The Northern Light: April 4-10, 2024

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Leslee Smith remembered for service to others

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Leslee Smith, the first career female firefighter at North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) who was known for her unwavering service to others, in and out of bunker gear, died March 26 after battling job-related liver cancer. She was 69.

Leslee’s death is considered a line-of-duty fatality because of hazardous exposures while working as a firefighter. Leslee spent several years as a volunteer firefighter before switching careers from a school behavioral health specialist to become a NWFR firefighter at 40 years old in 1999, eventually becoming the district’s first female lieutenant.

Leslee retired from NWFR in October 2021 due to her cancer. She was initially diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012, becoming cancer free after surgery, and then was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2020 that required her to start chemotherapy.

Along with her trailblazing career in the fire service, Leslee held many titles throughout her life including counselor, behavioral health specialist, school volunteer, baker, gardener, and most importantly to those who knew her: mother, wife, and daughter.

“Leslee had a thirsty curiosity and a beautiful mind. She was engaging, disarming and genuine in her interactions with everyone and had an innate ability to connect with people on any level and make them feel seen and heard,” Steve Smith, her husband, wrote in an email to The Northern Light. “This strength of character was often displayed in the love she had for her community and her efforts in that regard to motivate, educate and assist whenever and however needed.”

Leslee was born December 7, 1954 in Penticton, in the Okanagan Valley of B.C. Upon graduating from Douglas College in 1974, Leslee began working as a child care and family counselor at The Children’s Foundation in Vancouver. After meeting Steve, the Smiths moved to Blaine where Leslee worked as a behavioral health specialist at Blaine school district from 1989 to 1999.

Jennie Sand, a close friend to Leslee, said their friendship cemented through co-teaching a conflict resolution class at Blaine school district. Leslee earned children’s trust and cared deeply about their lives, Sand said.

Leslee helped start and managed the

Easter celebrated on Blaine waterfront

A 77-year-old Blaine man charged with first-degree murder for shooting his neighbor last October is incompetent to stand trial, a Whatcom County Superior Court judge ruled. The man’s charge will be dismissed without prejudice, meaning the charge could be refiled in the future.

On March 29, Judge Evan Jones issued a court order dismissing Wayne Harold Mahar Sr.’s murder charge and directing him to undergo a five-day involuntary civil commitment evaluation at Western State Hospital. The court found Mahar lacked the ability to understand the nature of proceedings against himself and ability to assist in his own defense and

was unlikely to improve.

Jones’s ruling followed a March 26 hearing on Mahar’s competency where two forensic evaluators testified that Mahar was unfit to stand trial.

Both forensic evaluators came to largely the same conclusions regarding the specifics of Mahar’s competency and gave the court their medical opinion that Mahar had an unspecified neurological disorder that likely included dementia.

“Both doctors independently examined the defendant and reached the same medical conclusion,” Jones wrote in the court order dismissing the charge. “The court finds their testimony to be creditable and sufficient by a preponderance of the evidence to overcome the presumption of competency in this case.”

PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230 HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer Coming Up 14 Classifieds 11, 12 Letters 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . 6, 7 Tides 14
s Children scramble to fill their baskets during CTK Blaine’s Easter egg hunt at Blaine Marine Park on March 30. CTK Blaine was among several community groups hosting family events during the holiday weekend. See more photos on page 10. Photo courtesy Taylor Andrews April 4 - 10, 2024 FREE Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay TheNorthernLight @TNLreporter @TheNorthernLightNews TheNorthernLight.com INSIDE IN THIS ISSUE Whatcom County Council news, page 5 Paso Del Norte fire, page 2 BHS alumni take wrestling collegiate, page 6
First-degree murder charge dismissed for Blaine man found incompetent to stand trial (See Court, page 3) B y G race M c c arthy (See Smith, page 15) This Week’s FLYERS FSI Save Home Show The perfect pair for your air. Lic. #CLEANACMG851MG Offer expires June 14, 2024. *See dealer for details. ©2024 Lennox Dealers are independently owned and operated businesses. www.CallCleanAir.com 360-398-9400 tjohnson;Seattle;Clean Air Comfort Systems;C33432;10x2-4c (24No) Receive up to $1,700 in rebates when you purchase the Ultimate Comfort System™* OR Qualified buyers make no payments, incur no interest for 12 months when financing a new Lennox® system** $4,000 in utility rebates on qualifying equipment^^ PLUS up to $2,600 in Federal Tax Credits^ C33432-24NO-10x2-4c.indd 1 3/20/24 4:25 PM

Fire temporarily closes Paso Del Norte

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A small kitchen fire at Paso Del Norte has temporarily closed the downtown Blaine restaurant, which restaurant owner Miguel Ramos said will likely not reopen for at least another month.

The fire started around 7 a.m.

March 29 and caused damage to the hood ventilation system, Ramos said. The fire was contained to the kitchen area and no injuries resulted from the fire.

“Thank you God the fire was only on the hood system and it wasn’t anywhere else in the building,” Ramos said.

North Whatcom Fire and Rescue is investigating the fire.

Future announcements will be made on the Paso Del Norte Facebook page. In the meantime, Ramos said community members who want to support the business can purchase gift cards on the restaurant’s website, pasodelnorte.net.

Paso Del Norte is located at 758 Peace Portal Drive. Ramos purchased the restaurant, previously called “El Sombrero,” at 20 years old in 1995, according

s The damaged hood ventilation system at Paso Del Norte.

to the restaurant’s website.

“We’re doing OK. Thank you for the 29 years of support,” Ramos said, speaking to the community. “We should be back in business soon.”

Man arrested for lewd act in downtown Blaine

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A 41-year-old man was charged with a misdemeanor after allegedly committing a lewd act in downtown Blaine around 7:23 p.m. March 28. The man remains in jail in lieu of $500 bail, as of April 2.

A 22-year-old woman was driving northbound in the 900 block of Peace Portal Drive, near the Clark Street parklet, when the man in a green trench coat walked about 100 feet in front of her car, made eye contact, pulled his penis out and began masturbating, according to the police report. The woman called 911 and told police the incident disturbed her.

A Blaine police officer located the man near the 1100 block of Peace Portal Drive and placed him under arrest. The police officer wrote in the report that the man ranted about the government, as well as threatened physical harm to the officer and called the officer defamatory names.

The Northern Light does not typically name individuals charged with misdemeanors.

The man was booked into What-

com County Jail around 9 p.m. March 28 for allegedly committing a lewd act, which is in violation of Blaine Municipal Code, per jail booking data. The man can be released in lieu of a $500 appearance bond or $100 cash bail.

Blaine Police Department sergeant Tim Richardson said police have contacted the man four times about disorderly conduct and threats since they first communicated with him in August 2023.

Blaine Municipal Code defines a lewd act, in part, as a person who intentionally performs any lewd act where the act could be observed by any member of the public.

Washington state law defines indecent exposure as when someone “intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.” Indecent exposure becomes a gross misdemeanor if the person exposes themselves to a child under 14 years old and it’s their first offense, and becomes a class C felony if the person has previously been convicted of indecent exposure or a sex offense.

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Photo courtesy Miguel Ramos

Court ...

From page 1

Mahar was arrested on October 4, 2023, after allegedly shooting his neighbor, 67-yearold Vincent Reames. Charging documents state a neighbor called 911 after hearing a gunshot and upon going outside to investigate, saw Mahar with a shotgun and Reames lying face down on his own property.

Mahar allegedly told both the witness and Mahar’s wife separately that he had shot Reames, claiming to his wife that it was in self-defense, according to charging documents. Mahar, who had a history of disputes with Reames, said he was sitting on his deck when Reames began verbally harassing him, but Mahar was unable to provide police details on Reames’ behavior.

Mahar allegedly told detectives he wanted to kill Reames and Reames “deserved to be dead.” Mahar was later described as “jovial” during the interview.

Mahar’s public defenders said during the hearing they almost immediately began having concerns on his competency and hired Alexander Patterson, a clinical psychologist, to evaluate Mahar. The court ordered Mahar to undergo a second evaluation from Roman Lokhmotov, a Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) evaluator, at Western State Hospital, where Mahar has been since March 1.

Patterson and Lokhmotov spent 5 and 1.5 hours, respectively, talking to Mahar, according to their testimony. Mahar’s wife had told evaluators that Mahar began showing cognitive declines about a year before his arrest. Whatcom County Jail staff had noted examples of cognitive deficits, such as occasionally thinking he was in a military base, and described Mahar as “in and out of awareness of his current situation.”

Patterson said during the hearing that people’s awareness will fluctuate during the early stages of dementia and that while Mahar provided adequate responses at times, the larger picture showed he was incompetent to stand trial.

The state rejected the defense counsel’s argument that Mahar was unfit to stand trial, arguing that Mahar did not meet case law standards to be considered incompetent and could improve with medication. Senior deputy prosecuting attorney Benjamin Pratt said Mahar was never diagnosed with a serious mental illness, understood the legal proceedings and could clearly respond to information.

However, Pratt said during the hearing that if the court found Mahar incompetent to stand trial, the state did not have an argument to challenge that Mahar couldn’t improve.

Mahar’s involuntary civil commitment evaluation started when DSHS received a copy of the court order.

Neither Mahar’s public defenders nor the county prosecutor’s office responded to a request for comment.

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s Whatcom County Courthouse and Civic Center. File photo

The Northern L ght

OpiniOn

Road Rules: Visibility, distractions in new cars

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Question: You’ve written before about A-pillars being a visibility problem, but try being tall with the safety cam in newer cars completely obscuring your vision for its own purposes of viewing and distracting you as a driver. Aren’t there some standards that car companies have to meet about visibility?

Answer: Are we living in a world where we’ve prioritized what a car can see over what the driver of the car can see? Until we reach a point where cars no longer have steering wheels or gas and brake pedals, we still need to see where we’re going.

Not knowing the car you were driving, I’m going to make a guess that what you experienced was a problem of bad fit as much as poorly placed technology. The Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) require a minimum of 70 percent light transmittance for windshields.

