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Friday March 12, 2010
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Friday March 12, 2010
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1155 N. State St. Bellingham, WA 98225 360-676-2600 TheBellinghamHerald.com |
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Mission Statement/Motto: The best local news and information company in Whatcom County.
Founded: The tri-weekly Fairhaven Herald first went to press March 10, 1890, in the boomtown of Fairhaven on Bellingham Bay. The first editor was a colorful outspoken character, William "Lightfoot" Visscher. He oversaw the Herald's successful conversion to a daily paper before being fired after 18 months on the job. The Herald went through many changes in the early years, including temporary suspension and a merger with a weekly paper. In 1903, the cities of Sehome, Whatcom and Fairhaven, which surrounded Bellingham Bay, consolidated into the city of Bellingham, and the paper became The Bellingham Herald. The Herald settled in its present location in 1926 at the then-newly constructed Herald Building.
Sidney Albert "Sam" Perkins bought the paper in 1911, and his heirs sold it in 1967 to Federated Publications. In 1971 Federated Publications merged with Gannett Co., Inc. The Herald successfully switched to morning delivery in 1997. Knight Ridder acquired the Herald in 2005, followed shortly by McClatchy's acquisition of Knight Ridder in 2006.
General Hiring Contact: Human Resources Director Joyce Pedlow: 360-715-2205, fax 360-756-2875, or e-mail joyce.pedlow@bellinghamherald.com
Distinction: The Bellingham Herald has been a local newspaper throughout its history. The community relies upon the Herald to reflect its values and to be vigilant on behalf of community interests. The Bellingham Herald thoroughly dominates its local Whatcom County market. Despite media from Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., no newspapers, radio or television stations can come close to the Herald's status as the most read source of local news. The Bellingham Herald excels in its coverage of local news, high school athletics, regional business news and outdoor recreation.
Market: Whatcom County is steadily growing at 1.5 percent per year. With many government-based organizations, the county has a stable economy and low unemployment. Magnificent natural scenery, unique cultural attractions and charming villages earn the Bellingham/Mount Baker region repeat mentions in national media as one of the best places to live in the United States. From Mount Baker to the nearby San Juan Islands, outdoor beauty and recreation abound. Western Washington University anchors an intellectual and cultural community with an especially strong music scene. Rich agricultural areas offer a choice of lifestyle different from nearby Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Eight out of 10 adults read The Bellingham Herald's products each week, and the newspaper plays an active role in the community.
Circulation Area: Whatcom County, the northern-most county along Puget Sound in Washington state
Customers: The Bellingham Herald is read by 42 percent of Whatcom County adults every weekday and by 49 percent every Sunday. Readers span all demographic groups, with more than 30 percent of readership being 18 to 34 years old. Nearly seven out of 10 adults read during a seven-day period. In addition, readers are highly interactive with the newspaper as reflected by daily calls to the newsroom, online story and blog comments and letters to the editor.
Site:The Herald Building is centrally located in downtown Bellingham on the corner of N. State and E. Chestnut streets. The seven-story building, built in 1926, accommodates The Bellingham Herald's offices and production facilities as well as numerous tenant businesses.
