According to today's Herald, editorial page editor Carolyn Nielson is on leave. Eric Thomas, who has been writing goofy editorials aimed at humor, is now going on vacation. So - during the two weeks leading up to the primary election on Sep 16, there will be no direction at all to the editorial page at the Herald. They will print stuff from other newspapers.
(Note added Sep 1 - the basis for this statement is the Herald had a statement in the Aug 31 paper stating they would be filling the editorial space with pieces from other papers until Eric returned from vacation.)

This from Gannett, a multi-billion-dollar corporation. Concern about local quality newspaper? No. Concern is only about return on investment. Their 8% from Bham. There is still no managing editor and now there is no editorial page editor. Can you imagine them going even a week without an Advertising Manager? Not a chance.

The mayoral election race demands full reporting and comment. Editorials can comment on shenanigans by candidates as well as give voting opinion. This blog is not a substitute for a daily newspaper. The Bellingham Weekly, while it has perhaps one good local article every other week, is not up to the task.

This city is in serious need of good local news coverage. Check today's Herald. It is very light on local news. Five photos of a kids' rodeo and a sidebar that absentee ballots have been mailed by the Auditor. A nice piece about the Fairhaven High School reunion from 1935. A nice Labor Day weekend feature about workers at Intalco that pretends to be news. (The workers deserve our concern, but this story is a feature.) That is it. All else is off the news wires. Newsworthy events continue to happen in Bellingham - we just never learn of them. Like the $17 million Port windfall posted just below.