The Northern Light: March 26-April 1, 2020

March 26 - April 1, 2020

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IN THIS

ISSUE

Grandparents, new baby separated by border, page 7

114-year-old fishing boat being restored, page 10

Blaine Food Bank adopts social distancing, page 15

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

Inslee issues stay-home order with exceptions for ‘essential’ activities

By Oliver Lazenby

(See Inslee, page 15)

s A school bus delivers food to local kids stuck at home due to the statewide closure of all K-12 schools. During the school closures, which are expected to last until at least April 24, Blaine school bus drivers and food service staff are delivering food to every single normal bus stop in the district. Check the district’s website, blainesd.org, for route maps and estimated delivery drop-off times, and read our story on page 15 for additional information about the program.

Photo by Molly Ernst

Temporary restrictions at northern border go into effect

By Jami Makan Restrictions on “non-essential” travel across the northern border went into effect on March 21, and will remain in place for at least 30 days, according to a joint statement from the U.S. and Canadian governments.

In a statement posted to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) websites on March 20, the U.S. and Canadian governments announced that cross-border travel for “tourism” or “recreation” is temporarily restricted. Supply chains, as well as travel for “essential work or for other urgent or essential reasons,” will be allowed to continue.

“The U.S.-Canada land border serves as an economic engine that supports over $1.7 billion (USD) dollars in daily cross-border trade,” read the DHS version of the joint statement. “As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States and Canada are temporarily restricting all non-essential travel across its borders. In each of our countries, we are encouraging people to exercise caution by avoiding unnecessary contact with others. This collaborative and reciprocal measure is an extension of that prudent approach.”

The joint statement defined “non-essential travel” to include “travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature.”

The statement continued: “The United States and Canada recognize it is critical we preserve supply chains between both countries. These supply chains ensure that food, fuel and life-saving medicines reach people on both sides of the border. Supply chains, including trucking, will not be impacted by this new measure. Americans

and Canadians also cross the land border every day to do essential work or for other urgent or essential reasons, and that travel will not be impacted.”

The statement concluded by stating that the decision was to be implemented on March 21, “at which time the U.S. and Canada will temporarily restrict all non-essential travel across the U.S.-Canada land border. The measure will be in place for 30 days, at which point it will be reviewed by both parties.”

In a document authored by DHS acting general counsel Chad Mizelle that was scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on March 24, “essential travel” was further defined to include U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the U.S. It also includes individuals traveling for medical purposes; to attend educational institutions; to work in the U.S.; and for emergency response and public health purposes. It further includes individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade; official government or diplomatic travel; or military-related travel or operations.

Travel for tourism, sightseeing, recreation, gambling or cultural events was specifically restricted. “At this time, this notification does not apply to air, freight rail or sea travel between the United States and Canada,” said Mizelle’s memo. “These restrictions are temporary in nature and shall remain in effect until 11:59 p.m.

EDT on April 20, 2020. This notification may be amended or rescinded prior to that time, based on circumstances associated with the specific threat.”

Meanwhile, CBSA issued its own guidance regarding the “enhanced border mea-

sures.” According to a CBSA spokesperson, “Canadians and Americans cross the border every day to work or study – for example, truck drivers, firefighters and nurses. Canadian and American citizens and permanent residents who are currently visiting each other’s country can still return home. All of these people and goods will not be impacted by the new measures.”

The CBSA spokesperson added: “Travel by healthy people who have to cross the border to go to work or for other essential purposes, such as medical care, will continue.” However, individuals who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and who present symptoms consistent with COVID-19, will be restricted from entering Canada. “Canadian citizens and permanent residents presenting symptoms consistent with COVID-19 may still enter Canada by land, rail and marine, but not via air, in order to ensure the health of all (See Border, page 2)

INSIDE

On March 23, Washington governor Jay Inslee issued a stay-at-home order for the whole state for a minimum of two weeks, in the latest and most extreme measure to slow the spread of the new coronavirus in Washington state. The order began immediately at 5:30 p.m. on March 23 and is enforceable by law, Inslee said in a televised announcement. Washington joins at least a dozen other states with similar orders.

The order allows people to leave home only for essentials, including grocery shopping or medical appointments. People can still go outside to walk or exercise, but must stay six feet from others. Only “essential businesses” can stay open, including grocery stores, banks, gas stations, pharmacies and restaurants offering take-out or delivery. Businesses working remotely can stay open as well. Non-essential businesses were required to close by the end of the day on March 25, Inslee said.

Inslee’s list of businesses that are still allowed to operate includes hundreds of positions in public health, emergency services, food production, energy, utilities, transportation and trucking, media, information technology, manufacturing, government, financial services and other industries. See a full list of essential business at bit.ly/2xlvA5O. On March 23, the Washington State Department of Health reported 2,221 total confirmed cases of the new coronavirus and 110 deaths. That’s a jump of 225 cases and 15 deaths from the previous day.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were reporting 44,183 confirmed cases and 544 deaths on March 24.

Worldwide, there were more than 415,000 confirmed cases and 18,500 deaths as of March 24, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Whatcom County had 64 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths as of March 24. One week earlier, there were five confirmed cases in the county. The Whatcom County Health Department identified 29 confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 22 in an outbreak at Shuksan Healthcare Center, a nursing and rehabilitation facility in Bellingham. Of those cases, 23 are residents and six are staff associated with the facility.

Health officials say that, absent widespread testing, social distancing is the best way to slow the spread of the new coronavirus to avoid overwhelming hospitals. As of March 23, it wasn’t clear if any hospitals in the state were suffering from a lack of beds or ventilators, but equipment shortages were reportedly widespread.

PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center

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The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

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From page 1

travelers,” the spokesperson said.

For those who cross into Canada by land, boat or rail, the questions about their health will include: “Do you currently have a cough, difficulty breathing or feel you have a fever?” Regardless of how one responds, CBSA officers are trained to observe visible signs of illness. Non-Canadians displaying symptoms will be prevented from entering Canada, while Canadians displaying symptoms will receive further assessment, a kit that includes a mask and other instructions and a pamphlet advising them to self-isolate for 14 days, the CBSA spokesperson said.

In the days leading up to the border restrictions, Whatcom Unified Command, which is handling the local response to the coronavirus outbreak, created a Border Task Force to monitor the evolving situation. Members of the task force include Whatcom County executive Satpal Sidhu, representatives from both CBP and CBSA, Point Roberts fire chief Chris Carleton, representatives from the offices of governor Jay Inlsee, senator Patty Murray and senator Maria Cantwell and representatives of PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. The Border Task Force is being chaired by WCSO

s The Peace Arch border crossing into Blaine on March 23, two days after temporary border-crossing restrictions went into effect.

Photo by Louise Mugar

chief deputy Kevin Hester.

According to a March 18 press release posted on the city of Bellingham’s website, the task force met for the first time on March 18 and was holding daily conference calls to address issues such as the needs of Point Roberts residents and the ability of healthcare workers and commercial drivers to continue to cross the northern border.

“This is another new development in the COVID-19 mitigation efforts,” said the city of Bellingham’s release. “The Border Task Force is committed to working with our partners and members to ensure continuity while protecting our citizens. It is a dynamic and rapidly evolving situation with many concerns to address. As decisions are made on the federal level, the Border Task

Force will respond appropriately and as swiftly as possible.”

In a March 21 email to Point Roberts’ All Point Bulletin newspaper, CBSA senior spokesperson Rebecca Purdy offered some clarification regarding travel

by Point Roberts residents into and through Canada. “Healthy, non-symptomatic individuals for whom crossing the border on a day-to-day basis is essential for work and daily life will still be permitted to cross the border,” wrote Purdy. “Note, all travel of an optional or discretionary nature, including but not limited to tourism and recreation, is covered by these measures. Travel by healthy people who have to cross the border to go to work or for other essential purposes, such as medical care, will continue.”

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March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

Thank You to Our Donors!

Pictured above are donations we received in the mail just on March 25 alone. Since we began our appeal for help last week, we have received 170 donations from readers, both through the mail and online through our support portal. To say we have been surprised is an understatement of the highest order.

Not only have readers sent in money to help the newspaper survive, they have blessed us with their comments.

We kind of feel like Sally Field: You like us! You really like us! Well, it’s mutual.

Here is what some people have told us: “Thank you for all you do for the community.” – Bob & Linda Gray “Thanks to you for all your great work!” – Don & Linda Clark “Thank you for all these years of The Northern Light newspaper. We’d be lost without the local news. It’s a true gift to the surrounding communities. Thank you again.” – Janet & Tom Wright “We sincerely appreciate all you do for our community!!” – Russ & Lora Crawford “Your paper is excellent and much appreciated. Thank you.” – Rosalie Slagle “We so enjoy your efforts for the community. KEEP ON PUBLISHING!” – Ron & Sandra Bogen “Our paper is a gem and a last bastion of journalism.” – Richard May “This paper is a wonderful asset to our community.” – Mary Lee Hill “Buy a subscription to our treasured Northern Light. They have given us quality journalism for free for 25 years.” – Bonnie Onyon Vicky & Gary Abel Madeline Affolter Steve Agnew Rebecca Allen Gabrielle Allmann Lyle Anderson Robert Anderson John Andes Jaime Arnett Kevin & Michelle Bakker Donna Baron David Bean Brian Bell Anne Bercht Marian & Jerry Betzer Martin & Patricia Bloom Ron & Sandra Bogen Sandy Bonnickson Catherine Bradley Maureen Call Diana Campbell Zdenek Capson Rebecca Chao Dave & Lynne Chapman Don & Linda Clark Linda Cline Leah Crews Jen Davis Jan Dawson Peter Docharty Carol & David Duffy Dan Durning Debora Earl Kari Eastman Bruce Ernst Lucille Ewing Aniece Farrer Lawrence Faulkner

Michael Fisher Anne Freeman Jason Friend Lisa Friend Dave Gallagher Steve Ganz Alexandra Geer Dennis Gehringer Elizabeth Goplerud Margarette Grant Bob & Dorita Gray Joel Green Jullin Greene Kurt Haggman Stephen Haines Susan Hagan John Haslam Michael Haslip Charles M. Hawkins M. Heneghan Tom & Barb Herrick Eileen Herring Mary Lee Hill Evelyn Hoefakker Krista Hofius Dawn Holmes Trevor Hoskins Nancy House Lavonne Howard Timothy Howe Margaret Hudson Michelle Ihlan Ann Iwata Dianne Jackson Kenneth Jameson Daphne & Bryan Johnson Stephen Johnson

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The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 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 Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Kristin Siemion sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com Contributors In This Issue Kenneth Ely Tim Trudel The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXV, No 40 Circulation: 10,500 copies

Circulation Independently Verified by:

Next issue: April 2 Ads due: March 27

The Editor: I listen to hours of mainstream reports on this virus but cannot find an answer to a fundamental problem with the solution that closes down businesses to prevent contact and exposure. Medically this is straightforward, but how can most people do this and still survive, perhaps without disease, but also without an income?

