Popular sanctioned mountain bike trail has finished conversion to hiking only trail, Lummi Indian Business Council approves basic needs distribution for adult tribal members in need, Ferndale Overpass open, Man arrested after reports of machete attack at Maritime Heritage Park in Bellingham, State awards money for housing planning, WA ferry officials warn of long waits over Thanksgiving as broken boats sit idle, Student designs wanted for invasive species art contest
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STORY: Popular unsanctioned mountain bike trail has finished conversion to hiking only trail
Last week, Whatcom County Parks & Recreation announced the completion of the Chanterelle Connector Trail.
The trail links the upper part of the Chanterelle Trail to the Hertz Trail and includes diverse forest lands and a side-trail leading to an overlook of Lake Whatcom. The trail is designated for hiking only, and includes a stair section with over 300 steps.
The hiking trail was built over the user-built Surfin’ Turf biking trail, which was shut down in 2015. Even after being officially closed, many bikers continued to ride the trail until earlier this year when the county put up signs stating its closure. The Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition advocated for Surfin’ Turf, like its neighbor and user-built trail Brown Pow, to be turned into a sanctioned mountain bike trail. The WMBC also offered to fully cover the cost of repairs to make the trail more sustainable, and to cover continued maintenance at no cost to the county by utilizing its volunteer trail maintenance crews. However, the county did not end up taking up the plan and instead contracted out the trail’s conversion to a hiking-only trail.
A dedication ceremony for the new trail is planned for December, weather permitting.
STORY: Lummi Indian Business Council approves basic needs distribution for adult tribal members in need
The Lummi Indian Business Council approved a community distribution to assist adult tribal members in need yesterday.
$500 will be distributed to eligible tribal members who are at least 18 years of age or older before December 31st. A motion was also made during the council meeting to begin planning for annual distribution every December that included all enrolled tribal members.
The two-day distribution will take place on December 18th at the Silver Reef Casino, and December 19th at the Wex’liem (WECK-li-em) Community Building in Bellingham. More updates will be made available at the Lummi Communications’ Facebook page.
STORY: Ferndale overpass open
After over 3 decades of planning and design, and funding solutions that came together in 2018, Ferndale may now have less traffic on Main Street.
The newly constructed Thornton Street overpass will officially open at 3pm on December 2nd, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1pm. The overpass, connecting Thornton Street to the southbound I-5 off- and on-ramp roundabout at Portal Way, provides a second railway crossing in Ferndale without train interruptions.
The project began construction in 2020.
STORY: Man arrested after reports of machete attack at Maritime Heritage Park in Bellingham
A man was hospitalized after being attacked with a machete at Maritime Heritage Park last Sunday.
37-year-old Wayne Yale was running around the park with a machete and yelling shortly after 1:30pm and subsequently struck the man in the shoulder after being told to stop. The attacked man required medical attention.
The Bellingham Police Department stated that Yale was found running on Dupont Street towards downtown Bellingham. Officers used less-than-lethal equipment to stop and stun Yale, who told police he had tried to kill the man because he felt the man who told him to “shut up” had violated his rights.
Yale was taken into custody without further incident and booked into the Whatcom County Jail for first-degree assault.
STORY: State awards money for housing planning
The Washington Department of Commerce has announced a grant of $75,000 dollars to help Bellingham plan for the development of ‘missing middle’ housing.
Nearly $3 million in total will be allocated to 54 cities across 16 counties to support the adoption of local comprehensive plan policies and zoning codes promoting middle housing in residential areas. The initiative is part of efforts to meet the state’s housing goals, with a focus on increasing homeownership opportunities and diversifying rental housing.
Middle housing, defined as compatible with single-family homes and including duplexes, fourplexes, townhouses, etc., aims to address the housing shortage, rising prices, and rental costs in Washington. The Department of Commerce also announced funding for existing Housing Trust Fund projects at risk of losing affordability.
STORY: WA ferry officials warn of long waits over Thanksgiving as broken boats sit idle
People taking a trip on state ferries over Thanksgiving weekend are likely to face lengthy wait times.
Officials with the Washington State Ferries warn travelers to be patient if their holiday includes crossing Puget Sound and to consider leaving earlier than they might have planned, as the usual late November rush in ferry travelers is expected. WSF currently has only 14 workable boats out of a fleet of 21. As a result, services such as Seattle-Bremerton and Edmonds-Kingston will be on reduced services.
WSF also warns passengers there could be last-minute schedule changes, as there are no spare boats in case one of the 14 boats has any mechanical issues. Riders are advised to download the WSDOT (wash-DOT) app, which includes ferry schedules and updates. Routes will be on their holiday schedule.
STORY: Department of Natural Resources pushes for Smokey the Bear on license plates
The Washington Department of Natural Resources is pushing for the creation of a specialty Smokey Bear license plate.
At a meeting Monday, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz made the pitch to lawmakers, saying that the plates will help spread awareness of the growing frequency of wildfires. Franz explained that proceeds from the sales of the plates would go to wildfire prevention education and firefighter support, administered through DNR.
To get the plates considered by the Department of Licensing, the initiative must receive at least 3,500 signatures. After that, it will compete with other specialty plates celebrating pickleball, Mt St. Helens, LeMay-America’s car museum, and sustainable forestry. Signatures can be given online at DNR.WA.gov.
WX: Cloudy
Today will be mostly cloudy, with a high of 49 degrees and calm winds. The clouds will turn to rain later in the day, with lows around 35. Expect tomorrow to be clear and sunny, with temperatures possibly dipping below freezing during the night.
OUTRO:
Today’s newscast was produced by volunteers AnThu Nguyen (ANNE-two new-WIN), Carlos Braga, Connor O’Boyle, Alex Michael, and Tristan Trudell. Tune in to local news on KMRE weekdays at 3, 4 and 5 p-m. For news tips and feedback, send us an email at news@kmre.org or call 360-398-6150. KMRE is a nonprofit community radio station, powered by listener donations. I’m ________________ and thanks for listening.
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And finally, if you’re in the mood for something more active, volunteer work parties are happening every Saturday until December 16th throughout Bellingham’s parks. Volunteers are needed from 9AM-12pm– you can find out which parks are being worked on by visiting volunteerbellingham.org.
STORY: Student designs wanted for invasive species art contest
From now through May 2024, the Washington Invasive Species Council and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife are asking students to help spread awareness about invasive species– through art.
Submissions must represent a type of invasive species, which are plants and animals that do not belong in the Washington ecosystem.
The competition will be separated into elementary, middle, and highschool. Three winners will be chosen from each division and will receive Amazon gift cards.
First place winners will also get a print of their art and have it displayed at various aquatic invasive species check stations.
For more information on how to participate, visit wdfw.wa.gov
NOV 24th FREE
Mark your calendars for the 2024 Discover Pass free days!
It’s never too early to start planning free visits to Washington’s state parks and recreation lands! The Discover Pass free days for 2024 have been announced!
And there’s one free day left this year – Friday, Nov. 24.
(Discover Pass free days do not apply to Sno-Parks, which require separate permits.)
