General Excellence (December 10) by Point Roberts Press

December 13 - 19, 2012 HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer

IN THIS

ISSUE

Boys & Girls Club offers holiday hours, page 5

City chops 2013 BTAC tourism grant funding

Christmas worship service schedule, page 5

PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230

Borderites shine at tournament, page 6

Blaine takes third at Battle at the Border

By Brandy Kiger Tourist season is generally accompanied by festivals for the city of Blaine, with events such as Wings over Water, the Old Fashioned 4th of July and Drayton Harbor Days drawing visitors from far and wide. But in 2013, these iconic events have to surmount a major deficit in their budgets before the show can go on. The fallout from the closure of the Semiahmoo Resort has been tough for Blaine. Facing a significant loss of tax revenue from the resort, the city has been exploring ways to keep its budget in the black. Since city officials don’t want to bank on the possibility of the resort reopening in the near future, it means cuts all around. One area hit especially hard by those cuts has been the Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee’s (BTAC) grant program. Each year, the committee currently led by Blaine city council member Ken Oplinger reviews grant applications for tourism-related events that help bring visitors into the community, and hopefully convince them to stay awhile. “The committee advises the city council how the funds should be distributed,” Oplinger said. “The announcement of Semiahmoo’s closure came out after BTAC had already made funding recommendations for 2013.” What this means is that the city has had to do an about-face and send letters to the award grantees and tell them their promised funding was no longer available. “All we had left in the reserves was $82,000,” Oplinger said. Each year the city typically spends around $190,000, which not only pays for the BTAC grants, but also the visitor information center and tourism marketing. “It’s unfortunate,” said Christina Alexander, director of the Peace Arch Park International Sculpture Exhibition. “We’ve already sent out our call for art and people are turning in their entries for next year.” In its 16th year, the exhibition is primarily supported through (See BTAC, page 15)

s Junior Kyle Gonzalez, l., muscles his opponent Malik Messiah to the floor in their 106-pound matchup. On December 8 and 9, Blaine hosted the annual Battle at the Border wrestling tournament, where 22 teams from across the state faced off in a grueling two-day event. For the full story, see page 6.

Photo by Janell Kortlever

City plans retrofits and upgrades to reduce energy costs By Brandy Kiger A little goes a long way when it comes to saving energy. But for a city the size of Blaine, it takes a bit more than just switching to LED lightbulbs to effect real change. To discover how the city can cut costs and be greener and more energy-efficient in the coming years, Blaine has partnered with Johnson Controls, a company that specializes in energy optimization. The firm analyzed the city’s energy usages and determined improvements that they believe will lower energy usage citywide. “We want to make sure we’re using just the energy that’s needed,” Ravyn Whitewolf, public works director said. “We hope to reduce our power consumption as a city and bring us back down to a level we can sustain.” In a presentation to city council on November 25, Matt Emlen of Johnson Controls

explained the methods that his company had found for the city to reduce its energy expenses through their program, including replacing aging equipment and establishing building control systems that will better regulate heating and air condition usage. Johnson Controls has worked with the city of Bellingham on a similar, larger-scale energy conservation project in 2011. The upgrades and retrofits will be the responsibility of Johnson Controls. The costs of the upgrades and retrofits will be paid for by the city, which expects to see a payback through the projected savings in coming years. Payment to Johnson Controls is conditional on the city reaching the energy savings that the firm has projected for each project. “If they say new streetlights will pay for themselves in five years, and after one year it looks like it won’t happen, then they are responsible for that cost,” White-

Blaine City Council unanimously approves 2013 budget By Brandy Kiger After weeks of deliberation and many difficult decisions regarding the coming year, Blaine City Council members finally approved the 2013 city budget on December 10. Facing a shortfall of more than $535,000 in revenue due to the closure of the Semiahmoo Resort, the city’s largest hotel/motel tax provider, the 2013 budget is a thin resemblance of its former self. With expenditures for the city expected to increase by 7

percent in 2013 and revenues expected to decrease by 5 percent, allocations for city services have been significantly reduced to address the lack of funds, and city officials have carefully whittled away at expenditures to make ends meet. Budget cuts include significant decreases in funding for the senior’s center, the Boys & Girls Club, street maintenance, court services and the information technology program, among others. It will also require the city to lay off several city employees and leave two open

police officer positions vacant. “We’ve put a lot of work into the budget and we’ve had numerous study sessions,” finance director Jeffrey Lazenby said of the process. In order to increase revenues, the city opted to increase the levy increase by 3 percent and have upped the cost of a business license from $65 to $75. Council held public hearings to discuss the budget on November 13 and 26. The proposed budget of $31,951,716 was approved 7-0.

wolf said. “Once the debt is paid off, you’re ahead of the game in achieving savings,” Emlen told council members, adding, “If we fail, we as the service provider will owe you, and have to write you a check for the shortfall.” Whitewolf hopes to use energy conservation bonds and acquire a Department of Commerce energy grant to help finance the improvements upfront. “When I heard that there was a Department of Commerce [energy] grant that had money set aside for small cities, I saw it as a great opportunity,” she said. The energy efficiency grant program awards small cities up to $500,000 to make retrofits and improvements that will lower energy costs across the board. To be eligible for the project, an investment grade audit of the city’s facilities was required. (See Energy, page 15)

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Inside

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

The Northern Light • December 13 - 19, 2012

Jordan Wydur, 12th grade

Margaret Williams, 12th grade

Jordan has all the qualities it takes to be Student of the Month. She is respected and well-liked by everyone she come in contact with. Jordan holds leadership roles in various BHS organizations. She has the maturity to advocate for herself when necessary, and regularly sets goals with the determination to vigorously pursue and achieve them. This is her second year participating in the yearbook club, and her role and dedication is much appreciated. She is able to meet deadlines, and has a passion for designing and making an outstanding yearbook.

