The Northern Light: October 7-13, 2021 by Point Roberts Press

October 7 -13, 2021

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IN THIS

ISSUE

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company expands, page 3

School board candidates, page 6

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

County council at-large candidates, page 15

First responders parade through Birch Bay Birch Bay Realty donates to future library By Grace McCarthy With the goal to create a community hub in central Birch Bay, a local real estate company is donating big to the future Birch Bay Vogt Community Library. As of late September, Birch Bay Realty owner and managing broker Ron Kulman and broker James Danger are now contributing 5 percent of commissions to the future library. Kulman is a former agent at Birch Bay Village Realty and purchased the company which developed Birch Bay Village, and changed its name at the beginning of June. Kulman had two aspirations for the company: Expand its market into Whatcom County while continuing to connect with the Birch Bay community. “We were looking for a project we could really get behind,” Kulman said. “This is something we really believe in.” Kulman said the company will donate a portion of its commissions until at least December 31, 2022. Commissions could bring in about $500 for an average Birch Bay home during the strong housing market, he said. A ballot measure that could fund the Birch Bay library will be on November 2 general election ballots. If passed, Proposition 14 would establish a Birch Bay Library Capital Facility Area (LCFA) that would increase property taxes by 11 cents per $1,000 for Birch Bay homeowners. The library is estimated to cost $6.5 million. To defray costs, Friends of the Birch Bay Library (FOBBL) secured a $2 million state appropriation that expires at the end of 2023. Proposition 14 would pay for the remaining costs. Regardless of whether the measure passes, Kulman said they’re committed to donating commissions. Holly Witte, FOBBL director, said since the LCFA only funds library construction, donations would then go toward expenses such as books and staffing costs. Donations would also reduce the amount of time property owners would pay the LCFA tax if it passes.

s First responders and emergency vehicles paraded through Birch Bay October 5 for National Night Out, an event across the U.S. that celebrates creating community between first responders and neighborhoods. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, Blaine Police Department, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 started the one-hour parade at Birch Bay Waterslides. Photo by Grace McCarthy

(See Library, page 5)

(See Funds, page 2)

City submits ARPA funding requests to county Blaine City Council unanimously approved city manager Michael Jones to submit two requests to Whatcom County to use the county’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. The city is requesting $2.5 million for a sewer rehabilitation project in the Lettered Street neighborhood, part of the large east Blaine sewer project, and $500,000 for a North Harvey Road water pump station. Their $2.5 million ARPA funds would pay for only one-third of the estimated $7.5 million east Blaine sewer project. The project is needed to support current residents, in addition to east Blaine construction that is expected to bring 1,400 homes in the next 15

years. The city of Blaine’s public works department alerted council of the dilapidated east Blaine sewer in March 2021, after sewage leaked into streets west and southwest of Blaine school district in summer 2020. The project will require repairing existing lines, some that are 90-years-old, and will add a new 1,550-foot line. The city is still finding funding resources to pay for the sewer project, but anticipates borrowing most of the money, using $500,000 from the city of Blaine’s ARPA funds and applying for a $500,000 capital allocation from the state. “The city would still be contributing the lion’s share of funding to develop that project,” Jones said during the meeting. The North Harvey Road water pump

Former Whatcom corrections deputy pleads guilty to smuggling contraband, gets one-month sentence By Ian Haupt A former Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) corrections deputy from Blaine was sentenced September 28 to one month in jail for smuggling items into the jail for a female inmate. Christopher Frederic Baetz, 42, pleaded guilty last week in Whatcom County Superior Court to introducing contraband in the second degree and was sentenced

to one month in jail, according to court documents. Baetz will serve his sentence on electronic home monitoring through Friendship Diversion Services. WCSO spokesperson Deb Slater said in an email to The Northern Light that Baetz was placed on administrative leave following his arrest February 8. He resigned April 20 before the completion of an administrative investigation. Slater said the findings of the completed investigation determined

that discipline was warranted and would have resulted in the termination of Baetz employment as a corrections deputy. Baetz had worked for the sheriff’s office since 2006. On February 7, an inmate at the minimum-security Whatcom County Work Center handed a letter to another corrections deputy relating to concerns about (See Deputy, page 3)

will serve areas adjacent to and east of the road, according to a memo Jones prepared for city council. The $500,000 of county ARPA funds would only pay for one-third of the estimated $1.5 million project. As east Blaine development increases demand for water usage, the city will increase the number of pumps in the area, according to the memo. The city had also considered asking for money for the downtown streetscape rehabilitation project, Jones said, but ultimately decided the project didn’t fall into the full purview of the county’s ARPA funds. The city is still looking for $500,000 for the $1.7 million project. “We’re going to look at that

INSIDE

By Grace McCarthy

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14

TheNorthernLight

@TNLreporter

@TheNorthernLightNews

TheNorthernLight.com

ThisFLYERS Week’s

Rite Aid

The Northern Light • October 7-13, 2021

Funds ... From page 1

a little bit more and seek other alternatives and possible other avenues that might make ARPA available in that area, but I think since we’re requesting another government agency to give us some of their ARPA funds for use for our mutual citizens, the county and city citizens, I think it’s best if we stick with ones that are very clearly eligible,” Jones said. Whatcom County received $44 million in ARPA funding, a Covid-19 stimulus package from the federal government. APRA

funds are focused on public health, housing security, childcare expansion and infrastructure, according to the memo. The county is expected to approve the funds during the biennial budget amendment near the end of 2021. “I’ve been coordinating for quite a while now with the county, being very engaged with executive Sidhu and his staff on these items,” Jones said. “I think we have a solid chance of receiving funding, although the $2.5 million might be too big of an ask. We will see. Better to ask and be reduced than not ask.”

Man arrested after driving wrong way on I-5 B y G r a c e M c C a r t h y parked his tan 2017 Jeep CherWashington State Patrol (WSP) troopers arrested a man who caused a car crash driving the wrong way on I-5 during a mental health crisis October 2. A 53-year-old Port Angeles man began driving southbound on northbound I-5, just south of the Peace Arch border crossing, around 12:25 p.m. October 2, WSP public information officer Rocky Oliphant said. The man

okee in the right northbound lane and, without clothing, began walking in and out of the left lane, Oliphant said. A driver of a green 2000 Honda Accord rolled off the road while attempting to avoid hitting the man and his vehicle. No injuries were sustained. WSP received a call at 12:29 p.m. that the man had resumed driving southbound on northbound I-5. About 20 minutes

later, WSP troopers located the man’s unoccupied vehicle about four miles away at a house on Birch Bay-Lynden Road. The man, wearing pants, approached officers and warned he had a bomb that he’d detonate, Oliphant said. Officers didn’t find a bomb, arrested the man and involuntarily committed him to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Troopers temporarily blocked both lanes on I-5, Oliphant said.

October 7-13, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Drayton Harbor Oyster Company expands into neighboring fish market By Ian Haupt By the end of October, Drayton Harbor Oyster Company (DHO) will have extra bar seating available in what used to be Kaisacole Seafood Market. DHO owner Steve Seymour said the goal is to

also be selling fresh oysters and company swag out of the space in a month’s time. “We’re hoping it will help to promote the fresh oyster sales,” he said about the attached storefront. “It will be a farm store with fresh oysters for sale.”

Seymour said he hopes a farm store will remind restaurant customers that DHO farms its own oysters. The new space is still a work in progress as the company just signed the lease October 1. But Seymour said the plan for the

Fun Times at The Vault

Deputy ... From page 1

a female inmate having a cell phone for months, according to the affidavit of probable cause (APC). Deputies searched the three-person unit where the female inmate was incarcerated. Upon strip-searching the woman, deputies found a bag of prescription and nonprescription medications and a cell phone. Deputies also found a vape pen, a number of phone chargers, an electronic cigarette pen, two Velcro sticky pads, one electronic cigarette pouch, a bottle of e-juice, two individually packaged marijuana gummies and a pair of headphones, according to the APC. On February 8, upon further investigation and questioning of the inmate, sheriff’s office detectives found out that Baetz and the inmate had been in contact – through letters and then text and phone calls – for about three months, and that Baetz had provided her with the contraband. Baetz was arrested upon arriving to work.

