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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
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Contributors In This Issue Doug Dahl
The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVII, No 20 Circulation: 10,500 copies
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Next issue: Nov. 4 Ads due: Oct. 29 Letters
The Editor:
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we have much for which to be thankful. Just a few short months ago, we were shocked to discover that our venerable sanctuary at Trinity Community Lutheran Church in Point Roberts was at risk of collapse, due to settling and bowing of the west wall. With little notice, it was deemed unsafe and closed to the public.
The structural engineers and contractors laid out a two-phase plan to save the historic landmark, with a total estimate cost of $200,000. Phase 1, at $100,000, could not wait if we were to save the structure from collapse. Under the circumstances, the Trinity Church Board took a leap of faith in the community and told the contractor to commence work while we started our fundraising campaign. The local community and other friends far and wide with ties and affection for the church justified our faith. We have almost reached our phase 1 goal of $100,000 – enough to pay for the current work.
We give sincere thanks to the 112 donors who so far have responded to our appeal – contributing $20, $100, $1,000, even $10,000 to the cause.
Now we must appeal for still more support to finish the job. Phase 2, at cost of another $100,000 will retrofit the foundation and protect the structure in the event of a major earthquake. We are fortunate that the structure has survived its first 100 years of service to the community – a role that goes beyond spiritual, to include community concerts, kids summer music camp, food bank, and support for the American Red Cross if ever needed as a shelter.
Our goal, in seeking phase 2 funding is to assure Trinity's continued service for the next 100 years. Please join us in giving thanks, and please help us complete the job.
Andrew Mar
Point Roberts
Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
School district has funding for future school property in Birch Bay, says finance director
B y I an H aupt
Blaine school district finance director Amber Porter told district board members during the October 25 regular school board meeting the district has the funds to purchase a property in Birch Bay that would be used for a future school.
In October 2014, the school board passed a resolution for property acquisition, 14/15-04, that recognized the growing Birch Bay population would be well served with an elementary school and set a goal to acquire a site when the district had the funding in place to do so.
She said the district would ideally purchase a 10-acre site or larger that is in close proximity to the large population areas in Birch Bay.
Porter said this may be difficult because the site has to be within the Blaine school district area, which is tight along the bay. The border with the Ferndale district lies halfway between Blaine and Kickerville roads.
Should properties become available, Porter said the board will need to enter into negotiations with the property owners to evaluate whether the property meets the board’s criteria and then authorize the superintendent to make the purchase. “I just wanted to put that on your radar,” she said, as the finances could become available by mid-November.
Don’t forget to vote by Tuesday, November 2
B y G race M c c art H y
Election Day is just around the corner as the deadline to submit ballots to vote on countywide positions is 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 2.
Positions up for election include seats on Blaine City Council, Blaine school board, Port of Bellingham, Whatcom County Council, Birch Bay Water and Sewer District and Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2. Ballot measures to increase North Whatcom Fire and Rescue’s property tax levy and to fund construction of the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library will also be voted on in this election.
Whatcom County has 21 ballot drop boxes, including ones at Blaine Library, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue and Custer Elementary.
The Whatcom County Auditor’s Office will be open until 8 p.m. on Election Day for people to register to vote, update voter registration and replace their ballot. The office will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. through Monday, November 1 and then will have extended hours on November 2.
For more information, visit the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office at whatcomcounty.us/1732/current-election.
Alcoa ...
From page 1 B.C. companies that want to create the most environmentally friendly steel mill in the world at the now-idled smelter. Steel mills in the U.S. mostly use fossil fuels and ship their scrap to Asia to be made with coal plants, before being shipped back to the U.S., Goldberg explained. Instead, this company would make steel by using scrap in the U.S. and using a modern electric furnace and green hydrogen power.