Margaret truly defines what it means to be a “Borderite.” Whether walking on campus, in the classroom or on the athletic field, Margaret always represents herself as if she has her uniform on. She is always trying to do her best, and her positive outlook on everything rubs off on everyone around her. She has elected to take a rigorous course schedule and is constantly striving to make BHS a better place.

Michael Darwin, 7th grade

Michael is a delightful student. His radiant personality brightens the classroom on a daily basis. He works hard in class and is a positive role model. Michael always demonstrates great sportsmanship and teamwork in P.E., and he is very good at including all members of his team. Michael’s fun and energetic personality is always appreciated by everyone.

Brinn Dick, 4th grade

Brinn is unbelievable! She arrives to school every day with cheer in her heart and hard work on her mind. She is a young lady who values learning and aims to help her classmates enjoy school as much as she does. With her positive personality and thirst for success, Brinn is a student who will go very far!

Josie Deming, 7th grade

Ewan Thorpe, 5th grade

Josie is awesome! She is a positive role leader and always a team player. She works hard whether she is doing math problems or playing a game in P.E. She is very good at helping others in math as well as asking questions to further her understanding of a certain topic. Josie is a great student and just an all-around fun person. Her peers look up to her for her positive leadership and work ethic.

Ewan is a stellar learner at Blaine Middle School. He always tries his best and is kind and considerate to others in and outside the classroom. He continues to amaze me on a daily basis. I am so thrilled to have Ewan in my class!

Averill Gamble, 1st grade

Alejandro Moser, 1st grade

Averill is doing an outstanding job in school. She takes an enthusiastic interest in all assignments and is a dependable classroom leader. Averill is an amazing reader and loves to tell about the stories she has read. Averill is kind to her classmates and is well liked by many. She is a joy to have in class.

We are pleased to present a monthly look at a few of the many local youths in the Blaine School District who enhance our society and our lives, as selected by their teachers or school staff.

Alejandro is a fabulous student. He is smart, attentive, happy and kind. He is doing an outstanding job of listening in class and working on task. Alejandro always comes to school with a cheerful attitude and a willing spirit. He brightens our classroom.

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December 13 - 19, 2012 • thenorthernlight.com

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The Northern Light • December 13 - 20, 2012

OPINION

The Northern L ght The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc. Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors.

Photo of the Week

Letters Policy The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com. Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@thenorthernlight.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@thenorthernlight.com Managing Director Kathy McGee kmcgee@thenorthernlight.com Assistant Editor Brandy Kiger bkiger@thenorthernlight.com Reporter Ian Ferguson ian@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Design Charlie Hagan, Ruth Lauman production@thenorthernlight.com Office Manager Amy Weaver info@thenorthernlight.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Janet McCall Judy Fjellman sales@thenorthernlight.com Sales/Editorial Assistant Kara Furr kara@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@thenorthernlight.com Contributors In This Issue Janell Kortlever The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200 Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XVIII, No 27 Circulation: 10,300 copies

Next issue: Dec. 20 Ads due: Dec. 14

s The Semiahmoo Yacht Club donated $1,000 to assist with maintenance and care for the historic Plover ferry on December 1 at the Blaine Marina. The small pedestrian ferry, built in 1944, has been an important part of Blaine’s working history over the years, and now provides tours of Drayton Harbor and ferry service between Semiahmoo to Blaine in the summer months.

Photo courtesy of Karen Szol

The Editor: I attended the Ferndale GPT public scoping meeting hoping to get an opportunity to speak. There were only 100 allotted slots on a first come basis. My chance to speak was robbed from me and from others who wanted to verbalize their scoping comments to the agency panel. SSA Marine and/or their hired PR firms, hired people (many were day laborers) to stand in line for GPT proponents who didn’t want to stand in line. Ferndale’s mayor, Gary Jensen, and Lynden’s mayor, Scott Korthuis, both were early speakers at the event and if they let paid workers stand in line for them does that mean they accepted a “gift” from a company that paid people to do that for them? At the very least, it shows a lack of ethics on both mayors’ parts, and I say shame on them. Shame on them and their Small (thinking) City Caucus for endorsing this project before a full EIS and a programmatic EIS that’s needed for a project of this magnitude. The Ferndale scoping meeting was more like a filibuster where the corporations involved in GPT took away what little voice we all have since at this point it’s not something we even get to vote on. This public scoping comment hearing was for people to verbally address the panel asking them to study/consider their real concerns about GPT, not a rally for pro-GPT people to stand up repeating the mantra that we need jobs here. However, we agree on one thing, I too, am for more jobs, but this project isn’t the solution. SSA has its hired PR spinners and lobbyists feeding people fabricated numbers like potential job numbers while

Editor’s Note: Debbie was promoted to district manager for West Marine in Canada.

The fiscal cliff negotiations center on the potential effect on job creation if the tax rate for personal incomes over $250,000 increases (by about 2 percent). As someone who operates a small business and reports business income on Schedule C of my personal federal tax return, I am confused about the arguments against increasing the tax rate on top earners. Do folks who claim that raising the rate would hurt job creation actually know how Schedule C works? It’s basic math: (Business sales income) - (business expenses) = (net business income). Increase your expenses, such as hiring a new employee, and you’ll reduce your taxable business income. This net business income then goes on the 1040 along with wages, interest and dividend income to figure total personal income. Lastly apply the standard deduction for dependents to determine taxable income. If my family business was so successful as to make over $250,000 (after expenses) in a year, first, I’d be absolutely thrilled. Second, the whole reason to make this kind of money is to improve my quality of life, and as a small business owner, I would hire more people to help me so I could work less hours, spend more time with my family, take a vacation and put my business on a strong, stable footing. My quality of life would go up, my tax liability would go down, and more people would have jobs. It’s a win, win, win. Natalie McClendon Bellingham

The Editor: Successful small business people can reduce taxes by creating jobs.

Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

failing to divulge the real environmental, health, financial, and infrastructure–related peril that GPT poses to us. The real numbers are in the permit submitted by SSA Marine. Read the permit and get the facts – 89 terminal workers in 2016 and by 2026 only 213 terminal workers. That’s it! It wouldn’t matter to me if there were a million jobs created when weighed against the irreparable damage the GPT will do to our communities. Sandy Robson Birch Bay The Editor: The West Marine store in Blaine has been “my” store since opening almost 10 years ago. Since then I have had the privilege of meeting boaters in Blaine from all over the U.S. and Canada. I have made friends with so many of you and feel like many of us have gone through so much together. You have all been terrific to work with and for, and I’m going to miss seeing many of my “regulars”! I would like to say goodbye in person, and so I am inviting you to stop by the store on Thursday, December 13 until 8 p.m. for some dessert and coffee – and maybe some Christmas shopping! Hope to see you all in the store! I’m not leaving Blaine, but I am changing positions in West Marine. Debbie Morley Blaine

December 13 - 19, 2012 • thenorthernlight.com

Local bassoonist offers Jazz Camp benefit concert Internationally acclaimed bassoonist Martin Kuuskmann will join local musical talents for an evening of Christmas music Thursday, December 20 at 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church (702 G Street) in Blaine. The benefit concert is a fundraiser for the Pacific Arts Association’s 2013 Blaine Jazz Camp and Festival, which offers budding musical talent the opportunity to train with instructors and improve their skills. Admission to the concert is by donation and children are welcome.

Christmas

Worship

Boys & Girls Club holiday hours The Blaine Boys & Girls Club will be have regular club hours over the holidays (December 17 to 21 and December 27 to 28) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for no extra charge. Families in need of childcare earlier in the day may drop their kids off from 7 to 10 a.m. for an

additional charge of $10/day or $40/week. The club will reopen for its regular Monday through Friday schedule on January 2, and club hours will be extended to 7 p.m. For more info, contact the Blaine Boys & Girls club at 360/332-3008.

Blaine Mobile CSO visit cancelled The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Mobile Community Service Office has cancelled its December 18 Blaine visit. The Mobile CSO will be in Lynden at the Project Hope Food Bank on Monday, December 17. Application interviews for

food, cash, childcare services, drug and alcohol treatment services and medical assistance will be conducted at the event, as well as yearly reviews. For assistance, visit the Project Hope Food Bank at 205 South BC Avenue, #105, Lynden from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Catholic Mass Schedule for Christmas 2012 Christmas Eve Monday, December 24, 5 p.m. St. Joachim, Lummi Monday, December 24, 10 p.m. St. Joseph, Ferndale

Directory

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Thursday, December 13, 7 pm Planning Commission meeting and Public Hearings: Planned Residential Zoning District – PUD Size Limit Zoning Text Amendment Mineral Resource Lands Notification Zoning Text Amendment Seaside Lockers Auto Storage Conditional Use Permit Thursday, December 20,Canceled Park and Cemetery Board meeting

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Tuesday, January 1, 2013 City offices will be closed in observance of New Year’s Day

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The Northern Light • December 13 - 19, 2012

Sports

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Is your car READY FOR WINTER? s Blaine junior Caleb Johnson, l., hoists his opponent Zach Wardle into the air during the 220-pound championship match. Johnson pinned Wardle in the second round, winning the match.

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By Ian Ferguson The annual Battle at the Border Wrestling Tournament, a twoday stream of constant wrestling matches between 535 athletes from 22 schools across the state, filled mats taking up the entire Blaine High School gym floor for half of Friday and all of Saturday last week. Hundreds of wrestlers, fans, parents, coaches, and members of the media filled every corner of the gymnasium. For most of the tournament, the crowd’s attention was divided between four matches going on at once. But in the last round of finals, well after sunset on Saturday, one match outlasted the rest, and the entire mob focused in on that ring. The first row of spectators lay on their stomachs, the

Community Chamber of Commerce

Member of the Month Pacific Arts Association PO Box 434 Blaine, WA 98230 www.blainejazz.org Number of employees: 15 Board Members, an Executive Director, and 11 wonderful volunteers. How long in business: 12 years. Description of Company: The Pacific Arts Association is a non-profit organization that actively promotes the arts in and around the city of Blaine by offering concerts, events, and an annual jazz camp designed to educate, entertain, and inspire members of the community. Who started the Company: The Pacific Arts Association was formed by Bruce and Sandy Wolf. Currently Kristi Galbraith is the Executive Director, Kitty King - President, Christy Callender - Vice President, Marla Tuski - Secretary, Brenda Graves - Treasurer, as well as 10 other talented and hard working board members. Future goals: The Pacific Arts Association’s goal is to continue bringing a first class jazz camp and festival to Blaine and the surrounding community, as well as other musical and/or visual arts events.

second row sat on the mat and the third row knelt. Behind the third row, people stood, craning their necks to get a better view and cheer on the two heavyweights as they grappled for the championship medal. Inside the circle, hometown heavyweight junior Mike Antczak and Sehome senior Titi Lamositele struggled to gain the upper hand. When an unstoppable force meets an immoveable object, movement slows and pressure increases, until something eventually gives. Antczak weighs 285 lbs. and, like an NFL center, he can move his weight with surprising quickness. Lamositele is built more like a linebacker, with less heft but more toned muscle. From standing starts, the two wrestlers collided and strained,

slowly circling, and occasionally pushing each other outside the ring like sumo wrestlers, only to be called back in for restarts. The heavyweights fought evenly for three rounds, tying 1-1 as their match went into overtime, and the noise from the audience rose in increasing decibels. The first 30-second overtime ended with no points awarded – a draw. In the second overtime, it was Antczak’s choice for starting position. At the advice of coach Craig Foster, Antczak elected the lower start position, although at first he looked unsure. “You can do it,” Foster yelled over the crowd noise. Antczak got down on all fours with a look of pure determination on (See Wrestling, page 13)

