The Northern Light: March 12-18, 2020 by Point Roberts Press

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March 12 - 18, 2020

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Emergency preparedness expo on March 21, page 3

Blaine school district hosts math championship, page 6

Sea Smoke project moves ahead in Semiahmoo, page 15

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

Health officials release new guidance following county’s first COVID-19 case By Oliver Lazenby

By Jami Makan Family Care Network’s new medical facility in Blaine could open as soon as the first half of 2021, providing much-needed medical services to local residents. The new facility plans to offer outpatient primary care, on-site urgent care, a laboratory draw station and X-ray capabilities. It will be located on the Gateway parcel, formerly the site of the Blaine Municipal Airport, after the city of Blaine and Family Care Network (FCN) reached an agreement last September for the purchase and sale of about 2.5 acres of city-owned property. FCN’s property will be located in the middle of the Gateway parcel, extending from SR-543 to Grant Avenue. FCN will build on approximately 1.2 acres bordering SR-543, with access from Grant Avenue, and the remainder of the property will be reserved for future development, said a spokesperson for FCN. “The city is in the process of creating an actual lot, and shortly thereafter, we will

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

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8,200 square feet, and will consist of one large building with a parking lot. Most of the square footage will be used for outpatient primary care. The building will also contain an urgent care center that will be open seven days a week to all in the community.

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close on the property,” said FCN’s president and CEO, Dr. Rodney Anderson. “The ball is in their court right now, and once the city completes its review process and creates that lot, we will do our final review and close shortly thereafter.” In the meantime, FCN has retained architects Marcus Johnson and David Christensen, AIA to prepare designs for the building. They have already created an internal floor plan, Dr. Anderson said, and are now finalizing external drawings. “We basically want to be ready to submit applications for building permits the day we close, or as soon as possible thereafter,” said Dr. Anderson. Dr. Anderson said FCN has also already committed to a contractor, the Franklin Corporation. “If everything goes as planned and we close on the land, they have given us a timeline of eight to 10 months for the actual construction, and that would put us on schedule for the front half of 2021,” he said. The FCN facility will be approximately

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s A 10-inch water main broke on March 6 at the corner of Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive. Birch Bay Water and Sewer District personnel were on site to lend initial assistance. City of Blaine personnel also responded to the scene and had to hire a contractor, Colacurcio Brothers, to perform emergency repairs. The contractor’s crew worked until 5 a.m. the following morning. It was a difficult repair due to the age of the pipes and the difficulty of turning off valves in the vicinity, said Blaine public works director Ravyn Whitewolf at the March 9 city council meeting, where councilmembers voted 6-0 to declare an emergency and waive competitive bid requirements. Final restoration work still needed to be performed by the contractor, Whitewolf said.

INSIDE

With the first confirmed Whatcom County case of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, announced March 10, the Whatcom County Health Department declared a state of emergency and updated its recommendations to residents. County health officials had said earlier that it was just a matter of time. “This case confirms that it is circulating in our community,” said John Wolpers, incident commander for a team that the Whatcom County Health Department assembled to manage a potential local outbreak. The woman who tested positive is in her 60s and had no known international travel history. She received medical care at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham and was discharged after her condition improved. Since then she has self-isolated at home, health officials said. In a conference call following the announcement, Wolpers and Cindy Hollinsworth, communicable disease and epidemiology manager, did not release any information on when she was admitted or discharged from PeaceHealth, where in Whatcom County she lived or where else she may have been following her exposure to the virus. Some of that information may come out as the health department continues its investigation to determine who she had contact with, but other personal information will not be released, Hollinsworth said. Following the conference call, county executive Satpal Sidhu declared a Whatcom County public health emergency to address the spread of the virus. Declaring an emergency is a procedural step that helps coordination with local and statewide partners and can help the county receive state or federal emergency funding if it becomes available. “This declaration is a step up and a step forward in our preparation to meet the challenges presented by COVID-19,”

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The Northern Light • March 12 - 18, 2020

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Northwood Alliance Church to honor Charles and Margaret Gibson By Jami Makan Blaine’s Northwood Alliance Church will be hosting a retirement celebration for Charles Gibson, who recently retired as the church’s pastor, and his wife Margaret. The event will take place on Sunday, March 15 from 2 to 4 p.m. and will feature congratulatory messages, live music and desserts. Northwood Alliance Church is located at 580 C Street. Gibson served as pastor of the church, which has a congregation of about 100 people, for 25 years. “I could see that we have a congregation where everyone’s starting to look like me, with gray hair,” Gibson said. “We needed to move on, and for that to happen, I needed to retire and let somebody else take over who was younger and had new ways of do-

ing things. I had 25 years to do what I did, and now it’s time for somebody else to take over. I feel good about that.” Gibson’s final day as pastor was the last Sunday of January. Ken Crandall is now serving as interim pastor until a new pastor is recruited and installed, which will likely happen sometime this summer. Gibson now plans to focus on his role as president of the school board. His wife Margaret recently retired as a Blaine school nurse after 23 years. The couple moved to Blaine 27 years ago from New Mexico. “The two of us, we’re a team together,” Gibson said. Northwood Alliance Church is known for its practical approach to community service. The Blaine Food Bank sits on land donated by the church, as does the Community Assistance Program’s clothing bank.

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CAP is currently raising funds to construct a new facility on the west end of the church’s property. “There’s a sense that Blaine is our parish,” said Gibson. “We’ve tried to have a ministry not just for the congregation but also for the whole town. We try to give practical assistance to people in need and do what we can to be there for the good of the entire community.”

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Emergency preparedness expo on March 21 Several organizations are coming together to host an emergency preparedness expo on Saturday, March 21 in Blaine. From 1 to 3 p.m. at the Blaine Pavilion on H Street next to the senior center, the expo will teach participants how to use a fire extinguisher, apply a pressure bandage to stop bleeding, move a person who is injured, prepare emergency kits and water supplies and use emergency radios,

among other skills. The event is being hosted by the North Whatcom Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in conjunction with North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, the Blaine Police Department’s Auxiliary Communications Service and the Salishan Neighborhood Association. The goal of the expo is to share information about how to help family members and neighbors

during a disaster. “Most of us are simply unprepared and lack the knowledge and skills needed to wait out a major disaster,” said one of the organizers. “We assume, incorrectly, that help will come quickly.” They continued: “Everyone can help someone during a disaster. The preparedness expo will help you learn how you can not only help, but take care of yourself and your family as well.”

