The Northern Light: January 28-February 3, 2021 by Point Roberts Press

Jan. 28 - Feb. 3, 2021

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ISSUE

Covid-19 outbreak in low-security jail, page 3

Blaine City Council applicants, page 6

Derailment leaked 30,000 gallons of oil, page 7

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

Suspect who evaded pursuit now in custody in North Dakota By Ian Haupt

s Cars lined up at the Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive intersection. The city of Blaine is seeking $3 million in funding from the state to install streetlights and bypass lanes at the intersection to flow traffic. Photo by Ian Haupt

New plan for congested Bell Road intersection By Ian Haupt The city of Blaine is seeking $3 million in state funding for streetlights and bypass lanes at the Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive intersection that will hopefully reduce congestion and delays, according to the city of Blaine’s 2021 legislative priorities. Previously, the city’s intention was to build a grade separation crossing on Bell Road over the train tracks – often the cause of long delays when a train is present – but after a series of meetings in June and July 2020 between city staff and Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff, with consultation from city council, the project was deemed too expensive, city manager Michael Jones said. They estimated starting cost of the project was $50 million. The total cost of the project is now $3

million, $1.55 million originally for the grade separation and an additional $1.45 million for the new scope of the project. The city will also utilize $475,000 from Transportation Benefit District revenue and WSDOT local programs funding, according to the legislative priorities. To raise the road over the tracks, Jones said the city would have needed to buy out businesses to acquire enough land necessary for the incline.The incline necessary for a grade separation crossing would have had to start as far as the Dakota Creek bridge, Jones said, which the city would also have needed to rebuild. This would have made the driveways for all the businesses in between the intersection and bridge inaccessible, eliminating any possible business, he said. “The fixes would have been too disruptive to the area,” Jones said. “It was a non starter at that point.”

Cougar spottings continue in Blaine area By Jack Kintner and Conor Wilson A cougar is suspected as the killer of two goats early January 24 at a home in east Blaine. A cougar had been sighted in the Blaine area over the last three months and one was photographed three weeks ago by Don Kruse, who lives near Damon and Karen

Higgins. The Higginses reported their goats dead early in the morning Sunday. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) confirmed a cougar sighting Sunday at the intersection of H Street and Peace Portal Drive, a few miles from the Higginses property. WDFW game warden Ryan Valentine said the cat seen Sunday was probably the same suspected of killing the goats

because a cougar’s normal range is 100 square miles. The Higginses found the animals dead in their paddock at 8 a.m. Sunday. Dr. Dave Sauter, a veterinarian at Kulshan Veterinary Hospital in Lynden, performed a necropsy on the goats and determined a cougar killed them. (See Cougar, page 13)

Jones said WSDOT examined other possibilities like a roundabout, alternative areas for a grade separation or even taking out the stop signs on one road to clear any right-of-way confusion. But based on the evaluation of alternatives, the city and WSDOT decided an at-grade, signalized intersection with bypass lanes would be the best, most affordable option. Bell Road connects the communities of Birch Bay and Semiahmoo with downtown Blaine and Interstate 5. Long lines at the intersection can be expected during rush hour or whenever a train is present. Another concern, Jones said, are the significant traffic delays stalling emergency vehicles. Trains can also move slowly through the intersection if undergoing inspection at the Vehicle and Cargo Inspection System (See Bell Road, page 13)

INSIDE

A man who eluded Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies after an incident in which a woman, who he was reportedly holding against her will, jumped from his moving car is now jailed in North Dakota. On January 25, the sheriff’s office received a report that Kevyn A. Johannesson, 32, was incarcerated in Williams County Correctional Center in Williston, North Dakota, spokesperson Deb Slater told The Northern Light in an email. According to the Williams County Sheriff’s Office inmate database, Johannesson was arrested January 24 with several warrants for his arrest. Sheriff’s office deputies were actively searching for Johannesson after establishing probable cause to arrest him on suspicion of eluding a police vehicle, unlawful imprisonment and driving with a suspended license. Johannesson also had a felony arrest warrant out of Montana. Around noon on January 12, a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic offense near Arnie and Blaine roads in Birch Bay; however, the vehicle sped off at over 100 mph, Slater reported. The vehicle then tried to lose the deputy in a residential area. While in chase, the deputy saw a female passenger in the vehicle who was described as terrified and attempting to escape, Slater said. When the driver tried to make a U-turn, the woman jumped out of the vehicle while it was still moving. The deputy then stopped the pursuit in order to assist the woman, who had minor abrasions on her hands and legs. Investigation determined Johannesson, who the sheriff’s office described as her boyfriend, had held her against her will in the vehicle. The vehicle was later found abandoned in Birch Bay, but a K-9 unit was unable to locate Johannesson.

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

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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 2021

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Sandi McMillan, Birch Bay Water and Sewer District’s (BBWSD) finance director, is now serving on a committee that advises the state auditor’s office on accounting, budgeting and financial reporting. “I love the community of Birch Bay. This little, tiny district is going to represent the state water and sewer districts,” McMillan said. “It’s great to bring it to Olympia.” The Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts board of directors unanimously approved McMillan’s three-year term to the Local Government Advisory Committee that started January 1, 2021. The committee also gives recommendations to the state legislature and responds when lawmakers change policies affecting

the budgeting, accounting and reporting system, which manages accounts for local governments. McMillan said she looks forward to helping make local governments more efficient and information easily understandable to people. McMillan has been BBWSD’s finance director since 2013. “Birch Bay Water Sewer District has 14 staff and they are the most efficient, curious and hardworking people I have ever worked with in local government,” she said. “They have pushed me to want to do better and be more proficient in how I talk to citizens and stakeholders.” Prior to her work with BBWSD, McMillan was Whatcom County Health Department’s budget and accounting supervisor and NW Workforce Development Coun-

cil’s director of finance in Bellingham. “She works diligently to promote public financing practices with industry organizations and local governing municipalities by actively participating in finance officer groups,” a news release on

McMillan’s appointment said McMillan received a certificate of excellence for debt policy in 2016 from the Washington Public Treasurer Association and serves on the Ferndale school district capital bond oversight committee.

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January 28 - February 3, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

First Whatcom County inmates test positive for Covid-19 in work center By Grace McCarthy Nearly half the inmates at the county’s Interim Work Center have tested positive for Covid-19 following an outbreak at the minimum security facility in Bellingham. A work center inmate reported mild Covid-19 symptoms at 5:30 p.m. on January 19 and was immediately placed in medical isolation, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office reported the next evening. Another nine inmates living in the same dormitory out of a total of 15 then tested positive following the first case. Thirteen more additional positive cases emerged in units other than the original dormitory for a total case count of 23 out of the facility’s total population of 48 inmates, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater said in an email. Inmates are assigned to the work center by order of the judge

hearing the individual cases. The sheriff’s office has restricted jail bookings to ensure the work center and main jail populations are reduced by one-third capacity. Offenders are screened for symptoms when being booked into jail and PPE is available for inmates and staff. Chief of corrections Wendy Jones previously told The Northern Light that the sheriff’s office collected enough PPE last January for every inmate and jail staff. The 23 who tested positive are receiving medical supervision while in isolation, the sheriff’s office said. No jail staff is being quarantined at this time, Slater said. The 48 offenders and 28 staff at the work center are being tested twice per week. Two offenders who tested positive were released through a coordinated effort with the health

department, Slater said. One of the individuals released had bond posted for release and the other completed their jail time, she said, adding that both had places to quarantine. Apart from isolating individuals testing positive for Covid-19, the facility has limited ability to avoid airborne transmission of the virus. There are no negative pressure units to isolate the positive individuals from the center’s ventilation and air conditioning system used throughout the facility. However, the health department had earlier requested filters to be installed on the HVAC system which has been done. Jones said neither the work center nor the main jail have negative pressure areas. The work center has filters on its heating, ventilation and air conditioning system that the county health department asked to be installed.

