Looking back, 2016 has been an exceptional year for WhatcomTalk. We have had the opportunity to feature many stories about amazing people working to improve and uplift our community. We have learned about innovative new businesses, fascinating non-profits and many other creative enterprises. In all, WhatcomTalk has published more than 475 positive stories about what it’s like to live, work and play in Whatcom County. We’ve compiled a list of our WhatcomTalk writers’ favorite stories from 2016 along with explanations of why they found them so impacting. We hope you will enjoy these highlights and that you will continue to visit WhatcomTalk.com for your positive local news in 2017. Thank you for making these stories and the community they represent a part of your daily lives.
Lorraine Wilde
Helen and Cal Swindell are great examples of the unsung heroes throughout our community. Their consistent effort over so many years is a great example for us all. They show us that if each of us chooses just one selfless act to do each day, each week, or each year, together we can make our community, and this world, a better place.
Patricia Herlevi
This is an easy question for me to answer. The Tufted Puffin story was my favorite because I’m a bird-lover. Lauren Kramer has a storytelling gift that captivated me. I felt like I was on the boat with the passengers while I read the story.
As far as my favorite stories to contribute, I enjoyed interviewing Jeff Jewell with the Whatcom History Museum and Darby Cowles, City Planner with the City of Bellingham.
Abby Johnson
Like Lorraine, my favorite article of 2016 was “Helen and Cal Swindell – Keeping the Neighborhood Clean, One Walk at a Time.” This article reminded me of all of the people in our community (and beyond) who are always in motion, moving toward positive change. Instead of being overwhelmed by the amount of trash in neighborhoods, or by the thoughtlessness of people who dump it, Helen and Cal Swindell are actively and cheerfully improving their world every day.
Jade Thurston
It’s a seriously tough call but I say my favorite story would be “Spikeball Hits Bellingham with Skill, Satisfaction and Silliness.” The Spikeball article was the first time I put the necessary pieces of a WhatcomTalk story together on my own – a topic I was passionate about, a subject both relevant and intriguing to the community, the incorporation of my own photos and a variety of sources and hyperlinks. This collaboration of work was a wonderful, first-time challenge.
Tessa Kilcline
My favorite article was “AAUW Bellingham Sends Middle School Girls to STEM Camp.” This article was really important to me because it was the first real article I ever wrote. It was very exciting for me to have my first taste of what it is like to be a real writer and do something I am passionate about. I also attended the STEM camp when I was in middle school, so it was a great way for me to give back to AAUW for giving me such a great experience.
Theresa Golden
My favorite story this year is “Viking Food Delivers Hot for Local Restaurants”. Though I loved all the stories I wrote and the special encouragements I gained from each one, hearing Deron Newman’s story about the care that he places into his business as a result of the struggles he experienced first hand really struck a cord with me. It’s one thing to fall into a hole and get out, but another entirely to then fill in the hole so that those in your care can’t fall into the same one. To actually be able to make the changes you want to see happen in the world, even on a small scale, feels inspiring to me and I believe that is something worth hoping for.
