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Independent, fact-based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties
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News from the Salish Current June 9, 2023
Dear Reader—
The wildfire smoke that blanketed New England brought back bad memories of our past smoke-filled summers and emergency health measures. It was a dark reminder to keep at hand the often-maligned N-95 mask as the British Columbia wildfires are just beginning. While it doesn't take a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, it's best to be prepared for the worst while hoping for the best.
This week we feature Ross Anderson's reporting on the annual Race to Alaska which began this week, a Community Voices essay by Bert Webber about the dangers of lead aviation fuel at the Bellingham airport, an article by Nancy DeVaux about the latest affordable housing units built in Friday Harbor, and Bruce Ramsey's article on the new Olympia nonprofit newsroom the Washington State Standard.
We’ve received some very interesting comments about what's important to our voters this election season, such as what is a sheriff's job and why do we have hospital districts. Story ideas come out of your comments, so:
• Write to us using our comment form
• Write a letter to the editor of no more than 300 words
Please let others know about Salish Current by sharing this newsletter. Thank you for your support.
—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 June 9, 2023: Donald Duck Day, B.C. summer, Skagit dams, ocean oxygen, Snohomish log jams, B.C. salmon farms, 'peak dryness’, marine protected areas, shipping crunch, Washington carbon auction.
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The 'wildly eccentric' annual Race to Alaska from Port Townsend to Ketchikan draws crews of high-tech multihull racing machines, homemade rowboats, kayaks, standup paddleboards and even ordinary fiberglass sloops. (Joel Rogers photo)
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By Ross Anderson
The annual wind- or human-powered — no engines — Race to Alaska is becoming a quintessential Northwest experience.
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Community Voices / Use unleaded fuel at Bellingham International Airport
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Residents around Bellingham International Airport face a health risk from aviation fuel lead, contends a commentator — and there are alternatives for some aircraft. The Cessna 172 Skyhawk, one of the most popular aircraft since it was first flown in 1955, can accommodate unleaded and low-lead fuels. (Rpetrescu07, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
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By Bert Webber
Commentary: “Lead emissions from aircraft engines that operate on leaded fuel cause or contribute to air pollution that may reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health and welfare.” — EPA
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Moving in: new affordable neighborhood celebrates in Friday Harbor
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A ribbon-cutting ceremony by Holliwalk homebuyers in Friday Harbor last week marked completion of the latest affordable neighborhood on San Juan Island. (Nancy DeVaux / Salish Current photo © 2023)
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By Nancy DeVaux
A fourth neighborhood of permanently affordable homes in Friday Harbor has celebrated completion, as a 40-unit rental project is in the planning stages.
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State of the state: Washington State Standard comes to Olympia
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The new Washington State Standard is part of a national organization called States Newsroom, which has been set up to fill the role abandoned by so many newspapers.
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By Bruce Ramsey
The Washington State Standard, a free internet news publication, began coverage of state government in Olympia last month.
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• Promises made, promises broken
• Importance of strong, independent journalism
• Capitalism and health care make rotten bedfellows
• PeaceHealth’s decision is cruel and short-sighted
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
'Peak dryness.' Things are drying out in the Northwest sooner than normal. All the sunny days last month have added up to warmer soils and plants drying out more quickly. The driest part of the year usually hits in mid- or late-summer. (KUOW)
Jail tax. A sales tax of 0.2% (20 cents per $100) will be considered by the Whatcom County Council for the Nov. 7 ballot as a way to finance a new jail and behavioral health services. (CDN/paywall)
Gun law. U.S. District Judge Robert Bryan on Tuesday rejected a request to block a new Washington state law banning the sale of certain semi-automatic rifles, writing, “In light of recent mass deaths caused by assailants using assault weapons, it is appropriate for governmental bodies to find ways to protect the public from dangerous weapons, within the limits of the Second Amendment.” (Associated Press)
Cancer care. B.C. patients needing radiation therapy have begun arriving for treatment at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cancer Center or the North Cascade Cancer Center. (Vancouver Sun)
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Education
Storypole. The Bellingham Centennial History Pole tells the story of Lummi Nation leaders welcoming early European settlers. (The Front)
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The Border & Beyond
Hot, hot summer. Hot and dry in B.C. for June, July, August, says long-range forecast from Environment Canada. (Times Colonist)
