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Blaine man arrested on suspicion of rape
Blaine man allegedly steals nearly $1 million from elderly woman in his care
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A 20-year-old Blaine man was arrested November 11 on suspicion of first-degree child rape.
A Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputy was dispatched to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham on November 11 for a report of a child raped on November 4, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in Whatcom County Superior Court. The young child was undergoing a sexual assault examination at the hospital when the deputy was called.
The young child had told her mother that Fredy Martin Esteban, a man known to the family, “hurt” her, deputies learned at the hospital, according to the affidavit. WCSO interviews with the child as well as family and friends provided more evidence for the arrest, including the child’s description of the assault and a family friend witnessing strange behavior from the child after the assault.
Esteban was booked into Whatcom County Jail with $200,000 bail on November 11. He also had two active warrants for driving under the influence in Whatcom County. Esteban remained in jail as of November 30.
Washington state law defines first-degree child rape as when a person has sexual intercourse with a child who is younger than 12 years old and the perpetrator is at least 24 months older than the victim.
Esteban’s arraignment hearing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, December 2.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic or sexual violence, please call the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) 24-hour hotline at 360/715-1563 or 877/715-1563. Lummi Victims of Crime has a 24hour helpline at 360/312-2015. The National Domestic Violence Helpline operates a chat line at thehotline.org/help. Brigid Collins Family Support Center, a Bellingham-based nonprofit working to end child abuse, can be reached at 360/7344616 and brigidcollins.org.
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A Blaine man was arrested for allegedly stealing nearly $1 million from a woman in her late 80s in his care. He was released on bail the day he was arrested, November 16.
The 37-year-old Blaine man allegedly stole $900,000 from the woman in his care who was considered a vulnerable adult, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in Whatcom County Superior Court. The woman’s bank contacted Adult Protective Services (APS) in 2019 about suspicious bank transfers, and APS notified the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
The money was spent on pubs, casinos and a tiny home. The man also transferred the monthly $1,138 in Supplemental Security Income the woman received to his personal account, according to court documents.
The man and woman traveled between hotels after the woman’s Blaine home was sold in 2021, according to court documents.
Law enforcement officers responded to 11 calls regarding the woman wandering in the middle of the road, according to court documents, which stated most of those times the man didn’t realize she was gone. There were three Bellingham Police Department reports about the woman being abandoned and wandering near hotels.
The woman is now in hospice care, according to court documents.
The man could face first-degree theft, financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult and abandonment of a dependent person in the second-degree. His arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, December 2.
s Blaine City Council during the November 28 council meeting at city hall. Photo by Grace McCarthy
Manager ...
From page 1 in Portland’s southern suburbs, before leaving in August, according to his resume. Gabrielatos served as assistant city manager of Albert Lea, Minnesota, a city of 18,000 people, where he helped the city revitalize its downtown and focus on workforce development. He also worked for three members of Chicago City Council.
Michael Harmon
Michael Harmon is the chief operating officer of High Plains Power, an electric utility provider in Riverton, Wyoming. He was the city administrator of Spearfish, South Dakota, a city of just over 12,300 people, and city administrator of Fairfield, Iowa. Harmon said in his cover letter that, while working in Spearfish, he led 125 full-time staff members, oversaw a $42 million operating budget and tackled demanding wastewater infrastructure needs.
Russell Martin
Russell Martin is the manager of Camp Verde, Arizona, a town about 1.5 hours north of Phoenix with a population of just over 12,200 people. Martin has worked as the manager for the past 12 years, where he helped negotiate a land agreement with the Yavapai-Apache Nation, build a new library and negotiate a water company purchase, according to his resume.
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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, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, 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.
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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. The letters to the editor column is primarily intended to allow readers to voice their opinions on local issues of general interest to local readers. A fresh viewpoint will increase the likelihood of publication. 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. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.
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The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVIII, No 25 Circulation: 10,500 copies
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Next issue: Dec. 8 Ads due: Dec. 2 Thanksgiving baskets feed 1,251 people
s Community Assistance Program (CAP) volunteers busily added last minute ham and celery to Thanksgiving baskets on November 22 be-
fore distributing the meal kits later that day behind Cost Cutter. The baskets served 1,251 community members – 845 adults and 406 children – in the Blaine, Birch Bay and Custer community, Thanksgiving basket program director Shirley Tobian said.
Photo by Grace McCarthy
Letters
The Editor:
This year’s Thanksgiving Basket Program was a real challenge. Avian flu, or bird flu, caused a shortage of turkeys, packing boxes were hard to find and locating a site seemed impossible.
Here’s the people who made it happen: 1. Tom and Sonia Hayes of T.C. Trading
Company, Inc. donated the site. 2. To all the incredible donors who keep our program alive and going strong. 3. The Northern Light gets the word out to the community for donations and reservation information. 4. Edaleen Dairy for providing 230 gallons of milk. 5. Cost Cutter of Blaine including Mitch,
Cindy, Stephen and Lance who ordered all the groceries and had them ready for pickup. 6. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue under the direction of Mike Nelson who are instrumental in making this event possible, from picking up storing, and delivering the boxes and milk.