October 7 • 7 pm • Fun Facts/True False Trivia October 8 • 7 pm • Live Music JP Falcon October 14 • No Trivia - Will Resume October 21 October 15 • 7 pm • Live Music with Free Harmony October 21 • 7 pm • Fun Facts/True False Trivia October 22 • 7 pm • Live Music with RJ Rex October 28 • 7 pm • Fun Facts/True False Trivia October 29 • 7 pm • Live Music with The Song Wranglers

extra 500 square feet is to offer more seating and merchandising. The storefront will be used to sell raw fish products from the farm and oyster totes. Seymour said there will be bar seating for up to nine people and possibly oyster shucking. “Just trying to

O LO

IL RA IS T

make ends meet,” he said with a laugh. Kaisacole was part of the Barlean’s Fishery family, which will continue to run its storefront in Ferndale. DHO opened its Blaine storefront in 2015.

acation

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Information For incoming Kindergarten Families

Read & Share is Here

Take part in our countywide book club this month! Join us for VIRTUAL READ & SHARE PROGRAMS that explore the question of how we build community and examine the concept of home and how we connect with others through shared spaces. For more info visit wcls.org/readandshare or stop by your local library!

Book

BLAINE LIBRARY

610 3 rd Street Paid for by Friends of Blaine Library 360.305.3637 talk/multimedia presentation

We know some families have questions regarding the age for admittance to Kindergarten in the Blaine School District. There has been heightened interest in this topic during COVID, as some families consider keeping their children home instead of enrolling in Kindergarten. We support our families in deciding what is in the best interest of their children, and we want to share information to help you make an informed decision regarding when to enroll your student for school. We believe it is very important for students to have the opportunity to learn in classrooms with peers who are their same age. In any given early learning space, even with a same age cohort, there is, on average, a nine-year developmental age span across the class. We recognize that for any grade level, we will see a difference in both academic and social emotional skills from one student to the next. What we don’t want is for a child to not be challenged by being in a community with children significantly younger, because this can also have a negative impact on their growth. Age bands are a strategy that helps support this gap. It is for this reason that we work hard to support all students in their age/grade level band, no matter their academic ability. We believe that as educators, it is our job to meet students where they are at and to provide the necessary support and instruction to help them succeed. We believe that birth date does matter and we recognize that nothing in education is clearly black and white, so we work to make the best educated decisions when situations fall outside of the expected windows. With this in mind, we want to share with you our expected window and age bands for registration into school moving forward:

2022-2023 School Year (next year) • For the 2022-2023 School Year, students with birthdays from September 1st, 2016 through August 31st, 2017 will be enrolled into Kindergarten. • For the 2022-2023 School Year, students with birthdays from September 1st, 2015 through August 31st 2016 will be enrolled into First Grade, regardless of prior school experience. We want to see every student in Blaine reach their full potential, and we are committed to providing quality educational experiences to every student. We would love to see every student who is of Kindergarten age have the opportunity to be enrolled in a Kindergarten class and to begin building the foundations of their educational experience. We hope that this gives you the information you need to make an informed decision about when to enroll your child into school. We are still accepting kindergarten enrollments for the current school year. We look forward to seeing your children in class.

Jordan Radke, Principal Blaine Primary School

8020 Kickerville Rd, Blaine/Birch Bay

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The Northern Light • October 7-13, 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.

FOBBL show support for Proposition 14

Photo by Aiden Ernst

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

s Friends of the Birch Bay Library (FOBBL) waved signs in support of Proposition 14 at the intersection of Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive on October 5. If the ballot measure passes in the November general election, Proposition 14 would fund construction of the future Birch Bay Vogt Library through a tax increase of 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. FOBBL has more sign-waving events planned, including one Saturday, October 9 at Birch Bay Waterslides. Photo courtesy FOBBL Facebook

Letters

Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Gary Lee 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 XXVII, No 17 Circulation: 10,500 copies

Circulation Independently verified by:

Next issue: Oct. 14 Ads due: Oct. 8

The Editor: I know that some proponents of the Birch Bay Library were disappointed that the historic Vogt house could not become the library. Zervas Architects, community members and library staff tried various layouts with additions onto the existing structure. It became obvious that it was impractical to use a building that couldn’t support the weight of books, would not meet current building requirements, and was not positioned on the property appropriately. The beautiful design that resulted from the process honors the pioneering Vogt family, provides all the services of a modern library, includes a community meeting space, and will serve Birch Bay for many years with lower building costs and lower ongoing expenses than would have been the case with the original house. Birch Bay is larger than Blaine in both

area (21.2 vs. 8.62 square miles) and population (9,323 vs. 5,313). With the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library replacing the weekly bookmobile, we will have a full service library like smaller Whatcom County cities. We greatly appreciate that the Whatcom County Library System purchased the Vogt property. Friends of Birch Bay Library has raised about $150,000 through private donations, fundraisers and a $100,000 contribution from BP. In 2019, state representatives Luanne Van Werven (R) and Sharon Shewmake (D) cosponsored a $2 million state appropriation for a Birch Bay library. We don’t want to jeopardize that amount by delaying this project. We need to establish a Library Capital Facilities Area (LCFA) to fund the remainder of the costs. An 11-cent per $1,000 levy

(assessed value which is less than market value) will do that. I calculated that The C Shop properties will be paying less than $50 per year. That cost will decline over time as more construction occurs in Birch Bay. That means that for the cost of a meal out or a newspaper or magazine subscription per year, we can have a beautiful well-functioning library including 165 feet of public waterfront. Please join us in voting “yes” for Proposition 14 the Birch Bay Library Capital Facilities Area. Patricia Alesse Birch Bay (See Letters, next page) Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

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: Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 19 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.

October 7-13, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Letters ... From previous page

The Editor: My wife and I moved to Blaine one month ago. We were immediately impressed with the friendliness of all the people we met. This was further illustrated when we discovered a serious crack at the base of a large alder tree that was leaning toward our house. Noticing it was on city property, we called the city of Blaine to see if they could help us with the problem. Within an hour of our call, Pat Fremont and Jason Snow stopped by to assess the situation. They acknowledged the tree was a danger to the house and was on city property. By mid-day, a bucket truck was at our house. With skill and precision, two individuals wielding a chainsaw entered the bucket and were carefully cutting the tree down from the top. It was a tedious and precarious project. The tree threatening damage to our new home was down within one hour. Since the work was done at the end of a workday, some of the cleanup was left to the next day. Early the next morning Kenny and Austin showed up to finish the job. Our property was left in great order.

Scarecrow contest is back Get ready, Blaine’s downtown is about to get a whole lot spookier. Blaine Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual scarecrow contest and displays need to be up by Friday, October 15. Businesses will decorate their stores with hay bales, pumpkins and other fall festivities during the competition that runs until November 15. Blaine Chamber of Commerce will take photos of displays at the nearly 20 businesses that have decided to participate this year. A committee composed of chamber board members, vis-

Library ...

This crew of six individuals are a testament to the city of Blaine. Friendliness, hard work and pride was shown by all members. My wife and I sincerely appreciate these impressive city employees; we applaud you! We made the right decision choosing Blaine. Gary Pflueger Blaine The Editor: We have the chance this fall to vote for a truly outstanding Blaine City Council candidate: Kerena Higgins, running in Ward 1. We have a number of issues in this area known as “east Blaine,” including lack of city services, speeding on H Street Road and continuing rampant development without the necessary supporting infrastructure. Higgins is a balanced, hard-working and dedicated professional who, for many years, has served as Washington state assistant attorney general. As Blaine inevitably grows, we need bright, effective and capable leadership. Higgins will ably provide that as an outstanding addition to the council and well deserves to earn your vote. Jack Kintner and Jackie Braverman Blaine

itor center volunteers and active community members will vote on the winner. The chamber will also help businesses that don’t have a downtown store find a store if they want to participate. The chamber encourages those who want to register but haven’t already to contact the chamber as soon as possible. The Northern Light will donate a 4-by-4-inch color ad to the winner. For more information, call the visitor information center at 360/332-4544.

