Western Front - 2002 October 1

              Hot Streak
Men's soccer remains undefeated
in the last six games.
See Story, Page 10.
Taking Control
Explore birth control options for
safety and prevention.
See Story, Page 9.
Tuesday* October 1, 2002 The Western Front Western Washington University Volume 123 Issue 3 Bellingham, Washington
Ordinance
seeks living
wages for city
employees
BY BRENDAN MCLAUGHLIN
In an effort to boost the eco­nomic
vitality of Bellingham,
the City Council is consider­ing
adopting a living wage
ordinance.
Under this ordinance, busi­nesses
with at least four
employees and contracted by
the city for jobs valued at over
$10,000 would be required to
pay their employees no less
than $11 per hour.
If passed, the ordinance would
be the first of its kind in
Washington state.
•-~~jr.be idea was initially pre­sented
to the City Council dur­ing
a special session July 18.
"We will be setting two specif­ic
wages," City Council member
Terry Bornemann said. "One for
companies that provide wages
with benefits and one for those
without."
The Northwest Washington
Central Labor Council initially
drafted the original version of
the proposed ordinance and stip­ulated
a minimum hourly wage
of $11 with health benefits or
$12.50 without health benefits.
"It's an opportunity for the
city to take a leadership role in
addressing the need for a living
wage law in our community,"
Bornemann said. "The Federal
government has completely
abandoned addressing the
working poor."
He said the responsibility
was. passed from the federal
government down to the state,
county and, finally, city levels.
"This is a way to start provid­ing
leadership from the bottom
See ORDINANCE, Page 4
Heather Trimm/The Western Front
Middle blocker Kristy Carstensen and outside hitter Shannon Rowland form a wall to block a spike from a University of
Alaska Anchorage hitter Saturday. Carstensen was named GNAC co-player of the week for Sept. 15 through 21.
Western prolongs conference victory streak to 28
BY KELLYN BALLARD
Western's volleyball team
extended its school record to 28
consecutive conference match
victories last weekend.
Western defeated University
of Alaska Fairbanks and
University of Alaska Anchorage
with strong offensive showings
from West-em sophomore mid­dle
blockers Meghan Evoy and
Kristy Carstensen.
The Vikings are a perfect 23-
0 in conference play since join­ing
Great Northwest Athletic
Conference two years ago.
Western senior outside hitter
Niki Smith said head coach
Diane Flick has been crucial to
improving the team's record.
"Diane gave us the right
drills," she said. "She knows how
to work athletes to their full
potential."
The Vikings would have to
win out to continue the streak
because all 13 remaining regu­lar
season matches are against
conference opponents.
Flick said she does not worry
about the streak ending.
"A reason for our success is
that we don't look at the streak,"
Flick said. "We play day by day,
match by match."
Carstensen, the GNAC co-
Player-of-the-Week for Sept 15
through Sept. 21, said she
believes that the team is on the
way to a regional title.
"I feel confident," Carstensen
said. "I enjoy the intensity and
quality of play. I was nervous at
first, but now I feel I am in the
groove."
The wins last weekend
brought Western to 10-2 overall
and 5-0 in league play. Western
is currently ranked No. 10
nationally in the NCAA Division
II poll.
Western's two losses this sea­son
were to No. 1 ranked Cal
State, San Bernadino and No. 2
ranked Brigham Young
University-Hawaii, neither of
which were conference matches.
The loss to BYU-Hawaii earli­er
this season ended Western's
run of 24 straight home match
wins. The losses to the top two
teams in the nation did not
See VOLLEYBALL, Page 12
Ocean report provokes debate throughout community
Colin McDonald/ The Western Front
Jeremy Brown, a commercial fisherman for the past 20
years, is concerned for the future of Bellingham's fishing
fleets. Most are family owned, he said.
BY COLIN MCDONALD
The Ocean Commission found
that laws and regulations were
not being followed.
In addition, it has been 30
years since Congress has taken
a comprehensive look at the
ocean policy.
As chairmen of the new Ocean
commission, Watkins is in
charge of the first comprehen­sive
look at U.S. Ocean Policy in
30 years.
Local fishermen, scientists and
government agents agree that
the oceans are in trouble but are
concerned the commission will
not help local problems.
The Ocean Commission is com-posed
of 16 citizens appointed
by President Bush and was cre­ated
by congress through the
Oceans Act of 2000.
In its mid-term report, the
commission cites key concerns
of rising pollution levels,
depleting fish stocks, uneven
fishing regulations, climate
change, the transport of alien
species and maintaining the
infrastructure for the groaning
shipping industry.
Jeremy Brown, a commercial
fisherman for the past two
decades and a Food and Society
Policy Fellow with the WK.
Kellogg foundation said he, is
concerned that those recommen­dations
will not represent the
needs of fishermen.
"I am concerned that they (the
Ocean Commission) don't recog­nize
the value of what is going
on," Brown said.
The commission discusses the
dangers of alien fish species, but
it does not address the dangers
of farm fishing or genetically
modified fish.
This raises concerns for local
fishermen as the non-native fish
pose a threat to native stocks
and the demand for wild fish,
Brown said.
Dr. Paul Dinnel, a research
scientist at the Shannon Point
Marine Center in Anacortes,
Wash., said he is concerned
that politics will get in the way
of science when it comes to man-
See OCEANS, Page 4
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