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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
March 12 - 18, 2015
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Spring sports preview, pages 6-7
Four school board seats up for election
Car Care special section, page 9
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Blaine grad ships out with Peace Corps, page 13
Picture perfect
By Ian Ferguson Those interested in guiding the direction of Blaine schools take note: Four seats on the Blaine school district’s board of directors will be open for elections on November 3. The Blaine school board is a group of five local volunteers tasked with formulating and evaluating all policies necessary for the operation of the Blaine school district. The board meets for its regular meeting on the fourth Monday of every month during the school year. Members must be registered voters in the geographic regions they represent. The positions up for election include director districts 1–4. District 1 encompasses Point Roberts and downtown Blaine, district 2 includes areas east and southeast of Blaine, district 3 includes Birch Bay Village and Point Whitehorn and district 4 includes the area south of Blaine and parts of east Birch Bay. Boundary maps can be found at blainesd.org. The positions in districts 1, 2 and 4 are four-year terms expiring in 2019. The district 3 position is for the remaining two years of a term which expires in 2017. The filing period for the open positions is May 11–15. Prospective candidates may file in person or online. For complete instructions on how to apply to be a candidate for an open position, visit the candidate information page on the Whatcom County Auditor’s website at co.whatcom.wa.us/auditor. Links to candidate information can also be found at the Blaine school district website. The current directors will hold office until December 2015, and are also eligible to run for re-election. An informational meeting for anyone interested in learning more about serving on the school board will be held on Wednesday, April 22 from 3 to 4 p.m. in the district office at 765 H Street in Blaine. Any further questions should be directed to the Whatcom County Auditor’s elections office at 676-6742.
s A Great Blue Heron perches on a post in Birch Bay. Learn to take birding shots like this at this weekend’s Wings Over Water. Photo by John Gargett
Bird photographers can hone their craft this weekend By Steve Guntli The Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival will provide photographers of all experience levels the opportunity to hone their skills. The three-day festival is hosting several workshops dedicated to helping shutterbugs improve the quality of their photos. Beginners can start at the Blaine
Middle School cafeteria on Saturday, March 14. Ken Salzman is teaching a free workshop, “The Basics of Photographing Birds,” from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. Salzman, an avid birder and teacher at Whatcom Community College, will walk people through what to look for when setting up shots and a few tips and tricks to get the best photos possible. More advanced photographers can benefit from the experience of a renowned
Canadian man sentenced in mobile meth lab scare By Steve Guntli A Canadian man whose mobile meth lab temporarily shuttered the Lynden border crossing last year has been sentenced to a year in prison. Calum James Buchanan, 41, of Chilliwack, B.C., was convicted of possession with intent to deliver or manufacture methamphetamines. Buchanan and a passenger, Lola Crystal McKay, 24, also of Chilliwack, were arrested on November 23. The pair had attempted to cross the border into the
United States with what turned out to be a mobile meth lab in the trunk of Buchanan’s 1994 Pontiac Grand Am at about 7 p.m. Authorities searched the vehicle and found an unidentified gray liquid, several plastic tubs and metal strainers covered in white residue. A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent who inhaled the chemicals became violently ill and was sent to the hospital. The agent was treated and released the same day. CBP agents called in a HazMat team from Everett to assess any possible threat from
the unknown chemicals. As a result, the border crossing was shut down for several hours and traffic was rerouted. Buchanan told investigators he was being paid $500 to deliver the meth lab to someone in Canada. He and McKay wound up at the Lynden border crossing by mistake, after getting lost in construction near the border. McKay reportedly failed to appear at a December 5 court date, adding bail jumping to her charge of unlawful manufacture of methamphetamines.
expert. Paul Bannick, an accomplished wildlife photographer whose work has appeared in “Sunset” magazine, “Audubon” magazine and the New York Times, returns to the festival for his course on advanced bird photography. No camera or lens is required to take this course, but there is a $25 registration fee. Register at Blaine Middle School. The course (See Wings, page 2)
Online
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Inside
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14