School district concerned about funding as enrollment remains low By Ian Haupt Blaine school district enrollment continues to drop this school year. Since September, the school district has lost students each month – 11 total from December to January – so many that enrollment is down 75 students from what the district planned for this year. If this trend continues, it will affect district funding, Amber Porter, executive director of finance and operations, said in a January 25 Blaine school board meeting. “Even if we stayed right where we’re at for the next five months, you’re going to see [the enrollment average] be pulled down, which affects certain things; apportionment for this year and, potentially, future levy collections,” Porter said. She added that the decline in enrollment will also make planning a budget for next year difficult. Porter did not have a breakdown of where these students are going but listed possibilities such as homeschooling, moving out of the district and transferring to private schools. “I think we’ve all heard families that have gone to private schools that were open in the fall,” Porter said. The good news is that due to the pandemic, the district is spending less, Porter said. It’s been careful about spending on extra hours of staff training and substitutes, she said. “We’ve been trying to be really fiscally responsible throughout this whole process,” superintendent Christopher Granger told board members. The district has reduced expenditures by about 3.25 percent, while the decline in enrollment has been about 3.5 percent, Granger said. The district is also receiving apportionment based on its overestimated budgeted enrollment,

Porter said, so it’s built up some reserves. At this point, Porter said she couldn’t provide numbers on how the decline in enrollment would affect next year’s budget, but she would have estimates to share with the board by the end of the week. With the state legislature back in session, Granger said he, along with superintendents across the state, will be asking the legislature to ensure stable funding to the school districts across the state, as enrollment is down statewide. Granger encouraged board members to encourage local state representatives to allow for flexibility in the legislation and avoid tying specific application requirements that some schools may already be meeting to Covid-19 federal stimulus money. Granger said he hopes to see the legislature put in protections for school transportation and enrollment funding. He said the Blaine school district has about one-eighth of the bus drivers it would have during a normal year, and if the state legislature doesn’t account for that change in funding, districts’ transportation budget statewide may not be able to pay for the amount of drivers needed when schools return to full capacity. He advised that basing funding off 2019-20 budgets would be more representative of the school’s needs if they return to full in-person learning by fall. “There’s just a lot of unknown for ’21-22,” Granger said. “We’re already planning for next year. We have to start making decisions about courses, about staffing, and it’s really important we’re in tune with what’s going on in Olympia because it’s going to have an impact this year.” Granger added that the district and board may have to make difficult decisions

before they have answers from the legislature. Granger reminded board members that about 60 percent of the state’s student population is in Snohomish and King counties, which only have kindergarten students back in the classroom. When representatives and advocates discuss “getting kids back into schools” and say “schools need to be open,” he said to remember the Blaine school district and Whatcom County are further ahead with all grades in face-toface instruction. Only 5 percent of school districts in the state are open to students grade 6 and above, according to a survey by the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Information. Granger also asked for board members to advocate for reevaluating the social distancing requirement in schools. If the Washington State Department of Health doesn’t change the sixfoot rule in the classroom, he said Blaine schools cannot return to full in-person learning by fall 2021 and would be forced to remain in hybrid learning due to lack of space. Granger warned this could affect enrollment next year. The school board passed a memorandum that will continue to offer emergency paid sick leave for teachers who test positive for Covid-19. If a teacher fails their daily Covid-19 assessment, they will be asked to take time off. If a teacher tests positive for Covid-19, they will quarantine for the required two weeks and be paid for that time before returning to school. The board also adopted a calendar that will move the first day of school to September 1 for the 2021-22 school year, with the school year ending in midJune.

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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 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.

Drayton Harbor seiners in 1950

Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com

s Purse seiners dockside in Drayton Harbor in 1950.

Letters

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, Jack Kintner The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 32 Circulation: 10,500 copies

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Photo courtesy Whatcom Museum

The Editor: Promoting the well discounted lies of Donald Trump, who fired up an attack on our capital, 143 members of Congress actively parroted his lies that attempted to disrupt validation of the legitimate democratic election of President Joe Biden. This is a crime against our country. These rogue elected members have revealed themselves as enemies of our democracy. Their action verified the underlying intent of the Republican power structure: to impose a dictatorship. Yes, elections do not always coincide with our personal preferences, but, like in 2016, it was accepted and America continued support of our government. In consideration of this criminal actions of congressional representatives we must convene a “House Committee on Un-American Activities” to prosecute and remove these dangerous charlatans. They have stained the Constitution; they have defiled the Republican Party. These deviant congressional signers are truly dangerous, as they have actively sought to subvert and destroy the constitutional foundation of our country. The greatest danger America and President Joe Biden face is from within. Don Starr Blaine The Editor: Now that the country has been sucked into a Democrat total destruction vortex I have been thinking about a solution and have decided … that I should be king; king of everything, preferably. Then I could clean up this mess in a hurry. I’m thinking of something along the

lines of Solomon, son of David. He was a mighty king and he made good history, too. They wrote books about him and he came off pretty well, overall. He did slip a little at the end, but women will do that to you, which gets me thinking about how my history would be written. I can just imagine it: And it came to pass upon a time that King Dan, having finished with his dinner, lifted up his face and declared, “I shall have four cookies for dessert tonight! I have spoken!” Then his wife shaketh her head and sayeth unto him, “Thou shalt have two, and only if thou finisheth thy vegetables.” The King’s brow darkened and his countenance fell, but he rose up in his righteous anger and in his eyes were flashes of lightning and his voice was like thunder “Woman! Speakest thou thus to me? Knowest thou not that I am King? Lord and master of …” But his wife interrupteth him saying, “Cease thy complaining or thou shalt have no cookies at all!” and so the King finished his vegetables and ate his two cookies in silence but he getteth no joy from them for his heart was greatly troubled and full of woe … and I only have one wife; Solomon had a thousand. But where was I? Oh yes, total destruction … Hmmm, but maybe socialism and communism aren’t so bad. Just look at China and Cuba and North Korea and Venezuela. They’re happy places, right? I wonder if they even have cookies in Venezuela. They probably do, but only for Maduro. And so, I suppose that is the solution. Get to the top as fast as you can and by whatever means possible, because that’s where the cookies are.

Dan Rudolph Blaine The Editor: In the late 1950s, most Saturday mornings would find me, like most of my friends, sitting in front of the TV watching my favorite kid shows and cartoons. There were some good ones; Tom and Jerry, Sky King, Lassie, but my all-time favorite was Superman. There he would be, in glorious black and white, baggy leotards with a cape waving behind him. Superman, he was faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and, of course, he was able to leap tall building in a single bound, and he was fighting for truth, justice, and the American Way. At that age, I may not have known what all that meant, but it sounded so right, it made you feel so safe, so secure – it just had to be important. Over the years, the American Way has dimmed in my memory, but the warm glow will still return for a moment when I hear the Star-Spangled Banner. Now, here I am, a whole bunch of years later and when I see an old rerun on TV, I want to recapture that delightful warm fuzzy sensation that came with the simple stirring phrase “the American Way.” In recent years, the American Way has become further blurred by the chaos and turmoil that has gripped our nation. Increasing (See Letters, next page) Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

January 28 - February 3, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

NSil E E ra

Q&A with new director of public works is a small community somewhere I could give back to. I enjoy what After eight months, the city of I do and they had a need and so I Blaine has found a permanent thought it was a good match. What are some of the goals public works director. Bernie Ziemianek was hired by you are hoping to accomplish in city manager Michael Jones to your position? The staff in the department take over the position and began working for the city in December. is great. As I look at it, Blaine is The position was vacated in unique in a way. It has some exApril when former director Ra- pensive, I will call them crown vyn Whitewolf was appointed to jewel-type assets, with the wastebe the city’s engineering program water treatment center, the elecdirector. For the past several tric system and everything else. months, Bob Hammond had been They are in somewhat good shape. My goals are set on mainserving as interim director. Ziemianek was most recently taining those assets and providing the transmissions and distribu- the best possible customer sertions operations manager at Se- vice to the residents. I also have attle City Light. He has also held my staff focused on what projects positions as the public utility di- have been done and what hasn’t rector in Ukiah, California and been done. The Northern Light previously director of research for the Electrical Power Research Institute. reported on the city’s electrical He holds a doctorate in electrical problems in the fall, which led engineering from Drexel Univer- to outages in east Blaine near sity and a master’s degree in busi- 8th Street. What can you say ness administration from Duke about repairing those systems? The feeders themselves are not University. Ziemianek spoke with The necessarily backed up by each Northern Light about his plans for other. There is not a lot of flexithe department and his new life bility to switch circuits and keep in Blaine. The interview has been the power on if one goes out. The flexibility we have is runedited for brevity and clarity. What made you want to take ning around the city closing and the job in Blaine after so long in opening various volt switches to restore as much power as we Seattle? I’ve been in this business 40 can. What we want to do is inyears, a number of them at Seat- stall a number of switches on the tle City Light, and when it came feeders so we could be switching time to settle down, my wife and right away if an outage happens. What are some projects you I chose to move to Semiahmoo. Then all of a sudden, the public are working on right now and works director position opened. throughout 2021? Right now, we have been workWhen we were looking for a place to live, no matter where I ing on an electrical flexibility ended up, I thought maybe there project to reduce potential outage