However, the top few inches of a windshield, called a shade band, is not considered “requisite for driving visibility” and does not have to meet that standard. It’s also the zone where your rearview mirror is installed.

If an auto-maker doesn’t think you’ll have any need to look through that band while driving, that would be the logical

place to put some safety technology. Unfortunately, it sounds like the car designer didn’t factor in someone of your height.

Even if that is the case, it points to a larger problem: We’re making cars safer for the occupants, but we forgot about everyone else. Big roof pillars protect vehicle occupants in a crash, but they’re bad for seeing pedestrians. Giant displays in the car provide great maps for navigation, but they draw a driver’s focus away from the road. Cameras and sensors help the car assist you, but all the features can distract you from the actual driving. When misused, these “upgrades” can put other road users at risk.

We tend to link distracted driving with cell phones, but that’s only a piece of it. In the 2022 statewide distracted driving observational survey, over half of distracted drivers had diverted their attention to something other than a phone.

Distractions come in many forms. It could be spilled coffee, last-minute personal grooming, kids in the back seat, eating an In-N-Out burger if you ordered it animal style, and fiddling with the technology that came with your car. Some of that tech was meant to keep drivers safer, but if you’re not familiar with it before you put the car in gear, trying to figure it out

while driving takes attention away from where it belongs.

Despite all the potential distractions, most of the time drivers have their focus on the road. In the observational survey I mentioned, nine percent were engaged in distracting behaviors. But that small percentage has an outsized impact. Over the past 10 years, distracted drivers have been involved in 23 percent of fatal crashes.

There is good news. Our attitudes about distracted driving have changed in recent years, and so have our behaviors. A decade ago, 69 percent of drivers admitted to using their phone while driving. In Washington’s most recent traffic safety survey, that dropped to less than one-third. That’s translated into lives saved. In 2014, there were 171 fatalities involving distracted drivers. In 2022, there were 99.

We’ve gotten better at putting our phones down while driving. If we can also get better at avoiding all the other distractions, including the technology built into our vehicles (that’s often helpful but sometimes not so much), we’ll continue to move toward our goal of zero deaths on our roads.

Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes thewisedrive.com.

Tsunami survivor to speak at emergency preparation meeting

The Blaine emergency response team will host a community event on surviving natural disasters, with a special presentation from Birch Bay resident Monica Ribeiro Connelly, who survived the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami in Thailand.

The presentation will be held at the Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street, on Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Ribeiro Connelly, who recently authored a memoir “Surviving a Tsuna -

mi at Thirteen” about her experiencing losing both her parents to the world’s largest recorded tsunami, will offer her insight on how to survive the natural disaster, and how first responders can prepare to address such tragedies.

“We were close enough for the worst possible scenario because there was no warning,” Ribeiro Connelly told The Northern Light in a November 2023 interview.

“There were no authorities and no

alarm bells. It was just another day, and then, the water was gone. Being a foreigner, you don’t know that’s not normal.”

An estimated 227,899 people lost their lives in the tsunami, and Ribeiro Connelly hopes to spread the word on how to be prepared for the worst in the coastal communities of Blaine and Birch Bay.

Madisun Tobisch contributed to the reporting of the story.

Blaine High School Theatre Arts program is presenting another delightful musical. This spring’s offering by our talented and hard-working students will be “Mamma Mia!” – the smash Broadway hit featuring the songs of the 1980s pop group ABBA.

The two-act musical play tells the story of young bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan (performed by senior Ava Freeman) who is trying to determine which of her mother’s three paramours might be her biological father. Other notable performances will feature senior Lucy Dahl as unconventional mother Donna Sheridan, senior Justin Ascencio as Sam Carmichael (one of three

potential fathers), and seniors Isabel Witt and Addie Marshall, as Rosie and Tanya, members of all-girl retro-rock group “Donna and the Dynamos.”

Under the direction of popular theater teacher Olivia Theilemann, with choreography by Renee Scheib, and using a first-time live pit orchestra under the direction of Mike Dahl, this show has one of the largest casts and crews for any BHS musical to date.

ABBA’s music is familiar to three generations; this show features songs like: “I Have a Dream,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Thank You for the Music,” and “Dancing Queen.” The audience will be tempted to jump up and dance, and probably sing along (and who’s to say that singing-along

CiviC Meetings

Birch Bay Water and Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 p.m., district office, 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: ci.blaine.wa.us.

Blaine Planning Commission: Second Thursday, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: bit.ly/3EwWiZi.

won’t be encouraged anyway?).

This ambitious project will have eight performances at the Performing Arts Center at Blaine High School; six evening performances and two Sunday matinées; April 18-20, 25-27 at 7 p.m. and April 21 and 28 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale at wa.blaine. lite.intouchreceipting.com; tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. “Mamma Mia!” is totally family-friendly, so bring the kids – they’ll learn great new songs!

Blaine Public Works and Park

Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Meetings are second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.

4 The Northern Light • April 4 - 10, 2024 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
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Letters The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXIX, No 42 Circulation: 10,500 copies Circulation Independently verified by: The Editor:
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Advisory Board: Second Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Blaine council chambers. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330. Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district boardroom, 770 Mitchell Avenue. Info: blainesd.org. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue: Third Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Station 61 at 9408 Odell Road and via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
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Whatcom County Council roundup ...

The latest from Whatcom County Council … Council announces plan to combat fentanyl

In an effort to combat the highly addictive opioid fentanyl, Whatcom County Council, acting as the health board during a March 26 hearing, unanimously approved a resolution for the county executive to issue an executive order activating a wide-ranging plan to loosen the drug’s grip on the region.

The resolution brought to executive Satpal Sidhu’s desk will request both federal and state emergency declarations be made to expand efforts and free up more resources, while also declaring a countywide emergency for fentanyl in lock step with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

The resolution would also call for much more aggressive policing and judicial strategies to combat the drug, requesting “the full force of the law” to address major crimes, and asking the courts to “impose the strictest sentences available” while also asking it to offer treatment and recovery options, “to persuade people to choose

treatment over punishment.”

The county, along with dozens of other local, tribal, state and federal governments, have worked together for the past several years to combat the growing drug crisis yet there were still 132 opioid overdose deaths in Whatcom County in 2023, a figure that has increased every year since 2018.

Council will allow public comment on the resolution before councilmembers formally vote on it again and it goes into effect at the next meeting, set for Tuesday, April 9. Comments can be sent to council@co.whatcom.wa.us

County prepares to change

electoral precinct boundaries

Whatcom County Council has proposed an ordinance be introduced for public hearing that would amend the borders of multiple voting precincts, and create two new precincts for the upcoming 2024 elections in August and November.

Multiple precincts are impacted, including local precincts 108 (east Blaine south of H Street Road), 113 (east of Birch Bay between Bay and Brown road), 122 (east Blaine), 303 (east Blaine north of H Street Road), and 306 (north of Dakota Creek, west of I-5).

Per state law, all electoral precincts must reside wholly within a single congressional, legislative and county voting district, and precincts are limited to 1,500 registered voters.

Council unanimously approved the motion for a public hearing, and notices will be sent out to all residents whose voting precinct may change.

To view the current precinct map, visit the Whatcom County website at bit.ly/41DLpOz.

Lummi Island ferry rates to increase

Whatcom County Council unanimously approved a resolution increasing fares for the Lummi Island ferry in response to an anticipated deficit during its March 19 meeting.

The resolution also allowed the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to be used for the aging ferry system, to the tune of $358,000, according to county documents. Council asked Sidhu to institute a “smaller and more predictable annual fare increase to ensure the long-term sustainability of the ferry fund over time.”

Days later, Sidhu issued a memorandum enacting the fare increases, which now ask for

Open house set for parking zoning proposal in downtown Blaine

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The city of Blaine has scheduled an open house regarding proposed changes to downtown parking 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, April 8. The open house will be in Blaine City Council chambers, on the fourth floor of the Banner Bank building, 435 Martin Street. The residential parking changes would apply to the entire downtown, with additional parking relief for developers in the waterview district, which is mostly the west side of Peace Portal Drive. Under the proposal, developers could potentially opt for a 50 percent reduction in res-

idential parking in the waterview district. The city would require developers with reduced on-site parking to pay an in-lieu fee that would go to downtown transportation improvements, among other elements in the proposal. Following the open house, Blaine Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the parking proposal at its meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 11 in Blaine City Council chambers. Planning commission is also looking at a proposal that would allow for increased building heights on the west side of Peace Portal Drive. The commission is expected to continue conversa-

tion on the height recommendations during its April meeting and then hold a public hearing on the building heights during a later meeting.

The planning commission will eventually send its parking and building height recommendations to Blaine City Council for a final decision.

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$132 for the “multi-ride” – or 20 round trips – tier. That’s up from $113 for 25 round trips in 2023.

The ticket increases will go into effect starting May 1.

County discusses expanding internet access Councilmembers discussed the county’s role in expanding internet access for the people of Whatcom County, a topic that council has been juggling with for the past several years, during their March 19 committee of the whole meeting.

Expansion of internet access, especially to “rural and already unserved and underserved communities,” as a draft resolution puts it, would require collaboration between the county government, the Port of Bellingham and Public Utility District No. 1 to efficiently identify areas in need and expand broadband access across the county, according to county documents.

The draft resolution, which was discussed but not acted upon by the committee, would also recognize internet services as a utility, akin to water or sewage, “in all relevant policy, planning, regulatory, and permitting documents and processes.”

