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

News from the Salish Current May 5, 2023

Dear Reader—
We’re looking ahead this week: Clifford Heberden reports on Bellingham’s efforts to balance the benefits for climate and humans of urban trees with the need to provide housing; Nancy DeVaux reports on how local school districts have avoided budget cuts while others are making cuts — sizeable ones for some districts.

Salish Current is continually looking ahead at the future of local news. This week, we’re pondering the uncertain future of a weekly newspaper published in one of the state’s oldest (and smallest) communities — a community served by its own local newspaper since 1889.

Disclosure: This is the paper my father took over as publisher in 1963, succeeded by my brother in 2006; the paper where as a high school student I began my journalism career, covering sports and the county fair, and writing obituaries.

Now it’s time for the publisher, my brother, to step away. He does so not yet knowing whether a new publisher will step in to keep the paper alive. (“Onward! Publisher says goodbye,” Wahkiakum County Eagle)

Clearly, for me a great deal of all this is personal. But it’s personal for the paper’s readership as well. They have a sense of what they may be missing should their local paper disappear, as have so many in the last two decades.

During a celebration — including a parade through Main Street — organized to honor the publisher, the town’s mayor summed it up: the local paper provides impartial, respected, essential news and information that keeps the community alive … “a phenomenal gift.” (“Beloved newsman comes home to die,” Chinook Observer)

That’s the high bar Salish Current aims for as well. Thank you sincerely for your support, encouragement and donations that help make that happen — and, in particular this week, we thank our many GiveBIG supporters.

No one has crystal-ball vision when it comes to where local journalism is headed, but we’ll do our best to keep serving our community with, as the mayor said, information that keeps the community alive.

—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 5/5/23: Oyster Friday, Skagit dams, Southern Oscillation, Cowichan quarry, pumped hydro, oily pols, SE AK troll fishery, Task Force7, Elwha fishery.

Support Us

City seeks balance: housing needs and forest benefits

Got trees? Streets in Bellingham's Columbia neighborhood, one of the city's oldest, are lined with a variety of trees large and small, old and young. The City is working on a plan for urban forest management, balancing the benefits of trees for people and environment with the vital need for more housing. (Amy Nelson / Salish Current photo © 2023)

By Clifford Heberden

Bellingham faces the challenge of building homes to meet housing needs while preserving trees for public and environmental health.

Transportation is just one of the costs of providing public education for students such as these in the San Juan Island district. Teacher salaries are a major part of district budgets and some community members are pushing back against the state’s determination of how salaries are set by region, as local districts look at impending cuts large and small. (Nancy DeVaux / Salish Current photo © 2023)

By Nancy DeVaux

School districts in San Juan County have steered away from a perfect storm of budget cuts, while districts in Whatcom and Skagit counties are feeling the squeeze.

• Henry Bierlink: Nooksack water concerns remain but new legislation gets support

• Eric Hirst: At long last, solutions to water problems are near

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

News from around the region...

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Health and Safety

Drug law. Legislators have been called by the governor back to special session May 16 to finalize new drug possession penalties and addiction treatment options, legislation they were not able to agree on at session's end April 23. (KUOW)

Skagit drugs. Skagit County and its four cities look to create a countywide drug possession law before July 1 when the state law will expire unless the state legislature passes a news law before then. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)

Lummi Center. X’awes Helist Ew’xw, the Lummi New Life Center, has opened a seven-bed, 24-hour treatment center for those suffering from substance-related addictions or dependence. (Lynden Tribune/paywall)

Cop pursuit. Gov. Jay Inslee signed a legislative compromise bill allowing police to initiate pursuit when they have a reasonable suspicion that a suspect committed a crime, instead of previously having probable cause. (KGMI)

Education

Special ed. The latest state budget passed includes a 9% increase for special education, an increase of $365 million over the next two years, bringing the total budget to $4.1 billion but still short of what's needed according to educators. (Seattle Times/paywall)

The Border

B.C. bird. Should the Steller's jay, British Columbia's official provincial bird, be switched out for the rufous hummingbird, also found through the province? (CBC)

