On Thursday in Bellingham the wind blew like mad, gusting to over 64 mph this afternoon. Friends paddled stand up paddleboards on the Bay and surfskis on Lake Whatcom, and that brings a huge smile to my face. Good news.
While the wind blew in Bellingham, the House of Representatives signed off on the tax credit extension, and since the Senate has already signed off on it, that leaves only President Obama to give it the thumbs up. I believe he’ll do just that, and first time buyers and move-up buyers will have until next May 1 to bring a house under contract and receive a substantial tax credit. Good news.
But alas, both these stories were balanced by a sad event today, the destructive fire that roared through the Whatcom Middle School building in downtown Bellingham. Built in 1920, the beautiful structure was being retrofit for seismic stability to preserve its place as a Bellingham icon for decades to come. But that dream is gone, as the structure was considered ”a total loss” as I heard it.
School for the 580 attending students has been cancelled until next week Thursday, so temporary venues can be established to hold class. There will obviously be a lot more information coming forth in the next few days, but one thing right now we know for sure: Bad news. Sad, bad news.
