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The Northern Light • April 8 - 14, 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.
Oh, crab! An unfortunate accident on I-5
Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com
s A truck transporting live crabs overturned on I-5 near mile post 276 around 1 a.m. on April 2, the Blaine police department reported on its social media accounts. Washington State Patrol and police reported to the scene where no injuries were reported. Photo courtesy Blaine Police Department Twitter
Letters
Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Interns Nolan Baker, Sienna Boucher prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com
To our readers: The Northern Light is a community newspaper that covers Birch Bay, Blaine and Custer as well as county and state issues that impact our area. We don’t cover national or international affairs other than border issues because, well, who looks to
Advertising Sales Molly Ernst sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com
The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 42 Circulation: 10,500 copies
Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: April 15 Ads due: April 9
ways felt that the letters column “belongs” to our readers – it’s your space to talk to fellow community members. That said, we don’t see any benefit in printing letters discussing national events that contain no local context or issue and will not do so going forward.
Family Care Network welcomes new physician assistant
Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com
Contributors In This Issue Doug Dahl
a weekly newspaper for that kind of editorial? Similarly, our letters policy gives priority to letters of local concern. Lately, we’ve received an inordinate number of letters commenting on national issues such as the presidential election that took place nearly five months ago. We have al-
s Joseph Banham
Courtesy photo
Joseph Banham has joined Family Care Network’s Birch Bay Family Medicine as a physician’s assistant. He is now the third provider serving patients at the health clinic. Banham grew up near Ferndale and earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Washington. He worked as an EMT in Seattle for three years before moving to North Carolina to complete his master’s degree in 2020 at Duke University, where he was trained as a physician assistant. Banham said he wanted to be a physi-
cian assistant because he loves working with patients and establishing a relationship with them. “I love working with patients out here,” said Banham, who joined the Birch Bay clinic March 1. Family Care Network has 11 clinics in Whatcom and Skagit counties and is the largest provider for primary medical services in Whatcom County, according to information provided by the healthcare network. To schedule an appointment with Banham, call the clinic at 360/371-5855.
Civic Meetings Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info and Zoom meeting link: bbwsd.com.
Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. Virtual meeting info: bbbparkandrec.org/board-meetings/
Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info and virtual meeting login: ci.blaine.wa.us.
Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.
Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/2CiMKnk.
Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info and virtual meeting link: blainesd.org. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 1 p.m. Info: nwfrs.net.