From page 1

“It shows such wonderful community support,” Witte said. “We are a small community and the donation shows just how kind everyone is and how much they are looking out for what this community needs. I know it’s a big decision for a company to decide who to support and it means the world to us.”

Get your business

BUZZ’N! In The Northern Light

Call 360-332-1777 s From l.; James Danger and Ron Kulman are donating 5 percent of Birch Bay Realty commissions to the future Birch Bay Vogt Community Library. Photo by Grace McCarthy

CITY OF BLAINE Due to Governor Inslee’s proclamation in response to COVID-19, this City Council meeting will be conducted remotely. Information on how to watch 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 location may change.

Monday, October 11 5:00pm – Study Session: 2022 Budget 6:00pm – City Council Meeting

Congratulations

Tuesday, October 12 8:00am – Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee Meeting

Senior Master Sergeant

Jeffrey A. Ginther

Thursday, October 14 9:00am – Parks and Cemetery Board Meeting 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting

On your retirement from the United States Air Force after 34 years of exemplary service. Jeff, stationed at Morris AFB in Tucson, AZ, retired on October 2, 2021.

Monday, October 18 4:30pm – Study Session: East Blaine Capital Strategy 6:00pm – Special City Council Meeting: 2022 Budget

Jeff specialized in Survival Systems and Skills for training air crews. He deployed to six combat operations to include Desert Shield/ Storm, Operation Northern Watch (Turkey), Operation Southern Watch (Kuwait), and Afghanistan. Notable accomplishments include the Airman’s Medal and the Legion of Valor’s Silver Cross for Heroism for saving the lives of two civilians.

Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website.

CITY OF BLAINE

Jeff is a proud alumni of Blaine High School Class of 1987.

Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website.

www.cityofblaine.com

Thank you for your service. Your family is so proud of you!

FOREPERSON

HIRING FOR TWO POSITIONS Salary Range: $6,051 to $7,656 per month plus benefits; including an additional 5% toward deferred compensation. The Public Works Foreperson (PWF) serves as the senior member of a maintenance crew by providing supervision, technical support, and guidance as well as working with assigned personnel. Along with the supervisory work this position performs a variety of semi-skilled and technical work in the maintenance and operations of the City’s Public Works infrastructures. There are two similar roles filled under this job description and are defined in two tracks consisting of Track 1; Streets, Parks, Cemetery and Facilities Divisions and Track 2; Water, Wastewater Collections, and Storm Water Divisions. Both of these Tracks are equal in pay and benefits and the personnel within the positions will be rotated per a rotation schedule determined by the Director — Public Works in order to insure full development and transfer of knowledge in both PWF positions. The PWF may oversee community service workers, volunteers or temporary workers as required and assigned. The PWF plans, schedules, and implements construction, maintenance, and daily operation activities designed to provide quality service for the City; oversees construction and maintenance work to determine acceptability and conformance to standards. The PWF will work closely with the Director’s office in delivering timely and quality service to all customers. The PWF must maintain a high level of personal integrity. Interested persons should complete the online application on the City’s website: https://www.ci.blaine.wa.us/1070/Foreperson---Public-Works First review deadline: October 22, 2021, at 4:30pm; Open Until Filled.

The City of Blaine is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Thank you for supporting local journalism. “Thank you for your informative and balanced coverage of local news and events.” - Jeffrey Miller

This week’s supporters: Bill & Jamie Law • Jeffrey Miller • Thomas Loesch Kevin Anthony • Gonzalo Valdes

You can also contribute online at thenorthernlight.com

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The Northern Light • October 7-13, 2021

Meet your four Blaine school board candidates By Ian Haupt Four Blaine school district area residents are running for two seats on the Blaine school district board of directors. With board member Joan Lotze not seeking a third term, the District 3 seat will be filled by a new face. In District 5, incumbent and board vice president Laura McKinney will seek another term. Below are some questions The Northern Light asked the candidates and their answers, edited for length and clarity. District 3 Erika Creydt Erika Creydt has three kids who have attended Blaine schools in the past. Creydt said her kids switched to an online schooling program because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Creydt is a psychologist and clinical director of TouchStone Health Clinic in downtown Blaine. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago. Q: Why are you running? A: I would like to see the school district thrive academically. Also, I’m aware of the challenges. I run a business, and I’m aware of all the different challenges that are being presented to organizations with Covid. About every week something new rolls out and, organizationally, it’s really difficult to adjust to. I’m also aware of the challenges as a parent for what it’s been like during Covid to confidently readjust to the ever-changing situation. And I want to see the Blaine school district be a place where the kids can thrive academically as well as socially and emotionally. Q: What is your priority? A: Academics. Making sure that there are opportunities and pathways to vocational train-

s Erika Creydt.

s Bob Feaster.

s Laura McKinney.

s Rocky Butler.

ing as well as higher education. Making sure that the social and emotional needs [of students] are met. Mental health is something that really impacts learning, a lot more than people realize. Q: What do you think the school board does well? A: I think the school board does a great job navigating these challenging situations that keep coming up. This last year has been pretty wild in terms of constant new challenges thrown at any organization. I think they’ve done a great job creating more opportunities for the public to communicate with them. Bob Feaster Bob Feaster is a married father of five who served 35 years in public education. Feaster has been a school psychologist, special education director and assistant superintendent as well as a university instructor teaching graduate courses in psychology and education. He was also a high school football official for 20 years. Feaster has been a special education aide, substitute school counselor, substitute bus aide and coordinator for the Blaine school district Family Service Center. Q: Why are you running?

A: I understand school districts as they have always been a part of my life and a passion. When I retired and moved to Blaine six years ago, I was looking for ways to get involved in school. I began by volunteering reading to kids in the hallways of Blaine Elementary School. Then I was encouraged to become a substitute. I thought it would be a good opportunity to serve the community and bring my skills and past experience to the position. Q: What is your top priority? A: My top priority would be to make sure the district is run well – run with a steady hand. The school board’s job is to hire a superintendent and provide a superintendent with appropriate goals, to evaluate that person, to set policies and so on. I don’t have an agenda to fix one thing. I think the district is pretty well run. But I think we need at least one person on the board with an education background. Q: What do you think the school board does well? A: I think they’ve done a good job managing the Covid issues. They have followed the science. They have followed the recommendations of various health departments and the governor. And I know that’s been hard on them. But they have done, in my opinion, the right thing to do for students. District 5 Laura McKinney Laura McKinney has five children who have all attended the Blaine school district, two of whom are still in the district. McKinney is currently the government affairs and public relations manager for Alcoa’s Transformation Group. She has worked as the director

of communications for Whatcom Business Alliance and as a U.S. diplomat in Tbilisi, Georgia; Vancouver, B.C.; and Ljubljana, Slovenia. McKinney has lived in Blaine since 2001. Q: Why are you running? A: I’m running for a second term on the school board because I feel like there is continuous opportunity to improve the situation in our school district. There’s still more work to be done. And I think there is still some value I can add in supporting some students and our families in our school district. Q: What is your top priority? A: My top priority continues to be the focus on the success of our students for their futures. To make sure that when they are leaving our school system, they are well prepared for careers, college and to be good citizens in our community. Q: What do you think the school board does well? A: The primary function of the school board is to drive policy, and I think that we have a plan to review and update our policies. Those are the policies that direct the superintendent and the school district and guide future direction. I think we are on a good path to continue to do that. We are also working on the best methods to engage the community on that policy and discussion. We are working to better understand our role and function in improving and supporting the school district. Rocky Butler Rocky Butler has three kids in Blaine schools, two in middle school and one in elementary. Butler has lived in Whatcom

