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Letters
The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc.
Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/ Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors.
Letters Policy
The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.
Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com
Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com
Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com
Drop boxes open for the February 8 election
s Ballot drop boxes are open around Whatcom County for the February 8 special election. North county drop boxes include the Blaine
Library, 610 3rd Street; North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Station 63, 4581 Birch Bay-Lynden Road; and Custer Elementary School, 7660 Custer School Road. Drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. Election Day. Ballots need to be postmarked by February 8 if returned by mail (no stamp needed). People may also vote at the voting center in the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office by 8 p.m. Election Day.
Photo by Georgia Costa
Letters
Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com
Reporting Intern Georgia Costa prpintern@pointrobertspress.com
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The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVII, No 33 Circulation: 10,500 copies
Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: Feb. 10 Ads due: Feb. 4
The Editor:
I just returned from a Saturday shopping trip to downtown Blaine. In a parking lot and on the Peace Portal Way were trucks with all sorts of flags and “Stop the Mandate” signs.
That is fine, opinions are good, but what is not good is the three American flags I found dragging on the ground and the five flags I found torn and frayed from flapping in the wind.
I was raised to honor our flag and love it. It is a proud symbol, not an advertising tool. Your treatment of our national emblem is not patriotism, it is sacrilege when treated as I saw. A few “patriots” with degradation of our flag and hoped for domination rather than civil discourse is not only a crass demonstration, but renders our community subject of possible ridicule, not the pride and allegiance you hope for.
Some citizens are sick of this, and sad and concerned for this community and country.
Donna Starr
Blaine The Editor:
Once again, there’s a huge weather disruption – this time on the east coast. At the time of this writing, over 100,000 customers with no power. A few weeks back there was a huge windstorm event across the entire central part of our country, leaving over 500,000 with no power. During our flood event here in November, power was out, albeit for a short time.
To my mind, this is unacceptable any longer. It’s time for the power company to bury all new and refurbished power lines.
Oh, I know it’ll cost them up front. You think repeated service in storms and paying lineman to repair these downed lines doesn’t cost them, too? Over and over?
The only thing that doesn’t cost them is the rebates they give us for times when we are without their service. What’s that? You don’t get any break on your bill for having no service? Hmm.
And immediate cost is about the only thing they are concerned with because of the need to pay their investors.
Here’s the deal: We regulate that business. The purpose of regulating businesses is so that they don’t cut corners on service or quality while pocketing all the profit they can get away with. Meat packers, food growers and packers, tire manufacturers, etc. They’re all regulated to ensure you get a safe product, time after time. And aren’t you glad of that?
It’s time for the Public Utility District to approach the idea of regulating power lines to be underground for the safety and consistency of power we all pay for to be delivered. Shareholders can wait for their dividends for a while, don’t you think it’s time?
Gary Meader
Everson
Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
CiviC Meetings
Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info and Zoom meeting link: bbwsd.com. Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info and virtual meeting login: ci.blaine.wa.us. Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/2CiMKnk. Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. Virtual meeting info: bbbparkandrec.org/board-meetings. Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330. Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info and virtual meeting link: blainesd.org. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 11 a.m., Station 61 at 9408 Odell Road and via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
Dzialo, Elenbaas and Sefzik announce bids for 42nd Legislative District senate seat
B y G race M c c arthy
As races gear up for the August primary election, a slate of Whatcom County candidates announced their bids for the 42nd Legislative District’s state senate seat. Lynden driving instructor Russ Dzialo, Whatcom County Councilmember Ben Elenbaas and senator Simon Sefzik have joined the race with state representative Sharon Shewmake for the state senate seat.
Russ Dzialo
Lynden resident Russ Dzialo filed with the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) to run as an independent candidate for the senate seat. Dzialo ran as a Republican for 40th Legislative District Position 2 representative seat in the November 2020 election.
Dzialo, who earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix, works as a driver’s education teacher and does gig economy jobs in Whatcom County. He said he made the switch to become independent after being tired of argument between political parties, and found inspiration in former presidential candidate Andrew Yang’s Forward Party and its belief in universal basic income.
“We need to listen to both sides and find a happy medium,” he said. “I can speak more to the center and be a bridge to the gap, and listen to real solutions that aren’t just one-sided.”
Dzialo recently resigned as treasurer for the Whatcom County Republican Party, in part, he said, because of the PDC opening an investigation after the party allegedly failed to timely and accurately disclose contributions and expenditures. All filings were signed by Dzialo, who wrote to the PDC that he took full responsibility for the errors, most of which were reporting a larger sum of contributions, made because of his busy schedule.
PDC opened a formal investigation in October and after its initial hearing December 17, 2021, PDC executive director Peter Lavallee encouraged party chairman John Ramsey to work with staff to resolve the issue.
