Celebrate the opening of Little Squalicum Pier
Join us as we celebrate the opening of Little Squalicum Pier! We are hosting a ribbon-cutting event at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 26 at Little Squalicum Park. Meet us near the parking lot located at 640 Marine Drive (at the corner of Marine Drive and W. Illinois Street) where we will celebrate with music and remarks from the people instrumental to this project before leading a procession to the pier to complete the festivities. Visit our website to learn more about the pier renovation project.
Overnight gate closures coming to three popular parks
Night owls and early birds, be aware that starting May 1, we will begin locking the gates overnight at three community parks: Boulevard Park, Cornwall Park and Squalicum Creek Park. Gates will be locked at 10 p.m. and will be unlocked at 6 a.m. The overnight gate closures are a necessary step to address increasing vandalism, property damage, graffiti, and other illegal activities such as overnight camping, fires, alcohol/drug use, and turf damage occurring in parks at night. We are testing these hours over the summer, and closure times will be adjusted during the fall and winter months based on daylight hours and what we learn during this pilot phase. Parks staff will make rounds near closing time to alert visitors and avoid trapping cars behind locked gates.
Mayor and Museum board announce interim director for Whatcom Museum
Mayor Lund and the Whatcom Museum Foundation’s Board of Trustees have named Maria J. Coltharp as the Whatcom Museum’s acting executive director, effective May 1, following outgoing Executive Director Patricia Leach’s retirement on April 30. Coltharp, who is currently the director of collections and operations, joined the senior leadership team at the Museum in 2019. She has been instrumental in co-leading the collections and exhibitions teams and has overseen all artwork and artifact management, as well as the installation of permanent and rotating exhibitions. Mayor Lund said of Maria, “She translates her deep knowledge and love of the arts into thoughtful stewardship of this amazing community asset. Maria’s combination of skill, vision and passion will be invaluable in leading the Whatcom Museum during this transition time.” The City has begun the early stages of the search process for a new, permanent executive director.
Learning Together Forum focuses on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Bellingham Public Library will host the final installment of this season’s Learning Together Forums, which will focus on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. The forum will be 10:30 a.m. – noon, Thursday, May 1 in the Lecture Room of the Central Library, 210 Central Ave. Participants will discuss how to promote a peaceful and inclusive society, advocate for justice, and support accountable and effective institutions. Representatives from organizations including Bellingham Queer Collective, Compass Health, Lydia Place, Unity Care NW, and Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center will provide updates on their work. Forums are free and open to all, and themes follow the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Snacks and coffee provided! No registration required.
Utility survey – your input matters
Starting next week, we are launching a statistically sound utility customer survey, conducted by DHM Research, to assess our performance in delivering water, wastewater, stormwater, and watershed protection services. If you are randomly selected to participate, we encourage you to provide your feedback – it is crucial in shaping our future priorities and investments, including ongoing work in areas like wastewater treatment.
Investing in wastewater treatment
As we look towards future utility rates, the City is carefully considering the most responsible and cost-effective ways to serve our community’s needs. A significant part of this involves managing the solids from our wastewater treatment process. Our current method, incineration at the Post Point Resource Recovery Plant, has proven effective in reducing waste and eliminating harmful pathogens. When evaluating the best path forward, we must balance the costs of infrastructure and operations with our commitment to protecting public health and the environment for the long term. This is why we’ve focused on strategically reinvesting in our existing incineration system to ensure a reliable and financially sound approach to wastewater solids management. Visit our Wastewater Solids Management page to understand more about this decision-making process and how we’re planning for the future.
Paving and striping
Spring brings paving and striping projects! Starting next week, we’ll begin a paving project to improve some of the streets in the Silver Beach and Samish neighborhoods. Weather depending, on May 1, 2, and 5 we’ll be paving on 40th Street between Donovan Avenue and Mill Street and Wildwood Drive to Adams Avenue. On-street parking will be restricted during this time. During the second week of May, we’ll improving the ADA ramps on Sylvan Street from Alabama Street to Silver Beach Avenue, with paving to follow once that work is complete. We appreciate your patience and attention while crews are working.