The steel mill would come in three phases: Phase 1 would have a micro steel mill with about 100 six-figure jobs; phase 2 would be a $1 billion investment that would expand the plant to create 600-700 jobs; and phase 3 would be a $3 billion investment to create over 1,000 jobs, similar to a project the potential buyers are building on the East Coast. Phase one would mostly make rebar steel, while phase two would add more steel products and phase three would add aluminum.
“I’m opening up about the inside conversations that have been done but we’re light-years away from an actual translation or something coming to the commission,” Goldberg said.
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. The November meetings have been rescheduled to Tuesday, November 9 and Tuesday, November 23. 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: Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 19 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
Plenty of Halloween options in Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo
B y I an H aupt
With widespread vaccination, trick-or-treating is much safer this year than last. The Whatcom County Health Department is considering it a low-risk activity as long as trick-or-treaters and their chaperones follow a few steps, according to an October 21 press release.
The health department encourages those going trick-or-treating this Halloween to be vaccinated, wear a properly fitted mask or face covering, keep trick-or-treating groups small and all contact outdoors, and to wash hands before eating candy. Costumes should not be worn over a mask or face covering, and vice versa, as it may cause difficulty breathing.
Those handing out candy should also get vaccinated for Covid-19 – the health department said even one dose provides some protection – wear a mask, wash hands, keep contact outdoors, discourage crowding at doorsteps and should not invite trick-or-treaters inside.
Unlike trick-or-treating, Halloween parties are only considered low-risk if everyone is fully vaccinated. The health department encourages those who choose to gather indoors with unvaccinated people from more than one household to wear masks, stay 6 feet apart and keep the windows open.
Here are a few trick-or-treating events in Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo to keep families entertained this weekend.
Trick-or-Treat on the Berm
Saturday, October 30, 3:306:30 p.m.
Join the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2, and Friends of the Birch Bay Library on the newly completed berm pathway for the first trick-or-treat event on the berm. The event will start at the south end and end at the community library property. Trick-or-treaters will find several pop-up tents decorated as mini open-aired haunted houses along the path. Enter the photo costume contest by having your photo taken at the library.
There will also be spooky trivia at the library 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Holiday Featured Movie
Night at Semiahmoo Resort
Saturday, October 30
Hocus Pocus event: 5-8 p.m. (movie begins at 6 p.m.)
Tickets are $10 per person or $30 for a family of four (+$5 for each additional person). Includes popcorn, face painting, a costume contest and photo booth access. Limited tickets are available and can be purchased on semiahmoo. com.
Rocky Horror Picture Show: Begins at 9 p.m. (21+)
There will be an interactive movie experience with a themed welcome drink. Tickets are $15 per person and can be purchased on semiahmoo.com. Rocky Horror costumes are encouraged.
C Street Halloween
Carnival Spooktacular
Sunday, October 31, starts at 5 p.m.
Freeman house and Blaine Food Bank on C Street
This is a partnered event between the Freeman family and Blaine Food Bank.
Freeman’s house
For the Freeman’s seventh annual Halloween carnival, the theme will be Pirates of the Caribbean. Trick-or-treaters will get their treasure maps and chocolate gold coins at the ticket booth
s Halloween at Blaine Food Bank in 2020. File photo
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.
Thursday, October 28 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, November 1 4:30pm – Special City Council Meeting
Wednesday, November 3 9:00am – Arts Commission Meeting *CANCELED*
Monday, November 8 4:30pm – Study Session: 2022 Budget 6:00pm – City Council Meeting Tuesday, November 9 8:00am – Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC) Meeting
upon entering and use the maps to navigate the yard to find their treasure. There will be nine interactive, carnival-style game booths along the way as well as cotton candy and popcorn available. New this year is a photo booth and prizes for best costume. Fitting the theme, a life-size pirate ship will shoot off cannons every five minutes.
Windermere Real Estate, The Rustic Fork Eatery, Chuckanut Bay Foods and Pacific Building Center all donated to the event. Brownies and warm adult beverages will be available for parents at Calypso’s Cantina at the Freeman house. The event is all outside and groups will be socially distanced. Treats are pre-bagged.
