The Northern Light: November 4-10, 2021 by Point Roberts Press

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November 4 - 10, 2021

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Daylight saving time begins November 7

County to extend golf cart zone, page 2

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

Tony’s Just A Bite changes hands, page 5

Less than stellar Successful first Halloween on the berm voter turnout for election By Grace McCarthy

(See Election, page 10)

s The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 and Friends of the Birch Bay Library hosted the first trick-or-treat on the berm, which the chamber estimates roughly 2,500 people attended. C Street was also a popular destination for trick-or-treaters this year, and those who came out were not going to miss the Freeman’s seventh annual Halloween carnival and Blaine Food Bank’s celebration on October 31. More photos on page 7. Photo courtesy Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce

Unvaccinated Borderite cheer coach fired for not meeting school exemption accommodations By Ian Haupt The Blaine school board voted in favor of terminating the employment of cheer coach Christie Peetoom at its October 25 regular meeting after she didn’t meet school exemption accommodations for the vaccine mandate. On the board’s meeting agenda, under personnel matters in the consent agenda, was a list of staff members who were to

be either hired, separated, or approved requests for retirement, resignation or leave from the district. In an all encompassing vote on the consent agenda, the board approved the hiring of 17 people to the district as well as six leave requests and five resignations, according to the agenda. It’s unclear how many district employees left the district due to the state Covid-19 vaccine mandates. Blaine

County council reverses Drayton Harbor vote By Grace McCarthy Whatcom County Council unanimously voted 7-0 on October 26 to reverse its decision to create a Drayton Harbor no-shooting zone, just two weeks after the group narrowly voted on the issue. The ordinance had not yet been signed into law, leaving nothing changed after two years of dispute and a pushed vote in county council. In 2019, the city of Blaine requested county council create a no-shooting zone

in all of Drayton Harbor after receiving noise complaints and safety concerns from residents who lived and recreated near the popular waterfowl area. However, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials said during public hearings that the safety issue was unfounded and the agency hadn’t received public safety complaints in at least two decades. Lummi Nation, which co-manages the Drayton Harbor area with WDFW, would not have been impacted by the hunting

restrictions, but feared discrimination if a no-shooting zone was created for other hunters. In June, county council amended the original motion that would have banned shooting for all of Drayton Harbor to create a 1,000-foot buffer in what councilmembers described as a ‘compromise’ between impacted parties. Council voted 4-3 on October 12 to expand the existing 300-foot buffer to (See Drayton, page 3)

school district superintendent Christopher Granger told The Northern Light in an email it would be difficult to report the number of individuals separated from the district without identifying them. As of the October 18 mandate deadline, 91 percent of district employees were vaccinated, and the remaining 9 percent (See School, page 13)

INSIDE

By 8 p.m. Election Day, 83 percent, or 49,925, of the approximately 60,000 ballots received by the Whatcom County auditor’s office had been counted. The auditor’s office had about 10,000 more ballots to count that were already in the office, in addition to ballots still arriving by mail and ballots in drop boxes after the last pick up of the day on November 2, county auditor Diana Bradrick said. Drop boxes are locked at 8 p.m. Election Day and ballots aren’t brought to the auditor’s office until the morning. “We still have a lot of ballots to process and tally,” Bradrick said. “The last results will be released the Monday before certification.” Under 32 percent of the 156,972 registered voters in Whatcom County voted this election. This is less than half of the nearly 81 percent of registered voters in Whatcom County who voted in the November 2020 election. The ballot measures made for an interesting race, with the Birch Bay library in question while it looks like North Whatcom Fire and Rescue will have to look for additional funding sources after voters rejected its levy. Proposition 2021-14 would establish a Birch Bay library capital facility area that will raise taxes by 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to pay for the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library. Voters were 58.5 percent (1,587 votes) in favor and 41.5 percent (1,124 votes) against the levy. However, over 60 percent of voters need to approve it and over 40 percent of people who voted in the last general election need to vote. Christine Perkins, Whatcom County Library System executive director, said the library measure is short on ballots but supporters remain hopeful as the results are updated. Perkins roughly estimated the library would need about 350 more votes, and a significant number of those would need to be in support of the levy. “We’re so close,” she said. “We’re really cautiously optimistic that the voters will see

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021

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County council to extend Birch Bay golf cart zone By Ian Haupt Whatcom County Council unanimously requested during its October 26 regular meeting for public works to draft an ordinance that would extend the existing golf cart zone in Birch Bay to Gemini Street. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2, suggested the zone extension so that residents could drive their golf carts to Bay Horizon Park and the Birch Bay Activity Center on Gemini Street. The golf cart zone stretches

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along the bay from Point Whitehorn north to Birch Point Road, diverting off Birch Bay Drive to include inland neighborhood areas near Jackson, Harborview and Shintaffer roads. All roads incorporated in the zone are 25 mph. “I went to a commissioner’s meeting with Blaine-Birch Bay park and rec and they’re very much in favor of having this extend just a short bit to Gemini,” said Doralee Booth, Birch Bay chamber secretary, in a council public works and health committee meeting October 26. Public works engineer Doug Ranney said the extension is about 250 feet.

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November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

Drayton ... From page 1

1,000 feet away from the hightide mark or Blaine city limits. Councilmembers Barry Buchanan, Carol Frazey and Todd Donovan were opposed to the decision, which came days before the three-month waterfowl hunting season began. Buchanan, who serves as council chair, brought the Drayton Harbor discussion before council on October 26. “This started because I have been convinced by public testimony that the tribes are against any no-shooting zone in Drayton Harbor,” Buchanan said during the council meeting. “I wanted to visit this because I think it’s important. My commitment to honoring not only [Lummi Nation] treaty rights, which obviously we do, but to also honor their request.” Other than Buchanan’s mention of the treaty rights, councilmembers gave no other insight during the meeting as to what made council, which voted 4-3 during the last meeting, unanimously rescind the no-shooting zone motion. Buchanan said in a phone interview that he brought the motion before council after private conversations with Lummi representatives. “I knew they were adamant about not having any shooting zone,” Buchanan said. “They are co-managers with all of the fishing and hunting in the area and there was a clearly defined process that wasn’t followed at all. It was a bit of an overreach, not intentionally.” Buchanan added, “This has been a long, ongoing process for a couple of years and there has been new information for me.” Lummi Nation representatives strongly opposed the no-shooting zone during several public hearings, arguing that even though the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott granted hunting rights to tribes at their accustomed grounds, they feared discrimination if nontrib-

al hunters had more restrictive hunting rules. Frank Bob, a Lummi Nation member and Lummi Nation resource and policy representative, said in a May public hearing that the sovereign nation would challenge the decision as long as it needed. “I think that was the right thing to do,” Bob said in an email to The Northern Light, responding to the council’s vote to reverse the decision. “I was really glad they did.” Despite repeated attempts, Bob was unable to be reached for further comment. The 1,000-foot buffer in the amended ordinance cited Lummi Nation law that prohibited tribal members from using firearms within 1,000 feet of an occupied house. However, the Lummi Indian Business Council wrote in a July letter to the city of Blaine that it could not find any reference to this in its law. “The Lummi Nation continues to uphold its secure and recognized sovereign rights in Drayton Harbor, and you are strongly advised to not infringe upon them,” the letter read. Councilmembers, Whatcom County chief civil deputy prosecutor Karen Frakes and county council clerk Dana Brown-Davis deliberated on the legal procedure during the October 26 meeting. Council discussed rescinding, repealing and reconsidering the motion that adopted the no-shooting zone ordinance; the county’s prosecuting office recommended rescinding the motion. Brown-Davis said reconsidering the motion could only happen at the same meeting as the vote and repealing the motion could only happen if the ordinance was signed into law. Whatcom County law states the county executive has 10 business days to sign an ordinance after presented to his office, and if he doesn’t, it automatically goes into effect. The ordinance was presented to county executive Satpal Sidhu on October 21 and it had not yet been signed. “If it’s not clear what the process is, then we’re legally within