Death or other diseases can also come to people who lose jobs from companies that cannot survive and close forever. Is one to remain healthy in order to starve? We are told that essential government services will be enhanced to support such needs, but these departments and services are also supported by way of private income from those who buy goods and pay taxes.

I fear the basic blocks of our economy are threatened in ways that cannot return after such a long time as the jobs and companies no longer exist. Our government is not prepared to support such massive failures.

Perhaps a social sort of rationing or prioritizing could be established which could more selectively funnel direct financial help based on social usefulness instead of only medical criteria. The tourism, entertainment and sports industries have a high risk for disease exposure but less value as essential services. Their closure throws thousands out of work, but if confined to them, help sent their way may be enough to save companies and see employees through to another paycheck when it is over. Another area warranting material help is of course medical care facilities, personnel and research. The virus is with us and no longer can be contained along with many others we must deal with. Since it spreads so dangerously and quickly, we must boost the medical system so it does not get overwhelmed. All resources – including military – must be on deck and going in high gear. If we do this well in other countries around the world, in not always friendly areas, working with their militaries for logistic necessities, why can we not do it even better here at home?

The poor, disabled and homeless on our streets must now be offered safe places to sleep, eat and use a bathroom. If we have not enough compassion, then we must realize this disease is an equalizer with no respect for our social boundaries. Even those of us in gated communities, who might make good use of this time away from normal life to work at home and in gardens with others and our kids, will not be protected financially or medically if groups are ignored and left to suffer or die.

We are in this together where no one rises alone for safety and where all of us will go down together. There is no place to run as it is all over the world.

Some tactics work better than others.

Public education and plans that make sense work better than scare tactics and guilt-tripping. If we target only the most essential to stay in business and remain open, this ignores the fact that they are sustainable only if we are. And it ignores people by the thousands who can see no way to survive without an income or job.

Small wonder, perhaps, that our young adults have the bravado to “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may die,” foolish as that is. It is up to us to find ways to survive together, to take every measure for safety we can, to take this new disease in stride along with all the others that plague us, and demand that our government go as heavy as it can on the “supply” side of things with the anticipated demand nearly at the gates. We need to put our prejudices and dissension aside and offer what we can with all the heart and brainpower we possess. My question again: Is hiding out in fear really the best way to go?

Sharon Robinson Blaine

The Editor: The COVID-19 virus: it’s like being in a war.

Despite Trump’s bravado, the Republican administration has been slow to react to the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 33,000 Americans infected and 400 deaths, it will quickly spread; last Monday alone, nearly 100 Americans died. And we don’t know the extent because of limited testing. One Californian infectious disease expert predicted that 70 percent of Americans will become infected with 1.5 million deaths, according to The Globe and Mail on March 21.

Compare this to Canada with its population of 38 million, where there were only 2,100 infections and 24 deaths. That’s because our health system is not as fractured as the American health system; the federal and provincial governments have reacted quickly.

We are told that “this is an extraordinary time.” My aunt, who is well into her 80s, reminded me of her being a teenager in Holland during World War II. She recalled the bare store shelves, the scarcity of food and the fear of being killed by an occupying army.

Today we are being invaded by an army which is invisible and we can’t predict, as during WWII, what the future will be. It’s also scary not knowing who the enemy is (infected individuals with no symptoms).

We are to self-isolate and become prisoners in our own homes.

It is interesting to notice how many people don’t take this pandemic crisis seriously. Many continue to regularly shop and attend sport venues. Young people in particular don’t think they are vulnerable and gather on beaches and basketball courts.

Spring has sprung; everything appears to normal but it isn’t. I sit on my balcony watching the shimmering haze over Semiahmoo Bay and have to remind myself that there is a pandemic out there. Businesses are closing; shelves are empty. This creates anxiety because we are not used to it.

When will things return to normal?

Albert Leering White Rock, B.C. The Editor: I wanted to write and respond to the recent story regarding improving the quality of life in downtown Blaine regarding the excessively loud train horns.

I’ve lived in downtown Blaine for some time now and I must say, the horns are extremely loud, if you’re on Peace Portal Drive, near where the crossing at Marine Drive is located.

Maybe if you live more than two blocks away, the train horns sound quaint and all, but try and put yourself in the shoes of someone living, say, in the large masonry apartment building in the 400 block of Peace Portal Drive or even the apartment building on H Street and the motel on Martin Street.

I did some research and the horn values are at 120 decibels. At this level, you can receive hearing damage if you’re close to the trains.

I’ve been woken up many times by the horn noise and I know of folks who have moved from the apartment building across from Edaleen who didn’t miss living in Blaine just for the horn noise.

It seems the overpass at Bell Road will silence the horns for those residents, but I think you could incorporate the amount you quoted per crossing in the story ($500,000) into a $20 million budget and add the extra crossing arms at Marine Drive like British Columbia did at 12 crossings. Just do a package deal.

Certainly we can do one out of 13, and it would highly improve the quality of life here in Blaine and silence the annoying train horns for the entire Semiahmoo Bay area.

Doesn’t the city of Blaine deserve it?

The city should do this to improve the

quality of life for its citizens. It’s just the right thing to do. Thank you.

Jeff Montanaro Blaine The Editor: It was just February 13 when you published my last letter asking what your reporters have learned about precautions being taken at Vancouver International Airport and the border regarding the coronavirus. Ironically, on the next page was a wonderful story about the life of Kirk Douglas – the person my mother named me after. How life has changed in such a short period of time.

In the following issues, your reporters provided the best reporting of the virus’ impact on our local communities in northern Whatcom County. Not general information but ground truth with real local conditions. We need your paper and its diligent staff more than ever.

A few years back I lost my only sibling, my older brother Roger, who had a career in journalism and marketing. He taught me the importance of small-town newspapers, which share our births and deaths and all things considered in between. Rog was the editor of the Aspen Times during the late ’60s and early ’70s and later the Kodiak Times in Alaska.

In loving memory of my brother, the Flanders family is donating $240 for the continuation of your operations, $24 for ourselves as you suggested, and the rest for nine others for your distribution. Thank you for the opportunity to support you. I urge others to do so.

Kirk and Linda Flanders Blaine The Editor: It was with great pleasure that we immediately wrote a check for $100 payable to The Northern Light when we learned that its publication might be in jeopardy. We have enjoyed every edition of this newspaper and look forward to many more!

Kevin and Terri Faulkner Blaine

Fire in the Pit of My Stomach

By Julie Hanft Strength is pain Strength is fear Strength is courage Strength is knowing it’s too hard Sometimes strength is subtle It comes out when you least expect it.

Sometimes it is the only thing that drives you.

I never thought I could do this Until I was.

When pain is heightened You find yourself so stressed Someone gets my attention “Look at me” I look “We’ve got this!”

I look into your eyes At that moment I believe you You’ve got this.

It’s a moment of great relief A moment of strength Take in a breath Realizing that a moment of time was needed.

Strength can come in many ways.

Life is sneaky that way Like a snake It happens, ready or not.

Sometimes strength is an intuition for you to fight.

When I look down deep holding that fire That comes out all on its own Preparing you for a fight.

Strength isn’t taking in the whole mountain It means I am standing and facing it Possessing the willingness to endure.

Strength is knowing you have something to fight for.

Sometimes strength is what someone will die for.

It cannot be measured Real strength comes as fast as a wave I hope you remember that It holds truth!

Real strength is in the faces of people You don’t want to let down!

Strength is in your mind, in your heart, in your soul It’s that fire that burns in the pit of your stomach An instinct to survive.

Julie Hanft is a best-selling author and poet who lives in Birch Bay.

March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

5

Opinion Trust one another and work together to survive, like they once did in Pumpville, Texas

By Kenneth Ely By the time of which I write, there was no longer much reason for Pumpville, Texas to exist.

The town had come into being in 1882, when the Southern Pacific railroad established a watering station there for its locomotives. On the map, it was east of “Big Bend Country,” smack-dab at the top of the arch of the west Texas “boot.”

By the Great Depression, locomotives were bigger, faster and could carry more water. Sometimes they still stopped at Pumpville if they’d come a long way, but Pumpville by then was mostly a general store with a U.S. Post Office inside it.

The general store and post office served the surrounding Val Verde County sheep and cattle ranching community, and both were operated by my maternal grandfather’s brother, Pelham Bradford. He had a wife, but I would have to dig around in old family notes to be able to tell you what her name was.

Nor can I tell you the exact

year of all this, but the Val Verde economy tanked despite Roosevelt trying his hardest to put the country on the road to recovery.

The ranchers couldn’t pay Bradford for the supplies – both hardware and groceries – they needed to keep their ranches going. That meant Bradford couldn’t pay his wholesalers. Everybody was on the brink of going under.

Since Plymouth, the Bradfords had been a family that had risen and fallen many times in many endeavors in many places, but they never went down without trying to avoid it, and Bradford was certain he could avoid it – for himself and for the ranchers.

Those ranchers were his friends, his neighbors, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that some of them were somehow related. Bradford believed in them as honorable men, and he was willing to play big stakes (for him) on that belief.

So he wrote, telephoned and even went east to visit some of his suppliers. What he asked for was

nothing less than unlimited credit and unlimited trust. He told the wholesalers that if they would continue to supply him despite the fact that they wouldn’t be paid for the foreseeable future, he would keep the ranchers supplied with the food and hardware they needed to operate until things turned around and they were able to begin paying him back and he, in turn, was able to begin paying off the suppliers.

