Inside Bellingham: November 3, 2023

New officers graduate, Bellingham Plan open house, algae reminder, new mural and more: A news roundup from the City of Bellingham

November 03, 2023 - by Janice Keller, Communications Director

New officers graduate: We’re celebrating two more graduates of the Basic Law Enforcement Academy, the state-mandated training academy for all city and county entry-level peace officers. Shown above with Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig, officers De Los Rios and Sonnenschein graduated from the academy this week after almost six months of training. They now begin a few more months of field training before patrolling solo. Congratulations and thank you for your commitment to public service!  

Provide your feedback: In an effort to capture the perspectives of more renters, 18-24 year-olds and students, the City will host a special event at Western Washington University next week to inform Bellingham Plan. The Bellingham Plan addresses important topics, such as climate resilience, housing, and transportation, and will guide the City’s growth for the next 20 years. The event will take place on campus from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the WWU Viking Union Multipurpose Room. Learn more about the Bellingham Plan and engagement opportunities.  

Seeing green water? Please keep out. If you’re by a lake or creek and see something that looks like blue-green paint, it is likely an algae bloom. Not all blue-green algae blooms are harmful, but you can’t tell for sure without testing. So, out of an abundance of caution, people and pets should avoid water that has a visible active algae bloom and follow guidance from any posted signage. The City and Whatcom County Health and Community Services test the blooms for toxins and closely track and monitor locations where blooms are common, such as Lake Padden. Information about testing and results can be found on the Washington State Toxic Algae website. If you see a bloom, please report it to Whatcom County Health and Community Services at 360-778-6000. 

Preserving forests in the Lake Whatcom watershed: The City is acquiring approximately 114 acres of undeveloped forestland in the Lake Whatcom watershed as part of our Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program, one of many efforts to protect our drinking water source. Since the program’s start in 2001, we have purchased more than 2,600 acres of property in the watershed. The forested land we protect helps reduce flooding and pollution impacts in Lake Whatcom by soaking up and naturally filtering rainwater. The three most recent property purchases were approved by City Council on October 30. Interested in selling property in the Lake Whatcom Watershed to be preserved for future generations? Learn more about selling property in the Lake Whatcom watershed on our website. 

Spend your weekend at a park: Looking for something to get you outside on this fall weekend? Check out our Parks & Recreation Department’s weekly Saturday work party at Cordata Park. If you can’t make it this weekend, visit our Parks Volunteer page to learn more about other volunteer opportunities. These are opportunities to get your hands a little dirty and improve the outdoor park spaces that are cherished by our community. On another note, heads up that some of our park restrooms have been closed to prevent plumbing damage during the cold weather season. Restrooms are closed at Birchwood, Broadway, Elizabeth, Roosevelt, St. Clair, Forest and Cedar, Maritime Heritage, and Skateboard parks, as well as the Fairhaven Park Picnic Shelter. Restrooms at all other parks remain open. 

Parking garage spruce up: Parking downtown just got a lot cleaner! City staff deep-cleaned all five floors of the Commercial Street Parking Garage earlier this week. All of the floors and stairwells were pressure washed by hand or with our handy Municipal Cleaning Vehicle, and a vactor truck “vacuumed” up all of the wastewater generated by the cleaning efforts for proper disposal. This work is part of ongoing efforts to keep downtown clean. Now is a great time to try out the Commercial Street Parking Garage, which is one of several off-street parking options downtown. The first level of the garage is available for short-term paid parking. Floors 2-5 are reserved for permit holders during paid parking hours, a great option for those who work or live downtown. Visit our Parking Services page to learn more about parking options downtown. 

By the numbers

1 million pounds! That’s how many pounds of waste our solid waste group has cleaned up from public properties. That’s equivalent to the weight of five adult blue whales! This includes litter and other waste picked up from sidewalks, streets, rights-of-way, riparian areas, illegal dump sites and more. This doesn’t include all of the waste cleaned up by our regular street sweeping and various other clean-up efforts. Learn more about solid waste and recycling in Bellingham. 

Improving public spaces

A vibrant new mural depicting native plants: A new mural now adorns an underpass on Birchwood Avenue on the new stretch of road connecting with James Street. The colors and images provide a delightful spectacle to passersby. Seattle artist Sarah Robbins calls the work “Squalicum Healers.” She said she drew inspiration from the native flora in Bellingham and plants that offer healing qualities. She explained that all plants depicted in the mural can be seen in the area, and the majority are found along creek beds, roadsides, bogs and ponds – matching the environment of the installation. The project was primarily funded through the City’s One Percent for the Arts program, a program that dedicates one percent of eligible large capital project budgets for the incorporation of artwork.


Media Contact

Janice Keller
Communications Director
jkeller@cob.org or (360) 778-8115


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