October 2018
IN THIS
ISSUE
www.AllPointBulletin.com
Help for local businesses offered, page 8
Legal pot poses problems for some Canadians
New staff changes at marina, page 11
ECRWSS PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14
FREE
Come meet the general election candidates on October 4, page 12
Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
A new year begins at Point Roberts Primary School
B y P a t G r u bb If Blaine immigration attorney Len Saunders is sure of one thing, it is this: Canada’s forthcoming nationwide legalization of marijuana on October 17 is going to mean lots of business for U.S. immigration attorneys. Recent proclamations coming out of Washington, D.C. have done nothing to make him think that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities are going to take a commonsense approach to Canadian travelers who admit to having used or been involved in the marijuana business up north. “On Friday, [CBP] finally issued a statement on what their policy will be in light of Canada’s legalization of marijuana,” Saunders said. The September 21 statement advised that “Canada’s legalization of marijuana will not change CBP’s enforcement of United States laws regarding controlled substances [...] Although medical and recreational marijuana may be legal in some U.S. states and Canada, the sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana remain illegal under U.S. federal law. Crossing the border or arriving at a U.S. port of entry in violation of this law may result in seizure, fines and/or arrest and impact admissibility.” Furthermore, anyone who admits to having used marijuana is inadmissible while anyone who works in the legal marijuana industry in the U.S. or Canada could be ruled inadmissible to the country. A U.S. state department foreign affairs manual opinion issued in April clarified that whether or not a controlled substance is legal under a state or foreign law is not relevant to its illegality under U.S. federal law. “Originally, I thought the government was going to take a hands-off approach to people who use cannabis legally or are involved in the business, but these recent statements indicate that’s not going to happen. I think they’re going to take a much more diligent approach to whether Canadians are admissible,” Saunders said. “As we get closer to the date, the authorities are getting more and more harsh. It’s going to be far-reaching – it could involve a government employee working in a cannabis store all the way up to the B.C. premier; technically, John Horgan is living off the avails of marijuana after October 17 under these overly broad interpretations of old immigration laws.” Saunders noted that the federal government was being inconsistent with the enforcement of federal laws. “If they’re going to enforce the letter of the law, why aren’t they going after state sales?” he asked. (See Pot, page 6)
s Point Roberts Primary School teacher Jessie Hettinga, top left, and secretary/instructional assistant Tammy McDonald and students are all curious and ready to learn. Photo by Louise Mugar
It’s time to celebrate apple harvest season By Meg Olson It’s time to celebrate autumn’s bounty and Point Robert’s farming heritage at the Point Roberts Apple Harvest Festival. The festival will run Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7, and is sponsored by Circle of Care. Circle of Care representative and festival organizer Annelle Norman said the event was created to make use of the abundant apples on the Point.
“Four organizations, Circle of Care, the food bank, Benson Road Gardens and the garden club decided to buy a hand-made Correll apple cider press,” Norman said. “The press was used for the first time last fall when gallons of apple juice were pressed from apples collected by dozens of people.” This year, the apple pressing will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The food bank has ordered plastic one- and two-liter bottles for partici-
District okays new health provider B y P a t G r u bb Residents concerned about the future of the Point Roberts health clinic can stop holding their breath – a letter of intent with Super Track, a Bellingham-based urgent care company, was issued following a hospital district board of commissioners special meeting on September 14. The goal is to have the clinic switch to the new health provider by January 2, 2019. Super Track Urgent Care PLLC is owned
by Dr. Sean Bozorgzadeh and Dr. Mae Lary; the Bellingham clinic is located on Lakeway Drive and is open seven days a week. Bozorgzadeh’s previous clinical experience includes family medicine and emergency care while Lary’s involved oncology and internal medicine. The hospital district had received a proposal from Super Track dated September 10 laying out the company’s philosophy, (See Hospital, page 7)
pants to carry their apple juice home. Apples should be gathered in bushel baskets or cardboard boxes, without cuts or big bruises, and allowed to age for a week or two prior to juicing. A craft fair will run on both days of the festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and there will be an outdoor concert at the community center featuring Shaune Ann Feuz and the TimE3 Jazz Band on Sunday afternoon (See Apples, page 14)
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Inside
Church ............................................... 8 Classifieds ......................................... 16 Coming Up ....................................... 15 Crossings ............................................ 7 Obituaries ......................................... 18 Opinion ............................................... 4 Sheriffs ............................................. 14 Tides ................................................. 14