Western Front - 2005 February 11

              ESTERN FRONT ISSUE IO
VOLUME 132
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 20 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY • BELLINGHAM, WASH. • WESTERNFRONTONLINE.COM
ERIK PETERSON/The Western Front
The Factory was closed Tuesday while friends celebrated the life of owner Reece Degolier, who was found dead at the
popular hangout Saturday evening.
Friends honor late bar owner
BY ERIK PETERSON
The Western Front
At the 3B Tavern Tuesday nigh, teary
eyes, warm embraces and an outpouring
of support displayed the celebration of
Reece Degolier's life.
Degolier, 30, owned The Factory, a
popular Bellingham bar and music venue.
An employee found his body at the bar
Saturday evening when he opened The
Factory. Bellingham Police Lt. Craige
Ambrose said the cause of death was
undetermined until the medical examiner's
office releases a toxicology report, which
could take weeks. Degolier is survived
by his mother, Carla Brigmantas, and a
sister, Tanya Degolier, both residents of
Whatcom County.
Close friends, co-workers and
acquaintances gathered at the 3B in
an effort to raise funds for Degolier's
funeral.
Two of Degolier's favorite bands,
The All Nighters and The No-Fi Soul
Rebellion, played for the memorial.
Degolier booked both bands regularly at
The Factory.
Logan McQuaig and Joe Myrene, both
close friends of Degolier, paid fond tribute
.to their friend. Myrene, The Factory's
booking agent, quoted a passage from a
letter Degolier's mother gave to him. She
was unable to attend.
"I can't believe there are still people in
this world who care about each other so
much," she wrote.
Before the live music, standing shoulder
to shoulder in a packed 3B, the crowd
celebrated Degolier's life. The tavern's
door-man, Rich Wilson, said Degolier was
the type of person who was always having
see MEMORIAL, page 4
Programs
help military
families
Editors Note: This is the second story in a
series about the effects of the war in Iraq on
Bellingham and Whatcom County.
BY STEFANI HARREY
The Western Front
Groups such as the American Red Cross and
Western's Veterans Outreach Center are helping
families and friends of soldiers in battle deal with the
pain they might feel that goes along with having a
loved one leave for service.
Cecilia Stevens, Armed Forces Emergency Services
coordinator for the American Red Cross, said learning
how to deal with all the issues that can arise when
a loved one leaves for military service is vital for a
soldier's friends and family.
Since this is likely the first war many students
at Western have had to experience, the effects are
widespread, Stevens said.
"Many young people now have not had any kind
of exposure to war like this before," Stevens said.
"Learning the effects and ways to adjust are really
important."
The support group run by the American Red Cross
meets from 10 a.m. to noon Monday mornings at the
Mount Baker chapter of the Red Cross on King Street
in Bellingham. Stevens oversees the meetings and"
organizes speakers, counselors and other activities
for the sessions.
Stevens said if she received enough feedback from
Western students, she would like to run a support
group on campus as well. She said she has been
communicating with the outreach center on campus
see WAR, page 4
County Council halts building on Lake Whatcom
BY MICHELLE ACOSTA
The Western Front
The Whatcom County Council
voted 6-1 to pass an ordinance
to stop issuing any new
building permits or subdivision
applications in the Lake Whatcom
watershed Wednesday.
The moratorium goes into
effect 10 days after County
Executive Pete Kremen, signs
it. The moratorium will leave
development at a standstill in the
Lake Whatcom watershed and
will affect many property owners
and builders who planned to
construct homes. Councilman Dan.
McShane said he wants to support
quick action to improve the water
quality of the lake.
"We need to move forward with
this quickly because things aren't
looking too good for the lake,"
McShane said.
McShane proposed an
emergency moratorium two
weeks ago to allow the council
more time to find solutions to the
pollution in Lake Whatcom.
Citizens present at the meeting
stood divided, arguing their
positions on the moratorium.
Councilwomen Laurie Caskey-
Schreiber said the list of people
scheduled to speak during the
meeting was eight pages long.
McShane said the moratorium
will not affecj||urrently submitted
buildingappii*£jtionsorpeoplewho
already scheduled appointments.to.
turn one in. Landowners with five
or more acres also are exempt. He
said the moratorium is set to last
until May 1, but it can be renewed
by the council.
During the public hearing,
several citizens opposing the
moratorium wanted other
solutions to fix pollution in the
lake, but were unable to present
any suggestions.
Councilman Sam Crawford was
the only council member to vote
against the moratorium.
McShane and councilwoman
Barbara Brenner openly expressed
that the public mistrusted the
council's motives.
"Our trust seems to be tested as
council members," McShane said.
"But every member has talked
about doing things to protect the
lake for quite some time."
Khalid Galant, public
information officer of the
Washington State Department of
Ecology, said,the department is
responsible for maintaining the
water quality of Lake Whatcom.
"The water is polluted and
needs to^be cleaned," Galant said.
"That's our biggest concern, and
it's up to the county oh.how they
want to take care of the issue."
Galant said the Department of
Ecology conducted a scientific
water quality study in November
2004. The study found a high
consumption of phosphorous in
the lake, causing algae to grow and
AMANDA WOOLLEY/The Western Front
A couple launches a boat on Lake Whatcom on Thursday. Owners
of property in the watershed cannot develop their land until at
least May 1.
break down oxygen and nutrients "The phosphorous disturbs the
in the water. He said the algae balance of fish and plant life, but
takes oxygen and nutrients out of it doesn't poison them," Galant
the water, decreasing the oxygen
level that fish need to grow. see LAKE, page 4
ELECTRONIC VALENTINES
U.S.E. will rock out at Valentine's Day show.
ACCENT, PAGE 5
Engraved dog tags are a more ethical
THE BIG GAME
The Viking men prepare to
take on Seattle Pacific.
SPORTS, PAGE 8