Island waste: can’t burn or bury it, so best to manage it

February 2, 2023
Nancy DeVaux

Islands in San Juan County present unique challenges in waste management and have found solutions meeting each island’s needs.

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Thanks for the memories, 2022; what’s next, 2023?

December 29, 2022
Salish Current editors

We lived, we learned; now it’s time to get ready for what may be ahead in 2023, after a look back at what happened this year.

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A most interesting job

November 22, 2022
John Dunne

Commentary: Meet Sandy Hart, who may have one of the most interesting jobs in Bellingham.

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Lopez pool plan is making waves

October 21, 2022
Kathryn Wheeler

An $8 million campaign to build a swimming pool on Lopez Island for its 2,800 residents has brought out donors, supporters—and opponents.

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‘I was one of the lucky ones’

September 29, 2022
Jack Westford

Commentary: On the verge of homelessness at a crucial time, Jack Westford considers himself to be “one of the lucky ones.”

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Got something to say about homelessness? Write it down, send it in

September 1, 2022
Salish Current editors

Salish Current and the Rotary Club of Bellingham want to hear your thoughts on homelessness — a reality for the well over 1,200 people in our area who lack housing.

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A twisted path to homelessness

July 6, 2022
John Dunne

A community resident finds herself without long-term housing after a downward spiral into homelessness.

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Hope on the horizon

June 2, 2022
John Dunne

Despite a difficult start to a difficult life, a woman in her 60s looks forward to finding housing — and reconnecting with family.

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Law into action: teaching sexual inclusivity in school sexual education

May 26, 2022
Lauren Gallup

Local public school districts are preparing to meet new state mandates for teaching about sexuality and gender.

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Who are the homeless?

May 11, 2022
John Dunne

Our concept of the “deserving poor” needs to expand past attitudes mirroring 17th and 18th century mores that drive today’s ambivalent response to homelessness.

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A second chance

March 31, 2022
John Dunne

Sharing the story: A rough road from abuse during an upper-middle-class childhood to an adult life of “camping out,” estrangement from loved ones and time in prison have led one man to the Light House Mission, a new sense of purpose and a better time of life.

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Holding the line on phosphorus in Lake Whatcom

March 4, 2022
Mallory Biggar

Popular as a residential and recreational site, Lake Whatcom is also the source of drinking water for many county residents. Following its listing in 1998 as polluted with increasing levels of phosphorus, the lake is the focus of efforts to meet targets to bring down those levels.

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Winter shelter solutions lag behind need as unhoused number continues to grow

February 3, 2022
Noah Harper

Whatcom County’s unhoused population has seen a steady rise over the past decade, making it hard to plan how to meet shelter and housing needs. But planning — a year or more in advance — is an important part of finding long-term solutions.

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Housing pressures spark new look at inclusionary zoning

January 7, 2022
Lauren Gallup

Inclusionary zoning policies that either incentivize or require developers to include some units in construction projects that qualify as affordable housing are being reexamined as a way to provide much-needed affordable housing in Bellingham.

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2021: A look back at some stories from the first full year of Salish Current

December 31, 2021
Salish Current editors

2021 was a year like no other, with themes such as public health vis-à-vis COVID-19 and opioid addiction; social justice in the courts, the arts, housing and policing; and climate change and natural resources including water rights management. Salish Current offers a look back via articles published during the nonprofit newsroom’s first full year.

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Growth in local cannabis business amplifies challenges as well as revenues

December 16, 2021
Kenneth Duncan

Cannabis industries in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan counties have experienced a large increase in both revenue for retailers and excise tax proceeds for governments over the past two years. But sales growth means competition for supplies and workspace, and smaller, more locally based businesses are struggling to keep a foothold among the bigger players.

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