Wood Water Pipe Reinforcement Planned for 2027

What’s the Deal With: The wood water pipe in Lake Whatcom? — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000
A Whatcom Museum photo from 1940 shows contractor Clyde Cray standing inside the wood stave intake pipe that now carries water from Lake Whatcom to the Whatcom Falls Water Treatment Plant. (Photo courtesy of Whatcom Museum) An 87-year-old, 72-inch-diameter wood stave intake pipe carries water from Lake Whatcom, the community’s drinking water source, to the City of Bellingham’s water treatment plant in Whatcom Falls Park. The 1,200-foot pipe, made of strips of western red cedar, was built in 1939 and installed in the middle basin of the lake at the northeast corner of the intersection of Lakeway Drive and Lake Whatcom Boulevard.  According to a manager at Brooks Manufacturing, the 110-year-old business on Kentucky Street that manufactures wood crossarms for utility poles, the pipe was produced at Brooks’ predecessor, the Ralph Turner Pipe & Stave Co.  The pipe is an essential piece of city infrastructure. Despite its age, the wood pipe itself is in good shape; an underwater dive inspection team checked the pipe’s condition in December 2023 and determined the wood staves are still functional and likely have years left of service, but the carbon steel bands holding the staves together are corroded.  Sometime in 2027, a construction diver team will reinforce the pipe by adding new stainless steel bands. The project, estimated to cost $4.5 million, will help ensure the city continues to have a reliable water supply for years to come.  A second, older wood s
Source: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/20/whats-the-deal-with-the-wood-water-pipe-in-lake-whatcom/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-the-deal-with-the-wood-water-pipe-in-lake-whatcom

Prep Spotlight: Meridian’s Melanie Short — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000
Meridian High School volleyball player Melanie Short is a junior three-sport athlete.. ( Santiago Ochoa /Cascadia Daily News) Meridian High School has 534 students. In a small 1A school nestled in Laurel, Washington, multi-sport athletes are a necessity for a school’s athletic success. Melanie Short is a junior three-sport athlete who has shined the last couple of years on her squads. “Being a three-sport athlete is challenging, but I love it,” Short said. “Volleyball is my favorite because I fell in love with the art of the game. It is more finesse and fighting gravity by keeping a ball off the ground.” The 5-foot-7 outside hitter began playing club volleyball at 8 years old, but her passion for the sport began beforehand. Short’s mother, Angie Short, is the Trojans’ head coach. She played at the University of Washington and coached at Whatcom Community College. “Ever since I was little, I wanted to be like the older girls and get in the hitting lines with them,” Melanie Short said. “I’ve enjoyed having her as a coach. I am putting in much work and she is really proud that I have the drive to do it. I am grateful because she pushed me to where I am today.” In her sophomore season, Short led Whatcom County with 391 kills and racked up 228 digs, 61 aces and 11 blocks. “I am very determined and have good visualization skills,” Short said. “I see the end goal of my jump in track or the end goal of my pass or kill. It has helped me succeed in sports.” Short skipped th
Source: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/sep/20/prep-spotlight-meridians-melanie-short/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=prep-spotlight-meridians-melanie-short

Way Station’s intake desk staffers offer respect, services for unhoused community — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:00:00 +0000
Way Station Intake Coordinator Mikel hands towels and hygiene supplies to a guest at the health and hygiene center. "I just want to make things better for people experiencing homelessness," Mikel said. (Photo courtesy of Unity Care NW) A guest at The Way Station Health & Hygiene Center once lifted his shirt and asked intake coor