Last year, they had 450 trickor-treaters. Gina Freeman said the line went around the block 5-7 p.m. “We love giving to the community and seeing the magic in all the kids’ faces,” she said.
Blaine Food Bank
The food bank will have several stations in its tent with live characters distributing candy. Food bank general manager Sally Church said last year they had a fortune teller, ghosts, witches, scarecrows, a shipwrecked pirate and a haunted cemetery with a grim reaper, and will be adding a couple of more vignettes this year. “Our volunteers had so much fun that we all wanted to do it again,” she said, and hopes more families on C Street join as well to make it an annual community event.
Contact information for staff & Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website.
Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website. www.cityofblaine.com
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Wyman resigns for federal election security position
Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman announced October 26 that she will resign from her role in the state to serve as senior election security lead for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Wyman will resign November 19 after eight years as secretary of state.
“I am honored to be able to share nearly three decades of experience and expertise at the federal level to support CISA’s efforts to safeguard our election systems from cyberattacks and enhance the public’s confidence in our elections,” Wyman said in a statement.
Under her tenure, Washington expanded vote-by-mail, installed almost 500 ballot drop boxes and allowed 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote, according to a press release from the secretary of state’s office.
Wyman is the only Republican currently holding office in the state. Governor Jay Inslee will appoint a new secretary of state until the position is voted on in the November 2022 election.
The secretary of state’s office oversees elections, registering corporations and charities, governing the use of the state flag, the state archives and the state library.
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Blaine chamber luncheon on Birch Bay berm survives ‘typical’ fall storm
November 3 The offshore storm that spun out of the Pacific this past week-
The Blaine Chamber of Com- end and battered shoreline areas merce is having an in-person lun- like Birch Bay and Blaine left little cheon on Wednesday, November in the way of cleanup for What3 at the Blaine Harbor Boating com County crews, according to Center, 235 Marine Drive. storm management managers.
The featured speaker will be John Gargett, emergency manJohn Michener, economic de- agement director for the Whatcom velopment project manager at County Sheriff’s Office, called the the Port of Bellingham. The lun- storm that hit county shores late cheon will run 12-1 p.m. Sunday, October 24, and through-
Subway will cater the lunch, out the day Monday, October 25, which costs $10 per person. Cash “a typical fall storm with a little bit or card are accepted at the lunch. higher gusts.” He said countywide
To RSVP to the lunch, email there was little cleanup for county info@blainechamber.com. crews. At the peak of this storm’s power outages, Gargett said about 275 households were without power. He said the previous storm caused a lot more outages countywide. That could have actually saved the county this time around, he said, given that those trees that would have fallen had already done so.
Some Birch Bay residents near and along Alderson Road, by The C Shop, may have experienced a brief power outage Monday afternoon and into the evening as crews worked on a power line around dinnertime.
With the now-finished Birch Bay berm facing its first couple of storms of the season, Gargett said the county is pleased by the berm. “It’s been working as advertised,” he said.
Without a king tide during this most recent storm, he said waves would have never breached the berm. “We’ll have to wait for those strong winter storms to test the
B y I an H aupt berm.”
Gargett said high tide was 10.6 feet and well within the berm’s capacity.ATHLETE H H H H H H
OF THE H MONTH Spencer Dalry
Senior • Football
Throughout the month of October, Spencer has led the Borderite football team in tackles. He has averaged 11.5 tackles per game this month. Spencer was also voted team captain by his teammates. He is also a starter along the offensive line.
s County crews worked on a powerline in front of The C Shop on Alderson that caused a brief outage October 25. Photo by Ian Haupt
Community Toy Store seeks gift donations as registration opens
B y G race M c c art H y
As the holidays fast approach, Community Assistance Program (CAP) is preparing for its annual Community Toy Store, with registration and donations opening Monday, November 1.
The toy store allows Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and Point Roberts families with limited income to purchase new toys for their children at a 75-percent discount from retail prices. Families can also purchase gift cards for youth 11-18 years old.
