Meador Avenue Construction

Coming Soon!
Road, Sidewalk, Bike, Trail Improvements

This project will provide on-street pedestrian facilities between Meador Avenue and Ellis Street including a pedestrian bridge over Whatcom Creek on Meador Ave. Right-of-way and narrow Whatcom Creek bridges create challenges, but bicycle facilities will be included where physically possible. This project will provide the final on-street connection for the long-planned Whatcom Creek Trail system between Lake Whatcom and Bellingham.

Next Milestones: Open bids on 4/28/11 and award project on 5/9/11.

For more information go to: City of Bellingham website > Government > Active Capital Projects.

Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program reaches 1500-pound milestone

Every day is Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in Bellingham. For the past year, six local pharmacies have accepted unwanted and expired medication for secure and legal disposal, reaching the 1500-pound milestone in April 2011, one year after starting the collection. Help reach the one-ton mark by bringing labeled medications to any of the following locations during pharmacy hours:

·   Costco Pharmacy, 4299 Meridian

·   Custom Rx Shoppe, 1313 E Maple St.

·   Hoagland Pharmacy, 2330 Yew St.

·   Haggen, 2814 Meridian

·   Haggen, 2900 Woburn (Barkley Village)

·   Fairhaven Market, 1401 12th St.

Prescription narcotics and controlled substances are collected at the Bellingham Police Department, 505 Grand Avenue, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Saturday, April 30, 2011, is the second National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and supported by local law enforcement. This one-day event takes place locally at four drop-off sites from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Medications will be placed into a box by law enforcement and incinerated at an approved location. 

DEA Drop-off locations, April 30, 2011:

·   Bellingham DEA & WA State Patrol, 3860 Airport Way, Bellingham

·   Lummi Nation Police Department,  2616 Kwina Rd., Bellingham

·   Ferndale Police Department,  Cost Cutter Foods (front of store), 1750 LaBounty Drive, Ferndale

·   Ferndale Police Department,  Haggen Food & Pharmacy (front of store), 1815 Main St., Ferndale

Why take back your meds?

·   Unused medicines are a danger to our children, families and the environment

·   Washington State has one of the highest teen prescription drug abuse rates in the nation

·   Medicine poisoning of children and seniors is skyrocketing

·   Medicines flushed or put in the trash can end up in our surface waters, groundwater and drinking water--exposing our families and hurting our environment

For more information about the City of Bellingham program, visit the program web page.

Media Contact:
Mindy Collins, Local Source Control Specialist
Public Works Department
(360) 778-7962
mcollins@cob.org

I-5 CONSTRUCTION UPDATE – Current & Planned Projects

Follow link to WSDOT report to City Council on April 11, 2011

http://www.cob.org/web/COUNCIL.nsf/0/7E5FDA672341002D8825786B0059C3CD/$File/11apr2011_AB19167.pdf?OpenElement

See report for WSDOT construction at Lakeway, Samish and Iowa + planning for 1) Guide-Meridian and 2) Bakerview at I-5. 

Help Make Walking Safe, Attractive & Connected in Bellingham

SAVE THE DATE - MORE INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED SOON! 

You are invited to help shape our first Pedestrian Master Plan.

Pedestrian Master Plan Community Workshop
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Bellingham Public Library Lecture Room
210 Central Avenue

Help identify improvements to ensure safe and pleasant walking facilities throughout Bellingham. 

Facilitator Dan Burden, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute Executive Director, will lead participants through activities and discussion to kick off the master planning process.

Please share this with others who may be interested.

Heather Higgins-Aanes
Education and Communications Coordinator
Public Works Department
210 Lottie St.
Bellingham, WA 98225
Green Team

P: 360.778.7905 | F: 360.778.7901

Lake Whatcom fishing season opener emphasizes invasives prevention

City and County staff will greet boaters at the Bloedel Donovan Boat Launch on Saturday, April 30, 2011 from 7 a.m. to noon, to provide information on how to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. 

Boaters will be asked about their boating habits, boat cleaning practices, and knowledge of invasive species impacts and prevention techniques. Responses to these questions will be used to design an effective invasive species prevention strategy for Lake Whatcom. 

Aquatic invasive species can spread from one water body to another by attaching to boat hulls, motors, trailers, and recreational equipment. Lake Whatcom is particularly at risk because it is a popular site for boaters who may be transporting aquatic invasive species from infested waters. 