County since 2018 and moved to Birch Bay in 2019. She currently works as a software support agent for Los Angeles company Solid Commerce. Butler’s family has volunteered with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association since 2019 and at American Legion Post 86 serving breakfast and dinner since 2020. Q: Why are you running? A: As a mom who has to navigate being able to advocate for her child in special education – my middle child, my 6th grader is autistic – it’s a really hard thing to make sure that special education kids have the same opportunities as non-special education kids. And I have seen some parents leave the district because of it. So, instead of being a complainer, why wouldn’t I want to be someone who is part of the solution? Q: What is your top priority? A: My top priority would be to make sure the kids that need support have the opportunity to get it, and really making sure their teachers know they have the power to help these kids. They see our kids every day so they know our kids just about as well as we do. Q: What do you think the school board does well? A: Before I started running for the school board, I really didn’t know what the school board actually did. Just having come into it, I didn’t know that the school board hired the superintendent. That was interesting to learn how the board creates policies for the superintendent to implement. And to my knowledge, I think they’ve made a good choice with the current superintendent.

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The Blaine High School Athletic Booster Club will induct eight individuals and two teams into the school hall of fame 2 p.m. Saturday, October 9 at the football stadium. The inductees will also be briefly introduced during halftime of the football game Friday, October 8. Seventeen individuals and

teams were inducted into the hall of fame in the group’s first ceremony in 2019. Last year the ceremony was postponed due to the pandemic. Along with the ceremony, a raffle will be held for a quilt sewn in Borderite orange and black. The proceeds will go toward the booster club. The hall of fame committee is also seeking nominations from

parents, coaches and community members who know of past school athletes who may be eligible. The committee will keep all nominations on file and reconsider them for three years, if not immediately inducted. To learn more and see the nomination criteria, visit the Blaine Athletic Booster Club website at blaineathleticboosterclub.com/ hall-of-fame.html.

October 7-13, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Sports Football concedes first loss of season, volleyball breaks losing streak Blaine High School Athletic Hall of Fame 2021 Induction Class:

1990 Baseball Team • 1990 Wrestling Team Rod Dohner • Dale Flint • Ernie Jacobs Teresa Holleman Goninan • Dwayne Magnusson Becky Riddle • Bob Robbins

Special Introduction of Inductees

s Scott Baldwin makes a catch in the Borderites 46-22 loss at Archbishop Murphy last Friday. Photo by Janell Kortlever

By Ian Haupt The past week marked the halfway point of the regular high school fall sports season, and Blaine fall sports took a mix of wins and losses at home and on the road. Football Scheduled to play Lynden Christian at home last Friday, the Borderites had to travel to Everett to play Archbishop Murphy after Lynden was forced to cancel due to a Covid-19 outbreak. Blaine picked up its first loss of the season in a 46-22 rout to the Wildcats. The boys started the game strong, finishing their first drive with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Avery Dohner to Scott Baldwin. The seniors would combine four times throughout the game for a total of 67 yards. Archbishop Murphy responded on its first possession, making the game even at the end of the first quarter. But the Wildcats would go on to score twice in the second quarter – one a 75-yard touchdown pass – to take a 24-8 lead into halftime. The Borderites would pull one back in the third quarter when Jaxon Kortlever, playing safety, scooped up a fumble and returned it 46 yards for a touchdown. Despite being double covered most of the game, the senior also caught four passes for 43 yards. It was not enough for Blaine though, as the Wildcats finished the game with nearly 400 yards of offense. Senior quarterback Cole Thomas entered the game in the fourth quarter and led the Borderites to their final touchdown of the evening. Thomas rushed for 26 yards and passed for 20, with the drive culminating in a 6-yard touchdown pass to senior tight end Aiden Holley. Baldwin and Dohner stood out for the Borderites on the night. The receiver hauled in 10 passes for 145 yards and the quarterback completed 14 of 28 passes for 175 yards.

Blaine will host a 0-in-5 Shorewood this Friday night, October 8, as its homecoming game. Statistics and play-by-play thanks to whatcompreps.com. Girls soccer The Lady Borderites got back to their winning ways last week, picking up a 1-0 win over Lakewood at home September 30 on the back of two straight losses. But the girls were no match for the Bayhawks, as they lost 2-0 to Bellingham at home Tuesday night. Blaine will travel to Anacortes Thursday, October 7, host Burlington-Edison Saturday, October 9, and travel to Meridian Monday, October 11. The Borderites are 5-3 so far this season. Volleyball Blaine ended a four-match losing streak at the beginning of this week, beating Bellingham at home in three straight sets Monday night. The Borderites had picked up their fourth loss in a row September 30, losing in a tight 3-2 match at home to Lakewood. The girls are on the road this week as they travel to Anacortes Thursday, October 7, and Meridian Tuesday, October 12. The Lady Borderites are 3-5 so far this season.

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The Northern Light • October 7-13, 2021

Health & Wellness Local choices in healt Local choices in health, healing & fitness.

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With a recently finished behavioral analysis certification under her belt and more than 25 years of experience working with children with disabilities, Blaine resident Faiza Eshan has now started at-home behavioral services for Whatcom County youth. “All special children are the purest form of human expression,” Eshan said. “They are genuine, loving, caring children and most of them have a great sense of humor. It is hard not to fall in love with them.” Eshan works part-time at Sendan Center, an adolescent behavioral health clinic in Bellingham. After working there as a registered behavior technician trainee for 2.5 years, Eshan became certified as a behavioral analyst in October 2020. Applied behavioral analysis is a therapy focused on understanding behavior in situations and using positive reinforcement to help a person with skills such as communication, social, motor and learning. This summer, she started inhome applied behavioral analysis services for toddlers to young adults who are either on the autism spectrum, have Down syndrome, learning deficits, cognitive delays and communication disorders. Currently, she works with children in Blaine, Bellingham, Ferndale and Lynden. The class structure depends on the client’s needs, which can range from social to environmental connections, Eshan said. For

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example, she worked with one child having behavior issues at school to understand his sensory needs, do a personal assessment and work on new skills with him. “It makes a task into a smaller, teachable thing that’s easier to learn,” she said. Eshan, who is a verbal behavioral specialist, said communication is a key element for behavior management. “If you can teach them how to communicate, half the problem is solved,” she said. Eshan earned two master’s degrees in special education and language art from the University of Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan before becoming director of Communication Disorders Clinic in Lahore in 1997. During that time, she also worked as the program coordinator of the Child Guidance School, where she worked with children on the autism spectrum and led parent support groups. She went on to work as a special education teacher in Kuwait, Qatar and Portland, Oregon. Sessions are typically a few hours and Eshan works with clients from one to a few times per week. Eshan accepts Medicaid, Molina, Premera, Regence, Atena and First Choice Health, among other insurances. To contact Eshan, call 206/751-6155 or email faizaehsan@autismimprovementservices.com. “Early intervention is the key,” Eshan said. “If parents think their child is different, rather than prolonging the process, they can go in for the assessment and then it’s easier to handle.”