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Join us at Semiahmoo for our annual Easter Brunch! Kids will enjoy an Easter egg hunt on the lawn, plus live music, face painting, games, and a photo booth. The buffet brunch menu includes build your own benedict, baked French toast, carved prime rib and braised ham, and much more! Adults $49

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The Northern Light • March 12 - 18, 2020

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, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors. 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@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Jami Makan jami@pointrobertspress.com Copy Editor Aly Siemion aly@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Oliver Lazenby oliver@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Intern Grace McCarthy prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com

The Editor: It appears our newly elected Whatcom County councilmember Ben Elenbaas is off to a running start, taking pages out of Trump’s playbook by name-calling, innuendo and false or misleading information. Without strong pushback on businesses like the petroleum industry, coal, farming, logging and fishing, our local environment is at risk of collapse, leaving our children and their children to wonder how we could squander the gift of our world for a short-term, bottom-line profit. We need to be better stewards of the earth, lean more towards sustainability and apply a higher standard of responsibility to our personal and business practices. One needs to look no further than Bellingham Bay to witness the environmental carnage of uncontrolled industry (Georgia-Pacific) as evidence of irresponsible corporate interest. Each of us may make a difference; however, we must be intelligent in our choices, inclusive in our discourse and have the courage to speak out and follow through with our convictions. I personally have become weary of an electoral college selection for President who does not reflect my personal values or represent the country that I love in a fashion consistent with my ideological demeanor. Now it has become apparent that Mr. Elenbaas is in my backyard spouting more of the same rhetoric. Where he and Mr. Trump would let corporate interests foul our air and water, I would have them scale back and repair the damages from years of neglect. Where Mr. Elenbaas would have large scale farm waste flow directly into our streams and rivers, as in many Midwestern states, I would lobby for smaller concentrations of dairy, beef, pork and poultry operations (concentrated animal feeding operations) and fewer pesticides, fungicides and artificial fertilizers. I would advocate for farm subsidies – not to corporate mega-farm interests – but rather assistance for organic, biodynamic and sustainable farming as well as carbon sequestering grazing operations. Mr. Elenbaas, no doubt, believes he represents the best interests of his constitu-

ents; I contend that he is misguided and/or represents the wrong district. Len Beckett Blaine The Editor: For those who need further impetus to complete their healthcare advance directive, look no further than the novel coronavirus. This virus and the resulting disease state, COVID-19, could adversely impact our already-overburdened U.S. medical care system. Will the COVID-19 epidemic be limited? No one knows, but even if it is, the planning efforts currently underway by government agencies, hospitals, clinics, health departments, research facilities and others will not be wasted, because the planning is good preparation for the next 21st century disaster or pandemic. Healthcare facilities could experience severe capacity demands, which could be mitigated to some extent if people have documented their healthcare wishes prior to illness and possible hospitalization. When we complete our advance directive, we help our professional care providers better manage potentially lifesaving resources, especially if our region is in the throes of an epidemic. Whatcom County has multiple resources to assist with advance care planning (ACP), including the Realities of Advanced Medical Interventions presentation and follow-up ACP workshops. An upcoming Realities talk is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 at the Cordata Community Co-op at 6:30 p.m. with a follow-up workshop on Wednesday, March 25 at the same time and venue. For information, visit healthministriesnetwork.net/calendar. ACP should be done before accident, illness – or disaster – strikes. Let’s not put ourselves, our families, our professional healthcare providers or our community into impossible situations. We are all in this together. Micki Jackson Bellingham The Editor: This is in reply to a recent letter commenting on my own recent letter. Since there has been no evidence that the Blaine school

Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Kristin Siemion sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com Contributors In This Issue Judge Deborra Garrett The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200 Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXV, No 38 Circulation: 10,500 copies

s Dozens of people involved in bringing youth activities to the Blaine community participated in a March 9 ribbon cutting at the new Youth Center at Life Impact Church, 1733 H Street in the Cost Cutter plaza.

Photo by Oliver Lazenby

By Oliver Lazenby

Next issue: March 19 Ads due: March 13

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

Church holds ribbon cutting at new space for youth

Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com

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board is actively pursuing a new school for Birch Bay, which means continued busing for the Birch Bay students, and since it has been about two years since the purchase of a school site was budget-approved, my only option was to vote no for additional funds to this board. I never mentioned mismanagement at all. I am not short-sighted. I am focused on the real problem of no schools in Birch Bay and my only way to indicate my displeasure was by voting no. I am not selfish, but sympathetic for the children who have to be bused to get to the so-called good schools. Running for the board would be useless. I believe every current member is a Blaine resident and, having over 45 years’ experience serving on homeowners’ boards of directors, I can assure you that my being the only board member from Birch Bay would not result in any changes. I have seen nothing published to date or for years saying that the board is actively pursuing the site purchase for our new Birch Bay school. The second point in my letter was my disappointment with the parents of the school children who are permitting their continued busing, which takes about one hour, I think. That means five hours of busing time a week, which could be better spent on doing homework, freeing up time to do family things or personal things instead. As I said before, I have written to this board about a new school – to each individual board member – and never got the courtesy of even one reply, so you know they don’t give a hoot about Birch Bay. In closing, you should know that Birch Bay’s 2010 population was 80 percent greater than Blaine’s, so it is obvious that Birch Bay property tax payers are paying a huge amount greater than Blaine property owners. For that reason alone, I am entitled to object to the misuse of my tax dollars going to the Blaine school district. Mickey Masdeo Birch Bay

When Life Impact Church pastor Trent Arneson prepared for a move into the church’s new location at 1733 H Street in the Cost Cutter plaza, he was confronted with a community need. Driving into the Cost Cutter plaza parking lot, he’d see

kids hanging out underneath overhangs in front of closed businesses. “I’d see kids roaming around with nothing to do. We’ve got to come up with something for these teenagers,” he said. Arneson partnered with Jesse Creydt, president of the Healthy Youth Coalition, and they started working on bringing

youth activities to the extra space at the new church. The church opened in its new location in December, and activities at its Youth Center are just beginning. The center has a 65-inch TV, foosball, air hockey and space for other programming. Life Impact started a pantry stocked mostly with non-food items such as toiletries and hygiene kits. The space even has a shower for homeless youth. The YMCA is running free programs from 3 to 6 p.m. on Mondays. The programming will be driven by what kids want and need, said Kristina Pollard, YMCA coordinator. Options range from recreational activities to career-readiness and life skills programs. Glenn Tuski, former Blaine Elementary School librarian, plans to host musical jam sessions, and life skills teacher Amber Burling is working to bring a Bellingham-based music program for special needs students to the space once a week. Local boy scouts have started meeting in the space, and it’s available to other groups as well. “We want to make sure these kids have a permanent place to feel like they can come and hang out,” Arneson said. “We just want them to come in and feel like it’s a place of their own.”

March 12 - 18, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

Sanders wins Whatcom County

CITY OF BLAINE Unless noted, all meetings are held at City Hall, 435 Martin Street, Suite 4000 and are open to the public. Agendas can be found on the City’s website.

