Culture
Books under scrutiny: censorship and cancel culture in a changing society
In a time of massive reevaluation of once widely accepted tropes, celebrities have been called out for past insensitivities and much worse, schools renamed and statues toppled. But what does it mean when books are brought into the discussion?
From the Editor’s Desk / Young adults weigh risks in choosing to mask, distance in COVID-19 fight
To help stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults are making choices that range from the hard decision to curtail visits home to see family, to feeling safely unmasked with family or select friends.
Artist’s Corner / Tailored to the task
The northern harrier is a regular presence along the outer fields, sloughs and dikes bordering the Salish Sea.
Community Voices / Powerful stories bring understanding, in celebration of Black History Month
The study and knowledge of Black history bring understanding to race and racism in the United States.
Local MLK Day events set the stage for new year of racial justice action
A combination of potent social and political turmoil made many people eager to close the book on 2020 and emerge into a fresh year.
Wanted: the ‘right’ dog — pet adoptions set records during the pandemic
During the social distancing and isolation of this year’s pandemic, many people have sought the companionship, unconditional love and friendship that comes from adopting a dog — and now, more than ever, people are having trouble finding the “right” dog because so many others are doing the same.
Community Voices / COVID be damned — if you could be anywhere in the world on the Winter Solstice, where would you choose?
Readers were invited to share their ideal locations for marking December’s Solstice this year … if it weren’t for COVID-19. Read on, for a travelogue of cherished spots around the globe.
Vulnerable lands — and creatures — of San Juan Islands National Monument await management details
The one thousand unique and fragile acres of the San Juan Islands National Monument wait for a plan to outline the next 20 years of protection and recreation.
Whatcom Arts Project brings local groups together — at a crucial time
Soon-to-be-realized funding reductions from the City of Bellingham, combined with the economic hardships of pandemic restrictions, have had a profoundly negative effect on the local arts community.
Community Voices / Nooksack water rights adjudication is an existential threat to farming’s future
Whatcom County farmers say they view water rights adjudication as an existential threat to their future, in their long-term battle to maintain farming as part of the local economy and culture.
Laws banning private armies go unenforced in Washington
Paramilitary organizations are illegal in Washington and many other states. But laws meant to stop the formation of ad hoc armies are archaic and vague, so much so that police and prosecutors who have recently had the opportunity to use them describe them as unenforceable.
Community Voices / Religious freedom in pandemic times
The complex issue of religious freedom as it relates to the gathering of believers during our pandemic times has been in the news these past months as certain religious groups reject the State’s role in limiting events to certain numbers and locations.
Reporter’s Notebook / Pursuing the story of the ‘Freedom to Worship Protest’
As a reporter for Salish Current, I reached out to WA3%’s website in September, looking to speak with a Whatcom County chapter member. I wanted to know who these members were in our community, how they had come to believe what they believe and how they see themselves.
Community Voices / Comic relief — laughter in the time of COVID
On the evening of March 5, I did a four-minute stand-up set at Bellingham’s Upfront Theatre
From the Editor / Are you better off now than you were four years ago?
Local music plays on — differently — with stages dark during pandemic
For performers and proprietors with fully booked schedules from outdoor concert series and private weddings to indoor venues, the COVID-19 pandemic struck suddenly in March, indefinitely altering the lives of anyone associated with live entertainment.