I never met Bradford but he must have been a man of considerable moral power because the wholesalers agreed. They gave him the credit.

Things eventually got a bit better and when the Val Verde ranchers got a little money, they passed it on to Bradford, who passed it on to the wholesalers. When the war in Europe cranked up, beef and sheep became decent commodities, and the debts eventually were all paid off.

Bradford’s store was never a big operation. He was more like Ike Godsey with his store on Walton’s Mountain in the TV series. And

CITY OF BLAINE

the ranchers were not cattle barons, most of them; they were what today we would call “small holders.” But they were a community of men and women who trusted one another and worked together to survive – and they made it.

The grab for wealth and success has bled America of a lot of that ethic. Maybe, if good can come of this coronavirus pandemic, some of what Bradford and those ranchers had can be infused back into our cultural fiber.

The present presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, when asked about “Make America Great Again,” replied, “I’m not so concerned with making America great, I’m more concerned about making America good.” What Bradford and the Val Verde ranchers believed and lived was certainly part of America’s goodness – and, therefore, part of America’s greatness.

Kenneth Ely is a 71-year-old resident of Blaine. After retiring from the chiropractic practice he opened in 1982, he now drives a bus for the school district.

Meetings are now only open to the public telephonically. Information on how to listen to the meeting live is on the City’s website homepage under City News and Updates. Agendas can be found on the City’s website.

Thursday, March 26 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting Public Hearing for the Gateway North General Binding Site Plan

Monday, April 13 6:00pm – Regular City Council Meeting

Thursday, April 23 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting

Monday, April 27 6:00pm – Regular City Council Meeting

All City offices are currently closed to the public.

Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website.

Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website.

www.cityofblaine.com

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s Last weekend, Blaine resident Jeff Schamel, r., put a picnic table on the flatbed trailer of his “Mini Hawk” truck. He then went to Tony’s Just A Bite for breakfast and Paso Del Norte for lunch. Both restaurants were closed for in-person dining but provided curbside delivery to Schamel, who sat and ate outside. “In this time of confusion, it was a very uplifting experience,” Schamel said. “A lot of people were taking pictures, they thought it was great. Sometimes you have to think out of the box to support your community and bring joy to everybody. It put smiles on everybody’s faces.”

Photo courtesy of Jeff Schamel

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Blaine United Church of Christ Live Streaming Sunday Services at 10:30am!

Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/895281285

Phone: 1-669-900-6833 Meeting ID: 895 281 285 u Jes

rn s didn’t tu people away Neither do we.

(360) 332-6906 885 4th St. • Blaine, WA 98230 Pastor Sandy Wisecarver

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.

CITY OF BLAINE

PUBLIC NOTICE Emergency Water Main Repairs Scheduled

Colacurcio Construction has been hired by the city of Blaine to undertake the final repair of the water line that ruptured the evening of March 6, 2020. The work includes replacing the leaking valve and replacing the water line that goes under Peace Portal at Bell (Blaine) Road through a casing.

Work will also include some work in the 1200 Block of Runge Avenue. The work on Runge Avenue will take place on Thursday 3/26 between 9AM and 3PM. The work on Peace Portal and Bell Road is planned from 8:00PM Friday 3/27 to 8:00PM Saturday 3/28. The repairs are needed to fix the leaking valve and provide support of the pipe that crosses the state highway.

“We recognize that these repairs are occurring at a difficult time and we apologize for any inconvenience,” stated Michael Jones, City Manager. “It’s essential that we avoid a catastrophic failure from occurring, so we need to complete the work while staff and supplies are available.”

Residents and businesses that experienced water shut-offs on Friday March 7, 2020 should be aware that shut offs will occur again for both project areas and should plan accordingly. As part of the repair, additional valves will be installed that will reduce inconvenience when maintenance of this system occurs in the future. Please follow traffic control measures by avoiding this area, and utilize alternate routes if possible. Emergency vehicle access will be accommodated.

Of behalf of the city of Blaine, we apologize for any inconvenience.

The Public Works Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all city utilities (Water, Wastewater, Stormwater, Electrical services) as well as repair and maintenance of streets and public facilities.

We also provide support for civic functions and special events and participate regularly in community enhancement projects and activities.

For more information, please call 360.332.8820 or visit our website at http://www.cityofblaine.com/90/Public-Works

6

The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

Councilmembers affirm city manager’s emergency proclamation

By Jami Makan At a special city council meeting on March 16, councilmembers voted unanimously to affirm a proclamation issued on March 13 by Blaine city manager Michael Jones declaring a local emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the meeting, which took place at 5 p.m. in the Blaine council chambers and was attended personally by six councilmembers (Eric Davidson was excused) in addition to Jones and city attorney Jon Sitkin, city council passed Resolution 180020 by a vote of 6 to 0.

“The city council for the city of Blaine confirms the proclamation hereby and expressly finds and declares … that COVID-19 is a civil emergency that exists within the boundaries of the city that poses a real and immediate threat to the proper performance of the essential functions of the city,” the resolution states. “Further, … this emergency may result in, or threatens to result in, the material loss or damage to property or the death or serious bodily injury of persons, to such an extent as to require, in this legislative and elected body’s discretion, extraordinary measures to protect the public peace, safety, health and welfare.”

The resolution confirmed the authority of the city manager to: make necessary rules and regulations reasonably related to the emergency; obtain supplies, equipment, personal property and professional, procured or technical services (including selecting and awarding such contracts as necessary); authorize overtime or extended leave for city personnel; requisition personnel and material; obtain emergency funding and permitting through federal, state and local agencies; and take

other lawful acts as may be necessary and reasonably related to the emergency situation.

“Nothing herein shall provide the authority to seize personal or real property without just compensation to be paid,” the resolution noted, without elaborating further.

The resolution also requires Jones to report to city council on any executive actions taken pursuant to his emergency proclamation. Specifically, Jones must provide “explanation as to why it was necessary to take such action to meet the emergency situation articulated herein.” At each regular city council meeting for the foreseeable future, councilmembers shall review Jones’ proclamation and their affirming resolution as a regular agenda item until such time as the emergency measures are terminated.

“The intent of the city council is that the resolution and proclamation shall terminate at such time as either the city manager or the city council has determined that emergency circumstances necessitating the proclamation and the resolution have passed,” the resolution states. This “intent statement” was added to the resolution by Sitkin following input from councilmember Richard May, who was concerned that the earlier version did not specify when, if ever, the emergency measures would cease.

Other key provisions of the resolution include a change in city council’s rules of procedure to allow for remote attendance of city council meetings by councilmembers, and a requirement that the emergency measures be implemented “subject to the availability of budgetary appropriations.”

Draft pandemic response plan drawn up At the meeting, Jones also distributed copies of a draft pandemic

response plan that city staff compiled using a template from public health authorities. “It’s very hot off the presses,” he told councilmembers. “It’s been a working document up until this afternoon.”

While the plan does not detail all of the specific activities that may occur locally during a pandemic, it provides a general overview of the city’s response methods. The plan identifies the city manager as the city’s pandemic response coordinator, and it itemizes many of the essential functions of each city department.

“What this talks about is those things that are of greatest priority,” Jones explained. “Things like maintaining the electrical system are so much more important than filling potholes, so we won’t worry about filling potholes during the pandemic if we don’t have enough personnel to get everything done. ... It doesn’t specifically say we won’t do things, but it tells us what our priorities are.”

The plan also contains an order of succession, itemizing who will be in authority if their superior is not present. The plan includes letters delegating authority, so that if a key staff member is absent, another staff member can quickly sign documents, make decisions and take action. “It’s automatic under this plan for that to occur,” Jones said.

City manager takes action to assist CAP At the meeting, Jones advised councilmembers that earlier in the day, he had used his emergency powers to provide the Blaine Library’s conference room to the Community Assistance Program (CAP). The non-profit organization, which is supported by local churches, had vacated its regular office due to concerns about transmission of the new coronavirus. “The [conference] room has

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s Blaine councilmembers during their special meeting on March 16.

Photo by Jami Makan

been provided to CAP so that they can continue to provide their services during the pandemic,” Jones said. “[CAP] provides people with emergency services, such as money for food or to pay utility bills, those kinds of urgent needs. They had been asked to leave the facility they normally use, so they found themselves without an office, and we were able to solve that problem this morning.”

Jones said that normally this action would have required an amendment to the interlocal agreement that exists between the city of Blaine and the Whatcom County Library System (WCLS).

Such an amendment would have likely required approval by city council and the WCLS board during normal circumstances.

However, because of his emergency powers, Jones was able to partially rescind the interlocal agreement unilaterally. He noted that his decision was made after consultation with WCLS executive director Christine Perkins, who was “100 percent supportive,” he said.

CAP volunteer Dan DeMent said that CAP had been required to vacate its previous office, located at Blaine’s Christ Episcopal Church, due to the statewide closure of all Episcopal facilities. He said that while CAP had not yet used the library conference room as of March 23, the non-profit planned to conduct screening interviews there for its crisis assistance program, which offers financial assistance for utility bills and prescriptions. The program also provides some food assistance to those in dire need.

“If it’s needed to do the interviews, that space will allow us to have the distance that we need,” DeMent said. “We anticipate that we’ll start seeing calls from people who’ve gotten laid off.” DeMent said that Blaine residents can support CAP’s work during this difficult period by visiting blainecap.org and making an online donation. “We could go through funds pretty quickly” due to high demand, he said.

City takes other steps in response to pandemic In response to the pandemic, other steps are being taken to minimize the spread of the virus, Jones said. This includes twice-daily cleanings of frequently touched surfaces in city facilities, ranging from public telephones and elevator buttons to coffee pots. He also said that

council chambers are being sanitized regularly, and that all city staff are being asked to contribute to cleaning efforts. “It is work being shared by everyone, not just the janitorial crew,” he said.

Sanitizing products have been distributed to all city staff, and many meetings are now being conducted using teleconferencing tools. The Blaine Welcome Center was also closed at the end of the workday on March 16. “We’re finding that there aren’t that many people coming in, as you might imagine,” Jones said. “The volunteers are mostly in the more susceptible age range, and so the volunteers had expressed some concerns.”

