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I come from a maritime background, which has been male-dominated throughout my entire career. I’ve been the first woman to do a lot because there weren’t any females.

As far as public works, I just feel honored. Anytime I am the first female, it’s like breaking the glass ceiling, not intentionally, it just happens. I’m glad that I can show others that they can do it. If you work hard, treat people well and do what’s best for the community, I think you can succeed.

What has been your experience working in a male-dominated field?

I went to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and it was 14 males to every one female. I was the only woman in my entire section. When I went out to sea, there were years that there weren’t any women that I was sailing with. If there were, they were usually in the stewardess department doing the cooking and cleaning.

When I worked for Washington State Ferries, there were quite a bit more women but still very few with the engine side. I think five out of 300 employees that I oversaw directly were women. And then I came here and there were a lot more women.

Have you ever experienced pushback for being a woman in a male-dominated field?

When I was sailing commercially I had a chief engineer try to sabotage me and give me jobs that didn’t have any direction. I was told by other engineers he was trying to find a way to fire me but couldn’t. And usually with those experiences, once they got to know me and realized I’m here to work, not cause issues and gender shouldn’t matter, then they become great allies.

I’ve had a couple of instances in my career where people were trying a little harder to see if they could push me out, yet it didn’t work. What attracted you to join public works?

When I read the job description for public works, I realized it’s all of the same stuff: The management of people, executing repairs and maintenance and overseeing an organization.

I took a step down from chief of staff to asset manager but I’m glad I did because it gave me the chance to come in at a peer level and get to know the organization. And then I became the assistant director. I helped navigate through all the difficulties of the last two years, whether it was the flood or Covid.

What do you see as the biggest priorities you want to accomplish in your first year as director?

We had employee movement so I’m looking to give stability to the organization and train new employees.

Externally, really focusing on our lines of service. This county is growing faster than we’re growing public works so there’s more service demands. Those demands aren’t going away. We know that each dollar is really valuable and inflation has gone up so being cognizant of the changes the community is facing and what the county can provide.

And looking past this next year, I want to look at how we can be more competitive with grants and the changing environment. Being able to address problems in the future, whether it’s environmental or regulatory, rather than being at the tail end.

Beyond road maintenance, we do water quality. We do large contracts and construction jobs. We replace bridges beyond road striping, sweeping, ditching, tree limbing or plowing of roads in the winter. We have a weed control group that ensures there’s no invasive species. We work on reducing pollution, shellfish habitat, fish habitat and culverts. We’re one of the few counties in the state that owns and operates a ferry.

What do you see as the biggest needs for public works to address in Birch Bay and Custer?

King tides are more prevalent than they have been in the past. As the community grows, there’s more traffic congestion in the Birch Bay area, as well as where the water flows if it’s not being absorbed by the land when there’s something built there.

How much of an impact did the November 2021 floods have on public works and how much of an impact does it have now?

At the time, it was significant. It still plays a major role in what we’re doing.

Birch Bay-Lynden Road lost that section of road. We had temporary repairs put in Birch Bay-Lynden Road but that section of road eventually needs to be removed. We’re not sure what it will look like in the future, whether it’s an extremely large culvert or a bridge.

We have a couple of big flood projects that we’re doing right now on the Jones Creek deflection berm and the Everson over- flow this summer.

I think it was an eye-opener that floods are not necessarily a decade or multi-decade event. They might be more frequent now and we need to be better prepared. What do you like to do in your free time when you’re not working?

I like to build. I’m into woodworking. I’ve built a couple of homes. I love to ski, outdoor sports and hiking. I love traveling.

Giving back to what we have here makes sense. Whatcom County makes sense. It’s a fulfillment of where I see myself in my career, really more oriented toward the community where I work.

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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF Whatcom

In Re the Estate of Melvin Thomas Gerry, Deceased. NO. 23-4-00351-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. (RCW 11.40.030) JUDGE:

Evan P. Jones

The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. Date

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In the matter of the Estate of HELENE SLACK, Deceased. No. 23-4-0037437. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. (RCW 11.40.030) Judge Robert E. Olson

LESLIE-ANNE MARGARET HOLMES has been appointed as Personal Representative/Administrator of the above estate.

Any person having a claim against the Deceased must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner provided by RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s Attorney at the address stated below, a copy of the claim, and filing the original of the claim with the Court in which the probated proceedings have commenced.

The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Administrator mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020 (1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of this notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim will be forever barred except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 or 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the probate and nonprobate assets of the Decedent.

DATE OF FILING OF NOTICE TO CREDI-

TORS WITH CLERK OF THE COURT:

April 14, 2023

DATE OF FIRST PUBLICATION:

April 27, 2023

PERSONAL REPRESENATIVE/ADMINIS-

TRATOR: Leslie-Anne Margaret Holmes

ATTORNEY FOR PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE/ ADMINISTRATOR:

Mark W. Stowe, WSBA#16655

ADDRESS FOR MAILING OR SERVICE: Stowe Law PLLC 276 Boundary Bay Road, P.O. Box 129 Point Roberts, WA 98281

Phone: (360) 945-0337

Email:stowelawpllc@outlook.com

STOWE LAW PLLC:

Mark W. Stowe, WSBA# 16655

Attorney for Administrator

Leslie-Anne Margaret Holmes

NOTICE TO CREDITORS IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In re the Estate of: JEAN ANN BEAMER, Deceased. Probate No. 23-4-00373-37.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS. Assigned

Judge: David E. Freeman.

The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the co-personal representatives or the co-personal representatives’ attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Clerk of this Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the co-personal representatives served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice (twenty-four (24) months if notice is not published). If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.

Date of filing copy of Notice to Creditors: April 14, 2023.

Date of first publication: May 4, 2023 Personal

ADVERTISE YOUR GARAGE SALE!

Judge Robert Olson

The Personal Representative named below has been appointed and has qualified as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probated proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.

Date of Filing of Notice to Creditors: April 13, 2023 with Clerk of Court:

Date of First Publication: April 20, 2023

Name of Personal Representative:

DONALD MICHAEL PILCHER

Attorney for Personal Representatives: Steven D. Avery, WSBA #35262

Address for Mailing or Service: Avery Elder Law, P.S. 801 Samish Way, Ste. 202 Bellingham WA 98229

Telephone: (360) 325-2550

Email: steve@averyelderlaw.com

DATED: April 13, 2023. AVERY ELDER LAW, P.S. STEVEN D. AVERY, WSBA #35262

Attorney for Personal Representative: DONALD MICHAEL PILCHER for the Plaintiff, Dellwo, Roberts & Scanlon, PS at their office address below stated, and in case you fail to do so, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint which has been filed with the Clerk of the Court. This action seeks to recover the sum of $13,733.35 plus Plaintiffs statutory fee and taxable costs. This claim arises from a motor vehicle accident which occurred on October 6, 2021 between a vehicle owned by you and operated by Jodi Waterman to a vehicle owned by Pacific Cruises Northwest, Inc. and operated by Nancy Schmidt. The accident occurred in Blaine, Washington.

DATED this 30 day of March, 2023.

DELLWO, ROBERTS & SCANLON, P.S. Robert C. Scanlon, WSBA #07493

Attorneys for Plaintiff 1124 West Riverside Avenue, Suite 310 Spokane, Washington 99201-1109 Tel: (509) 624-4291