January 14 - 20, 2021
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Family Care Network project delayed, page 3
U.S./Canada border closure extended until February 21
First Covid-19 case in Blaine school, page 6
Berm faces winter storms, page 7
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Blaine restaurants welcome outdoor dining
By Grace McCarthy
s Paso del Norte added outdoor dining in front of its restaurant at 758 Peace Portal Drive. See more outdoor dining page 15. Photo by Conor Wilson
Covid-19 cases increasing at alarming rate By Grace McCarthy Whatcom County Health Department officials are pleading for the public to take immediate precautions as Covid-19 numbers sky rocket to the highest they’ve been since the pandemic started. Social gatherings were the source of 80 percent of Covid-19 transmissions during the week after Christmas, according to January 13 information from the health department. “We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again,” Whatcom County Health Department director Erika Lautenbach said in a January 8 news release. “But this time much more urgently. Now, perhaps more than ever, the actions you take today can save your life and the lives of others. Cancel your plans this weekend.” The health department said in the January 8 news release that since December 30, the number of Covid-19 cases has risen faster than ever before, and fears increased spread as people return to work after the holidays. At 148, January 6 had the highest number of documented Covid-19 cases in the county since the pandemic started, a health department spokesperson said on January 13. The health department reported twice
as many confirmed Covid-19 cases in the week ending on January 8 than the previous week. Whatcom County has had a 325 percent increase of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks, according to a Covid-19 tracking tool produced by The New York Times. The data shows Washington state has had a 53 percent increase and the U.S. has had a 37 percent increase in confirmed cases of the past two weeks. A county health department spokesperson said they could not yet comment on the increase of Covid-19 cases, but noted the time proximity to holiday gathering. Whatcom County has had a daily average of 105 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past seven days, according to The New York Times data. As of January 11, Whatcom County has had 4,343 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and 56 virus-related deaths, according to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) data. In the past two weeks, there has been a rate of 207 confirmed cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Whatcom County. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 229 people have been hospitalized from the virus in the county. Two-week Covid-19 case rates in north Whatcom County have dramatically in-
creased, with Nooksack Valley having a case rate more than triple last week’s number and Lynden having a case rate more than double the previous week. Nooksack Valley school district had the highest rate of new cases, with 1,147 per 100,000 people. Lynden school district had the second highest rate of new cases at 850 per 100,000 people. Blaine school district had a rate of 250 cases per 100,000 during that time. Washington has had 266,701 total confirmed cases of Covid-19. In the state, 3,789 people have died from the virus and (See Covid-19, page 7)
INSIDE
The U.S./Canada border closure to non-essential travel has been extended for the 10th time with a continued closure until at least February 21, 2021. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced extension of the border closure January 12. “Our focus since the start of this pandemic has been protecting you and your family,” Trudeau said during a press conference. “Whether by procuring vaccines or by bringing in strict travel and border measures, our priority is your safety.” Canada’s minister of public safety Bill Blair confirmed the extension of the border closure, which is nearing a year in March, in a January 12 tweet. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also announced the extension, which also affects the U.S./Mexico border, in a January 12 tweet. DHS added in a thread to the original tweet that the DHS was working with Canadian and Mexican officials to “identify appropriate public health conditions to safely ease restrictions in the future and support U.S. border communities.” DHS continued, saying the incoming administration would need to discuss the degree of health risk in the CDC Travel Health Notice, public health conditions and applicable travel restrictions, and local U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer staffing numbers if exposed to Covid-19. The border was first closed to non-essential travel on March 21, 2020. The U.S. had 22,322,956 confirmed cases of Covid-19, according to January 12 CDC data. The increase of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. over the past seven days, 1,722,460, is 258 percent of Canada’s total 668,181 confirmed cases during the pandemic, according to CDC and January 11 Canadian government data. The U.S. has a rate of 6,724 confirmed cases per 100,000 people since the start of the pandemic, which is more than 2.5 times higher than Canada’s rate of 1,778 cases per 100,000, according to the latest data from CDC and Canadian government. The border closure does not extend to air travel. People traveling to Canada must quarantine for 14 days after arrival and, as of January 7, people entering Canada by plane who are 5 years old or older must provide a negative Covid-19 test that was taken no later than 72 hours before departure, according to the government of Canada. The CDC announced similar measures on January 12 that will take effect Tuesday, January 26, requiring air travelers entering the U.S. to submit proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken 72 hours before boarding a flight.
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The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
Vaccines distribution continues in county
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By Grace McCarthy According to a Whatcom County Health Department spokesperson, 9,200 Covid-19 vaccine doses had been delivered to the county as of January 13. The county has 17 enrolled vaccine providers, although not all have received the Covid-19 vaccine An estimated 14,000 to 16,000 people are in Phase 1a Tier 1, not including those in long-term care facilities, according to the county health department website.Whatcom County is in Phase 1a of the state’s vaccination plan, which means high-risk healthcare workers, high-risk first responders, long-term care facility residents and at-risk healthcare workers are eligible for the vaccine, according to Washington State Department of Health (DOH) guidelines. Phase 1b Tier 1 will be the next group to be vaccinated, expected in late January, with everyone 70 years old or older, and 50 years old or older who live in multigenerational households.
Next, those in Phase 1b Tier 2 are expected to be vaccinated in February, with high-risk essential workers 50 years and older who work in workspaces, such as schools, grocery stores, the Whatcom County Jail, food processing facilities, public transit, firefighters and law enforcement. People in Phase 1b Tier 3, which includes people 16 years old or older with two or more underlying health conditions, are expected to be vaccinated in March. Phase 1b Tier 4 vaccinations are set to be administered in April, with high-risk essential workers in congregate settings who are younger than 50 years old, as well as all people in congregate living facilities such as the Whatcom County Jail and shelters for people experiencing housing insecurity. By the end of the week on January 8, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Hospital had administered nearly 3,000 Pfizer doses, including
Image courtesy Whatcom County Health Department
300 second doses, to its hospital employees and community providers, said PeaceHealth spokesperson Hilary Andrade. As of January 11, the hospital had received 4,875 Pfizer doses, which it receives in weekly shipments. The hospital is administering around 250 doses daily, Andrade said. PeaceHealth Medical Group’s Cordata Clinic had vaccinated nearly 550 community healthcare workers and EMS personnel by January 11, using the Moderna vaccine provided by the Whatcom County Health Department, Andrade said. The PeaceHealth Medical Group first received the Moderna doses on December 28 and receives about 400 vaccines weekly. By the end of January, over 1,000 doses of Moderna are expected to be administered at the clinic, Andrade said. Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt will begin Covid-19 vaccine distributions to about 80 of its nursing home residents and staff on Tuesday, January 19. Vaccinations will come from a federal program that allows Walgreens pharmacy to administer the vaccine at the nursing home. The vaccine will be administered for free to anyone, including those without health insurance. The county health department is unable to report total vaccination numbers due to data being reported directly to the state, but officials are working to share numbers as soon as possible, according to the health department’s website. On January 11, a DOH news release announced it began alerting everyone who tests positive for Covid-19 through a text notification, in addition to receiving a notification from the facility where they took the test. The goal of the text is for WA Notify users to alert others of potential exposure faster through the anonymous exposure notification tool that alerts people’s phones when they’ve come in contact with someone whose tested positive for Covid-19, according to the release. For more information, visit the county’s vaccine webpage at bit. ly/3qr0aBl.
January 14 - 20, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com
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Family Care Network project delayed five months By Grace McCarthy A purchase agreement for a proposed Family Care Network (FCN) clinic has been delayed until early summer, after the feasibility period was extended from December 31 to May 28. The deal’s closing is required no later than one month after the feasibility period. Blaine City Council unanimously voted to extend the feasibility period by nearly six months in an amendment to the purchase and sale agreement during its
January 11 meeting. Dr. Rodney Anderson, FCN president and CEO, cited the company’s need to focus on Covid-19 vaccination distributions before starting the Blaine clinic. “We hope over the course of the next couple months to have made a strong in-roads into vaccinating the community and would expect a number of months down the road to have a lot of clarity on how that’s going to wrap up,” Anderson said during the council meeting. FCN has 12 locations in Whatcom County and three
in Skagit County, according to its website. City council previously voted to extend the feasibility period during its July 27 meeting until December 31. Once finalized, FCN will acquire about 2.5 acres of land on the city of Blaine’s Gateway development, near the old airport. Anderson acknowledged the extension was for time, not for a feasibility study, and the clinic had a contractor ready to break ground half a year ago. If it weren’t for Covid-19, he said
two-thirds of the clinic would be built by now. “I’m still very excited about the possibility and feel a strong need to have medical services present in Blaine to provide care to the community,” Anderson said, adding Blaine is the largest community in the county without a FCN clinic. Blaine’s only clinic, Bay Medical Clinic, closed at the end of April. This has left Blaine without a clinic in town during the Covid-19 pandemic. “The request is for a few more
months and then we hope to have this thing closed and we’re breaking ground and ready to go from there,” Anderson said. Councilmember Garth Baldwin voiced frustration with the lengthy process during the meeting and said community members eagerly awaited the new clinic. “Our constituents would love to see a medical facility in our neighborhood,” Baldwin said. “I think we’d all welcome Family Care Network.”