Nature

Park restoration. EarthCorps international volunteers are working to replant and restore areas of Larrabee State Park by the end of June, completing a 15-year plan. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)

Bay science. Capt. Dan Liden's Snow Goose has been taking students on Bellingham Bay science trips for 16 years since he bought the boat from Bert and Sue Webber but school budget cuts may force him to end the program. (CDN/paywall)

Lake acres. The city of Bellingham is buying 20 acres of land for $525,00 in the hills above Lake Whatcom as part of its ongoing effort to reduce pollution and protect the watershed around its reservoir from development. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)

“The Blob.” Ocean heatwave? How a hotter ocean surface results in less absorption of carbon dioxide and amplifies global warming. (Rainshadow Journal)

Skagit shores. The long-awaited update of the management plan that regulates uses along Skagit County's shorelines has been forwarded to the state Department of Ecology for review. Public comment is open until May 18. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)

Nooksack water. The legislature unanimously passed and the governor signed HB 1792 establishing timelines and procedures for the adjudication of water rights among Nooksack River water users. (CDN/paywall) See also: "Untangling Nooksack Water Rights" (Whatcom Watch, April 2023)

Business

Tourism. "Tourism as an Economic Driver," the Bellingham City Club's interview with Dylan Deane-Boyle, new director and president of the Bellingham /Whatcom Tourism Board, held on April 26 can be viewed here.

REI union. REI Bellingham workers announced plans to unionize to get reliable scheduling and fair treatment. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)

WWU union. Student workers in operations jobs have voted to join student workers in education jobs to unionize at Western Washington University. (KGMI)

Community

Local news. The Skagit County League of Women Voters holds a forum to discuss "The Future of Local Journalism: Is It Important to Our Democracy?" on May 15 from 6:30–8 p.m. in the Mount Vernon High School auditorium.

Big clean. San Juan County's Spring Great Islands Cleanup successfully engaged 301 volunteers who collected 4,574 pounds of litter on Shaw, Orcas, San Juan, Stuart, Decatur, Sucia and Lopez islands. (San Juan County)

Library Commons. The state legislature granted the city of Mount Vernon $2.1 million, leaving the project only $2.9 million left to fund the $53 million library, community center and parking garage to be fully funded. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)

Sewer work. Blaine Public Works has begun G Street sewer improvement to upgrade sewer lines and increase system capacity near the Blaine school campus and the senior center. (The Northern Light)

New name. The former Lynden Pioneer Museum is now the Lynden Heritage Museum in order to emphasize the museum's focus not on an era but on a living history of the city and its people. (Lynden Tribune/paywall)

Save water. Rebates are available for purchase of water-efficient toilets, irrigation controllers and washing machines by Whatcom County homes. (Whatcom Water Alliance/The Northern Light)

Commentary

Homelessness. Jay Caspian Kang writes: "Homelessness, which should be a universal, moral issue about easing the suffering of the less fortunate, has become more political fodder in an increasingly polarized country ... the persistent refusal to see unhoused people as deserving of care and protection, whether from violence, hunger, or, yes, addiction and drug overdoses [has] made me profoundly pessimistic that politicians will find a solution to homelessness that does not start and end with the mass incarceration of everyone who lives on the streets. The problem, at its core, is a moral one." (The New Yorker/paywall)

Arts & Leisure

Women's films. The Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival will be held in person at Bellingham's Pickford Film Center May 4–7, as well as online May 11–21. Information and tickets.

Aloft and At Rest. Tony Angell looks back on the evolution of his work over 75 years, describing subtle changes over time that he describes as a "curious reciprocity between the artist and the subject." Foster-White Gallery, Seattle, May 4–20. Artist talks May 6 and May 13, 2 p.m. Details here.

Western show. Two exhibitions, “Pareidolia” and “Teacher/Scholar/Artist,” will run concurrently until May 6 at the Western Gallery located on the university campus. (The Front)

Early music. Salish Sea Early Music Festival presents Bach Cantata: Ich Habe Genug with Maike Albrecht (soprano), Hans-Jürgen Schnoor (harpsichord) and Jeffery Cohen (baroque flute). May 5, Bellingham First Presbyterian, 7 p.m.; May 6, Lopez Grace Church, 1 p.m.; May 9, Fir-Conway Lutheran Church, 7 p.m.; May 10, Orcas Adventist Fellowship Church, 6 p.m.; May 17, Friday Harbor Brickworks, 7 p.m. By donation $25; under 18 free.

