Western is blocking students who haven’t complied with the vaccine mandate from registering for winter classes

Western Washington University students who didn’t comply with the school’s COVID-19 vaccine requirement were still able to register for fall classes, but this winter, the school is cracking down. 

Non-compliant students had registration holds placed on their accounts on Nov. 5, preventing them from registering for winter quarter classes...

Read more about the vaccine mandate on The Front

Bellingham schools hope for the best as vaccine eligibility expands to kids

The Centers for Disease Control has recently approved COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11, aiming to slow the ongoing spread of the virus. Bellingham Public Schools hope this announcement will bring them closer to normalcy.

Following the CDC announcement on Nov. 2 approving COVID-19 vaccines for children, PeaceHealth hosted a special vaccine clinic for 5 to 11-year-olds on Nov. 13 and will host another on Nov. 20, with limited appointments Tuesdays to Fridays by appointment only...

Read more about vaccine eligibility on The Front

The Search for the Golden Ticket

Bellingham Farmers Market coordinator and operations manager, Morgan Henry Kerr’s creativity nourished this program into fruition. She wanted those who are in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and use Electronic Benefits Transfer to win prizes from vendors in the market. 

On Oct. 23 The Golden Ticket program started, allowing those who use EBT to participate and win some of the popular items sold at the farmers market while also receiving tokens to use at the market...

Read more about the Golden Ticket on The Front

Dear readers,

As Whatcom recovers from flooding devastation and Western students recover from a stressful return to in-person life, the Thanksgiving holiday provides a much-needed reprieve. We finally get to take a 4-day weekend to hang out with people we care about and eat warm, oddly specific food. Our editors are taking this opportunity to unplug from their duties, and you should, too!

Whether by celebrating by holding a Friendgiving potluck like myself and opinion reporter Alison Poppe, focusing on family or donating surplus food to the food insecure in our community, everyone can find a way to get out of their routine. 

For a couple years, I went to school across the country from my family. When all my friends went home for Thanksgiving I worried that I’d be all alone. When a friend changed her mind on my invitation to her family’s dinner, my family took a long trip and we met in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. I bought a last-minute Thanksgiving feast for four using $35 at the only open deli I could find. It was a hit!

My Friendsgiving almost fell through this year when one of my friends tested positive for COVID-19, but at the last minute we decided to hold a socially-distanced tailgate feast in a parking lot. Whatever your situation is, I encourage you to find a way to make the best of your circumstances and get into the spirit of celebrating.

Best,
Teya Heidenreich
City Life editor