April 4 - 10, 2024 • thenorthernlight.com 5 BLAINE LIBRARY 610 3 rd Street 360.305.3637 Paid for by Friends of Blaine Library READY TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE? With your WCLS Library Card you can access Mango Languages for FREE! Learn over 70 languages via Mango’s app or on your PC. That’s the Power of Sharing! www.wcls.org/power/ CITY OF BLAINE Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website. www.cityofblaine.com Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website. April 8 4:00pm – 5:30pm –Community Development Services Open House 6:00pm – City Council Meeting April 11 9:30am – Public Works and Park Advisory Board Meeting 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting April 22 6:00pm – City Council Meeting April 23 3:30pm – Civil Service Commission Meeting Leonard D.M. Saunders, Attorney at Law The Immigration Law Firm 360-332-7100 www.blaineimmigration.com • 435 Martin St., Suite 2010 • Blaine, WA • U.S. green cards / naturalization • Work / investor visas • Denied entry waivers • Removal hearings • NEXUS appeals www.blaineimmigration.com • 435 Martin St., Suite 1010 • Blaine, WA • U.S. green cards / naturalization • Inadmissibility waivers • TN (NAFTA) work permits • U.S. Citizenship claims Leonard D.M. Saunders, Attorney at Law 360-332-7100 CITY OF BLAINE Open House Community Development Services Department Downtown Parking Text Amendment Monday, April 8th, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. City Council Chambers in the Banner Bank Building 435 Martin Street, Blaine, WA 98230 Check www.cityofblaine.com for more information. Please Support This Newspaper $29 (or whatever you can) Community Newspaper for Blaine & Birch Bay MAIL TO: The Northern Light, 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 l 360/332-1777 Name: Email: Address: City: State: Zip: You can also contribute online at thenorthernlight.com Thank you for supporting local journalism. This week’s supporters: Patti Lee Jordan • Anonymous
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spOrts

Track and field shines at Trojan Twilight, softball stays undefeated

It’s spring break for the Borderites, which means all seven of Blaine’s varsity sports teams will get roughly a week off from their schedules, marking the unofficial halfway point of the season.

There’s no better time to take stock of where the Borderites stand at the midway point of the season, and what’s in store before the conference schedule winds down and district and state playoffs begin in May.

Track and field

As predicted by head coach Mark Schultz in The Northern Light’s spring sports preview on March 6, the Blaine track and field team has had a successful start to the season, led by its sprinters, jumpers and throwers.

In its first league meet of the season on March 13, the Borderites traveled to Ferndale to face the hosting Golden Eagles and Sedro-Woolley. In total, 12 Blaine athletes finished the day with top-three finishes, including Colin Davis (58.1) and Tyler Bouma (59.7) leading a pack of four Borderite boys finishing top-

five behind Ferndale senior Luke Jones in the 400-meter race.

Deja Dube stood out among the throwers for placing on the podium in both shot put and discus, the only athlete among all three schools to place in the top-three in two separate events.

The senior won the discus competition by nearly 10 feet more than the second place finisher, with a 93-foot throw, and placed third in shot put, just inches behind the event’s second-place finisher.

The next league meet was Bedlington Twilight at Lynden Christian on March 22, which featured eight schools from around the region. Podium finishes were hard to come by in the larger field, with Blaine finishing last in team score, but the Borderites still posted strong individual performances.

Coming off a strong season last year that saw him compete in multiple state playoff events, Josiah Weeda placed second in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 16.45.

Freshman Cheyenne Parker placed fourth in the 400-meter race with a time of 1:04.34, a full 4.5 seconds faster than the next freshman finisher.

s

At the next league meet in Anacortes against the host Seahawks and Squalicum on March 27, Josiah Weeda again showed a strong 110-meter hurdle performance, placing second with an improved time of 15.9. Weeda was just 0.1 seconds behind first-place finisher Luke Hanson of Anacortes.

Weeda was among a group of Borderites to podium, along with freshmen Kaitlyn Ritter Von Trautmann and Teia Dube who took second and third – respectively – in the long jump, and Makenna Lauiser who tied for first place with a seven-foot pole vault showing.

NOTICE OF FLUSHING

During the city flushing program city water customers may experience a temporary low water pressure and/or cloudiness when flushing is going on. The cloudiness condition (caused by air) should be only temporary, and can be cleared by running a cold water tap for a few minutes to clean and flush your service line. If the condition continues for an extended period of time please contact the Blaine Public Works.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, feel free to call Public Works at (360) 332-8820, or visit www.cityofblaine.com for weekly area updates.

Blaine Public Works.

The girls discus team also performed well, with Addie Sakali, Olivia Carlson-Vega and Lydia Ayala placing second, third and fourth, respectively.

At Blaine’s most recent league meet, the Trojan Twilight in Bellingham against five Northwest Conference (NWC) opponents on March 27, Blaine had a banner day with 12 podium finishes and five first place finishes.

The girls sprinters stood out, with Juliana Zuzarte winning the 100-meter, and Cheyenne Parker winning both the 400- and 200-meter races.

Schultz said he knew Parker was a strong runner coming out of middle school, and has been impressed with the freshman’s tenacity after rehabbing from a lower body injury.

“Trojan Twilight was really her first test of the season,” Schultz said. “I was actually more impressed with her 200-meter time, especially after running a really strong 400. I really believe her best race will end up being the 200-meter.”

The relay teams also had a day to remember, with the boys 4x400-meter team placing first with a time of 3:42.51, the 4x100-meter boys team placing third with a time of 46.78, and the girls team placing second in the 4x200-meter.

Schultz said that a lot of practice time is spent on the relays, since it requires the most precision and

s

April 1.

teamwork, but he’s proud of how clean the Blaine relay teams have been in recent years.

“The relays are the only thing that actually makes me nervous still as a coach.” Schultz said through a chuckle. “I still get the butterflies every time the 4x100 and 4x200 pass the baton, but we’ve done a really good job at not disqualifying over the last year and a half.”

Blaine’s only home meet of the season was originally planned for Wednesday, April 10, but has been rescheduled for Thursday, April 25 at Borderite Stadium. The team’s next meet will be at

4 p.m.

“I think as the season moves on, we’re going to be getting stronger and faster,” Schultz said. “The first half of the season was kind of a general approach where we focused on multiple events, and now we’re going to be focusing on what the student-athletes do best.”

Baseball

After consecutive conference losses to Sehome, Anacortes and

(See Sports, page 13)

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The City of Blaine Water Division started flushing the City's water distribution system. This is accomplished by opening hydrants along the system (starting at the well fields) to move fresh water throughout the distribution system.
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Lynden Christian against a host of NWC foes on Thursday, April 11 starting at
B y N ola N B aker
Deon Bowman attempts to run out a drag bunt as the Burlington-Edison pitcher fields in the second inning of Blaine’s 8-2 win at Pipeline Field on April 1. Photos by Nolan Baker s Blaine pitcher Kieran Markusen winds up to throw to a Burlington-Edison batter on April 1. Markusen pitched all seven innings, striking out five batters and allowing five hits. Blaine batter Jesse Deming r., watches the ball after hitting an infield single in the third inning of Blaine’s 8-2 win over Burlington-Edison on

spOrts

Former Blaine wrestlers bring success to WWU, WSU clubs

Former Blaine wrestlers Genesis Vasquez and Jacob Westfall are at different points in their collegiate wrestling careers, with Vasquez’s just beginning and Westfall’s at its twilight, but both credit their high school programs for instilling in them a love of the sport.

Class of 2023 graduate Vasquez grew up with four older brothers. Learning to assert herself and be aggressive has always been second-nature to the college freshman finishing her first year at Washington State University.

Vasquez said she has always had that aggression, but didn’t quite know how to channel it until her freshman year of high school when Blaine started its first girls-only wrestling team.

The wrestling mat became a laboratory for Vasquez to learn a new sport that rewards controlled aggression. It also became a community of like-minded, strong girls to form even stronger bonds, Vasquez said. “What kept me there after the painful practices and the beating we get from the sport of wrestling was really the community that wrestling brings,” Vasquez said. “The girls are amazing, I loved having a girls team. I love seeing

the boys and supporting the boys [team], but having a coach that focuses on just the girls was an amazing thing.”

After four years wrestling for Blaine, Vasquez had a breakout freshman year for WSU’s wrestling club, earning an All-American honor, placing first in the 116-pound Northwest Conference Championships, and finishing the year with a 19-4 record.

She isn’t the only former Blaine wrestler seeing success at the collegiate level.

Western Washington University senior Jacob Westfall also earned All-American honors after a second-place finish in the 197-pound division in the Northwest Conference Championships.

The Blaine class of 2019 graduate has become a veteran leader on the WWU club team, boasting a 14-7 record with eight wins by pin last season.

He also said he hopes to continue his wrestling career after college by coaching local youth teams. Westfall’s WWU team earned 10 national competition qualifiers, three women and seven men, and Westfall was the lone mens wrestler to earn the title of All-American, along with junior Jada Yamada.

Westfall has given back to the Blaine program from which he graduated, even coaching as an assistant during the Covid-shortened 2020 season. His junior year at Blaine, he placed third in state, then seventh place his senior season.

A love for wrestling was ignited in him during those countless early mornings on the mat, Westfall said. That love grew exponentially after his seventh-place state finish ended his high school career.

He decided to forgo plans to play collegiate football, instead focusing on a college wrestling career that took him to Southwestern Oregon Community College for two years, then Warner Pacific University for a third year before transferring back home to finish his schooling at Western Washington University.

The decision seems to have paid off for Westfall, who finished his collegiate career as an All-American, is working toward earning a teaching degree, and now coaches all ages at the Whatcom Wrestling Academy.

Westfall said he hopes to coach his own high school wrestling program in the future.

“Wrestling is a very community-driven sport. It’s a sport where

people really give back to the community in coaching and volunteering,” Westfall said. “I think the best way to do that is to help these young wrestlers grow both as athletes and as young adults.”

For Vasquez, her young collegiate career is just getting started.

Playing on a club team, rather than a sanctioned varsity sport like football or basketball, has its challenges and unique perks, according to both Vasquez and Westfall.

For Vasquez, wrestling daily with a small team – not unlike the teams she wrestled with at Blaine – builds an intense bond between teammates that couldn’t be matched at a larger program.

“Our team may be small, but everybody matters,” Vasquez said of her WSU team. “We depend on everybody to get better.”

