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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. The letters to the editor column is primarily intended to allow readers to voice their opinions on local issues of general interest to local readers. A fresh viewpoint will increase the likelihood of publication. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.
Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com
Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com
Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com
Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com
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 Venice Buhain / Crosscut.com Doug Dahl
The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVIII, No 24 Circulation: 10,500 copies Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: Dec. 1 Ads due: Nov. 25 Blaine students have successful food drive
s Food collected by Blaine school students stretched down the hall in Blaine Elementary School. Although the amount of food hadn’t been
counted by November 21, school staff expects it to likely exceed the 11,000 pounds of food that were collected last year. Blaine elementary and primary students, above, partnered with Cost Cutter to collect food and monetary donations. From l. top row; Dylan Magnussen, Bryce Bradley, Eloise Olsen, Nolan Lewis, Mason Nowakowski, Teagan Wystrup. From l. bottom row; Maddy Hawkins and Toby Hawkins.
Photos by Grace McCarthy
Letters
The Editor:
Once again (for the third time in nine years?), the city of Blaine is engaging a consultant to “revitalize” downtown Blaine. This time at a huge expense – $620,000!
Absolutely nothing came from the last consultants’ reports except Blaine should be investing in more parks, street upgrades etc. In the November 17 issue of The Northern Light, the revitalization consists of benches, bike racks, landscaping and ADA compliance. $2.83 million? You must be joking. I consider this to be an abhorrent misuse of my tax dollars.
If Blaine has $620,000 to blow on a “consultant,” why not spend that money on benches, bike racks, landscaping and ADA compliance? I appeal to Blaine residents to contact the city council and show objection to spending that money, or if they believe the expense will actually enhance Blaine, show support. The city council needs to know where we stand on this type of expense.
Greg Wendt
Blaine
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 Thursday, 6 p.m. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/3EwWiZi. Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. The December meeting will be 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 14 at Blaine Senior Center. Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., council chambers and virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330. Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info: blainesd.org. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 11 a.m., Station 61 at 9408 Odell Road and via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
Nature’s Path employees package 1,500 bags for community
s Nature’s Path, an organic
breakfast food company in Blaine, packaged 1,500 bags of Nature’s Path product on November 16 to be given out to community members in Blaine and surrounding areas. The company has been hosting its Eat Well Do Good “foodraiser” since 2009 and has given away over $1.5 million in that time, according to a Nature’s Path spokesperson. This year’s donations totaled about $50,000 of Nature’s Path granola, toaster pastries and oatmeal cups.
Photos courtesy Nature’s Path
CITY OF BLAINE
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.
November 24 and 25
City Offices Closed
Monday, November 28
Salishan neighborhood loses power for 7 hours
A power outage in the Salishan neighborhood impacted about 100 homes on November 20.
Blaine interim public works director Gary McSpadden said public works received a call about the power outage around 4 p.m. November 20. The power returned 11 p.m. that night.
A hot cap on the aerial line caused the outage, McSpadden said. The wires came apart and it started to arc, so public works employees redid the connection and reenergized the line. McSpadden said the last power outage within Blaine city limits
Bereavement support group comes to Blaine
was a couple of months ago and impacted about 10 people on Mitchell Avenue.
“The old cap failed and we identified it and fixed it as quick as we could,” McSpadden said.
CITY OF BLAINE NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING CITY COUNCIL
The final public hearing on the final 2023 budget is scheduled for Monday, November 28, 2022, at 6:00 pm.
6:00pm – City Council Meeting: Continued Public Hearing on 2023 Budget
Thursday, December 1
9:00am – Ad Hoc Downtown Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, December 8
9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting *CANCELLED* 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting
Monday, December 12
6:00pm – City Council 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
B y G race M c c arthy
PeaceHealth Whatcom Hospice will be offering a bereavement support group for Blaine residents struggling during the holiday season after the death of a loved one. The free support group will take place 10-11:30 a.m. Thursday, December 8 and will be followed by a support series starting in late January.
Whatcom Hospice Bereavement Services will host the December 8 group at Blaine United Church of Christ, 885 4th Street. Registration is required. The session is geared toward adults who have experienced a death of a loved one within the past year to 1.5 years, but will be open to anyone in the community, said Michelle Walsh, bereavement coordinator for Whatcom Hospice.
“The anticipation and feeling of, ‘There’s this extra energy and things to do’ can feel so overwhelming,” Wash said. “Some people can’t imagine preparing for the holidays or going over to someone’s house where people are celebrating.”
