Thenorthernlight 2015 12 31

Dec. 31, 2015 - Jan. 6, 2016

FREE

Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer

IN THIS

ISSUE

State rep discusses GPT and rail issues, page 3

State patrol seeking witnesses in deadly Custer car wreck

Blaine and Birch Bay year in review, page 9

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

Best of police reports, page 10

Happy New Year!

By Steve Guntli

s A view of Blaine and the Peace Arch from Drayton Harbor Road.

Whatcom County feels rumbles from down under

By Steve Guntli Washington and B.C. residents felt the effects of a moderate earthquake that struck Victoria, B.C. late on December 29.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.8 magnitude quake centered a few miles north of Victoria on Vancouver Is-

land. The quake struck at 11:39 p.m., with effects being felt as far as 150-miles away.

While the quake was considered moderate and not likely to cause severe damage, it was nevertheless the strongest earthquake to hit the northwest region since 2004, when a 4.9 earthquake struck near Newport, Oregon.

More than 10,000 people reported feel-

Fire and water in Birch Bay this New Year’s

By Steve Guntli Come out to Birch Bay this New Year’s to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new.

Birch Bay will hold back-to-back celebrations on December 31 and January 1 to celebrate the new year. The Ring of Fire and Hope and the Polar Bear Plunge will each feature food, music and fun for the whole family.

Photo by Ruth Lauman

Join the celebration on New Year’s Eve as hundreds for the Ring of Fire and Hope. Each year, people light hundreds of red road flares around the bay and release glowing luminaria lanterns into the sky. Free flares, donated by Mike Kent, will be available on a first-come, firstserved basis, and additional flares will be available for purchase at Pacific Building Center, 2677 Bell Road. The flares will be lit at 7 p.m.

The ever-popular Polar Bear Plunge challenges brave souls to dive into the icy waters of Birch Bay to help ring in the New Year. Show off your best costumes for a chance to win prizes, and after the plunge, warm up at the bonfire in the future Birch Bay beach park.

Both events are free to participate.

T-shirts are available for purchse for a limited time. For more information, visit birchbaychamber.com.

ing the quake between Vancouver and Seattle. Neither U.S. nor Canadian officials have reported any injuries or significant damage, and the National Weather Service says there is no risk of tsunami along coastal regions.

Vancouver, B.C. officials shut down the city’s rail services overnight to check for damage along the track.

INSIDE

Washington State Patrol (WSP) is looking for witnesses following a twocar collision that killer a Blaine woman.

WSP spokesman Mark Francis said his department’s major accident investigation team (MAIT) is investigating the accident, which occurred about 4:30 p.m. December 18. Sandra Clifford, 72, of Blaine was killed, and a WSP trooper was injured.

State trooper Benjamin Ellis had parked his patrol vehicle on the northbound side of I-5 near mile marker 168 and was investigating a rollover crash in which no one was injured. Ellis was sitting in the driver seat of his Chevrolet Caprice patrol car with the emergency flashers on.

Clifford, driving a bronze 2003 Buick LeSabre, crashed into the back of Ellis’ parked patrol car. Paramedics arriving at the scene found Clifford unresponsive and severely injured. She died at the scene shortly thereafter.

Ellis, 26, suffered a concussion and was taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham. He was treated for his injuries and released around midnight.

The state patrol is looking for witnesses who can help determine the cause of the crash. Francis said the department is examining all aspects that led to the collision and are looking for any information on events leading up to or after the crash. The WSP does not suspect any drugs or alcohol.

To submit information about the accident, call detective sergeant Jerry Cooper at 425/508-0602 or email jerry.cooper@wsp.wa.gov.

Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . 14

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14

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2

The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

2015

year in

REVIEW

Whatcom County Council

A LOOK BACK

By Barbara Brenner

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Happy Holidays, Birch Bay and Blaine residents! This year, for a change, I want to share my feelings regarding the past year and what I wish for the future.

This has been a strange year for me. Numerous worldwide events have had a more profound effect on me than usual. There have been too many tragedies and too much political spin on pain inflicted on real people. I even caught myself sobbing uncontrollably after listening to a recent news story.

2015

year in

REVIEW

But it made me realize much more on a personal level how fortunate I am to have a family who loves me and a community who allows me to serve.

I am bipolar and that could have easily left me broken. Instead, my mental illness became a gift of obsessively working on county issues. I could never have done this without my very loving (and tolerant) family and my community that was able to acquire a taste for my unique ways and learn to trust me as I learned to trust you all.

My recent extreme emotional reaction to the sorrow in so many

Whatcom County Executive

A LOOK BACK

By Jack Louws 2015, aside from comprehensive new jail planning, was a year of technology advances and innovation for Whatcom County Government.

Our fourth Superior Court Judge Raquel Montoya-Lewis began hearing cases in January. Our new mental health court also started processing cases.

Public works projects in 2015 included the Potter Road bridge replacement, completion of the full rehabilitation of the Hannegan corridor road surface (with the paving of 4 miles of Hannegan Road from

Bellingham city limits to Hemmi Road) and new turn lanes and illumination at the intersections of Ferndale and Imhof roads.

The Emergency Medical Services Funding Work Group representing all EMS stakeholders met on a monthly basis. The EMS Funding Work Group is tasked with recommending a funding strategy that will support and sustain a countywide emergency medical services system. Planning and Development Services staff has prepared initial recommended revisions and amendments to the county’s comprehensive plan. The amendment process is lengthy with many public meetings, plan-

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places reminded me how fragile life is and how important it is to love as much as possible.

Since this is also the time of year when love, peace, and unselfishness is most appreciated, I want to share with you my love and appreciation for all of you. Time together, the sounds of friends’ voices and hugs really matter.

Since the recent election I will be your council representative for four more years so, in addition to thanking you for believing in me, I just want you to know that I believe in you, our community, and the future.

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ning commission input and then review and approval by county council. This work must be completed by June 30, 2016.

Our park and recreation department has completed a draft Lookout Mountain and Lake Whatcom Park recreational trail plan and is now taking public comments regarding it. The plan will be reviewed by county council in 2016.

The charter review commission completed its work and those amendments were placed on the ballot in the general election. Information technology has had a productive year. The county website was completely revamped; the phone system throughout all buildings and facilities has been replaced and new electronic document recording and imaging is available in the auditor’s office.

The general election results were certified in November. New terms start in January. The new jail bond levy proposition failed. Council established the Incarceration Prevention Task Force. Council approved the 2016 budget adjustments in November after a public hearing was held.

It has been a busy and challenging but very fruitful year for us. I wish everyone a very good 2016 and hope that all have a wonderful holiday season with friends and family.

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Each class includes a glass of wine, a Semiahmoo apron, and keepsake recipe cards.

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December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016 • thenorthernlight.com

State rep talks GPT, rail issues

By Ian Ferguson State representative Matt Manweller (R-Ellensburg) was one of several lawmakers and union officials invited by SSA Marine to tour the Cherry Point area and learn the talking points for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal.

As head of the Washington State Rail Caucus, Manweller contacted The Northern Light to talk about railroad issues and the proposed terminal.

TNL: In Blaine, which is a border town, one of the community concerns with rail traffic is that trains heading over the border have to slow down for a radar detection system to make sure no one is smuggling anything across the border, and there are sometimes long waits at road intersections. Is there any way the rail caucus can help the community mitigate rail traffic through overpasses or other means?

Manweller: One of the things that we learned when we started the rail caucus was that the single most important issue for rail traffic is something called grade separation. You need trains to go over roads or under roads. As long as railroads are crossing roads, you’re going to have traffic, you’re going to have threats to public safety and you’re going to have congestion.

We have tried to impress upon the transportation committee exactly how important funding is for grade separation.

One of our frustrations is that the Canadians do grade separation much cheaper and much more efficiently than we do. At the rail caucus we try to get our folks to go up and tour how Canada does grade separation, so we can learn from them. They can do several grade separations for about $20 million, where we sometimes charge as much as $100 million for one. So we need to use our resources more efficiently and that’s what the rail caucus advocates for.

TNL: Our community is working towards a passenger rail stop in Blaine. Does the rail caucus deal with passenger trains?

Manweller: We do. The rail caucus works very closely with a group called All Aboard Washington. They are a member of our caucus, and we have experts on hand when it comes to rail passenger service. We try to talk about how railroads can have dual purposes.

We’re trying to prevent the tearing up of some rail passenger lines south of you, so we can have a connection all the way from Portland to

you. We run into NIMBY-ism (Not In My BackYard), let me tell you.

Everybody loves trains, but not in their own backyard. So there’s a lot of effort to remove passenger lines, and we’re trying to stop that. Every time you put cargo on a train, you’re taking a diesel-burning semi off the road. If you have one typical trainload, you are taking about 250 diesel-burning semis off the road. That frees up traffic; it’s better for the environment. We feel the same way about passenger rail.

Every time you put someone on rail service, you’re taking a car off the road.

TNL: Are there any actions on the horizon that you think will improve or affect rail service?

Manweller: On the upside, the federal government did just pass a $300 billion transportation package, and we looked at that, and there is a lot of money in there for trains, there is a lot of money for what we call intermodal service, and there’s a lot of money for traffic improvement and grade separation.

We’re going to have to get our Washington stakeholders on the ball applying for those grants and that money. I’ve already started to talk to the railroad companies and our staff about how to do that.

Washington state just passed its own transportation package, and in doing so we funded or recapitalized programs for grade separation for local railroads here in Washington.

So you’re going to see some considerable government investment.

On the flip side, BNSF is investing $5 billion of its own money, and a quarter billion of that is here in Washington. So when you talk about trains, it’s a private-public partnership. The government is responsible for part of it, and the private owners of those rail lines are also responsible. So we’re always looking at what is the total combination of investment coming from the public and the private sector.

TNL: Tell me about the tour of the Gateway Pacific Terminal site.

Manweller: We started at Semiahmoo for about four hours of presentations. We heard from rail folks, maritime folks, safety folks and economic folks to get a background of the site, and then we all got on a bus and drove out there. They wanted us to see the site to get a sense of what we were talking about.

Forty percent of all jobs in Washington are tied to trade. We need to continue to expand that infrastructure that allows us to engage in trade, and this Cherry

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Point site is just another piece in the puzzle that would allow us to compete with the Canadians and the Californians to keep jobs and tax revenue here in Washington.

It’s especially important for the folks in Whatcom County who are looking at the loss of hundreds of jobs at the Alcoa plant, and we’re hoping that maybe we can replace those jobs with something else.