If elected, Dzialo said he would like to improve the economy and find solutions for affordable livs Russ Dzialo. Courtesy photo s Ben Elenbaas. File photo s Simon Sefzik. File photo
CITY OF BLAINE
Due to COVID-19 and the Governor’s Proclamation, meetings are now only open to the public telephonically. Information on how to listen to the meeting live will be on the City Council agenda which is located on the City’s website homepage under Your Government, City Council, City Council Agenda. Please check the agenda prior to each meeting as the call in number or location may change.
Friday, February 4 9:00am – City Council Retreat
Thursday, February 10 9:00am – Parks and Cemetery Board Meeting 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, February 14 6:00pm – City Council Meeting
ing in Whatcom County.
“We need to find solutions that will produce the American dream,” he said. “You work so hard where you’re drained and don’t have anything left.”
Ben Elenbaas
Whatcom County Councilmember Ben Elenbaas announced January 27 he will run as a Republican candidate for the senate seat.
Elenbaas said he’s best fit for the position because of his experience as both a fourth-generation farmer along the Nooksack River and working at BP Cherry Point Refinery, two of the largest industries in the 42nd district.
“I don’t know about it because I read about it or visited. I know about it because I’ve experienced it,” Elenbaas said. “I think there’s quite a few people in Olympia who wouldn’t know a pitchfork if they stepped on it.”
Elenbaas is a graduate of Western Washington University’s Huxley College of Environment and serves on the Whatcom County Cattlemen’s Association and the Whatcom County Farm Bureau.
“Immediately the number one priority is making sure we have all the support we can have for flood victims and making sure we have long-term solutions for the river,” he said. After that, Elenbaas said he will take a people-first approach to governing to help those experiencing homelessness, find better living-wage jobs and combat what he called the ‘assault’ on agriculture.
Elenbaas was one of three candidates whom county council considered to appoint for the 42nd Legislative District senate position left vacant by the late senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale).
If elected to senate in November, Elenbaas said he would likely continue to fulfill his first term on council, which ends January 2024.
Simon Sefzik
State senator Simon Sefzik (R-Ferndale) said he planned on retaining his senate seat, to which county council appointed him less than a month ago.
“I made a commitment to serve the people of the 42nd district from day one,” he said. “A fresh, energetic voice is needed in Whatcom County.”
Sefzik said his biggest priorities remain flood mitigation, agriculture and water policy, bringing back good-paying jobs and increasing affordable housing to Whatcom County.
Sefzik worked full-time in the White House Management Office and distributed Covid-19 vaccines as an operations and logistics coordinator for Nomi Health in Colorado. Before recently graduating from Patrick Henry College, a private Christian school in Virginia, Sefzik interned for the White House Coronavirus Task Force and U.S. Congressman Ted Budd.
The state senator serves on the health care, higher education, and housing and local government senate committees.
If he retains his seat, Sefzik said he’d like to continue nurturing relationships he’s started among both Republican and Democrat legislators in Olympia.
“I told members of county council that I was willing to reach across the aisle and I’ve meant that every single day,” he said. “Those weren’t just words. That wasn’t just rhetoric. Those are things I truly believe.”
Two-term state representative Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) announced in November she also would run for the senate seat.
Bullets cause $7,000 in damages to Birch Bay home
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies have not found a suspect after a Birch Bay homeowner reported multiple bullets shot into their Anderson Road home.
A homeowner in the 4800 block of Anderson Road, near Glendale Drive, reported to WCSO deputies that they arrived home to find bullet holes in windows and cabinets around 5:30 p.m. January 27. Five bullets shot into the home totaled $7,000 in damages, WCSO spokesperson Deb Slater told The Northern Light in an email.
Deputies were unable to find a suspect and will follow-up on the investigation if they receive a lead, Slater said. WCSO deputies considered someone could have been unsafely target shooting in a nearby wooded area but the investigation remains inconclusive, Slater said. No evidence outside of the home was found.
Monday, February 21
City Offices Closed – Presidents’ Day
Tuesday, February 22 3:00pm – Civil Service Commission Meeting
Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website. Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website. www.cityofblaine.com
LOOKING FOR THAT SPECIAL ONE?
Tell us a bit about a book you enjoyed recently, and we’ll match you up with some great recommendations Our knowledgeable staff are happy to help you find the right book, movie or resource to meet your needs Come see what the library can do for you in 2022!
BLAINE LIBRARY 610 3rd Street Book talk/multimedia presentation360.305.3637Paid for by Friends of Blaine Library
Thank you!
Dr. Granger, School Administrators and School Board Members
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