By Conor Wilson

GR is T

E m THt Loo

times, like the one from October, by adding a number of switches. There are also a number of sewer projects. We are working with consultants to prevent bottlenecks and clear units for developers. There are also a number of transit projects in the works. Will Covid-19 slow down the department going forward? Yes, it will slow down our work, especially for larger projects that are still in discussion. Our staff is taking all the precautions, and video conferencing has worked well for us, but we’re isolated. It hasn’t been too disruptive but it has slowed us down. We have yet to see a lot of backlog, but we are able to do a little less work per day. So far, we haven’t seen slowdown for any project specifically. It has been pretty equal across the board.

Letters ... From previous page

swiftly till finally exploding on the steps and in the halls of our nation’s capital. I must believe that it shocked most, if not all, of us. How did we arrive at this terrible place, that cannot possibly be us, not the bigotry, prejudice, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, racism, hate, suspicion and fear we saw, that’s not the American Way.

Massey awarded Miami University degree Blaine resident Mike Massey was one of over 1,000 Miami University students to receive degrees during the university’s virtual fall commencement on December 11, 2020. Massey graduated with a master of arts degree in biology. Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio and has about 19,000 students.

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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.

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Monday, February 1 5:00pm – Special City Council

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Monday, February 8 6:00pm – City Council Meeting

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ELECTRIC UTILITY OPERATIONS FOREMAN

Public Hearing: LID #36

Yesterday our new President challenged us to work together – all Americans, regardless of our race, religion, age or party affiliation to redefine a new and improved American Way that may give our grandchildren that shiver at the back of their neck that I experienced so long ago. Through understanding, tolerance, patience and respect, we can achieve this together and make Superman proud. Lee C. Bravener Blaine

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Advisory Committee

First review deadline: Friday, February 5, 2021, at 4:30pm; Open Until Filled.

Thursday, February 11 9:00am – Park and Cemetery

Applications are being accepted for a full-time Electric Utility Operations Foreman (EUOF) in the Public Works Department. The EUOF provides daily direction and supervision to the linemen and apprentice linemen in the performance of electric system construction and maintenance including selecting, training, scheduling, directing and coaching employees, conducting performance appraisals, and effective communication within the department and citywide. The EUOF position responsibilities also include planning and analyzing the reliability of improvements, customer service extension, capital projects, developing cost plans, budgeting, contracting and general purchasing.

Board Meeting

6:00pm – Planning Commission 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.

For information on how to apply, please visit the City’s website, https://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/, and click on Current Job Opportunities on the homepage.

www.cityofblaine.com

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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 2021

New county mental health and detox center aims to reduce incarceration, treat behavioral crisis By Conor Wilson After nearly a decade of planning, a new mental health and detox facility opened its doors to patients in Whatcom County on January 4. The Crisis Stabilization Center will replace the Whatcom County Triage Center as the only facility of its kind in the county for treating those experiencing mental health or substance abuse crises. The new center at 2026 Division Street in Bellingham adds an additional 12,000 square feet

and 19 beds compared to the old facility. The 24,450-square-foot center will be split into two 16-bed sides, one for mental and behavioral health stabilization and the other for substance withdrawal and detox. The mental health services will be managed by Compass Health and the detox side will be run by Pioneer Human Services. Patients at the facility will receive 24/7 nursing and most are expected to stay between three and five days. Upon discharge,

patients will be provided ongoing treatment options focused on recovery. The center cost $12.5 million; the state Department of Commerce provided $7 million, the North Sound Behavioral Health Organization contributed $2.5 million and the county’s behavioral health fund contributed the remaining $3 million. Blaine Police Department sergeant Michael

Munden said the center provides an alternative to incarceration and will help those experiencing behavioral health crises seek treatment as an alternative to the county jail system. “As state-run behavioral health facilities have closed, more and more people with behavioral health issues are homeless and unable to care for themselves,” he said.

The increased capacity is also expected to reduce the number of individuals seeking treatment at PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s Hospital. The center will primarily serve those seeking voluntary treatment. Currently, the center is not allowed to involuntarily hold patients, but Compass Health is working on getting a certification (See Center, next page)

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terviewed February 1. During a January 25 special meeting, council discussed reducing the number of applicants to be interviewed, which they can do according to the council rules of procedure. The city received 13 applications, some of which were submitted past the January 15 deadline because the position was advertised as open until filled. “I think we can all agree the number of applicants is really cool,” councilmember Garth Baldwin said. “It’s great the number of people who want to help our city.” Council has procedures to appoint new councilmembers but doesn’t for reducing the number of applicants, according to the city. Councilmembers ultimately voted 6-0 to move forward by approving the applications submitted after the deadline. During discussion period, councilmember Eric Davidson asked Baldwin to recuse himself due to a statement Baldwin made in a previous meeting when he asked council to consider selecting a female candidate or candidate similar to Rule, because that is who residents voted for. Davidson argued this statement created a seed of doubt that if a woman were selected, it would only be for her gender. Mayor Bonnie Onyon clarified that Baldwin was expressing his own opinion, not council’s, and therefore did not need to be recused. Councilmembers then convened in executive session to discuss candidate qualifications.

Photo by Conor Wilson

After the executive session, councilmembers unanimously voted on five candidates who would move forward for interviews. Applicants moving forward in the process will be interviewed during a February 1 special council meeting. Applicants to be interviewed: John Calvin Armerding Armerding is a current math teacher at Meridian High School. He earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Washington in 1989 and completed the Washington state post-baccalaureate teaching program in 2004. Armerding has served on the city of Blaine’s planning commission since about 2012, serving the past three years as chair of the commission. He is also president of Combat Veteran’s International, a veteran’s nonprofit he has been a member of since 1998. “I joined the planning commission because I wanted to ensure that we maintained our trajectory of reasonable growth and attractiveness to visitors while not losing the small town feel that originally caused me to purchase a home here,” he wrote in his application, later adding, “I believe that city council needs to continue to carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of any proposal that spends the money of the residents to ensure that we are efficiently utilizing our hard earned dollars.” Sukhwant Singh Gill Gill has been a business owner for over 26 years in Blaine, run(See Applicants, next page)

January 28 - February 3, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Custer derailment leaked nearly 30,000 gallons of crude oil By Grace McCarthy Investigators have determined that nearly 30,000 gallons of oil leaked from train cars during the December 22 Custer derailment. Authorities have yet to publicly announce what caused the 108-car train to derail in Custer, toppling ten cars from the tracks that forced evacuations. Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) reported on its website that 28,962 gallons of oil either burned, evaporated or were recovered. Workers were unable to recover 5,400 to 8,000 gallons of the highly flammable Bakken crude oil. To remediate the remaining contamination, crews have installed a bioventing system that pipes oxygen into the ground and over time breaks down petroleum hydrocarbons. DOE spokesperson Ty Keltner said this is not guaranteed to clean up all of the contamination,

Center ... From previous page

to allow holds up to 12 hours for behavioral crises. Holds will not be used on the detox side. Whatcom County Council identified the increasing need for the stabilization center in 2015, and made it a key priority of the Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force, according to the county website. Jack Hovenier, co-chair of the task force,