TNL: Who else was on the tour?

Manweller: It’s not a partnership that you would expect. What you had were mostly Republican legislators in a room with democratic unions. It was about seven state representatives and senators, and then the longshoreman’s union, the carpenter’s union, some labor unions, people from the governor’s staff, people from the railroad, people from maritime, people from the ports association, and then of course the people who are building this facility at Cherry Point. We had some local officials as well.

It really was an interesting coalition. Republicans in general are trying to eliminate bureaucratic regulations for economic investment. Unions of course are worried about high-wage livable jobs.

And so we have common interest.

These unions are reeling from the loss of Alcoa, the Republicans are looking for a way to lower the regulatory burden, and so we have common ground in this issue.

TNL: When you say building this facility, you mean the Gateway Pacific Terminal proposed by SSA Marine?

Manweller: Yes. We heard from some University of Washington economists, and WWU economists as well, and they said that given the multiplier effect, it would create probably around 2,100 jobs in Whatcom County. That’s a big impact, especially given that the county just lost about 600.

What they’re saying is that when you create a job, the person filling that job comes into the community and spends money and that in turn creates more jobs. The actual site will create about 700 jobs, but it will get multiplied when they spend money in the community and create more jobs, and they said based on their input-output models it’s about 2,100 jobs. And I wish I could remember the figures, but it’s also lots of money in taxes to

the schools, the roads, the libraries and everything.

TNL: One of the concerns with the Gateway Pacific project is coal dust. Blaine is historically a fishing and crabbing community that values its marine resources, and there is concern that coal dust will impact the waters off of Cherry Point.

Manweller: We were concerned about that as well, but there were two studies, one done by BNSF and one done by communities in Canada, and both studies showed that the amount of coal dust coming off of trains was immeasurable. So little coal dust was escaping these trains that they couldn’t come up with a number to measure it. So I don’t think, given the research that it’s any longer a legitimate concern.

(Ed. Note: BNSF’s website [http://bit.ly/1NvF2iQ] discusses coal dust emissions from coal trains and the company has stated in court that coal trains can lose as much as 500 lbs. of dust per coal train per mile.)

TNL: I don’t think the concern was as much from the trains as it was from the storing of the coal, and the high winds we see on the coast. Were there any studies from similar facilities that looked at how much coal dust escapes from coal stored onsite?

3

Manweller: We didn’t get into that. We looked at the movement of the coal, not the storage of the coal. My suspicion here is that, you don’t usually put something off a train, put it on the ground, then put it on a cargo ship – that’s a lot of added expense. It’s much more effective to put something from a train directly onto a ship. So I can’t imagine that we’re going to see large piles of coal anywhere at Cherry Point terminal, but that’s something you can talk to the SSA folks and ask them about. I’m sorry I can’t answer that question.

(Ed. Note: The latest plans from SSA Marine call for a large “open bulk storage” area for coal at the GPT site.)

TNL: Are you optimistic about the future of rail in Washington, given some of the major investment we’re seeing?

Manweller: I’m optimistic. The attention is on rail, and people are talking about it. It’s always about resources, which are finite, but what we’ve seen are that lines are getting revitalized, massive amounts of investment from private sector railroads, contributions from the state, so clearly across the board, we’re seeing a re-emphasis on rail, and I think it’s for efficiency reasons and environmental reasons.

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The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

Letters

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.

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. 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.

Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@thenorthernlight.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@thenorthernlight.com Editor Steve Guntli steve@pointrobertspress.com Copy Editor Kara Furr kara@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Ferguson ian@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@thenorthernlight.com Office Manager Amy Weaver info@thenorthernlight.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Janet McCall Catherine Darkenwald sales@thenorthernlight.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@thenorthernlight.com Contributors In This Issue Jack Louws, Ron Spanjer, Carroll Solomon, Lorrie Conyac, Dave Wilbrecht, Heidi Holmes The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200 Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXI, No 29 Circulation: 10,500 copies

Circulation Independently verified by:

Next issue: Jan. 7 Ads due: Jan. 4

The Editor: During this season of miracles and magic, I hate to dispel the rumor that the “Poop Fairy” really exists.

To those in Blaine who believe a Poop Fairy magically picks up their dog’s poop, I must bring them back to reality.

As I walk my dog around H Street, G Street, the Blaine schools, Boys & Girls Club, Blaine Senior Center and the 7th Street garden path, there is enough dog poop all over that one would think it was evident that the Poop Fairy does not exist.

I have witnessed at least five residents of the Bayview Plaza apartments who not only don’t pick up their dogs’ poop, they also let them run around without being leashed. I also know the management of those apartments are aware of these residents, yet have done nothing about it.

But they are not the only culprits. There is so much dog waste around Blaine, I must circumvent the piles to pick up my own dog’s poop.

Those who are irresponsible dog owners must think their dog’s poop doesn’t stink on the bottom of a shoe (especially on a child’s shoe as they use the 7th Street garden path to go to and from school). It’s bad enough for an adult like me to step in a pile of poop (big or small) but I feel so sorry for the child that arrives at school with dog waste on their shoes.

If people are not responsible dog owners/caretakers we might as well rename Blaine “Schitzville,” “Dogpile” or “Pooptown.”

So yes, Virginia (and Blaine) there is no Poop Fairy, so pick up the poop!

Brenda Hansen Blaine The Editor: In November I submitted a letter regarding the Blaine school district board of directors citing the urgent need for them to buy land in Birch Bay for future school construction. I did not see any response from this board or anyone else, including parents of Birch Bay school children. Being now 80 years old with no children I still have a deep interest in having Birch Bay children have schools in our community and avoid the daily commutes to Blaine to attend school.

Before the November election I sent emails to Joan Lotze and her opponent, who both replied that they supported a plan to buy land in Birch Bay for school construction. After this election I sent a congratulatory email to Joan Lotze and emails to all Blaine school district directors on this topic. I asked all of them what was the current plan for buying land in Birch Bay at this time and not one of them responded, including Joan Lotze. So she was making an election promise it seems with no intent to carry it out.

Maybe all of them ignored me since I had no school children. It appears that the parents of Birch Bay school children

have no desire to make an effort to have land purchased so children in Birch Bay do not have to spend time riding buses rather than studying, doing homework or enjoying time with their family.

It is a real shame and sad commentary on the apparent and intended neglect by the Blaine school district directors to refuse to address this topic and want Birch Bay residents to pay for improvements to Blaine schools only and seemingly conning them into approving the bond issue earlier this year.

Congrats to Doralee Booth and others for fighting for a disapproval of this bond issue knowing the attitude continually demonstrated by the school district board.

I will now leave this topic up to the Birch Bay parents to take action and get land purchased for your children or their children in the future.

Mickey Masdeo Birch Bay The Editor: In order to provide a special reason to be thankful on what otherwise might have been a bleak holiday, the Community Assistance Program (CAP) Thanksgiving Basket Program should make Blaine very, very proud.

This year the scores of volunteers, including our firefighters, prepared and distributed baskets to 324 families amounting to 1,967 people. Think of it: 324 families, 1,967 people. From soup to nuts to pies (baked by our churches and Girl Scouts).

And yet, not one member of the city council or the mayor could find five minutes to stop by and thank these dedicated and committed members of the Blaine community. No one can remember a time when they ever did in all the years this program has existed.

Nor did anyone notice any coverage in this newspaper. Perhaps it’s not considered newsworthy.

We should take notice and be grateful for the joy brought to so many by these hardworking and caring people.

Marilyn Mulhern Blaine The Editor: Bottled my Twin Brook: On some far away beach I fluttered “You said you should have?”

“I said I am going to” Hung my hoodie to dry Nathan Keifer Birch Bay The Editor: Thank you for printing the picture and story about the nativity scene on the corner of C and 6th street. We are new residents to Blaine and we are encouraged by the freedom to express our religious beliefs openly in nativity scenes and wishes for a Merry Christmas by some of the advertisers. I have no problem with those of

other faiths expressing their forms of faith publicly, but I do take offense at the current trend of restrictions against Christian expressions. Again, thank you.

Sandy Anderberg Blaine The Editor: The story recently written describing the power point presentation given by the WWU economist students regarding the viability of a Blaine Amtrak stop left out major positive facts.

I was talking with one customer and she said that a neighbor that wasn’t in attendance, but who read the article, was left with the impression that the Blaine Amtrak stop wasn’t going to happen.

The writer left out a critical piece of information, that if included, would have pretty much sealed the deal and informed the readers that the likelihood of a restored historic depot and Amtrak stop is extremely likely!

Also, when the stop is announced I understand Amtrak will add a third noonday train.

There was good attendance by the public, and many excellent comments. Here was my favorite: My question to you folks is this, would you agree, once this historic station is restored and Amtrak passenger service is operating, that with just a little bit of advertising north of the border and word of mouth advertising to follow, that the Blaine Amtrak stop could and likely would be the busiest Amtrak station, ridership-wise, in the entire state of Washington?

Their answer: “If not the busiest, it would compete with the busiest in the state.”

Well, to me, that is one powerful statement and we all should take note. How could the local paper leave this major fact out of their story?

I think to leave folks with joy and hope over negative feelings of despair and hopelessness is a much better approach and serves a community better, a town that deserves success and positive family-friendly downtown projects.

Oh, by the way, ridership of the busiest station in the state is in Vancouver, Washington at 300,000 folks per year.

As the students showed, a population of 1.1 million south of the Fraser would use the Blaine depot. Likely around 250,000 within bike riding and walking distance to the depot, and only a three-minute walk once you clear customs.

Let’s all be positive and proactive. Build it and they will come.

Bill Becht 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, 4:30 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info: bbwsd.com.

Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources Management District: Third Wednesday, 6 p.m., location varies. Info: bbwarm.whatcom county.org.

Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: ci.blaine.wa.us.

Blaine Parks Board: Third Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.

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

Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info: blaine.wednet.edu.

Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Birch Bay Chamber Office, 7900 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay. Info: blainebirchbayparkandrec.org.

North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 7 p.m. Blaine Fire Station. Info: nwfrs.net.

December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016 • thenorthernlight.com

City of Blaine

The city supported several community events including the annual Fourth of July celebration, the G’ana’k’w Canoe Journey Celebration and the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony sponsored by the chamber.

The city coordinated with Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District to develop the Marine Park Playground.

There were some changes along the shoreline, where a $50,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology was leveraged with city funds, equipment and labor to enhance hundreds of feet of waterfront.

The Parks and Cemetery

year in

REVIEW

A LOOK BACK

Board finalized a recommendation to the city council to improve parks and public facilities that will be followed up in 2016.