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To Our Canadian Friends To To Our Our Canadian Canadian Friends Friends

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December 13 - 19, 2012 • thenorthernlight.com

Boys improve play, but not record against Ferndale

s Freshman Josiah Westbrook shoots and scores over Ferndale’s Cameron Massey. The Borderite boys played well, but lost the game 53-64. Photo by Janell Kortlever

By Ian Ferguson It looked like a different team from the one that has traveled to three away games, as the Borderites took home court for the first time this season on Friday, December 7 against Ferndale. Correction: They almost took home court. The game took place next door in the Ken Waters Memorial Gym, since home court was occupied by the Battle at the Border wrestling tournament. The boys’ basketball team lost against the larger 3A team, but put forth a well-rounded effort that dug them out of a 14-point deficit in the first quarter to within three points in the fourth. The final score was Ferndale 64, Blaine 53. The pep band was pumping an eclectic mix of Paul Simon and Lady Gaga, and the home crowd was packed into the cozy Ken Waters gymnasium as the Blaine squad came out looking fired up. A three-pointer right off the bat from Ferndale senior Kendall Kelly sent a message right away that the Ferndale team could shoot well. With 11 of the 12 Ferndale boys standing over six feet tall, they had a definite height advantage over Blaine. But the Borderites played with a level of determination and attention to detail not seen in their previous games. They boxed out on defense, and won rebounds

against their larger opponents. They weren’t forcing passes or shots and after a shaky first quarter, they started sinking baskets. Senior Gabe Trump in particular shot with outstanding accuracy, making 8 of 11 attempts at the free-throw line, and sinking two three-pointers and multiple field goals. In the first quarter, Ferndale’s score climbed steadily as they out-shot Blaine. The Borderites handled the ball well and executed decently on defense, but their field goal attempts weren’t falling in the basket, and by the end of the first quarter Blaine was behind 18-6. At the start of the second quarter, Blaine went on a run to bring the score to 24-17, with Ferndale remaining in the lead. It was at this point that Blaine started to execute the fundamentals of basketball like the quality basketball team coach Shaun Pile has known all along was in them. From three minutes into the

second quarter to the end of the game, the two teams were evenly matched on points. “That was the effort we lacked against Mount Baker and SedroWoolley,” he said. “And that was the type of performance I knew they could give. They paid attention to the details, did a lot better at boxing out, going after the ball, and going strong to the basket. And they didn’t let off the gas pedal.” The first half ended with Blaine behind 33-27. As the third quarter started, the pace increased as Ferndale began to feel the pressure from the surging Borderites. Both teams were scoring consistently on back-to-back drives, and halfway through the quarter, fouls started to add up for both teams. Trump, senior Ivan Sanchez, and freshman Josiah Westbrook shot well from the freethrow line, earning extra points for their team by going hard to the basket and drawing fouls. But the Golden Eagles were making shots from all over the court, and Blaine struggled to find a defensive answer as they slowly fell behind again. At the end of the quarter, two consecutive steals that led to lay-ups for Blaine, one from Trump and one from Westbrook, brought the score to 46-37 Ferndale. Blaine agressively stepped up in the fourth quarter as they consistently found ways to penetrate Ferndale’s zone defense. Trump sank two three-pointers in a row, forcing Ferndale’s defense to spread out. Westbrook and senior Zach Rector drove to the hoop for field goals. The score was 50-43 late in the fourth when Pile called (See Boys, page 13)

Girls fall to Ferndale, 47-40 By Ian Ferguson The girls basketball team had their first loss away in Ferndale on Friday, but steamrolled Meridian at home Monday night, advancing their record to 4-1. On Friday, December 7, the girls battled their way out of a huge hole against Ferndale to gain a brief one-point lead in the third quarter, but lost the lead to a Ferndale three-pointer, and never recovered. Ferndale dominated play in the first quarter, gaining a 23-7 lead. Shot opportunities were few and far between for Blaine, and those shots didn’t seem to want to go in. The second quarter saw a shift as Blaine shored up its defense and began to chip away at the Ferndale lead. In the third quarter, Blaine went on an impressive run, with sophomore Mandy Hayes, junior Alexis McElwain and sophomore Taylor V’Dovec scoring often. The girls carried their team all the way out of the hole and into the lead, with a score of 35-34 near the end of the third. That’s when Ferndale’s Koral Weidkamp scored a three-pointer, and the Golden Eagles held on to their lead for the rest of the game. The final score was Ferndale 47, Blaine 40. McElwain, Hayes and V’Dovec scored 12, 11 and 10 points respectively. “We played hard and played well,” coach Ryan Pike said. “Our goal was to break their press and slow down the game, which we were able to do, but they hit their shots and we missed some key shots, which made the difference. We know we’ll get them at home.” The starters played almost

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the whole game in Ferndale, in contrast to the Meridian home game on Monday, December 10, in which all the girls got ample playing time. V’Dovec achieved a doubledouble in the 56-18 victory over Meridian, with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The standout sophomore was named Athlete of the Week, receiving a Certificate of Achievement from the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association. Blaine set an effective full-court press from the outset, which Meridian struggled to cross. Meridian was held scoreless at the end of the first quarter. Throughout the game, Blaine put more effort on the floor: diving on loose balls, coming up with a majority of rebounds (50 to Meridian’s 26), and stealing the ball (19 to Meridian’s 8). Coach Pike saw the game as a good confidence builder for Friday’s matchup against LyndenChristian, but Meridian’s zone defense didn’t offer a preview of Lynden-Christian’s defense. “In terms of practice, LyndenChristian plays a man-to-man defense, so not a lot of what we did tonight will carry over to that game,” Pike said. “But any game is good experience. If we execute right, I think we can get them (Lynden-Christian). I think we can compete with anyone in the state if we get a game plan and execute like we should.” “Lynden-Christian is good, but they lost to Ferndale like we did, so it should be a pretty competitive game,” he added. The girls face Lynden-Christian at home Friday, December 14 at 7:15 p.m. in their first conference game of the season.