Applicants ... From previous page

ning a gas station, gift store and restaurant. He attended university in India before becoming a certified nursing aid in Washington. Gill serves on the Blaine tourism advisory committee and has been president of Guru Nanak Guru Sikh Temple for three years and served on its board for eight years. During the pandemic, the temple has been serving food and clothing to Whatcom County residents in need. In his application, Gill said he has a strong working knowledge of Blaine’s economy and experience managing large budgets through economic fluctuation. “I’m a hard working community member with deep understanding of needs of our city,” Gill wrote in his application. “I have a goal for the city of Blaine to be a great place for living, great place for business and tourism with great opportunity for recreation, while preserving neighborhood character and our historic landmarks.” Kerena Higgins Higgins received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont and law degree from Seattle University. In her application, Higgins said over 20 years’ of public service has taught her the complexities of large budgets, balancing competing interests on complicated issues and the importance of listening to stake-

but is a method that BNSF has used to effectively clean up other oil spills in the past. Dave Byers, DOE response section manager, said the cleanup process will take years until fully complete. “It won’t be a timeframe of a few weeks or months,” he said. DOE workers will construct groundwater monitoring wells at the site next month to detect off-site oil migration. Testing of nearby wells has shown no evidence of contamination, the DOE reported. BNSF Railway engineers can better estimate how long the cleanup will take once they know more about the organic content of the soil, particle size and porosity of soil, Byers said. Crews completed excavating contaminated soil and adding new soil on January 6, DOE reported. Air monitoring also stopped that week after finding no air quality concerns.

Byers said it’s difficult to compare this accident to other derailments because all accidents are slightly different. The Custer derailment stood out from other incidents in that the resulting fire burned off oil, the contamination is not suspected to have escaped the derailment site and there is no evidence of harmed wildlife. Byers’ last crude oil derailment experience was the 2016 derailment in Mosier, Oregon. Although not in the state, Washington DOE responded to the scene where 16 of the 96 cars derailed about 600 feet from the Columbia River, releasing about 47,000 gallons of oil. Trains, pipelines and vessels transport over 20 billion gallons of oil through Washington per year, according to DOE data. Since 2005, the state has had a goal of zero spills and U.S. Coast Guard data shows Washington maintains one of the lowest spill rates in the U.S.

“Fortunately, our experience with crude oil derailments and fires isn’t too deep,” Byers said. Crude oil shipments have continually increased since 2012,

when it first started being transported by rail in Washington, according to DOE’s latest quarterly report on crude oil shipments by rail and pipeline.

said the county started funding the project a decade ago but construction was delayed due to uncertainty on how the county would provide long-term funding for staff and maintenance, as well as how to cover costs for individuals needing care without insurance. The facility’s goal is to not turn anyone away, Hovenier said. This means state funding will be needed to provide services to those who do not qualify for Medicaid or cannot afford it.

“Study after study suggests the time to help someone stop using is when they’re motivated to do it,” he said. “If you tell someone, ‘Great, we will help you detox in three days,’ the odds of them returning aren’t that high. Having the capacity to meet people at the time they’re ready to stop is huge.” Despite the increase in facility capacity, Munden said he expects availability will continue to be an issue. “The sad fact is every commu-

nity in Whatcom County faces this issue, so we will all be competing for space,” he said. “Often this means we are only able to help those who are clearly not capable of caring for themselves or that pose a danger to themselves or the community.” Long-term funding assurance for the facility, beyond a few years, is not guaranteed, Hovenier said. However, he said he is optimistic Whatcom County will find a way to fund the facility, given the wide support from the

county government and county executive Satpal Sidhu. “Most studies indicate when you spend money on these services, the social good more than pays off the investment you make,” he said. “It’s smart public policy, and it’s compassionate, but it’s also quite practical in terms of minimizing harm to the rest of society.” To access the center’s services, call 360/676-2020.

holders. Higgins is currently the managing attorney at Regional Services Division who provides client advice and coordinates legal services to higher education in the area, including Western Washington University and Educational Service District 189. “I have lived in the city for years, and am excited about the opportunity to put my skills and voice to use,” Higgins wrote in her application. “I appreciate that now is an especially challenging time, and I feel it’s important now more than ever to do what I can to be a positive influence on our community.” Sheli Moore Moore attended Blaine High School before receiving her associate’s degree from Edmonds Community College and going to Bellingham Technical College for bookkeeping. Moore is the covice chair of the Salishan Neighborhood Association, a member of the neighborhood’s gardeners market and commissioner for the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2. “[I] would like to become involved with the city of Blaine and learn all that is going on and help it become the best city it can be,” Moore wrote in her application. Sharon Somers-Hill Somers-Hill is a registered nurse in Washington and formerly Canada, New Zealand and California. She is a former co-owner of an importing business in New Zealand. She attended Orange

Coast College in California before graduating from the former Vancouver General Hospital School of Nursing. She also studied theology and leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary in California. “When people feel their voices are heard, they find it easier to become engaged and are more likely to begin to care about their neighborhoods and their neighbors,” Somers-Hill wrote in her application. “Instead of Blaine being cut up into neighborhoods we could all feel as one, that we all have a voice, and we are all valued.”

s Crews completed excavating contaminated soil and adding new soil on January 6. Photo courtesy Washington State Department of Ecology

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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 2021

Garden

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Gardening year 2021 is going to be different from previous years by virtue of following 2020. Last year many people were wary of supply chain disruptions and brick-and-mortar shopping turned to food gardening as a way of ensuring fresh vegetables. In addition, many people out of work or working from home took the opportunity to start or intensify their home gardening as a relatively affordable way to spend time in an enjoyable fashion. Throughout the world, seed retailers and garden supply businesses sold out their stock early. Those of us who normally use the winter months to organize our garden planning and purchasing suddenly had an edge on others who do not. As we move into the second year of the pandemic, it is time to follow the model of the habitual early bird gardener.

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ter pastimes with the luscious photographs eliciting the tastes of fresh beets and tomatoes, the aroma of parsley and marigolds, and the sound of bees on savory and thyme. After my catalog indulgence, the next thing I do is hold a family discussion about which edibles we want to grow the coming summer. Because we have limited space and sunlight, we give priority to relatively compact vegetables that do well in part sun. Before drawing up my seed wish list, I check for seeds that I have saved from last year. Seeds like peas, broccoli and flowers that I harvested and dried last summer and autumn will still be good. Purchased seed packages often have the average seed life

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hunt. In a normal year, I buy most seeds in-person, and then turn to online ordering for seeds that local stores don’t sell. However, I can’t fault my two favorite online seed vendors— Territorial and Johnny’s. These seed vendors offer a broad selection of organic non-GMO seeds. If I were to need fruit or berries, then I would turn to Raintree Nursery. If I forget to order something or change my mind too late, I know that VW’s Home and Garden and Pacific Building Center will be selling a variety of seeds plus plant starts once the weather warms. Since a good growing season at our latitude depends on starting many seeds in a protected envi-

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ronment as early as March, I also check to see if I need to replenish any supplies. For outdoors, that might mean row covers and the means to anchor them, and a working soil thermometer. For indoors, that means sterile seed starting mix, small-cell seed starting trays, drip trays, plastic domes (preferably vented) to go over the trays, seedling heating mats, full-spectrum T5 fluorescent grow lights and a way to suspend the lights a few inches above the seedlings. All are expensive investments, but all except the starter mix can be reused for many years. In addition to checking for needed replenishments, I also make sure that all my seed starting supplies have been sterilized. For later in the growing season, I also check for irrigation supplies. I might order more shade netting or small mesh plastic netting to protect crops from

sun, birds, deer and other animal pests with the same tastes as me. I recommend AgFabric’s 30 percent shade cloth for the former and Pacific Building Center for the latter. Remember that if Pacific Building Center doesn’t have something in stock, they should be able to order it and have it delivered free of shipping charge to the store. Of course, we are all hoping for a more normal year coming up. Still, I suspect that many people who turned to or returned to gardening in 2020 will throw themselves into the activity once again because it can be so much fun and so rewarding. So follow the model of experienced gardeners and you won’t be caught by surprise when companies sell out or announce shipping delays. Happy dreaming and shopping!

