Western Front - 2001 February 13

              TUESDAY, February 13, 2001
Western Washington University Volume 115 Issue 9 Bellingham, Washington
New power
plant nearly
ready to go
By Emily Garrigues
THE WESTERN FRONT
After months of hearings, the
Energy Facility Site Evaluation
Council (EFSEC) will make its
recommendation concerning the
Sumas Energy Plant 2's (SE2)
power plant application 1:30 p.m.
Friday at Whatcom County
Courthouse.
The recommendation made by
EFSEC then will go to Gov. Gary
Locke. Locke will have 60 days to
make a final decision.
In hopes of swaying EFSEC's
Protestors invade city council meeting
"This is yet another exam­ple
of how corporations
descend upon communities
and force us to be suppli­ers
of their profits.'
Eric Vermeers
AS Environmental Center
co-coordinator
recommendation, a rally will
begin at 12 p.m., hosted by
Generations Affected by Senseless
Power (GASP), a group opposed to
the SE2 plant.
'Inputting this plant does not
address our consumption," said
Eric Vermeers, a Western junior
and co-coordinator of the Associated
Students Environmental Center.
"We're putting off facing the
inevitable lack of resources."
SE2 would neighbor an existing
energy plant in Sumas, SE1. The
SE2 plant would be five times big­ger,
covering 37 acres.
Opposition groups are con-cerned
by SE2's plans to locate a
See SE2, Page 16
Terrill Simecki/ The Western Front
Several people attending Tuesday's city council meeting wore stickers over their mouths that read "Do I look like a
threat to public safety?" in response to the council's cancellation of an informational meeting about Georgia Pacific's
use of diesel generators. The council said they cancelled the meeting because of safety concerns brought to their atten­tion
by Police Chief Randy Carrol.
By Jessica Sparks
THE WESTERN FRONT
Residents silenced themselves
with stickers at Monday's city
council meeting.
Bellingham residents put
stickers that said 'Do I look like
a threat to public safety,' over
their mouths in protest to the
cancellation of Thursday's infor­mational
meeting about
Georgia Pacific West Co.'s diesel
generators.
"The people who have the
opposing view have not been vio­lent.
It's always been peaceful,"
said Courtney Laws, a
Fairhaven student in response
to the cancellation of the infor­mation
meeting and before she
put her sticker over her mouth.
- "I'm here to show them (coun­cil
members) that we haven't
gone away,'.' Laws said "There
are people that feel very strong­ly
about this issue."
'T understand the fear of vio­lence
but that is no reason to
cancel," said Western student
Kelley Collier said before she
silenced herself with her sticker.
Cheerleader injured while performing stunt
Western student falls,
removed by medics
from Carver practice
By James Cassill
THE WESTERN FRONT
Viking cheerleader Sadie
Michel, performing her last
stunt of the teams nightly
practice in Carver Gym D, fell
and landed on her head but
remained conscious.
According to senior student-coach
Jennifer Aaseby, the
team was performing a 3-3-2
stunt. Michel, a part of the
middle deck, fell backwards
onto her head and upper
spine.
"It's a dangerous sport,"
See ACCIDENT, Page 6
Josh Haupt/The Western Front
After a fall from a cheerleading stunt at Monday night's prac­tice,
Sadie Michel was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital.
'I'm here to show them
(council members) that we
haven't gone away.'
Courtney Laws
Fairhaven student
Collier added that the
rescheduled, closed to the public
hearing only on television was
Costs stall
new dorm
preparation
By Emily Garrigues
THE WESTERN FRONT
Plans to build a new resi­dence
hall have been post­poned
one to three years,
University Residences Director
Kay Rich said in an Associated.
Students Board of Directors
meeting Wednesday night.
Construction of the new
residence hall is nearly
impossible, due to the costs
of the Viking Union renova­tion
and planned remodeling
of the Birnam Wood resi­dences
this summer, said
not good enough because many
people don't have televisions.
The majority of the people
who spoke during the 15-minute
public hearing period said it
was important to have the pub-he
involved in these meetings
concerning G-P because it affects
the health of the community.
"Excluding the public serves
no purpose. It's sad that democ­racy
is shunned aside in the face
of controversy," Bellingham resi-
See kiLENCED, Page 4
IN THIS ISSUE
Young blood leads
an old team
Western basketball player
Jason Burrell is stealing the
show as the team's new
sixth man.
See story, Page 12.
Skateboarding
Dog
A local dog demonstrates
his skate­boarding
skills in Red
Square, as
University
Police look
on.
See story, Page 9.
See DORMS, Page 3
For news tips, call (360) 650-3162 or e-mail the Western Front at wfront@cc.wwu.edu westernfrontonline.com