“Donors purchase a gift and that gift then blesses the child and then gives parents the dignity to provide for their own families,” said CAP board member Laura Vogee. “The shopping proceeds benefits local organizations and the different families those organizations help out. It not only benefits who are getting the gift, but the broader community.”
New things for participants to expect this year include a new store location at Life Impact Church, as well as the return of a gift-wrapping table, which was not provided last year for the program to maintain social distancing.
Registrations
The gift assistance program is set up similar to a store for families to shop for multiple gifts with cash. The store will be open 6-8:30 p.m. December 9 and 10 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 11, with the possibility of additional times being added, according to the CAP website. The toy store will be located in Life Impact Church, at 1733 H Street, suite 206, Blaine.
Voucher assistance is also available for families, but CAP recommends applying early for voucher assistance. Pre-registration is required by Sunday, November 28.
To be eligible to participate in the program, families must live in the Blaine school district, have children who qualify for free and reduced lunch and cannot be receiving any other gift assistance. Families with children who don’t attend Blaine schools can still participate, but they need to meet the income requirements for free and reduced lunch, according to CAP. School district families who didn’t apply for free and reduced lunch can call 530/828-5195 to find out if they qualify.
Once an application is approved, families will be contacted by phone or email for their time to shop and then will receive a referral postcard in the mail at the beginning of December that is needed to attend the toy store.
A guardian can purchase up to $15 in toys per child and up to two gift cards for older children. Bills larger than $20 won’t be accepted and children aren’t allowed into the store.
All proceeds from this year’s toy store will go to The Bridge Community Hope Center’s emergency fund, CAP’s crisis assistance utility bill assistance program and Life Impact Church’s pantry that provides personal care and household supplies, according to CAP.
Donations
People who want to donate to the toy store can do so through several options including online shopping, in-store shopping and monetary donations.
People can purchase gifts on Amazon’s gift registry by selecting the toy store’s shipping address at checkout. CAP also has a wish list on the Launching Success Learning Store’s website that allows the nonprofit to pick up toys from the Bellingham store.
For people who prefer to shop in stores, CAP is suggesting $20$50 toys for gifts such as Legos, sports equipment, books, craft kits and scooters. CAP recommends people purchase $25 gift cards for older children from stores such as Barnes and Noble, Best Buy and Michaels.
Toys should not be wrapped and a note with the retail price should be included. Monetary donations can be made at blainecap.org or checks can be made out to Community Assistance Program and mailed to P.O. Box 1067, Blaine, WA, 98231. “Community Toy Store” needs to be in the memo line of the check.
At least nine collection boxes will be placed around Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo until December 3. Collection box locations include Blaine Library, Blaine Starbucks, Pacific Building Center, The Bridge Community Hope Center, Birch Bay Village rec center, Semiahmoo Golf Club, Semiahmoo Marina, Semiahmoo Health Club and Spa and the Inn at Semiahmoo. Gift cards can only be placed in collection boxes at the library, the Bridge and Birch Bay Village.
The Blaine toy store started in 2018 and is supported by churches, businesses, organizations and community members, according to the CAP website.
Visit blainecap.org/community-toy-store to register and donate. People who want to register but don’t have internet access can call 530/828-5195.
Member of the Month
Bilson Appraisals
Number of employees: Two - Ian and Yuli Bilson.
How long in business: One year in Blaine, 20 years in the business.
Description of the business: Bilson Appraisals handles all property types including residential, commercial, industrial and agricultural. The purpose can include financing, purchase/sales, litigation, estate planning, asset management, etc.
How the business started: Owner Ian Bilson started in the appraisal business in Canada in 2001, after 15 years in banking. He and wife, Yuli, fell in love with Blaine and decided to settle here in 2020 with their kids and start their own appraisal business. They started out in the midst of COVID, working out of their home office, but business really took off and now lease office space at the harbor.
Future goals: Continue to provide valuable real estate services to our area.