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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 2021

Covid-19 in Whatcom County, by school district boundaries: Recent two-week case rates and cumulative counts Last updated: 01/26/2021

Blaine Rate: 381 Count: 299

Lynden Rate: 1245 Count: 852 Ferndale Rate: 547 Count: 972

Nooksack Valley Rate: 1111 Count: 506

Meridian Rate: 427 Count: 293

Mt. Baker Rate: 399 Count: 291

Bellingham Rate: 247 Count: 1950 Whatcom County reached a new landmark in Covid-19 cases since the pandemic started – surpassing 5,000 cases in the past week. As of January 25, Whatcom County has had a total 5,254 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic and 60 deaths, according to the Whatcom State Department of Health (DOH) data. Lynden school district had the highest rate of new cases in the past two weeks, with 1,245 confirmed cases per 100,000 people. Blaine had a rate of 381 per 100,000 in that period, which is the second lowest behind Bellingham school district. In total, 260 people have been hospitalized with the virus in Whatcom

County. Whatcom County had a rate of 530 newly diagnosed and probable cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks. In the county, 20.6 percent of adult ICU beds were occupied by Covid-19 patients. About 11,796 vaccine doses have been administered in the county, and 500,105 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, according to Washington State Department of Health data. CDC data shows slightly different figures for Washington, with 507,610 vaccine doses administered in the state. CDC data shows 960,800 doses have been distributed to Washington, which is nearly twice the amount

of vaccines administered. About 76,144 people in Washington have received two doses of the vaccine and 420,728 have received only one dose, according to CDC data. Washington state has had 290,168 total confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic and 13,314 probable cases (probable cases come from an antigen test but not a molecular test). About 4,167 people in Washington with the virus have died as of January 25 and 17,354 have been hospitalized. For Whatcom County information, visit whatcomcounty.us/ covidvaccine and whatcomcounty.us/coviddata. State information is available at bit.ly/3r2URJj.

s Blaine police officer Devin Cooper is one of five officers who were vaccinated for Covid-19 on January 21. Photo courtesy Blaine Police Department

Stafholt nursing home has first Covid-19 cases since spring B y G r a c e M c C a r t h y people in the nursing home have Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt nursing home in Blaine is experiencing a second Covid-19 outbreak. The Whatcom County Health Department confirmed that three

tested positive for Covid-19, one of whom passed away from the virus. The first person tested positive on January 15, four days before the nursing home had several Walgreens pharmacists administer the first round of the

Pfizer vaccine to residents and staff. A health department spokesperson said the outbreak was unlikely connected to the vaccine clinic and it is unknown at this time how the virus entered the long-term care facility.

The health department could not provide information on the number of residents and staff who tested positive. Stacy Bernard, interim administrator at Good Samaritan Society – Stafholt, said in an email through a spokesperson that

there have been 20 confirmed cases of Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Of these cases, 17 were during the nursing home’s first outbreak this spring. There had been no new cases until this month.

Rules of the Road: What laws are burnouts breaking? By Doug Dahl Q: I’ve seen plenty of long, black tire marks out on county roads that look intentional. Once Covid-19 struck and the freeways were empty I even saw a 360-degree burnout on the freeway. What law is it breaking? A: Let me tell you about Cars and Coffee. The title is so on the nose it hardly needs explanation, but I will anyway. These are events in which automotive enthusiasts drive their show-worthy cars to a parking lot where they drink coffee, socialize and admire each others’ cars. In the few that I’ve attended (as a visitor, not a show car owner) they’ve been fun, casual events with some interesting cars. However, and you knew there

was a however, despite the “no burnouts” rule at every Cars and Coffee event, when it’s over and time to leave, there is sometimes a guy (it’s pretty much always a guy) that does it anyway. And as often happens when a car has more power than the driver has skill, some burnouts turn into crashes. When that happens, you’ll have a swarm of young men all with phone in hand, sprinting toward the car to capture the failure in close-up so they can put it on the internet. It’s like live-streaming karma. I share the Cars and Coffee burnout scenario because it’s relevant to your question about the law. That swarm of amateur videographers stand at the ready because they recognize if they were ever going to capture on video a

burnout that turns into a crash, this is their most likely opportunity. They all know that burnouts equal increased crash risk. What does that say about the driver doing the burnout? Either that he knew it was potentially dangerous and did it anyway, or he was unaware of the risk, despite any reasonable person knowing otherwise. And right there we have, without getting into legal definitions, recklessness and negligence. I expect that if an officer observed a driver doing a burnout, the enforcement action would likely be a citation for reckless driving (a misdemeanor) or negligent driving – second degree (a civil infraction). Reckless driving is described in the law as when a person drives “in willful or wan-

ton disregard for the safety of persons or property . . .” At least one court in Washington has concluded that doing burnouts in a location where there is the possibility of other people, even if there were no other people actually present, justifies a charge of reckless driving. Negligent driving – second degree, a lesser charge than reckless driving, is when a driver fails to exercise ordinary care and, as it applies to this situation, is doing “some act that a reasonably careful person would not do . . .” To anyone who thinks that as long as they’re all alone on the road it’s okay to do a burnout, let’s be honest with ourselves; the reasonably careful drivers aren’t doing burnouts. Beyond these two violations,

the law also requires (in two different statutes) that drivers have the duty to “use due care.” I don’t think due care includes donuts. And there’s also a more obscure law that specifically addresses squealing tires. The Washington Administrative Code has a section titled “Motor Vehicle Noise Performance Standards.” In there, you’ll find a law that states, “No person shall operate a motor vehicle in such a manner as to cause or allow to be emitted squealing, screeching or other such noise from the tires . . .” And there you have it; five laws that could apply to the burnout-inclined driver. Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.

January 28 - February 3, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM IN THE ESTATE OF HOWARD E. SHIEL, JR., Deceased. No. 20-4-00671-37.PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030 The person 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. 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 28, 2021 PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: Carole H. Shiel ATTORNEY FOR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE: Michael T. Kleps, WSBA #37144 ADDRESS FOR MAILING OR SERVICE: 1700 D Street (zip: 98225) P.O. Box 5226, Bellingham, WA 98227

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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: Grant W. Nelson, Deceased. NO. 21-4-00035-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030) JUDGE: Evan Jones. 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 28, 2021 Personal Representative: David A. Nelson 301 Prospect Street Bellingham, WA 98225 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. 21-4-00035-37

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

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Heating/Air IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM IN RE THE ESTATE OF: CLARENCE R. MCCLUNG, Deceased. NO. 21-4-00032-37. NONPROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030. JUDGE: EVAN JONES. THE NOTICE AGENT NAMED BELOW has elected to give notice to creditors of the above-named 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 of the 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: Jan. 21, 2021 The notice agent declares under penalty of perjury under the laws of the state of Washington on January 19, 2021, at Bellingham, Washington, that the foregoing is true and correct. Notice Agent: PENNY A. SHERWOOD 466 W. Lake Samish Dr, Bellingham, WA 98227 Attorney for Notice Agent: KATTI ESP, 301 Prospect Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 Address for Mailing or Service: KATTI ESP, 301 Prospect Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 Court of notice agent’s Declaration and Oath: Superior Court of Whatcom County Cause No. 21-4-00032-37 NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION OF CORPORATION The Washington State Corporation Pop and Roast, Inc. has been dissolved. Any person having a claim against Pop and Roast, Inc. must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present a written notice in the manner as provided in RCW 23B.14 by serving on or mailing to the Registered Agent at the address stated below a copy of the claim against Pop and Roast, Inc. Information included in the claim must contain the following: a) a general description of the known facts relating to a matured and legally assertible claim or liability, or b) an identification of the executory contract with respect to which unmatured, conditional, or contingent claims or liabilities are sought to be disposed of. The written notice of such claim must be delivered to Pop and Roast, Inc.’s Registered Agent no fewer than 120 days of the publication date of this Notice. Any claim or any executory contract on which the claim is based may be rejected by the dissolved corporation, in which case the holder of the known claim will have a limited period of 90 days from the effective date of the rejection notice in which to commence a proceeding in Court to enforce the claim. The claim may be delivered to Pop and Roast, Inc.’s Registered Agent. Any claim against the Corporation may be barred in accordance with RCW 23B.14 if not timely asserted. Registered Agent: Debra Sasken-Duff 255 Marine Drive, #300, Blaine, WA 98230

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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 BEACH...