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December 13 - 19, 2012 • thenorthernlight.com

10 The Northern Light

• December 13 - 19, 2012

T Even though blustery winds

threatened to rip their signs away, protestors still made their stand against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in a small gathering at Peace Arch Park on

Saturday, December 1. More than 200 activists from as far away as Oregon and Vancouver, B.C. flocked to Peace Arch State Park to join the movement. “It’s like NAFTA on steroids,” said Dianne Foster, an Occupy

Bellingham spokesperson. “We want to bring TPP out of its secret negotiations. We don’t want a handful of organizations to decide our laws for us.” Photo by Brandy Kiger

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12 The Northern Light â&#x20AC;˘ December 13 - 19, 2012

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Public Notices

Rentals - Commercial (Cont.)

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December 13 - 19, 2012 • thenorthernlight.com

Wrestling ... From page 6

his face. When the whistle blew, Lamositele frantically shifted his weight, straining to keep Antczak down as Antczak slowly and steadily rose to a crouch. Antczak paused, then burst up and out, flinging his arms back and his opponent off for a clean point. The Blaine crowd released a triumphant yell, with a hometown victory a few seconds away. But as the clock ticked to zero and Antczak stepped back to avoid a takedown, the ref blew the whistle. He called Antczak for stalling and awarded a point to Lamositele. Half the crowd roared its disapproval, and the other half cheered for Lamositele. Foster argued the call, but to no effect. With the match tied and headed into a third overtime, Antczak had to start in the top position, with a fresh 30 seconds on the clock. The ref’s whistle set off the third overtime round. Lamositele struggled powerfully but unsuccessfully to break out of Antczak’s bear-trap grip. It looked like Antczak was managing to hold back a freight train, but the audience could see on his face that he couldn’t hold much longer. In a feat of perseverance, Antczak managed to keep a grasp on his opponent for three consecutive restarts, with Lamositele pulling them quickly out of bounds to pause the clock, get back to the start position, and wear Antczak down. On the third restart, the interlocked opponents lumbered toward the edge of the ring as the seconds ticked away. They lurched out of bounds and the whistle blew with 10 seconds left in the round, the athletes headed to the center of the ring. This time, Antczak couldn’t hold on. The Sehome heavyweight broke free and won the match 3-2. Foster later said it was the most thrilling end to a Battle at the Border that he could remember. “I got some goosebumps,” he said. “At one point, I mentally stepped back from the match and saw the whole crowd right there on the mat. In that moment, I got to enjoy high school wrestling at its best.” Antczak was visibly upset over the loss. Even Lamositele shook his head as if to say it wasn’t exactly how he wanted to win. But Foster put the match in perspective. “I argued the call, but that’s my job as a coach,” he said. “The ref’s

been doing this for years, and he knows his stuff. I respect his call. I told Mikey to look at the big picture: it was a great match, and it will prepare him very well for the state tournament. In some ways, it might make him hungrier for state. He wrestled incredibly well against a great athlete, and I’m proud of him.” Foster went on to say that he was proud of all his wrestlers, who as a team earned third place out of 22 schools with 217.5 points. Kentwood (4A) won the meet with 234 points, and 4A Todd Beamer came in second with 225 points. “We’ve won this tournament in the past, but it’s the type of thing where a key loss here and there based on just a point or two will set the team back, and overall I’m very pleased with how we wrestled,” Foster said. “We had more kids placing [in the top six in their weight class] this year [there were nine]than we may have ever had.” Junior Caleb Johnson took home the 220-lb. championship after a dominant match and a pin in the second round against Woodland’s Zach Wardle. Junior Kyle Gonzalez won the 106-lb. championship against a fierce Beamer opponent, Malik Messiah, with a strong technical performance and a 13-3 decision. “I’ve been working on my fireman, which is a five-point move that breaks the opponent down,” Gonzalez explained. “It seemed to work pretty well today.” Stuey Rasar placed fifth in the 106 lb. weight division. Anthony Frey placed sixth at 126 lbs., and Caleb Frey placed sixth at 132 lbs. Justin Belding placed third in the 145 lb. weight division, with Christian Sharp placing fifth in the same division. Jon Stewart placed fifth at 160 lbs. The Battle at the Border is one of the largest wrestling tournaments in the state. With 22 schools competing in 14 weight divisions, it’s also one of the longest. Athletes were tucked under blankets in the stands and in the corners of the building, trying to catch a few z’s between matches. Announcer John Liebert was tired as well after two days of near constant speaking into a microphone. He called athletes to their mats on a minute-by-minute basis, with volunteer ‘gofers’ running slips denoting upcoming match-ups and results from each mat to the announcer’s table. Liebert said he was blown away by the final match. “Titi’s a football stud, and he’s

going overseas to play rugby,” he said. “I was impressed Mikey did so well against him.” Blaine athletic trainer Alisa Burke reported no major injuries this year, aside from scrapes and a few bloody noses, which is an improvement over last year when the ambulance was called twice – once for a dislocated shoulder and once for a back injury. Foster said he felt good overall about the Battle at the Border. “It takes such an effort from our community to put this together,” he said. “It sounds weird to say it, but it’s always a relief when it’s over. Now we can focus on wrestling again.”