Readership:
Print in Whatcom County
Average Daily: 56,779 (42%)
Average Sunday: 66,718 (49%)
Past 7 Days: 90,381 (67%)
Online in Whatcom County
Average Daily: 7,676 (6%)
Average Sunday: 6,631 (5%)
Past 7 Days: 23,619 (17%)
Circulation: 23,175 daily; 29,721 Sunday
Single-Copy Sales: 12.5% daily; 18.9% Sunday
Size: Averages 32 pages daily; 72 pages Sunday
Production: 10-unit Goss Urbanite offset press; 1 folder; rollstands and Robertson brake systems on three rollarms
Page Capacity: 48 pages with eight pages of full color; 32 pages with 12 pages of full color
Color: Print in process inks with extensive use of spot color
Software Technology: News -- APT version 3 and Quark; classified -- IPS ALS, Mactive PGL; circulation -- Genesys 2.6 converting to PBS 3.4 batch 14 in October 2007; advertising -- Mactive; ad production -- IPS AdTrac, Adobe Creative Suite; AP/GL -- PeopleSoft, MS Office
Newspaper Website: TheBellinghamHerald.com
TheBellinghamHerald.com Usage: 2.8 million average monthly page views; 170,000 average monthly unique visitors
Other Websites:
WhatcomMagazine.com
NorthwestHeatlhMagazine.com
NorthwestDiningGuide.com
NorthwestProfessionalsGuide.com
Employees: 165
Major Awards:
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Major Advertisers: Macy's; The Greenhouse, JCPenney; Sears; Cingular; Target; Rite-Aid; Fred Meyer; WalMart; Walgreens; Best Buy; Circuit City; Key Bank; Whatcom Educational Credit Union; Lowe's; The Home Depot; Silver Reef Casino; Samuel's Furniture, Dewaard & Bode Appliances; Diehl Ford; King Nissan Volvo; Haggen Food & Pharmacy; Brown & Coles Stores; Washington Mutual; Hardware Sales; Mt. Baker Theater; Wilson’s Furniture; Yeager’s Sporting Goods; Nooksack River Casino; Hearing Northwest; Coldwell Banker; Fairhaven Realty; Windermere; Muljat Group; Ashley Furniture; John L Scott; Roger Jobs; Frontier Ford; Wilson Motors; Northwest Honda; Qwest; Comcast; Michaels; Office Depot; JoAnn Fabrics; Big 5; Lowery Furniture; Old Navy; Petco; Petsmart
Online:
Growing abilities in story comments, blogging, video, podcasting and multimedia; mapping service for garage sales and classifieds; online guestbook for obituaries
Print:
Each week The Bellingham Herald publishes Careerbuilder Weekly, an employment section. Classified specials are NW Autos and NW Homes, which alternate weekly. Regular classified sections include Homefinder and Wheels. Recently, the Herald has created commemorative posters for high school championship sports teams.
Special Publications:
The Bellingham Herald produces nine glossy magazines, including: "Whatcom Magazine," an upscale lifestyle piece that publishes every-other month and is mailed to magazine subscribers; "Northwest Professionals Guide," focusing on finance and investment; and two editions of "Northwest Health," one for the local market and one for neighboring Skagit County market. The Herald publishes dozens of special sections each year, including: 102 Things to Do, Northwest Dining Guide, Northwest Washington Fair Program, Jobs, Homebuyer's Guide, Whatcom in Bloom and the Last Minute Gift Guide. Looking ahead, the Herald is planning to add a business magazine, outdoor adventure section, alternative lifestyle section and local recipe guide.
Well-Known Newsroom Personalities: Community columnist Dean Kahn and business editor David Gallagher put a face on local coverage
Community Involvement: Management of The Bellingham Herald is strongly committed to supporting our local market. Many employees are board members and volunteers with local organizations -- human services, educational, cultural and faith groups. Each year, the Herald provides more than $180,000 in cash and in-kind donations to local nonprofit organizations. The Herald also sponsors Extend-a-Hand, which offers one-time support for emergency needs, including housing, energy, dental and school supplies.
The Market: Whatcom County is located along the Canadian border 90 minutes north of Seattle. Surrounded by natural beauty and recreation, Whatcom County is often ranked as one of the best places to live in the United States. In 2005, "Dog Fancy" magazine listed Bellingham as one of the top 10 dog-friendly cities in the United States. In 2004, "National Geographic Adventure" magazine named Bellingham in the top 10 "adventure towns" in the nation. CNN and "Money" magazine rated Bellingham among the eight best places to retire, saying "Bellingham offers the great outdoors and a sophisticated community all at your doorstep," and has "metropolitan ambitions without big-city hassles." In 2003, "Men's Journal" called Bellingham one of the 50 best small cities in which to live. "Outside" magazine called Bellingham one of its 10 "Dream Towns," noting its close access to shorelines, rivers, the San Juan Islands and the Cascade Mountains. In spring 2003, "AARP Magazine" listed Bellingham second among 15 "dream towns" for boomers looking to settle down in a new locale and cited the city's "natural charm, affordable neighborhoods and recreational opportunities."
Bellinghams national recognition contributes to a proud community that supports tremendous economic, cultural, tourism and housing growth. Bellingham’s 73,000 residents enjoy short commutes to work, plentiful parks and open spaces, and low crime rates. Civic initiatives continue to improve the city. Upcoming projects include the redevelopment of the downtown waterfront at the former site of a Georgia Pacific plant and the construction of a new children’s museum and public library. Bellingham is home to Western Washington University, Whatcom Community College and Bellingham Technical College -- creating an excellent pool of talent for local employers.