LATITUDE 49! 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

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Welcome to the beach life! This 2 BD, 1.5 BA south BAY RIM CONDOMINIUM! facing fully furnished unit with heated pool off your patio has been immaculately maintained and tastefully updated. Ideal recreational or full time residential unit in Birch Bay’s popular and conveniently located Bay Rim condominium complex with its private beach and picnic area just a two minute walk away.

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The Tides... BRAND NEW! Birch Bay’s premier community of craftsman NOW PENDING! townhome condos nestled on 11 acres above the bay. This beautiful & private unit is 1,500 +/- SF, 3 BD, 2.5 BA, superbly finished w/quartz counters, rock gas fireplace, SS appliances, on-demand HW, quality fixtures, designer flooring & much more! Clubhouse, pool, & spa! Close to all Birch Bay offers. Secure your place in this wonderful beach community.

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gin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-877-0246.

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

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Hundreds debate fast-action bill to skip first phase of recovery plan By Sydney Brown, W a s hi n g t o n State Journal Dozens of business owners – from restaurant owners to bowling alley managers – told state officials that continued Covid-19 restrictions place small businesses at risk of permanent closure, but state healthcare officials said a rush to reopen businesses puts the public at risk during a pandemic that has yet to to be controlled. In all, more than 1,500 Washington residents convened online January 20 to debate a bill before the legislature that would ease government limits on indoor dining and entertainment. Sponsored by Democratic and Republican senators, Senate Bill 5114 and its companion House Bill 1321 would essentially skip the first phase of governor Jay Inslee’s “Healthy Washington – Roadmap to Recovery” plan, allowing for 25 percent indoor capacity at restaurants and gyms, and indoor entertainment like theaters and bowling alleys. Dannielle Knutson, a majority partner at Budd Bay Cafe, Oyster House and River’s Edge in Olympia, told the Senate State Gov-

ernment & Elections Committee that after her husband died of cancer, she was left to weather the personal and financial burden of staying closed. It has cost her $120,000 a month since the beginning of the pandemic, she said. “It’s left me fighting for our restaurants … every day that we are not open, we are continuing to pile on more debt in our businesses as well as my personal life,” Knutson said. State officials acknowledge the severe impact on businesses and promised more help for those shuttered by Covid-19 restrictions, but health officials say pushing for a quick reopening will only feed the growing pandemic. Lacy Fehrenbach, deputy secretary of health for Covid-19 response at the Washington State Department of Health, said the regional, phased approach to reopening is based on evaluating Covid-19 case trends in terms of healthcare capacity. Following the winter holidays, hospitals statewide saw an increase in Covid-19 cases, she said. Kat Wood, a frontline healthcare worker at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, said she

O B I T U A RY Loreen Ann Chaput Allen

saw an “alarming rise” in cases after the holidays at her hospital, which is now at 94 percent capacity. Under current guidelines, regions cannot move into phase 2 until intensive care unit capacity is below 90 percent for more than two weeks. “With cases rising and hospitalizations rising, we do not believe the state is ready to move forward,” Fehrenbach said. “The bill goes too fast without any health data to support such a movement.” One of the bill’s 16 sponsors, senator John Braun (R-Centralia) said the bill did in fact support science and data, though no one presented evidence during the hearing to contradict the department of health’s numbers. “Thousands of restaurants and other small family businesses statewide have been lost for good – decimated by rules that are not supported by data and science and are enforced by state employees who have not had to skip a single paycheck,” Braun said in a statement after the hearing. The Washington State Journal is a nonprofit news website managed by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. Learn more at wastatejournal.org.

Cougar ...

November 21, 1956–December 29, 2020 Loreen was born November 21, 1956 and went into the loving arms of Jesus December 29, 2020, at the age of 64. Loreen graduated from Blaine High School in 1975. She owned and operated her barber shop called Guys and Gals in Blaine. Loreen will always be remembered as a compassionate, loving caregiver, and a friend to so many. She loved us all deeply. She was a fighter and was so strong through her battle with cancer. God blessed her and us with time. Loreen was able to hold her new granddaughter and celebrate her 64th birthday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas with us. Loreen was preceded in death by her dad, William Chaput; Grandpa Lewie; and Grandma Bessie Freeman; brother-in-law Jerry Kooy; and sister-in-law Andrea Chaput. Loreen is survived by her mother Marilyn Freeman Mitchell; partner Eric Reese; children Christina Donaldson Beson, Lindsey (Chris) Allen Vicino of Blaine, Trevor (Lizzy Riley) Allen of Ferndale, Daniel Allen of Marysville, Melanie Allen of Florida, and Tessa (Blake) Henney of Stanwood; sisters Alana Kooy of Monroe, Barb (Barry) Richmond of Blaine, twin sister Doreen (Michael) Grounds of Marble Falls, TX; brothers Billy Chaput and Bobby (Kim) Chaput of Blaine; grandchildren Tanner, Ayden, Alayna, Mia, Ava, Gracie, Hayden, Kinsley; and many nieces, nephews and cousins whom she loved so much. Loreen’s graveside service was held January 8 with close family at Hillsdale Cemetery in Blaine. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Our family would like to thank hospice for helping in Loreen’s care. Hope you’re dancing in heaven Lulu Bell!

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Dave Jones, a WDFW game warden in Whatcom County, said he could not confirm Sauter’s conclusion because WDFW had not looked at the dead goats. Jones said a cougar had been in the area, based on video from a trail camera. He said the cougar appeared to be a juvenile. That sighting would be the second confirmed of a cougar in the Blaine area this month. The other was on January 21, south of Loomis Trail Golf Course, which is southwest of the Higgins property. Sauter found no evidence of poisoning, as the Higgins first suspected. Both animals had broken necks and tell-tale bite marks were found on each animal’s trachea. Cougars strangle their prey, Sauter said. “Keep your animals inside at night, if you can,” Higgins said. This month’s cougar sightings are the first since an October sighting off Semiahmoo Parkway. Resident Bruce Miller said he spotted the cougar while he was working at KARI Radio. Miller said the animal appeared from a forested area next to the station, then hid behind a storage shed.

Bell Road ... From page 1

south of the intersection, Jones said. A new inspection facility is in the works north of Marine Drive near the border that Jones said may cause less delays, Blackbird Coffee barista Al-

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s A cougar caught on a trail camera off H Street. Photo courtesy Don Kruse.

The animal then poked its head out and fled. “That is the fastest animal I have ever seen,” Miller said. “It was smoking.” Six cougar sightings were confirmed in the Blaine and Birch Bay area last year, according to WDFW data. Whatcom County has seen an increase in cougar sightings thus far in 2021, with four reported. Jones said he is not concerned about cougars being aggressive toward humans because their nature is to avoid people. Cougar attacks on humans have only occurred 20 times in Washington since 1924, only two

of which were fatal. But a cougar attacked a 69-yearold man Monday afternoon in Soo Valley, B.C., north of Whistler, causing significant injuries. The man was in stable condition, according to the B.C. Conservation Officer Services. If you come in contact with a cougar, Jones recommends enlarging oneself, being loud, throwing a rock and yelling. He also said it is important to maintain eye contact and back away slowly. To view the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife map of confirmed sightings, visit bit.ly/2Nz9QLD.

yssa Cranefield, who works on the corner of the intersection, said she sees the most backups between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. and when there’s a train passing. Calling it a “catawampus intersection,” Cranefield said she also sees delays when drivers do not know when it is their turn to cross because of the angle of the four-way intersection.

Jones estimated the project would take two years to complete, one year to plan and another for construction. “But it is dependent on getting funding from the state,” he said. “We are hoping to be included in a transportation fund from the state soon.”

