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Letters
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.
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The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors.
Letters Policy
The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.
Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com
Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com
Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com
Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com
Reporting Interns Nolan Baker, Sienna Boucher prpintern@pointrobertspress.com
Oh, crab! An unfortunate accident on I-5
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
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 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 always 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.
Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com
Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com
Advertising Sales Molly Ernst sales@pointrobertspress.com
General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com
Contributors In This Issue Doug Dahl
The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 42 Circulation: 10,500 copies Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: April 15 Ads due: April 9 Family Care Network welcomes new physician assistant
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 physician 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 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 Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/2CiMKnk. 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 Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330. 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.
Road Rules: How dark is too dark for tinted car windows?
B y D ou G D ahl
Question: I’m pretty sure that Washington has a regulation for how dark front passenger and driver side windows can be tinted. If so, why do I see so many vehicles with windows that are almost totally blacked out? Why is it not enforced since it is definitely a safety issue?
Answer: Window tinting is one of those cases where if a little is good, more is not better. And let me explain what I mean by “better.”
People get their windows tinted for a variety of reasons, but when we’re talking about any modification to a vehicle, safety has to be the primary measurement determining what’s better. Dark windows might look more stylish, keep the interior of your car cooler when it’s parked in the sun, and increase privacy, but none of those things positively influence the core function of driving: getting safely to your destination.
If you were to research window tinting online, you’d find information mostly from two sources: Companies that tint windows, and lawyers. The tint companies promote the benefits of tinted windows, and the lawyers look for clients who have been in a collision involving another car with windows so dark it impaired the other driver’s vision.
Based on those two sources, it’s obvious that at some point window tint moves from a benefit to a liability. When is window tint too dark? There are two answers:
It’s too dark when it violates the law. Tint is measured as a percentage of how much light is allowed through the glass. A lower percentage equates to darker windows.
In Washington, the maximum amount of tint allowed on all windows except the windshield is 24 percent. You’re not allowed to tint the windshield (except for the top 6 inches). While following this rule can prevent a ticket, it may not be the best standard for safety. Plus, the rules change from state to state. Many states limit window tint to 35 percent, and some set the limit at 50 and even 70 percent.
Here’s the other answer: It’s too dark when it diminishes your vision or you’re unable to make eye contact with other people on the road.
Researchers have found that your visual acuity and depth perception are affected when windows are tinted to around 65 percent. At that level the impact is minimal for most people, but in less-than-ideal driving conditions it can make a difference, and we have plenty of non-ideal driving conditions in Washington.
Age matters too; another study found that while younger drivers could see sufficiently at night with 35 percent tint, older drivers experience a “significant drop” in their vision at that level.
Some people ignore the law, but it might not be as many people as you think. I conducted a non-scientific study of 100 cars while on a walk through town, and saw only one car with windows so dark I couldn’t make eye contact with the driver, along with two that were pretty dark but probably legal. I’m not an expert at estimating window tint, but if you can’t see the person in the car, it’s definitely too dark.
I’ve talked with officers who enforce the law, so I know it happens, but maybe not as much as you’d like.
Dark window tint doesn’t demand the same level of concern as impaired driving, distraction and speeding, but even the smaller things add up and contribute to risk.
And as important as enforcement is, we can’t rely solely on police for safety on our roads. It takes all of us engaging in safe driving practices, and operating safe cars.
Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.
s Blaine’s Market by the Sea last June. File photo
B y S I enna B oucher
Law enforcement agencies statewide will add extra distracted driving patrols for Distracted Driver Awareness month this April. If the driver’s distractions cause other traffic violations, they will receive a dangerously distracted citation. The campaign is organized by The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC).
The Blaine police department and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office will be a couple of the 130 law enforcement agencies focusing on distracted driving until Monday, April 19.
“Together we can make our roads safer,” WTSC director Shelly Baldwin said in a media release. “If you’re behind the wheel, put your phone away. If you’re a passenger, speak up politely to encourage the driver to remain focused. As a parent, set rules and be a good example.”
The statewide distracted driver rate increased from 6.8 percent in 2019 to 9.4 percent last year, according to WTSC’s 2020 distracted driving observation survey. The survey also shows that distracted driving doubled for both city and rural driving.
“We hope that by emphasizing distracted driving prevention this April we can help everyone build safety habits that are not dependent on fear of getting a ticket,” WTSC program manager Erika Mascorro said in the media release.
WTSC released steps that people in a car can do to practice safe driving. To increase safety while in the car, WTSC says the best thing a driver can do for themselves and others on the road is to put their phone away.
Other tips the commission recommends are for drivers to put their phone out of reach, for passengers to say something if they are in the car with a distracted driver and for families to lead by example. The steps to help prevent distracted driving can be found online at bit.ly/2Osqs8K.
Does shopping local on a spring weekend sound like something you’d enjoy? If so, you’re in luck. Blaine’s Market by the Sea is back this season starting Saturday, April 10, and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Local vendors will be selling everything from license plate art, pillow covers, yard art, face masks, jewelry, hair accessories, wall hangings with fresh flowers, homemade pottery and purses, embroidery and much more.
The market will only be on Saturdays in April but could include Sundays if more vendors sign up, said Donna Raimey, program and events coordinator for the Blaine Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the farmers market. Saturday’s market will be located at the G Street Plaza, and will grow to the H Street plaza as more vendors join.
The seasonal market is expected to run through late October.
People who want to apply to be a vendor can email Donna Raimey at info@blainechamber.com.
CITY OF BLAINE CIVIL ENGINEER
Salary Range: $6,051 - $7,656 per month plus 5% deferred compensation and benefits
The Civil Engineer performs professional-level engineering work activities involving water, sewer, electric, stormwater, and street system analysis and other municipal facility construction, including reviewing and preparing plans, project budgets, and change orders; works with private consultants, engineers, and developers on development improvement projects including review and management. Interested persons should complete the online application on the City’s website, https://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/. Application deadline is April 16, 2021. Open until filled.
CITY OF BLAINE
Due to COVID-19 and the Governor’s Proclamation, meetings are now only open to the public telephonically. Information on how to listen to the meeting live will be on the City Council agenda which is located on the City’s website homepage under Your Government, City Council, City Council Agenda. Please check the agenda prior to each meeting as the call in number or location may change.
Thursday, April 8 9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting *Cancelled* 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, April 12 4:30pm – Special City Council Meeting: Closed Record Hearing – Community Assistance Program CUP Appeal 6:00pm – City Council Meeting
Tuesday, April 13 8:00am – Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, April 22 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. www.cityofblaine.com
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