our grounds by following our best understanding of it,” councilmember Tyler Byrd said. “I think that applies here in context that we’ve done a really good job of talking it through with everyone and looking at it from different perspectives. Whatever approach we end up taking would be legally justified at the end of the day.” Councilmember Ben Elenbaas said he believed council didn’t have to reintroduce the motion because county council had already given the public a chance for public testimony. “The only thing that’s different here is that we are reconsidering our decision based on prior public testimony that has already happened,” Elenbaas said. Although some county councilmembers said they previously voted on the 1,000-foot no-shooting zone buffer as a compromise between the city of Blaine, hunters and the Lummi Nation, none of the impacted parties seemed to be in support of the vote. “It would seem disappointing on the surface but the vote to establish a 1,000-foot zone really had no effect on the city because city limits extend almost 1,000 feet into the harbor,” city manager Michael Jones said. He added it was disappointing county council didn’t enact the entire no-shooting zone and the 1,000foot buffer would have only impacted county residents living along the harbor. The city isn’t considering taking further steps at this time, Jones said. Albert O’Connor, a Washington Waterfowl Association board member, said the new decision didn’t have a big impact on hunters since they mostly shoot from the middle of the harbor. “I don’t have a problem either way since most of the hunting takes place in the middle of the harbor,” O’Connor said. “I would have been OK with the 1,000foot rule. It was perplexing they wanted to shut down the whole harbor. I don’t see any benefits in that.”

County council extends cannabis moratorium for code review By Ian Haupt Whatcom County Council extended its moratorium on accepting permit applications for cannabis growing operations in a 5-2 vote so it would have time to review the zoning amendments that the planning department will recommend to council during its Tuesday, November 9 regular meeting. Councilmembers Ben Elenbaas and Kathy Kershner opposed the extension. This is the first time the sixmonth ban has been extended. It was introduced in April so that the county planning department could draft zoning code amendments on cannabis growing in Whatcom County. The amendments came in response to rural residents who live near grow farms complaining about the light pollution, smell and noise

these operations create. Farmers spoke out about the moratorium in the spring meeting, saying it would stall industry growth and the growth of their businesses, while some rural residents voiced their support for council’s actions. At its next meeting, November 9, council will hear what the planning department has devised to repair the relationship between county growers and their neighbors. Whatcom County resident Ken Domorod, who said he was speaking as a private citizen, said he opposed the moratorium extension in the October 26 council meeting, and all permitting moratoriums for that matter. “Industry and economy operate outside of this government,” he said. “And government permitting processes, and zoning, and planning is

really a barrier to entry, or a barrier to growth for these industries.” Councilmember Todd Donovan thanked planning staff for almost bringing the draft amendments back to council within the six-month period. Once the amendments are reviewed and approved by council, the moratorium will be lifted. “I don’t think we’re going to have this moratorium for much longer,” Donovan said.

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 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.

Voters line up at ballot drop boxes on Election Day

Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com 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 21 Circulation: 10,500 copies

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s A Whatcom County voter places her ballot in the Blaine Library drop box on Election Day, November 2.

Letters The Editor: A Veterans Medical and Support Services Center is being planned for continued use of the NW Annex; former county hospital at Northwest Drive and Smith Road. Currently, it is the home of the Whatcom County Planning and Development Services department. A steering committee has been convened. This committee is made up of community professionals and veterans. This committee is reaching out to the Vietnam Veterans of America and local memorial personnel for ideas in setting up a center at the facility. The facility has 42,000 square feet and is only partly utilized by county planning. Those interested may call 360/734-2222 to leave a message or email info@harborlands.com. Joel Douglas, committee member Bellingham Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

North Cascades Highway to close November 15 for winter By Ian Haupt Every year North Cascades Highway, State Route 20, closes around mid-November for the winter. In a media release, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced October 27 the road that connects Whatcom and Skagit counties with eastern Washington is scheduled to close November 15, but may close earlier depending on the amount of snow and ice that arrives. The closure on the west side will be at milepost 134, east of Newhalem at the Ross Dam trailhead, and milepost 171, at the Silver Star Mountain gate, on the east side. Before the closure, crews will perform winter maintenance as needed and will regularly assess conditions to determine whether the highway is safe to remain open, the release says. Winter recreationists can still access the closed portion of the highway during win-

s Ross Lake seen from a State Route 20 viewpoint. Photo courtesy WSDOT ter. WSDOT asks hikers, skier and snowmobilers to park in designated parking areas to allow snow plow drivers the space they need to clear snow around the closed road’s access gates. Those traveling to eastern Washington during the winter months can use U.S. Route 2 while the North Cascades Highway closure is in place. WSDOT typically reopens the mountain pass in early May.

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.

Next issue: Nov. 11 Ads due: Nov. 5

Photo by Grace McCarthy

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.

November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

After nearly 40 years in Blaine, Tony Andrews leaves Tony’s Just A Bite By Grace McCarthy After nearly 40 years of serving loyal customers, Tony Andrews bid farewell to Blaine and Tony’s Just A Bite on October 31. “I think Blaine is the best place in Washington state and I’m going to miss it very much,” Andrews said. “The people here are fantastic. Not everybody thinks I’m fantastic, but I think they are.” Andrews, 71, said he decided to pass on the restaurant after his wife’s medical issues required them to relocate and he found the right person to take over. That person was Monte Landucci, a former cook for Black Forest Steakhouse, Peace Arch City Café and Big Al’s Diner. “He’s got a nice personality and you need to have a nice personality,” Andrews said of Landucci. “You’ve got to be likable because people like to do business with people they like.” The eatery won’t change too much in the beginning, Andrews said. The name will shift to Monte’s Just A Bite, to keep the Andrews’ family tradition that started in 1939 with Andrews’ uncle’s restaurant, Just A Bite. Landucci is excited about one new addition starting December 1: A 1-lb burger called the M.O.A.B., or the Mother of All Burgers. “It’s going to happen,” Landucci said. “We’re going to make it work.” Andrews is a purebred restaurateur, growing up with uncles on both sides of his family owning restaurants in Pennsylvania and Chicago. “When I was about 4 years old, I remember sitting at a horseshoe counter on a stool with my 85-year-old grandfather who I was named after,” he said. “We both sat on the horseshoe counter and folded pie boxes. I was too young and he was too old to do anything other than fold pie boxes.” Andrews grew up working in his family’s restaurants before joining the U.S. Army in 1970, where he was stationed at Mc-

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, November 4 6:00pm – Special Planning 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 *CANCELED*

Thursday, November 11 City Offices Closed – Veterans Day

Thursday, November 11 9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting *CANCELED* Contact information for staff & Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website.