While wrestling may seem like a uniquely individual sport, most wrestlers will say the exact opposite. It takes a team – a community – to build the strength that wrestling so desperately wants to beat out of you with its long, taxing practices and meets.

“It’s an individual sport, we have our own matches and our own mindset,” Vasquez said. “But at the end of the day, you’re not going to get better by yourself. You’re going to get better with a teammate and the whole team is going to get better together.”

Westfall said that the lack of scholarships for club wrestlers

means everyone is there for the love of the game, and not the financial incentives.

“You’re there because you choose to. Some club wrestlers are tougher just because the fact that they choose to wrestle, rather than potentially doing it because it pays for their school,” Westfall said. “Obviously that’s not the case for every college wrestler, but we don’t get any money besides what we raise ourselves, so we have to be that much more committed to the sport of wrestling.”

What Westfall and Vasquez –who is working toward a degree in WSU’s esteemed veterinary college – most adamantly agree on is that the Blaine wrestling program instilled in them not only a love for wrestling, but a love for personal improvement and the strength to get there.

Vasquez said she’s ultimately thankful that she found a sport that could not only teach her how to pin her older brothers, but could show her a community of girls that want to better themselves every morning, leaving it all out on the mat.

“I think it’s a sport that every girl should try because it gets you out of your comfort zone and out of the norm that girls aren’t fighters or girls can’t be aggressive,” Vasquez said.

“It’s so fun when you have the right community and the right team.”

April 4 - 10, 2024 • thenorthernlight.com 7 758 Peace Portal Dr. • Downtown Blaine 360-332-4045 • pasodelnorte.net We’re Temporarily Closed 2-3 WEEKS FOR REPAIRS
B y N ola N B aker
s Washington State University wrestler Genesis Vasquez attempts to pin her opponent during a meet in her freshman season. Vasquez finished the season with a 19-4 record. Photo courtesy Caleb Steele s Jacob Westfall, a senior at Western Washington University, stands over his opponent during a meet last season. Westfall ended the year with eight wins by pin and a 14-7 record. Photo courtesy Kyle Huard

I am lucky that I have a job I love. I am surrounded by amazing people with whom I get to connect in such special ways every day. I sometimes wish I could show others how astounding my day is. I am surrounded by smart, caring people who show me how exceptional life can be. I am a senior center director in Blaine.

Now my view of my 50-plus community is my perspective. I believe that experience of life and success, and failures, helps to create empathy, wisdom, and amazing skill in the individual. My goal is to live a long life, and the modeling of others who are succeeding is inspiring.

The 50-plus community is the largest age group demographic in Blaine. Our older generations have the strongest voting power, great buying power and the ability to positively shape our community. This group is going to continue to grow. Why? We are living longer and more fruit-

ful lives. My goal every day is to show the community that as we get older, we get better. Living a long and happy life is high on the goals list. Blaine Senior Center is not a convalescent home – we are a center for active living.

We have worked hard to make our center beautiful. We have added classes to educate, stimulate and help us grow. We have launched health programs to connect with our bodies. We have opened our center to the community with programs of art, music, food and laughter. But we need to do more.

Blaine needs us. We have almost 900 members at the center. We are teachers, volunteers, craftsmen, doctors, blue- and white-collar workers, artists, mothers, fathers and more. We are strong and we can make a difference. We are asking you to join our center not because you need us, but because we need you.

Blaine needs you.

There is power in numbers. The center is a location where

community issues can have a platform. It’s where we can be educated and objective to key issues we face.

We also can have an impact on programs to help the community feel nurtured. This means music, art and fun, but also established programs to clean our neighborhoods, educate our youth and young families, and support our city with skill, thoughtfulness and volunteerism.

We have a center that our community can lean on in good and bad times. We can complain about Blaine’s issues, or as the elder generations, we can lead by example.

We have the time, and we have the skillset. There is power within community and connection. This is how we tackle the problem of ageism in our community, within ourselves, and how we nurture the life we have left and make our community better.

This “Blaine 50-plus center for active living” has a goal to bring relevancy, opportunity and sup-

port to our 50-plus community. Sometimes this is in the form of helping those who need it. Often it is to uplift the lives of those motivated to live a full life. It is also to add meaning to our lives. To share gratitude for what we have, to give resources to those who want to make a difference, and to create an impact that makes our community better for everyone. This is the power of being an elder in our community.

Pete Nelson is executive director of Blaine Senior Center.

Signs a loved one might need assisted living

Assisted living facilities provide an invaluable service. When a medical condition, developments associated with aging or another variable affects an individual’s ability to live independently, assisted living facilities can ensure such men and women get the help they need to live as fully and actively as possible.

It’s not always easy to identify when an individual may need to move into an assisted living facility. Some individuals choose to do so on their own, but families often make such decisions together. As families work to determine if a loved one should move into an assisted living facility, they can look for various signs that suggest the time is right to do so.

According to the Elder Care Alliance, signs that an individual may benefit from assisted living include:

• Requiring routine reminders to take medication

• Noticeable changes in weight, including weight loss or gain

• Loss of mobility or increase in falls

• Signs that household maintenance is being neglected

• Difficulty with daily tasks like grooming and meal preparation

• Increased isolation

• Loss of interest in hobbies

It’s important for families to recognize that some of the signs noted above might suggest the presence of a condition or disease that would not, if treated successfully, compromise an individual’s ability to live independently. For example, the SilverSneakers program offered through Tivity Health notes that weight gain among seniors may be attributable to slower metabolism, a less active lifestyle or menopause for women. Each of those conditions can be addressed without requiring a relocation to an assisted living facility.

(See Care, next page)

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s Pete Nelson. Courtesy photo

Tips to prevent pickleball injuries

Thu, April 4: Egg casserole w/sausage or mushroom, roasted vegetables, orange juice, fruit & yogurt parfait

Fri, April 5: Shrimp or vegetable salad, oatmeal bread, fresh grapes

Mon, April 8: Beef or vegan burgundy, brown rice, honey glazed carrots, spinach salad, ambrosia

Tue, April 9: Chicken tortilla soup or vegan veggie soup w/ rice, whole grain roll, garden salad, fruit salad

Wed, April 10: British bangers (sausage) or veggie sausage, mashed potatoes, onion gravy, buttered peas, garden salad, rice pudding

Thu, April 11: BBQ chicken or vegan nuggets, roasted sweet potato, green beans, coleslaw, raspberry sherbet

Fri, April 12: French dip w/ au jus or veggie beef strip dip, garlic red potatoes, green beans, kale citrus slaw, cookie

Mon, April 15: Battered pub fish or breaded veggie strips, potato wedges, buttered carrots, coleslaw, ice cream

Tue, April 16: Salisbury steak or vegan steak strips, mashed potatoes & gravy, mixed vegetables, garden salad, banana

Wed, April 17: Honey mustard chicken or vegan cutlet, vegetable rice pilaf, Brussels sprouts, mixed berry crisp

Thu, April 18: Sausage or mushroom lasagna, garlic breadstick, Italian vegetables, Caesar salad, sliced peaches

Fri, April 19: Taco salad or veggie taco salad, cornbread, orange slices

Mon, April 22: Butternut squash ravioli, sage cream sauce, Italian vegetables, Caesar salad, rainbow sherbet

Tue, April 23: Aloha chicken or vegan cutlet, pineapple rice, spring salad, tropical fruit salad

Wed, April 24: Birthday Lunch – Maple soy glazed salmon or vegan cutlet, baked potato, Nantucket vegetables, spinach salad, birthday cake

Thu, April 25: Tuscan kale soup w/ sausage or veggies, garlic focaccia, Greek vegetable salad, fruited Jell-O

Fri, April 26: Beef frank w/ onions & sauerkraut, sweet potato fries, coleslaw, watermelon

Mon, April 29: Sweet chili chicken or tofu, Thai noodles, steamed broccoli, pineapple

Tue, April 30: Pork or vegan cutlet w/ apple chutney, rice pilaf, Nantucket vegetables, spinach salad, pistachio pudding

Subject to change. While quantities last.

Pickleball has inspired millions of devotees. According to the Association of Pickleball Professionals, roughly 36.5 million individuals played pickleball in 2022, and 45 percent of players who participated in a YouGov study conducted between August 2021 and August 2022 indicated they planned to play more pickleball in the coming six months than they had in the previous six months.

Pickleball is thriving, and that’s great news for those who love the game. Unfortunately, pickleball also has proven beneficial to orthopedic practices. A 2023 analysis from investment bank UBS estimated pickleball injuries could cost Americans nearly $400 million in 2023. Seniors are especially vulnerable to pickleball injuries, as a 2021 study published in the journal Injury Epidemiology found that 86 percent of emergency room visits related to pickleball injuries affected individuals 60 and older.

Injuries are a part of any sport, and pickleball is no different. Though there’s no foolproof method to guarantee pickleball players don’t get hurt playing the game they love, the following are some tips that can reduce injury risk.

• Gear up. Pickleball is a competitive sport, but there’s a tendency among some players, particularly novices, to take a casual approach to the game. Veteran players may know better, but anyone new to the game should be sure to wear the appropriate gear when playing.

Athletic shoes with ample traction can reduce the likelihood that players will slip or fall. The right racket also can reduce risk for elbow injuries.

Dick’s Sporting Goods notes that paddles should feature a light to medium weight, comfortable grip and

Care ...

From page 8

Family members are urged to discuss anything that seems to be affecting a loved one’s ability to live independently with that person’s health care team before they consider if a person needs to move into an assisted living facility.

It’s equally important to ask a loved one’s health care team which type of facility they think might be most beneficial if, in

a large sweet spot. The right paddle will be different for everyone, so novices are urged to speak to veteran players for advice on which paddle might be best for them.

• Embrace physical activity. Pickleball can be a great workout, and players can reduce their injury risk by embracing physical activity even when they are not playing. Leg exercises can help build lower body strength, but strength exercises that focus on the upper body also can reduce injury risk.

