authority to remove derelict aquatic structures such as unused piers and pilings from state waterways. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)
Ferry meetup. Washington State Ferries will hold a virtual community meeting for its San Juan Islands/Anacortes route, May 31, 6 p.m. Register here.
Dike repair. The Army Corps of Engineers is repairing the McGlinn Island Jetty at the mouth of the north fork of the Skagit River near La Conner where holes within the jetty are causing high water velocities to push juvenile fish through the jetty, killing or stranding them. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)
Zero energy. Western Washington University began building its Kaiser Borsari Hall, the only academic facility in the region that is carbon neutral by achieving the International Living Future Institute’s Zero Energy Certification by being "zero energy." (CDN/paywall)
Point Roberts broadband. Whatcom PUD has been awarded a $3,150,000 grant through the Washington State Broadband Office to bring fiber optic infrastructure to the Point Roberts community. (Whatcom PUD)
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Community
Skagit homeless. A more coordinated point-in-time houseless count in January recorded 533 people experiencing homelessness during the Jan. 26 count compared to 314 in 2022, and unsheltered homeless increasing from 75 in 2022 to 218 this year. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)
Skagit shelter. Skagit County commissioners approved about $2.6 million in grant funding for organizations that help the homeless despite earlier predictions of a shortfall in funding due to slowdown in the housing market. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)
Golden oldies. Remembering Bellingham's past musical venues that brought in a diverse range of musical acts. (Whatcom Watch)
Climate art. Samish Island artist Lisa McShane and 20 other artists are part of an October art exhibition titled “Surge: Mapping Transition, Displacement, and Agency in Times of Climate Change,” at the Museum of Northwest Art in La Conner. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)
Blaine housing. The city of Blaine asks people who live or work in Blaine to take a 10-minute online survey to help staff draft a housing action plan. (The Northern Light)
NW Straits. Ginny Broadhurst, Director of the Salish Sea Institute at Western Washington University, was appointed to the Northwest Straits Commission. (WWU News)
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Commentary
Trees. Jill Lepore in "What We Owe Our Trees" writes: "Forests fed us, housed us, and made our way of life possible. But they can’t save us if we can’t save them." (The New Yorker)
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Arts & Leisure
Early music. Salish Sea Early Music Festival Bach II (Bach B Minor Suite, Bach Cantata 209 etc.) • with Maike Albrecht (soprano), Hans-Jürgen Schnoor (harpsichord), Jeffrey Cohan (baroque flute), Carrie Krause (violin), Elisabeth Phelps (violin), Lindsey Strand-Polyak (viola) and Annabeth Shirley (cello). May 26, Bellingham First Presbyterian Church, 7 p.m.; May 27, Lopez Grace Church, 12:30 p.m.; May 27, Friday Harbor Brickworks, 7 p.m.; By donation $25; under 18 free.
Spelling bee. Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a Tony Award winning Broadway musical of an eclectic group of six tweens hoping to win the spelling championship of a lifetime. $12. Casts 1: June 2–4, New Prospect Theatre; Cast 2: June 9–11, BAAY Theatre. Information.
Brother Ray. 9th annual Brother Ray Benefit for the 6th grade band kids features The Atlantics, Swing Connection Big Band, Squalicum High School Jazz Band and the Bellingham Youth Jazz Band. June 3, 2–9 p.m., Boundary Bay Brewery.
WCC music. Soloists and jazz ensembles from Whatcom Community College's music programs perform, June 6, 7:30 p.m. Heiner Auditorium, free.
Wooly dog blankets. Salish wooly dogs for thousands of years provided Coast Salish owners with fur made into blankets now on display at the Museum of North Vancouver until early July. (CBC)
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Jump in!
Ivy removal. Save trees by removing the ivy on Bellingham's Railroad Trail (along Illinois Path near Huron St.). May 27, 9 a.m.–Noon. Register
Farmlands. Allen Rozema, Executive Director of Skagitonians to Preserve Farmlands, talks about farmland preservation in a Skagit League of Women Voters forum. June 3, 10:30 a.m., via Zoom.
Day of uplift. The League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County invite you a celebration of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) people at Market Square Depot, June 2, 2–6 p.m. Vendors, food, dancing and singing.
Work party. Join the Skagit Land Trust to celebrate National Trails Day and Make a Difference week by sprucing up the trails at Guemes Mountain & Valley Conservation Area. June 3, 10 a.m –2 p.m. Register here.