Thursday, March 12 9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting

Thursday, March 12 2:00pm – Public Works Advisory Committee Location: PW 1200 Yew Ave

Monday, March 23 5:00pm – Study Session – New Blaine Library

6:00pm – Regular City Council Meeting

Thursday, March 26 7:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting Public Hearing for the Gateway North General Binding Site Plan

Monday, April 13 5:00pm – Study Session – LEMAP Report

6:00pm – Regular City Council Meeting U.S. PASSPORTS BY APPOINTMENT ONLY Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website.

www.cityofblaine.com

Blaine United Church of Christ "Where friendly people gather and become family"

Sunday Services 10:30 am

(See COVID-19, page 12)

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As of the morning of March 11, Bernie Sanders was leading Joe Biden by a significant margin in Whatcom County’s presidential primary election. According to results from the Whatcom County auditor last updated on March 10 at 9:32 p.m., Sanders had received 19,201 votes (42.9%) in Whatcom County, compared to 13,549 (30.2%) for Biden. There were an estimated 7,000 ballots left to count. The primary final results will not be certified until March 20. Statewide, the contest was much closer, with Sanders receiving 335,498 votes (32.7%) compared to 333,414 (32.5%) for Biden, according to the Washington secretary of state’s webpage last updated on March 11 at 8:30 a.m. On the Republican side, President Trump won 18,362 votes (98.6%) in Whatcom County, compared to 254 write-ins (1.4%).

that the new requirements don’t apply to end-of-life situations. Before the announcement, Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt in Blaine was asking visitors to be aware of the coronavirus and was taking extra steps to protect its residents and staff, said Stafholt administrator Haley Amundson. Visitors at the licensed nursing home must sign in and the facility is asking people with fevers, colds, coughs or any signs of upper respiratory symptoms to not visit. “We’re really asking if you’re feeling under the weather to not visit,” Amundson said. The Blaine Community Assistance Program on March 10 canceled its weekly community meals, which are held at the Blaine Senior Center, until further notice. To protect its patients and staff from the spreading virus, PeaceHealth has implemented voluntary visitor restrictions at its northwest Washington and Alaska hospitals. PeaceHealth is limiting hospital access to one to two essential visitors per patient, according to a press release from the company. The change took place at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham on March 6 and the restrictions will remain in place until further notice. PeaceHealth is also asking that patients call ahead before arriving at any PeaceHealth facility if they have a fever or cough and have traveled outside the U.S. or had contact with a person known to have the disease. State announces emergency funding to help workers, employers Inslee announced an expansion of state policies that support workers and businesses financially impacted by COVID-19. Under the new emergency rules, which took effect on March 10, workers will be able to receive unemployment

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said county executive Satpal Sidhu, in the announcement. “It elevates the level of readiness of our public health infrastructure. Our message to the public is simple: plan and prepare, but don’t panic. By following the advice of experts, you can help protect your family, friends, co-workers and our community at large.” New health department recommendations Following the first confirmed case, the county health department is recommending that people at high risk of severe illness stay home and away from large groups of people as much as possible. Those at high risk include people over 60; people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease or diabetes; people with weakened immune systems; or women who are pregnant. The county also recommended that large, non-essential public gatherings be canceled or postponed. “We are loosely defining large gatherings as 10 to 50 people or more,” the news release said. Workplaces and businesses are encouraged to provide options for their employees to work from home if possible and if they can’t, employees should minimize their interaction with large groups of people. The health department is not recommending that schools close, but school districts may decide to close on their own. “Closures can be effective in reducing the spread of disease,” the release stated. “However, how effective a closure will be needs to be weighed against the impacts it causes. School closures or dismissals have wide-reaching impacts in the community, and we understand that decisions to close schools must be weighed carefully.” The county’s new recommendations are aimed at slowing the spread of the virus and reducing

The coronavirus had killed more than 4,300 people as of March 11. The virus is in a family of viruses that includes the common cold and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Health officials say about 80 percent of cases are mild and do not require hospitalization. For the week ending February 29, the first week in which King County reported deaths from COVID-19, the virus killed more people there than influenza, according to King County’s most recent weekly update on influenza. To prepare for a local outbreak, the county health department has coordinated with schools and other community stakeholders, issued advisories to healthcare providers with guidance on identifying and evaluating people at risk and increased its disease surveillance efforts – the county is working with the state to follow up with people who are known to have had close contact with confirmed cases, said Melissa Morin, county health department communications specialist. To reduce the risk of getting sick, the county health department recommends that people wash their hands frequently with soap and warm water; avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth; stay away from people who are sick; and, if you are sick, staying home to prevent spreading the infection to others. New rules, recommendations for health care system In a news conference on March 10, Inslee instructed nursing homes to restrict the number of people who can visit and to screen employees and volunteers for COVID-19 symptoms at the start of each shift. Nursing home residents are now limited to one visitor per day, the visitors must be adults and the visits must take place in residents’ rooms, Inslee said, adding

Peace Portal Dr.

From page 1

the number of sick people at any one time, so that the local healthcare system can handle those who require hospitalization. Elsewhere with outbreaks, doctors have to decide who to care for with limited resources. Washington governor Jay Inslee said at a March 10 press conference that the number of people infected is expected to double every five to eight days without action; Inslee urged preemptive action because once hospitals fill with patients, the number of cases will be days away from doubling. He continued to expound on the urgency of the situation, saying that, based on numbers from epidemiologists, he expected there were at least 1,000 people infected in the state as of March 10. “If there are 1,000 people infected today, in seven or eight weeks there could be 64,000 infected in the state of Washington if we don’t somehow slow down this epidemic,” he said. “The week after that there would be 128,000 and the week after, a quarter million.” At the end of the day on March 10, 23 people in Whatcom County had been tested for COVID-19, with eight negative results, one confirmed case and 14 tests pending. Not everyone with symptoms needs to be tested, according to the county health department. Since there is no treatment, a doctor’s advice for managing symptoms will be the same regardless of whether someone tests positive. The Washington State Department of Health reported 105 new cases on March 10, including the Whatcom County case and Skagit County’s first case, bringing the statewide total to 267. The state was reporting 24 deaths at that time. The bulk of confirmed cases, 190, were in King County. Snohomish County had 54. Ten longterm care facilities in King County had COVID-19 cases. Globally, more than 121,000 people have confirmed cases of COVID-19 in more than 100 countries.