New passport appointments are no longer being accepted. For existing passport appointments, social distancing protocols have been implemented, such as requiring members of the public to use hand sanitizer due to the large volume of documents typically handed back and forth during such appointments. Those who refuse to use hand sanitizer will not be served. “We’re asking them for that courtesy,” Jones said.

Jones also said that the city is implementing work-from-home programs. For some city staff who have overlapping functions, they are alternating their time in the office, in order to minimize their exposure to others who might be carrying the new coronavirus. Other city staff who perform critical work such as payroll might soon be required to work from home, in order to keep them healthy and working. “We don’t have a lot of depth in our bench,” he said.

Jones said that the city has started tracking many of its coronavirus-related expenses, since some of them might be reimbursable by the state government.

Reimbursable expenses could potentially include mass purchases of hand sanitizer and other disinfecting products, as well as overtime for police officers and wastewater treatment plant staff.

Other actions were also being weighed, Jones said, including: waiving credit card convenience fees for online bill payments to limit residents’ interactions with the city cashier; adjusting sick leave use and donation policies to accommodate self-quarantine; cancellation of non-essential board and committee meetings; shortening civic meetings to reduce in-person contact; and temporarily halting water and electric shut-offs.

March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

7

Border restrictions force couple to visit with new grandson at Peace Arch

By Jami Makan Blaine residents John and Sharon Andes recently visited with their new grandson in the Peace Arch park, following new border restrictions that prevented them from crossing into Canada, where the baby was born and lives with his parents.

The new baby, Stephen Cyrus Waldner, was born on March 15 and weighed six pounds and five ounces. The baby was born at Langley Memorial Hospital to the Andes’ daughter and son-in-law, Victoria and John Waldner, who live in Cloverdale.

New grandmother Sharon Andes said that due to the new border restrictions that went into effect on March 21, she and her husband had no other option but to visit with the baby and his par-

ents in the “free zone” of the Peace Arch park, where Canadians and Americans can gather without border-crossing formalities. The park is known as Peace Arch State Park in Washington and Peace Arch Provincial Park in B.C. “My husband John spoke to a border guard prior to the meeting,” Sharon said. “He drove into the park and he spoke to that border guard, who said that the park is considered a free zone, which I didn’t know.”

So on March 21, the same day the new border restrictions went into effect, grandparents John and Sharon parked on the U.S. side of the park, while their daughter, son-in-law and grandson parked on the Canadian side. They then met in the park and spent about half an hour together, chatting and taking photos.

“We’re going to have to do this until the restrictions are lifted,” Sharon said. “We plan to do this a few times a week.” They were worried about the potential closure of state parks, which would make in-person visits with their grandson totally impossible. (On March 25, all state-managed parks, wildlife areas and water-access areas were closed for at least two weeks in response to a stay-home order by governor Jay Inslee.)

Sharon said that the family was also impacted by new hospital restrictions, which went into effect the day the baby was born and limited the number of visitors to two. Only she and her son-in-law could visit the newborn that day.

John was refused access to the hospital, and only met the baby for the first time on March 17 when the baby came home.

s John Andes with his new grandson, Stephen Cyrus Waldner, in the Peace Arch park on March 21.

Courtesy photo

Sharon said this ordeal will make it difficult to assist her daughter with caring for the new infant, but she was hopeful that the situation would soon return to normal.

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“This has obviously been a very difficult time,” Sharon said, “but we have been given this little gift during this time and moments together are precious.”

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that in 2017, 738 fatalities occurred because of tire-related crashes. Many of those crashes were likely preventable, and that only highlights the importance of maintaining tires and monitoring their performance.

Poor tire maintenance can lead to premature wear and potentially result in a blowout. The auto-

motive group AAA notes it is important to visually inspect tires as often as possible. Drivers should look for overall tread wear. Pay special attention to tread wear on one edge of the tires, which could indicate poor alignment. Erratic tread wear may mean tires are out of balance.

Drivers also should pay attention to how their cars drive and sound. Unusual vibration or thumping noises suggest issues with the tires. A car that pulls in one direction also may be experiencing tire problems.

Vehicle owners should be aware of the routine maintenance steps that can keep them safe and improve the life expectancy of tires.

• Tire pressure: The NHTSA says only 19 percent of consumers properly check and inflate their tires.

Keeping tires properly inflated is one of the most important steps

to maintaining them. Tires lose around one pound per square inch (PSI) per month, and underinflated or overinflated tires can contribute to unusual wear, blowouts and even excessive fuel consumption.

• Rotation: Check the owner’s manual or recommendations from the tire manufacturer, but know that most mechanics advise having tires rotated every 5,000 to 8,000 miles. Rotation helps distribute wear more evenly on tires.

• Balancing: AAA says balancing also helps minimize uneven wear and tear. Balanced tires are achieved by using small weights attached to the wheels to limit vibration of the tire and wheels as they turn. New tires should be balanced, and tires also should be balanced after one or more is removed to repair a puncture.

• Alignment: Vehicles have wheel alignment measurements that

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8

The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

Home

&

Garden

A monthly special section in The Northern Light

How home gardeners can help honey bees, our pollinators, survive

By Tim Trudel With spring just around the corner, a lot of us are looking forward to new plants popping up with blooms. The 150,000 bees that have overwintered in my garden hives are also waiting for spring blooms.

You might wonder what the bees do during winter. Unlike a lot of native bees whose queen is the only bee to overwinter, a honey bee colony will remain active all winter. They will keep themselves warm by forming a tight cluster around the queen.

The temperature inside this cluster is between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit all winter. The bees that are on the outside will move into the middle to warm up and others will take their place on the outer edges of this cluster.

The number of bees in the hive decreases during winter from 50,000 in late summer to 10,000 as spring approaches. The bees

get the energy to flex their muscles and generate body heat all winter from the honey that they have stored in the hive during the summer and fall. It takes one to two pounds of honey per week to keep the hive warm through winter. That is 40 to 50 pounds for each beehive.

In the spring, when the temperature reaches 50 to 55 degrees and the sun is shining, the bees will finally be able to fly from the hive and start looking for blooming plants from which to gather the pollen and nectar that they need to keep the hive alive. Nectar is the carbohydrate energy source that the bees need. The pollen that they gather is the protein that is required to raise new bees. Each spring is a touch and go situation for the bees. Will the weather warm up and the plants start blooming before the hive runs out of food?

In our area, the main nectar-producing plant is the black-

berry which blooms in June.

Which plants provide food for the bees in spring before the blackberry blooms? Depending upon the weather during bloom time, the big-leaf maple trees can be an excellent source of nectar and pollen, but if the weather is windy, wet or cold when the blooms appear the bees will not leave the hive, missing that early food source.

Dandelions are also a vital food source because they are early, long-lasting and reliable bloomers. Other shrubs and perennials are good suppliers of pollen and nectar, but their blooming periods are brief and an inopportune stretch of cold or rainy weather can keep the bees from flying, missing another food source.

How can the home gardener help our pollinators survive? We can start by changing our attitude toward dandelions in our lawns.

Waiting to mow your lawn until after that first spring bloom and

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letting the dandelions grow in the ditches along the road will provide bees with a much-needed early spring food source. Avoiding the use of weed killers and pesticides will also help sustain our bee population.

We can also plant spring blooming trees, shrubs and perennials.

Choose perennials with blue, violet, white or yellow flowers, which bees see more readily than red.

They should be planted in groups rather than as single plants in a sunny location which is sheltered from the wind if possible. Try to plant native or non-hybrid varieties as some hybrids are bred for showy disease resistance but are sterile, so although these plants will add beauty to the garden, they will not feed the bees. Check with your supplier and read the plant tag if you are in doubt about your purchase.

March and April blooming trees include California hazelnut, Amelanchier and Pacific dogwood. Although dwarf varieties of fruit trees bloom later in spring, they can also help fill the food gap before the blackberries.

Early blooming perennials providing nectar and pollen include crocus, snowdrop, hellebore, grape hyacinth, winter heath, chives and Oregon grape. Beneficial shrubs blooming later in spring include spirea, nine bark, cornelian cherry witch hazel, pussy willows and mock orange

(Philadelphus lewisii).

If you have an undeveloped or wild area in your garden, seeding with a native wildflower mix selected for our area is a great idea.

Other native or acclimatized nectar and pollen sources include thimbleberry, snowberry, salal, serviceberry and ocean spray.

Goldenrod – a large sticky and prickly plant – can also be added to a wild area in the garden as an excellent source of nectar from August through fall. Although it was introduced to our area and is considered a weed, goldenrod is not on the Washington State Noxious or Invasive Weed List and bees love it. For a more complete seasonal list of pollinator friendly plants for our area visit bcfarmsandfood.com or pollinator.org.

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March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

9

Some decor ideas to give your home a fresh look this spring Spring is a season of rejuvenation, and that spirit of renewal can take hold inside a home.

Warm weather and longer hours of daylight make spring a perfect time to imagine a home’s interior design in a new light. The following are a handful of decor ideas that may inspire homeowners to give their homes an entirely new look this spring.

• Wallpaper: Wallpaper fell out of favor years ago, but new styles that aren’t so heavily patterned can make for wonderful additions

to any room. Large-scale prints can give a room a whole new feel without giving homeowners or their guests the impression that they have stepped back in time. A simple, mural-style floral wallpaper on the walls surrounding a table in a breakfast nook can bring nature inside.

• Pastel colors: Nothing embodies the spring quite like pastel colors.

If colorful, bright flowers dot the garden in the backyard, homeowners can bring those uplifting pastels inside by painting an ac-

cent wall or even adding some brightly colored accent furniture to rooms that could use a lift.

• Declutter: Clutter is often conquered during spring cleaning sessions, but homeowners who want to create more free-flowing interior spaces can downsize their furniture or look for multipurpose features that make it hard for clutter to take over a room. Create more open space in entertaining areas by mounting the television and getting rid of a bulky entertainment center. Cre-

ate even more space by replacing rarely used end tables with a storage ottoman where books and magazines can be stored to give a room a fresh, clean look.

• Accent features: Sometimes the smallest changes to an interior space make the biggest impression. Replace dated accents like vases and table lamps with newer

JAN. 11 - APRIL. 6, 2020

Five outdoor projects that add value Exterior renovations can enhance the appearance of a property and make it more enjoyable for homeowners. Certain renovations have the potential to add value to a home, while others may do the opposite. Learning which one have the largest return on investment can help homeowners select features that will have the most positive impact.