October 7-13, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Health & Wellness Local choices in health, healing & fitness. continued

Covid-19 in Whatcom County, by school district boundaries: Recent two-week case rates, cumulative counts and vaccinations By Grace McCarthy As of September 27, 70 percent of people in Whatcom County who are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine are now fully vaccinated and 5 percent are in the process of getting vaccinated. There are 50,000 people 12 years old and older – the current eligible age group for the vaccine – who have not had their first shot, according to the health department. Whatcom County has had 13,844 probable and confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to October 4 Washington State Department of Health data. Six people died of Covid-19 in the past week, increasing the number of deaths to 140. The number of deaths makes up 1 percent of total confirmed Covid-19 cases in Whatcom County. On October 5, 29 people at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center had either been admitted for Covid-19 or tested positive for Covid-19 after being admitted for another reason. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 731 people have been hospitalized in Whatcom County for Covid-19. The Blaine school district area’s Covid-19 case rate decreased significantly, from 514 cases per 100,000 people last week to now 312 cases per 100,000. Blaine has the second lowest case rate in the county, following Bellingham. Blaine school district has had 30 confirmed cases since last week. County residents 17 and under continue to have the high-

Blaine Vaccination: 67% Case rate: 312 New cases: 30 Ferndale Vaccination: 63% Case rate: 345 New cases: 83

Lynden Vaccination: 52% Case rate: 715 New cases: 100

Nooksack Valley Vaccination: 49% Case rate: 366 New cases: 31

Meridian Vaccination: 62% Case rate: 347 New cases: 19

Mount Baker Vaccination: 45% Case rate: 410 New cases: 44

Bellingham Vaccination: 74% Case rate: 237 New cases: 172

s The case rate is the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks. New cases are the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the last week. Vaccination is the percentage of the population that has had at least one vaccine shot. Rates were updated October 2. est Covid-19 case rates with 442 cases per 100,000 people. People 18-24 years old have the second highest transmission rates with 378 cases per 100,000. The Whatcom County Health Department released a weekly Covid-19 report for September 19-25. The report found daily cases continued to slowly decline during the week of September 19, with about 60 new Covid-19 cases reported per day. Of the 19 Covid-19 hospitalizations that week, 14, or 74 percent, were

from people who were unvaccinated. Of the 438 cases, 127 were from people fully vaccinated. An unvaccinated woman in her 70s was the only person who died from Covid-19 the week of September 19. For more Whatcom County information, visit whatcomcounty. us/covidvaccine and whatcomcounty.us/coviddata. Washington State Department of Health information is available at bit. ly/3r2URJj. For CDC data, visit bit.ly/39Kt4qh.

The effects of volunteering A recent analysis examining the potential correlation between volunteering and well-being found that volunteering is associated with a positive change in well-being. Authors of the study, which was published in the Journal of Happiness Studies in March of 2020, acknowledged that evidence pertaining to the correlation between volunteering and well-being has accumulated gradually in recent years, though they feel their study offers the most realistic assessment to date in regard to that link. That’s good news for volunteers, many of whom may be quick to point out that they get as much as they give when volunteering. Recent analyses support that notion and may encourage people to make time to give back through volunteering. Though more studies are needed, the Cleveland Clinic notes that some of the health benefits often associated with volunteering include lower blood pressure, increased self-esteem, lower levels of depression and stress, and greater satisfaction with life.

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The Northern Light • October 7-13, 2021

Semiahmoo golfers donate $16,000 to food bank, surpassing 2020 donation By Ian Haupt

s Thomas Yang of the Semiahmoo Good Ol’ Boys golf group hands Blaine Food Bank operations manager Sally Church a check for $16,000 at time when she said the food bank is hurting. Photo by Ian Haupt

In its second consecutive year, the Semiahmoo Good Ol’ Boys golf group donated the money raised from their small tournament fundraiser to Blaine Food Bank, reaching the organization in a time of need. Fundraiser organizer Thomas Yang and the rest of the Good Ol’ Boys handed Blaine Food Bank’s operations manager Sally Church a check for $16,000 at Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club on September 3. “It’s so critical to us,” Church said. “This time of year is in between the harvest season and giving season, so it’s always a difficult time. We’ve had trouble lately.” The food bank saw an influx of donations at the beginning of the pandemic last year but Church

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said this year donations have decreased dramatically. She said the food bank serves just under 500 families each week, and it needed this donation because that number is increasing. The Good Ol’ Boys – more than 30 retired men who mostly live near Semiahmoo and golf a few times a week – has been around for about 30 years. Last year, the group donated $14,000 to the food bank, which was the first time it used the annual tournament to raise money for charity. This year, with about 40 golfers contributing, the Good Ol’ Boys were able to raise the $16,000 in two weeks, Yang said. “We were looking for a local community organization to support,” Yang said. “And Sally explained to me the challenges they were facing at the food bank.”

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Whatcom County is looking for input on how the public would most like to participate in local government. A seven-question survey was posted October 1 as part of a larger county effort to review the local public engagement process and identify areas for improvement, according to an October 1 Whatcom County government news release. “We hope to get a sense of how community members want to participate in the decision-making processes of Whatcom County and what we can do that would make the public feel more willing to provide input or engage with County government,” said Jed Holmes, community outreach facilitator for the Whatcom County Executive’s Office, in the news release. Questions pertain to where residents find information about Whatcom County government and where they would prefer to find it. The survey also asks people if they have ever been to a local government meeting, what type of meeting it was, whether it was remote or in-person, and what would make them more willing to provide input and engage in county government. The survey will run through the month of October. The news release says a final report is expected to be presented to county council before the end of the year. To take the survey, visit bit. ly/3uwtsS8.

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Custom built in 2006 with almost 4,000 SF of living space. Panoramic views from open floor plan includes library/office, vaulted ceilings, hardwoods & tile throughout, custom cabinetry, built in great room plus wrap around deck for indoor/outdoor living. Kitchen with dual fridge, wet bar, solid granite slab & storage. Dining space & oversized covered deck for year-round enjoyment. Lower level w/2 guest rooms & 3rd oversized room or bonus. Third full bath includes sauna! Plus, 3rd car garage, extra parking slab & optional front door entry. Mountain & Bay views.

Terry Conway • (360) 410-0503

CeCelia Breivik • (360) 303-8161

Ruth Skeete • (360) 358-5075

8067 Chinook Way, Birch Bay Village $1,190,000

8153 Harborview Rd., Birch Bay $357,000

11.33 ACRE ESTATE PROPERTY WITH A VIEW!

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JACOB’S LANDING! Down By the Seashore Where NEW LISTING! Life is a Little Easier! It’s here! Another fabulous end garden unit at Jacob’s landing. Views of the water, magical sunsets, prime beach access and all the amenities that Jacob’s Landing has to offer: Indoor pool, hot tub, tennis courts, racquet ball court plus a games room & social room that can be reserved for your functions! This 2 BD, 1 BA unit comes furnished with laminate floors, wall to wall carpet and tiles. Life on the beach is quite awesome with restaurants & cafes nearby, crabbing and clamming, kayaking & miles of beach to explore.

Julie Ward • (760) 522-2564

Thinking of

THE VIEW

H 7495 Sunset Dr., Birch Bay • $479,900 MLS # 1842390 • 1 BR, 1-BA • 880 Sq. Ft

5500 Puffin Pl., Semiahmoo • $320,000 MLS # 1814575 • Vacant Land • 0.66 Acres

Classic Birch Bay Water view Cottage! The cottage offer multiple elevated

views, Bay, Island, Mountain and Terrell Creek. Great light, and sun exposure greets you on a daily bases. Kitchen and extra living room on main floor. Modern remodeled bathroom with washer and dryer. Master and office area are located in spacious upstairs loft. Enjoy your location to all amenities including the State park and the new Birch Bay Promenade / Berm. Coming, is the new Birch Bay Beach Park. A must see as a get-a-way or year-round living.

Only 3 single family homesites left. This 28,899 sq

ft. +/- home site is over 1/2 acre. A rare find! Looking back to Drayton Harbor, Semiahmoo Marina, Semiahmoo Resort-GolfSpa, the Canadian mountain range and the city lights of Blaine Washington and Whiterock Canada. Enjoy all the amenity potential from the Resort to the Marina. World class golf at the Arnold Palmer designed Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club, walking & great biking trails, kayaking, & boating the San Juan’s.

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Listing your property? Call Lisa for a

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Rentals - Rooms FURNISHED ROOMS in historic home, incl. amenities, NS, pet friendly starts at $600/ mo. + deposit, references required. 360-332-3449.