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The Northern Light • March 12 - 18, 2020

Haynie Opry to feature classic country and rock performances By Jami Makan For the 16th year, the Haynie Opry will feature performances of classic country and rock music in a family-friendly setting. Inspired by the Grand Ole Opry concert hall in Nashville, Tennessee, the concert series will feature performances by local and regional artists on the second weekend of every month from March to August at the Haynie Grange, 3344 Haynie Road, about five miles east of Blaine. The annual Haynie Opry was started in 2005 by former Blaine resident Matt Audette, who now lives in Bellingham. Following his career as a professional musician, Audette decided to start the

Haynie Opry, a stone’s throw away from his childhood home, in order to “keep that music alive that you don’t hear that often anymore.” “I wanted to bring something more family-oriented into the community where parents can bring their kids and it’s not a drinking atmosphere like a tavern or lounge,” Audette said. “With theater-style seating, the main focus is the music. There’s no dancing. It’s just a visual thing to watch the performers on stage.” At the monthly performances, audience members can expect to hear country and rock music from the 1940s to the 1980s. “We’re an old-fashioned retro-type venue,” Audette said. “You’re not going to go in there and hear Lady Gaga or

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anything like that.” Audette said he hopes the series still attracts young adults in addition to families and older residents. “There’s a whole new generation out there discovering Johnny Cash,” he said. “I do a lot of Johnny Cash music. If there are any kids out there who are 30 or younger who want to hear Johnny Cash, they need to get in there because that’s where it’s happening.” The Haynie Opry’s first concert this year will be on Saturday, March 14 from 7 to 9 p.m. featuring Audette and the Circle of Friends Band, in which he is the lead singer and guitarist. The opening act will be saxophonist Eric Hirst. Earlier in the day, there will be a one-hour gospel matinee at 3 p.m. “We go back and we do a lot of the old hymns, like Amazing Grace and I’ll Fly Away, the old standard hymns that they don’t often play in churches anymore,” he said. After March 14, there will be additional matinee and evening performances on the second Saturday of April and May. In June, July and August, the concert series will add evening performances on the second Friday of the month in addition to the Saturday matinee and evening shows. Each month, Audette tries to bring in a different guest artist. In the past, he has brought in country musicians from Nashville and elsewhere, such as Jack Greene, Tommy Overstreet and a John Denver tribute artist. Each July he also puts on a tribute to

s Matt Audette, in red, with current and former members of the Circle of Friends Band, in which he sings and plays guitar.

File photo

different artists. In the past, Elvis, Chuck Berry and Hank Williams have been honored. This year’s tribute will be dedicated to filmmaker Ken Burns, who released a documentary series about country music last year. “We are doing songs from that documentary in July,” Audette said. After graduating from Blaine High School in 1975, Audette moved to Dallas and then Nashville in order to pursue a career in music. He eventually released a few albums and did several tours across the U.S. and Canada. In 1988, he signed with a small inde-

pendent record label, Saddlestone Records, which released his hit song, Tennessee is Calling Back to Me. Nowadays, Audette is focused on running the Haynie Opry and occasionally performing at senior care and assisted living facilities. “I still dabble in the music business, whatever I can do,” he said. Tickets for the Haynie Opry concert series are sold at the door, and cost $10 for the twohour evening performances and $5 for the matinee performances. Admission is free for kids under 12. For more information, contact Audette at 360/366-3321.

School district hosts math championship By Jami Makan

NOTICE OF FLUSHING The City of Blaine Water Division started flushing the City's water distribution system. This is accomplished by opening hydrants along the system (starting at the well fields) to move fresh water throughout the distribution system. The purpose of flushing the system is to remove any grit and debris in order to improve water quality through the distribution system. During the city flushing program city water customers may experience a temporary low water pressure and/ or cloudiness when flushing is going on. The cloudiness condition (caused by air) should be only temporary, and can be cleared by running a cold water tap for a few minutes to clean and flush your service line. If the condition continues for an extended period of time please contact the Blaine Public Works. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, feel free to call Public Works at (360) 332-8820. Blaine Public Works.

The Blaine school district recently hosted the 38th annual Whatcom County Middle School Math Championship, in which 106 teams and over 400 students tackled mathematical challenges involving mental arithmetic, geometry, algebra and probability. The program got underway at 9:30 a.m. on February 29 with an opening address by Blaine Middle School principal Darren Benson. Competitors then faced off, with mathletes in grades four through eight participating in one individual and five team events. A closing ceremony later took place at 2 p.m. in the gymnasium, where U.S. congresswoman Suzan DelBene, state representative Luanne Van Werven and Whatcom County executive Satpal Sidhu joined officials from the Blaine school district in presenting the winning teams and individuals with awards. For the individual event, the Blaine students who earned awards were Oscar Bogle, who won third place in the 4th grade contest, and Wade Lottimer, who won first

s U.S. congresswoman Suzan DelBene, state representative Luanne Van Werven and Whatcom County executive Satpal Sidhu with Whatcom County Middle School Math Championship awardees. Courtesy photo

place in the 6th grade contest. For the team events, Blaine Elementary School’s 4th grade team #2 won sixth place, Blaine Elementary School’s 5th grade team #3 won eighth place, Blaine Middle School’s 6th grade team #2 won second place, Blaine Middle School’s 6th grade team #1 won tenth place and Blaine Middle School’s 7th grade team #1 won second place.

Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery has sponsored the Whatcom County Middle School Math Championship since its inception in 1983. Phillips 66 provided $20,000 in funding to underwrite the costs of this year’s competition. The company had over 30 refinery employees, contractors and family members volunteer to proctor students, grade tests and provide data entry support to school staff.

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By Grace McCarthy Gina Williams will bring her jazzy, gospel vocals to the FireHouse Arts and Events Center in Bellingham on Saturday, March 21 and Sunday, March 22 for upbeat performances that are sure to keep audience members grooving all night long. Williams, a Blaine resident originally from Alberta, will mostly stray from her own songs at these performances to cover classics from Whitney Houston to acoustic Top 40. She may even deliver a surprise melody for her Gen-Z fan base. “I try to put different elements into the music so that when people come to the show, even though it’s the same song, it feels a little different,” Williams said. “Music is living, breathing, moving.” Williams holds a master’s degree from the University of Alberta as a concert pianist and has performed all around the world from Houston to Hong Kong. This winter break, Williams was honored for her music in Kiev, Ukraine during a Christmas carol concert where she played alongside four choirs and two combined orchestras. Following her performance in Kiev, Williams was featured in a Twix commercial released in January. In the commercial for Twix’s new Cookies & Creme candy bar, Williams is seen working in a Twix factory. Williams, who auditioned for the commercial in fall, didn’t realize she would be one of the main actors until she arrived on set in November. The filming lasted two days in Vancouver and included complimentary Twix for everyone involved. In the past, Williams also played an English teacher in season one of Riverdale, a popular T.V. show based on the Archie comics, and she has had roles in other commercials including one for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Last August, Williams also debuted her latest album, The Trilogy Part 1: Music for Meditation. Her performances this month will accommodate the audience and there will be something for everyone, Williams said. The setlist, which Williams hopes people