Curb appeal goes a long way toward attracting potential buyers. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), first impressions of a property have a strong influence on buyers. Landscaping and external features can do much to influence such impressions.

• Lawn care program: Investing in a lawn care program that consists of fertilizer and weed control application and can be transferred over to a subsequent home owner is an attractive feature. NAR says such a care program can recover $1,000 in value of the $330 average cost, or a 303 percent ROI. • Low-maintenance lifestyle: When choosing materials for projects, those that offer low-maintenance benefits can be preferential.

These include low-maintenance patio materials, composite decking, vinyl fencing and inorganic mulched beds.

• Fire pit: A fire pit can be used for much of the year. In the spring and summer, the firepit is a great place to congregate to roast marshmallows or sip wine and gaze into the fire. In the fall, the fire pit can make for a cozy retreat. A fire pit that has a gas burner is low-maintenance, and the National Association of Landscape Professionals says that most can recoup about $4,000 of their $6,000 average price tag.

• Softscaping: Hardscaping refers to structures like outdoor kitchens or decks. Softscaping involves the living elements of the landscape. Hiring a landscape designer to install trees, shrubs, natural edging and rock elements can do wonders toward improving the look and value of a home.

• Pool or water feature: In certain markets, particularly hot climates, a pool or another water feature is a must-have. However, in other areas where outdoor time is limited, a pool or water feature can actually lower the value of a home. Speaking with a real estate professional can give homeowners an idea of how a pool will fare in a given neighborhood.

Outdoor improvements can improve the marketability of a home, as well as enhance its appearance and function.

items that reflect the latest styles and trends. Such adjustments won’t break the bank, and they can give rooms a whole new feel.

Spring is a great time to reconsider home interiors. This spring homeowners can embrace various strategies, both big and small, to give their homes a whole new feel.

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10

The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

Local maritime organization restoring 114-year-old fishing boat

By Grace McCarthy Slamming salmon onto the fishing boat was part of the job.

It was the 1970s in Bristol Bay, Alaska and Richard Sturgill, then 31 years old, had recently decided to make a career of commercial fishing. He was experiencing his first summer in the industry, which was at its North American peak. Sturgill and his shipmate ended that five-week season with 60,000 pounds of King salmon.

“That experience was my baptism into fishing,” Sturgill said.

Five decades later, Sturgill is now working to preserve the history of the same type of fishing boat he once navigated through rough West Coast waters. He is helping to restore a fishing boat that was built in 1906 for the Alaska Packers Association’s Diamond NN Cannery on the south Naknek River in Bristol Bay. A remnant of a bygone era of handcrafted boats, it is one of the last of its kind. Between 1884 and 1951, about 8,000 existed. A 1951 law that required motors on commercial fishing boats resulted in the majority of these boats being either converted or burned.

Today, fewer than five original vessels remain of the type that Sturgill launched his commercial fishing career on.

“I wanted to go fishing just like somebody else wanted to be a cowboy,” Sturgill said, recalling his years hauling in salmon.

“It was quite the adventure but I have no regrets. Got a lot of stories and raised a family.”

Sturgill stands in his makeshift shop in Blaine that houses the Bristol Bay fishing boat, now 114 years old. The boat’s skeleton is exposed as Sturgill and his volunteers work to strip down its original Port Orford cedar hull with Alaskan yellow cedar frames.

The boat was donated by Seattle-based Trident Seafoods in 2013 to Drayton Harbor Maritime, a non-profit that Sturgill founded with the goal of preserving the maritime history of Drayton Harbor and its surrounding waters. At the time of its donation, the boat was ready to be put on display, but Sturgill thought it needed to reach water again.

“Had I known how in disrepair this boat was, I probably would have chickened out,” Sturgill said. “Thankfully, we didn’t realize what we were getting into until we got into it and said, ‘We’re doing it.’ Then you just buck up to it and meet the challenge.”

After sitting in the damp Pacific Northwest for years, the boat’s rotting wood is the restoration’s biggest challenge, Sturgill said.

If the current crew worked nonstop to replace the 50 wooden frames on the boat, it would take 31 days or about 750 hours. Sturgill is committed to completing the boat by this summer.

More volunteers are needed for the project, Sturgill said. The team currently consists of only a few volunteers, but Sturgill hopes that will soon change, now that most of the specialized work has been finished. Community members with relevant skills are invited to join the effort,

including those who can help sand the wood and apply the finishing paint to the exterior.

A five-gallon water jug filled with coins sits in Sturgill’s shop as a reminder of the time and money that has gone into the project. Along with volunteers, the rebuild wouldn’t be possible without the help of gracious community donors over the years, Sturgill said. He is especially grateful to Norm Walsh, owner of Walsh Marine, who helped Sturgill house the boat before it was moved to Sturgill’s shop.

Steve Alaniz became the boat’s shipwright after reading a 2013 Bellingham Herald article about Sturgill’s mission to rebuild the boat. This boat hit home for Alaniz, who worked in the Naknek River cannery for which the boat was originally built. He also had a long history of working on boats, starting in his early teens.

Alaniz said that when he started at the cannery in 1980, most boats were made of wood.

By the time he left in 2014, only one wooden boat remained.

Lumber that Alaniz obtained from the cannery is being used on the restored boat.

Having someone who worked in the same cannery that the boat originally fished for adds to the rarity of its rebuild, Sturgill said.

Alaniz joining the team was one of the best things to happen for the project, said Sturgill, who oversees and assists Alaniz with the rebuild.

“We’re to the point in our friendship where we can argue a lot and enjoy it,” Alaniz said of his relationship with Sturgill. “But we don’t really argue that much.”

Trident Seafoods acquired the Alaska Packers Association’s Diamond NN Cannery in 1982. Trident donated the boat to Drayton Harbor Maritime in 2013 after the Blaine non-profit helped in the 1997 restoration of the Plover ferry, the second oldest foot passenger ferry in Washington state that once transported cannery workers between Blaine and the old APA cannery on the Semiahmoo Spit.

The old cannery on the Semiahmoo Spit, now converted to a museum, houses a sister boat to the Bristol Bay vessel that Sturgill and Alaniz are restoring. The museum’s fishing boat operated out of the very same Alaska cannery.

Katherine Ringsmuth was born in Semiahmoo where her father got his start in the cannery business that eventually landed him at the Naknek River cannery.

Now, Ringsmuth is working in Alaska to nominate the Naknek River cannery for the U.S. National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places.

“Very rarely do boats maintain their historical integrity and good shape and convey the stories of people who worked in them,” Ringsmuth said. She applauded Sturgill and Alaniz for their efforts to preserve a part of their shared history.

The Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union in Seattle also houses a sister boat, Admirable, which Sturgill hopes to race once the Bristol Bay vessel is complete.

Sturgill expects the Bristol Bay

s Originally built in 1906 for the Alaska Packers Association’s Diamond NN Cannery in Bristol Bay, Alaska, this 114-year-old boat is now being rebuilt by Drayton Harbor Maritime. The local non-profit, which also operates the Plover ferry, plans to use the restored boat for sailing excursions for the public, corporate groups and schoolchildren.

Photo by Grace McCarthy

s Bristol Bay sailboats being towed by a small tug. Until 1951, only sailboats were allowed to fish for salmon in Bristol Bay. The summer fishing season would bring people to Alaska from all over the world.

Photo courtesy of Jim Wilkinson Collection

boat to rival the Plover, which offers boating experiences out of Blaine and Semiahmoo every summer. In order to generate revenue to pay for its expenses, the completed fishing boat will offer excursions to the Semiahmoo Resort’s corporate clientele and the public, who will be able to learn about the region’s maritime history. Sturgill, who is not profiting from the boat, will use any leftover funds to educate children through sailing excursions. Once the boat is up and running, it will be able to support itself without donations from the community.

The Bristol Bay boat will receive a certificate of inspection from the U.S. Coast Guard upon completion, ensuring the safety of all passengers aboard the vessel.

“This boat is already 114 years old,” Sturgill said of the boat, which originally had an eightyear lifespan. “When we get it finished, it will be good for another hundred years or more.”

Prospective volunteers or those wishing to donate to Drayton Harbor Maritime are encouraged to call Sturgill at 360/332-5742. More information on the boat restoration project can be found online at draytonharbormaritime.com.

s Richard Sturgill, founding director of Drayton Harbor Maritime, is overseeing the restoration of the fishing boat, one of the last of its kind.

Photo by Grace McCarthy

s Steve Alaniz, a shipwright, performing restoration work on the vessel. Alaniz once worked for the same Alaska cannery that the boat originally fished for.

Photo courtesy of Richard Sturgill

March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

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360-332-1777 sales@thenorthernlight.com Legal In the Superior Court of the State of Washington In and for the County of Snohomish In the Matter of the Estate of: WILLIAM FRANK PEPPEREL, Deceased. NO. 20-4-00422-31 PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. RCW 11.40.030 THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE NAMED BELOW has been appointed as Personal Representative 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 Personal Representative or the Personal Representative'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 (30) days after the Personal Representative 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 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: SANDRA LYNN McMILLAN Personal Representative Attorneys for Personal Representative/ Address for mailing or service: Mark A. Jelsing, WSBA #46398 JELSING TRI WEST & ANDRUS PLLC 2926 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98201

Legal 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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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.

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Legal IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM No. 20-2-00464-37 SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION JAMES LAWRENCE CLARKE, in his individual capacity and as Co-Personal Representative of the ESTATES OF RICHARD BONIFACE CLARKE and ELLEN BERYL CLARKE, Deceased; GERARD JOSEPH CLARKE, in his individual capacity and as Co-Personal Representative of the ESTATES OF RICHARD BONIFACE CLARKE and ELLEN BERYL CLARKE, Deceased; RICHARD JAMES CLARKE, in his individual capacity; PAUL ANTHONY CLARKE, in his individual capacity; PATRICK JOHN CLARKE, in his individual capacity; JOHN TIMOTHY CLARKE, in his individual capacity; FRANCES ALVIN CLARKE, in his individual capacity; ANDREW THOMAS CLARKE, in his individual capacity; and ELLEN MARIE FAIRN, in her individual capacity, Plaintiffs v.