B.C. fish farms. Industry and conservationists support federal Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray delaying B.C. salmon farm transition time to clear up confusion, but that's all that's agreed on. (Canadian Press)
Obit. John Nightingale, former Vancouver Aquarium CEO for 25 years and co-founder of the nonprofit organization Ocean Wise, died Monday at the age of 75. (CBC)
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Nature
Miyawaki method. Old-growth forests help fight the effects of climate change by providing essential resources for surrounding habitats and storing large amounts of carbon. The Miyawaki method is a reforestation technique where trees are densely planted in urban areas to create a diverse forest in a short period of time. Reed Chesnek reports. (The Planet)
Baitballs. Above the water, dozens of gulls swarming over the water, calling and flapping, clearly excited. Seals moving swiftly through the water, periodically popping above the surface. Below the surface had to be a baitball, or a gathering of fish, most likely herring or sand lance. (Street Smart Naturalist)
Jetty repair. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are repairing the McGlinn Island Jetty near La Conner where hundreds of baby chum salmon have been killed as a result of the crumbling infrastructure. (CDN/paywall)
Nooksack pollution. Whatcom Family Farmers, a local farm advocacy group, reports that pollution from British Columbia in creeks that flow into the Nooksack River near Lynden have bacterial levels as high as 260 times over the legal limit. (KGMI)
Tent caterpillars. Charles Coslor, an entomologist with the Washington State University Skagit County Extension Office, says the Western tent caterpillar numbers climb very high about every 10 years or so but the number of predators like wasps and parasitic flies that eat them also increases and takes those numbers back down. So not to worry. (Anacortes American/paywall)
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Business
Employment. The Washington State Employment Security Department reports that both Whatcom County and Washington state have seen a full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic with county unemployment falling from a high of 17.3% three years ago to 3.9% in April 2023. (The Northern Light)
Interim director. Norm Gollub has been hired as interim director of the San Juan County Department of Community Development, a department facing multiple issues, including staff vacancies and training needs, code enforcement, and criticism regarding delays and uncertainty in the permitting processes. (San Juan County)
B.C. port. Based on the Supreme Court of Canada’s landmark decision in R v. Desautel, the Lummi Nation has requested a judicial review of the Canadian government's failure to include Indigenous communities across the border when approving a marine container terminal construction project at the Port of Vancouver. (CDN/paywall)
Dock rates. Port of Anacortes dockage rates will increase by 9% as of July 1. Fresh water rates will increase by $4.65 per 100 cubic feet. (Anacortes American/paywall)
Timber sale. The Department of Natural Resources has again postponed the auction of Brokedown Palace, 69-acre stand of forest along the middle fork of the Nooksack River at the request of Whatcom County which is considering protection of the stand. (CDN/paywall)
Obit. Leighton Wood, publisher of the Skagit Valley Herald newspaper for 30 years, and owner and board member of Pioneer News Group, died Friday at the age of 93. (Skagit Valley Herald/paywall)
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Community
Clam garden. With the help of tribal members from Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Palau, more than 20,000 pounds of rock was moved by hand near Kite Island to build a modern clam garden on Swinomish Indian Tribal community territory.(CDN/paywall)
Way Station. Bellingham's Way Station, jointly operated by Unity Care, Opportunity Council, PeaceHealth and the Whatcom County Health Department, has bids out for constructing a facility that will provide health and social services to assist people with their transition to more permanent housing. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)
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Commentary
AI concerns. David Remnick talks with Sam Altman, who ushered in ChatGPT, and Yoshua Bengio, an early pioneer of A.I., to discuss the growing concerns surrounding unfettered, nonhuman intelligence. (New Yorker Radio Hour) See also: Assistant … or replacement? AI, in real life (Salish Current, May 12, 2023)
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Arts & Leisure
“Chromatiform” is a celebration of color and abstraction, featuring the work of Ann Chaikin, Barbara Hicks, Beth Anna Margolis, Brian Simpson, Jabez Richards, Lori VanEtta and a special edition from SASS! Allied Arts of Whatcom County, through July 1, Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Information.
Spelling bee. Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth presents “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical about 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.
“Living High.” Skye Burn, granddaughter of June Burn, author of "Living High: An Unconventional Biography," celebrates the seventh printing of the chronicles of the life June and Farrar Burn who homesteaded on Waldron Island. June 18, 4 p.m., Port Stanley School House, Lopez. By donation. A Lopez Museum event.
Early music. Salish Sea Early Music Festival: Italian Canzonas (1600-1640) • with John Lenti (theorbo) and Anna Marsh (renaissance bassoon) and Jeffrey Cohan (renaissance transverse flute). June 20, Fir-Conway Lutheran Church, 7 p.m.; June 21, San Juan Island Brickworks, 7 p.m.; June 23, Bellingham First Presbyterian Church, 7 p.m.; June 24, Lopez Grace Church, 12:30 p.m.; June 24, Orcas Adventist Church, 6 p.m. By donation $25; under 18 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!