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sing along to, is likely to evolve based on how the audience reacts to the music. “If you don’t like to have fun, don’t come,” Williams said. “If you like to have fun, you know where to go.” Music honoring the end of Black History Month will also be performed at the Bellingham concerts to highlight songs of universal hope and emancipation from struggles and triumphs. Williams said she is breaking through 350 years of classical music in Canada that lacked representation of black female composers. Paving the way for herself, Williams said, was not without difficulty from prejudice she experienced growing up in Alberta. “There’s no template before you who looks like you,” Williams said. “The mentality is, ‘Who are you to

think you can break the mold?’” Performing, she said, gives her chills when she sees the audience react to her music. The audience’s feedback inspires Williams to tailor songs to what the audience needs most at the time. For her, music is a way to serve people. “It’s all about the experience,” Williams said. “They come for a show but walk away with an experience.” Tickets for the show are $20 for adults and $15 for students, seniors and veterans. Tickets can be purchased at firehouseperformingarts.com or ginawilliams.com. Tickets will also be sold at the door, but Williams recommends buying tickets in advance, especially for the Saturday show, to ensure entry. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for the Saturday show and at 8 p.m. for the Sunday show.

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The Northern Light • March 12 - 18, 2020

Active S eniors

Photos: Pasta & Lights The Blaine Senior Center hosted its 10th annual Pasta & Lights fundraiser on February 21. A dinner of spaghetti, garlic rolls, salad and dessert was served at 5:30 p.m. followed by a program of live music at 6:30 p.m. Two senior center members, Allie Ryser and Ray Wilket, performed Ital-

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The Northern Light • March 12 - 18, 2020

City of White Rock silences train whistles, but Blaine unlikely to follow suit

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Train whistles were mostly silenced in White Rock, B.C. at the end of January, following an agreement between the city of White Rock and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad company and the installation of safety gates at eight crossings on White Rock’s waterfront. The city of Blaine is unlikely to follow suit, however, given the high cost of new safety equipment that is needed before train whistles can be silenced on this side of the border. Starting on January 29, trains passing through the city of White Rock were no longer blowing their horns at each of the eight entrances to the White Rock Promenade to alert people of passing trains. The city of White Rock had reached an agreement with BNSF following the installation of new safety gates. The city had partnered with BNSF and Transport Canada to install 16 gates at eight entry points to the Promenade as part of Transport Canada-mandated safety improvements. “BNSF has issued a general order instructing train crews to stop sounding the horns at the eight promenade crossings starting first thing January 29,” said White Rock’s website. According to the website, BNSF said there would be a transition period as crews adjust to the new requirements at the crossings. They also emphasized that engineers will still need to sound the

By Jami Makan Giving an update to Blaine city council on February 24, city manager Michael Jones said that in the preliminary budgets of both the Washington State Senate and the Washington State House of Representatives, the city of Blaine did not receive any funding for its requests this year. “It’s not really a very big surprise, and we had advised you that that would be very likely given that this is the off year for budgeting,” Jones told councilmembers. “Very small amounts were held in reserve to allocate. Initiative 976 of course made it extremely difficult to allocate any additional transportation funding for anything, so we were mostly looking at capital funding, which is non-transportation capital projects.” The city’s top priority for transportation funding is the Bell Road grade separation project that would create an overpass above

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funds needed for such a project. “The quiet zones would be totally cost prohibitive,” said Blaine public works director Ravyn Whitewolf, who was familiar with the city of Bellingham’s past efforts, since the early 2000s, to add quiet zones to its waterfront redevelopment plans. “Essentially, we were informed that the crossings would still require a wayside horn,” said Whitewolf, referring to audible signals used at railroad crossings that are separate from a locomotive’s horn. “It would still be audible but they are safer. Those are in the neighborhood of $60,000 to $150,000 per location. For the safety upgrades, we estimated that the cost per intersection would have been about half a million dollars.” For at-grade railroad crossings, such as the ones on Peace Portal Drive at Marine Drive and Bell Road, pedestrian gates would have to be installed. “It literally creates a gate for the pedestrians,” said Whitewolf. “It’s quite an elaborate change to what most people expect at a rail crossing.” Whitewolf said that the city of Blaine will instead be prioritizing the grade separation project at Bell Road, which will construct an overpass above the BNSF mainline to alleviate traffic delays caused by passing trains. The project is expected to cost more than $20 million, most of which will have to be state-funded in order for the project to become a reality.

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horns if they see people or animals on the tracks. “I am thrilled that we can deliver something our community has been requesting for a long time,” said White Rock mayor Darryl Walker. “Whistle cessation means less sounding of horns as trains move through White Rock along our waterfront.” Walker continued, “Congratulations to our engineering team for meeting all the necessary safety requirements, including the installation of the eight safety gates along White Rock’s Promenade.” Like White Rock, the city of Blaine has a railway on its waterfront, which is used 24 hours a day by Amtrak passenger trains and BNSF freight trains. Some Blaine residents have called for train whistles to be silenced in the city, including at a local meeting of rail advocacy group All Aboard Washington last year. At the meeting, which took place on July 13 at the Semiahmoo Resort, discussion mostly focused on bringing an Amtrak passenger rail stop to Blaine, but there was also some discussion about the noise generated by train whistles, especially late at night. Blaine city officials say that the issue is not currently a topic that they are actively working on. While city staff have explored the option in the past, they said it is very costly to install a quiet zone under the U.S. regulations related to train safety, and that the city has been unable to allocate the

The hours for walk-in patients will be 1 to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. To prepare for the opening of the new facility, FCN has also started recruiting new staff and providers. At the moment, FCN is actively recruiting doctors,

the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) mainline, alleviating the traffic delays caused by trains. For non-transportation projects, the city is prioritizing a Marine Park shoreline reconstruction project, which has already begun in phases and aims to remove debris and install natural beach in the area. “There is a slight possibility, just a slight possibility, that during the reconciliation process, we might get something added in,” said Jones. “It’s a Senate proposal and a House proposal and they don’t necessarily match. In fact, they don’t match. Some things are in both proposals, some things aren’t, some things have different amounts even if they are on both proposals, so that all has to come out in the wash, and there’s a possibility that we might get something through that reconciliation. But I would be very surprised and pleasantly surprised if we did.” Jones told councilmembers that he remains optimistic that fund-

ing for city projects will materialize in future state budgets. “Don’t look at it as a lost cause, because the whole reason we were there and the whole reason we continue to have our consultants working on that is really staging for future budgets and getting our project for the grade separation, as an example, on the whole state funding project for the future,” he said. “So we weren’t really anticipating getting $24 million for the bridge this year. What we want to do is make sure that it ultimately is funded when that bigger package goes through. So I think that our consultants continue to do a good job in that direction.” The city has retained consultants at Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs (GTHGA) to lobby for state funding for local projects. In May of last year, the city approved another contract with GTHGA that funds ongoing services from June 2019 through December 2020.

nurse practitioners and physician assistants for the new center. Later, it will recruit nurses and an office manager among other staff. FCN expects to invest $3.5 million into the project, and with demand growing for health care services, Dr. Anderson said he does not have any concerns about the project’s financial viability. “We are heavily committed to seeing this project succeed,”

he said. “We’ve been around for more than 20 years in Whatcom County, and our obligation is not to make money but to serve the health needs of our community.” “We’re really grateful for the support of the city council and the community at large,” Dr. Anderson added. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive reaction from folks, and we’re excited to serve the community.”