The group, which is expected to be around 10 people, will have resources on grief, allow attendees to share their stories and help normalize aspects of grief. The December group will discuss lower energy levels during the holidays, such as attending a holiday dinner but leaving early; ways to handle holiday traditions such as going on vacation or participating in fewer activities; and how to connect with loved ones through sharing memories or lighting a candle at the table, Walsh said. She added there is no pressure to share during support meetings. (See Group, page 13)
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2022-23 BORDERITE WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULE
This page sponsored by
BOYS BASKETBALL
DATE OPPONENT
12/2 KING’S 12/3 BEAR CREEK 12/6 BELLINGHAM 12/10 OAK HARBOR 12/14 LAKEWOOD 12/16 SQUALICUM 12/21 LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 12/27 FRIDAY HARBOR 12/29 CEDARCREST 1/2 NOOKSACK 1/5 SEDRO-WOOLLEY 1/10 MERIDIAN 1/12 LYNDEN 1/16 MOUNT BAKER 1/20 BURLINGTON-EDISON 1/23 MOUNT VERNON 1/28 ANACORTES 1/31 SEHOME 2/2 FERNDALE SITE
NOOKSACK NOOKSACK HOME OAK HARBOR HOME SQUALICUM HOME HOME EVERETT CC NOOKSACK SEDRO-WOOLLEY HOME HOME MOUNT BAKER HOME MOUNT VERNON HOME SEHOME HOME TIME
5:40 PM 5:40 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 2:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:00 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM
BOYS WRESTLING
DATE OPPONENT SITE
12/3 MARINER HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT MARINER 12/7 LYN, SEHOME, MB LYNDEN
12/9 BATTLE AT THE BORDER HOME
12/10 BATTLE AT THE BORDER HOME
12/13 MB, MER, NV
HOME 12/16 HAMMER HEAD BOYS TOURNAMENT KITSAP FAIR 12/29 VASHON + OTHERS VASHON
1/3 MB, BELL, SQUAL MOUNT BAKER
1/7 EVERETT CLASSIC
EVERETT 1/12 MOUNT BAKER, FERNDALE MOUNT BAKER 1/14 BAINBRIDGE BAINBRIDGE 1/21 QUINCY MAT ANIMAL TOURNAMENT QUINCY TIMES
9:30 AM 6:00 PM 1:00 PM 8:00 AM 6:00 PM 8:00 AM 10:00 AM 6:00 PM 9:00 AM 6:00 PM 8:30 AM 10:00 AM
COMPETITIVE CHEER
DATE OPPONENT SITE
11/19 TBD BY COMPETITION DIRECTOR BELLARMINE PREP 12/03 TBD BY COMPETITION DIRECTOR BOTHELL 12/17 TBD BY COMPETITION DIRECTOR DECATUR
BOLD = Home Games TIMES
TBD TBD TBD
GIRLS BASKETBALL
DATE OPPONENT
12/6 BELLINGHAM 12/8 LA CONNER 12/10 OAK HARBOR 12/14 LAKEWOOD 12/16 SQUALICUM 12/21 LYNDEN CHRISTIAN 12/27 FRIDAY HARBOR 1/2 NOOKSACK 1/5 SEDRO-WOOLLEY 1/10 MERIDIAN 1/12 LYNDEN 1/16 MOUNT BAKER 1/23 MOUNT VERNON 1/28 ANACORTES 1/31 SEHOME SITE
BELLINGHAM HOME HOME LAKEWOOD HOME LYNDEN CHRISTIAN HOME HOME HOME MERIDIAN LYNDEN HOME HOME ANACORTES HOME TIME
7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 12:00 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM 7:15 PM
GIRLS WRESTLING
DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME
12/6 MB, MER, SQUAL, BELL, S-W 12/10 ORTING + OTHERS
MOUNT BAKER 6:00 PM ORTING 7:00 AM 12/10 EVERETT + OTHERS EVERETT 9:00 AM 12/29 WOOLLEY WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT SEDRO-WOOLLEY 9:00 AM 1/3 LYN, MER, NV HOME 6:00 PM 1/10 BELLINGHAM UNITED WRESTLING TBD 7:00 PM 1/14 BORDERITE BLIZZARD TOURNAMENT HOME 10:00 AM 1/19 B-E, MER, SQUAL, BELL TBD 6:00 PM 1/20 OTHELLO LADY HUSKIE INVITE OTHELLO 4:00 PM 1/21 OTHELLO LADY HUSKIE INVITE OTHELLO 9:00 AM 1/28 LADY KNIGHTS INVITATIONAL MARINER 9:00 AM
GIRLS BOWLING
DATE OPPONENT SITE TIME
11/9 NWC BOWLING JAMBOREE MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 11/14 CASCADE EVERGREEN BOWLING 3:15 PM 11/16 MERIDIAN MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 11/21 ANACORTES MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 11/22 BURLINGTON-EDISON RIVERSIDE LANES 3:15 PM 12/2 SQUALICUM MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 12/7 MOUNT VERNON MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 12/12 FERNDALE MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 12/14 EVERETT MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 1/3 FERNDALE MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 1/6 ANACORTES MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 1/10 SQUALICUM MT BAKER LANES 3:15 PM 1/17 MOUNT VERNON RIVERSIDE LANES 3:00 PM
HAVE A GREAT SEASON! Schedules subject to change. Check www.goborderites.com
LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTERS ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT BLAINE HIGH SCHOOL
