February 2021
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Dogs just want to have fun, off-leash, page 8
Parks offering Zoom classes, page 8
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Executive calls for PRCAC hiatus By Meg Olson County executive Satpal Sidhu is recommending the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) take some time off while the county works with the committee and the community to revisit its mission and makeup. In a January 27 memo to county council members, PRCAC and residents of Point Roberts, Sidhu suggested changes to the committee he believes will “improve the committee’s ability to effectively provide advice and recommendations to my office and the County Council regarding needs and issues specific to the Point Roberts community.” Sidhu wrote that, from his experience “the voices of individual residents of Point Roberts have often been louder than that of the PRCAC.” The county continues to receive emails and messages indicating some are not supportive or not aware of PRCAC’s work. “We are not hearing a joint, shared vision for the future of Point Roberts, from PRCAC or any of the other voices. There are many varying and somewhat contradictory visions from different organized groups. In addition, we come up against underlying distrust, conflicting ideas, and local politics.” He suggested the committee take 2021 off from “business as usual” to “devote its efforts to generating ideas to make PRCAC more effective and balanced.” Sidhu is proposing a three-step revitalization process leading to the relaunch of PRCAC at the beginning of 2022. The first step would be to establish the legitimacy of the three currently recognized PRCAC organizations – The Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce, The Point Roberts’ Taxpayers’ Association and the Point Roberts Registered Voters’ Association – while at the same time establishing “a blueprint for new organizations to emerge, become recognized and participate.” Participating organizations would be asked to demonstrate they have at least 30 (See PRCAC, page 6)
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s The sign says it all! With far less cars on the road, deers crossing Tyee Drive are a common sight.
Photo by Simon Burnett
Blaine schools return to hybrid learning model By Ian Haupt The first group of Blaine middle school students and high school freshman returned to the classroom January 6, after superintendent Christopher Granger announced grades 6-12 students would start hybrid learning after winter break. Grades 10-12 returned January 11, meaning all grade levels are now on a hybrid-learning schedule. “I think it’s great, anytime we can get students learning face-to-face with instructors,” Granger said about getting students back into the classroom. The decision to get students back into the classroom followed the release of new Covid-19 recommendations from the governor’s office for the safe re-opening of schools. The school district will be continuing to
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follow Covid-19 protocols proven to work with grades K-5, Granger said. All elementary students have been on a hybrid-learning schedule since November 23. Granger stressed in a January 4 community Q&A the importance of students and their families cooperating with tracing transmission if Covid-19 is present in schools. The school district will conduct its own contact tracing with the help of the Whatcom County Health Department when a positive case arises. The new metrics announced by governor Jay Inslee and superintendent of public instruction Chris Reykdal along with guidance from the Washington State Department of Health are based off recent data that shows limited Covid-19 transmission in school environments when state and
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Church.............................................. 10 Classifieds.......................................... 12 Coming Up........................................ 13 Crossings............................................. 7 Obituary............................................ 15 Opinion................................................ 4 Sheriffs.............................................. 14 Tides.................................................. 11
(See Hybrid school, page 2)
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