Articles By Date :: 08/2016

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No sign of agreement as districting committee enters final phase

Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 9:18 pm  //  Ralph Schwartz

After a public hearing next week, the committee will be asked to vote on a five-district map for Whatcom County in two weeks.

Ralph Schwartz
Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 9:18 pm
5 comments; last on Apr 09, 2016

Proposed redistricting map for your review

Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 1:14 pm  //  John Servais

The Districting Master (the official title) has submitted his map for review by the Districting Committee this evening. Here it is for your review.

John Servais
Wed, Apr 06, 2016, 1:14 pm
5 comments; last on Apr 07, 2016

BNSF: A casual approach to railroad safety

Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 8:17 pm  //  John Servais

At Clayton Beach, we have tracked increasing erosion under railroad tracks and written to the railroads and federal inspectors. To no avail.

2 comments; last on Apr 05, 2016

$15 Minimum Wage - Assured Debt Peonage

Mon, Apr 04, 2016, 5:25 am  //  Dick Conoboy

Accelerating efforts across the U.S. to install a $15 minimum wage are playing into the hands of big business and codifying enormously insufficient wages for years to…

1 comments; last on Apr 05, 2016

Cherry Point coal port development put on ice

Fri, Apr 01, 2016, 3:49 pm  //  John Servais

3 comments; last on Apr 02, 2016

Fuller calls on Coast Guard to ‘stand on the right side of history’

Wed, Mar 23, 2016, 2:37 pm  //  Guest writer

Activist contests $10,000 fine for climbing on a Shell oil vessel. Rob Lewis guest writes this report.

0 comments

Voting guide for Whatcom Conservation District

Wed, Mar 16, 2016, 8:26 pm  //  John Servais

Updated Wed, Mar 16. Tuesday, March 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., any registered voter of Whatcom County can vote in person at the conservation district…

0 comments

Will Cherry Point coal port be denied this week?

Wed, Mar 16, 2016, 12:19 am  //  John Servais

Updated 4:30pm. Helena, Montana newspaper says GPT may be denied this week by Army Corps of Engineers. US Rep Zinke panics and accuses Army of politics.

4 comments; last on Mar 24, 2016

Dems, GOP primed for legal fight over districts

Tue, Mar 15, 2016, 12:04 am  //  Ralph Schwartz

Not even a letter from a coal terminal spokesman can save them now.

2 comments; last on Mar 17, 2016

Districting maps E and F for reference

Mon, Mar 14, 2016, 1:53 am  //  John Servais

We post the next two maps to be discussed at the Districting Committee today, March 14. For the few who might study them and later contribute perspectives.

0 comments

Democrats threaten legal action on districting

Sun, Mar 13, 2016, 1:06 pm  //  John Servais

Legally threatening letter sent by Seattle law firm retained by prominent leading Democratic Party leaders.

1 comments; last on Mar 14, 2016

The state of citizen journalism is strong: Two receive deArmond awards

Fri, Mar 11, 2016, 11:28 pm  //  Ralph Schwartz

The third annual deArmond dinner celebrated the work of Sandy Robson and Neah Monteiro.

2 comments; last on Mar 13, 2016

Potential Oil Exports From Cherry Point—Something else to put on your radar

Wed, Mar 09, 2016, 11:20 pm  //  David Camp

What almost happened on the coast of Maine could happen here at Cherry Point. Portland, Maine, stopped oil exports - and Whatcom County can also. If we…

0 comments

Durham, NH, - Surprise! - Rental Inspections Worked

Wed, Mar 09, 2016, 2:20 pm  //  Dick Conoboy

Durham is an example of the efficacy of rental inspections, putting to bed the unsupported objections of landlords by presenting facts about conditions.

1 comments; last on Mar 12, 2016

Dogged Pursuit of a Failed Vision?

Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 2:47 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Wherein, we correct some misassumptions but still ask the questions

0 comments

Districting Committee: GOP accuses Democrats of gerrymandering

Tue, Mar 08, 2016, 1:15 am  //  Ralph Schwartz

The Republicans made concessions on their district map but took a final stand at Nooksack, Everson and Sumas.

6 comments; last on Mar 12, 2016

Idea for Our Times: Puget Sound Repair Project

Mon, Mar 07, 2016, 10:40 am  //  Tip Johnson

Could this address the real problem with Puget Sound?

6 comments; last on Mar 08, 2016

Districting Committee: Republicans lack legal compass

Sun, Mar 06, 2016, 11:39 pm  //  Ralph Schwartz

Republicans and Democrats remain far apart. Democrats have the legal high ground, but Republicans would go to court to challenge that if necessary.

1 comments; last on Mar 07, 2016

Punishing the Wrong Guys

Tue, Mar 01, 2016, 3:40 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Wherein someone's gotta do the right thing

0 comments

D’Angelo undaunted by fine: ‘I had to make the moral choice’

Mon, Feb 29, 2016, 11:55 pm  //  Ralph Schwartz

Chiara D'Angelo comes across as emotionally intelligent and uncompromising in her high-stakes Coast Guard hearing.

1 comments; last on Mar 01, 2016

Elfo: Enforcement, Litigation or Risks?

Sat, Feb 27, 2016, 1:24 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Wherein inquiring minds want to know!