Blaine Food Bank wraps up 2020 with community support By Grace McCarthy Blaine Food Bank spread holiday joy this season, decorating its outdoor center with a 5-foot Frosty the Snowman, twinkling reindeer and a towering Christmas tree fashioned with glittering ornaments. “We decorate for all the holidays,” operations manager Sally Church said. “Why not have a little bit of magic?” Over the holidays, Church said she saw about 100 more families
visiting weekly, with numbers rising from 400 to over 500 families per week. Church said that Blaine Food Bank is the second busiest in Whatcom County, after Bellingham Food Bank. Donations from community members and food providers make feeding local families possible during the pandemic, Church said. “When Covid-19 hit us, one day it was fine and the next day it was like ‘Uh, oh, we’re in trou-
ble,’” she said. Food bank operations moved outdoors in March to allow for social distancing. Tents covering the food line have heaters, but Church said they don’t do near enough for people who often wait in cold weather and rain. “We didn’t miss a day of distribution,” she said. “We went out and got two tents from Costco and set them up outside. We were able to manage with an absolute minimum of volunteers.” The food bank’s volunteer
base dropped from about 40 to a dozen, Church said. Volunteers do everything from organizing weekend meals for 163 Blaine students to delivering food to over 100 families with immunocompromised members. “Without the community and the grocery stores, we would have been in really dire circumstances,” she said. In 2020, the community helped
raise about $45,000 to match an anonymous donor’s annual $30,000 pledge. “We wish it wasn’t like this,” Church said. “We wish we opened the doors and nobody came.” Donations can be made by mail to Blaine Food Bank, PO Box 472, Blaine, WA 98230, in person at 500 C Street or by visiting their website online at blainefoodbank.org.
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4
The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
Opinion
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.
Students enjoy Birch Bay ferris wheel
Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Intern Conor Wilson prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser, production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com Contributors In This Issue Doug Dahl The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 30 Circulation: 10,500 copies
Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: Jan. 21 Ads due: Jan. 15
s School patrol picnic at Birch Bay Amusement Park, May 21, 1952.
Photo by Jack Carver/courtesy Whatcom Museum
Letters The Editor: Thank you, Lynden Tribune, Joel Douglas and Gerald Hulbert for informing citizens so eloquently on pages A4 and A5 on January 6. Had the President ordered the testing and manufacturing of scientifically approved Covid-19 masks and required their use as expeditiously as he ordered Operation Warp Speed for vaccines, we would not currently be matching the death toll of the historical Bataan Death March every other day. As we approach the death tolls of 9/11 and the Bataan Death March each day, perhaps we should acknowledge that decisions based on ego rather than science have left this county bereft and torn. It is time to mend, repair and love all we have lost, moving forward peaceably and with clear eyes and hearts. Donna Starr Blaine The Editor: The week of January 3-9 will not and should not be forgotten by Americans. After four-plus years of clearly telling the country that he was a narcissistic sociopath, Donald Trump finally demonstrated this by his explicit instructions for his followers to commit domestic terrorism by storming the U.S. Capitol. Like lemmings, in doing so his followers threatened duly elected legislators, legislative staff and security personnel. This was sedition and treason. Trump must be held accountable for these actions as must his political allies, including his children Rudy Giuliani, Mo Brooks and the other representatives and senators who aided and abetted him in this disgusting episode of our history.
He must not be allowed to do so again. Though clothed in the notion of protected free speech, Trump and his cronies have indirectly and directly promoted sedition and treason – criminal acts – from the very beginning of his campaigning for the presidency in 2015. They have done this in part by repeating lie after lie and, as Kellyanne Conway said, believing alternative facts. Joe Biden has said that our democracy needs a strong Republican Party to be in opposition. I agree that democracy needs at least two political parties to balance views, but no political party with Trump as its leader serves that function. The Republican Party under Trump has proven itself to be autocratic, based on lies, mean spirited and to be completely untethered to normal political processes and discourse. This process began decades ago under Ronald Reagan, amplified by the likes of Newt Gingrich and has been brought to this ignominious state by Trump. If it is to survive, the Republican party must rebuke Trump and everything he stands for. Trump supporters who call themselves patriots are telling another lie because one cannot be a patriot and support a despot like Trump. Michael Tomlinson Blaine The Editor: We will soon have a new president. While I feel bad for you whose candidate didn’t win the election, which has been certified throughout the nation, I will in no way apologize for my having backed the winner. Soon, Trump will no longer be in office, and he cannot protect you and
your actions. Your hatred, racist actions, your misogyny are laid bare. You can no longer wave the flag from an area of this country I’m sure you have not even visited, without the rest of the country knowing and identifying your racist motive. You are now seen and you must own your actions to be those of a hater. You will have no one to hide behind, no one to spur you on. And don’t tell me hate is ever right or God’s will; these are wheels we put in motion ourselves. As for those of you who agree with the seditious actions of your elected officials to overturn the results of the election, get over yourselves. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution states, in part; “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress who, having taken an oath to support the Constitution of these United States has engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same.” The people you support are committing sedition, and should not hold the seats in the government whose Constitution they are trying to destroy. The incoming representatives should not have been seated, and the senators willing to undo the Constitution should lose their seats and all the privileges thereof. As you support these officials, who are acting only in an effort to delegitimize the governance of the incoming president, then you, my patriot friends, are seditious as well. You will in the future be looked upon as such. Gary Meader Everson Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
January 14 - 20, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com
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WIAA announces fall sports to start February By Conor Wilson The Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association’s (WIAA) executive board voted to amend its schedule January 6, moving the traditional fall sports season to begin February 1. The season is planned to be seven weeks long, culminating in March with regional championships. It includes cross country, football, golf, softball, girls and 1B/2B boys soccer, swim and dive, tennis and volleyball. Districts and leagues are also permitted to submit a request to the WIAA if they want to adjust any sport schedule to accommodate local needs. The schedule change allows sports to begin competition in February, assuming Covid-19 guidelines are met under governor Jay Inslee’s new “Healthy Washington” plan. In phase 1 of Inslee’s “Healthy Washington” recovery plan, which went into effect January 11, low- and moderate-risk outdoor sports will be permitted to practice. Competition for all outdoor sports, and moderate-risk indoor sports, will be allowed in phase 2. All fall outdoor sports, except football, are considered a low or moderate risk. Spectators can also return beginning in phase 2. A maximum of 200 people, athletes and spectators, will be allowed at any sporting event. However, there is still no plan for high-risk indoor sports to re-
CITY OF BLAINE Due to COVID-19 and the Governor’s Proclamation, meetings are now only open to the public telephonically. Information on how to listen to the meeting live will be on the City Council agenda which is located on the City’s website homepage under Your Government, City Council, City Council Agenda. Please check the agenda prior to each meeting as the call in number or location may change.
Tuesday, January 12 8:00am – Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee
Thursday, January 14 9:00am – Parks and Cemetery Board
6:00pm – Planning Commission Monday, January 18 City Offices Closed – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
s The new Blaine high school football field grandstand. Photo by Conor WIlson
turn, such as basketball, cheer, dance and wrestling, according to WIAA. A January 8 report by the Washington State Department of Health said the north region, which includes Whatcom, Island, San Juan and Skagit counties, is currently in phase 1. To move to phase 2, the four guidelines are: • 10 percent decreasing trend in two-week case rates; • 10 percent decreasing trend in two-week Covid-19 hospital admission rates; • ICU occupancy (both Covid and non-Covid) less than 90
percent; • Covid-19 test positivity rate lower than 10 percent. There are currently no athletics happening at Blaine High School. District athletic director Sean Linville said he hopes the school can begin fall sports next month but much of the pathway forward remains unclear. Plans for health precautions, amid a return, are still in the works, Linville said. “Like everything else right now, the plan is written in pencil,” he said. “It’s tough, but for the first time in a while it feels like we’re turning the corner to some stuff coming back.”
In October, the WIAA and the governor’s office introduced return to play guidelines based upon county cases per 100,000 residents, identifying high, moderate and low transmission risk sports. The transmission risk identification scale will remain the same under the new plan. Winter sports were supposed to begin December 28, based on an adjusted schedule created by the WIAA in July. The board plans to examine winter and spring sports at its January 19 meeting. To read WIAA’s full announcement, visit bit.ly/38qikg0.
Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce receives $100,000 grant By Ian Haupt Whatcom County Council granted the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce $100,000 to pay for the operations of the Birch Bay Visitor Center and the promotion and advertising of its events for 2021. Whatcom County and the chamber entered into a contract, whereby the chamber will receive $100,000 to “fund the operations of the visitor center” and “fund the advertising and marketing for annual multi-day events designed to promote tourism and overnight stays.” According to the memorandum, funding will come out of the county’s Convention Center Fund as recommend-
ed by the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee. This is the county’s general yearly funding for the visitor center, said Liz Thornton, executive director of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce. While funding from the county is not guaranteed every year, the chamber has received $100,000 for 2018, 2019 and 2020. Before that, it received $86,500 for 2017. Thornton said the visitor center depends on the funding. “It’s a big chunk of it [the chamber’s funding],” Thornton said, while other funding comes from memberships and sponsorships. The multi-day events to be promoted, she said, include the Sand
Sculpture Competition, Rollback Weekend and Birch Bay Discover Days. “We’re hoping we can have
in-person events [this year], similar to what we had in the summer,” Thornton said.