March 12 - 18, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

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Legal IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM. In re: Estate of MARGARET R. THORSEN, Deceased, Cause No. 20-4-00131-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. The person 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 provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving or mailing a copy of the claim to the Administrator, or to her attorney at the address stated below, and by filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within: (1) thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor, as provided by RCW 11.40.020(3); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice, whichever is later. Any claim not presented within this time is forever barred, except as provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. Such bar is effective as to claims against both probate and nonprobate assets of the Decedent. Date of First Publication: March 12, 2020; Administrator: Rosanna Lee Dougan; Attorney for Administrator: David J. Britton, WSBA # 31748; Address for Mailing / Service of Claims: Britton Law Office, PLLC, 535 Dock Street, Suite 108, Tacoma, WA 98402. DATED this 6th day of March, 2020. /s/ David J. Britton, Attorney for Administrator. IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM. In re: Estate of MARGARET R. THORSEN, Deceased, Cause No. 20-4-00131-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. The person 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 provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving or mailing a copy of the claim to the Administrator, or to her attorney at the address stated below, and by filing the original of the claim with the court. The claim must be presented within: (1) thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor, as provided by RCW 11.40.020(3); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice, whichever is later. Any claim not presented within this time is forever barred, except as provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. Such bar is effective as to claims against both probate and nonprobate assets of the Decedent. Date of First Publication: March 12, 2020; Administrator: Rosanna Lee Dougan; Attorney for Administrator: David J. Britton, WSBA # 31748; Address for Mailing / Service of Claims: Britton Law Office, PLLC, 535 Dock Street, Suite 108, Tacoma, WA 98402. DATED this 6th day of March, 2020. /s/ David J. Britton, Attorney for Administrator.

360-332-1777 sales@thenorthernlight.com Legal

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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In re the Matter and Estate of: CHARLES MARTIN HAMMOND II, Deceased. No. 20-4-00026-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. RCW 11.40.030 THE ADMINISTRATOR NAMED BELOW has been appointed 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 in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Administrator served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four 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 RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent's probate and non-probate assets. DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: March 12, 2020. VERONICA NICHOLE HAMMOND Personal Representative PRESENTED BY: Law Offices of Roger L. Ellingson, P.S. by: Roger L. Ellingson, WSBA #19292. Attorney for Personal Representative. PO Box 1258 / 289 H Street. Blaine, WA 98231-1258 (360) 332-7000; Fax: (360) 332-6677

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Rentals - Commercial

FOR LEASE Retail/Office Space

800 - 1600 s.f.

Prime ground floor office and retail space in The Northern Light Cannery-style building at Blaine Harbor. Fiber optic internet access.

For leasing information, contact Pat Grubb 360/332-1777 Rentals - Commercial

Rentals - Residential

NELSON BUILDING

1-BD MOTHER-IN-LAW apartment. Private and quiet. W/D, utilities included. No pets, no smokers. $1,000 mo. 360220-7127

925 Ludwick Ave., Blaine 5100 SF Warehousing/

Manufacturing/Retail SPACE AVAILABLE Also Available Now: Up to 18,000 SF of Fenced & Paved Storage Yard

Don Nelson 360-332-2743 Email nelsbldg@msn.com

Rentals - Rooms BIRCH BAY VILLAGE Private room, own bath,$550+$100 utilities, fenced backyard, Birch Bay Village. Small dog ok, no cats or smoking Perfume sensitive. 360-371-8700.

More real estate listings on page 12.

The Northern Light • March 12 - 18, 2020

Real Estate

Bay Properties Semiahmoo homeS, inc.

NW LUXURY REAL ESTATE AT A HIGHER LEVEL

8045 BIRCH BAY DRIVE, BLAINE, WA 360-371-7252 BAYPROPERTIESNW.COM

FOR ALL REAL ESTATE, RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL SERVICES PLEASE

Hugh Brawford

Call Hugh -360.371.5800

Build your 21 ACRES - $175,000 Homesite on with beautiful, meandering Terrell Creek. home here! Kickerville Owner contract possible AT 20% DOWN, 6.5% 30 year Amortization. Some residential zoning, currently in open space. Great tax advantage.

OPEN HOUSE SAT & SUN 12-4!

GREAT LOCATION!

xxxx 14th Street, Blaine $149,000

INVESTOR ALERT! Don’t miss out on this 30,953 +/- sq ft lot that

allows for numerous industrial & commercial uses such as retail, gas station, storage, et cetera. Special “Gateway Zoning” in the City of Blaine. Within blocks of the Border, I-5, Blaine Schools, WECU & the Cost Cutter Shopping Center. Blaine Planning Dept is cooperative for those looking to build.

8636 Ashbury Court, Blaine $150,000

THE GREENS AT LOOMIS TRAIL! One of few remaining Loomis

Trail golf course view lots ready to build. Enjoy a panoramic view of the golf course, clubhouse and Mt. Baker. Offering 209 feet access of side-walked boulevard and 113 feet of golf course frontage.

Terry Conway • (360) 410-0503

CeCelia Breivik • (360) 303-8161

OPEN HOUSE SAT & SUN 12-2!

8575 Semiahmoo Dr., Semiahmoo $479,000

WATERFRONT! Diamond in the rough! Some TLC

sought after Tide’s Craftsman style town homes nestled on a tree lined green space acreage. Beautiful & private units are 1,140 +/- SF, 2 BD (Master Suite on the Main Floor!) 1.75 BA, superbly finished w/quartz counters, rock gas fireplace, SS appliances incl W/D and Refrigerator, on-demand HW, quality fixtures, designer flooring & covered deck! Furniture negotiable! Clubhouse, pool, & spa! Close to all Birch Bay offers. High demand for these units - don’t miss out!

and you can turn this into your dream home. Possible investment or just the perfect getaway. Enjoy the incredible waterfront views across the strait to Pt. Roberts, White Rock and the San Juan Islands from the 932 SF deck. 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, kitchen and living area on the main floor. Master suite on 2nd fl. Unfinished basement with lots of potential 500 SF. No better value for peace and tranquility.

