July 2021 • allpointbulletin.com
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Westwind Marine changes hands By Meg Olson Two weeks into taking over Westwind Marine, Jessica and Bryson Basore are more certain than ever they made the right choice buying the Point Roberts marine service and chandlery. “I think of the overwhelmingly warm welcome we received from the team here and the community, the perfect handoff from Mark and Tami,” said Jessica. “We really jumped on a running horse here and we’ve had nothing but support.” Jessica said she and Bryson had the perfect combination of skills for Westwind. “It just fits us so well,” she said. They bought the business from Mark and Tami Pondelick, with the official transfer taking place on June 7. The Basores met in the Air Force and she has since worked in retail and sales. Bryson has had a career with Cummins as a technician, a service manager and working on process improvement at the corporate level. The couple commute from Bellingham, where they moved from Illinois in 2020, while their two children are still in high school. “Point Roberts is our home away from home,” Jessica said. When asked about changes they plan to bring to the business, Jessica said, “We’re still trying to get our sea legs,” but they are also looking at ways to grow. “We are
PRCAC ... From page 1
“What I am hearing is, this seems excessive,” said at-large member Katherine Smith. She suggested it would be nice to have a bus to meet the ferry, but it could be pared down to days of ferry operation and that a bike program could give mobility to visitors at other times. John Upston, the lone Uber driver on the Point, said that the ferry was the bulk of his business and he averaged seven calls a week. “It would put me out of business,” he said of the bus proposal. At-large member Grant Heitman said there was no need to spend public funds when a private commercial solution was available. “I don’t believe I see a business case here,” he said. Louise Mugar with the chamber of commerce and Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism (BWCT) said their proposal was intended to serve a larger audience than ferry travelers and to show the maximum possible usage. “We have a thousand-slip marina here and 800 spaces are available,” she said. BWCT was marketing several north county marinas, including Point Roberts, to boaters who would usually be vacationing in B.C. waters. “You can’t invite them here and not have a way for them to get around.” The funds being targeted, she specified, were not county transportation dollars but federal funds channeled through the county to alleviate Covid-related transportation challenges – a perfect match for the project. Calder said those details had not been included in the proposal summary they had been asked to review by the executive’s office. “We are lacking information we would need to make a recommendation to the county,” she said. Her fellow committee members agreed and the matter was tabled for the committee’s regular meeting on June 24 pending more information from the chamber and the executive’s office. The committee next discussed requesting county funding to provide increased high-speed internet service. “A large number of people in our community work remotely and they need those speeds,” Calder said. The committee agreed to draft
mostly looking at process improvement, ways to get work through faster, improve communication.” Jessica said she also plans to diversify the offerings in the chandlery, from Point Roberts branded merchandise to some convenience items. “Useful items for when you’re in the sun and wind and some more nautical gift items,” she said. She has also reached out to local artisans about selling their products in the store. Despite vacant slips at the marina, Jessica said the service yard is busy. “We have tons of work pouring in, mostly from local people who have boats in the marina but also people coming here for service. We just had a call from someone in Birch Bay bringing their boat in.” Asked what their future plans were, Mark Pondelick said they hadn’t had time to figure that out, saying the sale of the business followed by the sale of their house took place much faster than they thought it would. “We had seven offers within 24 hours on the house and accepted a cash offer the same day,” he said. The Pondelicks plan to spend some time at a recently purchased property in the Dominican Republic to figure out their next moves. To schedule service at Westwind, call 360/945-5523 or stop by the store at the marina. Westwind Marine is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. a letter to the executive asking how to tap into federal funds for communications infrastructure. A solution to flooding woes at Maple Beach was the next funding priority. “We want to see a complete redesign and the construction of something that mitigates flooding while protecting the road and the environment,” said Annelle Norman who represents the local taxpayers’ association on PRCAC. She suggested the project be modeled on the Birch Bay berm project, which replaced the old sea wall with a more natural berm. Calder added that the Point pays into the county flood control district and “we’d like to see those funds being used here.” The committee gave unanimous support for Calder to write a letter to the county executive asking for county staff to begin reviewing potential solutions and funding sources. A request for funding and technical assistance for the creation of a wetland mitigation bank that would ease development restrictions in the commercial core also received full committee support. The idea, Calder explained, was to designate a wetland property as the “bank” that would be upgraded with funds from property owners who would pay for credits in exchange for lessened restrictions developing their properties, which contain wetlands. “The concept is a really sound one for Point Roberts,” said Smith, a wildlife biologist. She explained while all wetlands have value, some are more productive than others and could be much more valuable with funds for improvement through such a program. “There are economic benefits for wetland owners who want to get into conservation,” she said, and a mechanism for Gulf Road property owners to develop properties that would be unfeasible to develop otherwise with the current code restrictions dealing with wetlands and buffers. “Point Roberts is a unique place and we want to keep it that way,” Sidhu said when it was his turn at the microphone. “If we wanted to make it Hong Kong in three or four years it could be Honk Kong, but we don’t want that.” Sidhu was lukewarm about the chamber of commerce bus proposal, echoing the (See PRCAC, page 9)
S The crew at Westwind Marine. From l., Terry Mathey, Logan Fraser, Jessica Basore, Josh Matthews, Bryson Basore. Not pictured, Eric Freeman. Courtesy photo
Come check out our competitive gas prices and our fine selection of beers and wine for all occasions.
Growler refills available on tap. 5 flavors to choose from. For your
ne i w d n a r e e needs! fuel, dairy, b
Open 7am-11pm 7 days a week! 1557 Gulf Rd.
Across from the Post Office
360-945-7611