The Immigration Law Firm
Tuesday, January 19 9:00am – Special City Council Meeting
Monday, January 25 4:30pm – Special 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.
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City of Blaine to offer RED loan program again
“Love the paper!” -Aileen Powell
This week’s supporters: Aileen Powell • Frank Lucci
By Conor Wilson The city of Blaine has reintroduced a loan program to assist local businesses amid the economic impacts of Covid-19. The city will begin accepting applications for low interest $5,000 to $10,000 loans starting Thursday, January 28, as part of the Rural Economic Development (RED) Revolving Loan Fund. The application period will close Thursday, February 18.
Any business that pays electric bills to the city or is located in Blaine may apply. The RED board will review applications, and decide which businesses will receive loans shortly after the February deadline. The RED program was first introduced in May. For questions or to get an application, contact economic development and tourism coordinator, Alex Wenger atawenger@cityofblaine.com.
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The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
Unemployment claims rise due to seasonal effects, experts say By Ian Haupt Claims for unemployment insurance increased in Whatcom County and Washington state during the week of December 27 to January 2 to nearly the same amount as the spike the week of November 16, when governor Jay Inslee ordered tighter restrictions statewide in order to reduce the spread of Covid-19. While neither week resembles anywhere near the number of claims filed last spring when the governor’s shelter-in-place order went into effect, a regional economist said the recent jump in claims is likely due to seasonal effects. According to data released by Washington’s Employment Security Department (ESD), 949 initial claims were filed in the coun-
ty during the week of December 27 to January 2, whereas 646 claims were filed the week before. The ESD received 36 more initial claims the week of November 15 to 21, with 985. Statewide, 29,651 new claims for unemployment benefits were filed with the ESD during the week of December 27 to January 2, which was an increase of 10,459 new claims from the previous week, when 19,192 claims were filed. The week Inslee announced his stricter statewide restrictions the ESD received 30,274 claims, 623 more than the most recent week. “This really had more to do with the season, rather than Covid-19 restrictions,” said ESD regional labor economist Anneliese Vance-Sherman. “But the restrictions intensify the situation.”
Vance-Sherman said after the holidays is when the ESD tends to see many layoffs in industries with contractual work, like construction and the food industry. The department expects to see a spike in claims at the end of each year, she said. While it is disconcerting to see a spike, Vance-Sherman said an expected seasonal rhythm is somewhat comforting for our current situation because some normality persists. The industry sectors with the highest number of new claims statewide from December 27 to January 2 were specialty trade contractors (2,938 new claims), food services and drinking places (2,652 new claims) and administrative and support services (1,804 new claims). There were 5,717 initial claims filed state-
wide with an unknown industry sector. In Whatcom County, the majority of new claims in the week ending on January 2 did not disclose an industry sector, a total of 356. Specialty trade contractors (127 new claims), food services and drinking places (91 new claims) and construction of buildings (66 new claims) were the industry sectors with most new claims filed. “Whatcom County’s patterns have been very similar to what we’ve seen on the state level,” Vance-Sherman said. Each week, both the state and county claims are about three times what they were in 2019. The last reporting week of 2019 saw 9,844 initial claims filed in the state, nearly one-third the amount seen in the week of De-
cember 27 to January 2. That same week, there were 283 claims filed in the county, almost 30 percent the amount filed in the comparable week in 2020. Nationwide, in the week ending January 2, there were 922,072 initial claims filed, an increase of 77,400 – 9.2 percent – from the previous week, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. An increase of 81,127 claims was expected because of seasonal factors. In the previous year, there were 335,480 initial claims filed in the comparable week. Also in the week ending January 2, 45 states reported 161,460 initial claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. “When we are looking at initial claims, we are seeing, almost in real time, layoff activity,” Vance-Sherman said.
Bulkhead removal gets $115,000 in additional funds, and other port news By Grace McCarthy Port of Bellingham commissioners increased the Blaine Harbor bulkhead repair budget by $115,000 to accommodate additional costs that could arise during construction. Port commissioners unanimously voted to increase the original $51,000 budget with an additional $115,000 in funding for what is officially known as the Blaine Harbor Bulkhead Repair and Replacement Project. The additional funding came from an allocation in the port’s
2020 strategic budget, as a supplement to original funding from the 2018 Capital Improvement Project, according to the bulkhead budget reallocation memorandum. Construction is typically budgeted with 10 percent contingency that allows for unanticipated project changes but the bulkhead was originally only given a 3 percent contingency, said Greg Nicoll, Port of Bellingham senior project manager. Nicoll requested additional contingency funds to provide the additional 7 percent to equal a total construction con-
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tingency of 10 percent of the construction contract amount. The project is expected to cost $2.4 to $2.6 million dollars when finished, Nicoll said. The bulkhead project will replace 280 feet of rotted timber bulkhead on the Sawtooth Pier and by the former T&M Protein site, along with 165 feet of bulkhead by the Boundary Fish and On-Board Marine bulkheads, according to the port documents. About 30 percent of the project has been completed since Bellingham-based BOSS Construction began repairs in September, the port documents state. The project’s completion date is expected to be mid-May of this year, Nicoll said. Currently, the construction crew is 60 to 70 percent finished driving steel sheet piles that will comprise the new bulkhead, Nicoll said. The crew will then backfill behind the new bulkhead and drive steel batter piles to reinforce the bulkhead. “The bulkhead had failed and was well beyond its useful life and it was time to replace it,”
Nicoll said. “It wasn’t an immediate hazard but it was in a position where we needed to act to ensure we had best use of facilities.” In other port news, commissioners voted at their December 8 meeting to approve a $200,000 settlement with Exxon Mobil Corporation for cleanup at the Blaine Marina, Inc. environmental cleanup site. The Blaine Marina, Inc. cleanup previously housed the Blaine Marina Furniture and Appliance Retail near 214 Sigurdson Avenue. Blaine Marina, Inc., which leased the site from the Port of Bellingham from the 1950s until May 2015, added three above-ground gasoline storage tanks in 1956 that created petroleum spills, according to port documents. About 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of home heating oil from the storage tanks was allegedly released from an Exxon truck at the site in the 1960s, the port documents state. Exxon was determined liable for the site but denies liability, only paying the port to avoid lit-
igation expenses and uncertainty, according to port documents. Ben Howard, project manager for the port, said the total cleanup cost will be $2.5 million but the port has received grant funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology for 50 percent of the cleanup cost. Excavation in 2018 cost $1.2 million, $500,000 of which the port paid. Bioremediation – putting a nutrient solution outside the excavation site to degrade contamination – is the main cleanup that will occur three times per year until 2022, Howard said. The site is considered fully cleaned up once bioremediation is complete. Howard said he does not know the total number of oil spills at the Blaine Marina, Inc. site aside from the three documented spills, one of which was involved in the Exxon settlement. “The impact was really low because we found the contamination did not expand into the harbor so it was really underground in the former tank area,” Howard said. “There was no immediate exposure risk.”
Positive Covid-19 case at middle school, no close contacts, Granger says By Ian Haupt A Blaine Middle School student has tested positive for Covid-19. In a January 12 email to parents, superintendent Christopher Granger notified Blaine Middle School families the school had a confirmed positive Covid-19 case. Granger said the student is no longer in contact with students or staff, and the Whatcom County Health Department determined no close contacts were associated with the student. If any were identified, the district would have had communication with the families of those students in close contact with the positive case, Granger said in the email. The health department defines a close contact as being within 6
feet of someone for 15 minutes or longer. Granger said any individual who tests positive for Covid-19 will not be able to return to school until the contagious period has passed. “A person who tests positive with Covid-19, is considered contagious two days prior to symptom onset and for 10 days afterwards or two days prior to a positive test if tested when they weren’t having any symptoms and for 10 days after the date of the positive test. It can take from two to 14 days to develop symptoms after an exposure to a person contagious with Covid-19,” Granger said in the email. He said the district’s current plans and procedures – daily screenings for symptoms,
mask-wearing, hand washing and maintaining distance – are in place to help mitigate risk of others contracting the virus. “Our protocols are strong,” Granger said. “If we get a positive case, we work closely with the health department to do the necessary contact tracing.” Granger said there has not yet been any reported Covid-19 transmission between students and staff within public schools in the county. Granger said, for privacy reasons, the school would not provide information about how long the student who tested positive was in school when possibly contagious and if they took the bus. The school district will remain on a hybrid-learning schedule, he said.