Carl W. R. Dufton • (360) 815-6637

Ruth Skeete • (360) 358-5075

L NEW

LE COMP

community of craftsman townhome condos nestled on 11 acres above the bay. Beautiful & private units are 1,430 +/- SF, 3 BD, 2.5 BA, superbly finished w/quartz counters, rock gas FP, SS appliances, on-demand HW, quality fixtures, designer flooring. Clubhouse, pool, & spa! Close to all Birch Bay offers. Secure your place in this wonderful beach community.

Jeremy Porter • (360) 306-1794

8033 Quinault Road, Birch Bay Village $999,000

ONE OF A KIND WATERFRONT IN BBV! Very

unique opportunity to own the largest property in BBV with direct SW views to San Juan Islands, Birch Bay and Mt. Baker. Situated on .65 acre with unlimited possibilities for expansion of current home or building your dream estate. Main floor entry has great open floor plan for stunning views at any angle. Master + 2 more guest rooms on main w/upper level guest suite, bonus room & patio for sunsets. Bring imagination and create your oasis now!

Heather Taylor • (425) 785-5771

5 DAYS 4 N I N IO

MOVE IN READY! The Tides... BRAND NEW! Birch Bay’s premier

STUNNING VIEWS!

PENDING!

Tidal Way Units 102-H & 102-I, Birch Bay $320,000 & $325,000

PRIME LOCATION ON GREENBELT! Highly

4730 Tidal Way 103-L, Birch Bay $335,900

GOLF COURSE VIEW LOT!

NG ISTI

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 3/15 • 1-3

WATERFRONT! NW Contemporary w/exceptional details. 12 ft ceilings, zero step entry, expansive windows/skylights for views of Drayton Harbor in every room. Designer kitchen-Thermador appliances, cabinets w/soft-close,pull outs & storage racks. 4 bedrooms w/ensuite, walk-in closets. Lower retreat family room,wine cellar option and 2 suites for privacy. Decks on main and lower for entertaining. Garage w/2 charge stations. This is PERFECTION! Cannot build at this price!

8786 Great Horned Owl Lane $839,000

8783 Clubhouse Point • $1,049,000 SEE PHOTOS AT

www.clubhousepoint.com MLS# 1232342 3-BD, 2.75-BA. 3,935 SF. 3 car garage. Last opportunity at Semiahmoo’s Clubhouse Point. Private, only 14 homes.

MLS # 1573664 • 3,479 Sq. Ft. • 1027 sq ft. garage Single story 3479 sq. ft custom crafted overlooking 2 acre private park setting w/pond &fountain. Window walls frame views: lush garden park, pond. Timeless cherry floors, custom cabinetry in 3 rooms. Pond view dream kitchen=perfect entertaining hub:warming drawer, Sub Zero, serious stainless hood over gas cooktop. Stately dining rm. Spacious master on N side. Guestrooms on S side. Radiant heat. Oversized garage. Storage. W facing, partially covered, oversized tiled patio w/park view. No grass! Location, Location!

360.815.6638 briansouthwick@gmail.com see more pictures at www.briansouthwick.com

COVID-19 ... From page 5

benefits and employers may get relief of benefit charges if they need to shut down temporarily because a worker becomes sick and others need to be isolated or quarantined. Standby, a temporary layoff in which the employer plans to rehire laid off employees, will be available for part-time as well as full-time workers. Work search requirements may be waived for workers that are asked to isolate or quarantine as a result of coronavirus exposure. “These new rules will ensure the following: workers will be able to receive employment benefits and employers will get relief of benefit charges if an employer needs to curtail their business or temporarily shut down their business due to these problems, or if a worker becomes sick or needs to be isolated or quarantined as a result of the virus,” Inslee said.

$15,900

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • Vacation Properties WE DO • Residential Properties ! IT ALL • Commercial Properties Call Phill Esau Today!

Nimbus Property Management

Downtown Blaine (Across from Hill’s Chevron)

www.NimbusRealEstate.com

Beautiful ocean and mountain view home.

3-BD, 2-BA, large kitchen w/SS appliances. Master BD w/large ensuite. Oversized 2-car garage. Solar panels. Huge deck. Come take a look! MLS #1559972

Lisa Sprague Owner/Agent

All real estate/rentals advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-877-0246.

$93,000

MLS # 1570667

New manufactured home in Bel Aire park in Blaine. Easy access to I-5, Birch Bay beaches, downtown Blaine, schools, shopping and Canadian border. Beautiful 2 BD home, with an open design makes this a great place to live.

360-961-0838

Classifieds are online at thenorthernlight.com/classifieds Emergency health insurance enrollment period The Washington Health Benefit Exchange is offering a limited-time special enrollment period for qualified individuals without health insurance. The enrollment period will run through April 8. “It is apparent that many in our state have been exposed to this virus and that health insurance will be critical to those seeking treatment,” said exchange chief executive officer Pam MacEwan, in a news release. “Individuals need to have peace of mind to take care of all health needs, especially if they are at a high risk. Given today’s exceptional circumstances we are enabling those who are uninsured to enroll and gain access to the vital services they may need.” Individuals can enroll by contacting the exchange’s customer support center at 855/923-4633, by texting 855/627-9604 or using a local certified broker or navigator. The state provides language

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5503 Seavue Rd. Birch Bay • $399,000

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 12:30-3

Semiahmoo Marina Boat Slips

360-594-8600

Julie Ward • (760) 522-2564

3-BD, 2-BA Rambler with 2-car garage, FP, covered deck. Built in 1994, a fixer worth the effort! Cash offer please. MLS# 1566448

www.CallHugh.com

5384 Night Heron Dr., Semiahmoo $1,598,000

D! Birch Bay Village Fixer-upper! L O S $250,000

assistance and disability accommodations at no cost. School closures The Meridian school district closed all schools on March 10 and 11 for deep cleaning of buildings and buses. An employee at Meridian Middle School has “cold symptoms” and came to school for six days after being exposed to a person outside Whatcom County who has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter from district superintendent James Everett to the community. The sick staff member was exposed to someone with COVID-19 on February 29. The county health department didn’t respond to a question about whether the individual was getting tested. As of March 10, the district intended to resume school on Thursday, March 12. The Lummi Nation School also closed on March 10 for a day of training and sanitizing equipment and furniture. The school

didn’t have a specific cause for concern, according to its website. Governor bans gatherings of more than 250 in three counties In a March 11 press conference, Inslee announced a ban on events of more than 250 people in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. The ban includes concerts and sporting events, but does not apply to schools, at least for now. “I am asking all of our school districts to immediately begin contingency planning for potential school closures in the next several days,” Inslee said. The governor hinted that more mandatory “social distancing” measures could be coming. “The decisions that we’re making today and the decisions we probably will be making in the upcoming days are going to be profoundly disturbing to a lot of the ways we live our lives today,” he said. Travelers denied at border U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported that travelers have been denied entry into