s Tony Andrews finished his last day at Tony’s Just A Bite on October 31. He plans to move out of state and hopefully open a new restaurant, while Blaine cook Monte Landucci takes over what will now be called Monte’s Just A Bite. Photos by Grace McCarthy Chord Field Air Force base in Tacoma. After being discharged, Andrews ran two rented downtown Portland restaurants before moving to Blaine, where he saw an opportunity to own his restaurant property. In 1982, Andrews built the restaurant where Chada Thai is now and called it Tony’s Sandwich Shop. A few years later, he brought the red caboose to Blaine, which now houses The Railway Café, and put the Great Northern Buffalo Gifts store in it. Andrews went on to run over 10 restaurants in Blaine, Bellingham, Mount Vernon and Ferndale, eventually opening Tony’s Just A Bite in 2006. “It’s a joy for me to do what I’m doing. It’s nice that I get to go to

work to visit my friends because that’s exactly what it feels like,” Andrews said of working at Tony’s Just A Bite. “I know everybody’s names, I know their habits and I know what they want. I tell them, ‘Are you going to have the usual?’” Andrews will stay in Blaine as his family sells their house and decides where the next adventure will take them, likely Arizona or Texas. Monte’s Just A Bite will change its number and Andrews will still be able to be reached by the old restaurant’s number, 360/332-8669. Four decades of business on Peace Portal Drive remain engrained in Andrews, from residents helping him open his first Blaine restaurant to dedicating

every Thursday to celebrate the service of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and police officers. As for Andrews’ last words to customers, he says, “Just like Bob Hope, ‘Thanks for the memories.’ The memories are something nobody can take away.”

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s The Tony’s Just A Bite menu highlights a poem from a restaurant owned by Tony Andrews’ uncle. Andrews comes from a family of restaurateurs and has owned over 10 eateries.

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021

Sports Football beats rival Nooksack with fourth-quarter comeback on senior night By Ian Haupt

s Girls soccer celebrate qualifying for the divison 1 and 2 championship playoff next weekend at Shoreline High School. The Lady Borderites beat Meridian in penalties October 30. Photo by Janell Kortlever

ANNUAL LISTING OF VACANCIES AND ANTICIPATED VACANCIES THE CITY OF BLAINE IS CURRENTLY SEEKING MEMBERS FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMISSION, BOARD, AND COMMITTEE:

BLAINE TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE REGULARLY MEETS ONE TUESDAY MORNING PER MONTH FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS ONE POSITION TO FILL A PARTIAL TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2023 ONE POSITION TO FILL A TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2025

PARK AND CEMETERY BOARD

REGULARLY MEETS AT 9:00 AM ON THE SECOND THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF ONE POSITION TO FILL A PARTIAL TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2022 TWO POSITIONS TO FILL A FULL TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2025

In a massive turnaround, scoring three touchdowns in the fourth quarter against rival Nooksack Valley, Blaine turned their season into a winning one on senior night last Friday. Early into the fourth quarter the Borderites were down 21-13 to the Pioneers and the team and nearly full stadium looked dejected. The Borderites started the game flying, grabbing a 13-0 lead early into the second quarter. Senior Jaxon Kortlever and senior quarterback Avery Dohner combined for the first and Dohner rushed in the second. Kortlever also returned an interception for a touchdown in the first quarter but it was called back due to a penalty. But the Pioneers would respond with a 90yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Joey Brown and a 68yard touchdown pass from Brown to senior tight end Caleb Kingma. They led 14-13 at halftime. The game lulled in the third quarter with neither team able to make up much ground on the other. When the Pioneers scored again early into the fourth quarter, the packed stadium grew quiet, except for the three-row Nooksack Valley student section. “We can’t stop this defense,” senior Peyton Dixon grumbled walking off the field. In a matter of moments, his spirits, the teams and

the some 400 fans would be lifted. And the Nooksack defense would be broken. With just over six minutes remaining, down 21-13, Dohner found senior wide receiver Scott Baldwin with what looked like an overthrown deep pass. Baldwin did well to hold onto it and stay on his feet. Stumbling, Baldwin cut back on the oncoming defense to be brought down shortly after, giving Blaine a 59-yard gain, and a spark. Junior running back Larry Creasey would take over from there, converting an eight-yard first down gain on 4th-and-3 and scoring from two yards out on the next play. Down 21-19 with 4:17 left, the Borderites went for the twopoint conversion and got it, with Dohner finding Kortlever with an immediate pass. Tied at 21, the Borderites kicked it deep. The Pioneer returner lost hold of the ball, and Blaine junior Kael Evinger recovered it on Nooksack’s 21-yard line. Creasey would score again from two yards out five plays later, giving Blaine the lead with 1:53 remaining. Nooksack couldn’t stand the rising pressure, bobbling the kickoff again. The returner was brought down this time on the 15-yard line. But they would give it back on the next play. Senior defensive end Alex Welch jumped the swing pass, intercepted and returned it nine yards to

the end zone, putting a bow on his high school football career. Blaine won 35-21. Kortlever finished his varsity career with a career-high 14 receptions and 111 yards. Creasey finished with a team-high 69 yards on 18 carries. Defensively, senior linebacker Danny Michaud, who had 7.5 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a forced fumble, led Blaine. Kortlever also made some big defensive tackles from his safety position. The Borderites finished their season with a 4-3 record. Statistics and play-by-play thanks to Whatcompreps.com Girls soccer The Lady Borderites beat Meridian in penalties last Saturday to advance in the division 1 and 2 girls soccer play-offs. Their next game has yet to be scheduled. They will travel to Shoreline next weekend to play in the championship tournament November 19-20. Blaine entered the post-season as the first seed in their region with an 8-7 record. Volleyball The girls finished off their season at Meridian Tuesday night, losing to Mount Baker in straight sets. Blaine had a tough end to the season, losing eight straight games in straight sets. They finished the season with a 3-13 record.

PUBLIC WORKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

REGULARLY MEETS AT 2:00 PM ON THE SECOND THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF TWO POSITIONS TO FILL A FULL TERM ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2025 Members of boards, committees and commissions receive no financial compensation, but the payoff is great. Members meet other residents with similar interests, they learn about the City, and they help shape the future of Blaine! Being on a board, committee or commission does require a significant personal commitment, so applicants should consider their ability to commit their time and personal energy before applying. If you are interested in serving on a board or commission, applications and descriptions of duties are available in City Clerk’s Office at Blaine City Hall, 435 Martin St., Suite 3000, or online at www. cityofblaine.com. Please submit your application by 4:30 PM on Friday, December 3, 2021. The City will continue to accept applications until vacancies are filled. Per Blaine Municipal Code (BMC) 2.08.028, concurrent service on more than one board or commission is precluded.

