Dear Readers,

So you think you're pretty cool. We agree.

In fact, the whole city is packed with people like you: unique, creative, and sort of weird. We're all quirky, but together, we're brilliant, damn it. Sure it sounds vain. But we've got the chops to prove it.

Like an Arlington couple capitalizing on their homemade Australian outback. Or city churches funding a coffeehouse that trades treats for chores. The town is simply littered with unsung success, from local designers creating sustainable fashions, to border buffs confiscating marijuana from rotund bears. And with five fellow Bellinghams on the map, we've got some stiff competition (see "There's No Place Like Home").

Just kidding -- we're the best. Check out the following pages to see why.

Sincerely,

Ciara O'Rourke
Editor in Chief