Sam Freeman

360-201-2428 360-332-6400

the United States from Canada at Whatcom County border crossings due to coronavirus concerns. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are conducting enhanced health screenings at the border of travelers who have been in China or Iran in the previous 14 days, said Jason Givens, CBP public affairs specialist. Givens did not have information on how many travelers had been denied entry into the United States because of COVID-19. WHO declares pandemic The World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a March 11 news conference that it now characterizes the novel coronavirus as a pandemic. WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that in the past two weeks the number of cases outside China has grown 13-fold and the number of countries with the virus has tripled. The declaration does not change the WHO’s assessment of the threat posed by the virus, he said.

March 12 - 18, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

Those with felony convictions can have their financial obligations reviewed By Judge D e bo r r a G a r r e t t Washington’s recent New Hope Act really does offer new hope to people who are struggling with felony conviction records. The law applies to all Superior Court cases – whether the sentence is recent or many years old. It allows our judges to reconsider the financial portions of felony sentences (other than restitution), based on a person’s financial circumstances, and to reduce those financial obligations to a level the person can pay. The new law also increases the types of cases in which a court may consider vacating a person’s conviction after the person has completed the sentence. In the past, the law included substantial fines and court costs in a felony sentence, and required interest at 12 percent per year. This put many people thousands of dollars in debt. The New Hope Act allows a judge to reduce fines and fees, except for restitution to the victim, and to eliminate the

interest that has accrued. Then, the person can make a realistic payment plan for any balance remaining. For people who have already served their time and met their other sentence requirements, paying off the financial obligations means the conviction can be “discharged” (the law’s recognition that the sentence has been fully performed). The New Hope Act also permits the court to vacate convictions for all but the most serious felony crimes (generally, Class A felonies and crimes of abuse or violence) after a person has fully completed their sentence and stayed out of criminal trouble for a set period of time (generally five to 10 years depending on the circumstances). Vacating a conviction removes it from the person’s criminal record. The Superior Court Clerk’s Office helps people prepare and file motions for reconsideration of their financial obligations. Now is an especially good time to act, because the court will soon refer delinquent accounts to a collec-

OBITUARIES

tion agency, adding collection fees to these accounts. The accounts of people who are working with the court will not be sent to collection, and our clerk’s office will continue to help people meet their obligations, discharge or vacate their convictions, and get on with their lives. If you or someone you know has a Superior Court conviction, get more information by reading the Clerk’s Office website: whatcomcounty.us/782/Legal-Financial-Obligations. You can contact the Clerk’s Office on the third floor of the county courthouse between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is 360/778-5619. A felony conviction is a serious matter, but it doesn’t have to put goals like finding a good job, buying a home or living without debt out of reach. The New Hope Act can help people meet their legal obligations and move ahead to better, happier lives. Judge Garrett is the Superior Court’s presiding judge.

DINING GUIDE

alarm telling us that the sprinkler system was flowing,” said NWFR division chief and fire marshal Herschel Rostov. Rostov said that when NWFR firefighters arrived on scene, they found smoke and fire inside the building. However, a sprinkler head had mostly extinguished the fire before it extended very far. Firefighters shut off the water flow, searched the building, determined the extent of damage and ventilated the building to clear the smoke. “Sprinkler systems can sometimes be an item that building owners find to be very expensive,” said Rostov. “In this case,

Peter Williams Robbins

June 2, 1929 ~ February 24, 2020 Blaine always knew him as Pete, and we called him Uncle Bill, but everyone would agree that he would give you "the coat off is back.” Someone always needed it more than him! Born 7th of 9 children to Charles and Mable (Carlson) Robbins in the West Hills of Barstow, Washington, before coming to Blaine at age 7, in 1936. Pete received an Honorable Discharge from the Army National Guard in 1953. He worked at Boeing, with his last job at Blaine/Bay Refuse Department, prior to retirement. He is survived by sister-in-law Jacquie Robbins of Lynden and Dorothy Robbins of Eugene Oregon. Never married, his nephews and nieces are his legacy. Robbins clan: Melinda Henderson, Tim Evans, Jeff Evans, Greg Robbins, Heidi Wegner, Chuck Robbins, Dan Robbins, Debbie Miller, Diane Lee, Cindy Lou Vogt, Jodi Beveridge. Nelson clan: Don Nelson, Peggy Vanleperen, Dee Hickey, Patty Schneider, Terry Speers, Gary Nelson, David Nelson. He was kind to all. Memorial donations may be made to the Blaine Senior Center & Grace Lutheran Church. Graveside services are planned for Saturday, March 21, at 12:30 p.m. at Haynie Cemetery.

Ronald Schoonover

May 9, 1936- February 23, 2020

Small fire in Blaine commercial building A small fire occurred in a commercial building on Odell Road, but was extinguished by a sprinkler system that prevented any significant structural damage to the building. On March 1 at about 2 p.m., a fire broke out in a commercial building at 2256 Odell Road in Blaine. The fire occurred in a manufacturing area, and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) was dispatched following an alarm. “We got dispatched to it as a sprinkler/water flow alarm, a fire

that single sprinkler head probably kept the whole building from burning down. This is one of those situations where it was very effective and efficient.” The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Rostov said. He said that the fire appeared to be accidental and that nobody was injured in the incident. The building is owned by Hugh Wiebe, who said the fire occurred in a space rented to the Bellingham company Cauldron Broths. He said that he is currently working with NWFR to assess the damage, which appears to be limited to smoke damage to some products.

Ronald Schoonover, age 83, died after a three-year battle of painful illnesses. Born May 9, 1936 to Lyle and Luella (Smith) Schoonover in McCook, Nebraska. He lived in Whatcom County 52 years. He will be remembered for his kind and generous heart and his great sense of humor. He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Linda; daughters Chris (Greg) Holmes and Ronda Schoonover; son Mike (Cheri) of Custer; grandsons Gunther and Garett Holmes; brother George (Joan); and numerous nieces and nephews. There will be a celebration of life March 22 at 2 p.m. at the Totem Terrace at Intalco. In lieu of flowers make donations to the Mt. Baker Kidney Foundation, d.ahl@mtbakerfoundation.org.

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