January 14 - 20, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com
7
High tides and winds test Birch Bay berm, flooding closed roads
s Water from the bay and Terrell Creek overflowed Birch Bay roads on January 13. John Gargett, deputy director for Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management, said the high tide and wind Wednesday caused flooding on Birch Bay roads, forcing him to close multiple roads near Wooldridge Drive and Birch Bay State Park. There was also standing water up to the door seal level of many properties in the Wooldridge area, just south of The C Shop, that Gargett said could cause interior water damage. Gargett said waves breaking overtop of the Bay Breeze Restaurant & Bar caused water damage inside the restaurant. “Employees were out trying to save what they could,” he said. Public works could not be reached in time of publication to give information pertaining to the Birch Bay berm and its responsibility to prevent such things from happening. Photo by Ian Haupt
By Ian Haupt In a January 7 “Coffee with the Contractor” meeting, Whatcom County Public Works’ Roland Middleton said public works was pleased to see how well the nearly completed Birch Bay berm protected the community’s shoreline during the gale storm and king tides on January 1 and January 2. When asked if pleased with the berm’s recent performance in stormy weather, Middleton jokingly referenced the storm surge two years ago that left Birch Bay Drive in tatters and incurred more than $5 million in damage locally. “Were you pleased not to have to drive through logs and rock and seaweed?” he responded. On January 1, the National Weather Service issued gale warnings for January 1 and January 2, which saw winds up to 35 mph and 5-foot waves. But because of the berm, Birch Bay was left unscathed, Middleton said. Beach debris, such as logs and rocks, were strewn onto Birch Bay Drive and the Bay Breeze Restaurant & Bar parking lot by the hide tide on Wednesday morning, January 13. However, there was no standing water on the roadway or properties along the berm. The berm project, officially called the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility, is designed to protect Birch Bay from storms.
Covid-19 ... From page 1
16,068 have been hospitalized. Governor Jay Inslee issued a “Healthy Washington” two-phase reopening plan that grouped neighboring counties together by hospitalizations. No region in
This week, Granite Construction, the county’s contractor, will be pouring concrete sidewalks near the Harborview Road intersection, importing the remainder of gravel sediment for the northern end near Cottonwood Beach and continuing planting. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Coffee with the Contractor” meeting via Zoom on January 7 for resident’s to ask the project’s contractor and manager questions. In the meeting, Middleton, public works engineer Jim Karcher and Gairrett Orelup with Granite Construction each gave a brief progress report and answered questions from residents. “We’re getting really close to nearing the end of this project,” Orelup said in the meeting. He said the majority of the berm material has already been placed. With another 10,000 tons to bring in and some already installed material not yet shaped, he estimated the berm to be fully shaped by early to mid-February. Then the rest of the concrete flat work and plantings will be completed, he said. The limestone path transitions into a concrete pathway in multiple sections along the berm, where there is adjacent parking on the west side of Birch Bay Drive. Orelup also said enough of the
project is complete so crews will no longer need to work night shifts. “I’m sure, as residents, everyone’s glad to hear that – that there won’t be trucks and equipment running all night,” he said. Middleton reminded community members to avoid walking through the plants along the berm because there are many between those visible that if they do not sprout will have to be replanted. Karcher said there have been many requests from members of the community for additional features to be made to the project. However, he said it would be best to avoid making changes and adding costs when the project is so close to completion. Below are some questions and answers from the meeting, edited for length and clarity. Q: Were you pleased with how you the berm handled the recent king tides? Middleton: When we had the gale storm and the king tide that was followed up by the wind I was out there. I went at about six o’clock in the morning, at the height of it, and [the wind] was blowing like crazy. The white caps on the bay looked significantly larger than two years ago when we lost half the road. And there was nothing, and Granite hadn’t even finished that section yet. The berm was getting beaten
the state is currently eligible to move into phase two until at least Monday, January 18, according to a January 12 DOH press release. The new plan went into effect January 11 and phase statuses will be announced each Friday. The health department advised people on January 13 to not gather with anyone outside their
household. Lautenbach urged people to avoid gatherings, wear masks, wash hands frequently and stay home if they’re feeling ill or have been around others. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Health’s Covid-19 dashboard at bit.ly/3r2URJj.
up pretty bad, but three days later, when I went out, you couldn’t even tell it had been beaten up really bad. I would love to give all kinds of credit to amazing engineering, and there are all kinds of credit for the wonderful engineering. But at the same time, a natural beach berm works like a natural beach berm. So, we’re very pleased how it worked. It won’t take more than two storms for people to drive by and say, “Look at this beautiful natural beach.” Q: Is it possible to put handrails on the stair access points on the south side of the berm, near Evergreen and Cedar lanes? Middleton: The decision was made – because we are in the middle of this project, and the middle of the contract, and there’s a couple other things going on in the office that we have to take care of – to make a commitment that we will go back out and look to see what might be able to be done as a standalone project, most likely when the repave is done. We’ll take a look at that. It’s going to be rather difficult to get any ad-
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The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
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go along with age. sures to compensate for them. It’s true that drivers over 70 are Young drivers, not so much. We’ll Q: My parents are getting old- over-represented in fatal crash- get to the weak spots in a minute. er, and I’m wondering, how do I es, second only to teenagers on I’d suggest that the first step to know when it’s time for them to a per-mile basis. While the data answering your question begins stop driving? for both young and old drivers with a conversation. More than A: If you’re a fan of the Guin- are somewhat similar, the reasons 80 percent of older drivers nevness World Records, you might behind them are not. With teen er have a conversation with their have heard of Johanna Quaas, drivers, the underlying factors family or their doctor about their the world’s oldest gymnast. She often include poor judgment and safe driving ability, according turned 95 this year and still has inexperience; for older drivers, to 2018 research from the AAA a parallel bar routine that would physical vulnerability is a big is- Foundation for Traffic Safety. By make some of the show-offs on sue. Put simply, young people can doing so, you can encourage your muscle beach reevaluate their life handle more trauma and recover. parents to develop strategies that, goals. That’s not to say that an older if they keep driving, reduce their I mention Johanna to make the driver’s skills are as good as they risk. You might even find that point that age itself isn’t the limit- ever were. It’s more that old- they’re already doing that. ing factor in driving, or any other er drivers recognize their weak As examples, let’s look at sevlife activity. It’s all the things that spots and take protective mea- eral things that are important to 360.318.0880 360.647.0395
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generally smart enough to leave more distance between them and other drivers, choose routes with slower speed limits and look further ahead for hazards. Strength and mobility: This becomes an issue when a driver can’t do things like turning their head to check for traffic or gripping the steering wheel. Exercise or physical therapy may be able to extend an otherwise safe driver’s time on the road. Mental acuity: While you may be able to compensate for the weak spots I just mentioned, this one is likely a deal-breaker for driving. If your parent gets easily confused or lost while driving, it’s time to give up the keys. Maybe you’re not quite ready to have the conversation but you still want to know if your parents should be driving. You could start by getting in the passenger seat and going for a ride. Not willing to ride with them? That’s a sign. Walk around their car and look for damage. If your parents have a 5-year-old car with five separate dents, that’s another sign. We all get older, but we don’t experience it all the same way, so how you work through it with your parents depends on your situation. Given that most people don’t have this conversation with their parents at all, even asking the question means you’re off to a good start. Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.
January 14 - 20, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com
9
Everything you need to know to prevent falls in the bathroom Make sure lighting in the bathroom illuminates all areas. • Wear non-slip shoes. Wearing non-slip shoes when in the bathroom can reduce the chances of slipping on wet floors. • Install a walk-in shower or bathtub. These lipless fixtures can assist those who have difficulty entering a standard tub or shower. Grab bars also can help with maneuvering in and out of
File photo
Bathrooms can serve as sanctuaries, providing a warm tub to soak in after a long, weary day or a private place to retire for a few minutes of peace and quiet. Bathrooms also can be dangerous places, as various groups warn that most slip and fall accidents that occur at home will happen in the bathroom. The combination of hard surfaces and moisture from sinks and showers can create dangerous conditions. Furthermore, bathrooms tend to be small spaces, so should a fall occur, it’s more likely a person will hit various surfaces on the way down. The risk of falling in a bathroom increases with age. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seniors over age 65 have a 25 percent chance of falling in the bathroom. Seniors generally have less flexibility and balance than younger people, meaning falls can be life-threatening. Bones easily can become fractured and internal bleeding may occur in serious cases. Bathrooms can be made more safe in a few simple ways. • Keep the bathtub clean. Soap residue or other grime can contribute to slippery conditions in ya lla yd ao dT oT llC aC the shower and tub. Cleaning ! s l i a t e D r o ! s l i a t e D rfof can imthese surfaces frequently 06 06 60 -1 67 -0 363 0 67 -1 66 -0 prove traction. • Declutter the space. Remove extraneous items from the bath-
room that can pose as tripping hazards. • Choose the right bath mat. Bath mats can contribute to slips and falls. For those who cannot live without them, choose a mat with slip-resistant backings and add double-faced tape for added security. • Limit moisture. Use a weighted shower curtain or install shower doors to prevent water from getting on the floor. Mop up any water or additional condensation to help dry the bathroom. Install an exhaust fan to help vent moisture that can condense and accumulate on the floor and MAH LL BLtE aBgn iLnirvoiiLne SineecS itselo MG AN HIG NEIL taivg ro ciS tsloS fixtures. 5228 WA ,m gn llg en Bil,le .yB w,k.P 8l1 59 22A 89 Wah ,m aih ywnkePva nh ervia aF hrd ialO Fd O82 8182 0 6 0 6 1 7 6 0 6 3 0 6 0 6 1 7 6 -063 • Improve bathroom lighting. mocm .m gn llg en Big nB ivg iLnrio Sin ee ciS tselo oa ch .m aih lle vin Le ro ciS tsloS
Watch out for carbon monoxide The state fire marshal’s office would like to remind residents of the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO), a gas you cannot see, taste, or smell, and is often called “the invisible killer.” CO is created when natural gas, propane, gasoline and firewood fail to burn completely. Symptoms of CO exposure include headache, nausea and drowsiness. With sufficient exposure, CO poisoning can be fatal. To reduce the risk of CO exposure: • Have fuel-burning heating equipment such as fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, wood stoves, pellet stoves and their chimneys inspected and cleaned by a professional every year.
