Avioding big box thinking

I have tried to not cross a certain line with this blog. It has gathered dust for days, and then weeks, I may have even gone a month. I have tried to keep it positive (because that is the only way to BE) and not ramble about the details of my job. I don't think that I talking about my job would be neither very professional nor very exciting to people who don’t live or are familiar with Whatcom County. It is very interesting, political, controversial, meaningful (I keep trying to tell myself and coworkers this) and a job in a crappy economy.


Don't worry; this post is not about work, the county council, the current election results and what that means for our county, budget cuts..... Wipe your eyes NOW if they are glazed over already!

I want you to imagine a county that put the highest value on agricultural land, on open spaces, on the preservation of large parcels of land, on healthy drinking water, on future water demands, on watersheds. I can imagine here in Whatcom County, a five lane highway (atrocity) that is NOT lined with big box stores, commercial strip malls, fast food joints, PARKING LOTS (!). Whatcom County can be that county, the one to say NO to strip development. Just because there is a five lane highway does not mean there needs to be stores and houses bursting at the gills. I drove down the Guide here in Whatcom County. There is hope, it is not "too far gone for help" as some people say. We don't have to live in strip mall hell. We don't have to put ourselves through it, there are other ways!

Stepping down off my soap box! PHEW!