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Bellingham

Ecotherapy
City & County

Feeling SAD? Take up gardening for your mental health

Spring sunshine is here after a long, cold winter, but Bellingham residents may still be feeling glum. Some are tackling these feelings with gardening. Seasonal Affective Disorder, also known as SAD, is “a type of depression characterized by a recurrent seasonal pattern,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. 


Train Passing
City & County

Fairhaven rolls out railroad quiet zone: Next stop, waterfront

It only takes a few hours in Bellingham to notice the sounds of trains rolling past. The minimum and maximum volume for train horns are regulated by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, which requires horns to sound at 96 dB to 110 dB – at its quietest, the sound is comparable to a power mower, and at its loudest, a live rock concert.  


Etheredge
City & County

Bellingham officials weigh proposal to declare city transgender sanctuary status

As the main chamber of Bellingham City Hall quickly reached capacity at 7 p.m. Monday, April 14, security guided the overflow of attendees to view the meeting via livestream in the mayor’s boardroom. In both the chamber and the boardroom, transgender community members and allies — dressed in funeral attire — showed up en masse, imploring the city council to pass a resolution declaring Bellingham a transgender sanctuary city. 


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City & County

Want to stay in Bellingham after graduation?

Rising housing costs and a limited job market are driving many Western Washington University graduates to seek employment outside of Bellingham. As the end of the academic year approaches, thousands of students will need to factor in where opportunity will lead them.  


WCTC.png
City & County

OPINION: Crisis care offers help before hospitalization

There’s a narrow idea of what “help” looks like for those experiencing behavioral health issues. Too many people have decided not to seek help because they believe hospitalization is the only option. Hospitalization is long-term care in a large, highly institutional environment like Western State Hospital or Smokey Point Behavioral Hospital. 

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