Rentals - Commercial

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Gerry’s 30-Day Stats 3 2 Sold 3 2 Pending 3 2 Listed “Like my 1930 Ford, I offer old fashioned service!”

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

Newly Available!

CALL 360-332-1777

sales@thenorthernlight.com

LEASE SPACES FOR:

Warehousing-Distribution Manufacturing or Retail Vehicle Storage Yards Near Truck Route & Shopping Mall

Email or Call Don Nelson For Availability & Rates

for REAL news READ LOCAL

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Support Local Blaine/Birch Bay Businesses!

We get the word out! FOLLOW US ON facebook.com/thenorthernlight

380 s.f.

2nd floor office space in The Northern Light Cannery-style building on Blaine Harbor. Views of marina. Fiber optic internet. Utilities included. For leasing info, contact Pat Grubb at 360/332-1777 or email pgrubb@mac.com

October 7-13, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

O B I T U A RY

Road Rules: Are mini-motorcycles legal? By Doug Dahl Question: My son just told me he got a ride from a friend on a mini-motorcycle. It’s got a 49cc motor and looks like a regular motorcycle but much smaller. Are those legal? And if so, is there an age requirement for them? My son and his friend are 14. (And they weren’t wearing helmets.) If they’re not legal, how upset should I be about it zipping around the neighborhood? Answer: Those are commonly called pocket bikes, and the answer to your first question is a big nope. They’re not even close to legal. But the people who sell them will answer in their marketing material that they are, and we’re both right. It’s just that we’re not answering the same question. I’ve assumed you want to know if it’s legal to ride on the street. The companies that sell them are just letting you know it’s legal to own one (and you’re welcome to ride it in your yard). Dig into the fine print, and they’ll recommend you check your local laws before riding them on the road. However, that’s just a way to avoid the real answer. In every state that requires motor-driven cycles to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), and I think it’s all of

them, pocket bikes are not street legal. While the 49cc motor meets the engine size requirements for a moped, there’s more to a legal moped than the size of the engine. We expect, and the law requires, some basic safety features on road-worthy vehicles. Here’s a non-comprehensive list of important safety items that pocket bikes don’t usually have: headlight, tail light, brake light, mirrors and horn. In addition, the brakes, tires and controls need to meet safety standards, and since pocket bikes aren’t built to ride on the road, they likely won’t meet those standards. Before anyone can legally use a moped on the road, it needs to be registered. The department of licensing isn’t going to provide a registration to a vehicle that doesn’t meet safety standards and doesn’t have a proper Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). A pocket bike, not being built to meet FMVSS, probably has a serial number, but it won’t have a VIN or the FMVSS label. Even if your son’s friend did find a pocket bike that met all the FMVSS requirements (which as far as I can tell is a fictional item), and had it licensed, he wouldn’t be allowed to ride it on the road, because you need to be 16 and

have a driver license to ride a moped. Also, the law requires anyone riding a moped to wear a helmet. To summarize the violations that happened as described by your son: • Riding an unlicensed motor vehicle on public roads • A bunch of equipment violations • Riding without a valid license • Riding without a helmet As to your second question, I’m not going to tell you how upset to be, but from what your son described there’s a legitimate reason to be a little reassured and reasonably concerned. The fact that he told you this suggests you’re raising an honest son. I don’t think I’d have admitted to it at that age. The concern part comes from “that age.” The experts will tell you that the human brain doesn’t fully develop its ability to make good decisions until around age 25. I was 14 a while back, and I could have told you that just by remembering the dumb things I did. Middle-schoolers and motor vehicles, even mini-motorcycles, aren’t a good (or legal) mix on the road. Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.

Chris Cameron Kuiper July 20, 1952 – September 19, 2021 Chris Cameron Kuiper passed away on September 19, 2021 at the age of 69 in her hometown of Blaine. The simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to Chris. She had an uncanny ability to find happiness in her daily activities. Her love of life didn’t come to an end with her death. She was a proud alumna of Blaine High School. She devoted nine years of her life to the U.S. Navy and was honored to be a female sailor in her time. After the Navy, she followed her love of Port 3004, and her father’s legacy as U.S. port director, to become a U.S. customs broker in 1988. She served ports across the United States in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas. Chris was a member of the American Legion Post 86 and loved helping with bingo and making friends every Friday and Saturday night. Chris retired in 2019 from WR Zanes in Dallas TX to take her mom home to Blaine to rest together as angels. She is proceeded in death as the only child of Don Cameron and beloved mother Elizabeth. She is survived by her aunt Bonnie and cousins Clayton and Michelle Smith of Ohio. Memorial services will be held on Sunday, October 10, 2021, at 2 p.m. at American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Dr., Blaine.

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

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A construction worker who was working in a shallow trench at the intersection of Harborview Road and Birch Bay Drive was buried to the waist down when material slid in from an adjacent trench.

Around 9:45 a.m. October 5, a Whatcom County Public Works on-site contractor, an employee of Interwest Construction, Inc., was buried in a trench on the Harborview and Birch Bay Stormwater Improvement Project job site, public works spokesperson Marie Duckworth said in an

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The Northern Light • October 7-13, 2021

Coming up

Sheriff’s Reports Sep. 26, 12:06 a.m.: Suspicious person on Loft Lane. Sep. 26, 10:44 a.m.: Suspicious vehicle on Iverson Lane, Custer. Sep. 26, 8:29 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Grandview Road. Sep. 26, 8:43 p.m.: Traffic signal on Birch Bay-Lynden and Enterprise roads, Custer. Sep. 27, 1:19 p.m.: Trespass on Harborview Road. Sep. 27, 2 p.m.: Mental on Surf Place. Sep. 27, 4:06 p.m.: Landlord tenant dispute on Birch Bay-Lynden Road. Sep. 27, 4:32 p.m.: Harassment on Harborview Road. Sep. 28, 7:01 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Ham and Arnie roads, Custer. Sep. 28, 7:16 a.m.: Harassment on Harborview Road. Sep. 28, 7:37 a.m.: Alarm audible on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. Sep. 28, 7:37 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Bruce and Arnie roads, Custer. Sep. 28, 10:11 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Harborview Road. Sep. 28, 12:47 p.m.: Domestic order violence on Harborview Road. Sep. 28, 1:44 p.m.: Domestic order violence on Custer School

Road, Custer. Sep. 29, 5:16 a.m.: Harassment on Surf Place. Sep. 29, 8:40 a.m.: Vehicle theft on Portal Way. Sep. 29, 1:48 p.m.: Trespass on Birch Bay Square Street. Sep. 29, 7:33 a.m.: Sex offender registration on Alder Street. Sep. 30, 4:50 a.m.: Hazard on Delta Line Road, Custer.

Police Reports Sep. 25, 12 p.m.: Fraud, theft on Peace Portal Drive. Sep. 26, 12:19 a.m.: Juvenile runaway report on E Street. Sep. 26, 6:19 a.m.: Civil case on Bayview Avenue. Sep. 26, 11:52 p.m.: Telephone harassment on Blaine Avenue. Sep. 27, 2:21 a.m.: Trespass complaint on Parkview Place. Sep. 27, 2:51 a.m.: Residential alarm on C Street. Sep. 27, 3:37 a.m.: Suspicious circumstances on Peace Portal Drive. Sep. 27, 11:07 a.m.: Assist citizen on 11th Street. Sep. 28, 10:30 a.m.: Assist citizen on H Street.

Crossword

ACROSS 1. Taxis 5. Mega energy unit (abbr.) 8. Single-strand break 11. Combinations of countries 13. Cutting tool 14. Small bay in Gulf of Maine 15. Actress Lathan 16. Chatter incessantly 17. Energy, style and enthusiasm 18. Simple shoe 20. Woman (French) 21. Abnormal rattling sound 22. Able to change 25. Future butterfly 30. Used in cooking and medicine 31. A street for nightmares 32. French modernist painter 33. Dishonors 38. Integrated data processing 41. Frameworks 43. Apply new materials 45. Where merch is displayed

Sep. 30, 6:46 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Arnie and Kickerville roads. Sep. 30, 9:19 a.m.: Civil problem on Arnie Road, Custer. Oct. 1, 12:47 p.m.: Traffic hazard on Valley View and Sweet roads. Oct. 1, 5:04 p.m.: Traffic hazard on Birch Bay-Lynden and Valley View roads, Custer.