“We are in a good position to prevent the introduction of invasive species into Lake Whatcom,” said Laurel Baldwin, Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board Coordinator. “We should not miss this opportunity to pay attention and take small actions to prevent impacts which might be costly and irreversible later,” she added.

An Aquatic Invasive Species Action Plan for Lake Whatcom is scheduled for release next month by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County.  This Plan will guide aquatic invasive species prevention, monitoring, control, and education/outreach strategies in the Lake Whatcom watershed. 

“A solid, well executed prevention strategy will be much cheaper than the price other communities are paying to respond to infrastructure and environmental damage caused by invasive species infestations,”  said Clare Fogelsong, Environmental  Resources Manager for the City.

For more information, see the City’s website at www.cob.org and search for "aquatic invasives".

Media Contact:
Clare Fogelsong, Environmental Resources Manager
City of Bellingham Public Works
(360) 778-7900
cfogelsong@cob.org

Carl Cozier Parents Highlighted in TIME Magazine

Carl Cozier Elementary School parents were mentioned in the Feb. 7, 2011 edition of TIME magazine in an article emphasizing the hardships PTA groups are facing in the midst of school district budget cuts. The article covers how Carl Cozier’s PTA expanded their fundraising with other school PTAs in the district to protect the district’s conservation program.

The article reads, “When the Bellingham, Wash., district cut a conservation program from its budget, the PTA at Carl Cozier whose leaders say it could have funded the field trip for its own students asked to spearhead a fundraising campaign so that every third-grader in the district's 14 elementary schools could attend. The district green-lighted the proposal, and PTAs throughout Bellingham joined forces to foot the $30,000 bill.”

For more information—http://www.friendsofgordoncarter.org/

Lakeway / I-5 Ramp Closure Soon

From the Herald 4/03/11:

Crews to close ramps, lanes of Interstate 5 in Bellingham

By JARED PABEN

BELLINGHAM - The state Department of Transportation will restart work this week on the project to lengthen the Interstate 5 ramps in Bellingham.

In 2011, they'll extend the northbound Samish Way on-ramp, northbound Iowa Street on-ramp and southbound Lakeway Drive on-ramp.

Click here to read more at the Herald’s website.

Pay Your Parking Tickets On-line at City Hall

Now available, on-line parking ticket payment is available to the public in the Permit Center in City Hall. Using an on-line payment service, customers may pay their parking tickets with a credit card.  The same computer that is available for public use of City IQ now has an icon to pay parking tickets.  Please pass this information along - thank you.  

Nicole C. Oliver
Communication Coordinator
Planning & Community Development
City of Bellingham
360.778.8353
www.cob.org/pcd

2nd annual Fun with the Fuzz 5K set

 Last year, several officers from the Bellingham Police Department in partnership with Behind the Badge Foundation, organized an event called Fun with the Fuzz 5K. This event is a running or walking flat course race through the streets of Bellingham. Last year, over 650 participants joined the fun and raised over $14,000 dollars. This year, event planners are hoping to have at least 1000 participants. All proceeds from the $20.00 registration fee (which includes event T-shirt) will be donated to the Behind the Badge Foundation.The second annual Fun with the Fuzz 5K, brought to you by North Coast Credit Union, SSC and Care Medical Group will be held on Saturday, April 23rd at the Bellingham Police Department located at 505 Grand Avenue. The race begins at 9:00 a.m.

Behind the Badge Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides financial and other support services to the families of fallen Law Enforcement Officers in Washington State. In addition, the organization maintains a Law Enforcement Memorial in Olympia Washington. On average, Washington State loses two Officers in the line of duty per year. Without the support of Behind the Badge, the families of fallen officers would bear the financial burden of funeral services. Police funerals cannot be paid for with public funds. 

For a complete list of sponsors along with information and entry forms, please visit http://www.funwiththefuzz5k.com/http://www.funwiththefuzz5k.com/, local Bellingham Starbucks and Runningshoes.com.  All entry forms can be mailed to PO Box 31664 Bellingham, WA. 98228 or turned in at Runningshoes.com located at 1431 N. State St. Bellingham.

After the race there will be drawing for many great prizes that neighborhood businesses generously donated to this great cause. Some of those great prizes include: 

·   Nights at the Silver Reef Hotel and Casino

·   Massages from Back in Motion

·   A Porsche to drive for a week from Roger Jobs Porsche, Audi and Jeep

For more information about this event, please contact Bellingham Police Officer and race director Kyle Nelson at email funwiththefuzz5k@gmail.com.