ETHELWYN A. TURNBULL and JOHN DOE TURNBULL, in their individual capacities and marital estate, if living, and if deceased the unknown heirs of ETHELWYN A. TURNBULL and JOHN DOE TURNBULL; ETHELWYN A. MERCER and ARTHUR F. MERCER, in their individual capacities and marital estate, if living, and if deceased the unknown heirs of ETHELWYN A. MERCER and ARTHUR F. MERCER; and ALSO ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, INTEREST, ESTATE, OR LIEN IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN, Defendants.

TO THE DEFENDANTS: ETHELWYN A. TURNBULL and JOHN DOE TURNBULL, in their individual capacities and marital estate, if living, and if deceased the unknown heirs of ETHELWYN A. TURNBULL and JOHN DOE TURNBULL; ETHELWYN A. MERCER and ARTHUR F. MERCER, in their individual capacities and marital estate, if living, and if deceased the unknown heirs of ETHELWYN A. MERCER and ARTHUR F. MERCER; and ALSO ALL OTHER PERSONS OR PARTIES UNKNOWN CLAIMING ANY RIGHT, TITLE, INTEREST, ESTATE, OR LIEN IN THE REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN THE COMPLAINT HEREIN. YOU, AND EACH OF YOU, ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to appear within sixty (60) days after the date of first publication of this summons, to wit; within sixty (60) days after the day of March 19, 2020, and defend the above-entitled action in the above-entitled court, and answer the Verified Complaint of the Plaintiffs JAMES LAWRENCE CLARKE, ESTATES OF RICHARD BONIFACE CLARKE and ELLEN BERYL CLARKE, Deceased, GERARD JOSEPH CLARKE, RICHARD JAMES CLARKE, PAUL ANTHONY CLARKE, PATRICK JOHN CLARKE, JOHN TIMOTHY CLARKE, FRANCES ALVIN CLARKE, ANDREW THOMAS CLARKE, and ELLEN MARIE FAIRN, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorney for Plaintiffs, Mark W. Stowe of Stowe Law PLLC at their office stated below; and, in case of your failure to do so, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the Verified Complaint in this action, which has been filed with the Clerk of said Court.

The object of this action is to quiet title in the Plaintiffs to real property located in Whatcom County, Washington, described as: LOT 7 AND THE EAST ONE-HALF OF LOT 8, BLOCK 6, MAPLE BEACH ADDITION, POINT ROBERTS, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDED PLAT THEREOF ON FILE AND OF RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY AUDITOR OF WHATCOM COUNTY, STATE OF WASHINGTON, RECORDED IN VOLUME 6 OF PLATS, PAGE 22.

SITUATE IN WHATCOM COUNTY, WASHINGTON. against any and all claims of the Defendants and any one of them, and as otherwise stated in said Verified Complaint.

DATED this 6th day of MARCH 2020.

Stowe Law PLLC By: Mark W. Stowe, WSBA# 16655 Attorney for Plaintiffs Stowe Law PLLC P.O. Box 129, 276 Boundary Bay Road Point Roberts, WA 98281 Phone (360) 945-0337 Email: stowelawpllc@outlook.com

FIND IT IN THE CLASSIFIEDS

12

The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

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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.

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Some Blaine residents to experience water shut-offs this weekend

By Jami Makan Some Blaine residents will be without running water for several hours this weekend, when a city contractor will perform emergency repairs to a broken water main near the intersection of Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive.

The water shut-offs come at a time when residents need water more than ever in order to wash their hands frequently during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Blaine city officials said that the emergency work is critical in order to prevent a catastrophic failure of the area’s water system, which could leave residents without water for many days on end.

“We recognize that these repairs are occurring at a difficult time and we apologize for any inconvenience,” said Blaine city manager Michael Jones in a press release. “It’s essential that we avoid a catastrophic failure from occurring, so we need to complete the work while staff and

supplies are available.”

Colacurcio Construction has been hired by the city of Blaine to undertake final repairs of the water line that ruptured on March 6.

The work includes replacing the leaking valve and replacing the water line that goes under Peace Portal Drive at Bell Road through steel casing. The project will also include some work in the 1200 block of Runge Avenue.

The work on Runge Avenue will take place on Thursday, March 26 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The work on Peace Portal and Bell Road is planned from 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. The repairs are needed to fix the leaking valve and provide support of the pipe that crosses the state highway.

“The valve that is at the Peace Portal and Bell intersection, it is unable to shut all the way off,” explained Blaine public works director Ravyn Whitewolf. “That’s part one. Part two is the steel casing under SR-548, the materials

around the pipe. We’re very concerned about granular material potentially damaging the pipe.”

Whitewolf said that city staff have personally notified all businesses in the area that will be affected by water shut-offs. On March 24, households that will be affected received door hangers with details about the shut-offs, which are expected to last no more than several hours.

To assist the affected residents, the city of Blaine will be installing six portable toilets in the area.

Whitewolf also recommended that residents fill up their bathtubs with water the day before, so that they can use a gallon jug to fill their toilet tank, allowing the toilet to still flush. She also suggested putting aside some bottles of water for drinking, as well as hand sanitizer if available.

“Residents and businesses that experienced water shut-offs on March 7 should be aware that shut-offs will occur again for both project areas and should plan

s City of Blaine personnel responding to the scene of the initial water main break on March 6. Follow-up work this weekend will result in temporary water shut-offs for some Blaine residents. For a map of the approximate area of impact and portable toilet locations, please visit thenorthernlight.com.

File photo

accordingly,” said the release.

“As part of the repair, additional valves will be installed that will reduce inconvenience when maintenance of this system occurs

in the future. Please follow traffic control measures by avoiding this area, and utilize alternate routes if possible. Emergency vehicle access will be accommodated.”

March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

13

Online option recommended for census due to COVID-19 concerns

By Grace McCarthy Whatcom County residents can now complete the census after the U.S. Census Bureau opened the nationwide survey on March 12. The 2020 census marks the first time that people can respond to the 10-minute survey online, an option that census workers are encouraging to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The census can also be completed by phone or mail, two other virus-safe response methods.

Mail invitations with information on responding to the mandatory census were expected to be delivered to Whatcom County residents between March 12 and 20. As a social distancing measure, people are encouraged to self-respond to the census before May, when census workers plan to begin knocking on household doors.

“As of now, that continues to be our plan,” said Census Bureau spokesperson Toby Nelson.

“We are monitoring the situation. If necessary, in areas with an acute outbreak, we could modify our follow-up operation to be by telephone as opposed to door-knocking.”

The planned completion date for the census is July 31 but that date may change depending on how the coronavirus pandemic evolves, Nelson said.

Census workers had initially planned to count people experiencing housing insecurity on March 30, March 31 and April 1. That group includes people staying at shelters, using soup kitchens and sleeping in parks.

That operation has now been rescheduled to April 29, April 30

and May 1, Nelson said.

Census workers had also planned to visit shared housing facilities such as college dorms, nursing homes, prisons and military barracks. People living in these places can’t self-report because they live in group housing.

In order to minimize in-person contact, the bureau is asking each facility’s administrator to complete special online forms or paper forms.

Sara Bernardy, census coordinator for the Whatcom Council of Governments, said her department is relying heavily on social media to remind people about the census as it halts public events and transitions to online staff meetings.

Before the outbreak of the new coronavirus, independent organizations in Whatcom County had planned to assist senior citizens, people with language barriers and others with Questionnaire Assistance Centers or QACs. The centers, including those affiliated with the Whatcom County Library System, have now been shut down, said Summer Starr, volunteer and event coordinator with the Opportunity Council. Starr said that if people need assistance in responding to the census, the best thing to do is to call the tollfree numbers for English or many other languages, which are listed online at 2020census.gov.

The census is mandated once per decade by the U.S. Constitution for the federal government to conduct an accurate population count. Data from the non-partisan survey is then used to appropriate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. This gave Washington an extra seat in Congress

after the 2010 census.

Census data also informs how $650 billion per year in federal funds are spent locally. This includes transportation grants, funding for school lunch programs, aid to families with dependent children and health care services.

Children under age five were the largest population undercounted nationwide during the last census. This impacts the first 10 years of a child’s life because underprepared schools affect a child’s education, Bernardy said.

Washington received $16 billion in 2016 through 55 federal spending programs guided by data derived from the 2010 census, according to research by the George Washington Institute of Public Policy. The largest sums went to the Medical Assistance Program (Medicaid), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Federal Direct Student Loans.

People are required to disclose where they will be living on April 1, regardless of when they fill out the census. Specifically, they should state their usual residence on April 1, not wherever they happen to be on that date, Nelson said.

The 10-question census asks the number of people living in one household and those people’s names, races, sexes and dates of birth. One person can complete a census form for everyone living in their household, including family members, roommates and renters.

No citizenship question is asked on the 2020 census. The census will also never ask for your social security number, political affiliation or bank account information. Census workers will

always have a valid ID badge with their photo, a U.S. Department of Commerce watermark and an expiration date, according to the Census Bureau.

“It’s ten minutes, ten questions, every ten years,” Bernardy said.

“It’s only one shot during the 10year period. We need to make

sure we’re counted.”

The census can be taken online at my2020census.gov. More information on who to count can be found at 2020census.gov/en/ who-to-count. Information on avoiding census scams can also be found online at the Census Bureau’s website, census.gov.

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The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

Games and Puzzles

Crossword Answers at thenorthernlight.com ACROSS 1. Germanic mythological god 4. Cash machine 7. Improvement 12. What voters want 15. Sheepish 16. Placed at powerful level 18. Measure of illumination 19. Trent Reznor’s band 20. Commercial 21. Amounts of time 24. English broadcaster 27. Rolls of tobacco 30. Position 31. Expresses pleasure 33. Corporate exec (abbr.)

34. Body part 35. Bleated 37. Businessman 39. Beats per minute 41. Defunct Italian monetary unit 42. Broken branch 44. Put in advance 47. Arrest 48. Prefix indicating adjacent to 49. Artificial intelligence

50. Disfigure 52. The Fighting Irish (abbr.)

53. Not in any place 56. Predict 61. A system of getting stuff from one place to another 63. Philosophy of the principles of things 64. US gov’t office (abbr.)