48. American figure skater Lipinski 49. Cycles per second 50. Oohed and __ 55. Dark olive black 56. Peyton’s little brother 57. Plant in the bean family 59. A wife: __ covert 60. Born of 61. Arranges balls on the pool table 62. Title of Italian monk 63. Tooth caregiver 64. American feminist poet DOWN 1. Dan Rather’s old network 2. Expression of sorrow or pity 3. __ fide (Latin) 4. Sign of healing 5. Warm-blooded vertebrate 6. Model 7. Of or relating to plants 8. Plant of the heath family 9. Where to weigh something 10. Internal structure

12. __ Paulo, city 14. South Slavic person 19. A way to record 23. Have already done 24. As much as one can hold 25. Auburn legend Newton 26. Comedienne Gasteyer 27. Beloved dog Rin Tin __ 28. Midway between east and southeast 29. Call it a career 34. Former CIA 35. American time 36. Confederate general 37. Soviet Socialist Republic 39. Travel downward 40. Made red-blue 41. Vietnamese revolutionary Le Duc 42. Capital of Italy 44. Small bunches of flowers 45. Calvary sword 46. A distinctive, pleasant odor 47. A well-defined track or path 48. Cereal used to make flour

Report by Blaine Police Department.

51. Retrospective analysis (abbr.) 52. Grayish white 53. Engrave 54. Famed men’s basketball program 58. Midway between south and southeast ANSWERS: THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM

Live Music at The Vault: Friday, October 8, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. Featuring: JP Falcon. Info: thevaultwine.com. Family Movie Night: Friday, October 8, 7 p.m., Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini Street. Playing a family friendly Halloween movie. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and watch the movie on the big screen. Free popcorn. Masks and social distancing required. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. Home Farm Fall Festival: Saturday and Sunday, October 9 and 10, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Home Farm Upick & Events, 8020 Kickerville Road. Pumpkin patch, vendors, food truck and more. Free admission. Info: homefarm. farm. The Maker Faire: Saturday, October 9, 10–5 p.m., Bellis Fair Mall, next to Dick’s Sporting Goods. Free family event celebrating creativity and ingenuity around the Pacific Northwest. Info: www.makerfairebellingham.org. Birch Bay Library Information Session: Saturday. October 9, 2-3 p.m. Whatcom County Library System executive director Christine Perkins will host an online community meeting to share information and to answer questions about the proposed Birch Bay Vogt Community Library. Birch Bay voters will vote November 2 to determine if they will fund the construction of a new library through property taxes. Pre-registration is required at wcls. org/happenings. Blaine High School Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony: Saturday, October 9, 2 p.m., Blaine High School Stadium. Teams, contributors and athletes honored for their accomplishments at Blaine High School and beyond. Second Sunday Breakfast: Sunday, October 10, 9 a.m.–noon, American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Drive. Serving eggs to order, biscuits and gravy, French toast, pancakes, ham or sausage, coffee, milk and orange juice. Adults $8, kids 4–7 $4, ages 3 and under are free. Open to the public. Please wear a mask until seated at your table. All proceeds support the American Legion and our veterans. Info: 360/371-7311.

October 8-14 at Blaine. Not for navigation.

Blaine City Council Candidates Forum: Thursday, October 14. 6 p.m. for ward 1, position 2 with candidates J. Calvin Armerding and Kerena Higgins. 6:45 p.m. for ward 2, position 4 with candidates Colin Hawkins and Rhyan Lopez. 7:30 p.m. for ward 3, position 6 for candidates Eric Davidson and Barbara Sturdivant. 8:15 p.m. for at-large, position 7 with candidates Mike Hill and Sukhwant Gill. Zoom link or watch recording, including other candidate forums at lwvbellinghamwhatcom.org. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County.

TIME

Fr 8

1:07 am 0.1

7:47 am 9.2

1:24 pm 4.1

6:58 pm 9.2

Sa 9 1:49 am -0.7

8:47 am 9.4

2:12 pm 5.1

7:26 pm 9.1

Su 10 2:35 am -1.2

9:55 am 9.4

7:58 pm 8.9

HEIGHT

3:06 pm 6.1

TIME

HEIGHT

Mo 11 3:25 am -1.3 11:07 am 9.4 4:12 pm 6.8

8:34 pm 8.5

Tu 12 4:21 am -1.1 12:25 pm 9.3 5:34 pm 7.2

9:18 pm 7.9

We 13 5:25 am -0.7

1:41 pm 9.4

7:22 pm 6.9 10:30 pm 7.3

Th 14 6:33 am -0.2

Whatcom County Candidates Forum: Thursday, October 7, 7–9 p.m., Ferndale Events Center, 5715 Barrett Road, Ferndale. Candidates for Whatcom County Council, school boards and Port of Bellingham. Forum can be viewed at bit.ly/3izOQkv or live on KGMI radio.

Tides DATE

Thanksgiving Dinner Basket Registration: The Community Assistance Program will be providing ready-to-cook turkey dinners for lower income Blaine, Birch Bay, and Custer families. Register at blainecap.org or call 9351539. Registration deadline: November 12. Drive through pick-up will be Tuesday, November 23, 12-2:30 p.m. in Birch Bay.

Blaine School Board Candidate Forum: Wednesday, October 13. 7:30 p.m. for director district 3 with candidates Erika Creydt and Bob Feaster. 8:15 p.m. for director district 5 with candidates Rocky Butler and Laura McKinney. Zoom link or watch recording, including other candidate forums at lwvbellinghamwhatcom.org. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

Whatcom Dream Financial Literacy Class: Tuesdays, through November 2, 6:30–7:30 p.m., CAP Center, 508 G St. Improve your financial management skills and learn techniques to give you a more secure financial future. For info or to register: 360-296-0441.

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, October 7, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. Theme: Fun Facts/True False. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Sep. 28, 5:41 p.m.: Theft on Bayview Avenue. Sep. 28, 6:38 p.m.: Informational report on H Street. Sep. 29, 1:15 a.m.: Theft of a bike on Boblett Street. Sep. 29, 5:15 p.m.: Trouble with a person report on Adelia Street. Sep. 29, 8:41 p.m.: Verified alarm report on Canvasback Road. Sep. 30, 11:48 a.m.: Burglary on Boblett Street. Sep. 30, 12:03 p.m.: Verbal domestic, no assault, on D Street. Sep. 30, 4:30 p.m.: Verbal domestic on D Street.

Downtown Scarecrow Contest: Sign up now through October 15. Local businesses are encouraged to decorate scarecrows and/or window displays. If you don’t have a downtown storefront, one can be provided. Displays must be up by October 15. Sign up and info: info@blainechamber. com.