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s The Borderite seniors finished their high school football career last Friday beating the Pioneers 35-21 on senior night. Photo by Janell Kortlever

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s The Blaine football team celebrates with the student section after its 35-21 win over rival Nooksack Valley Friday, October 29. Photo by Janell Kortlever

November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021

Health & Wellness Local choices in health, healing & fitness. Blaine and Whatcom County health care and fitness providers see higher number of patients as Covid-19 numbers ebb in the pandemic By Grace McCarthy From the dentist to the doctor, health care providers in Blaine and Whatcom County are seeing patient numbers return to mostly pre-pandemic levels. PeaceHealth spokesperson Bev Mayhew said providers at the health care system in Whatcom County are now seeing patients getting routine care such as mammograms or diabetes lab tests that they forewent during most of the pandemic. “Both primary and specialty care visits were down and are now creeping back up close to pre-pandemic volumes,” Mayhew said. Medical specialties are down 6 percent still, Mayhew said, while appointments for primary care and surgical specialties are down 2-3 percent. Mayhew said reluctance for in-person visits is mostly among older populations and others with greater risk from Covid-19. However, obstetrician and cardiology visits are up 2 and 5 percent, respectively, from before the pandemic. Jong Yoon, a dentist with Borderview Dental, said the Blaine office closed during governor Jay Inslee’s emergency order from March to May 2020 but people are now making appointments as they did previously. “We are probably seeing more influx of patients now as patients were behind in dental care due to pandemic before,” Yoon said in an email to The Northern Light. “And now after the vaccinations,

they want to come in as normal.” Brandi Lautenbach, front office manager for Blaine and Birch Bay Family Dentistry, said the dental group has seen people try to make appointments at a much higher level than before. “It has dramatically increased during the pandemic,” Lautenbach said. “It felt like people were more comfortable going here than the doctor.” An appointment that would normally be booked two weeks out is now taking two to three months, Lautenbach said, adding that the U.S./Canada border not fully being open is increasing demand from patients who usually cross the border for dental services. Lautenbach said she doesn’t foresee demand slowing anytime soon, and in the meantime is referring patients who need quicker appointments to the dental group’s other offices in Whatcom County. Sean Trait, physical therapist and clinical director for Whatcom Physical Therapy in Blaine, said the clinic has seen an increase of people struggling to manage chronic pain after missing appointments. Patients were down 50 percent in spring 2020, Trait said, with the majority of people who were coming in being people recovering from surgery or who used telehealth. Numbers rebounded in summer 2020, and continued to increase as more people became vaccinated at the beginning of this year. Because of missed appointments and closed gyms, Trait estimates that about 10-20 percent

File photo

of his patients who haven’t had physical issues in years are now reporting consistent pain. Trait added internet connection in Blaine and Point Roberts has impacted patients’ ability to access telehealth, and people who have lost income during the pandemic have also made fewer visits. “We’re seeing a lot of people who had had their issues managed well with activity and medications are now trying to get them under management again,” he said. Family Care Network (FCN) spokesperson Michele Anderson said that although patient

volumes often fluctuate through the year, the health care clinics, including Birch Bay Family Medicine, had a significant drop in visits during the beginning of the pandemic but rebounded quickly as the company created a telemedicine option. “Since then, visits have remained consistently high, similar or at times higher than pre-pandemic levels,” Anderson said. Brian Ecker, FCN chief operations officer, said the number of patients choosing virtual and in-person visits has fluctuated during the Covid-19 peaks. Currently, the health care clinics are operating with about 20 percent

telemedicine. “We view it as a supplement,” he said. Ecker said FCN’s current high workload can be attributed to growing demand as it faces staffing and supply chain shortages. No data shows FCN patients are experiencing health impacts from not making doctor’s appointments during the early stages of the pandemic, Ecker said. “Only time will tell if or how the pandemic will affect this,” Anderson said, referring to the health impacts. “What we do know is that we treat a wide range of significant health issues at any given time, and this has not changed.”

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November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

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

Covid-19 in Whatcom County, by school district boundaries: Recent two-week case rates, cumulative counts and vaccinations

By Grace McCarthy Eight people died from Covid-19 in Whatcom County in the past week, increasing the number of deaths to 164, according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). The number of deaths makes up 1 percent of total confirmed Covid-19 cases in Whatcom County. On November 2, 37 patients 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, 843 people with Covid-19 have been hospitalized in Whatcom County, according to DOH data. Whatcom County has had 16,739 probable and confirmed Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. The Blaine school district area had the second lowest case rate in Whatcom County with 154 cases per 100,000 people, according to Whatcom County Health Department data. Case rates dropped in all school district areas except for Lynden and Mount Baker. Lynden has the highest case rate with 432 cases per 100,000 people; almost double the second highest case rate in the county, which is Nooksack Valley. As of October 25, 71 percent of people in Whatcom County who are eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine are fully vaccinated and nearly 6 percent are in the process of getting vaccinated. People 65 and older have the highest rate of fully vaccinated individuals at nearly 74 percent, followed by the 25 to 49-year-old age group, which is 71.6 percent fully vaccinated.

Blaine Vaccination: 68% Case rate: 154 New cases: 31 Ferndale Vaccination: 64% Case rate: 208 New cases: 72

Lynden Vaccination: 54% Case rate: 432 New cases: 71

Nooksack Valley Vaccination: 50% Case rate: 261 New cases: 20

Meridian Vaccination: 62% Case rate: 178 New cases: 23

Mount Baker Vaccination: 46% Case rate: 230 New cases: 35

Bellingham Vaccination: 75% Case rate: 126 New cases: 160

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 30. County residents ages 5-17 continue to have the highest Covid-19 case rate with 325 cases per 100,000 people. People 25-44 years old have the second highest transmission rates with 269 cases per 100,000. The health department released a weekly Covid-19 report for October 17-23. The report found of the 471 cases reported that week, 350 were from unvaccinated or partially vaccinated individuals. School-age children made up 26 percent of the total cases for the week. Two people died during the week of October 17 from Covid-19: An unvaccinated man in his 70s and an unvaccinated woman in her 90s. 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.

for REAL news

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021

Election ... From page 1

this through.” Preliminary results show voters rejected proposition 2021-9, which aimed to increase the North Whatcom Fire and Rescue levy by 30 cents per $1,000 to $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed value to fund additional firefighters and purchase new equipment. The levy failed with 59 percent (4,827 votes) against and 40 percent (3,346 votes) in favor of the levy. The fire district added the levy to the November ballot after it was rejected in the August primary. The final results of the election will be certified Tuesday, November 23. Below are the results from Blaine, Birch Bay and Whatcom County’s competitive races as of 8 p.m. November 2: • Blaine City Council Ward 1, Position 2: Kerena Higgins received 869 votes (58.6 percent), leading J. Calvin Armerding, who received 609 votes (41 percent). • Blaine City Council Ward 2, Position 4: Rhyan Lopez received 975 votes (63.8 percent), leading Colin Hawkins, who received 546 votes (35.7 percent). • Blaine City Council Ward 3, Position 6: Eric Davidson received 756 votes (50.4 percent), leading Barbara Sturdivant, who received 740 votes (49.3 percent). • Blaine City Council, At-Large Position 7: Mike Hill received 997 votes (64.4 percent), leading Sukhwant Gill, who received 548 votes (35.4 percent). • Blaine school board, District 3: Erika Creydt received 2,312 votes (50.9 percent), leading Bob Feaster, who received 2,223 votes (49 percent). • Blaine school board, District 5: Laura McKinney received 3,663 votes (81 percent), leading Rocky Butler, who received 829 votes (18 percent). • Whatcom County Council AtLarge Position A: Barry Buchanan received 25,693 votes (53.8 percent), leading Kamal Bhachu, who received 21,836 votes (45.7 percent). • Port of Bellingham, District 1: Michael Shepard received 25,961 votes (55 percent), leading John Huntley, who received 21,095 votes (44.7 percent). • Port of Bellingham, District 2: Ken Bell received 25,842 votes (54.6 percent), leading Kelly Krieger, who received 20,986 votes (44.4 percent). • Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2, Position 1: Jesse Creydt received 3,089 votes (72 percent), leading David Halme, who received 1,138 votes (26.9 percent). • Birch Bay Water and Sewer District, Position 1: Jeff Benner received 1,579 votes (75 percent), leading Pedro Nieto, who received 506 votes (24 percent). Sheli Moore and Billy Brown retained their seats for Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District positions 2 and 4, respectively, after running unopposed. John Crawford and Kimberly Calman-McMurray ran unopposed for North Whatcom Fire and Rescue commissioner positions 1 and 5. To view updated results, visit co.whatcom.wa.us/1732/current-election.

