In the Media

“Bears of the Last Frontier: The Adventure of a Lifetime Among Alaska’s Black, Grizzly, and Polar Bears,” by Chris Morgan

Follow the epic journey of wildlife conservationist and bear biologist Chris Morgan as he travels by motorcycle across Alaska while filming the PBS Nature documentary “Bears of the Last Frontier.” Morgan treks deep into the wild and magical habitat of brown bears on the Alaska Peninsula, grizzly bears in Denali National Park, and polar bears on the sea ice.

Chris Morgan is a British conservation ecologist specializing in international bear research and conservation and a lecturer at Western Washington University.

Three Washington universities are on Sierra Magazine's list of the 20 colleges that do the most to help solve climate issues and operate sustainably. And the University of Washington is at the very top of the list.
At No. 9 is The Evergreen State College in Olympia. Western Washington University in Bellingham is No. 14.

Early last summer, Rob Lohry’s mom Patricia called his cell phone and left a message, asking him to come down to Portland from Seattle for a weekend visit. She told him she loved him, as she always told her kids, and she hung up.
It was maybe 12 seconds, at most — a pretty ordinary call.
But it became much more than that to him after his mom died of cancer a few months later, and he discovered the message on his phone.

A culture war is being waged online — gay-rights activists vs. Focus on the Family and other faith-based nonprofits — for the hearts, minds and money of hundreds of big retailers.
College student Ben Crowther and other gay activists have been petitioning companies through a website called Change.org to sever retail links with an online hub called Charity Give Back Group. Crowther claims it supports "anti-gay hate groups" such as the Focus on the Family ministry and other conservative evangelical Christian organizations.
The New York-based CGBG, formerly known as Christian Values Network, allows online shoppers to authorize a percentage of their purchase dollars to go to the charity of their choice, secular or religious, including Colorado Springs- based Focus.

Freshman fears are normal. From picking classes to packing for dorm life, college-bound students can best allay anxieties by asking for help, university and college officials say.

“The only person who loses out is you if you don't ask questions,” said Sheryl Copeland, interim director of Edmonds Community College's Counseling and Resource Center.

This accountability factor is a leading stresser for students on their own for the first time. Getting the lay of the land, juggling a budget and worrying the intended academic program may not be the right fit are just a few more.

“You're 100 percent responsible for the decisions you make here,” said Grant Kollet, director of the University of Washington's First Year programs.

Summer is finally here after a long spring of fluky weather. With the temperatures rising and more people out and about, it’s time to look at a few quick and simple marketing ideas that could generate hot sales for your business. Enjoy the summer!
Signature marketing program: Signatures are the small text files you set to appear at the bottom of each email and text message you send out. Are you using them to market your products and services? One idea is to change your signature file weekly to promote a different product or service you offer. Large organizations: create a signature marketing program. Create a collection of signatures and rotate the signature use in all departments. Be sure to tie signature URLs to landing pages on your website so you can track the traffic and inquiries.

The Puget Sound Energy Foundation recently donated $15,000 to support Western Washington University’s innovative new Clean Energy Program, which the university is in the process of designing to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding green energy economy.
“We appreciate the generosity and vision of the Puget Sound Energy Foundation,” Western Provost Catherine Riordan said in a press release. “This new program will help position our state to lead the nation in the next wave of economic expansion and innovation.”
Western’s Clean Energy Program will integrate research and outreach with a unique interdisciplinary curriculum. The Puget Sound Energy Foundation donation via the WWU Foundation will support development of the program’s interdisciplinary curriculum and new courses.

This season's primary could prove a fun exercise for reading the political tea leaves, even for some races where both candidates automatically advance to the November election.

Take the race between incumbent Democrat Aaron Reardon and Republican Mike Hope for Snohomish County executive.

Reardon held a comfortable lead of 52.7 percent on Tuesday night. But ask Hope, and his 47 percent puts him in good shape for the fall.

"We're right exactly where we thought we would be on the first night, so we're quite pleased," Hope said.

Zervas Group Architects is celebrating its 50th anniversary from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19 with a public open house at its downtown Bellingham office at 209 Prospect St. Exhibits of the firm's architectural history will be displayed.
Founded in 1961 in Bellingham by the late James E. Zervas, Zervas Group Architects has grown to a 12-person firm. The firm's partners are Michael E. Smith, Terry Brown, and Sharon Robinson.

A University of Washington student from Englewood, Colo. fell to her death early Saturday from a window overlooking rocky cliffs in the Italian Riviera.

Police said Monday that 20-year-old Kelly Rose Denman fell from the room where she was staying in the Cinque Terre region of northwestern Italy.