• Loosen up before playing. Taking the court right after getting out of the car is a recipe for injury. Arrive five to 10 minutes before a game and use that time to loosen up. A short walk and some subsequent stretches can help players make sure their bodies are not too tight to play. Some brief warm-up exercises and stretching can reduce muscle tension and make the body less vulnerable to injury.

• Hydrate before, during and after a game. The experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine note that water cushions the joints, which helps athletes maintain their flexibility. Flexibility can reduce injury risk, particularly in a sport like pickleball.

The 2021 study published in Injury Epidemiology noted that 60 percent of pickleball injuries are sprains, strains or fractures. Remaining flexible can reduce athletes’ risk for sprains and strains. Johns Hopkins recommends adults consume between six and 12 ounces of water for every 20 minutes of sports play and to drink between 16 and 24 ounces afterward.

Pickleball is wildly popular, even though pickleball injuries are common. Players can embrace various strategies to reduce their injury risk.

fact, they think it’s in an individual’s best interest to relocate. No two facilities are the same, and the Elder Care Alliance notes many specialize in specific types of care, such as tending to individuals with cognitive issues like dementia or physical issues like limited mobility.

Assisted living facilities help millions of individuals every day. Families can work together to decide if a loved one can benefit from moving into such a facility.

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Courtesy photo

Community organizations host egg-citing family Easter events

The Easter Bunny made several stops around Blaine, including to the Easter egg hunt at American Legion Post 86 on March 23, CTK Blaine’s egg hunt at Blaine Marine Park on

March 30, Greg and Koni Nuzum’s Easter Bunny meet-andgreet at the Blaine Visitor Information Center on March 30 and Northwood Chapel’s egg hunt on Easter morning, March 31.

10 The Northern Light • April 4 - 10, 2024
Photo courtesy Greg Nuzum Photo courtesy Taylor Andrews Photo courtesy Taylor Andrews Photo courtesy Taylor Andrews Photo courtesy Marcy McKay Photo courtesy Marcy McKay Photo courtesy Marcy McKay Photo courtesy Todd Gallahar
April 4 - 10, 2024 • thenorthernlight.com 11 FOLLOW US ON We get the word out! facebook.com/thenorthernlight FIND IT IN THE CLASSIFIEDS CLASSIFIEDS MARKETPLACE 360-332-1777 sales@thenorthernlight.com NEXT ISSUE: April 11 AD DEADLINE: April 8 Delivered to every home in the 98230 zip code. Plus Newsstands in: Bellingham • Ferndale Custer • Birch Bay Semiahmoo • Blaine WE ACCEPT: u ] $20 for 15 words 25¢ for each additional word PLUS, your ad appears ONLINE FOR FREE at thenorthernlight.com/classifieds NEW CARS AUTO GLASS 8139 Guide Meridian • Lynden, WA 360-354-2129 HintonMotors.com Celebrating 71 years of business with a tradition of trust since 1947. Your only locally owned and operated GM Dealer in Whatcom County with a non-commissioned sales staff. HINTON CHEVEROLET • BUICK BELLINGHAM 1512 N State St. • 360-734-3840 LYNDEN 407 19th St. • 360-354-3232 LouisAutoGlass.com Since 1929, Louis Auto Glass has been the leading auto & residential glass company serving Northwest Washington. The Adelstein family has owned & operated the company for four generations. Quality workmanship & customer satisfaction has remained as strong as ever. Louis Auto Glass Auto HOTLINE ELECTRIC Licensed • Bonded • Insured Service/Construction Residential - Commercial HotlineElectric.net HOTLIE*914J7 360-393-8246 Electric ABANDONED VEHICLE AUCTION NOTICE Meridian Towing DATE: Wed., Apr. 10 & Thur., Apr. 11 Viewing at 8 am • Auction at 9 am AUCTION ADDRESS: 925 Boblett St. Blaine, WA 98230 www.Meridian-Towing.com OR call 360-746-9100 • M-F 8-5 Published April 4, 2024 Auctions IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY In re the Estate of: MARY CATHERINE PROVANCE, Deceased. No. 24-4-00261-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. Judge David Freeman The Administrator named below has been appointed and has qualified as Administrator 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 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 were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Administrator 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: March 26, 2024 with Clerk of Court: Date of First Publication: April 4, 2024 Name of Administrator: MICHAEL GREEN Attorney for Administrators: 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: March 25, 2024 AVERY ELDER LAW, P.S. STEVEN D. AVERY, WSBA #35262 Attorney for Administrator MICHAEL GREEN www.averyelderlaw.com IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY In re the Estate of: MATTHEW TERRANCE EGAN, Deceased. No. 24-4-00191-37 NOTICE TO CREDITORS. Judge David Freeman. The Person 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 of the decedents’ probate and nonprobate assets. Date of Filing of Notice to Creditors: March 20, 2024, with the Clerk of Court Date of First Publication: March 28, 2024 Name of Personal Representative: Erik Egan Attorney for Personal Representative: Genissa M. Richardson, WSBA #56339 Address for Mailing or Service: True North Legal Services, PLLC PO Box 934, Bellingham, WA 98227 (360) 639-3393 Genissa@truenorthlegalservices.com DATED: March 20, 2024 True North Legal Services, PLLC Genissa M. Richardson, WSBA #56339 Attorney for Personal Representative: Erik Egan IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY In re the Estate of: MARJORIE LEE STEFANELLI, Deceased. No. 24-4-00222-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. Judge Lee Grochmal The Administrator named below has been appointed and has qualified as Administrator 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 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 were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Administrator 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: March 13, 2024 with Clerk of Court: Date of First Publication: March 21, 2024 Name of Administrator: JOSEPH FRANCIS STEFANELLI Attorney for Administrators: 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 March 13, 2024 AVERY ELDER LAW, P.S. STEVEN D. AVERY, WSBA #35262 Attorney for Administrator: JOSEPH FRANCIS STEFANELLI www.averyelderlaw.com Legal MOVING SALE Sat., April 6, 8 am till sold out 410 5th Street alley (between E & F streets) Three family sale with 1970 Honda Trail 90, 2 Weber BBQs, smoker, Total Gym, home belongings, tools all sorts, antiques, kitchen wares, computer accessories & more. Garage Sales MORE Smiles Learning Center OPEN: Mon-Fri 6am - 5:30pm Call today! 360-332-7135 CURRENTLY ENROLLING 1 yr olds and 2 yr olds Ask about our infant waitlist Child Care Lic# BENPLPI783KU Plumbing ELITE LANDSCAPE & MINI-EXCAVATION LLC SPRING CLEANUP 360-296-4824 EliteLandscapeExcavation.com *ELITELM817BB 10% Discount for New Clients* • Fertilizing • Lawn Care • Landscape & Hardscape • Excavation/Gravel Work • Tree Trimming • Accepting New Clients! SPRING CLEANUP • Landscaping • Property & Gutter Cleaning • Junk Removal • Mini Excavations 360-220-3634 FREE ESTIMATES Landscaping Up to $1,700 In Rebates With purchase of Qualifying Lennox system. 360-398-9400 CallCleanAir.com Lic.#CLEANAC851MG Heating/Air Handyman Integrity Contracting N.W. LLC Mark St. Germaine Quality construction since 1987 Licensed & bonded 360-746-4902 icnwllc@comcast.net 3 Year Guarantee on all work No Job Too Big or Small Free Estimates New Construction • Remodeling • Siding Windows & Doors • Fencing • Drywall • Painting C W N I Lic # CCINTEGCN869DD COMPLETE REMODELS Specializing in Renovations & New Construction Kitchens & Baths • Custom & Spec Homes Decks, Garages & Additions (360) 305-2592 completeremodels@yahoo.com www.completeremodels.net COMPLR*006PP Construction Computer Repairs & Upgrades NWcascades.com Blaine • Birch Bay • Semiahmoo 360-371-7277 • PCs • Windows • Wireless Setup • Home & Office Networking • New Computer Set-up • Spyware, Malware & Virus Removal We come to you! Computer Cleaning 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. Business Services Birch Bay Square-Unit 116 • I-5, Exit 270 360-656-5201 Dollar Plus $ Mike’s RESPECT YOUR VETERANS Lots of New Type C Electronics! • Chargers - wall, car, multiple outlet • Cords • C to C • C to Apple Your Everything Store! Announcements LUCY’S CLEANING Experienced cleaning & household help. We’ll make your house sparkle! Call Lucy 360-809-5047. Licensed. Find it, Sell it, Buy it, Rent it IN THE CLASSIFIEDS! call 332-1777
12 The Northern Light • April 4 - 10, 2024 Real Estate LATITUDE 49 GATED Resort Community. Furnished 1 BR, 1 BA, W/D, DW & hot water on demand. $1375/mo. Text: 360319-5610. NELSON BUILDING 925 Ludwick Ave., Blaine LEASE SPACES FOR: • Commercial • Manufacturing • Warehousing • Distribution “Near Truck Route & Mall” Email or Call Don Nelson For Availability & Rates Call: 360-305-0286 Email nelsbldg@msn.com Rentals - Commercial Rentals - Residential 8390 Grouse Crescent Drive 3 BD • 3 BA • 1475 SF $575,00 New custom-built Birch Bay home within walking distance to the bay. waterproof vinyl floors, SS appliances, granite tops, luxury vinyl floors upstairs and upscale baths, bonus area, minisplit heat pump and maintenance-free yard and no backyard neighbors. Birch Bay Realty Inc. Ron Kulman 360-303-1459 SundayOPENHOUSE 12-3 360.815.6638 briansouthwick@gmail.com 8849 Goldeneye Lane 4,055 Sq Ft. • MLS #2208035 • $1,249,000 OPENHOUSE Sunday12-2 Lakefront home 128 feet of stunning lakefront home in the Semiahmoo Turnberry gated community. Five year Seller financing option available at 5.5% fixed. Quality build with soaring ceilings, 4055 sq. ft. +/- extensive tile work, custom fir built-ins, & exceptional selections of granite & lighting finishes, natural gas, & central vac. Primary/ensuite on the main floor with sauna. Great room concept with custom quality kitchen & office. Upstairs, two private guest en-suites & a sizable bonus room above the spacious garage. Home is complete with one of kind lakefront setting & unforgettable beauty, Award winning Arnold Palmer designed Semiahmoo Golf & CC, Marina, Inn and Spa. 2 hours from Seattle & 9 miles to Canadian Border. Home warranty included. HUGH BRAWFORD Managing Broker 360 371-5800 CALL HUGH NOW! Call Hugh for all your real estate needs. www.CallHugh.com Looking to buy sell a home? OR Get the most out of your lawn this spring. Your First Application 50% OFF* Save now with *Special price is for first Lawn service only. Requires purchase of annual plan, for new residential EasyPay, MonthlyPay, or PrePay customers only. Valid at participating TruGreen locations. Availability of services and/or products may vary by geography. Not to be combined with or used in conjunction with any other offer or discount. Additional restrictions may apply. Consumer responsible for all sales tax. ◆Guarantee applies to annual plan customers only. BBB accredited since 07/01/2012. ©2024 TruGreen Limited Partnership. All rights reserved. In Connecticut, B-0153, B-1380, B-0127, B-0200, B-0151. SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY! 1-844-940-2437 TruGreen® will gladly visit your property as needed between scheduled visits to ensure your satisfaction◆ All real estate/rentals advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in olation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-877-0246. All real estate/rentals advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800877-0246. Want to find a new home? You’ve come to the right place! facebook.com/thenorthernlight Comment Like Follow Share