02H H H ELECTION RESULTS 2H 1 HH Whatcom County results as of 11/02/2021 8:00 PM. Source: Whatcom County Auditor’s Office

Blaine City Council, Ward 1 Position 2

Port of Bellingham, District 1

Kerena Higgins

Michael Shepard

58.6% (869) J. Calvin Armerding

41% (609)

55% (25,961) John Huntley

44.7% (21,095)

Blaine City Council, Ward 2 Position 4

Port of Bellingham, District 2

Rhyan Lopez

Ken Bell

63.8% (975) Colin Hawkins

35.7% (546)

54.6% (25,842) Kelly Krieger

44.4% (20,986)

Blaine City Council, Ward 3 Position 6

Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2, Position 1

Barbara Sturdivant

Jesse Creydt

49.3% (740)

72% (3,089) David Halme

Eric Davidson

50.4% (756)

26.9% (1,138)

Blaine City Council, At-Large Position 7

Birch Bay Water and Sewer District, Position 1

Mike Hill

Jeff Benner

64.4% (997)

75% (1,579) Pedro Nieto

Sukhwant Gill

35.4% (548) Blaine school board, District 3 Erika Creydt

24% (506)

BALLOT MEASURES

50.9% (2,312) Proposition 2021-14 Bob Feaster

49% (2,223) Blaine school board, District 5 Laura McKinney

81% (3,663)

Proposition 14 would establish a Birch Bay library capital facility area that would raise taxes by 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to pay for the future Birch Bay Vogt Community Library. Over 60 percent of voters need to approve it and over 40 percent of people who voted in the last general election need to vote.

In Favor

58.5% (1,587) Rejected

41.5% (1,124) Rocky Butler

18% (829) Whatcom County Council, At-Large Barry Buchanan

53.8% (25,693) Kamal Bhachu

45.7% (21,836)

Proposition 2021-9 The North Whatcom Fire and Rescue levy would increase the fire district’s levy by 30 cents per $1,000 to $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed value to fund additional firefighters and purchase new equipment.

In Favor

40% (3,346) Rejected

59% (4,827)

November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

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Notices PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD BP Cherry Point Refinery Water Quality Permit Nov. 4 – Dec. 17, 2021 The Dept of Ecology invites you to comment on the proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System water quality permit and associated Agreed Order for the BP Cherry Point refinery in Blaine. Read the proposed permit online at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/industrial/ UIPermit/DraftPermits.aspx; by appointment at the Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA, call (360) 407-6916 or email angelina.ward@ ecy.wa.gov. Written comments may be submitted online at https://wq.ecology.commentinput.com/?id=psr8S or by mail to Liem Nguyen, Department of Ecology, Industrial Section, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600. If you have questions, call 360-790-4730. Proposed changes to the permit include adding nutrient monitoring at Outfall 001; construction stormwater discharge authorization and monitoring; wastewater treatment efficiency study and updated engineering report; fire system test water discharge at Outfall 002 and 007; alternative stormwater discharge at Outfall 006; and effluent mixing, sediment monitoring, and Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances studies A public meeting, followed by a hearing to accept oral comments, will take place December 8, 2021, starting at 3 p.m., online at https://tinyurl.com/BPrefinery-hearing. Located at 4519 Grandview Rd in Blaine, the BP Cherry Point refinery is capable of processing approximately 235,000 barrels of crude oil each day at full production. Process wastewater and contaminated stormwater are treated and sent to the Strait of Georgia. Other stormwater runoff is treated and sent to Terrell Creek. To request ADA accommodation for disabilities, including printed materials in a format for the visually impaired, call Ecology at (360) 407-7393. Persons with impaired hearing may call Washington Relay Service at 711. Persons with a speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341.

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021

Real Estate

Bay Properties Semiahmoo homeS, inc.

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5835 Semiahmoo Drive, Birch Point $1,050,000

WWW.THERIDGEAT 11.33 ACRE ESTATE SEMIAHMOO.COM PROPERTY WITH A VIEW! Rare west facing marine view estate property encompassing 11.33 acres overlooking bays, mountains & islands, located on Birch Point plateau high above pristine NW waters. Spectacular sunsets. Beautifully forested, relatively level with slight slope eastward and ready to build dream home with elbow room offering privacy & exclusivity. An hour south of Vancouver, BC and under two hours to Seattle. Natural beauty & environment - a mile from Semiahmoo with its Inn, golf course, & 300 slip marina. Property could potentially be divided - offering 2 separate estate size properties. Choices!

MINUTES TO THE BEACH!

Spectacular 180 day lot with gazebo and large storage shed. Conveniently located NEW LISTING IN in the park. Bring your motor LATITUDE 49! home or fifth wheel and enjoy the pool, club house, hot tub and exercise center. Latitude 49 is perfect for a weekend getaway to park and enjoy your RV or as a long term RV rental spot when not in use. Park has gated security, is close to the beach, I-5 and the US/CDN border.

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CeCelia Breivik • (360) 303-8161

4630 Celia Way #202, Bellingham $349,000

PENDING IN LESS THAN 1 WEEK! CLOSE TO AMENITIES! Desirable updated 1120 SF 2nd floor end unit features 2 BD & 1.75 BA, wall to wall carpet & vinyl floors. New stainless steel appliances. High ceilings & double pane windows allow lots of natural light to flow throughout unit. Spacious private patio with extra storage overlooking walking trails & greenbelt. Very spacious living room with gas fireplace & master bedroom, walk-in closet, large enough to fit king size bed. Guest bedroom features tub shower & lots of closet space. Can be used as office if you are working from home. Carport has easy access to unit. Close to bus route, shopping, hospitals and medical centers.

DEVELOPER WATERFRONT, WATER VIEW & INVESTOR ALERT! DEVELOPMENT ON 3 PARCELS! Great opportunity! 22.71 +/- acres of WATERFRONT,WATER VIEW & DEVELOPMENT on 3 properties located very near Semiahmoo. Privacy abounds on all 3 parcels. Parcel A includes 3 bedroom home with great views of Mt. Baker & Drayton Harbor & situated on 5 acres. Outbuilding could be detached garage. Parcel B has 120+/- feet of salt waterfront on Drayton Harbor, watch salmon jump from private beach. Property also boasts spectacular views of bays, White Rock & Coastal Mountains. Parcel C is 17 acres covered with trees could be developed with 3 homes on acreage under current zoning.