New Roots! Terra Firma Design, in its new gallery space in Bellingham, features the work of woodworkers Tom and Jennifer Dolese and Hugh Montgomery; ceramicist Larry Richmond; and painter Tom Semple. Through May during (most) business hours and by appointment. Info here.

Jump in!

Boat parade. The Bellingham Yacht Club opens its 2023 boating season on May 6 with an afternoon "Anchors Away"-themed boat parade for all in Bellingham Bay.

Garage clean-out. Skagit Land Trust is cleaning out a garage for storage at the Samish Miles Conservation Area, a private area; by helping with the clean out, take a look at the property. May 6, 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. Registration.

Lake ladies. Join Whatcom Million Trees and Whatcom Land Trust at Ladies of the Lake on the east side of Lake Whatcom to remove invasive weeds and protect recently planted tree seedlings. May 6, 9 a.m.–Noon. Info and registration.

No ivy. Work party with Whatcom Million Trees at Cornwall Park's west side removing ivy to save mature trees. Good way to take part in direct, easy, positive climate action to keep these trees alive. May 13, 9 a.m.–Noon. Info and registration.

Where's Barney? Help the Skagit Land Trust remove Himalayan blackberry, English ivy, and yellow archangel at the Barney Lake Conservation Area. May 19, 9 a.m.–Noon. Register here.

Birding. North Cascades Audubon Society presents Joe Everson talking about "Status and Trends of Wintering Marine Birds in the Marine Waters of Washington State 1993-2023" on May 23, 7 p.m. at the Whatcom Museum Rotunda Room (In Person Only)

Government

San Juan County.
The council met on May 2. Agenda items and video link are here.
• Northwest Straits Initiative reauthorization letter of support presentation. The council unanimously approved signing the reauthorization letter of support. [41:25—1:13:23]
• PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) water system contamination in Hannah Heights update. [2:05:49—2:36:23]
• Dept. of Community Development permitting overview. [2:36:35—3:37:15]

The council will meet again on May 9 at the Shaw Island Community Center. Agenda.
• Discussion: Roads impacted by sea level and drainage at Blind Bay and Neck Point Park.
• Discussion: Homeless and mentally ill camping in park.
• Discussion/action: 1/10th sales tax affordable housing actions.

City of Bellingham.
The council will meet on May 8. Agenda items include:
Public Works and Natural Resources Committee:
• Broadband resolution. Workgroup report Sept. 26, 2022. Resolution.
Community and Economic Development Committee:
• A Presentation by the Port of Bellingham's Regional Economic Partnership (REP). Presentation.
Committee Of The Whole:
• Comprehensive Plan Periodic Update Overview.

The council will meet again on May 22.

Whatcom County.
The council will meet on May 9. Agenda items include:
Consent Agenda:
• Request authorization for the County Executive to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Unity Care Northwest for the Way Station in the amount of $2,000,000. Staff memo.
Other Items:
• Request approval to send a letter regarding the Brokedown Palace timber sale. Revised letter.
• Ordinance amending the project budget for the Way Station Project Fund, request no. 2. Proposed ordinance.
• Resolution relating to a schedule for joint County and City review of Urban Growth Areas. Draft resolution.

The council will meet again on May 23.

Port of Bellingham.
The commission met on May 2. Video link and agenda items included:
• The consent agenda was unanimously approved.
Presentations:
• NW Innovation Center Update, Diane Kamionka [YouTube 19:16—32:45]
• The Economic Development Department at the Port (REP) Annual Commission Update, Don Goldberg [YouTube 33:22—1:04:36]
• Q1 Financial Report, Tamara Sobjack [YouTube 1:04:58—1:25:58]
• Squalicum Creek Update, Kurt Baumgarten [YouTube 1:26:30—1:43:16]

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.