The community center pavilion was constructed and is waiting for the floor to be completed. The grand opening will be scheduled the first of the year.

Development activity in Semiahmoo has increased notably this year with 10 units constructed.

Development of single and multi-family homes in the central part of Blaine continues to roll along, with more than 15 new units this year.

We were excited to put together Splash Days, a great example of a small and inexpensive event that can help activate energy downtown and area.

We were very happy about the community response and large turnout.

We’d like to highlight the opening of the Drayton Harbor Oyster Company. This is another new business added to our downtown, which continues to become more vibrant each year.

City council approved a code enforcement ordinance to begin cleaning up the city’s abandoned structures, yard waste and unsightly properties.

The police department continues to provide excellent services with the help from our ACS volunteers who have assisted with communications, traffic control and other support activities throughout the year.

A major volunteer effort was

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By Heidi Holmes 2015 was another growing year for the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District (BBBPRD2). The district partnered with the city of Blaine on two major projects. In October 2015, the district proudly helped commission a new pirate-themed ship playground to Blaine Marine Park. Funding was provided to jumpstart a much-needed indoor play space for the Blaine Boys & Girls Club. The pavilion building will also be available starting in 2016 for programs and activities sponsored by the district.

The district partnered with other local groups and organizations this year and was a major sponsor in the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce summer programs. The district gave a grant to provide a children’s musical program at the Peace Arch International Art and Music Festival held at Peace Arch Park last summer. The district set aside funds to assist with the development of the Birch Bay Community Park on Birch Bay Drive.

A new program added to the activity center in 2015 is a fitness workout class called POUND Fitness. This new class provides a full body cardio workout combining Pilates-based moves and drumming. The class is offered twice a week at the gym and free childcare is provided.

The Birch Bay Activity Center now offers kids after-school programming three days a week, where children can participate in games and activities after school in the gym. Other activities such as Zumba, pickleball, line dance, yoga and karate continue to be well-participated classes.

BBBPRD2 continues to build its summer programming and the biggest splash this summer was partnering with the Birch Bay Waterslides to offer half-price ad-

CITY OF BLAINE Unless noted, all meetings are held at City Hall, 435 Martin Street, Suite 4000 and are open to the public.

mission day camps to kids in our community.

The district continues to make headway connecting the Blaine-Birch Bay community by securing two property easements in Birch Bay to help develop a trail that will get pedestrians and bicyclists off the busy Drayton Harbor Road.

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year in

2015

initiated this fall to clean up overgrown plants on the north and southbound ramps of I-5 at exit 275.

The economic development committee explored options for recruiting national, regional and local retail businesses to the city as well as a medical facility. This work will continue in 2016.

The Blaine Public Works Department contracted to install wastewater piping in the Vista Terrace subdivision.

The Lighthouse Wastewater Treatment Facility achieved a 100 percent compliance award by the Washington Department of Ecology.

Energy use reduction technology was installed in the Lighthouse Wastewater Treatment Facility and city hall to reduce energy consumption and reduce the city’s electric bills.

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The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

Sports Boys win some, lose some over Christmas break

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With a win over Burlington-Edison, a loss to Squalicum, and two non-conference losses and a non-conference win, the Blaine boys basketball team’s season is rolling along.

On December 18, Blaine opened league play with a 69–51 win at Burlington-Edison. Scoring for the Borderites was spread evenly among several players.

Shaq Woods scored 21 points, Ben Adam scored 20 and Kier Munzanreder scored 12. Carson Knutzen contributed seven points, seven rebounds and three assists. Woods had 13 rebounds, earning his second double-double of the season.

“Our defense deserves some credit for the win,” coach Sean Pile said of the Burlington-Edison game. “It was a sloppy game for both teams, but we were able to take advantage of our size inside. It was a must-win game for us and we made sure we took care of business.”

The Borderites went on to host Squalicum on December 22. The Storm are a perennial power in the Northwest Conference, and Pile said the game plan was to shut down their two leading scorers, who have pinpoint accuracy from beyond the three-point line.

The Borderites stuck to the plan

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and shut down the two leading scorers in the first half, but in the second half other Squalicum players stepped up. Blaine was down by three points at halftime, and was trailing by six points with three minutes to play in the fourth quarter. Foul trouble in the final minutes allowed Squalicum to pull away with the win.

“It was a close game throughout,” Pile said. “We did a good job sticking to the game plan, but we had a lot of turnovers.

We stopped getting the ball to the big guy underneath in the second half.”

Blaine had 31 turnovers in the game. Woods had 19 points and 20 rebounds for another double-double, but 15 of his points came in the first half.

“It wasn’t that they did anything different as far as covering him, we just neglected to get him the ball as much as we did in the first,” Pile said. “It’s something we need to keep an eye on.”

Woods continued to put up big numbers for Blaine when the Borderites took on Friday Harbor at home December 28.

Woods scored 30 of Blaine’s 53 points, but the Wolverines overpowered the home team with a strong start and accurate shooting throughout.

“They jumped on us early and we got ourselves into a hole,”

s Kier Munzanreder splits the defense in a home game against Burlington-Edison December 18.

Photo by Janell Kortlever

Pile said. “They shot the ball better than we did.”

The Borderites shot 4–21 from three-point territory, and 11–21 from the free throw line. The Wolverines made 22 of 29 free throw attempts.

Blaine defeated Granite Falls in a non-conference home game

December 29. The final score was 69–64. With the win, the Borderites are 5–4 overall. The Borderites will return to league play on Tuesday, January 5 with a home game against Mount Baker.

The Mountaineers are also 1–1 in league games. The game begins at 7:15 p.m.

Girls basketball picks up second win

By Ian Ferguson The Borderites won a close game at Cascade Christian December 29, and although it wasn’t a league win, the 49–42 victory is a sure sign of progress for the young team.

“Our youth has been very evident early on, but we’re learning the system and getting there,” head coach Ryan Pike said.

“We’re starting to turn the corner, with fewer turnovers and better passing.”

With the win, the Borderites are 2–5 this season, and remain 1–1 in league games. Sophomore Josie Deming led the Borderites with a double-double and three three-pointers.

“She had a solid all-around game today,” Pike said. “Her three-pointers sparked us in the second half.”

Deming has been a high-scorer all season, and several players have stepped up to show leadership on the team. Kjirstin Larson and Makayah Veliz are two of those leaders, Pike said. On defense, Brynn Hallberg has led by example with an infectious energy.

“She reminds me of Breanna Chau last year. When she’s in the game, our whole defense picks up,” Pike said.

Freshman Ashley Dickerson was instrumental in Blaine’s only league win, a 54–49 win against Squalicum December 14. Dick-

s Kjirstin Larson, r., grabs a rebound over Stanwood’s Kaitlyn Larson (no relation).

Photo by Evan Caldwell

erson scored 17 points and had seven rebounds. Squalicum led for much of the game, but the Borderites came from behind in the fourth quarter for the win.

After the win at Squalicum, Blaine lost at home to Burlington-Edison December 17, and then suffered a crushing loss to Stanwood on the road December 21.

“Against Burlington-Edison we were able to hang with them for a

little while, and we kept the turnovers low despite them being one of the best teams in the league, so that was a positive,” Pike said.

Blaine will return to Northwest Conference action next week, with an away game at Mount Baker on Tuesday, January 5.

“We’ve made little improvements everyday, and that’s something you love to see as a coach,” Pike said.

December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016 • thenorthernlight.com

2015

year in

REVIEW

A LOOK BACK

Blaine school district

B y R o n S pa n j e r , E d .D As 2015 draws to a close, the staff and students of Blaine school district have many accomplishments to celebrate.

District staff members continue to address the challenge of meeting multiple complex state mandates for Washington schools. New systems have been implemented for testing student achievement, as well as for evaluating teacher and principal performance.

We are implementing more intensified academic standards at all grade levels as we transition to these new systems. As such, we anticipate seeing a higher level of overall success for students.

With passage of the capital projects bond in February of 2015, we are now poised to complete a broad range of construction projects. The new addition to Blaine Primary School will be finished in time for the 2016-17 school year. This will make it possible for us to offer a full-time kindergarten program to students in our district.

Construction on the first of three phases at Blaine High School will commence in June of 2016. The extensive facility work at Blaine High School is slated for completion by the start of the 2019–20 school year. The staff and students of Blaine school district remain extremely grateful for the over-

Blaine Chamber of Commerce

2015

year in

REVIEW

A LOOK BACK

By Carroll Solomon The chamber ended the year with 86 members, including 20 new members. Our business of the year was Blaine Healing Arts Massage Therapy and former director Dr. Ron Spanjer, Blaine school district superintendent, was honored for his many years of service.

Our featured members of the month were: Phillips 66, Circle of Trees Homestead, Birch Bay Get Aways, Louis Auto Glass, Tony’s Just A Bite Diner, Blaine Artists Group, WFC-Ace, Blaine Senior Center, Reichardt and Ebe Engineering, Eagle Power Retreat House, Blaine Harbor Art Gallery and Touchstone Behavioral Health.

The chamber sponsored several of Blaine’s best attended festivals and events during the year including Bite of Blaine Food Fest and AGM, Spring Carnival, Blaine Gardener’s Market, An Old Fashioned Fourth of July (14,000 came out this year!), Art 2 Jazz Street Fair, Drayton Harbor Days Maritime Festival, Bountiful Harvest Festival and Scarecrow Tour and the Holiday Harbor Lights and Tree Lighting.

The chamber also partnered in other events such as The Treaty of Ghent Anniversary Ceremony, Wings Over Water Birding Festival, Springfest Art Tour, International Art & Music Festival, Drayton Harbor Music Festival and Holiday Art Market. In addition, the chamber helped to

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all community support shown toward assuring that long overdue construction will now be addressed.

In February 2016, voters of the Blaine school district will be asked to approve (renew) our four-year maintenance and operations levy. The maintenance and operations levy is currently a critical funding mechanism for our district, representing approximately 25 percent of overall program revenue. Renewal of the maintenance and operations levy will allow Blaine school district to maintain existing educational programs, as well as address future needs.

Community members are invited to connect with their

N OF THE NORTHERN

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LIGHT

sponsor the canoe family celebration, Blaine Splash Days and the opening of the Marine Park Playground.

In August the chamber organized a workshop for downtown businesses where various issues were discussed including directional signage, derelict properties, retail advertising kiosks, etc., and recommendations were made to city planning officials. The chamber continued to be represented at economic development meetings and participated in The Whatcom Business Alliance fall trade show in October.