Outside of Bellingham, Whatcom County has 111,000 residents living in multiple small cities and unincorporated territory. These smaller communities have their own unique character, including the seaside communities of Blaine and Birch Bay, the Dutch-heritage farming town of Lynden, and the rustic village of Glacier at the base of Mount Baker. Some of the county events include: the Ski to Sea race, a seven-leg relay race from Mount Baker to Bellingham Bay; the Northwest Washington Fair; Lynden's Holland Days Festival; the Deming Log Show; Blaine's 4th of July BBQ; Sumas' Bull-A-Rama; and the Point Roberts Garden Tour.
Educational systems such as the university and public schools are major employers in Whatcom County. In addition, economic diversity supports and stabilizes the area. In manufacturing, BP Cherry Point Refinery and Alcoa Intalco Works, an aluminum smelter, are major employers. Haggen and Brown & Cole Stores operate regional grocery store chains. Visitors from Canada help support a broad array of retailers. St. Joseph Hospital and myriad clinics make a strong medical sector. And the Native American casinos and vast selection of restaurants enhance the tourism, hospitality and entertainment industries.
In 2006, "Inc" magazine rated Bellingham as fifth-hottest boomtown under 150,000 in population, based on recent job growth. In December 2006, the city was ranked fourth among metropolitan areas of 150,000 to 500,000 in the "Third Annual Most Secure U.S. Places to Live" rankings from Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. The rankings took into consideration crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, environmental hazards, terrorism threats and job loss numbers.
Conveniently located between Seattle to the south (90 miles) and Vancouver, B.C., to the north (60 miles), the culture and activity of larger cities is easily accessible from the comfortable lifestyle of a more rural setting. Whatcom County’s residents enjoy a spirit of entrepreneurship and growth in an environment of spectacular scenery and close-knit community.
Transportation: Interstate 5 provides easy access north to Vancouver, B.C., and south to Seattle, while the Mount Baker Highway and Trans-Canada Highway 1 provide travel east and west. The Alaska Marine Highway system stops twice a week at the Port of Bellingham, where Amtrak and Greyhound also have stations. Bellingham International Airport is home to small regional airlines for quick trips to Seattle and Las Vegas. Whatcom Transportation Authority provides bus service throughout the country, and smaller ferries reach the San Juan and Lummi Islands.
County Population: 184,300 Whatcom County
County Households: 70,758 Whatcom County
Household Growth Rate: 2.1% Whatcom County (2005-2010)
Education in Whatcom County: 27.6% have high school degrees; 32.7% have some college education; 18.3% have bachelor's degrees; 8.9% have graduate degrees
Ethnic Makeup in Whatcom County: 86.2% white; 0.7% African American; 2.9% Asian/Pacific Islander; 2.8% American Indian/Eskimo; 2.5% other; 2.7% multiracial; 2.2% Hispanic
Median Age: 34
Median Household Income: $46,394
Median Home Value: $203,500
Average Rent: $747, two bedrooms
Climate: The whole Puget Sound region has a reputation for rain. Actually, it's cloudy and overcast much more than it is rainy. Average annual rainfall is only 39 inches. It snows once or twice each winter and does not last long. The average daytime high temperature in July is 75 degrees, while the nighttime low in January is 33 degrees. The warming influence of Puget Sound and the protection of the Cascade mountain range give Whatcom County its mild climate. While the winters are damp, the summer months have long days, lots of sunshine and low humidity. Bellingham was named among "the top 10 cities in the nation with the cleanest air" by the American Lung Association from 2001 through 2006.
Major Employers/Industries: Western Washington University; St. Josephs Hospital; local school districts; Haggen Inc.; Whatcom County Government; City of Bellingham; BP Cherry Point Refinery; Lummi Indian Business Councile; Brown & Cole Stores; Alcoa Intalco Works; Sodexho; Anvil Corp.; Silver Reef Hotel Casino & Spa; Fred Meyer; Madrona Medical Group; T-Mobile USA; Olympic Health Management Systems Inc.; Haskel Corp.; Health Tecna Inc.