PENDING! YOUR OWN PRIVATE DOCK! Come live where your backyard is the sea & your boat is steps away from adventure! Unique design to capture all angles, designer showcase garage for the collector & catwalk that leads to home. Expansive views facing to San Juan Islands & Lummi. Top floor offers primary suite with huge deck, wet bar, fireplace, bath and second bed/flex room. Second floor made for entertaining & gazing at the scenery. First floor with living room includes Murphy bed, wood stove & MORE views. Step outside to massive patio to smell salt air as you jump on your boat! Remarkable location with easy access in/out of Sandy Point. Welcome Home to Octopus Gardens!

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Gerry’s 30-Day Stats

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PEN

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H 0 Koehn Rd., Blaine • $1,495,000 MLS # 1597410 • Vacant Land • 16.85 Acres

5488 Puffin Place, Blaine • $300,000 MLS # 1698438 • Vacant Land • 0.55 Acres Home site #20. Over 1/2 acre 23958 sq. ft. Water and

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456 feet +/- of Waterfront property on 16.85 acres,

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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. PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT Chapter 18.27.100 of the Revised Code of Washington requires that all advertisements for construction services include the contractor’s registration number in the advertisement. To verify a contractor’s license, call the Dept. of Labor and Industry’s contractors registration at 1-800-647-0982.

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November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

O B I T U A RY Lucius “Luke” Button IV June 11, 1950–October 21, 2021

s From l.; School board members Todd Nunamaker, Laura McKinney, Charles Gibson, Joan Lotze and superintendent Christopher Granger at the Blaine school board’s September 27 regular meeting. Board member Dougal Thomas was absent. All board members were present at the October 25 meeting. Photo by Ian Haupt

School ... From page 1

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distance, he said. According to guidance from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, school districts should follow a standard process for every exemption request and examine each request on its own by analyzing the facts surrounding the request. Peetoom finished by telling the board that it has the ability to stand up to wrongful treatment of unvaccinated staff. She received applause from about 10 audience members, many of whom also spoke in support of her. Peetoom told The Northern Light in an email that she felt it was best for herself and her family to not comment. At the end of the meeting, McKinney said she was against unvaccinated staff and students being subjected to more testing than vaccinated staff and students. “If we are randomly testing people once a week, then I would say we should do it for everybody,” she said. “We should test all of the kids if we need to test a team, not just the unvaccinated ones. And you should test all of the staff, if you need to test.” “Laura, I would not agree with what you said,” Gibson responded. “You and I have had these discussions, and we know we don’t agree on the same issues. The board is trying to do the best it can to protect the students and the staff.” Marilyn Martin, a community member who refused to wear a mask at the September board meeting causing its ad-

SE IREI ESRE LS LLL FA FA

were offered an accommodation plan for their requests for religious and medical exemptions, Granger wrote in an email. Before the vote, board vice president Laura McKinney removed the separation of high school cheer advisor Christie Peetoom to be discussed and voted on separately by the board. After an hour-and-a-half executive session where the board discussed the employment separation with Peetoom and legal counsel, the separation was sustained in a 4-1 vote with McKinney opposed. Peetoom, who was present at the meeting, stood and thanked McKinney before leaving the meeting after the vote. As little was discussed on Peetoom’s firing during the regular meeting session in order to protect her privacy, those in the audience were left wondering exactly what was discussed during the executive session. What could be gathered was pieced together from what speakers said during the public comment portion of the meeting and the board members’ ambiguous comments at the end of the meeting. Board president Charles Gibson urged speakers to refrain from using names or referring to a specific position directly to protect the privacy of staff members. Peetoom addressed the board. “In addition to claiming and submitting both a religious and a medical exemption from

Covid-19 vaccination, I also claimed a religious exemption from testing,” she said. Peetoom said the testing exemption was denied. She was told that, “It would place an undue hardship on the school.” She went on to say she agreed to maintain social distancing, wear a KN95 mask and take her car to away games to avoid exposure as well as offering to take a Covid-19 antibody test every six to 12 months to determine whether she still had antibodies since she had previously had contracted the virus. Peetoom said the district was being stricter than necessary under the state’s mandate and Whatcom County Health Department guidance. She also said the district was treating unvaccinated staff unfairly. “The staff who are unvaccinated from Covid-19 are being treated in a manner that has caused division, pain, stress, anguish, loss of sleep and a lack of respect for leadership,” she said. “The exemption process was exhausting and emotional. The accommodations were changed several times. We were promised negotiations; we were promised each negotiation would be made specific to each employee. Instead, we were given some of the strictest rules in the state even though not required.” Granger wrote in an email that each accommodation request was reviewed individually. Employees with an accommodation from the vaccination mandate are required to test for Covid-19 weekly, wear personal protective equipment and social

Luke Button, age, 71, of Blaine, passed from this life on Thursday, October 21, 2021 with exceeding joy, and went home to the arms of his Heavenly Father. Luke was blessed in this life to be a beloved husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, son, and a friend. His life will be remembered not by his accomplishments, but by his unwavering love for God and scripture. He had an abounding love for all his family, extended family, and for his friends. His gentle, wise spirit and encouragement was a gift to all who knew him. What brought joy to Luke’s heart was spending time with family and friends, gardening, mushroom picking in the fall, planting garlic in the spring, cooking, and working on projects. He was also fortunate to have traveled on a few mission trips to China, Peru, and Thailand, with friends from Blaine Christian Fellowship. One of Luke’s favorite and timely scriptures was Romans 8:31-39. Luke leaves behind his wife Jule of 52 years, and five sons and daughters-in-law, Richard and Marisol Barton, Israel and Janet Button, Nate and Shelly Button, Luc and Angie Button, and Joseph and Amy Button; 22 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild due March of 2022; sisters Jackie Button, Laurie and David Cantu, and Charlotte Aldrich; nephew, Gabe Button; Moms Ginny Button (2nd Mom) and Ardis Freeman, mother-in-law; extended family, five brothers-in-law, and four sisters-in-law, Scott and Colleen Freeman, Ron and Janine Freeman, Susan and Ralph Black, Sam Freeman, and David and Amanda Freeman; sixteen nieces and nephews, fifteen great-nieces and nephews, and a baby due February, 2022. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on November 13 at Northwood Chapel, 580 C Street, Blaine, WA 98230. The live stream address for this memorial is bit.ly/LukeButton If you would like to share a memory (happy, sad, funny, etc) or your thoughts about what Luke meant to you, please email to the following emails. LukeButtonMemorial@gmail.com or www.sigsfuneralservices.com. Donations in Luke’s memory can be made to the following: Blaine Christian Fellowship Missions Fund, 902 Adelia Street, Blaine, WA 98230 or Whatcom Pregnancy Clinic, 1310 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225 or to the Lighthouse Mission, 910 Holly St., Bellingham, WA 98225.