spOrts

Sports ...

From page 6

Mount Vernon (which boasts the state’s best prospect in Oregon State commit Xavier Neyens) last week, the Borderites bounced back with a pair of much-needed wins against Burlington-Edison and Mount Baker.

On the back of another stellar pitching performance from staff ace Kieran Markusen, the Borderites defeated the Tigers 8-1, marking the second win over the inter-county rivals this season.

Markusen threw all seven innings without allowing an earned run, striking out five batters and allowing five hits.

Blaine got out to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second with a multi-hit rally and RBI from Deon Bowman, Aaron Garza and Grady Swinburnson, and then piled on again in the third with RBI from Alejandro Moser-Hernandez and Garza again.

The three-game skid put a damper on Blaine’s place in the NWC standings, but remain in the middle of the conference pack.

The Borderites then travelled to play Mount Baker on April 2, winning handily, 15-0. The pair of wins brings Blaine’s record to 7-3 overall (3-3 NWC).

With roughly half of its games played so far this season, the Borderites need to take care of business against conference opponents to secure a high seeding once 1A district playoffs start on May 1.

The Borderites have a twogame homestand against Lynden on Tuesday, April 9 and Meridian on Wednesday, April 10, both 4:30 p.m. at Pipeline Field.

Softball

After a brief pause to the start of the season due to multiple game cancellations, Blaine softball came back like they never left, blowing out Sehome 14-0 for its third win on the season.

Ace pitcher Emersyn Bakker, who recently signed a letter of intent to play collegiate softball at Edmonds College and won the WIAA Athlete of the Week award for her play to start the season, was again sensational. Bakker struck out 10 batters in five in-

nings, giving up no hits and no runs while walking two.

The Borderites totaled 13 walks as a team, showing great plate discipline and allowing the team to notch seven stolen bases.

The Borderites head into spring break with a conference-leading

4-0 record and a 3-0 NWC record, all while still not allowing a run to the three conference opponents it’s faced so far.

The Bordeites return from its break with three games on the road, starting with Nooksack Valley on Tuesday, April 9 at 4:30 p.m.

OBITUARIES

Robert (Bob) James Eytzen

January 17, 1937 – March 23, 2024

Robert (Bob) James Eytzen, 87, was the first child born to Abraham and Hilda Eytzen in Mountain Lake, MN on January 17, 1937. On Saturday, March 23, 2024, Bob had his homecoming with Mary by his side at the Christian Health Care Center in Lynden. We are sure he is happy to be reunited with his parents, baby brother Albert, and son in-law Raymond Schultz. To view a more complete obituary and share memories of Bob please go to www.sigsfuneralservices.com.

Robert “Bob” E. Kley

Robert “Bob” E. Kley, age 69, of Ferndale passed away March 15, 2024 in Bellingham. A celebration of his life will be held Saturday, April 13, 2024, 2 p.m., at the Blaine Boating Center, 235 Marine Dr. #2, Blaine, WA 98230. To view a more complete obituary and share memories of Bob please go to www.sigsfuneralservices.com.

Counseling and Personal Coaching Transformational Hypnotherapy co-creating rapid change for personal growth

Evelyne L. Hendricks BA, LHT 360.739.5606

evelynehendricks@gmail.com

April 4 - 10, 2024 • thenorthernlight.com 13 BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY This space can be yours for only $38 per week. 13 week commitment. Call 332-1777 to reserve. Celebrating 90 years! Auto & Residential Glass To Our Canadian Friends Enjoy Huge Savings with U.S. Prices www.louisautoglass.com 1512 N. State St. Bellingham (360) 734-3840 407 19th St. Lynden (360) 354-3232 1721 E. College Way Mt. Vernon (360) 424-9759 Windshield Replacement Rock Chip Repairs Free Pick up & Delivery Free Loaner Cars Spring Special! Must present ad for special. Not valid with any other offers. Expires June 30, 2014. Dinner on Us and a Can of Glass Cleaner with every windshield purchased and installed The Only Validated Auto Glass Company in Whatcom & Skagit Counties. We Guarantee Your Safety BELLINGHAM 1512 N. State St. • 360-734-3840 Louis’ LYNDEN 407 19th St. • 360-354-3232 www.LouisAutoGlass.com ouis’ Rental Property Management
Office@LifelineRentals.com www.LifelineRentals.com SEPTEMBER: (.org) SUN/10AM mi n d GAMES SUNDAYS 10AM northwoodchapel.com
C St., Blaine 360-332-8610
833-378-3798
580
s The Blaine dugout celebrates during a multi-run rally in the second inning, as the Burlington-Edison pitcher walks back to the mound on April 1 at Pipeline Field. Photo by Nolan Baker

sheriff’s repOrts

March 22, 6:27 p.m.: Domestic violence on Glendale Drive.

March 23, 9:18 a.m.: Sex offender registration on Birch Bay Drive.

March 23, 4:48 p.m.: Theft on Birch Bay Drive.

March 23, 5:41 p.m.: DUI arrest on Sunrise Road.

March 23, 7:01 p.m.: Domestic – physical cold call on Birch Bay Lynden Road.

March 24, 2:04 a.m.: Drug arrest on Interstate 5 milepost 269.

March 24, 3:03 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Harbor Drive.

March 25, 8:49 a.m.: Vehicle prowl cold call on Portal Way.

March 25, 10:01 a.m.: Moving vehicle accident – blocking on Grandview Road.

March 25, 10:59 a.m.: Burglary cold call on Loomis Trail Road.

March 25, 5:22 p.m.: Neighborhood dispute cold call on Terrill Drive.

March 26, 9:09 p.m.: Suspicious circumstances on Grandview Road.

March 27, 5:13 a.m.: Drugs on Sandcastle Drive.

March 27, 11:34 a.m.: Moving vehicle accident injury cold call on Tracy Place.

March 28, 7:33 a.m.: Trespass on Birch Bay Drive.

March 28, 12:13 p.m.: Crowd problem cold call on Custer School Road.

March 28, 2:27 p.m.: Overdose on East Street.

March 28, 5:35 p.m.: Moving vehicle accident – blocking on Birch Bay Lynden Road.

March 28, 6:45 p.m.: Moving vehicle accident – blocking on Anderson Road.

March 28, 8:50 p.m.: Fight on Peace Portal Drive.

pOLiCe repOrts

March 23, 2:07 a.m.: Prowler on D Street.

March 23, 11:55 a.m.: Domestic – physical on Peace Portal Drive.

March 24, 6:22 a.m.: Subject stop on Boblett Street.

March 24, 6:23 a.m.: Alarm audible on H Street.

March 24, 2:16 p.m.: Vehicle theft on Blaine Avenue.

March 25, 1:08 a.m.: Hit and run on Harrison Avenue.

March 25, 9:05 a.m.: Theft on Peace Portal Drive.

Vision Boards: A Focused Approach to What You Want!: Thursday, April 4, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Create a vision board in this art workshop and explore what you want in this life. Two-part workshop with Pete. Info: blaineseniorcenter.org.

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, April 4, 7 p.m., The Vault Wine Bar + Bistro, 277 G Street. This week’s theme: Washington State professional sports. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Live Music with Jaded Lovers: Friday, April 5, 5–7 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Playing country and rock classics, line dancing and more. Info: blaineseniorcenter.org.

Rick Steves’ For the Love of Europe: Thursday, April 4, 7–8:30 p.m., Bellingham High School, 2020 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. Best-selling author and travel expert, Rick Steves shares how to travel Europe the smart way with tips on the entire process and photographs. Tickets: $10 at bit. ly/43xXvKA. Sponsored by Village Books.

CrOssWOrd

25. Microsoft 26. Shock therapy 27. Able to be sold

29. A doctrine

31. These three follow A 34. Pulse

36. Quantitative fact

37. Doctor __: children’s book author

38. Hebrew calendar month

40. Designated hitter

43. Norther Poland village

45. A passport is one form

48. Hand (Spanish)

50. Hit with the open hand

51. Actor Idris

53. Shakespeare’s nickname “The __”

March 26, 5:17 p.m.: Hit and run on Peace Portal Drive.

March 27, 4:32 p.m.: Disorderly conduct on H Street.

March 27, 6:23 p.m.: Suspicious person on D Street.