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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 2021

Police Reports January 16, 12:31 p.m.: Blaine officers on routine patrol observed a vehicle with a title listed as not transferred in the required 45 days. Officers stopped the vehicle and determined the driver has a suspended license in Washington state. Officers arrested the driver and released the vehicle to a licensed driver. January 17, 6 a.m.: While officers were meeting between passing shifts, a very sweet Husky mix ran up to them. The dog hopped right in the back seat of the patrol car and rode around with the officer for the first hourplus of his shift. Unfortunately, the dogs’ owner did not call in time and the dog was released to the Whatcom Humane Society. It appears the dog does have a microchip and should hopefully be returning home soon. January 17, 3:57 p.m.: While on routine patrol, an officer observed a driver of a vehicle skid into the intersection of Peace Portal and Bell Road. They thankfully came to a stop just before striking another vehicle that was legally passing through the intersection. The officer stopped the vehicle and found an elderly driver at the wheel. Based on the interaction with the driver, a DOL retake test request was submitted to DOL. The driver was advised of the test and given a warning for the traffic violation. January 17, 5 p.m.: Two juve-

niles were skating at the skate park when another juvenile approached them and started to harass them. The two juveniles asked the police if they could warn the other juveniles to stop harassing them. The police contacted the three juveniles at the skate park and advised them to leave the other juveniles alone. The three juveniles said they had confronted the one juvenile because they did not like how he was treating his ex-girlfriend. The three juveniles said they would not bother them any longer. January 18, 10:38 a.m.: Dispatch reported a burglary alarm at a business located in Blaine. The police went to the business and determined the alarm was false. January 18, 8:20 p.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to a report of suspicious persons walking the railroad tracks near the 1600 block of Peace Portal Drive. Officers walked the tracks and did not locate anything suspicious. BNSF was notified and an attempt to contact a possible related person was made without success. January 18, 3:55 p.m.: An unknown person turned over a cell phone that was found at the Peace Arch State Park. A police officer was able to determine the owner of the phone and attempts are being made to return it to the owner.

January 20, 10:07 a.m.: A person had a court order for a civil stand-by to pick up some personal items. A police officer assisted the person with the civil stand by. January 20, 11:19 a.m.: A person known to police to have possible mental health concerns reported their belongings missing. However, the items were mysteriously returned on their own. An officer again let the person talk about their concerns; however, no crime was reported. Because of the multitude of contacts, the officer completed a law enforcement diversion form for the person and notified their adult protective service worker. January 20, 12:31 p.m.: While on routine patrol, an officer ran the license plate of a motorcycle stopped at the intersection of Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive. The motorcycle returned stolen out of Marysville. A traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle. The driver, and sole occupant, was arrested for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and possession of a controlled substance, and booked into Whatcom County Jail.

Report by Blaine Police Department.

DATE

Virtual Family Trivia Night: Saturday, January 30, 6:30 p.m. Are you smarter than a librarian? Free meet-and-greet family trivia night. Individuals and teams up to four are welcome. Info and registration: wcls.libcal. com/event/7433265. Sponsored by Friends of Birch Bay Library and BlaineBirch Bay Park and Recreation. Blaine Chamber February Meeting: Wednesday, February 3, 8 a.m. on Zoom. New time for this month. Speaker: Dr. Christopher Granger, superintendent of Blaine School District. Zoom information on blainechamber.com. Jackson Road Bridge Replacement Virtual Open House: Wednesday, February 3, 6–8 p.m. Help redesign Birch Bay’s Jackson Road bridge replacement. Meeting link will be posted on whatcomcounty.us/3529/Jackson-Road-Bridge-Replacement-Project.

Ongoing:

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Virtual Meetings: Third Thursdays, 1 p.m. Meeting ID on birchbaychamber.com.

TIME

HEIGHT

TIME

HEIGHT

Fr 29 7:03 am 10.16 12:20 pm 6.76

4:34 pm 8.47 11:59 pm -1.51

Sa 30 7:31 am 10.24 1:02 pm 6.18

5:28 pm 8.23

Su 31 12:37 am -1.02 7:59 am 10.22

1:46 pm 5.44 6:24 pm 7.87

Mo 1 1:15 am -0.14 8:27 am 10.14

ANSWERS: THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM

Origins and Evolutions: Five Generations Exhibit: Beginning January 26, Tuesday–Thursdays, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and by appointment. A new exhibition featuring the art of four members o the Anderson/Syre family. Gallery Syre, 465 W. Stuart Road, Bellingham. Info: davidsyreart.com.

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.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

DOWN 1. Small islands 2. Skullcap 3. Unexplained events 4. One hundredth of a meter 5. Beloved baseball announcer 6. Repulsive 7. Northern European languages

New Relics Art Exhibit: Tuesday–Saturday, through January 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.

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.

January 29-February 4 at Blaine. Not for navigation.

8. Match or surpass 9. Northeast 12. Chew the fat 13. Innovative industry 17. Land to put down to grass 19. Products 20. Nostril 21. Surprise Icelandic politician 25. Conclusive acts 29. Inform on 31. Grinding tooth 32. Keep up 33. Tablelands 35. Raising 38. Mythical creature 41. Hums 43. Mountain in Antarctica 44. Neighborhood in Manhattan 45. Distinctive practice 46. Vice president 47. Contributes to 49. Small bones 56. Oil company 57. Empire State

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.

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.

Tides

41. Atomic #81 42. Orthodox Jewish college 48. Herbs 50. Ran after 51. Begin again 52. Named 53. Barbary sheep 54. Unwell 55. Postscript 56. Drivers 58. One point east (clockwise) of due north 59. Prim 60. A facility equipped for sports or physical training

Please wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

Valentine’s Weekend Wine Pairing: The Vault Wine Bar and Bistro. Take and heat six courses paired with six wines and online tasting information. Reserve by February 5 at 360/392-0955.

Crossword

ACROSS 1. Big tech firm 4. Picked 10. Type of whale 11. A woman of refinement 12. New England state 14. Common gibbon 15. Tall coniferous tree 16. State capital 18. Making a liquid muddy 22. Vinegary 23. Peninsula 24. Thee 26. Atomic #55 27. Used in units of measurement 28. Welsh female name 30. Arab ruler title 31. One’s mother 34. Trap 36. Soviet Socialist Republic 37. Assn. of oil-producing countries 39. Holy fire 40. Emit coherent radiation

Coming up

2:32 pm 4.53 7:30 pm 7.44

Tu 2 1:55 am 1.08 8:55 am 10.03

3:22 pm 3.51 8:46 pm 7.02

We 3 2:39 am 2.56 9:23 am 9.91

4:16 pm 2.44 10:16 pm 6.81

Th 4 3:25 am 4.14 9:55 am 9.79

5:12 pm 1.40

Weather Precipitation: During the period of January 18 to 24, 0.54 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2021 year-to-date precipitation 5.08 inches. Temperature: High for the past week was 52.3°F on January 18 with a low of 27.5°F on January 23. Average high was 42.7°F and average low was 34°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

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

Sheriff’s Reports January 21, 8:01 a.m.: Mental in progress on Portal Way. January 21, 9:56 a.m.: Mental in progress on Birch Bay-Lynden Road. January 21, 12:10 p.m.: Landlord tenant dispute cold call on Moonglow Court. January 21, 2:20 p.m.: Neighborhood dispute cold call on Loft Lane. January 21, 2:47 p.m.: Follow up on Delta Lane and Loomis Trail Road, Custer. January 21, 3:40 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Glendale Road. January 21, 3:51 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Alder Street. January 21, 4:12 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Kickerville Road. January 21, 4:52 p.m.: Impound private cold call on Clamdigger Drive. January 22, 10:15 a.m.: Sex offender registration on Hillvue Road January 22, 10:22 a.m.: Sex offender registration on Semiahmoo Ridge. January 22, 11:03 a.m.: Sex offender registration on Sea Breeze Court. January 22, 11:09 a.m.: Sex offender registration on East Shoreview. January 22, 12:38 p.m.: Suspicious vehicle in progress on Anderson and Harborview roads. January 23, 9:01 a.m.: Sex offender registration on Harborview Road Unit #16. January 23, 11:52 a.m.: Watch for in progress on Birch Bay-Lynden and Blaine roads. January 23, 2:54 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Petticote Drive.

