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. 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

Doug De Visser, Ruth Lauman 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

Kevin Coleman

Pete Granger

Norman Pillen

The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230

Tel: 360/332-1777

Vol XXVIII, No 39

Circulation: 10,500 copies

Circulation Independently verified by:

Next issue: March 23

Ads due: March 17

B y n or M an p I llen and p ete G ran G er

While Alaska might be more than 1,000 miles away, Washington shares a lot more with the 49th state than most people realize.

This is especially true in the fishing industry where the relationship between Washington and Alaska runs deep and ripples throughout Washington’s economy and communities. We are seeing the complexities and the nuances of this relationship play out right now in a lawsuit that the Seattle-based Wild Fish Conservancy brought against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2020 with the goal to shut down southeast Alaska’s small boat, hook-and-line Chinook troll fishery in the misguided name of saving the southern resident killer whales (SRKW).

Shutting down Alaska’s troll fishery will not bring us any closer to addressing the deeper, complex issues that are driving the decline of our local orca and salmon populations. Instead, it will have devastating impacts on hundreds of fishing families and businesses that rely on Alaska’s troll fishery for their income and jeopardize the economic stability of Washington and

Alaska’s coastal communities.

The Editor: Wow, what a showing from our Whatcom County basketball teams at the state tournament in Yakima!

First of all, being a lifelong Borderite, I have to say congratulations to Blaine for bringing home the third place trophy. I also want to give a huge shoutout to the Lynden High School pep band. When it was realized that the Blaine High School pep band would not be able to make it, Lynden stepped up big time.

Not only did they rock the dome with their impressive pep music, but they cheered for Blaine, a fellow Whatcom County team. Even some of their student section, dressed in Borderite orange vests and wigs (most likely supplied by our amazing Blaine cheer squad), cheered and chanted for a good part of Blaine’s semifinal game Friday night.

I think people often root against Lynden, I know I do, because they are just so good and win so often. I for one changed my tune during the tourney. From top to bottom, what I saw from Lynden was a class act. Go Borderites ...

Preston Bouma Birch Bay

The Editor:

Birch Bay has always been known as a resort or retired area. Maybe families now