March 28, 9:47 a.m.: Suspicious vehicle on Harrison Avenue.

March 28, 7:23 p.m.: Lewd conduct on Boblett Street.

March 26, 12:56 p.m.: Sex crime (no rape) on H Street.

March 28, 8:49 p.m.: Fight on Peace Portal Drive.

March 29, 7:21 a.m.: Domestic – physical on Adelia Street.

54. Northern U.S. lake 55. Marvin and Horsley are two 57. Soak

58. Partner to cheese

59. Expression of disappointment

61. College dorm employee

tides

April 4-10 at Blaine. Not for navigation. 49° 0’ 0”N

Alderson Road Clean Up: Friday, April 5, noon–2 p.m., meet at Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini Street. Volunteers ages 16 and up are welcome. Equipment and snacks provided. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.

Live Music at The Vault: Friday, April 5, 7 p.m, The Vault Wine Bar + Bistro, 277 G Street. Featuring: Adrian Clarke. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Pruning 101: Saturday, April 6, 9–11 a.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Discussing tools, why prune, decisions necessary (learning to understand growth habits of trees/bushes). Also overgrown trees and how to get them back in shape. Bring your questions! Info: nwcore.org.

Birding at Semiahmoo Spit: Saturday, April 6, 9 a.m.–noon, Semiahmoo Park, 9261 Semiahmoo Parkway. The northward movement of our wintering birds as well as those species that winter farther south can result in some exciting birding along our coastal waters. Space is limited. Reserve at: bit.ly/3VCsROu. Sponsored by North Cascades Audubon Society.

Blaine Whole Round Earth: Saturday, April 6, 2–3 p.m., Blaine Library, 610 3rd Street. Work on a collaborative two-dimensional art project for Earth Day. Each person will decorate one piece of the planet, and we’ll assemble them to reveal an earth that belongs to everyone. Info: wcls.org.

Check Engine Light On Your Dashboard?: Wednesday, April 10, 5–7 p.m., Blaine Library, 610 3rd Street. What does the light mean? Discussing the tool needed, how to use it, when to call “the shop” and how you can take the lead in your car’s well-being and maintenance. Info: nwcore.org.

Pizza, Primaries and Politics: Thursday, April 11, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Whatcom Community College’s Sure Student Center, 237 West Kellogg Road, Bellingham. Learn more about how and why primary elections work the way they do, including their history, how they can be improved and how we can improve representation. Free. Sponsored by League of Women Voters of Bellingham-Whatcom County. Info: bit.ly/4avqeSB.

Whatcom County Home and Lifestyle Show: Friday–Sunday, April 12–14, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Northwest Washington Fairgrounds, 1775 Front Street, Lynden. Free admission. Fun of all ages including over 200 exhibitors, seminars, PNWBA barbecue competition, Lego Masters building class, beer garden, kids activities, reptile show, and food trucks. Info: biawc. com/home-show-2024/. Sponsored by the Building Industry Association of Whatcom County.

Coffee Hour with Senator Sharon Shewmake: Saturday, April 13, noon–1 p.m., Birch Bay Visitor Center, 4819 Alderson Road, Unit 103. Info: birchbaychamber.com.

Hands for Hope Auction and Gala: Saturday, April 13, 5–10 p.m., Silver Reef Casino Event Center. Join us for an out-of-this-world evening benefiting Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County! Costumes welcome. $50/couple or $500/table. Info and tickets: bit.ly/49jV67F.

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Luncheon: Thursday, April 18, 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m., 7829 Birch Bay Drive. Speaker: Hunter Hassig with Puget Sound Energy to talk about their Small Business Energy Efficiency Blitz. Info and RSVP: birchbaychamber.com.

Blaine Chamber Happy Hour: Thursday, April 18, 4–5:30 p.m., location TBD. RSVP encouraged: director@blainechamber.com.

Whatcom Literacy Council’s Annual Trivia Bee: Thursday, April 18, 6–8 p.m. A fast-paced and interactive platform for an online trivia night akin to Jeopardy! Register your team (three people) for $75, or just watch for free. Info and registration: whatcomliteracy.org.

BHS Theater Presents “Mamma Mia!”: Thursday–Saturday, April 18-20, 25–27, 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 21 and 28, 2 p.m., Blaine Performing Arts Center. Blaine High School students perform in the musical. Tickets: $12, students and seniors $10.

Working Waterfront Coalition Fundraiser: Saturday, April 20, 5:30 p.m., Bellingham Ferry Terminal, 355 Harris Avenue, Bellingham. Live and silent auction, Drayton Harbor Oyster bar, photo booth, seafood buffet by Crave Catering. Old Hollywood Theme - dress for the red carpet from the 1920s-40s or come as you are. Tickets $95 at bit.ly/3x11vqW.

Weather

Precipitation: During the period of March 25 to 31, 0.4 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2024 year-to-date precipitation is 11.3 inches.

Temperature: High for the past week was 62.3°F on March 26 with a low of 34.7°F on March 31.

Average high was 59.3°F and average low was 41.0°F.

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 Info@blainefoodbank.org.

The Bridge Food Bank: Fridays, 2 p.m.–4:30 p.m. The Bridge Community Hope Center, 7620 Birch Bay Drive. New 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

or 360/392-8484.

Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

14 The Northern Light • April 4 - 10, 2024
Birch Bay
Courtesy
Water & Sewer Dist.
46’
DATE TIME HEIGHT TIME HEIGHT Th 4 3:34 am 9.0 9:23 am 6.2 1:07 pm 6.9 8:36 pm 0.1 Fr 5 4:08 am 9.2 10:03 am 4.9 2:49 pm 7.2 9:34 pm 0.4 Sa 6 4:36 am 9.4 10:41 am 3.5 4:11 pm 7.8 10:30 pm 1.1 Su 7 5:04 am 9.5 11:21 am 2.0 5:23 pm 8.5 11:22 pm 2.0 Mo 8 5:34 am 9.5 12:03 pm 0.6 6:29 pm 9.1 Tu 9 12:12 am 3.1 6:02 am 9.5 12:45 pm -0.6 7:31 pm 9.5 We 10 1:02 am 4.3 6:30 am 9.4 1:27 pm -1.4 8:31 pm 9.7 ANSWERS: THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM
- 122°
0”W
Info: blainecap.org
arrangement.
ACROSS 1. A minute amount (British) 5. Mystical or magical 11. Shortening 14. More satisfying 15. Other side 18. Philippine island 19. More unnatural 21. Mutual savings bank 23. Famed designer Chanel 24. Makes less wild 28. At some prior time 29. The cops who investigate the cops 30. Immune system response 32. Distress signal 33. Engine additive 35. “No Scrubs” trio 36. Very fast airplane 39. A reward (archaic) 41. Commercial 42.
French river 47. Reduce the light 49. Blood-sucking fly
A way to
56.
DOWN
the skin 10. Took apart
cheese
Spots where golfers start 44. Polite form of address (Indian) 46.
52.
categorize
Procrastinates 58. Tall slender tower 60. Where researchers work 62. Office of the Pope 63. Office furnishing
1. Possesses 2. American Board of Orthopedic Surgery 3. Ancient Syrian city 4. Clip 5. In a way, misleads 6. Human gene 7. The Golden State (abbr.) 8. Lizard genus 9. Parasites that invade
12. Mild yellow Dutch
13. S. California town 16. Suffix plural 17. Painting technique 20. Small Eurasian deer
22. Mr. T character
Coming up

From page 1

Blaine High School Band to Japan trips that gave students the opportunity to perform at a music festival near Tokyo from 2003 to 2017. She loved visiting Japan, where she made lifelong friends and became influenced by the cuisine.

Leslee volunteered with the Blaine Fine Arts Association (BFAA) and the Smiths became good friends with former high school band director Bob Gray and Dorita Gray, who helped start BFAA. When Leslee found out the Grays needed home repairs, she sprung into action and organized the community to help.

“There’s the very public part of what she did as a career and helping people that way, but [she and my dad] have always helped friends and neighbors,” said Josh Smith, her son.

While working with Blaine Fire Department in Blaine schools, Leslee was encouraged to become a volunteer firefighter, eventually leading to her career position.

“She second-guessed herself for about two seconds and then she was in,” Sand said of Leslee’s career change. “That was it. It was where she belonged.”

Leslee said in a 2021 interview with the newspaper that her proudest accomplishments included helping start a scholarship foundation, completing the annual Columbia Tower Firefighter Stair Climb twice in under 30 minutes, encouraging girls to get involved in firefighting camps and delivering babies on the job.

NWFR firefighter Haley Url-

ing-Ehinger said Leslee helped her interview for the position. Once Urling-Ehinger was hired, they would often respond to emergencies together, where Urling-Ehinger said Leslee taught her to go “above and beyond” for patients by ensuring they knew available social services and their homes were safe.

Urling-Ehinger added that Leslee taught her to give grace to patients who didn’t trust the women to do their jobs because of their gender.

“People would question our abilities as a crew because two were female,” Urling-Ehinger said. “It gave us the opportunity to show them that ladies have what it takes to do the job too.”

Kendra Cristelli, director of Support Officer Community Care of Whatcom County, a nonprofit that assists first responders when responding to traumatic incidents, said Leslee was equally a skilled worker as she was a good friend.

Josh said that while his mom dedicated herself to her career and volunteering, her family was a priority and she always supported them. She was an avid cook with a spaghetti carbonara recipe she passed down and an award-winning blackberry cream lemon meringue pie. She loved spending time outside, whether that was gardening, hiking or just unwinding with family.

Sand said some of her fondest memories with Leslee included hosting winter holiday parties for children of NWFR employees, which always ended in surprise marshmallow fights, and pulling light-hearted pranks like decorating a former Blaine superintendent’s office with origami and streamers.

A public, line-of-duty funeral

s From l.;

with department honors is scheduled for June 29 at the Blaine Performing Arts Center. The family asks that donations in honor of Leslee be made to Blaine Fine Arts Association, Bellingham-Whatcom County Firefighters Benevolent Foundation scholarships for fire service and medical fields, and Support Officer Community Care of Whatcom County.