• Be sure that exhaust from fuel-burning equipment vents fully and properly to the outside. Keep any exterior venting clear and unblocked by snow, lint, vegetation or other debris. • Never run a vehicle, generator or gas grill in a garage, even if garage doors are open. To protect your family if CO enters your home: • Install CO alarms in the immediate vicinity of each sleeping room, such as the hallway outside bedrooms and on every level of the home. Additionally, CO alarms should be installed in sleeping rooms that have a fuel burning appliance. • Test CO alarms at least once a month. The sensors in CO alarms
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have a limited lifespan. Replace the CO alarm if the unit fails to respond to testing or when the end-of-life signal sounds. • If the CO alarm sounds unexpectedly, immediately move everyone to a fresh air location outdoors and call 911. Do not go back inside until emergency personnel declare that it is safe to re-enter your home. For more information, contact the state fire marshal’s office at 360/596-3929.
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the shower area. • Use a raised toilet seat. A raised toilet, or one with a special seat that reduces the distance one has to go to reach a seated position, may help prevent falls. Any individual with a health condition that causes vision disturbances or difficulties with balance should work with a doctor to find a resolution. These conditions may contribute to falls.
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The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
WCLS to host virtual events for Washington Black book Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) is hosting online events in March in anticipation of Canadian author Esi Edugyan’s discussion of her book, Washington Black. HarperCollins published the author’s Washington Black in 2018, narrating an 11-year-old boy’s escape from slavery by hot air balloon in the Barbados and a run in with an octopus. Edugyan won the Giller Prize, a Canadian literary award, for the book, which also was one of The New
York Times’ 10 best books of the year. “Inspired by the book, events and discussions will examine the themes of race and belonging and illustration and the natural world,” said Ann McAllen, adult programming coordinator for WCLS and chair of the Whatcom READS committee, in a statement on the event. “We hope to get neighbors talking to each other about the book’s themes and sharing their love of reading.” The WCLS release said the nine-
part virtual event series will honor the voices of Black writers, examine the impact of systemic racism and explore relationships with the natural world. The first event will kick off on Thursday, January 14. Here is the list of events: Thursday, January 14, 7-8 p.m.: Local poet Robert Lashley will read poetry on his experience living in the South and surviving the Hilltop gang wars in the ‘90s. Saturday, January 23, 7-8 p.m.: Seattle author Kathya Alexander chronicles growing up in the segregated South during the Civil Rights Movement. Monday, January 25, 6-7 p.m.: Former Western Washington University professor Clyde Ford will host an interactive discussion on race in America aimed to include people of all races. Friday, February 5, 7-8 p.m.: Bill Lyne, a Western Washington University professor of African American Studies, will lead a discussion on African American literature. Thursday, February 11, 7-8 p.m.: Clyde Ford will host a second presentation on race in the era of technology, speaking to experiences of his father, who he says was the first Black software engineer in America. Saturday, February 13, 1-2 p.m.: University of Washington professor David Gire explains the neuroscience on the behavior of octopuses. This discussion follows Washington Black’s main
s Author Esi Edugyan. Photo courtesy Tamara Poppitt/WCLS
character’s experience with an octopus. Saturday, February 20, 4-5 p.m.: Bird expert David Allen Sibley will discuss his latest book “What it’s like to be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Sleeping – What Birds are Doing, and Why,” drawing on nature illustration. Thursday, February 25, 6-7 p.m.: Poet Gloria Burgess will dive into African American history of spirituals and poetry by words and music. March 4-5, times to be announced online: Washington
Black author Esi Edugyan will discuss her book during this twoday virtual event. Allied Arts of Whatcom County will exhibit Washington Black inspired art from Friday, March 5 to Saturday, March 27 in the nonprofit’s downtown gallery at 1418 Cornwall Avenue. Submissions are due between Tuesday, March 2 and Wednesday, March 3. For more information, visit alliedarts. org/whatcom-reads-art-challenge. To register for the WCLS event Zoom links and for additional information, visit whatcomreads. org/events.
Image courtesy WCLS
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JOURNEYMAN LINEMAN Salary Range: $8,183 per month (effective January 1st) plus benefits Interested persons should complete the online application on the City’s website, https://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/. The first review deadline is 4:30pm on January 15th.
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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 WHATCOM In re the Matter and Estate of: TERRENCE LEE HARVEY, Deceased. Whatcom County Superior Court Cause No. 20-4-00621-37. NONPROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. RCW 11.42.030 The notice agent named below has elected to give notice to creditors of the abovenamed Decedent. As of the date of the filing of a copy of this notice with the court, the notice agent has no knowledge of any other person acting as notice agent or of the appointment of a personal representative ofthe Decedent’s estate in the state of Washington. According to the records of the court as are available on the date of the filing of this notice with the court, a cause number regarding the Decedent has not been issued to any other notice agent and a personal representative of the Decedent’s estate has not been appointed. 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 11.42.070 by serving on or mailing to the notice agent or the notice agent’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 notice agent’s declaration and oath were filed. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1)Thirty days after the notice agent served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.42.020(2)(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 11.42.050 and 11.42.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the Decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: Dec. 31, 2020 Date Notice filed: December 14, 2020 Notice Agent: ANTOINETTE J. HARVEY Attorney for the Notice Agent: Roger L. Ellingson Address for Mailing or Service: P.O. Box 1258, Blaine, WA 98231 (360) 332-7000; Fax: (360) 332-6677
Superior Court of Washington, County of WHATCOM In re Estate of: DORIS JACQUELINE SPINKS, Deceased. No. 20-4-00524-37 PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.020-030) PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as Personal Representative of the Estate of DORIS JACQUELINE SPINKS. 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 at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) 30 days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(3); 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: January 7, 2021 Personal Representative: BILLY JOEL SPINKS Address for Mailing or Service: 2008 E ST, BELLINGHAM,WA,98225 Email: spinkyboi@gmail.com Court of Probate Proceedings and Cause Number Whatcom County Superior Court No. 20-4-00524-37
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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM IN RE THE ESTATE OF: CLOID PAGE, Deceased. NO. 20-4-00672-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030. JUDGE: ROBERT E. OLSON 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 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 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 nonprobate assets. Date of First Publication: January 14, 2021 Personal Representative: Iris Kingston PO Box 127, Bellingham, WA 98227 Attorney for the Personal Representative: KATTI ESP, 301 Prospect Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 Address for Mailing or Service: KATTI ESP, 301 Prospect Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 Court of Probate Proceedings Superior Court of Whatcom County and Cause Number: Cause No. 20-4-00672-37
Plumbing
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT Chapter 18.27.100 of the Revised Code of Washington requires that all advertisements for construction services include the contractor’s registration number in the advertisement. To verify a contractor’s license, call the Dept. of Labor and Industry’s contractors registration at 1-800-647-0982.
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The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
Real Estate
Bay Properties Semiahmoo homeS, inc.
NW LUXURY REAL ESTATE AT A HIGHER LEVEL
4751 Birch Bay Lynden Road #2, Birch Bay $224,500
LOCATED JUST MINUTES FROM THE LATITUDE 49! BEACH... This 1 BD, 1 BA home has been seriously upgraded and remodeled! The main living area is 384 +/- SF with a 132 +/- SF front porch that has an enclosed addition on the porch which could be used as a second bedroom! There is a nice garden shed which will have a washer / dryer hook up. This 180 day property is close to all amenities at Latitude 49: pool, hot tub, putting green, exercise room, playground and clubhouse. Minutes to I-5 and the US/CND border.
7650 Birch Bay Drive #H3, Bay Rim $267,900 WELCOME TO THE BEACH LIFE!
DESIRABLE UPPER END UNIT AT JACOB’S LANDING!
This 900 SF 2 BD, 1.5 BA unit is nestled in the quiet setting of beautifully landscaped grounds. Enjoy the back deck for quiet morning coffee or private dinners and the front deck for basking in the sunshine. Features of this condo include wood floors, wall to wall carpet and stainless steel appliances. Enjoy as your primary residence or weekend get-away! A rare find don’t miss out on making this your new home!
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Carl W. R. Dufton • (360) 815-6637
5459 Tanager Lane, Semiahmoo $485,000 LISTED & PENDED IN 1 DAY!!!
STONEHAVEN AT SEMIAHMOO!
Located in Semiahmoo’s highly desirable Stonehaven neighborhood, this beautiful turn-key 2110 SF Craftsman is located on a quiet cul-de-sac. The 3 BD, 2.5 BA home features an open floor plan, a main floor Master, an upstairs bonus room for use as an office or flex space, plenty of kitchen storage, hardwood floors, tiled baths, vaulted ceilings and a gas fireplace! Enjoy 2 covered patios for outdoor entertaining and relaxing! Close to beaches, marina, and golf/tennis/swim. Start the new year in a new home!