In 2016 the chamber will continue to recognize the efforts of local businesses and encourage economic development in our community.

schools by visiting the district’s website for regular updates and a calendar of student activities.

We hope you will attend community events that showcase the hard work and talents of students in each of our schools.

Thank you for your continued involvement in, and support to, your school system.

We are proud to be an active part of making a positive difference for all students.

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8

The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

Uphill battle: An indoor enthusiast ventures into the dreaded outdoors

s So very tired...

By Steve Guntli 7:30 a.m.: My wife Nicole attempts to wake me up. At 7:30 a.m. On a Sunday. In these situations I become devout, quoting whatever real-sounding scripture I can conjure that might buy me a few more minutes of sleep.

“Yea, for verily the Lord said that Sunday was a day of rest, and restliness is next to godliness, and verily thou shalt hit thine snooze button, which is holiest amongst all buttons, and thou shalt sleep for another 15 to 20 minutes.”

Nicole the Philistine doesn’t buy it and tells me to hurry up; we’ve got to get the snowshoes into the car if we’re going to meet our friends by 9 a.m. She reminds me that this trip was my idea in the first place, that I’d been promising to spend more time outdoors, that we’d been living here for three years and had only been up to Mt. Baker once. I grumble and climb out of bed.

8 a.m.: I’m awake and semi-conscious, slurping down cereal and trying to remember why I pitched this story idea in the first place. It seems much more in keeping with my skill set to write a hard-hitting expose about playing “Donkey Kong” in my underwear. I’m wondering if I can convince Nicole that’s actually what the article is supposed to be about. No dice. I’m being particularly sulky, so Nicole pulls out the big guns: if I go on this snowshoeing trip, we will stop at the North Fork Beer Shrine on the way home. I finish my Corn Pops and get ready to go.

9 a.m.: We meet up with our friends and divvy up driving duties. Tim helpfully provides directions to Mt. Baker (turn right and keep going) and we cut through the thick Bellingham fog on our way to what must surely be a

Photo by Nicole Vettese

snowy bounty.

9:30 a.m.: We pass the beer shrine, and I almost drive the car into a ditch. It’s difficult to keep your eyes on the road when you have your nose pressed to the driver-side window glass like a kid drooling on a candy store window.

10 a.m.: We’re getting close to the Mount Baker Ski Area, and there’s still no snow. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen trees so green, covered in moss that dangle from their branches.

I jokingly (not jokingly) suggest that the trip is off; we should go get beer and pizza now.

10:30 a.m.: We arrive at the Heather Meadows parking lot.

Snow is there after all, thin and muddy though it may be. The parking lot is almost completely empty, a fact I am grateful for a few minutes later when I attempt to pull my snow pants up over my heavy boots and stumble around on the pavement. (Note: this excursion took place early this year, when the snow wasn’t as thick as it is now.)

11 a.m.: All of us are geared up and ready to head up the mountain, and I’m suddenly struck with a case of snowshoe envy.

Everyone else in the group is rocking some cutting edge shoes – futuristic diamond shapes with strong, solid bindings and little cheater bars installed on the heels to make hiking up steep slopes easier. Mine are a pair of handme-downs from the late ’80s that are only a few steps up the evolutionary ladder from tennis rackets. To make it worse, Nicole and I only have one set of poles, so we each take one and amble like 18th century dandies up the mountain. I vow two things before we set off on the hike: I’m never doing this again, and I’m going to buy new snowshoes.

11:30 a.m.: I grudgingly admit that I’m starting to enjoy myself.

The air is crisp and clean, and it’s a perfectly pleasant 50 degrees out. Despite having to stop every five minutes to re-tighten the straps of my snowshoes, I feel like I’m getting a good amount of exercise and it’s not entirely unpleasant. Even though my cohorts assure me this isn’t the highest quality snow, it’s all about the same to me, and I’m having a good time.

11:45 a.m.: My positive attitude dissipates when I see the hill we have to climb. Everyone else approaches the hill as a moderate challenge. In my mind, it’s a sheer 90-degree trek up a flat, glassy surface with no handholds and a 100 percent probability of death.

I try and fail to build my strength through the power of whining.

11:50 a.m.: About midway up the slope, I realize I can stop at any time to take photos, and no one will realize I’m actually out of breath and hideously out of shape. Just go ahead of me, guys.

I’m a journalist. I’ve journalist-y things to do.

Noon: Finally, I make it to the top of the monster hill, and have a moment to catch my breath and drink some water. I’m relieved when Tim and Jill assure me that was the worst it gets.

12:30 p.m.: Our destination is actually in sight. We opt to stick to the trails rather than forge our own way up the steep slope to the summit. My legs are burning, and I’m still stopping frequently to tighten my bindings, but now I also have to chip awkwardly at the ice accumulating under my heels.

My pole keeps falling apart, too.

s Julianna Van Enk conquers the mountain.

1 p.m.: We finally arrive at Artist’s Point. I take a second to admire the view of gorgeous Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan and the verdant, fog-kissed valley stretching out below us. Then I flop over in the snow and refuse to stand up for another five minutes.

1:30 p.m.: Rested, refreshed and fed on an essential feast of granola bars and cocoa, we strap our shoes back on and prepare to head back down. I’m feeling suddenly euphoric. I have energy to spare, and I can truly appreciate the grandeur of the view and the camaraderie I feel with my friends. Or maybe I’m just psyched about the beer and pizza. Let’s call it 50/50.

2 p.m.: The trip down is proving to be much faster than the trip up, mostly because we’re sliding down the steeper sections on our butts. John and Jill slide typically slide down first, and I achieve some fantastic speeds while riding down in their butt grooves. This goes all right until we reach the big monster slope. John veers off wildly and almost hits a tree. Jill frantically course-corrects to avoid following him. I can’t decide which route to take and go rogue, carving a third trail as I struggle to dig my snowshoes into the crumbling snow. I’m quite certain I hit about Mach 5 and got a little air before I was able to stop myself.

I’m able to shake it off, and the rest of the walk down the slope is uneventful. By this point, I have more snow than feet in my shoes.

2:30 p.m.: We arrive back at the parking lot, and I learn to walk again. I’d gotten so used to Godzilla-stomping my way around the slopes that my normal stride feels anticlimactic.

I’m soaked head to toe, sore and accumulating the beginnings of a sunburn, but feeling strangely accomplished. Warren Miller isn’t going to be making a short film about me anytime soon, but I’d set a goal and accomplished it with only minor physical injury.

Besides, it made my wife happy.

3 p.m.: Beer. Pizza. Sweet manna from the heavens. This trip was totally worth it.

Photo by Steve Guntli

December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016 • thenorthernlight.com

2015

year in

REVIEW A LOOK BACK

9

Ringing out the old: 2015 in Blaine and Birch Bay

s May: Police help Elizabeth Jane Ray out of Semiahmoo Bay after she crashed a stolen school bus in Marine Park and attempted to swim to Canada.

Photo by Molly Ernst

January • Whatcom County appointed its first Native American superior court judge. Raquel Montoya-Lewis took office on January 20.

• The Lummi Nation formally requested the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deny a permit to SSA Marine for its Gateway Pacific Terminal project at Cherry Point.

• Evergreen Cannabis, Blaine’s first retail pot store, opened for business on January 23.

• Blaine resident Douglas Benton, 53, was killed in a hit-andrun accident near the SR-543 truck crossing on January 22.

Police arrested 26-year-old Andrey Kirichkov hours later.

• Volunteer Center of Whatcom County gave Blaine Food Bank founder Bert Isackson the first-ever Bert Isackson Award.

The award will be handed out annually to commemorate exceptional volunteer service.

• A new NEXUS processing center opened in Birch Bay Square.

The new center can process larger numbers of NEXUS passes at a convenient location near the border. Within a month, the center was credited with dramatically reducing wait times at the border.

• The trial for Birch Bay resident Lesley Villatoro began January 29. Villatoro was accused of aiding and abetting her boyfriend, Chad Horne, in an attempted murder that ended

with Horne’s suicide.

February • Voters approved a $45 million bond for the Blaine school district. The bond, which was approved by a margin of 69.7 percent, will go towards a massive remodel of Blaine High School, as well as additional improvements to the other school facilities.

• The Canadian dollar dropped below 80 cents on the U.S. dollar on February 10, the lowest the loonie had been in six years.

Retail specialists voiced concerns about the impact the decline in value would have on Whatcom County retailers. The loonie would continue to drop throughout 2015, going as low as 73 cents on the dollar by December.

• Blaine City Council revived talks about a passenger rail stop in Blaine. Talks about building a station had gained momentum in 2012 but stalled out.

• Steve Seymour and his son Mark cut the ribbon on the new storefront for Drayton Harbor Oysters on Peace Portal Drive.

• Lesley Villatoro was found guilty for complicity in six felonies. She would later be sentenced to 43 years in prison.

March • Whatcom County councilmember Sam Crawford announced he would retire from the council effective March 1. Kathy Kershner, Satpal Sidhu and Jim Cozad applied to finish out his

s March: A great blue heron takes flight over Drayton Harbor.

Photo by Steve Guntli

term, with Sidhu ultimately winning the appointment.

• Construction crews began renovations on Telescope Beach in Marine Park. The city would clear much of the rubble from the shoreline and clean up the wild plants blocking access to the beach.

• Mary Lou Steward was sworn in to the Blaine City Council.

Steward stepped in to finish out Clark Cotner’s term.

• Canadian citizen Xiao Ju Guan was sentenced to 30 months in prison for smuggling endangered rhino horns through Blaine and Point Roberts.

April • On April 1, sections of western Drayton Harbor were opened for clam, mussel and oyster harvesting. That portion of Drayton Harbor had been closed off since 1999, due to toxicity and health concerns.

• Blaine High School student Nathan Smith won Best Male Musical Soloist at the Washington Thespian State Theatre Convention.

• Blaine Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 agreed to donate $30,000 to finish the Boys & Girls Club pavilion project in Blaine.

• Blaine school district canceled classes on April 24 to allow the teacher’s union to participate in a statewide walkout demonstration. Blaine joined eight other school districts around the state in the protest, which called for smaller class sizes and a higher rate of pay for teachers. The Blaine teacher’s union spokesman emphasized the teachers were happy with the administration in Blaine, and their participation in the protest was an act of solidarity and not in response to any specific complaint.

• Blaine city council rejected bids from construction companies on the Marine Park playground. The bids came in much higher than projected, and the city decided to give community planners time to pare back the expenses before resubmitting the bids.