“There’s the very public and obvious legacy she left as a female firefighter that set the tone for all of the young female firefighters who have come after her,” Josh said. “Then there’s the other public legacy of all of the volunteer work she’s done with the school, with the band and through the fire department. But I think for me,

s

her legacy is that kindness and connectivity that she shared with anybody she met. Our legacy is to

April 4 - 10, 2024 • thenorthernlight.com 15 Waterside reaches 100,000+ readers every year! Seattle to Vancouver distribution: • WA & BC Ferries & Airports • I-5 & 99 corridor, Coastal, Island, & Olympic Peninsula waterside. exploring Salish WASHINGTON: Anacortes • Bellingham • Birch Bay • Blaine • Bow • Burlington Chuckanut Edison • Fairhaven • Ferndale • La Conner • Lopez Island Lummi Island • Mount Vernon • Orcas Island Point Roberts Port Townsend • San Juan Island • Whidbey Island FEATURED COMMUNITIES: BAINBRIDGE ISLAND RICHMOND LADNER TSAWWASSEN POINT ROBERTS WHITE ROCK BELLINGHAM LUMMI ISLAND ORCAS ISLAND SAN JUAN ISLAND LOPEZ ISLAND ANACORTES WHIDBEY ISLAND BURLINGTON MOUNT VERNON CAMANO ISLAND FAIRHAVEN LA CONNER EDISON MARYSVILLE EVERETT LYNNWOOD BOW CHUCKANUT FERNDALE LYNDEN VANCOUVER, B.C. VICTORIA-VANCOUVER SEATTLE VICTORIA PORT TOWNSEND COUPEVILLE MUKILTEO CLINTON KINGSTON EDMONDS SEATTLE FERRY TERMINAL BREMERTON STANWOOD SURREY STEVESTON waterside. FREE Visit the best of coastal Washington and British Columbia Jump into family fun and events Taste PNW wine, beer and spirits Experience outdoor art and museums special publication of The Northern Light Call 360-332-1777 sales@pointrobertspress.com A Special Publication of The Northern Light Newspaper INCLUDES MAPS 28th YEAR www.watersidenw.com BLAINE BIRCH BAY Blaine and Birch Bay - showcase your business in... The Coastal Travel Guide that Locals Love! ON STANDS LATE MAY Reserve Ads by April 12 waterside. ANNUAL CROSS BORDER TRAVEL MAGAZINE 2024 Hotel & motel lobbies, visitor centers, airports, military bases, duty free, campgrounds, marinas, restaurants, tourist attractions and other high traffic locations! BRITISH COLUMBIA: Ladner • Richmond • Steveston • Surrey • Tsawwassen • White Rock FERRIES BC Ferry: Victoria - Tsawwassen WA State Ferries: Anacortes - San Juan Island Coupeville - Port Townsend Clinton - Mukilteo Edmonds - Kingston Seattle Ferry Terminal (Bainbridge & Bremerton runs) Clallam County Port Angeles Island County Camano Island Clinton Coupeville Freeland Greenbank Langley Oak Harbor Whidbey Island Whidbey Island Military Base Jefferson County Port Townsend King County Seattle San Juan County Lopez Island Orcas Island San Juan Island Skagit County Anacortes Bow Burlington Chuckanut Concrete Conway Edison La Conner Mount Vernon Sedro-Woolley Snohomish County Arlington Everett Granite Falls Lynnwood Marysville Mukilteo Stanwood Thurston County Olympia Whatcom County Bellingham Birch Bay Blaine Chuckanut Everson Fairhaven Ferndale Glacier Lynden Maple Falls Point Roberts Sumas Abbotsford Delta Ladner Langley Richmond Steveston Surrey Tsawwassen Vancouver Victoria White Rock Waterside Distribution Regions: BRITISH COLUMBIA WASHINGTON GREAT VALUE!Your ad reaches Tourists & Locals in BC & WA all year long.
Smith...
Haley Urling-Ehinger, Leslee Smith and Delanie Warne. Courtesy photo carry her kind spirit forward and share it with other people with our own actions.” Leslee Smith holding Mt. Fuji in the palm of her hand in Japan.
16 The Northern Light • April 4 - 10, 2024 I-5 Exit 260 SilverReefCasino.com 360-383-0777 We’ve Got That GRILLED CHICKEN AVOCADO MELT Available daily in APRIL starting at 11AM • $15.95 A seasoned grilled chicken breast on butter toasted honey wheat bread with melted cheddar, bacon, and avocado. Dressed with a smokey chipotle ranch sauce. Served with a choice of fries or salad. More people live in Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo than anywhere else in Whatcom County outside of Bellingham. The Northern Light difference, since 1995. 225 Marine Drive, Ste. 200, Blaine, WA • 360/332.1777 sales@thenorthernlight.com • www.thenorthernlight.com Do You Want To Significantly Increase Those Sales? Even more homes! Effective April 4. • delivered to every household in Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo. • largest audited newspaper circulation in the county • 10,500 copies every week including postal delivery to 9,578 households • 85% regularly read The Northern Light • 81% frequently purchase products/services from ads seen in The Northern Light Place your message where it counts. • Award-winning local news coverage • Targeted audience • Cost-effective advertising Contact us to increase sales on your goods or services. 9,749 2023 WINNER OF 43 AWARDS The Northern Light (347 more than last year) U. S. Postage Permit Blaine, 98230 ECRWSS Customer Coming Up 14 Classifieds 11, 12 Letters 4 Police 14 Sports 6, 7 Tides 14 Rainbow ends at the Peace Arch A rainbow added a pop of color over the Peace Arch at the U.S./Canada border on February 1. Photo by Molly Ernst February 8 - 14, 2024 FREE Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay TheNorthernLight @TNLreporter @TheNorthernLightNews TheNorthernLight.com INSIDE IN THIS ISSUE February 13 special election, page 4 Man arrested for racing on I-5, page 3 Primary school hosts science night, page 5 Developers to hold meeting on east Blaine manufactured home park B G race M c arthy The developers of a proposed east Blaine manufactured home park have scheduled a meeting to inform the public on the project for 10 a.m. Tuesday, February 27 at the Blaine Boating Center, 235 Marine Drive. Developers Skip and Katie Jansen and Cascade Engineering Group will hold a community meeting on plans to construct 150 manufactured homes in East Harbor Hills, an upcoming neighborhood in east Blaine. East Harbor Hills is directly east of the Jansens’ other development, The Ridge at Harbor Hills, on the north side of H Street Road. The presentation, required for developers per Blaine Municipal Code, will inform residents living around the manufactured home park about the project and allow them to provide input. The 49-acre manufactured home park is planned to take up one-third of the total 144-acre East Harbor Hills property. Skip Jansen said the manufactured home park would be constructed first, and the remaining area of the subdivision would likely include multifamily and single-family homes. Residents would own their homes and attached garages, Skip Jansen said, but the manufactured home park would own and lease the land underneath the homes. The manufactured home park will cater to older adults who want to downsize, but the developers haven’t determined whether they want the area to be age-restricted. The development is proposed to have a clubhouse that could have an exercise room, kitchen, fireplace, common area and meeting rooms, with potentially pickleball courts, horseshoes and shuffleboards outside. “It’s designed for leisurely living,” Skip Jansen said. “It will be very well done.” The property is planned to have a buffer along H Street Road and the manufactured homes won’t be visible from the road. The development would have open spaces, trail Tokyo Monster Sushi opened in Birch Bay Square, bringing an expansive menu of Japanese and Asian cuisine. The restaurant held a soft opening February 1, and is expected to operate at full-service in the coming weeks. The restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, though owner Phillip Kim said those hours will shift earlier as the restaurant phases in breakfast, offering Starbucks coffee and Krispy Kreme donuts. Tokyo Monster Sushi has a sushi bar, cocktail bar and stage where live jazz is anticipated Fridays through Sundays. The menu offerings are ample, with sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, Chinese wok and Korean specials, Vietnamese pho, ramen, teriyaki, yakisoba, fried rice, bento boxes, poke, steak, burger, Greek gyro, mozzarella sticks, oyster shooters and more. “You can taste just about all of the Asian food up here,” Kim said, adding that there are plenty of fish options. Kim said he selected the Birch Bay Square location because he wanted to bring more Asian food to Birch Bay. Kim previously owned a Tokyo Monster Sushi in Maple Valley, which he said he sold two years ago. He’s owned different sushi and teriyaki restaurants throughout the Puget Sound, including West Seattle, the University District, Kent, Federal Way and Auburn, he said. As for Kim’s menu favorites, he said the Monster, Godzilla, orange blossom, cherry blossom and rainbow rolls are Tokyo Monster Sushi opens in Birch Bay (See Restaurant, page 2) B y N ola N B aker Meet interim Blaine HS principal Beth Eide B G race M c c arthy (See Meeting, page 3) (See Principal page 10) This Week’s FLYERS FSI save 1 Newly appointed Blaine High School interim principal Beth Eide has lived in the world of education almost her entire life. Growing up in Montana, Eide would help set up her mother’s classroom where she taught special education. Her first experience educating on her own came when she volunteered at a summer program for students with disabilities. Following her mother’s footsteps, Eide became a special education teacher in Montana before receiving a master’s degree from San Diego State University and teaching in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District. Eide and her family – three boys, in college, middle school and elementary school – moved in 2016 to Washington where she earned her administrative certification from Western Washington University. Eide was then hired at the Blaine school district as dean of students for 6th-12th grade in 2021. Eide said that while every school has its own unique qualities, she enjoys the closeness and sense of community when walking through the halls of Blaine High School. “Blaine feels comfortable to me,” Eide said. “I can walk through the courtyard and say hello to students, know their name, know what activities they are in that week, what assignments they are working on in English. … I’m invested in their wellbeing inside and outside of the school, and at a school this size, you

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