8026 Kayak Way, Birch Bay Village $680,000
AGE SEM
IAH
Enjoy beautiful sunsets and views of the San VIEW! VIEW! VIEW! Juan Islands from the spacious deck on each level of this 3162 SF 3BD, 2.5 BA Birch Bay Village home. Features include a completely finished main area, updated flooring throughout, new windows, upgraded kitchens, sauna, two fireplaces and an all season hot tub! Come and enjoy all that Birch Bay Village has to offer: golf course, marina, outdoor pool, tennis courts, playgrounds and miles of beach!
Julie Ward • (760) 522-2564
Birch Bay Village Rare Pond home site with plan work done, ready to build. ADA compliant, one level home/no steps, 14 ft ceilings living rm, 9 ft. rest of the home. Coffered ceilings in master with en-suite. Exposed beams in living, dining & kitchen. 8 ft. doors. Interior trim vertical grain Douglas fir. Hardy siding & shingles. Double sided natural gas fireplace raised hearth surround finished in slate. Many upgrades to mention. 24/7 security.
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5488 Puffin Place • Blaine $260,000 MLS # 1698438
Home site #20. Over 1/2 acre 23958 sq. ft. Water and Mountain view home site in Drayton Hillside on Puffin Place a gated community. Bring your plans and ambition and enjoy this most peaceful setting, and all the amenities the Semiahmoo community has to offer. Marina, Golf and Country Club, Heath Club, Spa, 200 room Inn at Semiahmoo, restaurants, tennis, pools, pickle ball and so much more.
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Semiahmoo Marina Boat slip, C-34, 44 feet for $43,000 Also, If you wish to be a former owner, Call Hugh Call Hugh : 360.371.5800 Your Local Expert For All Real Estate, Residential Or Commercial Services! Hugh Brawford, Managing Broker
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PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • Vacation Properties WE DO • Residential Properties ! IT ALL • Commercial Properties Nimbus Property Management
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All estate/rentals advertis-in this newspaper is subject to All real real estate/rentals advertising ing this newspaper the in Federal Fair HousingisActsubject of 1968 as amended, which makes to the Federal Fair any Housing Act limitation or discrimination it illegal to advertise preference, ofbased 1968onasrace, amended, whichsex, makes it illegal color, religion, handicap familial status or national origin, tooradvertise anytopreference, limitation or disan intention make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This crimination based on race,accept color,any religion, newspaper will not knowingly advertisement for real estate which sex, or national ori-informed that all dwellings is inhandicap, violation offamilial the law. status Our readers are hereby gin, or an intention to make any such prefadvertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To erence, or discrimination. complainlimitation of discrimination, call HUD toll-freeThis at 1-800-877-0246. 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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January 14 - 20, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com
Lawmakers to fund vaccinations, reduce evictions, boost small businesses By Patric Haerle, Washington State Journal Covid-19 relief is a top priority for this year’s legislature, and Republicans and Democrats generally agree it will be necessary to get aid out as soon as possible. The parties are split, however, when it comes to increasing some taxes to erase a pandemic-caused revenue shortfall. House speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) listed on January 7 some of the early action economic relief Democrats lined up. This included, among other things: At least $300 million for rental and utility assistance, $120 million for business assistance grants and $25 million for food assistance. Jinkins said they want to waive property fees and lower property tax rates for businesses. Jinkins also said they would propose tapping the state’s rainy-day funds to help pay for the proposals. “We’re in rainy days,” she said.
Governor Jay Inslee said he proposes lowering unemployment insurance taxes for small businesses and financing the working families tax credit with a new capital gains tax. He said the governor’s office projects that fewer than 2 percent of the state’s population would be affected by the increase. He said he favors that option over increasing existing taxes that he said lean too heavily on working families. “Our tax system, frankly, is a scandalous situation, because it rewards the wealthiest and puts the demands to finance the needs of Washingtonians on those who can meet that need the least,” Inslee said. Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) agreed with Inslee. “We have so much work to do ahead of us when we’re talking about rental assistance and small business loans. We’re talking about the homelessness issue, the eviction moratorium being lifted. We haven’t even started talking about a foster care situation that
RECENT HOUSE & LOT PRICES
Blaine, Birch Bay & Point Roberts DECEMBER 2020
was already struggling,” Dhingra said. “And we have police accountability issues to deal with. All of those cost money. We can write pretty words on a piece of paper and pass them, but if you really want to help people, you have to put the dollars behind those words.” Senator Shelly Short (R-Addy) said she is sympathetic to the many needs facing Washington, but said the Legislature needs to carefully weigh adding new taxes. “We are learning a lot about the needs and the things that we have before us,” Short said. “But the last thing we should be doing is raising taxes on our family owned businesses and our job creators in the state of Washington. The fastest way we can get people back on their feet is to get them their jobs back.” The Washington State Journal is a non-profit news website managed by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Learn more at wastatejournal.org.
This year’s legislature won’t just be about numbers and budgets: It will explore social inequities, the proper role of policing and just how much authority the governor is due. Governor Jay Inslee said his budget proposal specifies funds for marginalized communities who have been disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. His plans to address these issues include forming independent agencies to investigate police violence, expanding early childhood education and increasing access to healthcare. “You can’t just address economic disparities without recognizing racial disparities,” Inslee said January 7. Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond) said legislators went to work on pre-filed bills that address concerns around use-offorce techniques by law enforcement. Dhingra said some of these bills, which include legislation to ban neck restraints and tear gas on civilians, could keep police accountable.
Dhingra said coming legislation should also address inequality of healthcare and Covid-19 cases in underserved communities. “I have seen the difference in the haves and the have-nots, and it is so stark in our state,” Dhingra said. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander people (NHOPI) and Hispanic people are nine times as likely to contract Covid-19 when compared to white people, according to a July report from the Washington State Department of Health. Hospitalization and death rates are also higher for these groups than for white people, the report said. A 2018 report conducted by the Women’s Commission and the Housing Justice Project found Black and Latino residents were more likely to be evicted than white residents. The National Low Income Housing Coalition found in a June 2020 study that nationally, Black and Latino residents are most likely to experience rent burden and eviction notices. House speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) said lawmakers will examine issues with racial equality in mind, with hopes to increase legislative representation. Jinkins
LOCATION
HIGHER END HOUSES $600,000 AND ABOVE: 1-story house with 1,488 SF, 864 SF finished basement, 864 SF unfinished basement, 3 BD, 3 BA, 624 SF built-in garage, 220 SF deck, built in 1993; marine view, private beach, .42 acres land.
5883 Normar Place, Blaine
$962,000
9464 Odell Road, Blaine
$675,000
1-and a half story house with 1,275 SF, 3 BD, 1 BA, 720 SF detached garage, 628 SF decks, 480 SF storage, outbuilding, built in 1900, 4.80 acres land.
#201, Pacific Point $1,299,000 Condominiums, 9545 Semiahmoos Parkway, Blaine
Condo with 2,273 SF, 2 BD, 3 BA, built in 2020, waterfront; marine and territorial views.
2-story house with 2,476 SF, 3 BD, 3 BA, attached garage, built in 2020; territorial views, .19 acres land.
5476 Wood Duck Loop, Blaine
$830,000
1-story house with 2,044 SF, 3 BD, 3 BA, 484 SF detached garage, 934 SF patio, built in 2002, lakefront; territorial view, .24 acres land.
8130 Coquitlam Place, Blaine
$630,000
1-story house with 1,216 SF, 936 SF basement, 2 bBD, 2 BA, 400 SF built-in garage, 192 SF loft, 120 SF balcony, built in 1976, 50 feet waterfront; marine views, .24 acres land.
1567 Edwards Drive, Point Roberts
$624,000
#301, Pacific Point $1,499,000 Condominiums, 9565 Semiahmoos Parkway, Blaine
Condo with 2,273 SF, 2 BD, 3 BA, built in 2020, waterfront; marine and territorial views.
1-story house with 2,124 SF, 1,588 SF basement, 4 BD, 3 BA, 506 SF attached garage, 260 SF detached garage, 607 SF patio, 607 SF deck, built in 1975, waterfront; marine and territorial views, .35 acres land.
LAND: .09 acres commercial land.
said this perspective has support from both political parties. “For too long the things we’ve passed in legislation have not had that equity lens,” Jinkins said. Inslee said the Covid-19 outbreak revealed “fissures” in the distribution of resources for communities of color that he addresses in his budget proposal. “You can’t just have rhetorical equality, we have to have it in all our systems,” he said. House minority leader J.T. Wilcox (R-Yelm) said he also wants to address inequality through a geographical lens. For residents who live in less-populated rural areas, Wilcox said lawmakers should look to send more financial and health resources. Some legislators will re-examine the emergency powers held by the governor this session in the wake of the restrictions put in place to blunt the spread of Covid-19. Currently, the governor may prohibit certain in-person activities to preserve public health. The Washington State Journal is a non-profit news website managed by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Learn more at wastatejournal.org.
