Around the City

Teacher of the year bids sought

The superintendent of public instruction is calling for regional nominations for the 2008 state teacher of the year award and is inviting Blaine students, parents and community members to submit nominations before April 3.

Individuals should include examples of how the nominee has demonstrated outstanding achievement, community involvement, professional development, and teaching methods to meet state standards in educational reform. The nomination may be submitted to a building principal or superintendent Ron Spanjer.

Any current full-time teacher is eligible for nomination. For more information, call 332-5881, ext. 1725.

WSU Watershed program training begins April 3
Spring training for the Washington State University (WSU)
Whatcom Extension Watershed Master/Beach Watcher Program begins April 3.  

Participants will receive 100 hours of free training about marine biology, coastal geology, wildlife, urban growth and local issues from an objective, scientific point of view. In return, participants are asked to donate 100 hours of volunteer service, working on projects of their choice.

Training seminars are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays from April 3 to May 25 in Bellingham. For more information, call 676-6736, or visit the WSU’s extension website at http://whatcom.wsu.edu/environ/water/bw.htm. 

Plant a tree, save a stream
A collaborative organization involving non-profit, county and state agencies will be giving away free one-year nursery trees the last two weekends in March in an effort to improve water quality in Whatcom County.

Farmers Growing Trees for Salmon (FGTS) will be donating more than 6,000 Western red cedar, Sitka spruce and Douglas fir trees grown by local farmers for property owners to plant along their streams, rivers, lakes, ponds or wetlands.

The organization, a collaboration between Whatcom County Public Utility District No. 1, the Washington State Department of Ecology and Whatcom County, has placed more than 55,000 trees since its beginning in 2001.

The trees will be available from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at BelleWood Acres farm at 231 Ten Mile Road between Bellingham and Lynden.

Written planting instructions are available. For information and large orders call 398-9187.

Report fish kills and marine mammal strandings
Reports of a fish kill, oil spills or oil leaks, chemical spills or chemical dumps, acute environmental damage from pesticide use or chemical application, and any and all other reports can be reported by calling the Washington State Emergency Management Division’s 24-hour hotline at 800/258-5990.

This is a 24 hour per day, 365 days per year reporting phone number manned by the Washington State Emergency Management Division, and information will be immediately sent the report to the appropriate party.

If you suspect a marine mammal stranding, do not touch or otherwise disturb the animal in any way. Rather, stay well away and call 360/303-3608.

Leadership group to announce 2007 projects
Members of this year’s Leadership Whatcom class will announce their community service team projects at a reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

March 22 at the Whatcom Museum’s Rotunda Room in Bellingham.
The class was developed through the Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities, which selects individuals each year to participate in an intensive 10-month training program for leadership. 

The team service projects provide participants an opportunity to have an immediate impact on the community and to further leadership development. Small teams, formed at the start of the program year, design a service project in response to a community need and plan to complete them during the course of the year. Projects from the previous class addressed issues such as agricultural preservation, poverty, transportation choices and the Whatcom Council of Nonprofits.

The alumnae of the first cohort of Leadership Whatcom are also planning a public event in May focused on engaging the broader community around the issue of civil dialogue and developing tools and strategies for participating in challenging conversations about issues in the community.  

For more information, contact Sue Anderson of Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities at 715-1061. Applications are being accepted and are available at www.leadershipwhatcom.org.

By Tara Nelson