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021

Coming up

Sheriff’s Reports Oct. 21, 5:54 p.m.: Suspicious person on Badger Road, Custer. Oct. 21, 6:15 p.m.: Animal problem on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. Oct. 22, 12:26 a.m.: Noise on Holeman Avenue. Oct. 22, 2:32 a.m.: Vehicle theft on Harbor Drive. Oct. 22, 5:49 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Haynie and Custer School roads, Custer. Oct. 22, 12:58 p.m.: Traffic hazard on Gulf on Henry roads. Oct. 22, 3:49 p.m.: Trespass on Blaine Road. Oct. 23, 3:33 p.m.: Suicidal subject on Birch Bay Drive. Oct. 23, 10:52 p.m.: Civil problem on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. Oct. 23, 10:32 p.m.: Civil problem on Birch Bay-Lynden and Harborview roads. Oct. 23, 10:34 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Harborview and Birch Bay-Lynden roads. Oct. 24, 9 a.m.: Civil problem on Birch Bay Drive. Oct. 24, 7:51 p.m.: Neighborhood dispute on Alderson Road. Oct. 25, 7:18 a.m.: Disorderly conduct on Birch Bay-Square Street. Oct. 25, 12:26 p.m.: Hazard on Bayvue Road. Oct. 25, 3:26 p.m.: Silent alarm on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Oct. 25, 4:52 p.m.: Impound private on Portal Way, Custer. Oct. 26, 7:45 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Anderson Road. Oct. 26, 8:11 a.m.: Mental on Surf Place Oct. 26, 10:15 a.m.: Follow-up on Ham Road, Custer. Oct. 26, 11:46 a.m.: Mental on Surf Place. Oct. 26, 12:59 p.m.: Domestic order violence on Haroborview Road. Oct. 26, 1:32 p.m.: Hot rod on Birch Bay Drive. Oct. 26, 7:41 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident injury on Kickerville and Bay roads. Oct. 27, 7:23 a.m.: Mental on Surf Place. Oct. 27, 11:21 a.m.: Suspicious

Police Reports Oct. 23, 2:18 a.m.: Verbal domestic dispute on 5th Street. Oct. 23, 7:18 p.m.: Domestic order violation on D Street. Oct. 23, 8:01 p.m.: Fraud investigation on Peace Portal Drive. Oct. 23, 11:10 p.m.: Noise complaint on Cherry Street. Oct. 23, 11:26 p.m.: Domestic dispute on Semiahmoo Parkway. Oct. 24, 1:44 a.m.: Suspicious

Crossword

ACROSS 1. Polish city 6. Very eager 10. Identifies a specific person or thing 14. Tennis great Naomi 15. One concerned by professional advancement 17. PGA Championship reward 19. A fashionable hotel 20. Norse mythology afterlife location 21. Stood up 22. Car mechanics group 23. Weather forecasters use it (abbr.) 24. Broken branch 26. Astronomy unit 29. East Asian nursemaid 31. “Airplane!” actor 32. Exclamation that denotes disgust 34. “Batman” villain 35. Downfalls 37. Philippine province 38. Once-vital TV part 39. Valley

circumstances on Morgan Drive. Oct. 27, 6 p.m.: Juvenile problem on H Street. Oct. 27, 6:49 p.m.: Theft on Birch Bay-Square Street. Oct. 27, 8:55 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances on Blaine Road. Oct. 28, 6:10 a.m.: Alarm silent on Brown Road. Oct. 28, 7:51 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer. Oct. 28, 5:41 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident blocking on Harvey and Sweet roads. Oct. 28, 8:01 p.m.: Mental on Harborview Road. Oct. 29, 8:29 a.m.: Trespass on Valley View Road, Custer. Oct. 29, 9:39 a.m.: Animal problem on Anderson and Harborview roads.

40. Tax 41. Classic Scorcese film 43. Subway dwellers 45. Book part 46. Taxi 47. Pancakes made from buckwheat flour 49. Swiss river 50. Founder of Babism 53. Have surgery 57. Withdrawal from a larger entity 58. Lot’s father 59. Greek war god 60. 2,000 lbs. 61. Lemur DOWN 1. Quarrels 2. Right away 3. Comedian Carvey 4. Egyptian unit of weight 5. A Brit’s mother 6. Tropical tree 7. One who speaks Gaelic 8. NHL legend Bobby 9. Vacation spots 10. Military personnel 11. Shakira’s don’t lie 12. Wimbledon champ 13. Teletypewriter

16. Mistakes 18. Whale ship captain 22. Thus 23. From end to end 24. Kids love him 25. One and only 27. Fencing swords 28. Taxis 29. Basics 30. Refuse of grapes 31. Go quickly 33. French ballet dynasty 35. Most open 36. Popular soap ingredient 37. US time zone (abbr.) 39. Items of food 42. Backbones 43. Infrequent 44. Blood type 46. “Let It Snow!” songwriter 47. Dutch colonist 48. Pike 49. Egyptian sun god 50. A cardinal is one 51. From a distance 52. Bolivian river 53. N. American student organization (abbr.)

person on Pacific Highway. Oct. 24, 11:47 p.m.: Fourth degree assault on Kingsley Avenue. Oct. 25, 2:47 a.m.: Security check on 16th Street. Oct. 25, 4:17 p.m.: Trespass notice served on H Street. Oct. 25, 7:03 p.m.: Transient report on H Street. Report by Blaine Police Department.

54. River (Spanish) 55. Chinese life force 56. Chinese surname ANSWERS: THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM

Blaine/Birch Bay Community Toy Store Toy Drive: Brand new, high quality toys in the $20 -$50 price range are being collected through December 3. $25 gift cards for teens are also needed. Please visit blainecap.org for more details about online wish lists and monetary donation options, as well as toy and gift card collection sites. Sponsored by the Community Assistance Program. Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, November 4, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. This week’s theme: Indiana Jones. Info: thevaultwine.com. Wines of Whatcom/Wildbird Charity: Friday, November 5, 6–9 p.m., Bellewood Farms, 6140 Guide Meridian, Lynden. Grand tasting of Whatcom County premier wines, hors d’oeuvres, and live music by Matt and Rebecca Ridenour. Additional food available for purchase. Tickets: $35 individual, $60 couple online at https://bit.ly/3BI9Hcl. Live Music at The Vault: Friday, November 5, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. Featuring: Adrian Clarke. Info: thevaultwine.com. Live Music at American Legion: Friday, November 5, 7 p.m., American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Drive. Open mic and jam session with host Ron Mortenson. Open to all participants and their guests. Info: 360/371-7311. Sunday Breakfast: Sunday, November 7, 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 $9, 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. Winemaker’s Dinner: Sunday, November 7, 5 p.m., The Vault Wine Bar + Bistro, 277 G Street. Join winemaker Janna Rinker as she presents five wines paired with five courses. $120. Reservations required 360/392-0955. Info: thevaultwine.com. Semiahmoo Women’s Club Luncheon: Thursday, November 11, 11:15 a.m., Semiahmoo Golf and Country Club. Don Rommes, author and Smithsonian celebrated photographer, will speak on his role in the creation of Bears Ears, a national monument, and of the ancient cultures of that area. $25 buffet lunch. RSVP by 5 pm November 6 to Debbie Kittrell, 865-567-7711 or dykittrell@gmail. com. Women from all communities welcome to join the club. Info: semiahmoowomensclub.org.

November 5-11 at Blaine. Not for navigation.

Lynden High School Performing Arts Presents CLUE, High School Edition: Saturday, November 13, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, November 14, 3 p.m., Judson Auditorium, 516 Main Street, Lynden. Adults $10, seniors and students $5. Tickets at the door, opening one hour prior to showtime. Info: fb.me/e/1Euz3FivD.

Live Music at The Vault: Friday, November 12, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. Featuring: Trio Sueño. Info: thevaultwine.com.