0 comments

‘Goodwill’ wanted but lacking on Districting Committee

Tue, Feb 23, 2016, 5:01 am  //  Ralph Schwartz

Republicans focused their efforts on torpedoing the Democrats' five-district proposal at the second committee meeting.

4 comments; last on Mar 01, 2016

Anchor-chain activists face hefty fines

Thu, Feb 18, 2016, 5:01 am  //  Ralph Schwartz

The Coast Guard has levied $30,000 in fines on two Bellingham climate activists. They will fight to have the fines dropped.

16 comments; last on Feb 22, 2016

Jail Reform: Music to My Ears

Sun, Feb 14, 2016, 8:54 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Wherein sanity may finally be approaching a nagging jail issue

2 comments; last on Feb 19, 2016

Redistricting: Democrats may have upper hand

Tue, Feb 09, 2016, 5:02 am  //  Ralph Schwartz

Republicans and Democrats traded barbs on the first day of the Districting Committee, but Dems may have won the first battle.

5 comments; last on Feb 10, 2016

Stop the Rental Fires Now!

Mon, Feb 08, 2016, 6:26 am  //  Dick Conoboy

Inspections of rentals cannot begin too soon. Seven fires in rental units since 2011 and almost half with ONE landlord. No but the clock may be running…

0 comments

Super Bowl 50 - Wretched Excess

Fri, Feb 05, 2016, 12:45 pm  //  Dick Conoboy

From all the monumentally boring hoopla to the shameful rousting of the homeless Super Bowl 50 exceeds all expectations for greed and excess.

4 comments; last on Feb 12, 2016

Harriet Spanel has passed on

Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 5:49 pm  //  John Servais

Harriet Spanel was many years our representative in the state legislature and served Whatcom County and Bellingham very well.

4 comments; last on Feb 04, 2016

Mayor Picks Lisa Anderson for City Planning Commission

Wed, Feb 03, 2016, 2:53 pm  //  Dick Conoboy

Lisa Anderson will fill the remaining term of real estate broker, Cerise Noah. who left the Bellingham Planning Commission several months ago.

0 comments

In White Skin

Mon, Feb 01, 2016, 4:00 am  //  Ralph Schwartz

Talib Kweli played the Wild Buffalo a couple evenings ago and Ralph Schwartz was there. He writes a very personal take on the evening.

2 comments; last on Feb 04, 2016

Say Nein to Uber

Sun, Jan 31, 2016, 12:04 pm  //  Dick Conoboy

Uber has started a new type of public taxi service in many cities, including Bellingham. It is controversial.

3 comments; last on Feb 04, 2016

WA State Minimum Wage Initiative - A Race To The Bottom

Mon, Jan 18, 2016, 6:35 am  //  Dick Conoboy

Raising the minimum wage to $13.50/hr by 2020 cements workers into permanent slave wages that cannot pay the bills.

1 comments; last on Jan 20, 2016

Eagles on the Nooksack

Tue, Jan 12, 2016, 12:18 am  //  John Servais

They are less famous than the eagles on the Skagit but closer to Bellingham, fewer people and still lots of eagles. A great January afternoon outing.

1 comments; last on Jan 13, 2016

Earthquake lightly shakes Bellingham

Wed, Dec 30, 2015, 1:15 am  //  John Servais

Earthquake near San Juan Island felt in Bellingham late Tuesday night

0 comments

Kremen & Weimer tell us of Clinton & Sanders

Tue, Dec 29, 2015, 12:06 pm  //  Whatcom Citizen

What the campaign styles of local politicians Pete Kremen and Carl Weimer tell us about presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders

4 comments; last on Dec 31, 2015

Bye Bye

Fri, Dec 25, 2015, 11:31 am  //  John Servais

Shell Polar Pioneer floating oil drill rig left the Pacific Northwest for Norway today. Nice holiday gift for all of us.

2 comments; last on Dec 25, 2015

Unregulated vacation rentals on Lake Whatcom

Mon, Dec 21, 2015, 3:14 am  //  Guest writer

Tani Sutley writes on the continuing issue of houses in residential zones that are used essentially as hotels and disrupt quiet neighborhoods.

0 comments

Whatcom Farmers and Eric Hirst Dialog

Sat, Dec 19, 2015, 12:11 pm  //  Guest writer

Statement by Whatcom Family Farmers on “Eric Hirst and his water ideas” and Hirst's Reply

1 comments; last on Dec 20, 2015

Request for Citizen Evidence

Mon, Dec 14, 2015, 4:58 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Wherein inquiring minds just want to know!

0 comments

PDC - The Missing Documents

Wed, Dec 02, 2015, 9:31 pm  //  Tip Johnson

Wherof we cannot speak, thereof we must be silent?

3 comments; last on Dec 06, 2015

Planning Commission Opening Calls for Neighborhood Rep

Mon, Nov 30, 2015, 6:29 am  //  Dick Conoboy

The Planning Commission has a vacancy. Now is the time for the appointment of a member who represents the interests of the neighborhoods.

0 comments

Update on Lincoln Street Student Housing Project

Mon, Nov 23, 2015, 6:41 am  //  Dick Conoboy

The student housing project for 648 individuals called NXNW (North by Northwest) on Lincoln Street is moving forward briskly. This is an update.

7 comments; last on Dec 27, 2015