They help on distribution day delivering boxes to clients’ cars. 7. Last but most important are the volunteers, who give generously of their time, stuffing envelopes, bagging groceries, assembling and filling boxes, and assisting with distribution and cleanup.
Without their support I could not get the job done.
This small group has helped 1,251 adults and children have a happy Thanksgiving, and I am sincerely grateful in having a hand in its success.
Kind deeds change lives.
Shirley Tobian
Thanksgiving basket program director
Blaine
The Editor:
Thank you voters for the fantastic turn out for this midterm election. Whatcom County had a 71 percent turnout of registered voters. In the past, midterm elections have been below 50 percent.
Every vote has now been cured and counted. Curing is the process of individual visits to get missing dates and signature verification on ballots. The original reported results of Proposition 5 Children’s Initiative showed that kids lost. However, the cured votes enabled the proposition to pass by 20 votes.
Whatcom County voters turned out in a volume seldom seen. We can turnout as responsible citizens when we want to and are motivated by the issues. It is wonderful to see so many citizens take our voting privilege seriously.
On the Proposition 5 issue, The Seattle Times has reported that homeless students who graduate from high school are more likely to become taxpaying, contributing citizens, a solid start can make the difference. It is also known that early starts reduce juvenile behavioral problems and potential unemployment and incarceration as adults. Kids are the future of the nation, and passing this proposition says that this county values a good start for kids. Thank you all.
Donna Starr
Blaine
Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
CiviC Meetings
Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info and Zoom meeting link: bbwsd.com. Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info and virtual meeting login: ci.blaine.wa.us. Blaine Planning Commission: Second Thursday, 6 p.m. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/3EwWiZi. Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. The December meeting will be 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 14 at Blaine Senior Center. Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., council chambers and virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330. Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info: blainesd.org. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 11 a.m., Station 61 at 9408 Odell Road and via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
Blaine school board extends Granger’s contract, enrollment dips
s Blaine High School Associated Student Body (ASB) president Sabrina Boczek addresses the Blaine
school board at its November 28 meeting. Boczek presented on the ASB’s active clubs and events planned or already accomplished for the student body. Accomplished events included the lip dub, “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader” assembly and homecoming. Blaine High School also has a wide variety of clubs that fall into community service, mental health, academic, and career and technical
student organization clubs. Photo by Ian Haupt
B y I an h aupt
Blaine school board extended Blaine school district superintendent Christopher Granger’s contract in a 3-0 vote during its November 28 regular meeting.
As specified in the action item, school board president Dougal Thomas and school board vice president, which is currently open with former board member Todd Nunamaker’s resignation at last month’s meeting, will discuss the parameters of a contract with Granger before recommending its adoption by the full board no later than May 22, 2023. Thomas said the board will be rearranging president and vice president positions at its December 13 meeting, which is at noon.
Granger’s salary, as of late summer 2022, was $201,230 per year. The average salary for a superintendent in Washington state was $183,008 as of October 27, according to salary.com.
In a separate motion that also passed 3-0, the board accepted Granger’s annual performance evaluation as “more than satisfactory.” His final contract is intended to run through June 30, 2026, according to meeting minutes.
“Appreciate it,” Granger said during the meeting. “Pleasure to serve.”
Enrollment dips
District enrollment dropped by about 13 students from October to November. As of the November count, the district is about 52 students below what it budgeted for this school year.
Blaine school district finance and operations director Amber Porter said during the meeting that October enrollment tends to be the district’s highest, so the dip, while not hoped for, was somewhat expected.
The district’s low kindergarten enrollment this year has remained nearly the same all three months and left the district below budget. Around 108 kids were registered for kindergarten this year, while average cohorts in the past have ranged from 140 to 160 students.
Porter said the district will be conservative about budgeting (See School, page 6)
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CITY OF BLAINE
Information on how to listen to the meeting live will be on the City Council agenda which is located on the City’s website homepage under Your Government, City Council, City Council Agenda. Please check the agenda prior to each meeting as the call in number or location may change.
Thursday, December 1 9:00am – Ad Hoc Downtown Advisory Committee Meeting *CANCELLED* 9:00am – Special City Council Meeting
Thursday, December 8 9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting *CANCELLED* 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, December 12 4:30pm – Study Session: Planning Commission Candidate Interviews 6:00pm – City Council Meeting
Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website. Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website. www.cityofblaine.com
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Do you have holiday decorations you’re especially proud of this year? If so, The Northern Light will be publishing photos of holiday lights and decorations around homes and businesses. Whether it’s a flashy light display or a life-size Grinch decoration, we want to showcase your creativity to the community. Please email your photos to editor@pointrobertspress.com by Friday, December 16 for a chance to be published.
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