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The Bellingham Herald
- Port, city nearing deal on waterfront buildings
The city and the Port of Bellingham appear to be nearing agreement on waterfront redevelopment issues that have divided them for many months.
Steve Swan, vice president for University Relations, said Western remains receptive to reusing either the buildings themselves or their materials, but no decisions have been made.
"We will consider all possibilities, but they have to be financially feasible," Swan said.
- Higher tuition at WWU; bitter but necessary
Raising tuition 14 percent in each of the next two years is a drastic step for Western Washington University students and their families. But we believe the higher tuition increase is the best way to tackle the tough situation created by a need to cut more than $6 billion in state spending this year.
- Miller renovation now in limbo
Depending on what ends up in the state's capital projects budget, Western Washington University's long-awaited renovation of Miller Hall might not happen any time soon. The state Senate's proposed 2009-11 capital budget includes about $57.5 million to renovate Miller Hall, one of the older buildings on campus and Western's main capital budget request this biennium. But there's no money for Miller Hall in the House's proposed budget.
"We're urging the House to reconsider," said Renee Roberts, capital budget director for WWU. "It's been a longstanding need."
- WWU to build first dorm in nearly 40 years
A major dormitory addition at Western Washington University should begin construction in about three months, providing jobs at a time of rising local unemployment.
Construction of the five-story, 100-bed addition to Buchanan Towers, at Bill McDonald Parkway and South Campus Drive, is estimated to cost $11.6 million.
The addition on the east side of the current building will be the first new dorm on campus in about 40 years. A one-story café addition on the south side of the building will provide a new entrance and gathering place.
- Mentorship program will show K-12 students the benefits of college
When Cyndie Shepard moved to Bellingham last year with her husband, Western Washington University President Bruce Shepard, she wasn't sure how she would spend her time. But the decision was quickly made for her: She's replicating a mentorship program that she started in Green Bay, Wis.
- County unemployment rates hit 16-year high
Whatcom County's unemployment rate took another leap in March, reaching the highest level in more than 16 years.
The local unemployment rate, not seasonably adjusted, hit 9 percent last month, according to the Washington State Employment Security Department. The last time Whatcom County saw 9 percent unemployment was February 1993.
With the way the jobless rate is trending, Whatcom County should hit double-digit unemployment this year, said Hart Hodges, director for the Center for Economic and Business Research at Western Washington University. He noted that Whatcom County was at this unemployment level in the early 1980s.
"We've been here before: The question now is how long will it be before we get back to 7 percent," Hodges said. "Back (in the early 1980s), it took a long time before there was a job recovery. Every recession is different, but we need to be thinking about what we can do now that makes sense in the long term."
- Bellingham City Council considers fee exemption to entice NOAA to waterfront
City Council members on Monday will be asked to create a local exemption from park and school impact fees in order to entice NOAA to Bellingham's waterfront. Under the proposal, council members would be allowed to approve an exemption from those fees, which help offset the costs of new transportation infrastructure due to growth, for projects with "broad public purposes."
- Sports roundup: Central sweeps doubleheader; Viking softball splits a doubleheader with Saint Martin's; Warman a fresham sensation at WWU; Vikings take two from Northwest Nazarene; Late sprint lifts Vikings; McEnroe pitches perfect game;
Seattle P-I.com
The Seattle Times
- Rochelle Rasmussen-Sandeen helped Native Americans honor their cultures
It was her desire to bring Native Americans together to celebrate their cultures and beliefs. Although she died unexpectedly, her family and friends believe she fulfilled her mission and that others will carry it forward. Rochelle Rasmussen-Sandeen, 57, of Bellingham, died Thursday, April 9, of liver cancer. More than a dozen family and friends surrounded her in the hospital, drumming and singing ancient chants and songs.
Ms. Rasmussen-Sandeen was just a couple of courses shy of receiving her bachelor's degree in communications from Western Washington University, where she worked for several years in the administrative offices. She was also involved in Native-American activities, powwows and community work.
- Legislature needs to let Universities raise tuition
Dire budgets call for a dramatic response. Tuition at Washington's four-year colleges and universities should rise significantly to preserve student access, quality and years of progress toward preparing a sophisticated work force.
Gov. Chris Gregoire and leaders of four-year institutions have asked for an eye-popping 14-percent increase each of the next two years. Not to mince words or math: Compounded one year over the other, that's a 30-percent increase. Students attending the University of Washington, Washington State University and Western Washington University would experience tuition hikes of about $1,300 to nearly $2,000 over two years.
The Columbian
- Increasing tuition a distressing but necessary strategy
History and hope tell us that every recession is temporary. That's why two recommendations by Gov. Chris Gregoire for increasing education funding — though painful — are reasonable and should be adopted by the Legislature. But because this recession is temporary, the methods of increasing revenue should be stopgap and abandoned once the economy is improved.
The first of Gregoire's two proposals is to lift the current cap for tuition increases from 7 percent annually to 14 percent annually for the next two years.
The Wenatchee World
- Nothing left but raising tuition
After spending all the federal stimulus dole and wringing out its repertoire of budgetary flim-flam, the state Legislature still has to cut about $4 billion from what it would have liked to spend over the next two years. It is a dilemma — even government can’t go for long spending money it doesn’t have, no matter what they say. So, one of the proposals is to get nearly 20 percent of that sum through budget cuts at state universities and colleges.
"Devastating" is probably the most overused word in Olympia this year, but in this case, with that level of cuts, it would fit. Cuts of 20 or 30 percent in university and college budgets would unmake the institutions. Faculty would leave in droves, programs disappear, classes would be eliminated or doubled in size. Estimates are 10,000 Washington students who otherwise are qualified for higher education would be turned away. There would be no place to put them and no one to teach them. That is 10,000 lives forever altered. Those lucky enough to get in would find an institution that is far less than they expected, with opportunities diminished and the chance of obtaining a degree in the four years they expected now slight.
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