May • A woman led police on a wild chase through Blaine in a stolen school bus. The woman, who stole the bus from Stanwood-Camano Island school district, crashed the vehicle in Ma-

rine Park before fleeing on foot, diving into the bay and attempting to swim to Canada. Blaine police and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies were able to convince her to come back out of the frigid water and took her into custody.

• NWFR chief Ron Anderson resigned his position amidst increasingly tense union negotiations.

• An E. coli outbreak that originated from the Milk Makers Festival at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden affected more than 55 people.

Most of those who fell ill were first and second graders from throughout the county, who had been brought to the festival on a field trip.

• The state posthumously honored two Blaine border guards for their involvement in a deadly shooting at the border crossing in 1936.

• Blaine High School drama students debuted “Soldat: A Bittersweet Alchemy,” the school’s first-ever original, student-run production.

• Blaine High School students turned to crowd-funding website GoFundMe.com to raise money for their senior skip day. Seniors raised enough money from local residents and businesses to hold their own all-inclusive picnic for outgoing seniors in Bellingham.

• Hundreds of employees of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center went on strike after wage negotiations broke down. After the 24-hour protest, the striking employees were blocked from entering the hospital for another two days as temporary employees finished out their contracts.

• Blaine man Kyle Green, 30, died after driving his truck off the pier on Marine Drive. Police ruled the death a suicide.

• Blaine Marina, Inc. closed after more than 60 years. The business served as a crab and fish buyer and a refueling station for local fishermen. Over the years, the company also sold everything from kitchen appliances and fur-

niture to groceries and real estate.

June • City and county officials broke ground for the Boys & Girls Club pavilion project.

• An Everson man was killed in an accident while working at Blaine’s Golden Nut Company.

• Bellingham rejected a cost-sharing proposal for a new Whatcom County jail in Ferndale. Their reluctance to sign on to fund the jail called the whole project into question.

• The Northern Light celebrated its 20th anniversary.

• Two teenagers were killed and two more were injured in a devastating car wreck near Ferndale’s Windward High School.

A car struck the teens as they were walking back from a gym class exercise. The driver of the vehicle, Bellingham resident William Klein, had fallen asleep behind the wheel. Klein was charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. His trial is ongoing.

• The Hands Across the Border event at Peace Arch State Park returned after a long hiatus. The event brought together Boy and Girl Scout troops from either side of the border.

• Elizabeth Jane Ray, 54, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for the high-speed bus chase and crash on Marine Drive in Blaine. Ray pleaded guilty to third-degree assault, possession of a stolen vehicle and attempting to elude police.

• Birch Bay man Morgan Ritchie attempted to disembowel himself after a drunken altercation with his wife. Police were able to save Ritchie before he could cause too much damage, and brought him to the hospital.

• NBA player and Blaine native Luke Ridnour made national headlines after being traded a record four times in one week. After landing with the Toronto Raptors, Ridnour ultimately decided to sit out the 2015–16 season.

Read part two of our 2015 retrospective next week.

s February: Runners gather in Birch Bay State Park to compete in the Birch Bay Marathon.

Photo by Steve Guntli

10

The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

2015

year in

REVIEW A LOOK BACK

Best of the Blaine Police reports, part 1

January 5, 9:44 p.m.: A passerby called police to report seeing a couple having sex in a car in the parking lot of a hotel.

An officer was in the area and checked the parking lot but the minuteman and his female companion had already finished their task and were gone.

January 14, 10:30 a.m.: A passerby notified police that an unidentified driver had backed into an unoccupied police vehicle parked in the police department’s lot between the station and the library. The police vehicle’s rear bumper had minor cosmetic damage, but the scene indicated that the suspect vehicle did not fare so well, as the remains of its broken taillight were left at the scene. The suspect vehicle in the hit and run is possibly a late-model Toyota Camry.

January 19, 10:38 a.m.: Police responded to a report from a passing motorist that a dead Sasquatch was laying alongside the northbound freeway lanes in Blaine. The responding officers determined the body was actually a deceased good-sized deer.

WSDOT was advised to respond and remove the victim.

February 20, 7:30 p.m.: A motorist noticed a white newer Cadillac parked on the side of Yew Street. Her passing observation turned to concern when she saw a man walk up, hop into the fancy car’s trunk, and close the lid on himself. The Caddy took off down Yew Street as she called police.

Officers searched the area but did not locate the car, and have not yet received any possibly related missing person reports.

February 20, 3:45 a.m.: An officer on patrol spotted and contacted a person on Marine Drive who appeared to need assistance. The pedestrian turned out to be a newspaper motor carrier who had hopped out of her car a few minutes earlier to drop off some papers. As she stepped

away from the vehicle she heard a click, and looked back to see that her delivery assistant, a grinning miniature dachshund, had locked her out of the car.

The officer was able to unlock one of the doors so the grateful driver could return to training her apprentice.

March 24, 2:11 a.m.: In late March a couple returned to Blaine after a weekend trip to find that their home had been burglarized and used as a party house by the criminals. Blaine police were called and initiated an investigation, and with the family’s help an inventory catalogued losses of over $2,000 in stolen, vandalized or consumed property. Evidence was collected and officers identified suspects.

More than 60 people have so far been interviewed. To date, 11 teenagers from the Blaine and Birch Bay area have been arrested or referred for prosecution for felony and misdemeanor crimes committed at the home.

Restitution to the victims is being sought. Some of the suspects used social media to plan the event, starting several days before the break-in.

March 26, 12:37 a.m.: Snohomish County officials contacted Blaine police to warn that a suicidal man who was possibly hostile to police had armed himself with multiple firearms and was in the Blaine area. Officers searched for the suspect and vehicle, and shortly after midnight found the car parked in a business lot downtown. A team of Blaine officers and assisting Border Patrol agents secured the area and contacted the man inside.

The 9mm handgun in his lap was secured along with the 40 rounds of ammunition and spare magazines in his pockets. Following an interview and follow-up with Snohomish County authorities, the Everett resident was transported to hospital for an involuntary mental health evaluation.

April 5, 8:34 a.m.: Police responded to a motel for a report of a theft. They arrived and contacted the owner of the motel who explained that the previous night a group of people had attempted to steal a washer and dryer from the laundry room. The would-be thieves left before being identified. Officers contacted several people of interest but all declined to come clean about their involvement. At the manager’s request they were given a trespass warning and left with the understanding that if they return, they will be arrested.

April 8, 3:04 p.m.: An officer on patrol recognized a pedestrian who has an active warrant through Blaine Municipal Court.

The officer confirmed the warrant, arrested the 22-year-old man and booked him in to jail.

The jail staff requested that the officer take the man for a medical check of an injury he reportedly received some days earlier.

At the hospital the staff advised it would take several hours to complete their evaluation. They were asked to notify police when the man was ready for release, and the officer returned to patrol in Blaine. When they did not hear back for some time an officer called the hospital and was advised that they did not notify police of the criminal’s release as they felt it violated privacy rules.

It appears the staff did give the arrestee back his green inmate clothing to put on before he left their care. The court is issuing fresh warrants for the suspect, on the original and new charges.

April 15, 5:10 p.m.: Police were dispatched to a report of a person passed out near a grocery store on H Street. Officers arrived and found the man had consumed a large bottle of liquor, which he had apparently stolen from the store. Other evidence of his excessive traits included five shopping carts beside him, which were loaded with over $1,000 worth of other

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shoplifted food and consumables he had wheeled out of the store.

The officers also recovered property stolen from another store in Blaine. The 40-year-old transient was arrested and booked in to jail. The stolen goods were returned to their owners.

May 1, 3:57 p.m.: Border Patrol dispatch advised that a school bus stolen from the Stanwood-Camano School District had been spotted driving north on the freeway from the Ferndale area. Minutes later Blaine officers spotted the bus exiting I-5 onto D Street. Police and Border Patrol agents responded to the area as dispatch advised the bus was pulling into a gas station lot near D and 4th streets.

The first Blaine officer on scene found the yellow short-box bus parking, so he activated his emergency lights, positioned his car and parked as well. Instead of surrendering, the bus driver lunged the bus forward, changed direction towards the officer as he stepped out and rammed the patrol car. The officer narrowly missed being run over.

The suspect raced back onto D Street and traveled west the wrong direction through two roundabouts before swerving onto Marine Drive, passing at least one startled motorist at a speed estimated to be 60 mph in the 25mph zone. The suspect veered off the road just west of the city water reclamation plant, steering north across the grass lawn towards the bay, but fortunately a large barricade log the bus crashed over became lodged underneath the vehicle and dragged it to a stop.

The driver abandoned her improvised battering ram, fled on foot north to the shore, jumped into Boundary Bay and began swimming towards Canada. A boat crew from the Blaine Harbormaster’s Office with two Blaine police officers on board caught up with her about 150 yards off shore, advised the

swimmer she was under arrest and for the next 20 minutes coached her in methods of peaceful surrender. She refused to learn any of the techniques offered, and ultimately the officers had to go into the water to secure her. The harbormaster’s team delivered the officers and suspect back to shore, where she was evaluated by medics and transported to hospital under officer escort.

Once warmed up and fit, the adult, whose identity has not been confirmed, was booked in to jail for possession of stolen property, felony assault of a police officer, eluding police, resisting arrest, hit and run and other charges. She also faces charges for stealing the bus from Stanwood. Damage to the patrol car is estimated at about $2,500.

May 26, 11:33 a.m.: Blaine police responded to a sheriff’s office request for assistance investigating a suspicious circumstance call on California Trail Road outside the city limits. A passerby reported seeing an elderly man using a gas can to pour a trail of fuel from the road to a nearby residence. The arriving officer and deputy discovered that the man had coordination problems and had spilled some petrol while trying to fill his lawn mower. There was no impending crime or catastrophe, and the approaching rain clouds convinced the homeowner to set aside his errand for the day.

June 1, 5:52 a.m.: Police were called by a household upset about a neighbor’s rooster waking them at an unseemly hour of the morning. An officer contacted the residence where the rascal was roosting, and discovered this homeowner was also crying foul, as the bird had wandered onto their property uninvited. They advised that animal control had unsuccessfully tried to tackle the trespasser. The officer asked them to return and try again.

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Legal SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR KING COUNTY. IN RE THE ESTATE OF: JERRY L. BRUMET, Deceased. NO. 15-4-06670-3 SEA, PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. THE ADMINISTRATOR NAMED BELOW has been appointed as Administrator of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty (30) days after the Administrator served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four (4) months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in section 11 of this act and RCW 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and non-probate assets.