WWRC. Join the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition board and staff for a two-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.
Juneteenth. Bring food and a blanket and enjoy the celebration at Bellingham's Maritime Heritage Park community picnic. June 17, 2–6 p.m. Information.
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.
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Government
Elections
Mayoral verdict. Superior Court Judge Lee Grochmal on Tuesday rejected Joel Johnson's injunction and a recount of signatures on his nominating petition for placement as a Bellingham mayoral candidate on the Aug. 1 primary ballot. (Bellingham Herald/paywall)
Public Disclosure Commission June 9, 2023
City of Bellingham Mayor
• Kim Lund: Raised $18,776.79, Spent $6,440.61
• Michael McAuley: Raised $6,120.96, Spent $2,211.96
• Kristina Michele Martens: Raised $3,325.11, Spent $0
• Seth Fleetwood: Raised $1,150, Spent $1,524.68
• Chris McCoy: Raised $0, Spent $0
Whatcom County Executive
• Satpal Sidhu: Raised $22,225, Spent $0
• Alicia Rule: Raised $5,377, Spent $0
• Barry Buchanan: Raised $1,085, Spent $0
• Misty Flowers: Raised $0, Spent $0
• Dan Purdy: Raised $0, Spent $0
• Sukhwant Gill: Raised $0, Spent $0
Aug. 1 Primary
Whatcom County candidate filings
Skagit County candidate filings
San Juan County candidate filings
San Juan County.
The county council met on June 6. Video and agenda.
LWV Observer Corps report County Council June 6
The county council will meet at the Orcas Center on June 13 from 5–7:30 p.m. Agenda items include updates about the Northshore Property, ongoing Public Works projects, Public Works Survey findings, and county department and program news. Agenda.
LWV Observer Corps reports:
• Friday Harbor Town Council June 1
• Friday Harbor Port Commission June 2
City of Bellingham.
The council met on June 5. Agenda items included:
Public hearing: The council voted 6-0 (Williams excused) to extend by six months the emergency moratorium on acceptance of development applications in the Silver Beach neighborhood.
• Mayor Fleetwood announced expansion of downtown Bellingham Police Department patrols this summer.
• Mayor Fleetwood thanked Deputy Administrator Brian Heinrich for his years of service and wished him the best in his new role with Puget Sound Energy.
• The council voted 6-0 (Williams excused) to establish a Water Resources Advisory Board and voted 6-0 (Williams excused) to dissolve the Watershed Advisory Board.
The council will next meet on June 26.
Whatcom County.
The council met on June 6. Agenda items included:
Public Hearing:
• The council did not pass (2-4-1, Elenbaas and Kirchner aye; Buchanan, Byrd, Donovan and Frazey nay; Galloway abstain) an ordinance adopting amendments to Whatcom County Code Title 20, Zoning, to regulate short-term vacation rentals. Staff memo.
Consent Agenda:
The council authorized (4-1-2 Frazy nay; Donovan and Galloway abstain) the County Executive to enter into a contract between Whatcom County and the Lighthouse Mission Ministries for the provision of kitchen equipment and room furnishings in the amount of $750,000. Contract.
Other:
• The council unanimously approved of letter of support for Mental Health Court. Staff memo.
• The council unanimously approved appointment of councilmember Elenbaas to the North Cascades Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.
• The council voted (6-1, Elenbaas nay) to introduce for public hearing on July 11 an ordinance adopting amendments to Whatcom County Code Title 20 (Zoning) to regulate short-term/vacation rentals. Ordinance.
The council will next meet on June 20.
Port of Bellingham.
The commission met on June 6. Video is available here. Agenda items included:
Public comment:
• Bert Webber commented on the use of leaded aviation fuel at Bellingham International Airport. [YouTube 6:06-18:30] See also: “Community Voices / Use unleaded fuel at Bellingham International Airport” (Salish Current, June 9, 2023)
The commission unanimously approve its consent agenda.
Presentation: Legislative update by Mike Hogan, Ben Bucholz [YouTube 21:22-50:56]
In brief:
• Don Goldberg reported that Sen. Sharon Shewmake secured $750,000 in the last legislative session to fund preliminary work on a Whatcom Agriculture Research Center for berries, potatoes, and dairy products.
The commission will next meet on June 20.
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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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