Boys ...

O b i t u a ry Regina Ann Hughes

January 17, 1964 – November 9, 2012 Regina (Reggie) Hughes, age 48, passed away on November 9, 2012 in Lynnwood, WA. She was born on January 17, 1964 in Tucson, AZ to Robert and Beverly Hubbard of Birch Bay, WA. She graduated from Oak Harbor, WA in 1982, and San Diego State in 1992. She is survived by her husband, Shawn Hughes, and children, Nicole and Ian Hughes of Lynnwood, WA, mother, Beverly Hubbard, and sisters, Christine Hubbard of Birch Bay Village and Tamara (William) Olson of Blaine, father and mother-in law Fran and Mary Hughes of Oak Harbor, WA. Also many aunts, uncles and cousins from Oak Harbor, WA, Newington, CT, Long Island, NY, and San Diego, CA. She is preceded in death by her father, Robert Hubbard. A memorial service will be held December 14, 2012 at St. Thomas More Church, 6511 - 176th Street SW, Lynnwood, WA at 11 a.m.

From page 7

timeout. The next play was a beautiful baseline basket from Rector. Another Blaine basket brought the score to 50-47, as the floor reverberated with home-crowd chants of “D-fense! D-fense!” However, a tremendous team effort couldn’t keep Ferndale from pulling away. The final score was 64-53 Ferndale. Pile was happy to see the improvement in his team and accepted the hard-fought defeat with optimism. “We should be able to get them next time,” he said. “Ferndale definitely hit their looks early, which got us in a hole, but it was good to see us battle back to within three points.” “These kids are showing a lot of improvement after only four games, and I’m real proud of them,” he added. “If they keep doing what they’re doing, paying attention to the details and working hard in practice, it’s going to translate into wins soon. I’m confident of that.” Pile said the team is watching film of past games. “It is always an eye-opener, because they get to see how they played and specific mistakes that they might not have remembered,” he said. He also noted that the boys seemed to respond to the home crowd on Friday’s game. If the home court is an advantage, then the Borderites are decidedly disadvantaged in the first half of this season, with only one home game in their first seven. Conference play begins this Friday, December 14 as the Borderites travel to Lynden Christian. The Lynx are coming off a 1A championship season, with last year’s 1A All-State Player of the Year, senior Isaac Reimer, leading their team.

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14 The Northern Light

• December 13 - 19, 2012

Coming up

Police Reports December 4, 7 p.m.: During an argument at home an man decided to demonstrate his state of mind by swallowing fists full of prescription medication in front of his wife. He lost consciousness shortly afterward, and dispatch was giving the woman instructions on how to perform CPR when officers and medics arrived at the house. The man was revived and transported to hospital for evaluation and treatment. December 5, 12:23 a.m.: An intoxicated man and his more intoxicated brother left a bar downtown after midnight and staggered back toward their boat in Blaine Harbor. They made it as far as Peace Portal and Marine Drive before the more inebriated man attacked and began beating his sibling. He may have started the fight, but he was unanimously declared the loser by the police officers and medics who arrived to clean up the mess. The bleeding, violent 21-year-old from Neah Bay was transported to hospital by medics, accompanied by a police officer who helped restrain him to his gurney to keep him from destroying the ambulance. He faces prosecution for fourth degree assault and other violations. December 5, 3:25 p.m.: School officials called police when they learned that a stu-

dent who was not on campus had posted comments on a social networking site indicating that he might harm himself. Officers located and interviewed the young man. He was physically fine, and explained the purpose of his admittedly inappropriate internet activity. The young man received a warning and the school and his parent received a phone call from the officers explaining the results of their investigation. December 6, 12:02 p.m.: Dispatch received a complaint from a motorist reporting truck drivers in semi-tractor-trailer combinations frequently running stop lights at the intersection of SR 543 and Boblett Street. Police confirmed that the failing to stop is a dangerous maneuver that occurs too often at that intersection but officers are not able to provide continuous enforcement there. December 7, 9:20 p.m: Border Patrol Dispatch reported a person at Peace Arch Park jumping the border from the U.S. into Canada. A Blaine officer was called but arrived too late to intervene in the subject’s hasty departure from the country. The RCMP advised later that they had caught up with the man, and found that he was a Canadian citizen. He had set out from home in Canada but had gotten disoriented

Civic Meetings

and bolted for home when he realized he strayed across the border. December 9, 1:34 a.m.: An officer saw what appeared to be an unoccupied parked vehicle at a gas station pump downtown. As he approached the car the driver who had been slumped down in his seat sat up and started to honk the car’s horn. That is a classic, if melodramatic way, for a lookout to alert his accomplice that the police have arrived, but if something was afoot nearby the person fled before doing the deed. The driver claimed the horn honking was accidental and he was waiting to meet a friend who was detained at the border. Car and driver left the area a short time later. December 10, 12:20 a.m.: A parent on Cedar Street called police shortly after midnight when she spotted a possible runaway teenager in her back yard. Officers arrived, searched the area and found the girl hiding in another yard nearby. The 17-year-old was indeed a runaway, and also was wanted on a felony warrant in Snohomish County. She was arrested and booked into detention. This report is provided by the Blaine police department. A full listing of the week’s police report can be found at thenorthern light.com.

Movies Call or check online for showtimes.

Bellingham

Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info: bbwsd. com. Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: ci.blaine.wa.us.

Regal Cinemas #5 Bellis Fair Parkway 3005 Cinema Place 360/ 527-1320 regmovies.com fandango.com

Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 7 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com.