TIME

Fr 5

7:01 am 9.7 12:20 pm 5.3

5:32 pm 9.6

HEIGHT

TIME

HEIGHT

Sa 6 12:41 am -2.0

7:57 am 10.2

1:12 pm 6.1

6:04 pm 9.5

Su 7 1:25 am -2.5

7:57 am 10.5

1:08 pm 6.8

5:38 pm 9.2

Mo 8 1:11 am -2.6

8:59 am 10.5

6:16 pm 8.8

2:10 pm 7.3

Tu 9 2:01 am -2.2 10:03 am 10.3 3:26 pm 7.3

6:58 pm 8.2

We 10 2:57 am -1.5 11:05 am 10.2 5:02 pm 7.0

7:56 pm 7.3

Th 11 3:55 am -0.6 12:03 pm 10.0

Blaine/Birch Bay Community Toy Store: Registration for CAP’s holiday gift assistance program runs through November 28. Lower income families who live in the Blaine School District are eligible to apply. For more info and to register, visit blainecap.org or call 530/828-5195. Sponsored by the Community Assistance Program.

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 935-1539. Registration deadline: November 12. Drive through pick-up will be Tuesday, November 23, 12-2:30 p.m. in Birch Bay.

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, November 11, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. This week’s theme: Urban Legends/Folklore. Info: thevaultwine.com.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

Blaine Primary School’s Bright K Program: Now through November 30. Applications are being accepted for Blaine Primary School’s Bright K program, a free, early entrance kindergarten program for children who are scheduled to enter kindergarten in fall of 2022. Visit our website blainesd.org for more information and to apply online.

6:44 pm 6.1

9:30 pm 6.5

Weather

Precipitation: During the period of Oct. 25–31, 1.5 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2021 yearto-date precipitation is 25.5 inches. Temperature: High for the

past week was 61°F on Oct.

27 with a low of 35°F on Oct. 30. Average high was 56°F and average low was 44°F.

Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, November 18, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. This week’s theme: Thanksgiving Fun Facts. Info: thevaultwine.com. Live Music at The Vault: Friday, November 19, 7 p.m., 277 G Street. Featuring: The Unknowns. Info: thevaultwine.com. Sunday Breakfast: Sunday, November 21, 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 $9, 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: 371-7311. 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. 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: 360/3328040. Toastmasters Virtual Meetings: Tuesdays 6:30–7:45 p.m. Entertaining and educational. Have fun speaking, learn to overcome fears. Info: Call Pete 360/9331671 or email him at pcorcorran@gmail.com for the Zoom link. 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.

November 4 - 10, 2021 • thenorthernlight.com

School ... From page 13

journment, briefly interrupted the board president without her mask on. Gibson continued, “We have some disagreement here [on the board]. We’re not uniform in what we are coming to, but I can assure you it has had much, much discussion and consideration. “We are protecting from liability against the district. We are consistent with other districts. We are trying to do the best we can to protect everybody involved, including those who are unvaccinated,” Gibson added. “If they choose to self-identify as unvaccinated, that is their decision, but if we choose to make that publicly known, we’re at fault. And we won’t do that.” Board member Dougal Thomas finished the board’s comments on the matter by

saying the board knew what Granger’s plans were. “All of us knew what his plan was with the accommodations, well before it was out there,” Thomas said. “And none of us, not one of us, questioned what it was he was planning to do. We were concerned about exemptions, not losing our people, taking care of people, making sure they didn’t lose their jobs.” Thomas repeated that no one on the board questioned the superintendent’s Covid-19 mandate accommodation plan until it was going to cost someone their job. “We all knew what he was going to do. He told us; we didn’t question it,” he said. “And now we are going to question it because we heard from a couple of people. Myself as a board member, I wish I would’ve looked ahead and saw that this test accommodation was going to be such a big

Road Rules: Navigating two right turn lanes By Doug Dahl Question: When there is an intersection with two right turn lanes, are both lanes allowed to turn right on red after stopping? And can drivers change lanes during the turn when both lanes are going the same direction? In my experience, the drivers changing lanes toward the left as they turn are completely oblivious to the other right-turning lane. Answer: There’s nothing stopping anyone from getting the Taco Bell logo permanently tattooed on their body, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. To the 17 people with Taco Bell tattoos, no judgment here; I respect your commitment. My point here is that there are plenty of things we are allowed to do that, for good reason, we choose not to do, and this includes how we drive. As drivers, we’re familiar with the right turn on red (RTOR), but to make sure we’re all on the same page I’ll summarize. At a red light, a driver intending to take a right turn (or a left turn onto a one-way street) may, after stopping for the red light and yielding to other cars and pedestrians in the intersection, make their turn. (Exception: When a sign is posted prohibiting a RTOR.) When an intersection has two right turn lanes, the law doesn’t limit the option for a RTOR to just the rightmost lane. Legally, yes, you can make a right turn on red from either right turn lane. But even though it’s allowed in both lanes, the fact that you asked this question is a good indicator that plenty of drivers aren’t clear about the rules in this situation. And that’s when problems can arise. You may find yourself at a red light behind another driver in the left of two right turn lanes, see that there’s no cross-traffic, and wonder why they don’t just take their right turn already. Maybe they see something you don’t

see. Or maybe they don’t know they’re allowed to make that turn. Or maybe they know the law, but they also know that right turns on red lights account for a disproportionately high number of crashes with pedestrians so they’ve chosen not to take them. That’s a lot of maybes. A right turn on red is an option, not a requirement, and it should only be done if it can be done safely. To quote a phrase that was often said in our household, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.” If you have the option of making that turn, or you’re behind someone who does, it’s a good time to exercise clear judgment and patience. As to changing lanes during the turn, the Washington Driver Guide states, “If there are signs or lane markings that allow for two or more turning lanes, stay in your lane during the turn.” Pretty clear, right? Our state law leaves things more ambiguous, but does state that a driver shall not leave their lane until they’ve determined that it can be done safely. Is changing lanes in an intersection inherently unsafe? Since driving instructors are training our future drivers to be safe, I asked a few of them if they’d penalize a student for changing lanes in an intersection during a driving exam. The consensus was essentially, “Yes, after changing my shorts, there would likely be a penalty.” What does driving through an intersection and getting a Taco Bell tattoo have in common? Done poorly, they both can have long-lasting consequences. But I think I’d pick a bad tattoo over a serious traffic crash. The tattoo might be embarrassing, but a crash in an intersection could be life-altering. Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.

deal, but I didn’t. None of us did.” During public comment, the board also received support from community members. “I am comfortable with what is happening here at Blaine schools,” retired Blaine teacher Glenn Tuski said. “That we are attempting to keep all the kids safe. Some find Covid threatening, some do not. But addressing the whole school population, I feel that you, the school board, are doing your best. And many times I feel sorry for you having to mud-

dle through this, as we’ve all muddled through this. But I commend you for taking the safest route possible for keeping all our kids safe.” Dorita Gray said she’s saddened and concerned that a small, loud and very political group of people have attempted to take away and hinder the efforts of those who are working hard to get the community safely through the pandemic. She said she was saddened more by the letter the board wrote to county elected officials that voiced the concerns

of parents against the mask and vaccine mandates. “We, and others like me, respectfully disagree with those who are willing to risk doing nothing, and thus keeping us in this situation even longer,” Gray said. “Those who are willing to put their personal beliefs over the common good. And those who choose to make this health situation political.” Gray added, “My hope is that you consider this silent, respectful majority and not dismiss their silence for not being interested or caring.”

N O V E M B E R 11 , 2 0 2 1

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The Northern Light • November 4 - 10, 2021