From the editor's desk:

That rain on your windshield this week might serve as a reminder — and not just about your brittle, ratty wiper blades. 

It's election season in NW Washington, and your local newspaper once again needs your help. 

Cascadia Daily News was literally created with the hope of maintaining and energizing an informed local electorate.

So election coverage has always been a priority here.  We make that coverage free as a recognition of the valuable role of a local free press in fostering representative democracy.  

Part of our strategy is to provide what we call "reader-powered" election coverage via our Citizens Agenda process. The most important part of that is on the table right now: We need the public to weigh in on the five most important topics they'd like candidates for local offices to be talking about in the ongoing election campaign. 

We published a broad list of questions from readers and staffers in the Aug. 15 CDN print edition. The questions can also be viewed online. What's your part? Pick the five most important and vote via an online form, or by mailing in the physical ballot in the print newspaper.  

The voting deadline is 5 p.m. Friday. Aug. 29. We want to hear from everyone, so don't just limit this to yourself: Tell your friends and neighbors, as well. 

Voting on the questions is your way to have a direct influence on subject matter candidates must address (I also find it interesting just to see what's on the minds of other voters.) Candidates' answers to these questions will be printed in our Oct. 17 Voter Guide and put to them at CDN Town Hall election forums in early October (stay tuned for more info on this.) 

Thanks in advance for helping your local newsroom do its part to provide information leading to smart voting choices. We couldn't do it without you – and won't! 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Sunday read

RE Sources volunteers stand near a stormwater outfall at the I and J Street Waterway in Bellingham. Stormwater is an environmental and health hazard, and a massive source of pollution that's hard to control. (Santiago Ochoa/Cascadia Daily News)

No easy fix for Bellingham's big pollution problem: stormwater

When it rains, everything on roofs, sidewalks, and city streets gets washed away into the nearest drainage and creeks. And in Bellingham, it rains a lot. Stormwater -- what rainwater is called after it rolls up all sorts of litter and pollutants -- is an environmental and health hazard, and a massive source of pollution that's hard to control.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Stories of the week

News

Bellingham woman receives $23K following CDN investigation into surgery cost

After reading a CDN investigation, health care sharing ministry Liberty HealthShare cut a check to Lydia Bennett for the $23,000 she paid out of pocket for a $97,000 outpatient surgery at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Opinion

Editor weeps openly as a year later, Port's expensive PR consultant still does not call

The Port of Bellingham, in its wisdom when signing a $100,000 PR contract last August, made a de facto promise to reach out to local media folks to gauge the playing field about the port's public image. A year later, CDN's Executive Editor, Ron Judd, feels wounded and has given up on staring longingly at his phone.   

Letters to the Editor: Indigenous history, orca protections, and increasing bus fare

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Sports & Rec

Bellingham judo competitors, ages 89 and 63, win medals at national tournament

When it comes to Bellingham's judo competitors Ralph Bajema and Mark Glaser, age is just a number. The two of them combined have over 100 years of competing in judo and recently earned five medals at the U.S. Open Judo Championships. 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Living

Film festival's hyper-local documentaries 'uplift voices too often unheard'

North Sound ACH believes art can be used to build bridges — which is why the nonprofit is spearheading the first North Sound Voices Film Festival, featuring eight documentary-style shorts by local directors. 

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Subscribe to Cascadia Daily News