Wear orange. "Safe and Sane Skagit" will be in orange garb informing folks on preventing gun violence. Cains Court, Edison, June 3, 9:30 a.m. photo; 10 a.m. event.
Explore Chuckanut. Explore Chuckanut Bay with the Koma Kulshan chapter of the NW Native Plant Society June 3, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet up location and day info.
Tree trees trees. Help keep trees alive by removing ivy on the Railroad Trial (between St. Clair and Niagara Streets. Whatcom Million Trees, June 3, 9 a.m–Noon.
Wear orange. Remember those who have died of gun violence and honor all survivors. Bellingham First Congregational Church, June 4, 11:30 a.m.
Naked bike ride. "Bans Off Our Bodies!” celebrates the 15th anniversary Naked Bike Ride on June 4, 4 p.m. Information.
Muddy Creek. Join the Skagit Land Trust work party to remove butterfly bush and Himalayan blackberry from a restoration planting area at the Muddy Creek Conservation Area. June 9, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Registration.
WWRC. Join the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition board and staff for a 2-day series of gatherings in the San Juan Islands. Lopez Island, June 14, 5:30–7:30 p.m., hosted by Tom and Sally Reeve; June 15, 11:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., San Juan Island project tour. Details and RSVP.
Cascade River. Help remove invasive spotted knotweed and Scotch broom in a meadow at the Cascade River South 2 Conservation Area. June 16, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Registration.
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Government
Elections
Bellingham Mayor's race: Filings by incumbent mayor Seth Fleetwood elected in 2019; Kim Lund, former director of the Bellingham Schools Foundation and a member of the Whatcom County Planning Commission; Kristina Michele Martens, the at-large member of the City Council and a key figure in the process to establish the Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission; Mike McAuley, Port of Bellingham commissioner from 2010 to 2017 and member of the Bellingham Planning Commission; and Chris McCoy, CEO of Kombucha Town, which makes fermented tea. A hearing in Whatcom County Superior Court will be held on June 9 regarding the signature certification procedure for write-in candidate Joel Johnson. A final list of candidates is pending. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)
Whatcom County Executive's race: Incumbent Satpal Sidhu, elected in 2019; Barry Buchanan, county council member; Alicia Rule, 42 District state representative; Dan Purdy; Misty Flowers; and Suhwant Gill. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)
Aug. 1 Primary Results:
Whatcom County candidate filings
Skagit County candidate filings
San Juan County candidate filings
San Juan County.
The county council met on May 22. Video and agenda items.
• LWVSJ Observer Corps : County Council May 22
• LWVSJ Observer Corps: Friday Harbor Town Council May 18
• LWVSJ Observer Corps: Board of Health May 17
• LWVSJ Observer Corps: Friday Harbor Port Commission May 10
City of Bellingham.
The council met on May 22. Agenda items and video.
The council will meet again on June 5.
Whatcom County.
The council met on May 23. Agenda items included:
Other items:
• The council unanimously authorized the county executive to enter into a Local Agency Agreement between Whatcom County and Washington State Department of Transportation to receive state funding for the Lummi Island Ferry Replacement and System Modernization Project in the amount of $5.3 million. Staff memo.
• The council unanimously approved for public hearing a substitute ordinance regulating short-term vacation rentals. Substitute ordinance.
The council will meet again on June 6.
Port of Bellingham.
The commission met on May 23. The meeting may be seen on YouTube. Agenda items included:
Consent agenda:
• The commission unanimously approved items on its consent agenda.
Presentations:
• Dockside Market Update, Cari Chan. [YouTube 8:40-25:56]
• Climate Action Strategy Update, Adrienne Douglass-Scott. [YouTube 26:00-55:21]
Other:
• Port Airport Aviation director Sunil Harman will be leaving his position.
• Port will take noise measurement of daily scrap metal dumping activities in the log pond area to compare with noise levels during ship loading operations.
• Port did not receive a state broadband grant but will ask county council for use of $400 million in county ARPA funds earmarked as grant match.
• Commissioner Briscoe's request for approval by the commission to buy a surplus vessel will be in taken up as a public meeting item after legal opinion is issued.
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Salish Current is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, online local news organization serving Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit Counties. Salish Current exists to protect and improve democratic governance by reporting and curating local news with independence and strict journalistic integrity.
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