Major Retailers: Macy's; Fred Meyer; Wal-Mart; JCPenney; Sears; Kohl's; Target; Costco; Rite-Aid; Walgreens; Best Buy; Circuit City; Samel's Furniture; DeWaard & Bode; Haggen Inc.; Brown & Cole Stores; Hardware Sales; Wilson's Furniture; Yeager's Sporting Goods; Office Depot; Old Navy; Petco; Petsmart; Discount Tire
Higher Learning: Western Washington University; Whatcom Community College; Bellingham Technical College; Northwest Indian College
Arts & Culture: Western Washington University Performing Arts Series and Outdoor Sculpture; Pickford Cinema; The Whatcom Symphony Orchestra; Whatcom Children's Museum; Mount Baker Theatre; Bellingham Railway Museum; Northwest Ballet Theatre; Whatcom Museum of History and Art; American Museum of Radio and Electricity; Downtown Sounds Alley Concert Series; The Upfront Theatre; Allied Arts of Whatcom County; Dance Gallery Bellingham; iDiOM Theater; Mindport Exhibits; Bellingham Theatre Guild; Downtown Gallery Walks; La Bella Strada and Chalk Art Festival; Northwest Dance Festival; Lynden Pioneer Museum; The Jazz Project; Kulshan Chorus
Sports: Bellingham Bulls (World Hockey Association Junior West League); Bellingham Slam (ABA: Red Conference Basketball); Bellingham Bells (West Coast Collegiate Baseball League); Western Washington University Vikings (NCAA Division II) has national and regional championship teams; area high schools have state championship teams and athletes. Recreational sports include kayaking, skiing, hiking, running, biking, fishing, snowboarding and many club teams.
Major Annual Events: The biggest event is the Ski to Sea Festival, which features an 85-mile relay race. Eight-member teams ski, run, bike, canoe and sea kayak from the Mount Baker Ski Area to Bellingham Bay. Other major community events include: The Northwest Washington Fair; Fairhaven's Dirty Dan Days; Greek Orthodox Festival; Bellingham Scottish Highland Games; Procession of the Species Parade; La Bella Strada and Chalk Art Festival; Holland Days; Deming Log Show; Raspberry Festival; Bull-A-Rama; Lummi Island Reef Net Festival; Lynden PRCA Rodeo; Point Roberts Garden Tour; and numerous foot and bike races, many or charity fundraising.
Tourist Attractions: Mount Baker Ski Area; The San Juan Islands; Fairhaven Shopping District; Chuckanut Drive; Lynden
Recreation: Golf; freshwater and saltwater fishing; hiking; camping; biking; sailing; boating and kayaking. The North Cascades National Park is nearby; Larrabee State Park is beautifully situated along scenic Chuckanut Drive
Nightlife: Downtown Bellingham and the more upscale Fairhaven Historic District have lively entertainment and restaurants. Dining uut is very popular and there are restaurants for every palate and pocketbook. Bellingham's music scene favors indie rock and acoustic, but cover bands and rock groups also are common. Bellingham attracts some nationally known bands such as Swollen members and has been the birthplace of others like Death Cab for Cutie. There are a couple of good dance clubs. Jazz, blues, punk and bluegrass also can be found at certain venues. Mount Baker Theater brings in nationally touring music and theater.
Famous Citizens: Two-time Oscar winner Hillary Swank grew up and went to high school in Bellingham; she acted for the community theater group Bellingham Theatre Guild. Ryan Stiles of TV's "Who's Line Is It Anyway" currently lives just south of Bellingham. Musical groups Death Cab for Cutie and The Posies started in Bellingham. Trey Azagthoth, guitarist of death metal band Morbid Angel, was born in Bellingham. Former NFL quarterback Doug Pederson attended Ferndale High School. Ferndale native and WWU alumnus Michael Koenen is the kicker for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.
Trivia: Whatcom County is responsible for nearly 75 percent of the nation's raspberries. Mount Baker is the snowiest place on earth, setting the world record for most snowfall in the winter of 1998-99. Squalicum Harbor is the second largest in Puget Sound with 1,900 pleasure and commercial boats. Lynden has Washington State's largest Dutch settlement, including a 72-foot working windmill. Bellingham is the No. 1 Environmental Protection Agency-designated "Green Power Community" in the nation, based on the fact 11 percent of the electricity consumed comes from local renewable sources such as wind, solar and biomass.
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
800-487-2032
www.bellingham.org
Recent Issues of the Newspaper:
Past copies may be obtained by calling the circulation department at 360-676-2600, ext. 466.
The McClatchy Company