Whatcom Watch

by Liam Walsh The City of Bellingham’s Rental Registration and Safety Inspection Program (RRSI) has been in effect since 2015. In that time, landlords and property management companies have had increased accountability, and Bellingham’s rental stock has improved. The program (1) came from a city ordinance in 2015 designed to ensure safe living conditions for tenants.

Native Plant Neighbors by Eric Worden We have all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” We have all ignored that saying. There is another more pointed tale from the same vein: A man met another, who was handsome, intelligent, and elegant. He asked him who he was.

Twenty Years Ago Since January 2014, Whatcom Watch has been reprinting articles from issues printed 20 years ago. Editor’s note: The below article appeared on the front page of the July 2006 issue of Whatcom Watch. by Wendy Steffensen Fish and other animals make their way, as they can, along Bellingham Bay’s shoreline, but their journey is harder than it once was.

Twenty Years Ago Since January 2014, Whatcom Watch has been reprinting articles from issues printed 20 years ago. The below Being Frank column appeared in the July 2006 issue of Whatcom Watch. by Billy Frank, Jr. What you don’t see can’t hurt you. Right? Everyone who lives in the Puget Sound region enjoys the beauty of the mighty estuary. People see the glimmering water, bordered by snow peaked mountains and bright city lights, and they think all is well with Puget Sound. Unfortunately, they’re wrong.

by Tori Lehman Near the northern edge of Bellingham, the recently completed Little Squalicum Estuary blooms with life. The estuary, completed in 2024 as part of the City of Bellingham’s efforts to rebuild historical wetland habitat, creates foraging ground and refuge for juvenile fish. Residents can enjoy the scenic views as it spills into Bellingham Bay. photo by Joe Meche, taken at the Post Point colony Adult great blue heron with nesting material. Now, fuzzy dinosaur-like locals will join them.

Community Service Spotlight by Selena Knoblauch Community First Whatcom, formerly People First Bellingham, is a 501(c)4 nonprofit based out of Whatcom County. We run ballot initiative campaigns to pass community-led legislation focused on economic justice. Since the group was founded in 2020, we have gathered over 50,000 signatures from Whatcom County residents, and registered hundreds of new voters. While politicians may represent us, it is on each of us to fight for real change and action.

Beaks and Bills by Joe Meche I don’t know if I had a period of prescience or just sheer luck, but we decided to forego a trip to eastern Washington this year and opted for the coast instead. I made all reservations early, as I usually do, so we were all set for our annual spring getaway. As fate would have it, a rock slide on the North Cascades Highway 20 forced a total closure of the west-east connector in mid-March. Estimates to reopen the highway were for late June, at best.

Where Do Our Local Plant Communities Get This Crucial Element? by Theodore Hoss Take a deep breath. Over 78 percent of the gas you just breathed in is nitrogen. Nitrogen is critical for life on earth, playing a role in the production of proteins and enzymes, and serving as a core component of the very genetic coding of all living things.

“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor Subject matter is unlimited, but poetry featuring or specific to Whatcom County and issues addressed by Whatcom Watch (government, the environment and media) will likely get first preference.

Native Plant Neighbors by Eric Worden A few years ago, I conducted an outdoor class in Bellingham’s Arroyo Park that I called “Nature Observation Workshop.” Arroyo Park is south of Bellingham, occupying a damp ravine that conducts the soothingly babbling Chuckanut Creek to Bellingham Bay. I walked my students a short distance along the verdant and wooded trail along the creek. We stopped near the footbridge where the class was to be conducted, and talked for a few minutes.