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Young at Heart: January B y L o r r i e C o n ya c Happy New Year to you all!

Just like everyone else, the end of 2015 causes me to look back and assess successes and failures. We at the Blaine Senior Center had a great year of successful events, hundreds of happy hours getting fit, playing cards, learning about how to stay healthy, solving puzzles, playing pool, painting, needle crafting, socializing and much, much more.

Did we have failures? I choose to believe that we had opportunities to do some things better and that we were successful in making some needed changes.

2016 is a huge stage just waiting for us to produce a stunningly exciting new play. Our membership and partners are the actors that will bring everything together, so I’m asking for your help. Do you have a suggestion or observation that will help us continue to grow and meet your needs? Call us, write to us or come in and talk to us.

Do you know an adult that needs help with their literacy skills or is trying to learn English for the first time? Just imagine, as you go through your day, that you are unable to read or speak English. You can’t read the labels on groceries, you can’t understand anyone around you and you can’t even read the street signs. The Whatcom Literacy Council is looking for volunteers to train and match with learners to help them reach individual goals.

Come to the Blaine Senior Center on Tuesday, January 12 at 11:45 p.m. to discover if, perhaps, you are a candidate to become involved in this very worthwhile program.

Don’t forget to join us for pancake breakfast on Saturday, January 16, 8–11 a.m. Enjoy your choice of pancakes, waffles, biscuits and gravy, French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, coffee and orange juice. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children.

Every day, Whatcom County residents look up at some point and see Mount Baker gracing

our skyline with beauty and majesty. Michael Impero, author of “The Grand Lady of Mount Baker: A History of the Mount Baker Lodge from 1927–1931” is going to be at the Blaine Senior Center to talk about his book. Come for lunch at 11:30 a.m., or for the presentation at 11:45 a.m. on Wednesday, January 20. Michael has researched the lodge and discovered hundreds of photographs, documents and artifacts. Best of all, he has the inside track on the history of this fabulous building and can probably answer any question you might have.

Join me in congratulating Dolores Holleman, our volunteer of the month for January. Dolores has been a Cookie Walk chairperson, board member, rummage sale volunteer and much more. She is also a very active member attending stretch class and many events and fundraisers. Thank you Dolores.

Blaine Senior Center is located at 763 G Street. Give us a call at 360/332-8040.

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Whatcom County sheriff’s report, December 9December 22 December 9, 3:53 a.m.: Assist agency on Skagit Way. December 9, 8:33 a.m.: Refer to other agency on Seashell Way. December 9, 10:25 a.m.: Theft cold call on Surf Place.

December 9, 4:59 p.m.: 911 hang-up in progress on Birch Bay Drive.

December 9, 5:27 p.m.: Alarm audible on Portal Way. December 9, 8:44 a.m.: Mental in progress on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 10, 7:33 a.m.: Motor vehicle non-blocking, non-injury on Shintaffer Road. Blaine man, 46, cited for driving with wheels off the roadway.

December 10, 3:53 p.m.: Landlord tenant dispute on Harborview Road.

December 10, 9:12 p.m.: Suspicious person on Birch Bay Square Street.

December 11, 2:38 a.m.: Mental on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 11, 9:12 a.m.: Hit and run cold call on Custer School Road.

December 11, 12:45 p.m.: Welfare check on Chehalis Road.

December 11, 2:22 p.m.: Impound private on Birch Bay Square Street.

December 11, 4:40 p.m.: Drunk on Beachcomber Drive.

December 11, 5:30 p.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 11, 9:57 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances on Sage Street.

December 11, 10:10 p.m.: Assist citizen on Birch Bay Drive.

December 12, 1:16 a.m.: Security check on Birch Bay Drive.

December 12, 5:36 a.m.: Burglary on Birch Bay Drive. Blaine woman, 51, arrested for making/ possessing burglary tools, burglary residential and obstructing.

December 12, 10:10 a.m.: Welfare check on Clamdigger Drive.

December 12, 10:24 a.m.: Assist agency on Pacific Highway.

December 12, 11:35 a.m.: Alarm panic on Semiahmoo Drive.

December 12, 2:07 p.m.: Domestic verbal on Richmond Crescent.

December 12, 2:30 p.m.: Civil problem cold call on Harborview Road.

December 12, 8:33 p.m.: Suspicious person on Birch Bay Drive.

December 12, 9:41 p.m.: Harassment cold call on Anderson Road.

December 13, 3:25 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident non-blocking, non-injury on Willeys Lake Road.

December 13, 1:54 p.m.: Assist citizen on West 34th Crest.

December 13, 5:18 p.m.: Serve warrant on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

13

OBITUARIES Janet Marie Westman Hrutfiord

October 22, 1938 – December 28, 2015 Our Mother Janet Marie Westman Hrutfiord was born on October 22, 1938 to Margaret Olson Westman and Eythor Gudjon Westman in Bellingham, WA. She passed away on Monday, December 28, 2015 at Stafholt Good Samaritan Center in Blaine, WA after a valiant 8½-year fight with cancer. Jan lived in Bellingham and attended Birchwood Elementary where she met some of her lifelong friends.

At the age of 10, the family moved to their family farm in Blaine. She attended Whatcom Jr. High School, Blaine High School and Cottey College in Missouri.

Returning to Bellingham to finish her degree in elementary education at Western Washington University, she was re-acquainted with her neighbor Bjorn Hrutfiord who she married. They lived in Seattle where they had 4 sons and adopted her nephew Kurt Thomas after her sister Yvonne’s death.

Jan taught elementary school for several years. She loved music, singing and playing the piano and organ. Jan was involved in P.E.O. Sisterhood for over 50 years. She wrote many articles for The Northern Light newspaper. She was proud of her Icelandic heritage and was involved with the Icelandic community in Blaine.

She was deeply engaged in many community services.

Jan was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years Bjorn, her parents, Eythor and Margaret Westman, her brother Gary and sister Yvonne, and son Bradley (wife Dianna). She is survived by her sons Brian (wife Shannon), David (wife Kari), Steven (wife Rachel), Kurt Thomas and nephew Eythor Westman. She was blessed with 9 grandchildren, Melissa, Cassandra, Jeffrey, Conner, Svenna, Bjorn, Bella, Resa and Oskar. As she never thought she would have grandchildren, she was very proud of all of them.

Jan will be buried in a private service at Blaine Cemetery on Wednesday, January 6, at 11 a.m. A public memorial service will be held at Grace Lutheran church in Blaine on Friday, January 8 at 4 p.m.

Sandra “Sandy” Lee Clifford

July 23,1943 – December 18, 2015 Sandra “Sandy” Lee Clifford of Blaine, WA went to be with her Heavenly Father on Friday, December 18, following a tragic car accident in Custer, WA. She was born in Collinsville, IL on July 23,1943 to Mike and Wilma Perucca, she was the oldest of 4 children. After relocating to California she married Frank Lee Clifford on June 8, 1962 and remained faithfully married for the next 50 years.

Lovingly referred to as “Noni” Sandy was known for being dependable and showing up to support her family whether it was to give advice, watch a play or cheer on a sporting event. A constant presence in her families life, Sandy was well loved and always ready with a listening ear. She was a rock of strength for our family. Sandy was an avid lover of books and movies and could be counted on to see a film or two every week. Although Sandy’s death was unexpected everyone has found solace in the fact that her earthly pains no longer plague her.

She was preceded in death by her husband Frank, mother Wilma, father Mike, and brother Michael.

She is survived by her son Tony (LeighAnn) Clifford, daughter Michelle (Shawn) Statham, sister Deborah Perucca, brother Dennis Perucca, nieces Katie (Greg) Potter, Tara (Javier) Hernandez as well as grandchildren Bryce, Tanner and Rachel Clifford; Amanda, Caleb and Nicole Statham; Alex, Kayla, Evan and Grace Potter; Abby and Zoey Hernandez.

A celebration of life will be held at Freedom Community Church (508 G Street Blaine, WA) at 6 p.m. on Tuesday January 5. The family invites those who knew Sandy or wish to offer condolences to join them for a memorial in her honor. As hard as the loss of Sandy has been, they are thankful that she is able to be with Frank and those who went before her.

Ralph Theriault

December 13, 6:23 p.m.: Refer to Washington State Patrol on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 13, 8:27 p.m.: Alarm audible on Arnie Road.

December 13, 11:22 p.m.: Assist agency on Odell Road.

December 13, 11:23 p.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 14, 2:22 p.m.: Burglary cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 14, 4:27 p.m.: Security check on West 95th Terrace.

December 14, 5:17 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident non-blocking, non-injury on Harborview Road and Lincoln Road. Blaine man cited for failing to yield right of way.

December 14, 6:07 p.m.: Suspicious vehicle on Stein Road.

December 14, 9:54 p.m.: Domestic order violation on Birch Bay Drive.

December 14, 11:33 p.m.: Missing person on Sweet Road.

December 15, 1:20 a.m.: Security check on Birch Bay Square Street.

December 15, 3:26 a.m.: Welfare check on Seashell Way. December 15, 10:02 a.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 15, 10:44 a.m.: Juvenile problem on Hayley Lane.

December 15, 11:50 a.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on Nakat Way. December 15, 2:07 p.m.: Property found on Boblett Street.

December 16, 12:28 a.m.: Fight on Drayton Harbor Road.

December 16, 1:20 a.m.: Security check on Birch Bay Drive.

December 16, 6:49 a.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 16, 8:59 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident non-blocking, non-injury at Blaine Road and

Drayton Harbor Road.

December 16, 9:38 a.m.: Mental cold call on Surf Place.

December 16, 10 a.m.: Traffic stop on Birch Bay Drive. Blaine man, 45, cited for driving with a suspended license third degree and failing to wear a safety belt.

December 16, 11:19 a.m.: Burglary cold call on Birch Bay Drive.

December 16, 12:33 p.m.: Burglary cold call on Birch Bay Drive.

December 16, 12:34 p.m.: Assist citizen cold call on Birch Bay Drive.

December 16, 3:18 p.m.: Assist citizen cold call on Semiahmoo Drive.

December 16, 3:59 p.m.: Theft cold call on Birch Bay Drive.

Langley, B.C. man, 23, arrested for third degree theft.

December 16, 4:03 p.m.: Suicidal subject on Bay Ridge Drive.

December 16, 4:37 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances on West 30th Crest.