5937 Normar Place, Blaine
$1,300.000
Semiahmoo Parkway, Blaine
$422,840
736 Third Street, Blaine
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Policing, racial injustice, governor’s power on legislative agenda By Sydney Brown, Washington State Journal
13
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14
The Northern Light • January 14 - 20, 2021
Coming up
Police Reports December 26, 4:00 p.m.: Blaine police contacted a woman who wanted to report that a man had security cameras inside of his apartment, which were pointing towards the parking lot. When confronted about the cameras, the man was rude to the woman. The police officer explained that it was not a crime to have cameras on his own property and it was not a crime to be rude. The woman hung up on the officer. December 26, 7:25 p.m.: Blaine officers responded to a physical assault where the girlfriend assaulted her boyfriend. When the officers arrived the victim had already left the scene. A witness saw the suspect physically assault her boyfriend. The suspect also made threats to stab the witness. The officers went and tried to detain the suspect, but she actively resisted. The officers arrested the suspect for assault 4th degree DV, harassment, and resisting arrest. The suspect was transported to the Whatcom County Jail. December 26, 9:59 p.m.: Officers responded to a shoplifting complaint. Officers found the suspects, but the store declined
to press charges. The suspects were given trespass warnings and released. December 27, 6:54 p.m.: A Blaine police officer documented some graffiti on a shed believed to be associated with the Boys and Girls Club. It is unknown how long the graffiti has been on the shed and a day shift officer will follow up with the club for more information. The graffiti was later determined to be very old, likely from 2018. December 30, 10:24 p.m.: Blaine officers responded to a welfare check of a juvenile female walking barefoot in the rain. The juvenile was locked out of her house by her step-father for punishment. The juvenile’s mom came and picked her up. The officer spoke to the step-father. Charges for reckless endangerment will be forwarded to the prosecutor for review. December 31, 8:45 p.m.: Blaine officers responded to a party because someone had their car blocked in. The driver was reported to be intoxicated. The driver got his vehicle out and drove off before the police arrived. When
the police approached the house, they did not hear any loud music or people. The officers contacted the resident and saw two other guys in the house. The officer determined there was no party, just a small gathering of people to celebrate the New Year. The police circulated to find the intoxicated driver, but could not locate him. January 7, 12:11 p.m.: Blaine Police Department officers were flagged down by a concerned citizen who found a cell phone at Semiahmoo Park. Officers took custody of the phone and brought it to the station. The phone has been left with support staff who have been requested to use social media platforms to possibly find the owner. January 7, 3:24 p.m.: Blaine Police Department were dispatched to an individual who was having a behavioral crisis. Officers arrived on scene and requested Aid to respond as well. Aid arrived and transported the individual to the St. Joseph’s Hospital for an involuntary commitment. Report by Blaine Police Department.
Crossword
Please wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. Native Plant Sale: Now through March 1. Order online at whatcomcd. org/plant-sale. Pre-scheduled drive through pick up March 13 and 14 at the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, 3057 E Bakerview Road, Bellingham. Sponsored by the Whatcom Conservation District. New Relics Art Exhibit: Tuesday–Saturday, January 8–30, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., Allied Arts of Whatcom County, 1418 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. New Relics presents works created in our modern era but with a nod to traditional themes and techniques featuring work from Richard Bulman, Nikole Dixon and Jessica Molnar. Info: alliedarts.org. Ongoing: Blaine Food Bank: 500 C Street. Open Mondays 9 a.m.–noon, Wednesdays 5–7 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m.–noon. Delivery options available. Info:360/332-6350 or blainefood@hotmail.com. The Bridge Food Distribution Program: Fridays 3:30–5 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Registration required at thebridgehope.com or call 360/366-8763. Volunteers welcome. The Bridge Clothing Bank Boutique: Open Wednesdays 3–5 p.m. and Fridays 12–5 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Donations by appointment, call 360/366-8763. Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Virtual Meetings: Third Thursdays, 1 p.m. Meeting ID on birchbaychamber.com. Coffee With The Contractor Virtual Meetings: Fourth Thursdays, 8 a.m. Learn the progress of the Birch Bay berm project with members of Granite Construction, Whatcom County Public Works and the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce. Meeting ID on birchbaychamber.com Blaine Chamber of Commerce Virtual Meetings: First Wednesday, noon. Meeting ID on blainechamber.com. Blaine Library: 610 3rd Street. Closed in-branch visits. Curbside holds and pick up, Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Info 360/305-3637.
Tides
Meals on Wheels & More: Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Adults 60+ pick up one fresh and six frozen meals. Suggested donation $5 per meal. First come first serve basis. Info: 360/332-8040. Toastmasters Virtual Meetings: Tuesdays 6:30–7:45 p.m. Info: 360/9331671
January 15-21 at Blaine. Not for navigation. 49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W DATE
TIME
HEIGHT
TIME
HEIGHT
Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
Fr 15 12:22 am -1.98 8:02 am 10.56
1:35 pm 6.60 5:43 pm 8.19
Sa 16 1:02 am -1.17 8:38 am 10.33
2:27 pm 6.02 6:35 pm 7.52
Su 17 1:40 am -0.13 9:10 am 10.06
3:21 pm 5.38 7:33 pm 6.83
Mo 18 2:16 am 1.07 9:40 am 9.77
4:13 pm 4.68 8:41 pm 6.21
Tu 19 2:52 am 2.35 10:08 am 9.49
ACROSS 1. Ancient kingdom near Dead Sea 5. 2014 Winter Olympics host 10. Soft fabric 12. Covered in flowers 14. Works at a college or university 16. Keeps us cool 18. Corpuscle count (abbr.) 19. Similar 20. Birthplace of Muhammad 22. They __ 23. Preamble to a book 25. Southern China people 26. Hair product 27. The woman 28. Partner to cheese 30. One point north of due east 31. Round Dutch cheese 33. Be in awe of 35. Christmas song 37. Emits coherent radiation 38. Something that is comparable to another 40. Monetary unit 41. The cutting part of a drill 42. Resinlike substance secreted by
certain insects 44. Touch lightly 45. Toyota SUV 48. __ and Andy, TV show 50. Made less dangerous 52. Assets under management (abbr.) 53. Nostrils 55. Moved quickly 56. Thai isthmus 57. TV personality Roker 58. Honors anew 63. Rags 65. One who obtains pleasure from inflicting pain or others 66. Marketplaces 67. Dark brown or black DOWN 1. Nowhere to be found (abbr.) 2. Not new 3. Brew 4. Stain with mud 5. Chief or leader 6. Luke Skywalker’s mentor __-Wan 7. Type of sauce 8. Sharpens 9. Priestess loved by Zeus 10. Jean Henri __, French entomologist 11. Regulates supply of fuel
13. Disturbing and horrifying 15. Equal (prefix) 17. Hosts film festival 18. Tattered piece of clothing 21. Rich desserts 23. Unique motor (abbr.) 24. Disfigure 27. Chemical substance 29. Slang for famous person 32. Department of Labor 34. The A-team rode around in one 35. Beach cabin 36. Living things 39. Gun (slang) 40. Disconsolate 43. Stroke gently 44. Actress Richards 46. “Cletus Hogg” actor 47. Returned material authorization (abbr.) 49. Brazilian mountain range 51. Upset 54. One with supernatural insight 59. Insecticide 60. Taxi 61. “Much __ about nothing” 62. Cannister 64. Popular clothing retailer ANSWERS: THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM
5:03 pm 3.93 10:07 pm 5.81
We 20 3:28 am 3.66 10:32 am 9.24
5:53 pm 3.16 11:53 pm 5.83
Th 21 4:08 am 4.91 10:58 am 9.04
6:39 pm 2.37
Weather Precipitation: During the period of January 4 to 10, 1.49 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2021 year-to-date precipitation 2.71 inches. Temperature: High for the past week was 56.1°F on January 6 with a low of 33.7°F on January 9. Average high was 46.6°F and average low was 40.4°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.
Sheriff’s Reports January 6, 1:04 a.m.: Domestic order violation in progress on Ramona Lane and Delta Line Road, Custer. January 6, 3:00 a.m.: Suspicious vehicle in progress on Birch Bay Road. January 6, 3:12 a.m.: Welfare check in progress on Behme Road. January 6, 4:43 a.m.: Noise in progress on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. January 6, 3:56 p.m.: Hit and run in progress on Birch Bay Drive. A suspect was arrested. January 7, 11:07 a.m.: Mental in progress on Surf Place. January 7, 1:05 p.m.: Civil problem cold call on Clamdigger Drive. January 7, 1:43 p.m.: Security check cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. January 7, 2:48 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on Blaine Road. January 7, 3:07 p.m.: Hit and run cold call on Sunburst Drive. January 7, 3:23 p.m.: Vandalism cold call on Sunburst Drive. January 7, 10:50 p.m.: Alarm audible in progress on Birch Bay Square Street. January 7, 10:55 p.m.: Domestic verbal in progress on Halibut Drive. January 8, 7:45 a.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on Knorr Court. January 8, 3:30 p.m.: Assist citizen in progress on Sunburst Drive. January 8, 4:33 p.m.: Fireworks in progress on Terril Drive. January 8, 4:33 p.m.: Fireworks in progress on Morrison Avenue. January 8, 6:47 p.m.: Welfare check in progress on Main Street, Custer. January 8, 8:28 p.m.: Suspicious vehicle in progress on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. January 9, 1:39 a.m.: Suspicious vehicle in progress on Anderson Road. January 9, 2:26 a.m.: Suspicious vehicle in progress on Fir Way. January 9, 11:35 a.m.: Littering cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. January 9, 1:41 p.m.: Vandalism cold call on Harborview Road. January 9, 6:47 p.m.: Traffic hazard in progress on Birch Bay Drive and Jackson Road. January 10, 12:05 a.m.: Disorderly conduct in progress on Halibut and Clamdigger drives. January 10, 12:23 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances cold call on Fir Street. January 10, 3:09 p.m.: Mental in progress on Iverson Lane, Custer. January 10, 5:07 p.m.: Civil problem cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road. January 10, 6:04 p.m.: Fight cold call on Birch Bay Square Street. January 10, 6:26 p.m.: Suspicious vehicle cold call on Birch Bay-Lynden Road. January 10, 7:25 p.m.: Custodial interference cold call on Starfish Lane. January 11, 4:16 a.m.: Domestic verbal in progress on James Tree Lane. January 11, 9:19 a.m.: Neighborhood dispute cold call on Loomis Trail Road, Custer.
