In the Media

TWO important efforts will help economically disadvantaged Washington students go to college.

An approaching deadline lends critical urgency to one, the state's College Bound scholarship program. Eligible eighth-graders must sign up by June 30, pledging to stay in school and out of trouble and earn good grades. In turn, the state will cover the cost of tuition based on rates at Washington public colleges and universities, plus $500 for books.

Although her research has documented a steady deterioration in the quality of Lake Whatcom's water, Robin Matthews still drinks the treated city water that originates in the lake.

Matthews, director of the Institute for Watershed Studies at Huxley College of the Environment, Western Washington University, briefed the City Council on her latest findings Monday, June 6.

She told the council that the water is still pure enough for her, and pure enough to meet legal drinking water standards. That could change someday if the long, slow decline in lake water quality is not halted and reversed.

State Sen. Doug Ericksen will run for Whatcom County executive this year, setting up a primary election fight over the seat being vacated by Executive Pete Kremen.

Ericksen, a Republican who lives near Ferndale, was first elected to the state House of Representatives in fall 1998; he then won re-election five times. In fall 2010, he was elected to the state Senate.

Ericksen, 42, said he wants to bring his experience and leadership shown during his time in Olympia to the executive position, where he could serve the people of Whatcom County directly.

In a year when the Legislature slashed more than $4 billion from higher education, social services, health care and other areas, one program received an especially generous increase: financial aid for undergraduate college students.

The Legislature approved a 32 percent biennial increase in funding for the State Need Grant, the state's largest contribution of grant money — money that does not need to be repaid — to low-income students.

Washington state's six four-year colleges and universities will be able to set their own tuition, which had previously done by the Legislature, under a measure that Gov. Chris Gregoire signed into law Monday.

Tuition increases ranging from 11 to 16 percent were expected under the 2011-2013 biennium budget passed in late May. But the new law gives University of Washington, Western Washington University, Washington State University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University and The Evergreen State College the ability to exceed those levels.

The Vancouver Canucks’ sleep doctor doesn’t yet know if he’ll be given a Stanley Cup ring, but if the team beats the Boston Bruins for the NHL championship, than he will have a strong claim to some jewelry.

Pat Byrne, a vice-president and co-founder of Hawaii-based Fatigue Science, has been working with the Canucks since 2008, when Mike Gillis took over as general manager and became determined to solve the team’s persistent travel woes. As the only NHL team based on Canada’s West Coast, the Canucks travel longer distances than any other club, and it was affecting the performance of players.

College tuition is getting more expensive at Washington State University and Eastern Washington University.

On Monday, the WSU Board of Regents approved a 16 percent tuition increase that will start this fall to make up for vast budget cuts it received from Washington State.

The Tuition Flexibility Bill Signed into law Monday by Governor Chris Gregoire gives universities the right to make that tuition increase.

Tuition at Eastern Washington University could go up for the third year in a row, as many as 10 degree programs could be eliminated and about 20 employees could lose their jobs to bridge a $24.9 million budget gap.

This cut is the most recent in a series of spending cuts since the economic downturn began.

“This represents a more than 45 percent reduction in state funding to Eastern over the last three-plus years,” said Dave Meany, university spokesman. EWU President Rodolfo Arévalo adds: “But we are trying to transform the university so that our primary mission of educating students continues to be at the highest level possible and students graduate in a timely fashion and at the lowest cost possible.”

At a news conference where Boeing and Microsoft announced a $50 million pledge to a college scholarship fund, Gov. Chris Gregoire was asked whether the deep cuts to higher education in the most recent state budget would have been as severe if voters had passed an initiative that would’ve imposed an income tax on the wealthy.

“No,” she said.

In the 2008 movie "The Bucket List," two terminally ill men set out to do the things they wanted to do before they died. Critics gave the movie a mixed reception, but audiences ate it up.

Having Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as co-stars didn't hurt, but I wonder if the movie's success resulted from something more than mere star power.