December 16, 8:06 p.m.: Theft cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 17, 3:09 p.m.: Assist citizen cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 17, 5:46 p.m.: Silent alarm on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 17, 8:12 p.m.: Runaway in progress on Leeside Drive.

December 18, 12:05 a.m.: Mental on Fleet Road.

December 18, 8:23 a.m.: Civil problem cold call on Skagit Place.

December 18, 8:37 a.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on Skeena Way. December 18, 10:16 a.m.: Death investigation on Hazel Lane.

December 18, 2:02 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on (See Sheriff, page 15)

December 25, 1921 - December 9, 2015 Ralph Theriault passed away on December 9, 2015.

He was born in Waterbury, CT on Christmas day 1921 at 12:05 a.m. A funeral mass was offered by Fr. K. Scott Connolly, Thursday, December 17 at Church Of The Assumption, 2116 Cornwall Ave., Bellingham, WA 98225. A celebration of Ralph’s life will be held Saturday, January 16, 2016, 12 noon – 4 p.m., in the Birch Bay Village Clubhouse, 8055 Cowichan Rd., Blaine, WA 98230. Please share your memories on-line at www. sigsfuneralservices.com.

Robert Lee Hogan

March 20, 1932 – November 27, 2015 Robert “Bob” Hogan, 83, died on November 27, 2015, at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA. Born March 20, 1932, in Atlanta, Georgia to Harold and Evelyn Hogan, Bob attended Pier Avenue School in Hermosa Beach and Redondo Union High School, in Redondo Beach, CA. He also attended Woodbury College and Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles. In 1952 he entered the Navy. He met his wife Carol in 1954 and they were married in Las Vegas, NV that same year. His family lovingly remembers him; son, Robert Lee Hogan, Jr., (Kathryn LeVeque), daughter Sharri Hogan, and grandchildren Daniel and Victoria.

Bob was an accomplished Los Angeles County lifeguard, surfer and paddle boarder, sailor, navigator, shipwright and marine artist. His peers considered him a “Waterman’s waterman.”

A memorial service will be held at Blaine United Church of Christ on January 23, 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Alzheimer’s Society of Washington.

John F. Hayes, Sr.

December 9, 1932 – December 12, 2015 John was born December 9, 1932 in Topeka, KS and died December 12, 2015 in Seattle, at 83 years-old. John, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, uncle and friend was married to his beloved wife, Chermaine, for 60 years.

He enjoyed board games, outdoor recreation, family events, card games and sports.

John proudly served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, worked as a postal carrier and then as a USDA food inspector. Following retirement, John became an entrepreneur opening several businesses in Washington and Idaho. In 1989, John opened Hayes Import Inspection Service in Blaine, WA. A year later, he also opened and operated Hayes Chick n-Ribs where they sold his famous BBQ ribs, sauce, and sweet potato pie. In 1996, John sold his Import Inspection business to his son, Tom Hayes, and today, Tom honors his dad’s business legacy as he continues to operate and expand T.C. Trading Company and HLS, Inc., in Blaine.

John is proceeded in death by his daughter Gloria, wife Chermaine and 11 of his siblings. He is survived by his children John Jr., Gordon (Mary), Catherine (Richard), Terence, Thomas (Sonia) and Jason (Ming) and grandchildren Phillip, Mallory, Gordon Jr., Tia, Angelica, Mandy, Michelle, Elizabeth, Terence Jr., Morgan and August and great-grandchild Xavier John.

Services were held in Seattle last week at St. George Catholic Church.

14

The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

Coming up

Police Reports December 23, 1:41 a.m.: An officer contacted several in a vehicle parked at a closed business. The kids gave various stories about why they were there, and a call to the car’s registered owner revealed that the vehicle had been stolen from a residence in Birch Bay. Sheriff’s deputies responded to collect the car and its joyriding occupants.

December 23, 12:17 p.m.: Police were dispatched to contact a guardian who wanted to report their foster child had run away sometime in the last several hours. The teen had apparently also stolen a family member’s wallet and used one of their credit cards in a store.

A missing person’s report was filed and an investigation into the theft continues.

December 23, 4:52 p.m.: A motorist left a new iPhone 6 cell phone in her unlocked car for a few minutes while visiting a store, and returned to find that the phone had been stolen.

Officers have a possible suspect and investigation continues.

December 26, 8:02 p.m.: Customs and Border Protection at the Peace Arch port of entry called police when they determined that a traveler was violating a court order by being in the company of his wife and child while on a road trip.

A Blaine officer responded, confirmed the court order and arrested the subject, and then booked him into jail.

December 27, 11:35 a.m.: Blaine Police assisted a Whatcom County sheriff’s deputy with stopping a stolen vehicle on Delta Line Road. An officer assisted with removing the driver from the auto. He was arrested and booked into jail.

December 27, 6:34 p.m.: A Bellingham resident called Blaine police asking for a welfare check on her young son, who was visiting his dad in Blaine under a parenting plan.

Mom explained she had been on the phone with her child and overheard her ex-husband say something about putting the boy into the oven. An officer responded to the residence and spoke with both the father and son.

The boy was happy, healthy and uncooked. Dad agreed that his choice of words had not been appropriate, and explained he had meant the comment as a joke to get the young man’s attention. The officer cleared and advised Mom that her son was fine.

December 27, 8:03 p.m.: Officers were called to the Peace Arch port of entry for a protection order violation. A couple with mutual protection orders

Crossword

ACROSS 1. Costa del ___ 4. Book of maps 9. Adult 14. “The Three Faces of ___” 15. Allotment 16. Give the third degree 17. Hard throw, in baseball 18. Absurd 19. OK, in a way 20. Three-sided polygon 22. Clairvoyants 23. Beside 24. Heavy loads 26. Boston suburb 27. Man with a mission 30. “Sesame Street” watcher 31. Park, for one 33. Easy mark 35. Office Furniture (2 wds) 38. Dentist’s direction 39. Hidden 40. “A jealous mistress”: Emerson

41. Oblivion 42. “O, gie me the ___ that has acres o’ charms”: Burns 46. French for Herbarium 49. Military wear 50. Electron tube 51. Pool chemical 54. Scalawag 55. Pizazz 56. Fed. Construction overseer 57. Complimentary close 58. Postal scale unit 59. Coal carrier 60. “You ___ kidding!”

61. Counseled 62. “Don’t give up!”

38.

41.

43.

44.

45.

47.

48.

49.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

Relating to thin wall between nostrils Too Host Imitating Bell sound

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.

6. Loyal 7. Clearasil target 8. “Comprende?”

9. An onlooker, starer 10. Let go 11. A spray of feathers 12. Soviet open policy 13. Addition 21. Chronicles 22. “So ___ me!”

24. Inhale 25. Chester White’s home 27. Ballpoint, e.g.

28. Fisherman 29. Old gold coin 32. Compete 33. A.T.M. need 34. Elk mantelpiece 35. Emergency exit

(2 wds) 36. Curiosity or interest 37. Drone, e.g.

“Go team!”

“Malcolm X” director In order Electric eye, e.g.

Unfaltering Stream Clarification lead-in Blasé Hint Full house, e.g.

Vermin Scandinavian shag rug In favor of

DOWN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

out of King County Superior Court decided to cross the border to go skiing. Upon their return to the U.S., customs officers discovered the outstanding court orders and called Blaine police. Both subjects were arrested and booked into jail. The vehicle was impounded for retrieval by its registered owner.

December 28, 11:30 a.m.: A Blaine resident contacted police to report a tool bag had been stolen from his car overnight. The victim believes he accidentally triggered his trunk lock release during the night, popping open the trunk. Sometime before he left for work in the morning a passerby took advantage of the situation.

December 28, 7:25 p.m.: A motel manager called to report a drunk guest had assaulted him. Officers arrived to find the intoxicated suspect yelling at other patrons and causing general disturbance. The 69-yearold man was arrested, cited and released with a trespass order not to return.

FIND CROSSWORD ANSWERS AT THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM

Tides January 1 – January 7 at Blaine.

Not for navigation.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

New Year’s Eve Bash at Semiahmoo: Thursday, December 31, Semiahmoo Resort. Live music by The Atlantics in the ballroom and The Replayzmentz perform in Packers Oyster Bar. Prime Rib Dinner: Thursday, December 31, 5–8 p.m., American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Drive, Blaine. Prime rib dinner with all the fixings $15. Stay for the night’s festivities, $10. Info: David, 739-1671.

Ring of Fire and Hope: Thursday, December 31, 7 p.m., Birch Bay beach.

Light up Birch Bay beach. Bring your own spikeless flares or pick up one at the Birch Bay Visitor Information Center, 7900 Birch Bay Drive at 5:30 p.m. while supplies last (limit one flare per family). Info: birchbaychamber.com.

New Year’s Eve at Paso del Norte: Thursday, December 31, 9 p.m., Paso del Norte, 758 Peace Portal Drive. Live music, food and drink specials in the bar, party favors and Champagne toast at midnight. Info: 332-4045.

New Year’s at The Beach: Thursday, December 31, 9 p.m., The Beach, 7876 Birch Bay Drive. Three-course dinner reservations, dinner drink of choice, champagne toast at midnight, live music with Dazed and Confused starting at 9 p.m. Cost: $60 per couple. Info: 922-0816.

Free Coffee and Cocoa at The Beach: Friday, January 1, 10 a.m., The Beach, 7876 Birch Bay Drive. Free hot drinks before the Polar Bear Plunge.

Polar Bear Plunge: Friday, January 1, noon, new Birch Bay Beach Park, 7854 Birch Bay Drive. Costume contest at 11:30 a.m. for best group, best individual, best kid and most unique plus bonfires, hot soups and hot drinks. Register online at birchbaychamber.com.

Toddler Time: Tuesday, January 5, 10:30–11:30 a.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Stories, songs and more for very young children. Preschoolers welcome, content aimed at 1–3 year-olds. Info: 305-3637.

Play-N-Learn Drop-in: Wednesday, January 6, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Preschoolers learn while playing with PlayDoh, LEGO blocks, storytelling boards and more. Info: 305-3637.

Blaine Chamber of Commerce Meeting: Wednesday, January 6, noon, Pizza Factory, 738 Peace Portal Drive. Topic: Tourism assessment and video

by Roger Brooks. Info: blainechamber.com.

Mason Bees - Alternative Pollinators: Wednesday, January 6, 4–6 p.m., Saturday, January 9 and 16, 10 a.m. Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street.

Learn how to identify native pollinators, protect them and establish a colony in your yard. Presented by Blaine CORE. Info: Kelle Sunter, 332-7435.

