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The Northern Light • June 3 - 9, 2021
The Northern L ght The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc. Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/ Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors. Letters Policy The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com. Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor 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 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, Hannah Weinberger The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 50 Circulation: 10,500 copies
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Next issue: June 10 Ads due: June 4
s Blaine Police Department officers Jordan Maphumulo, l., and Katelyn Weaver took their oath of honor in front of mayor pro tempore Mary Lou Steward at city hall on June 1. Photos by Ian Haupt
Officers ... From page 1
what challenges you’re going to face.” Weaver, who graduated magna cum laude with a degree in criminal justice from Corban University in Salem, Oregon, said she wanted to work for a small community with strong values that felt like a
place where she could invest her time both on and off duty. Tanksley said before the ceremony this might be the first time in 20 years that BPD has had a female officer. “But don’t quote me on that,” he joked. It’s the first time the police department has hired two officers at the same time since 2007. And the department has more positions to fill before summer is up,
Tanksley said. Following lieutenant Ryan King’s retirement in April and a sergeant vacancy, BPD has been left with holes in its ranks. Tanksley said the department will be promoting a sergeant to lieutenant, two officers to sergeants and hiring two more officers this summer. BPD has 12 commissioned officers, and a total of 16 people on staff.
Public input needed in June 5 redistricting meeting By Nolan Baker In an effort to increase awareness and public participation in the congressional and legislative redistricting process, the Washington State Redistricting Commission will hold a virtual meeting from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 5. The meeting will focus on Washington’s First Congressional District, which includes legislative districts in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish and parts of King County. The meetings will be available to all members of the public via Zoom, YouTube and TVW, and anyone who wants to comment during the public comment period can register online at bit.ly/3yPMSmV before 3 p.m. Friday, June 4. Redistricting is the process of redrawing, or creating new, district boundaries to adjust for population changes since 2011.
The U.S. and state constitutions require each congressional and legislative district represent roughly the same number of voters, and keeping that balance requires tweaking and changing political subdivisions as demographics shift. For Congress, the number of representatives is limited to 435 to be distributed across all 50 states, according to the most recent census. For the Washington legislature, the number is limited to 98 representatives from 49 districts. Since some states and communities grow faster than others, redistricting is necessary to make sure the number of congressional seats for each state represents the population of the country. For example, the 2020 Census shows that Texas, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, Oregon and Utah will all gain a seat (with Texas gaining two) in next year’s Congress.
The redistricting commission has been operating throughout the state since its inception in 1983 when voters approved Constitutional Amendment 74, establishing an independent commission to redistrict legislative and congressional districts every decade. The commission said on its website it will host 20 or more public forums from May to August across the state in order to “listen to your ideas and proposals about current and future Congressional and legislative district boundaries.” The commission is encouraging residents to send comments and insight about their community, share testimonials during public outreach meetings, and to even draw their community with the “DRAW YOUR WA” mapping tool, available online at bit.ly/2SMfiO7.
Civic Meetings Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 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.