Pickford Cinema

NW Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 7 p.m., Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini St., Birch Bay. Info: nwparkandrec.org.

1416 Cornwall Avenue 1318 Bay Street

Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources District: Third Wednesday, 6 p.m., Station 62, 9001 Semiahmoo Parkway. Info: bbwarm.whatcomcounty.org. Blaine Parks Board: Third Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330. Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info: blaine.wednet.edu. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 7 p.m. Blaine Fire Station. Info: nwfrs.net.

360/738-0735 pickfordcinema.org

White Rock, B.C.

Caprice 4

2381 King George Boulevard 604/531-7456 criteriontheatres.com

Rialto Twin 1732 152 Street

Tides December 14 - December 20 at Blaine. Not for navigation. 49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

Fr 14 7:01 am

11.0 11:58 am

7.8 4:02 pm 9.4 11:49 pm -3.0

Sa 15 7:43 am 11.1 12:56 pm 7.4 4:58 pm 8.8 Su 16 12:33 am -2.1 8:23 am 11.1 1:58 pm 6.9 5:58 pm 8.1 Mo 17 1:17 am -0.9 9:01 am 11.0 3:06 pm 6.2 7:06 pm 7.2 Tu 18 2:01 am 0.7 9:41 am 10.8 4:22 pm 5.4 8:32 pm 6.4 We 19 2:43 am 2.4 10:17 am 10.5 5:40 pm 4.4 10:24 pm 5.8 Th 20 3:27 am

4.1 10:53 am 10.1 6:46 pm 3.4

604/541-9527 criteriontheatres.com

Weather Precipitation: During the week of December 3 to 9, there were 1.54 inches of precipitation. The year-todate precipitation is 37.97 inches. Temperature: High for the week was 53.3° F on December 4, with a low of 35.9° F on December 9 and 10. Average temperature for the week was 45.5° F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Holiday Open House: Thursday, December 13, 4 to 7 p.m., Birch Bay Tax & Accounting, 8105 Birch Bay Square Street, Suite 102. Light snacks and refreshments, tours and socializing. Info: 360/393-3658. Honeycrisp Kringle Santa & Mrs. Claus: Friday to Sunday, December 14 to 16, 12 to 4 p.m., BelleWood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian. Santa and Mrs. Claus available for pictures. Christmas cookie decorating. Info: 360/318-7720, bellewoodfarms.com. Annual Living Nativity: Friday, December 14, 6 to 8 p.m., Northwood Alliance Church, 580 C Street. Hear the story of Jesus’ birth with a live manger scene. Live music, hay rides, cookies, treats and raffle prizes. Free. Info: 360/332-8610. Project Santa: Saturday, December 15, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue fire trucks will escort Santa through the district collecting donations and visiting children. Info: Info: John Swobody, 360/318-9933, nwfrs.net. Times are as follows: • 9:30 a.m.: Blaine School (Mitchell Road and H Street) • 10 a.m.: Station 65 (3401 Haynie Road) • 10:30 a.m.: Loomis Trail Golf Course (clubhouse parking lot) • 11 a.m.: Station 62 (9001 Semiahmoo Parkway) • 11:30 a.m.: Birch Bay Village (entry gate) • Noon: Station 63 (4582 Birch Bay-Lynden Road) Second Annual Coast Salish Winter Festival: Saturday, December 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 4920 Rural Avenue, Ferndale. Handcrafted arts festival. Local wild fish for sale and restaurant. Info: 360/306-8554. Holiday Magic Dance Recital: Saturday, December 15, 7 p.m., Blaine PAC. Students from Day-to-Day Dance/Whatcom Fitness perform. Adults $8, children $3, under 2 free. Benefits Blaine Fine Arts Association. Bay Café’s 6th Annual Angel Tree Party: Sunday, December 16, 1 to 3 p.m. Everyone welcome. Meet Santa, enjoy hot chocolate, cider and cookies, presents distributed to Angel Tree kids. Info: 360/371-5409, baycafeatbirchbay.com. Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Meeting: Tuesday, December 18, 11:30 a.m. at TBD. Info: birchbaychamber.com. Live Performance from Paul Klein: Thursday, December 20, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Jansen Art Center, 321 Front Street, Lynden. Beer and wine and a performance by Bellingham singer and pianist, Paul Klein. No cover. Info: jansenartcenter.org. Christmas Concert & Community Sing-Along: December 20, 7 p.m., Grace Lutheran Church, 702 G Street, Blaine. Local musical talents present an evening of Christmas music. Children welcome. Suggested donation. Proceeds to Blaine Jazz Festival. Children’s Christmas Party: Sunday, December 23, 11 a.m., Activity Center at Bay Horizon Park, Birch Bay. Goodies, games, crafts and fun. Come at 10 a.m. to sing carols and hear the Christmas story with Water’s Edge Church. Info: 360/389-3529. “Angels We Have Heard on High”: Sunday, December 23, 5 to 8 p.m., Dakota Creek Center, 8732 Blaine Road, Blaine. Annual Christmas banquet and children’s musical. Holiday music, door prizes and free turkey dinner. Info: 360/656-6781, dakotacreekcenter.com. Christmas Church Services: See ads on pages 5 and 15. An Evening of Classical Music: Saturday, December 29, 7:30 p.m., Jansen Art Center, 321 Front Street, Lynden. Selections by Brahms, Bach, Gordon Jacobs, and original arrangements by Kevin Della Santo. Tickets $10. Info: 360/354-3600, jansenartcenter.org. Ring of Fire and Hope: Monday, December 31, 7 p.m. Birch Bay waterfront. Bring a road flare (without a spike) or pick one up at the Birch Bay Visitor Information Center, 7900 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay at 5 p.m. while supplies last. Info: birchbaychamber.com. 30th Annual Polar Bear Plunge: Tuesday, January 1, Birch Bay Visitor Information Center, 7900 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay. Registration is free and begins at 9:30 a.m., costume judging at 10:30 a.m. with the plunge at 11 a.m. sharp. Info: birchbaychamber.com. International Broom Hockey Tournament: Tuesday, January 1, 1 p.m., Birch Bay Waterslides parking lot, 4874 Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Birch Bay. Watch the U.S. vs. Canada play for the trophy and bragging rights. Info: birchbaychamber.com. Ongoing Wood-n-Stitches Holiday Show: Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through December 23, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7459 Blaine Road, Birch Bay. Handcrafted gifts, Santas, snowmen, quilts and more. Info: 360/371-2841. Honeycrisp Kringle 2nd Annual Holiday Celebration: Events every weekend through December 24, BelleWood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian, Lynden. Month-long celebration benefiting the community and local nonprofit organizations. Info: 360/318-7720 or bellewoodfarms.com. Community Meals of Blaine: Wednesdays, 5 to 7 p.m., Blaine Senior Center. Dinners served on free/donation basis. All are welcome. Info: communitymealsblaine@gmail.com. Beginning Tennis Lessons: Fridays through winter, adult classes, 11:30 a.m., juniors (ages 6-10), 4 p.m. Drop in, $15/session. Info: Eric Cramer, 360/650-9139. DJ DGAS: Friday and Saturday nights at 9 p.m. Paso del Norte, 758 Peace Portal Drive. Info: 360/332-4045.

Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

December 13 - 19, 2012 • thenorthernlight.com

Energy ... From page 1

“The investment grade audit is essentially a feasibility study,” Whitewolf said. “Johnson Controls looked at our buildings, our current energy use, the age of our

BTAC ... From page 1

the BTAC grants. Alexander said they haven’t planned on canceling the event yet, but will make their decision early in 2013 after they explore ways to find alternative funding. “We’ll be looking to the community for support,” Alexander said. Groups such as the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) have reacted to the loss of the funding by taking a proactive stance right off the bat, and have added fundraising events to support the annual Blaine Jazz Festival. “We felt we had to get a quick start because we knew the Jazz Festival would be coming up quickly. So we started our fundraising [efforts] before we normally do so that we would make it,” PAA executive director Kristi Galbraith said. She praised the Jazz Festival faculty, who were quick to offer their services to help the festival suceed. Several will be putting on benefit concerts in the coming months to raise support for the program. The Jazz Festival hosts up to 100 students ages 12-19 each year, and accepts vocalists and musicians. It typically costs around $90,000 to run the festival, with a portion of that supplied through the BTAC grant. “Most of the events are still taking place. It hurts us, but it won’t eliminate the events this year,” said Debbie Harger, community tourism director. “Mostly it eliminates marketing and advertising, but we still have some other funding sources we can draw from.” The city has re-allocated the $80,000 reserve funds to support the Plover ferry, the Visitors Information Center (VIC) and Blaine’s 4th of July celebration. The city chose these particular programs to support because they are highly visible, and in the case of the Plover and the VIC, are around more than just one day a year. “We need to maintain some tourism presence,” city manager Gary Tomsic said. “These things are something you can count on, and they are places we can point people to.”

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equipment to see if there were any potential energy savings. The answer was yes, so we moved forward.” Now that the investment grade audit is complete, the city will finalize its energy services proposal and apply for the grant. Once they learn about the results of the grant

application, they can move forward with establishing a funding plan to finance the project. “I’m pretty passionate about recycling and green energy, and I’m excited about making Blaine more green and saving Blaine taxpayers a lot of money at the same time,” Whitewolf said.

Jan. 1, 2013 • New Year’s Day

H BIRCH BAY Waterslides 3 0T L ANNUA

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE

Registration: 9:30 AM Costume Judging: 10:30 AM

THE PLUNGE: 11AM

COME EARLY ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

8 AM Birch Bay Restaurants open for breakfast!

Ring of Fire & Hope

WHERE: Birch Bay Chamber Visitor Information Center

FOR THE ANNUAL

7900 Birch Bay Drive on the Birch Bay Waterfront

DECEMBER 31, 2012 • 7 PM I-5 Exit 270 • West to Birch Bay Dr. Lighting of road flares along PRIZES* WILL BE GIVEN FOR: Official the Birch Bay Waterfront Bring your own road flare, or ... • Most Years “Plunging” • Oldest Participant “I took the Plunge pick one up at the Visitor Information Center at 5 pm (while supplies last!)

• Best Individual Costume • Best Group Costume • Farthest Traveled Participant

Prizes Donated By Local Businesses

*NO AWARDS for length of time in the water!

T-shirts

Taylor V’Dovec Girls Basketball

”

$20 ea.

Taylor is an exceptional basketball player and teammate. She sets a great example for teammates through her hard work and positive attitude. At practice she never complains and does whatever is asked of her. Taylor’s work ethic and dedication has paid off this season as she is averaging 13 points and 12 rebounds per game.

AFTER ST AL THE PLUNGE WATCH THE... 1 INTERNATION BIRCH BAY WATERSLIDES PARKING LOT 4874 Birch Bay-Lynden Road at PM

BROOM HOCKEY TOURNAMENT

DETAILS AT BIRCHBAYCHAMBER.COM

*Due to health concerns including, but not limited to; hypothermia, the Chamber of Commerce strongly recommends that participants do not remain in the water after the initial plunge. There are NO awards for length of time in the water. Swim at your own risk. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce and affiliates are not responsible for any adverse health effects wholly or in part due to the Polar Bear Plunge. By simply taking part in the event, participants agree to these statements.

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