65. Seaborgium’s former name (abbr.)

DOWN 1. Network connector 2. Primordial matter 3. Get up 4. Uncoordinated 5. Ill-fated cruise ship 6. Work hard 7. Drivers’ speed 8. Largest English dictionary (abbr.)

9. Healthcare pro 10. Egyptian Sun god 11. Expresses the negative 12. Some are three-legged 13. Clothing manufacturer 14. Close by 17. Tooth caregiver

22. Housing material 23. Flows through 24. Founder of Babism 25. Honorific title 26. A type of letter 28. Seize and hold firmly 29. Artery 32. Body fluids 36. Press against lightly 38. An island in the Pacific 40. A reminder of past events 43. Austrian spa town 44. Peter’s last name 45. Something a mob might do 46. Of the bones of the feet 51. “Amazing Stories” writer 54. Nazi-resistant youth group (abbr.)

55. Used to have (Scottish) 56. A way to cook 57. Japanese port city 58. Type of precipitation 59. Engrave 60. Female sibling 62. Expresses emotion

Sheriff’s Reports March 20, 9:08 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Stein Road, Custer.

March 20, 9:56 a.m.: Extra patrol on Frances Lane.

March 20, 11:32 a.m.: Civil problem cold call on Comox Road.

March 20, 2:18 p.m.: Assist citizen on Leeside Drive.

March 20, 3:47 p.m.: Custodial interference cold call on Halibut Drive.

March 20, 3:52 p.m.: Theft cold call on H Street Road.

March 20, 5:08 p.m.: Watch for on Loomis Trail Road.

March 20, 5:34 p.m.: Assist citizen on Watervue Way. March 20, 6 p.m.: Mental cold call on Alder Street.

March 20, 7:08 p.m.: Juvenile problem cold call on Lincoln Road.

March 20, 8:44 p.m.: Welfare check on Halibut Drive.

March 20, 8:50 p.m.: Welfare check on Comox Road.

March 20, 10:51 p.m.: Party on Nautical Court.

March 21, 6:44 a.m.: Prowler on Fir Tree Lane.

March 21, 9:18 a.m.: Refer to other agency on Creasey Road, Custer.

March 21, 9:32 a.m.: Watch for on Sunrise and Loomis Trail roads, Custer.

March 21, 9:55 a.m.: Alarm audible on Baine Road.

March 21, 10:56 a.m.: Hang up (911) on Birch Bay Drive.

March 21, 1:10 p.m.: Refer to Washington State Patrol on Blaine Road.

March 21, 2:32 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident injury on Kickerville and Birch Bay-Lynden roads.

March 21, 2:33 p.m.: Alarm audible on Loomis Trail Road.

March 21, 2:52 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident non-blocking/ non-injury on Birch Bay-Lynden and Kickerville roads.

March 21, 3:02 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident non-blocking/ non-injury on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer.

March 21, 6:15 p.m.: Watch for on Lincoln Road and Semiahmoo Park.

March 21, 7:07 p.m.: Impound private on N. Enterprise Road, Custer.

March 21, 7:59 p.m.: Shots on Treevue and Hillvue roads.

March 21, 8:51 p.m.: Security check on Seaview Drive.

March 21, 11:19 p.m.: Refer to Washington State Patrol on NB I-5 AT and Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer.

March 22, 12:03 a.m.: Attempted suicide on Morrison Avenue.

March 22, 1:33 a.m.: Suspicious person on Loft Lane.

March 22, 1:35 a.m.: Suspicious person on Loft Lane.

March 22, 10:04 a.m.: Domestic verbal on Masterson Road.

March 22, 10:41 a.m.: Message delivery on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

March 22, 4:56 p.m.: Request for law enforcement on Bay Road.

March 22, 5:26 p.m.: Hazard cold call on Morgan Drive and Harborview Road.

March 22, 8:09 p.m.: Mental cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

March 22, 9:20 p.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay-Lynden and Delta Line roads.

March 23, 12:18 a.m.: Security check on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

March 23, 11 a.m.: Assist citizen on East Street.

March 23, 12:15 p.m.: Welfare check on Stetson Lane, Custer.

March 23, 12:29 p.m.: Trespass on H Street Road.

March 23, 1:02 p.m.: Welfare check on Birch Bay Drive.

March 23, 1:31 p.m.: Landlord-tenant dispute on H Street Road.

March 23, 2:34 p.m.: Missing person cold call on Jackson Road.

March 23, 4:07 p.m.: Assist citizen on Giles Road.

March 23, 6:24 p.m.: Whatcomm record on Carstan Loop.

March 23, 7:32 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident injury on Portal Way and Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Reports provided by WCSO

Police Reports March 14, 12:01 a.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to a single-vehicle, possible injury, roll-over collision. Officers arrived and found the driver had left the scene of the collision. Fire crews on-scene advised police they had seen several bottles of alcohol in and around the vehicle.

Police checked the residence of the registered owner, but did not locate a person of interest. The heavily damaged vehicle was impounded.

March 14, 3:42 a.m.: An officer on patrol located a downed stop sign. Damage to the sign is minimal. There are no suspects in the incident. A work order was placed with public works crews about repairing the sign.

March 14, 4:26 a.m.: Blaine police were asked to assist fire crews at a business. A tree had fallen into the business and caused substantial damage when it broke sprinkler and propane lines. An officer was able to find contact information for the business owners. The owners were advised of the damage and drove to the location.

March 15, 9:30 a.m.: After being granted a search warrant, Blaine officers searched a vehicle they had seized in an earlier traffic stop. During the search, officers found a substance that tested presumptive positive for the presence of heroin. New charges will be filed with the prosecutor’s office in addition to the original suspended 3rd charge.

March 16, 5:41 p.m.: Blaine Police Department officers took a suspicious person report. Officers located the suspicious person and found they were a representative of a contracting company. Officers advised the complainant that the activity was legitimate.

March 16, 9:52 p.m.: Blaine Police Department officers responded to a civil problem at the Peace Arch port of entry. Officers confirmed the problem was civil in nature and assisted the other party involved with travel arrangements.

March 17, 12:32 a.m.: Blaine Police Department officers responded to a physical dispute reported in the 500 block of Cherry Street. Officers arrived and determined family members were trying to have an intoxicated family member go to bed. This particular person was refusing to do so and was arrested for disorderly conduct. They were later released to a sober family member who lives in another city.

March 17, 3:42 p.m.: Blaine Police Department officers responded to a vehicle prowl report at Lincoln Park. The complainant reported a car window had been broken, but nothing was taken. Officers arrived and investigated the matter; the victim was advised to call 911 if anything is discovered missing from the vehicle.

March 18, 1:44 p.m.: Blaine officers responded to the 2400 block of Earls Court for a report of a neighbor dispute. A woman complained her neighbor directly behind her was throwing rotten fruit over the fence and yelling about her dog, which she claimed was disrupting her children at play. Officers determined no crime was committed. The complainant provided a photograph of one half of a potato at the bottom of the fence.

March 18, 11:28 p.m.: A woman came to the police department claiming to have a warrant for her arrest. Dispatch checked records, but did not locate any warrants for the subject. An officer spoke with the woman and advised her she did not have a warrant. The woman left promptly.

March 19, 12:39 a.m.: Blaine Police Department officers responded to a suspicious circumstance in the 1400 block of Bayview Avenue.

Officers spoke with the complainant who reported someone had entered her residence. No one was found in the residence or outside within the immediate area. No suspects.

March 19, 11:40 a.m.: A parent reported their child called or messaged him saying he believed someone was in the house. The police arrived and contacted the young man who stated that after he contacted his dad, he discovered there were no humans in the house, but a bird had gotten inside. The bird was causing a lot of noise as it was trying to escape. The bird was safely removed from the house.

Reports provided by Blaine Police Department

Weather Precipitation: During the period of March 16–22, 0 inches of precipitation were recorded. The 2020 yearto-date precipitation is 15.4 inches.

Temperature: High for the past week wasv 61°F on March 18 with a low of 28°F on March 16. Average high was 59°F and average low was 32°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Tides March 27–April 2 at Blaine.

Not for navigation.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

DATE TIME HEIGHT TIME HEIGHT Fr 27

1:53 am

3.7

7:43 am

8.3

2:20 pm

1.7

8:56 pm

8.0

Sa 28 2:27 am

4.5

8:03 am

8.1

1.4

9:48 pm

8.0

2:54 pm

Su 29 3:05 am

5.3

8:21 am

8.0

1.1

10:50 pm

7.9

Mo 30 3:51 am

6.0

8:39 am

7.8

0.9

3:32 pm

4:14 pm

Tu 31 12:00 am

8.0

4:49 am

6.6

9:01 am

7.7

5:06 pm

0.7

1:18 am

8.1

6:09 am

6.9

April We 1

9:37 am

7.4

6:08 pm

0.6

Th 2

2:28 am

8.4

7:45 am

6.8

10:53 am

7.2

7:14 pm

0.4

s A local flew a long kite on the Semiahmoo Spit on March 20.

Photo by David Riffle

March 26 - April 1, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

15

Blaine Food Bank adopts social distancing

By Oliver Lazenby To meet social distancing requirements and ensure safety for its customers and volunteers amid the new coronavirus pandemic, the Blaine Food Bank had to get creative.

The food bank bought three big tents and now customers need to pick up food outside its building at 500 C Street instead of inside. This gives customers more space, and volunteers sorting food inside get more space too, said Sally Church, food bank operations manager.

People picking up food are routed through a line designed to keep people eight feet apart, and volunteers direct the line.

“We have three basic areas and we only allow one person at a time at each, so we’re certainly social distancing,” Church said.

“We’re offering just about a full array of products: fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, desserts, bread, everything we had before.”

The food bank is also working with as few volunteers as it can to avoid crowding. “Right now to protect everyone, we’re working with a bare minimum crew and the fewer volunteers we can get

away with, the better it is for everyone,” she said.

Many people have reached out about volunteering, and Church wanted to express gratitude to all those who did.

“So many people have offered to come volunteer, it’s just been really heartwarming,” she said.

“Please extend our sincere thanks to all the people who offered to do whatever it is they can to help us.”

