Latest Opinion

Shape your Fire and Emergency Medical Services future

By North Whatcom Fire & Rescue/Fire District 21 Fire Chief Jason Van der Veen and Fire Commissioner Rich Bosman   Summer is in full swing. Along with sunnier days spent outside ...

Bumper cars ‘highly therapeutic’

Over the last 40 years, our family has vacationed at the same place on the beach. While the buildings have been refurbished, the complex remains largely unchanged. The exception was ...

Power of interconnected grid with ample supply

By Don C. Brunell for the Record   How about some good news coming out of our record-breaking (extreme) heat wave?   Luckily, we live and work in the Pacific Northwest, and ...

Whatcom home sales match soaring temperatures

By Dave Brumbaugh for the Tribune   Pick what was hotter in Whatcom County: The June 26-28 heat wave or home sales in the second quarter?   Tough call.   Homes, which have ...

Letters to the Editor — June 30, 2021

More discussion needed for Lynden police cameras   Cameras protect officers and help prove the bad guys were bad. Kudos!   Please ensure the data is kept for a significant period ...

Thanks, all, it’s been a good run — 40 years covering the community

  Even the longest of runs must come to an end. And that time for me is now.   June 30 will be my last day of reporting in to the Tribune building on a pivot Wednesday, that ...

Unnecessary barriers could slow homeownership growth among Hispanics

By Manuel Reta   In spite of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic downturn, the American dream of home ownership is still very much alive. Home ownership has long been recognized ...

Letters to the Editor — June 23, 2021

Not new and improved   911 calls are not so good. I called three years ago regarding smoke from a neighborhood campground on a still warm night when the thick smoke hangs in the ...

Clarifying some ag-overtime matters

  What do real estate agents, salespeople, vessel crews and farmers all have in common? Their work hours are often long and unpredictable, and until recently Washington law included ...

Ferndale leading affordable housing challenge

By Jon Mutchler Former Ferndale Mayor   Let’s talk about the oxymoron “affordable housing.” First, think about where you lived when you left the nest.   Culminating months ...