This “blog” now approaching its 10th anniversary

Permalink +

Sun, May 15, 2005, 3:56 pm  //  Site Management

Well, when my sainted aunt writes asking if I'm feeling OK because nothing has been posted here, then it is time to pay attention to this blog. With over 300 people a day checking for posts, I could be more respectful of your interest and post more. There is no lack of issues - only personal time.

I remember a few years back a local newspaper editor referred to NwCit as a "blog" in an insulting tone. At the time the term was new and I was not sure what it meant, but I knew that he was way behind on understanding communications. Now blogs are an accepted medium. I respected newspapers then and still do. There is a comfort to working one's way through a good newspaper.

This "blog" is now approaching its 10th anniversary. It started years before the name was coined. It just seemed obvious to me that a website was perfect for posting news. Particularly for issues the daily newspaper ignored. In 1991, my actions in shaking up the Port of Bellingham on the KAP scandals was successful despite the Herald ignoring the issue because the Seattle PI broke the stories. The Herald then decided to make me a non-person. The Herald honors active citizens that way. Thus, I started this website to get local issues out.

Now I'm publisher of the Whatcom Independent weekly newspaper. I started working with several people in 2000 to bring a weekly newspaper to our community. Not an Arts and Entertainment or counter-culture paper, but a paper that reported local news that we citizens need to know about in order to function as citizens. We started publishing in November, 2003, and my business partners asked me to be publisher in January, 2004. I have put my efforts into helping that paper succeed.

So, since starting the paper, I have tended to avoid local issues on NwCitizen, preferring to help the Indy bring out those stories. My activist role must change and I am trying to adapt. I started as an activist in 1978 as an advisor to the first freeholders and in helping pass the Home Rule Charter for our county. This is not the place for a personal chronology - you can read the one posted for years. My point is, I'm not sure what role NwCitizen can play for you, gentle readers. Over the next few months I will be experimenting with some ideas I have. So do check back.

The KAP scandal? The Herald ran one page of articles in 1991 explaining the scandal without mentioning my name. It was a scandal that cost Whatcom County taxpayers over $4 million dollars. The Herald never has printed a word of it since. The Port changed the name of the KAP building to the International Trade Building. It was empty for most of 14 years - costing us taxpayers another million or so dollars. The Feds, via Homeland Security, have just rented the place and saved the Port's butt. Oh - and none of the Port Commissioners were reelected. Scott Walker beat the incumbent in Nov '91 - the first time a sitting Port Commissioner had been defeated in 60 years. The other two commissioners decided not to run again. And I started this blog.

Related Links:

-> Servais' Autobiography
Comments Commenting is disabled for this post

New web sites

Mon, May 30, 2005, 3:47 pm  //  Site Management

The folks trying to buy the 100-acre Fairhaven Highlands proposed development and turn it into a city park now have their own website - One Hundred Acre Wood.New…

0 comments

Media conference a surprising success

Sat, May 21, 2005, 3:49 pm  //  Site Management

The media conference was a surprising success. Surprising because so many attended and were very focused on learning more about independent media. Over 20 people attended all the…

0 comments

Open thru February - Village Books has opened a shop at Bellis Faire Mall - next to Macy's.

Independent media should be of interest

Wed, May 18, 2005, 3:53 pm  //  Site Management

There is an interesting media conference this Saturday, May 21, in Bellingham, that is oriented towards independent and grassroots efforts. This includes blogs, public TV and radio, small…

0 comments

This “blog” now approaching its 10th anniversary

Sun, May 15, 2005, 3:56 pm  //  Site Management

Well, when my sainted aunt writes asking if I'm feeling OK because nothing has been posted here, then it is time to pay attention to this blog. With…

0 comments

Sequoia voting machines being challenged

Thu, May 05, 2005, 4:10 pm  //  Site Management

Our county auditor has decided to buy vote-counting machines with secret software. Here is a link to information on a lawsuit in Everett dealing with these same machines.…

0 comments

 

New links

Colbert Super Pac

Current Interest

Bham Camera Scam
Colbert Super Pac

Local Blogs & News

Bellingham Herald
Bham Politics & Economics
Bhm Herald Politics Blog
Bob Sanders
Cascadia Weekly
Citizen Ted
Ferndale Record
Foothills Gazette
Get Whatcom Planning
HamsterTalk
KGMI
Latte Republic
Lynden Tribune
MikeatthePort
Northern Light
Northwest Review
Sweeney Politics
Twilight Zoning
Wally Wonders
Western Front - WWU
Whatcom Watch

Local causes

Bham Camera Scam
Bham CofC political blog
Chuckanut Mountains
Citizens of Bellingham
City Club of Bham
Community Wise Bellingham
Conservation NW
Cordata & Meridian
Futurewise - Whatcom
Jail - local mega plans
Lake Whatcom
N. Cascades Audubon
N. Sound Conservancy
Neighborhood Schools Coalition
No Leaky Buckets
NW Holocaust Center
RE Sources
Transition Whatcom
WA Conservation Voters

Publisher recommended

Americans Elect 2012
Bham Politics & Economics
Community Wise Bellingham
Guardian Unlimited
Paul Krugman - economics
Redistricting WA state
Sweeney Politics
Watts Up With That? - climate
WikiLeaks.ch

NwCitizen 1995 to 2008

Early Northwest Citizen

Weather & Climate

Cliff Mass Weather Blog
Climate Audit
NW Radar
Two day forecast
Watts Up With That? - climate

Cascadia

Crosscut Seattle
Joel Connelly
Orcinus
Portland Indy Media
Seattle Indy Media
Washington Votes

Leisure

Adventures NW
Edge of Sports
Entertainment NNW
Famous Internet Skiers
Sailing Anarchy

Worth checking out

Al-Jazeera online
Alaska Dispatch
AlterNet.org
Americans Elect 2012
Antiwar.com
Arab News
Asia Times
Atlantic, The
Buzz Flash
Common Dreams
counterpunch
Daily Beast, The
Daily Kos
Daily Mirror
Drudge Report
FiveThirtyEight
Foreign Policy in Focus
Guardian Unlimited
Gulf News
Haaretz
Huffington Post
Innocence Project, The
Intrnational Herald Tribune
James Fallows
Jerusalem Post
Juan Cole
Le Diplo
Media Matters
Middle East Times
MoveOn.org
Nation, The
New American Century
News Trust
NMFA
numbers
Online Journal
Palestine Daily
Palestine News
Paul Krugman - economics
Personal bio info
Politico
Progressive Review
Project Vote Smart
Reuters
Sea Shepherd
Slate
Talking Points Memo
The Onion
Tom Paine.com
truthout
War and Piece
WikiLeaks.ch
ynetnews.com

Governments

Auditor election page
Bellingham
Bham - PFD
Candidate Filings
Election Results
Redistricting WA state
Skagit County
The White House
WA State Access
WA State Elections
WA State Legislature
Whatcom Auditor
Whatcom County

Other - for whatever

Ban Red Light Cams
BushFlash.com
Chickehhawks
Coal quandary
Doonesbury
George Bush
Info Clearing House
Mainstreampolitics
Michael Moore
Nat Geo on Coal Trains
Reality News
The Crisis Papers
Third World Traveler
Unity08
Washington Outsiders

Less active

Bellingham Register
Carl Weimer
Eye on Whatcom
John Watts
Post-Oklahoman Confessions
The American Telegraph

Quiet, offline or dead

David Hackworth
Gitmo prisoner 345
Mega Awesome
Not in my county
Parkenfarker
Pro-Whatcom