November 12 - 18, 2015
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Prepare for harsh winter weather, page 2
Wolf to be honored with plaque
Birch Bay Chamber picks new board, page 3
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Delicious recipes for Thanksgiving, page 8
Reflections
By Steve Guntli
(See Wolf, page 8)
s A badelynge of ducks enjoy a calm paddle in Birch Bay.
Photo by Ruth Lauman
Jail bond tax fails, Sidhu overtakes Kershner By Steve Guntli Whatcom County voters narrowly rejected Proposition 2015-1, which would provide funding for a new county jail. While election day results for the proposition showed the bill passing by a slight margin, later returns found the proposition “no” votes coming in higher than the “yes” votes. With most of the ballots now counted, the proposition couldn’t muster the necessary votes. The latest ballot count on November 6 showed 29,755 (51.4%) voters rejecting the measure and 28,116 (48.6%) approving it. Proposition 2015-1 would have imposed a .2 percent sales tax increase to fund a new county jail in Ferndale. Sheriff Bill Elfo, who has championed a new jail facility for nearly 10 years, said he would work with the city and county governments to reduce the
inmate population at the current, overcrowded jail. The latest counts also show Satpal Sidhu has edged out Kathy Kershner for Whatcom County Council District 1’s position B seat. Sidhu, who trailed Kershner by 14 votes in the first count, won with 29,160 (50.7%) votes to 28,339 (49.3%). Sidhu was appointed to the council in March to replace retiring councilmember Sam Crawford. Kershner previously served on the council from 2010 to 2014. Voters approved nine out of 10 proposed amendments to the Whatcom County Charter. Some of the votes, however, may prove to be in conflict with others. According to the county voters guide, “yes” votes on propositions 2 or 3 were incompatible with “yes” votes on proposition 10. Proposition 10 calls for a supermajority vote by both the county council and charter review commission before proposing amendments to the county charter. Propositions 2 and
3 would require a unanimous council vote on certain charter amendments. The incompatibility was noted in the voters guide but not on the ballot, which (See Election, page 10)
INSIDE
Bruce Wolf will receive a plaque in H Street Plaza, but will not have a plaza named for him. On Monday, Blaine City Council voted to add the plaque next to others placed on the wall in H Street Plaza. The council voted 6–0 in favor (Steve Lawrenson was absent). Mike Myers, a former mayor of Blaine, had suggested naming G Street Plaza in Wolf’s honor during a city council meeting in June. The council forwarded the suggestion to the Parks and Cemetery Board for evaluation. Wolf, a former city council member and co-founder, with wife Sandy Wolf, of the Drayton Harbor Music Festival, was killed last Christmas when he was struck by a car while walking his dog on Semiahmoo spit. The parks board was open to paying tribute to Wolf, but was reluctant to rename the plaza. At the October 15 regular meeting, parks board director Sandie Miller expressed concern that naming the plaza after Wolf would show a lack of regard to other prominent Blaine figures who died this year, such as Mel Hollinger and Wes Thompson. “The parks board was in a really difficult situation with this proposal,” said Blaine community planner Michael Jones. “On the one hand, Mr. Wolf has done so much for this community and deserves to be recognized, but on the other we have a lot of deserving citizens and a limited number of public facilities.” The board suggested moving the memorial from G Street to H Street Plaza, which they felt would be a better fit with the Vigil statue and the existing plaques along the north wall. The board also discussed the possibility of renaming H Street Plaza to Blaine Civic Leaders Memorial Plaza, or something similar. The building abutting H Street Plaza belongs to the Hollinger family, and the plaques there now are not memorials, but recognition for people who donated to the Vigil statue. Myers would need to
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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