January 14 - 20, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com
15
More tents provide outdoor seating for Blaine and Birch Bay restaurants
s Bob’s Burgers and Brew, located at 8120 Birch Bay Square Street.
s Paso del Norte, located at 758 Peace Portal Drive.
s Beach Cat Brewing, located at 7876 Birch Bay Drive. Photos by Conor Wilson
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Whatcom The folks who brought back the 4th of July County Council mandates curbside pickup
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By Meg OlsOn Whatcom County Council has approved 1 changes to county code that will eliminate exemptions to mandatory garbage pickup in Point Roberts. At their June 5 meeting, council heard from an almost evenly split 15 community members on the proposal, which would establish a mandatory minimum service level of a 32-gallon can of garbage to be picked up twice-monthly and billed through the property tax roll. Opponents of the proposal cited a number of reasons for their opposition, primarily that the minimum service level was too high. “This exceeds the needs of 80 FREE Community of Blaine and Birch Bay July 27 - August 2, 2017 percent of those surveyed (in a 2016 Newspaper online survey sponsored by the county solid HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer PRSRT STD waste division) who self-haul or use tags,” U. S. Postage Kimberly Butts said. PAID IN THIS celebration, Permit NO. 87 the first since 1916. On June 20, they had Ken Calder, also opposed to the chang- s Back in 1976, a group of civic-minded people got together to plan a 4th of JulyBlaine, WA 98230 a reunion at Ruby White’s house. See story, page 16. Standing, from l.: Fred DeHaan, Rosy Negron, Carla Scherer, Pauli DeHaan, George es, submitted a petition signed by 364 sea- Scherer, Pat Jorgensen, Doreen Peltier. Seated: Norma Peltier, Ruby White, Kris Manning. Photo by Shelley Damewood sonal and full-time residents asking that council delay the decision until September to allow a recently formed solid waste subcommittee of the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee to continue to look at the issue. Cites client base and “increasing erts hospital district on June 26 that Unity according to Unity Care. Those in favor of the change as well as Care NW would end its contract to proThe number of people being served at community turmoil” county staff pointed out that PRCAC had vide services on the Point as of December the Point Roberts Clinic, as well as the been pondering the garbage collection B y M e g O l s O n 31, 2018, but would provide services on a number of visits, have been declining, acfor over two years, held numerous public a n d P a t g r u B B month-to-month basis if needed until June cording to the resolution. The number of meetings, sponsored an online survey and 30, 2019 and help with a possible transi- visits per year shrank from 1176 to 1033 sent out a mailer. Unity Care NW is done with the Point tion to an alternative service provider. between 2015 and 2017, which is deB y S t e fa n i e D O n a h u e “There have been numerous opportuni- Roberts clinic. According to the June 25 resolution, the (See Hospital, page 8) Are impact fees the key to ties revitalfor people to put in their two cents’ Citing declining use, a disproportionate Point Roberts Clinic does not fit with izing downtown and incentivizing worth,” Arthur Reber said. “This process administrative burden and “communi- the other clinics Unity Care NW opergrowth in Blaine? has been very thorough and collaborative,” ty turmoil,” the board of directors of the ates in Ferndale and Bellingham, which The question was at the heartsaid of taxpayers’ an association president Mark non-profit health care provider voted at its it described as “patient centered medihour-long discussion between Blaine City Chamber of commerce president June 25 meeting to discontinue the con- cal homes.” Close to half of the visits to Robbins. allpointbulletin.com Council and city staff at a specialDee meetGough said her association also sup- tract to operate the Point Roberts Clinic. the Point Roberts clinic are for urgent facebook.com/allpointbulletin ing held July 24. Not yet ready toported makethe proposal, agreeing that mandaNotice was delivered to the Point Rob- care, and not for primary medical care, a decision, council voted unanimoustory trash pickup was the obvious solution ly during a separate meeting that eve-perennial problem of dumping garto the ning to request that city staff draftbage a proon the roadsides. Classifieds ........................................ 20 posal based on four types of impactJeff fees Hegedus with the Whatcom County Coming Up ...................................... 19 and incentive programs – the council Health Department said by establishing a B y M e g O l s O n running three weekends in August. will either approve, deny or modify the Garden ............................................. 15 mandatory minimum service level for all Kiniski’s Reef Tavern is partnering with proposal in a few months. Library ............................................ 18 developed properties, as determined by “The Point Roberts Arts and Music the foundation, offering a location, planImpact fees are one-time charges that Obituaries ........................................ 22 counties, cities and towns imposewhich on de-properties have a water connection, Festival is back on the water,” says Arts ning assistance and funds for this year’s it would lead to vendor stability because Foundation founder and festival organizer event. “We decided to make it longer so Opinion .............................................. 4 velopers. The funds are used to extend moreInusers would support the system. Craig Jacks. more people can enjoy it,” said tavern public services to support growth. Seniors ............................................ 18 After being put on the shelf for a year, manager Allison Calder. The first weekend Washington state, impact fees can be used Tides ................................................ 10 (See Garbage, page 7) the festival will be back for its 23rd year, (See Arts & Music, page 14) on public streets, roads, publicly-owned parks, open space, recreation facilities, school facilities and fire protection facilities. Impact fees and other development incentives have already been written into s Droves of sand sculptors took part in the Birch Bay Sand Sculpture contest July 22-23. More photos on page 15. Photo by Chuck Kinzer the Blaine’s comprehensive plan, which deAFTER PARADE FAMILY ACTIVITIES: BEGIN THE DAY AT THE tails how to accommodate growth over the next 20 years. H Breakwaters Bar & Grill Community Center 1437 Gulf Rd. STARTS AT 12 NOON along POINT ROBERTS MARINA “These are things we’ve been looking atPancake Breakfast 7:15-11:15 am PREP benefit at Point Roberts Marina. for a while,” said community development Gulf Rd. from Marine Dr. to Tyee Dr. AT 10:30 PM Flag Raising Ceremony 11:30 am featuring PR Winds H Kiniski’s Reef Tavern director Michael Jones. “The comprehensive plan and what you’ve already adopt- B y O l i v e r l a z e n B y child will be turned away on the basis of a not being able to pay for lunch, including anything from stamping kids’ hands ed recognizes the idea that there has to be zero or negative balance account.” In some school districts, if a stuThose guidelines aren’t new, but they’re as a reminder to bring money, to denying enough financial capacity of the city to continue to do its job and provide the services dent doesn’t have lunch, they don’t in writing for the first time in response to them a lunch tray. and things that it needs to do while taking eat. In others, they get a cheese sand- new U.S. Department of Agriculture regBlaine’s guidelines say students won’t this into consideration.” wich to eat in front of their classmates ulations that require school districts to get turned away at the lunch counter, even The city has already started developing who are toting trays of corndogs, baked communicate, in writing, what they’ll do if they already have a negative balance when students can’t pay for lunch. on their account. Instead, they’ll either a revised impact fee ordinance out of a re- beans, fruit and vegetables. quest from the state legislature for all citFor the most part, that’s not the case at The new federal rules are aimed at end- get a regular meal and some more debt Blaine schools. The district’s guidelines for ing “lunch shaming,” a term for a variety (See Fees, page 2) dealing with unpaid lunch debt state, “No of practices that single students out for (See Lunch, page 6)
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Turn your ballots in by August 1, page 5
A visitor’s guide to Blaine and Birch Bay, page 7
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Unity Care NWcontest decidesdraws againstarenewing Birch Bay Sand Sculpture crowd clinic contract
City council considers ways to spur local economy
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Arts and music fest makes a comeback
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Point Roberts July 4 Happy Birthday USA PARADE
Tall ship Lady Washington sets sail for annual maritime festival B y S t e fa n i e D O n a h u e In just a matter of days, tall ship Lady Washington will appear in Drayton Harbor – the vessel is a full-scale replica of the first American ship to touch land on the west coast of North America in 1788. Lady Washington typically pairs with the Hawaiian Chieftain for trips along
the coast, but crews had to leave the steel-clad Hawaiian vessel moored in Port Townsend for routine repair, said operations director with Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, Caitlin Stanton. Grays Harbor Historical Seaport organizes trips along the west coast to educate the public about maritime history and traditions. Crews maneuvering Lady Washington
through the Pacific’s brisk waters are set to make a stop in Blaine from August 3 to 6 during Drayton Harbor Days, offering a slew of local cruise excursions and tours. Here’s a look at what’s in store: Vessel Tours: The tours are offered throughout Lady Washington’s stay in Blaine. Stanton said they offer the public
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School district publishes policy against “lunch shaming”
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