January 28 - February 3, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Blaine CBP volunteers lend a day of service to rabbit rescue By Grace McCarthy Some members of the Blaine community spent their Martin Luther King Jr. Day helping a new rabbit rescue and adoption nonprofit. About a dozen U.S. CBP office employees and their families spent four hours cleaning and organizing Bunanza Rabbit Rescue Ranch and Adoption Center at its adoption center in Lynden. “It was fantastic,” said Liz Gillette, founder of the nonprofit and president of its board of directors. “They are such hard workers who were so cheerful and flexible.” The group pressure washed every cage, let the rabbits out for fresh air, reorganized the cleaned cages and cleaned all the shelves, crates and kennels, Gillette said. One of the volunteers even made toys out of toilet paper tubes for the rabbits, which Gillette said would keep them entertained for hours. “They got a lot done in four hours,” she said. Gillette unofficially started rescuing rabbits five years ago when people reached out to her about abandoned domestic or feral rabbits they had found. Rabbits are often abandoned because they become more aggressive as they age if they are not spayed or neutered, she said. After she continued to get more rabbits, she started contacting other rabbit rescue organizations across the U.S. to

s CBP employees and families volunteered at Bunanza Rabbit Rescue Ranch and Adoption Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Photo courtesy Liz Gillette

learn how they operated. Bunanza became a nonprofit at the end of 2019 but didn’t officially open until March 2020. In addition to the Lynden adoption center, a separate rescue ranch in Custer houses rabbits needing ongoing care. Despite opening during a pandemic, Gillette said they adopted out 114 rabbits last year and have already another 18 in 2021. Res-

cued and adopted rabbit breeds include Holland Lops, MiniLops, Angora and Lionhead, among others. The nonprofit has two dozen volunteers and fosters to help rabbits that need socialization or are recovering from an illness or injury. Gillette said people bring abandoned rabbits from as far away as Spokane and Yakima while people have come

from south of Seattle to adopt the rabbits. “We could always use more volunteers,” Gillette said. “There’s always more things we could get done.” People are welcome, by appointment, to visit the bunnies, Gillette said. The nonprofit will educate people on how to be a successful rabbit owner so hopefully less people abandon their

pets. All equipment is donated, and all donations and adoption fees pay for the rabbits to be spayed and neutered. Bunanza Rabbit Rescue Ranch and Adoption Center publishes updates on its rabbits on its Facebook page, facebook.com/bunanzarabbit. For more information, call 360/224-1886 or email bunanzarabbit@gmail.com.

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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 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 FREE Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay July 27 - August 2, 2017 too high. “This exceeds the needs of 80 percent of those surveyed (in a 2016 onHHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer PRSRT STD line survey sponsored by the county solid U. S. Postage PAID waste division) who self-haul or use tags,” IN THIS Permit NO. 87 Kimberly Butts said. Blaine, WA 98230 Ken Calder, also opposed to the chang- s Back in 1976, a group of civic-minded people got together to plan a 4th of July celebration, the first since 1916. On June 20, they had 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 B y S t e fa n i e D O n a h u e sent out a mailer. Unity Care NW is done with the Point tion to an alternative service provider. between 2015 and 2017, which is deAre impact fees the key to revital“There have been numerous opportuni- Roberts clinic. According to the June 25 resolution, the (See Hospital, page 8) izing downtown and incentivizing ties for people to put in their two cents’ Citing declining use, a disproportionate Point Roberts Clinic does not fit with growth in Blaine? worth,” Arthur Reber said. “This process administrative burden and “communi- the other clinics Unity Care NW operThe question was at the hearthas of been an very thorough and collaborative,” ty turmoil,” the board of directors of the ates in Ferndale and Bellingham, which hour-long discussion between Blaine City said taxpayers’ association president Mark non-profit health care provider voted at its it described as “patient centered mediCouncil and city staff at a special meetRobbins. Chamber of commerce president June 25 meeting to discontinue the con- cal homes.” Close to half of the visits to allpointbulletin.com ing held July 24. Not yet ready to make Dee Gough said her association also sup- tract to operate the Point Roberts Clinic. the Point Roberts clinic are for urgent facebook.com/allpointbulletin a decision, council voted unanimousported the proposal, agreeing that mandaNotice was delivered to the Point Robcare, and not for primary medical care, ly during a separate meeting that evetrash pickup was the obvious solution ning to request that city staff drafttory a proto the posal based on four types of impact feesperennial problem of dumping garon the roadsides. and incentive programs – the bage council Classifieds ........................................ 20 Hegedus with the Whatcom County will either approve, deny or modifyJeff the Coming Up ...................................... 19 Health Department said by establishing a B y M e g O l s O n running three weekends in August. proposal in a few months. Garden ............................................. 15 mandatory minimum service level for all Kiniski’s Reef Tavern is partnering with Impact fees are one-time charges that Library ............................................ 18 properties, as determined by “The Point Roberts Arts and Music the foundation, offering a location, plancounties, cities and towns imposedeveloped on deObituaries ........................................ 22 velopers. The funds are used to which extendproperties 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 public services to support growth. In Opinion .............................................. 4 more more people can enjoy it,” said tavern Washington state, impact fees can be usedusers would support the system. Craig Jacks. Seniors ............................................ 18 After being put on the shelf for a year, manager Allison Calder. The first weekend on public streets, roads, publicly-owned Tides ................................................ 10 parks, open space, recreation facilities, (See Garbage, page 7) the festival will be back for its 23rd year, (See Arts & Music, page 14) 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 details how to accommodate growth over the next 20 years. AFTER PARADE FAMILY ACTIVITIES: BEGIN THE DAY AT THE “These are things we’ve been looking at H Breakwaters Bar & Grill Community Center 1437 Gulf Rd. for a while,” said community development STARTS AT 12 NOON along POINT ROBERTS MARINA at Point Roberts Marina. director Michael Jones. “The comprehen-Pancake Breakfast 7:15-11:15 am PREP benefit Gulf Rd. from Marine Dr. to Tyee Dr. AT 10:30 PM Flag Raising Ceremony 11:30 am featuring PR Winds child will H to Kiniski’s Tavern pay forReef lunch, includsive plan and what you’ve already adoptbe turned away on the basis of a not being able By Oliver lazenBy zero or negative balance account.” ing anything from stamping kids’ hands ed recognizes the idea that there has to be enough financial capacity of the city to conIn some school districts, if a stuThose guidelines aren’t new, but they’re as a reminder to bring money, to denying tinue 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 wich to eat in front of their classmates ulations that require school districts to get turned away at the lunch counter, even this into consideration.” 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)

ISSUE

Turn your ballots in by August 1, page 5

City council considers ways to spur local economy

A visitor’s guide to Blaine and Birch Bay, page 7

What you should know about gardening in August, page 9

YEARS

Birch Bay Sand Sculpture crowd clinic contract Unity Care NWcontest decidesdraws againstarenewing

Online Inside

Arts and music fest makes a comeback

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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The Northern Light • January 28 - February 3, 2021

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue hires four new firefighters

s From l; Patty McDermott, Jackson Sayler, Seth Meredith and Evan Maack.

By Conor Wilson North Whatcom Fire and Rescue has hired four new career firefighters as of January 15. The four firefighters – Patty McDermott, Jackson Sayler, Seth Meredith and Evan Maack – were hired out of a field of 50 applicants. Each made it through three

rounds of rigorous interviews, before officially being selected for the department, said district fire chief Jason Van der Veen. Van der Veen said the candidates stood out because they were recommended by their future peers. “When we were hiring, we looked at things like are they

Photo courtesy North Whatcom Fire and Rescue

trainable? Do they have good values and share our core values? Appreciate our culture, and do they add something to it?” he said. Three of the new hires – McDermott, Sayler and Maack – headed to North Bend on January 27 to begin training at the Washington State Fire Training Academy. At

the academy, they will spend 13 weeks learning basic firefighting skills, such as extinguishment, strategy and tactics, ventilation and forcible entry. After the academy, the three will spend another year training in Whatcom County, learning more specific and refined skills, Van der Veen said.

Meredith has already graduated from the academy and will begin as a fourth crew member until he is trained and placed on shift. “We’re looking forward to adding them to our family,” Van der Veen said. “They’re excited to get out there, help the community and do what they love to do.”

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