In the Media

"Classical music returns to the city Thursday, July 1, as the Bellingham Festival of Music kicks off its 17th season, with more than two weeks of concerts.

Maestro Michael Palmer will again be conducting the orchestra, which includes musicians from across the country and Europe. Palmer, who co-founded the festival in 1993 with cellist Robert Sylvester, has conducted every year of the festival."

Troy Tornow, assistant principal at South Kitsap High School in Port Orchard, Wash., has accepted the principal's position at Selah High School.

Ryan Macdonald definitely has plenty to appreciate after his performance at the Class 2A State Track and Field Championships last month.

He won an individual state championship in the shot put with a throw of 55 feet, 1.25 inches on May 29, one day after breaking the state meet record in the discus multiple times in winning his first state title with a career best toss of 180-3.

Noah Jack of Corvallis, a student in Western Washington University’s Industrial Design program, recently won first prize and a scholarship award as part of the annual Mount Baker Products Furniture Design Competition. Jack was awarded $2,000 for his entry, “Pitter Pat,” an umbrella-drying stand.

Faculty members from each academic department select one graduate to honor as the outstanding graduate of the year. Selection is a high honor based on grades, research and writing, service to the campus and community and promise for the future.

Come September, when your sons and daughters are back in school, they'll be telling their friends about the best part of the summer. Maybe it was the fish they caught or making hand-cranked ice cream. With a little help, one of their favorite memories could be a book they couldn't put down.

Bonney Lake’s Sean Packer must have felt like a scuba diver in a tank of sharks, nursing a seven-stroke lead at the 80th Tacoma City Amateur at Olympia Country and Golf Club.

When it was over, Packer had himself a victory, and possession of the trophy he so cherishes as a second-time winner of the event.

Packer, an Auburn Riverside High and Western Washington University product, closed with an even-par 71 to capture the title for the first time since 2004 at Fircrest Golf Club.

"“Well, look who’s here,” sneered my older, tenured, male colleague, “It’s Dr. Diversity.” Leaning into the old boys’ corner of the musty mailroom, he chuckled and continued talking with his buddies. I cringed and pretended to receive his remark as a compliment. With a forced smile, I hurried past them to collect my mail. Surely he wasn’t disparaging my emerging research interest on supporting student diversity. Or was he?"

"WHATCOM County officials plan to challenge state government officials' interpretation of existing state law that qualifies British Columbia residents for an exemption from Washington state's sales tax.

At least $3 million and perhaps as much as $5 million in county and city revenues are at stake. Predictions of significant sales increases to B.C. residents, which could partly blunt the impact of the change, are highly overstated. Quick and simple action by the Washington Legislature can pre-empt the impending damage to local governments, which are already reeling from recession-induced revenue declines."

"A bid for a personal-best time along with near 90-degree heat and severe humidity proved too much for Western Washington University's Sarah Porter, who did not finish in the women's 10,000 meters at the USA Championships being held at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

Porter, who just completed her junior season at Western, bowed out around the 4,000-meter mark."