2:41 pm 9.4

8:54 pm 6.2

Weather

Precipitation: During the period of Sep. 27 to Oct. 3, 1.3 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2021 yearto-date precipitation is 21.1 inches. Temperature: High for the past week was 70°F on Sep. 27 with a low of 47°F on Oct. 1 and 2. Average high was 58°F and average low was 53°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Downtown Blaine Scarecrow Contest: October 15–November 15. See fall displays at downtown business storefronts. Info: blainechamber.com. Northwest Avalanche Center Benefit Party Fundraiser: Thursday, October 14, 6–9 p.m., Twin Sisters Brewing Company, 500 Carolina Street, Bellingham. Join Mount Baker Experience to help support NWAC. Retro Warren Miller movies and music. Raffles for great outdoor gear. For more info, visit mountbakerexperience.com. Ongoing Blaine Food Bank: 500 C Street. Open Mondays 9 a.m.–noon, Wednesdays 5–7 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m.–noon. Delivery options available. Info:360/332-6350 or blainefood@hotmail.com. The Bridge Food Distribution Program: Fridays 3:30–5 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Registration required at thebridgehope.com or call 360/366-8763. Volunteers welcome. CAP Clothing Bank: Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m.–noon and Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m. 508 G Street. The Community Assistance Program clothing bank is now located in the basement of the CAP Center providing free clothing and linens. Donations accepted only during open hours or by special arrangement. Info: blainecap.org or 360/392-8484. The Bridge Clothing Bank Boutique: Open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Donations by appointment, call 360/366-8763. Blaine’s Market by the Sea: Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., G Street Plaza. Featuring high quality arts and crafts vendors selling handcrafted merchandise. Info: cjsolomon07@comcast.net. Meals on Wheels: Thursdays 11:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Adults 60+ pick up one hot and six frozen meals. Suggested donation $5 per meal or whatever is affordable. First come, first serve basis. Info: 360/332-8040. Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) Meetings: Mondays 6:30–8 p.m., CAP Center, 508 G Street, Blaine. A support group for parents of adult children dealing with addiction, but open to anyone (18 or older) seeking to learn a better way to help an addicted love one. Evidence-based, structured curriculum and offer peer support at no cost. Info: palgroup.org or email Bev and Dave at wamillards@comcast.net. Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

October 7-13, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Whatcom County Council at-large candidates share their perspectives By Grace McCarthy With less than a week until ballots are mailed October 13, The Northern Light reached out to general election candidates for the Whatcom County Council at-large position to learn what their biggest priorities are for residents. The candidates are listed in the same order as they appear in the final general election ballot order. Interviews have been edited for clarity and brevity.

s Barry Buchanan. Barry Buchanan Barry Buchanan is chair of Whatcom County Council and has served on council since 2013. He is a former Bellingham city councilmember and former chair of Whatcom County Democrats. He is a fourth-generation Whatcom County resident. Q: What issues facing Blaine, Birch Bay and Custer residents are most important to you? A: The Cherry Point issue is very important and now we have a resolution to the code amendments – that were worked on in a compromise from both the industry, labor and environmental organizations – that really helped that area get security on jobs and revenues, especially for the county. The ongoing discussion about water is important to residents. We’ve started the adjudication process and we do have a parallel effort going on for a negotiated settlement approach. Q: How have you addressed those already and if re-elected, how would you continue to address them? A: On the water side, we still have a long way to go. That’s going to take a lot of continued work and many, many years until that’s resolved. We have to be patient with the process and make sure it’s fair. Cherry Point really was a miracle to come together after all of these years and have an agreement as we did. Right now that’s sitting in a good place. Working with industry on how they move forward, especially with their environmental upgrades, is going to be really important and the county has to be supportive of those efforts. Q: What do you envision for the future of the Cherry Point industrial urban growth area? A: Energy in general is shifting toward more sustainable and renewable sources. We’ll start to look at what we could do out there as far as clean energy jobs

and having clean energy companies come in and develop solar and other products. A business park might be in order that could facilitate some of those clean businesses to make sure we keep Cherry Point as pristine as possible. Clean energy is the future and I think the economy and workforce out there can move into that. Q: What made you run for the position? A: One of the big things I want to focus on this next term is behavioral and mental health. It’s so important because it’s at the intersection of so many issues we deal with – homelessness, economic equity and criminal justice reform. I’m really looking at how to keep behavioral health folks out of the jail and into treatment because we know by the listening tour the county did in 2018 that county residents also prefer treatment over punishment. We need to rise to that occasion and look at getting a more robust behavioral health system in Whatcom County. Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? A: Behavioral health is tied into homelessness and we have a lot of work to do on the homeless issues here, especially in Bellingham, but Whatcom County has got to help with that and partner with the city to make sure that we are doing as much as we can to shelter folks and to find ways to provide that continuum of housing.

To me, that’s problematic and can put our community at risk and now criminals aren’t being put into jail. Our police officers are unable to do their jobs correctly and that’s going to put our community at risk. Those things were done at the state level, but they’re affecting everybody. Q: How have you addressed those already and if elected, how would you continue to address them? A: We have to create awareness and work with local legislators that have voted on these issues. Let’s talk with them and see if we can amend them somehow and still make arrests of people who are committing crimes. Q: What do you envision for the future of the Cherry Point industrial urban growth area? A: I’m still learning a lot about

it but Cherry Point provides a lot of high-paying, family-wage jobs. We can use that area to utilize next generation type of energy, like green energy. We can start a new industry there and bring a different type of energy that has to do with energy sector or any type of manufacturing jobs. I was talking to our farmers and we are the hub of producing raspberries and blueberries and we still don’t have an area where we can ship our berries to other parts of the world. We can bring in more industry, create more jobs and have our farmers be able to utilize that area. Q: What made you run for the position? A: Four months ago I didn’t have any plan. I hate politics, but we are at the point where everyday people can’t sit at the

sidelines anymore. In our current county council, there are people who have been in local politics for 30 years. Where are things right now? Has our homeless problem gotten better? No, it hasn’t. How about our housing crisis? Still up there. All of those things are affecting me every day; our safety, that’s also at risk. I may not be a polished politician but I live in this community. It’s time for us to step in versus someone who has been in politics and gives ‘pie in sky’ answers but never offers any real solutions. Q: Is there anything else you would like to add? A: Let’s work together. There is a huge divide in our community over politics. What goes on at our federal level, that’s big, but what goes on at our local level, that’s more important.

s Kamal Bhachu. Kamal Bhachu Kamal Bhachu, a Blaine resident, is a first-time candidate and works as a senior maintenance engineer at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. He has called Whatcom County home since his family immigrated from Punjab, India in 1996. Q: What issues facing Blaine, Birch Bay and Custer residents are most important to you? A: I’m going to speak more broadly because our community safety is more important to me. The legislation that recently passed, and [State v. Blake] being one of them, means that law enforcement can’t arrest people with drug possessions under a certain amount. People who were convicted with felonies, those felonies will get reduced to gross misdemeanors. If those people don’t have other felonies, it will allow them to purchase firearms legally.

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The Northern Light • October 7-13, 2021

City council extends feasibility period for 665 Peace Portal Drive By Grace McCarthy Blaine City Council unanimously voted 6-0 to allow Bosporus Properties Inc. to extend its feasibility period for the 665 Peace Portal Drive property until November 30. The extension will give the company time to work with the city on funding, construction and paving the alleyway, according to city documents. Blaine city manager Michael Jones wrote in a memo

to council the city believes the extension is needed because of factors that make developing on the west side of Peace Portal Drive difficult, including soil conditions, height limits and shoreline and zoning regulations. “The potential buyer is interested in additional time to coordinate with the city on potential alternatives to building the alley that is required behind the property for full vehicular access,” Jones said during the September 27 council meeting. “It’s a reason-

able request from my perspective. It’s a costly item. I think we will need it but there are ways we can coordinate with [Bosporus Properties] to lessen the burden of that a bit.” Jones signed the purchase and sale agreement with Blaine-based Bosporus Properties on June 14 and in late August, city council voted to extend the feasibility period to September 20. During the August 23 meeting, council discussed possibly creating a non-refundable deposit when

the feasibility period is extended but council did not take action on this during the most recent meeting. “A 90-day feasibility period for a complex developer project is not long at all, so asking for another 60 days on top of the 90 seems reasonable on my part,” Jones said. The 665 Peace Portal Drive is currently an undeveloped property between Tony’s Just A Bite and Blaine Bouquets in downtown Blaine.

s 665 Peace Portal Drive.

Birch Bay Drive lights up during a sunset rainbow

s A rainbow lit up Birch Bay Drive during the evening of October 5. A golden sunset peaked over Semiahmoo and reflected over Birch Bay.

Photos by Grace McCarthy

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