The food bank is currently serving about 430 families a week, but staff anticipates that could rise. If it outgrows the outdoor pick-up, Church has a plan.

“If all else fails, we would offer premade emergency boxes that you could just drive up and get,” she said.

That’s a model the Bellingham Food Bank already adopted. The Bellingham Food Bank suspended food distribution temporarily on March 18 because people were congregating in line and food bank staff couldn’t ensure that customers and volunteers followed social distancing guidelines, according to a press release.

It started up again on March 24, distributing pre-packed boxes at several sites around Bellingham.

The Bellingham Food Bank acts as a hub and distributor to the rest of the food banks in Whatcom County.

The Blaine Food Bank is reaching out to older people and those with health conditions who are unable to come to the food bank or get someone to pick up food for them. “Get us names and addresses and we’ll reach out to them,” Church said.

The Blaine Food Bank is currently open from 9 a.m. to noon on Mondays and Fridays, and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.

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TheNorthernLight.com/newsletter s One of the new tents outside the Blaine Food Bank.

Photo by Oliver Lazenby

School meal program brings food, and a sense of calm, to local children

By Oliver Lazenby For hundreds of kids and families in Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts, the Blaine school district’s meal distribution program is a connection to life before the new coronavirus outbreak reached Whatcom County.

The program, which began distributing meals by school bus and at a pick-up location at Blaine High School on March 18, seeks to bring a sense of calm to local families and ease one of many worries, said Laurie Pike, school district food service director.

“Thank everyone. Tell them it’s going to be okay and we will be

back tomorrow,” Pike told drivers and lunch room staff before the first day of meal distribution. She told staff they’d see all emotions and prepped them to comfort people. “For all we have to worry about, we don’t want to worry if our children are going to eat.”

Washington governor Jay Inslee announced on March 13 that K-12 schools in the state would close for six weeks to help slow the spread of the new coronavirus. His order mandated that districts had to continue to feed their students. The Blaine school district made a plan to do that over the course of a weekend and a couple of business days.

About half the students who attend Blaine schools are eligible for free and reduced lunch, but the district is giving meals to anyone under 18 who lives in the district and wants one. Monday through Friday, six school buses leave the district with hundreds of bags packed with a lunch and breakfast for the next day. They visit every regular bus stop, including in Point Roberts. On Fridays, they deliver double.

At the district’s campus, behind the grandstand, food service workers hand out meals to families at a makeshift drive-through.

Inside, a crew puts together about a thousand meal bags every day.

“None of us have ever done this before. It’s trial and error,” Colin Hawkins said on March 18 while handing out meals at the district campus. The day before, district food service employees prepared 960 bags, each with lunch and breakfast, in a two-hour blitz.

Staff didn’t know how many meals they’d need, but their guess was pretty close – they’ve been handing out about that many ever since, he said.

Since March 18, the program has gotten more efficient, with bus routes and stops being finetuned based on how many families come to each stop. It’s also had to adjust for food supply;

school districts are all distributing cold food that doesn’t need to be reheated, and most districts use the same supply company, so the district can’t always get what it wants and has to improvise, Hawkins said.

Four days into the program, not all families in the district knew where to go to get food and missed the pick-up window. In those cases, school staff would deliver food themselves, Hawkins said.

“Whatever we can do to help people get through this, we’ll do it,” he said.

Learn more about the program and find meal pick-up locations at blainesd.org.

What to do now that the kids are home? Some suggestions for parents

By Kristin Siemion After the school closures that went into effect on March 16, students are home. Team sports and after-school classes have ceased.

Camps and some daycares are not available. Many parents and guardians have been directed to work from home. So the question is, what do we do now? This situation is new for all school districts across Washington state, and districts are putting together action plans for their students. In the meantime, here are a few suggestions.

Create a schedule that includes movement, concentration, problem solving, exploration and free time. Include time for lunch and breaks. When scheduling an activity that requires high concentration for a prolonged period of time, schedule a cardio activity right before. Studies have shown that students are better able to retain information and concentrate after prolonged cardio activity. In the morning, go over the day’s sched-

ule with your child. Give your child choices within the schedule – that way they can develop ownership and are more motivated.

What can a student do from home? This is a great time to work on filling in the gaps. If your younger child has difficulty with multiplication tables, fractions, addition, subtraction or reading a clock, this is a great time to really focus on their understanding.

There are many math resources on your school district’s website and elsewhere online.

This is also a great time to work on a student’s reading skills.

Books are available to download for free off the Whatcom County Library System’s website, wcls. org. Finding the time to work on reading skills can be a challenge with a parent or guardian working from home. However, a child can read with a sibling or they could read over the phone or via Skype with a grandparent or other relative. Parents can also create reading groups on platforms like

Zoom. For example, all participants tune into a Zoom meeting and parents take turns reading each day. For older students who are reading independently, discussing the book with a parent or guardian is a supportive habit that can help foster understanding and comprehension. Students can also work on their writing skills through journaling and writing letters or stories.

Students can also explore areas of interest as well, such as art, history, literature, science, mathematics and more. Have them select an area of interest and help guide them to websites they can explore. Teacher and student resources are available at most museums’ websites and some provide virtual tours. Recently, Google partnered with many of the world’s most famous museums to create a platform for folks to look at various collections (artsandculture.google.com).

Career development is another activity that gives older students

an opportunity to explore interests, set goals and become inspired. Once they discover an interest, for example Formula 1 race car driving, they can discover that reading, math, history and science are all components that they need to learn to do the job well. A great website is careeronestop.org.

Finally, this is an unusual time in history, so having your child journal their observations, thoughts and questions

can give them a sense of control in a time of turmoil. They may even come up with an idea or two that can help their local community. With support, they can pinpoint a problem, create a plan and find support.

Kristin Siemion, who works in advertising sales for The Northern Light, was an instructor at Bellingham’s St. Paul’s Academy, now known as Franklin Academy, for 14 years.

Inslee ...

PeaceHealth asks that donors put the items in their trunk. A PeaceHealth employee will remove the items and place them in donation bins.

Inslee had been under pressure to issue a stay-at-home order in recent days. The chief medical officer of a Yakima hospital asked him to issue an order on March 21, and the mayors of Everett and Edmonds had already issued similar orders for their cities over the weekend.

From page 1

in Bellingham said on March 24 that it needs personal protective equipment, including N-95 masks, hand-sewn facemasks, eye shields, goggles and gloves. PeaceHealth is accepting donations between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Grabow Therapy and Wellness Center near the hospital campus at 3217 Squalicum Parkway.

The Northern Light • March 26 - April 1, 2020

e t i r e d Bor t r o p e R

THE

16

THANK YOU

Brought To You By The Blaine School District LISA MOELLER, EDITOR I would love to hear your comments or feedback.

Send to: borderitenews@blainesd.org

Traditions Committee:

DID YOU KNOW THERE WAS A COMMITTEE OF STUDENTS, community members, and staff who have been working together to honor the traditions of Blaine School District since construction began on the new high school? Thanks to retired school district employee Jim Kenoyer, a group of unsung heroes has been hard at work for several years. Their most recent and most notable project is the completion of a commissioned mural in the high school cafeteria. The stunning art is the work of California artist John Wehrle, and you can read more about him and his work on his website, www.TroutInHand.com. The mural incorporates tributes to our community including the Peace Arch, Semiahmoo water tower, Plover, fishing industry, a few famous faces of alumni, and much more. In addition to the mural, the committee is also responsible for historical photos hanging in the high school office, the arch out front, and a rock monument by the football field. If you have a chance, please extend your thanks to those involved. Sydney Feenstra, Caitlin Butters, Josh Fakkema, and Samantha Boczek (student participants); Jan Boykin, Gary Clausen, Gary Dunster, Dave Freeman, John Liebert, and Martin Vezzetti (community participants); Jim Kenoyer (retired), Wayne Vezzetti, Scott Ellis, Dave Fakkema, Alan Pomeroy, and Amber Porter (staff participants).

COVID-19 Closure: As everyone knows, the circumstances regarding the COVID-19 social distancing precautions, including school closures, are rapidly evolving.

Many of our staff are working tirelessly to keep up with these changes and follow the guidelines and recommendations being provided by the State of Washington. If you haven’t visited our website yet, please do. We have a COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions page, and it is where we are working to have the most current and up to date information. You will also find updates from Dr. Granger posted there.

Here is a small glimpse into happenings behind the scenes during the closure; l Teachers are working in teams to prepare instructionalmaterials for students and connecting with families l Campus Administration is working together to support teacher professional development, student enrichment, and each other. l Custodial, maintenance and grounds are working on facilities, ground work, and deep cleaning l Regular Whatcom County Border Task Force Meetings l Blaine School District Cabinet Meetings (Daily) l Blaine School District Admin Team Meetings l Regional Educational Meetings l State-wide Meetings with Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction l Food Service Coordination l Childcare Coordination

BEDTIME STORIES FOR

Little Borderit es:

IN FEBRUARY WE BEGAN WORKING ON A NEW VIDEO SERIES PROJECT where staff and students read bedtime stories for the little ones in our community. Dr. Granger’s idea was, in part, driven by an Ohio State University study that summarizes that children who are read to daily hear 1.4 million more words by age five.

This study caused the phrase “Million Word Gap” to trend in education circles. Dr. Granger knew that many families experience barriers that make reading at home difficult, and he decided we could do something to help. When we began to develop the series, no one could have guessed it would become a valuable tool to allow our staff to stay connected with their students during this unprecedented time in our history. If you haven’t yet, please visit our YouTube channel, “Blaine School District, WA”, and follow along each evening as we present a new story for you to enjoy.

WHAT IS A

Borderite?

IF YOU’VE LIVED IN THE BLAINE COMMUNITY for very long at all, then chances are good you have heard someone ask, “What is a Borderite?” Although our mascot may not walk or talk, we know it means a great deal to a lot of people. Recently the ASB approached the district with the idea of asking the community this question. During this time when we cannot gather together, when many of us are grappling with uncertainty and concern, we are also presented with an opportunity to slow down and reflect. Perhaps you can reflect on this age-old question. What is a Borderite? What does it mean to you to be a Borderite? We invite you to share your thoughts with us by using the online form on the home page of our website.

Check out our district website: www.blainesd.org