Whatcom

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City & County

Fairhaven Festival returns following Ski to Sea race

By Sam Kristofferson | May 31

The annual Ski to Sea race, which blends multiple extreme sports like downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, cyclocross biking, canoeing and sea kayaking starts on Mount Baker and ends on the Bellingham Bay waterfront in Historic Fairhaven.  The race is typically followed by a block party celebration on the streets of Fairhaven called the “Fairhaven Festival”, put on by the Fairhaven Association. 

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City & County

Shopping at these Whatcom County stores will guide you into a zero waste life

By Michaela Camlin | May 28

Businesses in Whatcom County are being acknowledged for being proactive in serving the environment. Their main focus is to minimize the amount of waste they generate while inspiring locals to do the same. 

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City & County

Sighting of orca calf spotted along Pacific Northwest waters

By Michaela Camlin | May 26

A recent sighting of a newborn orca calf swimming among the unique Southern Residential family known as K pod brings hope to decreasing numbers in the population.

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City & County

Bellingham City Council hears proposal for constructing an immigrant resource center

By Jenelle Baumbach | May 26

Bellingham City Council heard a proposal from the city’s  Immigrant Advisory Board on May 9, to establish an immigrant resource center that Whatcom County’s immigrant population could utilize.

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City & County

New South Side parking lot opens

By Andrew Ford | May 24

Mountain bikers flooded into the South Lake Padden Parking Lot May 13 looking around with curious eyes, taking in the pristine asphalt and grandeur of new space surrounding them as they got out of their cars.

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City & County

Ferndale Food Truck Fridays is back for another summer

By Joshua Solorzano | May 24

Pioneer Park in Ferndale is ready to host another summer of Food Truck Fridays with live events, a social atmosphere and of course, food trucks, all starting on June 3. The event will happen every first Friday from June to September.

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City & County

Lights, camera, action: celebrating female film directors in Bellingham

By Jordan Oliver | May 24

The Cascadia International Women’s Film Festival returned for its first in-person festival in two years from May 12 to 15 at the Pickford Film Center in Bellingham.

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City & County

Shockwaves from anti-abortion legislation throughout the U.S. ripple as far as Whatcom County

By Jordan Oliver | May 23

As anti-abortion legislation prepares to go into effect in various states across the U.S., reproductive health services in Whatcom County are readying themselves for a potential increase in out-of-state patients.

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City & County

The 'spot' for Bellingham’s backyard gardeners

By Ani Lowe | May 19

When Rick Baunach bought his second home, he found a concrete Japanese lantern in the garden, he calls this his Japanese garden seed. He became interested in Japanese gardening techniques and his love of gardening grew.  Baunach started the Whatcom County Gardener’s page on Facebook nine years ago, the page has since expanded to over 10,000 members

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City & County

Bellingham boaters take to the bay for Opening Day of Boating

By Paige Thibaut | May 16

The first Saturday of May each year marks a special occasion for Bellingham: the opening day of boating season. Saturday, May 7 marked the Opening Day of Boating, an event organized by the Bellingham Yacht Club to commemorate the start of the new season.

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City & County

Number of Whatcom County families waiting for housing has more than tripled since 2019

By Joshua Solorzano | May 16

Six years ago, when Teri Bryant started working at the Whatcom Homeless Service Center, she said Whatcom County’s system to help homeless families was close to functional zero, but now the story is different.  “What [functional zero] means is that your system's resources are adequate to immediately serve every person presenting for services,” Bryant said. “So we would have robust resources for every family that comes in and says they’re homeless.” 

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City & County

Grand opening of new bagel shop downtown Bellingham

By Michaela Camlin | May 11

Owners Nate Gray and Bayly Peterson have planned on opening a bagel shop for two years. With the renovations of the building near complete, there will not only be one but two bagel shops located in downtown Bellingham.  Bellingham locals are known to love and support their cafes, restaurants, breweries, and bakeries. Otherside's opening has the community excited and eager to try out everything they have to offer. 

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City & County

The do’s and don'ts of foraging in Bellingham

By Ani Lowe | May 10

Although Washington offers opportunities for foraging year-round, spring brings longer days and warmer weather to Bellingham, offering ample opportunity for its residents to explore the outdoors. 

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City & County

BRIEF: Solace in shared sentiments

By Jenelle Baumbach | May 9

A group of an estimated 300 protestors on Friday evening marched down the sidewalks of downtown Bellingham toward the Whatcom County courthouse, advocating for abortion rights.

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City & County

VIDEO: On the ground at the Rally for Roe

By Bella Neff | May 9

On the evening of Tuesday, May 3, hundreds of protestors gathered around the Whatcom County courthouse to advocate for abortion rights. Reporter Bella Neff takes to the streets to speak with protesters about their feelings on the United States Supreme Court draft opinion released to the public via Politico, which affirms support to overturn the landmark case, Roe v. Wade. 

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City & County

Bellingham Bike Parade: Recreating history and promoting sustainability

By Jenelle Baumbach | May 8

Bellingham Bike Parade returned downtown with the hopes of recreating a piece of history, a historic photo from 1948.

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City & County

Outcry in Bellingham, “We are not giving up yet”

By Jenelle Baumbach | May 8

With signs in hands and voices being heard, hundreds of protestors gathered around the Whatcom County courthouse on Tuesday evening to advocate for abortion rights.

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City & County

Surge in car thefts increase worry among Bellingham residents

By Simone Higashi | May 7

Bellingham residents have experienced a surge in car and auto-related thefts since the beginning of this year. By March 27, 193 vehicles had been reported stolen since the start of 2022, according to the Bellingham Police Department’s daily activity logs. 

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City & County

Local Businesses may still require masks for the public

By Simone Higashi | May 6

The Washington State mask mandate was lifted on March 12, but some businesses are choosing to keep the requirement.  Mallard Ice Cream, Phoebe Wahl & Co., Henderson Books and Northwest Yarns are just a few downtown Bellingham locations that require masks to enter.

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City & County

Bellingham rent continues to rise as vacancy rates continue to fall

By Ben Larson and Emily Paulson | May 5

High rent costs continue to be a struggle for Bellingham residents due to several factors, including low vacancy rates.