First Friday Entertainment with Swil Kanim, HonorWorks: Friday, January 8, 7 p.m., Te’Ti’Sen Center (formerly Lummi Gateway Center), 4920 Rural Avenue, Ferndale, exit 260. Enjoy music, stories and complimentary light hors d’oeuvres. Info: 306-8554.

Home Education Seminar: Saturday, January 9, 12:30–5 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Info on first mortgage programs, down payment assistance and other loan programs. Accepted by all affordable housing loan programs as meeting or exceeding educational requirements.

Free. Registration is required. Info: wcls.org or 305-3637.

Remix YouTube Mashup: Tuesday, January 12, 3:15–4:45 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Learn to create video remixes. Make a video to enter into a statewide contest. For grades 6–12. Info: 305-3637.

Kombucha and Fermentation: Wednesday, January 13, 4–6 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Sample this fermented beverage and make some. Presented by Blaine CORE. Info: Kelle Sunter, 332-7435.

DATE TIME HEIGHT TIME HEIGHT

Ongoing

Fr 1

3:16 am 2.5 10:38 am 9.4

5:45 pm 4.0 10:37 pm 5.5

Birch Bay Activity Center: 7511 Gemini Street, Birch Bay. Pound Fit, Zumba, pickleball, yoga, line dancing and more. Visit website for days and times. Info: bbbparkandrec.org or 656-6416.

Sa 2 3:56 am 3.6 11:10 am 9.2

6:35 pm 3.2

Su 3 12:25 am 5.6 4:46 am 4.6

11:42 am 9.1 7:19 pm 2.4

Mo 4 2:07 am 6.2 5:48 am 5.5

12:16 pm 9.0 7:57 pm 1.6

Tu 5 3:19 am 7.0 7:04 am 6.2

12:54 pm 9.0 8:35 pm 0.8

We 6 4:11 am 7.8 8:14 am 6.6

1:32 pm 9.0 9:11 pm 0.1

Th 7 4:51 am 8.5 9:16 am 6.9

2:12 pm 8.9 9:49 pm -0.5

Weather Precipitation: During the period of December 22 to December 28 1.53 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2015 year-to-date precipitation is 33.96 inches.

Temperature: High for the past week was 45.1°F on December 28, with a low of 30.7°F on December 25.

Average temperature for the week was 36.9°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Afterschool Activities: Weekdays, 2:30–5:15 p.m., Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini Street. Kids ages 5 and up. A different theme each week, organized games as well as board games. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.

Sit and Knit: Monday and Friday, 3–5 p.m., Beach Basket Yarns and Gifts, 7620 Birch Bay Drive. Info: 371-0332.

AA Meetings: Monday and Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday, noon; Wednesday, 7 p.m. (women only); Saturday, 11 a.m., United Church of Christ, 885 4th Street, Blaine.

Al-Anon Meetings: Tuesdays, 1–2 p.m., Good Samaritan Society-Stafholt, 456 C Street, Blaine. Open to all. Info: 332-8248.

Alzheimer/Dementia/Memory Loss Caregiver Support Group: First Tuesday, 1:30–3 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Info: 671-3316.

Pound Fit: Tuesdays, 4–4:45 p.m., Thursdays, 10:30–11:15 a.m., Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini Street. Childcare provided. $5 drop-in fee.

Shotokan Karate: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30–6 p.m., Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini Street, Birch Bay. $40 for the month. Info: 656-6416.

Birch Bay Toastmasters Club: Tuesdays 6:30–7:45 p.m., Windermere building, second floor, Birch Bay Square, 8105 Birch Bay Square Street.

Learn leadership and communication skills. Info: toastmasters.org.

Community Meals: Wednesdays, 5–6:30 p.m., Blaine Community Center, 763 G Street. Dinners provided free of charge; donations accepted. Everyone is welcome! Info: communitymealsblaine@gmail.com.

Semiahmoo Men’s Club: First and third Thursdays, 7:30 a.m., Palmer Room of the Blue Heron Grill at Semiahmoo Golf Course. Breakfast at 8 a.m., $15, membership $20 annually. Info: 778-2075.

Karaoke: Friday night, 9 p.m. Paso del Norte, 758 Peace Portal Drive. Info: 332-4045.

Live Music with J.P. Falcon Grady and Special Guests: Saturdays, 7–10 p.m., Paso del Norte, 758 Peace Portal Drive. Info: 332-4045.

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

December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016 • thenorthernlight.com

Sheriff ...

From page 13

Skeena Way. December 18, 3:08 p.m.: Burglary cold call on Birch Bay Drive.

December 18, 8:10 p.m.: Domestic order violation on Birch Terrace Drive. Custer man, 29, cited for criminal trespass first degree.

December 18, 9:31 p.m.: Serve warrant on Birch Terrace Drive.

December 18, 10:33 p.m.: Serve warrant on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 19, 12:12 a.m.: Suspicious circumstances on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 19, 9:34 a.m.: Assist citizen on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 19, 2:28 p.m.: Welfare check on Tracy Place.

December 19, 3:26 p.m.: Driving while intoxicated on Pacific Highway.

December 19, 4:09 p.m.: Juvenile problem on Holeman Avenue.

December 19, 4:20 p.m.: Suicidal subject on Jennifer Lane.

December 19, 5:43 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on Skeena Way. December 19, 5:57 p.m.: Suspicious person on Helweg Lane.

December 19, 9:01 p.m.: Assist agency on Pacific Highway.

December 20, 5:34 a.m.: Welfare check on Anderson Road.

December 20, 8:31 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident non-blocking, non-injury on Birch Point Road.

December 20, 11:24 a.m.: Driving while intoxicated on Birch Bay-Lynden Road. Bellingham woman, 44, cited for driving under the influence.

December 20, 2:41 p.m.: Assist agency on Skeena Way. December 20, 2:48 p.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 20, 4:14 p.m.: Domestic verbal on Sunburst Drive.

December 20, 4:50 p.m.: Traffic stop on Sunburst Drive. Bellingham man, 58, arrested for driving with a suspended license third degree and failing to stop and give information.

December 21, 12:36 p.m.: Neighborhood dispute on Blaine Road.

December 21, 12:40 p.m.: Assist citizen on Clamdigger Drive.

December 21, 1:10 p.m.: Theft cold call on Birch Bay Drive.

December 21, 3:11 p.m.: Burglary cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 21, 3:36 p.m.: Harassment cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 21, 3:56 p.m.: Checks cold call on Crockett Road.

December 21, 4:58 p.m.: Assist citizen on Kayak Way. December 21, 6:27 p.m.: Landlord tenant dispute on Alder Way. December 21, 9:13 p.m.: Civil problem on Willeys Lake Road.

December 21, 11:01 p.m.: Drunk cold call on Lincoln Road.

December 22, 1:11 a.m.: Suspicious person on West Badger Road.

December 22, 2:37 a.m.: Shots on West 88th Street.

This Past Week’s

Jackpots

DECEMBER 27TH BELLINGHAM, WA $10,000 EAGLE’S HERITAGE

DECEMBER 22ND NORTH VANCOUVER, BC $10,000

DECEMBER 24TH BLAINE, WA $8,027.27

FREEDOM PAYS

GOOD CENTS

DECEMBER 23RD LANGLEY, BC $10,000

DECEMBER 24TH FERNDALE, WA $7,548

FREEDOM PAYS

JAGUAR MIST

DECEMBER 21ST BELLINGHAM, WA $6,313.44

DECEMBER 26TH BELLINGHAM, WA $6,345

QUICK HIT FEVER

TRIPLE FORTUNE DRAGON

DECEMBER 21ST BELLINGHAM, WA $5,316.70

DECEMBER 27TH BELLINGHAM, WA $9,393.28

JAGUAR MIST

JACKPOT STREAK

DECEMBER 24TH BELLINGHAM, WA $5,000 FREEDOM PAYS

Jackpot Winners This Past Week

149

December 22, 3:27 a.m.: Security check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

December 22, 8:43 a.m.: Property found on Bay Road.

December 22, 9:10 a.m.: Custodial interference cold call on Loft

Lane.

December 22, 3:12 p.m.: Hit and run on Blaine Road.

December 22, 4:39 p.m.: Trespass on Hall Road.

December 22, 7:23 p.m.: Traffic hazard on Delta Line Road.

15

December 22, 10:06 p.m.: Domestic physical on Comox Loop.

December 22, 10:28 p.m.: Burglary cold call on Yvonne Way.

Community Chamber of Commerce

Member of the Month TouchStone Behavioral Health 435 Martin Street, Suite 2010 Blaine, WA 98230 360-788-4228 www.touchstonebhc.com Number of employees: Five licensed mental health counselors, an executive director and two support staff.

How long in business: Five years.

Back row, l-r: Sally von Erffa, LMHC; Carla Willis, LMHC; Andrew Morrison, LMHC. Front row: Marilyn Bader-Nesse, LMHC; Dr. Erika Creydt, LMHC.

Description of the business: Mental health counseling for children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.TouchStone accepts most private insurances (Regence, Group Health, Premera, etc.) plus Molina, Apple, DSHS and many others.

How the business started (history): Blaine native Dr. Erika Creydt began her private practice in 2010. After many

years of growing, the practice evolved into TouchStone Behavioral Health in 2015. TouchStone’s five licensed mental health counselors care about their clients and community, quickly making the business a destination for counseling in Whatcom County.

Future goals: To continue helping individuals and families in Whatcom County with caring mental health counseling.

Starting January 1, TouchStone Behavioral Health will expand to an additional location in Ferndale.

Featured businesses are selected randomly from the Blaine Community Chamber of Commerce membership.

This is a monthly feature sponsored by the Blaine Community Chamber of Commerce www.blainechamber.com • (360) 332-4544 • Join the chamber today ... membership has its privileges!

16

The Northern Light • December 31, 2015 - January 6, 2016

Residential & Commercial • Waterfront Property • Condos • Cottages

3080 Haynie Road $700,000 Beautiful Custom Home on 14.5 Amazing Acres!

MLS# 694833

5764 Nakat Way $765,000 Remarkable Design & Artisan Quality Finishes Throughout!

MLS# 878352

9059 Dearborn Avenue $849,000 Enjoy World Class Sunsets Each & Every Night!”

MLS# 817298

Mike Kent

Buy through Mike

Real Estate Specialist 8105 Birch Bay Square Street • I-5 Exit 270 • Birch Bay, WA 98230

360.527.8901 mike@mikekent.com

•

360.815.3898

& you’ll get a free home warranty! www.mikekent.com