FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
June 2 - 8, 2016
HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Explore Point Whitehorn, page 3
Fire commissioners move forward on station sale
Park and Recreation special section, pages 9-12
Health and Wellness special section, pages 13-14
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Fire and smoke at the border
By Oliver Lazenby
(See Station, page 2)
s The Peace Arch border crossing was shrouded in smoke as an overheated minivan caught fire while waiting to clear U.S. customs. Border traffic was held up briefly as emergency crews responded to the scene. No one was injured in the fire, and traffic was quickly rerouted around the disabled vehicle.
Photo by Oliver Lazenby
Hands Across the Border returns June 12 After a successful return last summer, the Hands Across the Border festival is coming back once again on June 12. The United States/Canada Peace Arch Anniversary Association is sponsoring the event, which caters to Boy and Girl Scout troops from both sides of the border. Hands Across the Border has been a mainstay in Blaine since the late 1930s, but the event was canceled in 2013 after
it became too big and expensive to easily manage. The festival was revived in 2015, after more than 500 people signed a petition requesting its return. The 2015 Hands Across the Border was a big success, drawing more than 2,000 attendees and dozens of scout troops. The 2016 event will feature a parade, food and arts vendors, face painting tents and games for all ages. Participants can register for the event until June 10, but must
CBP nabs suspected rapist at Peace Arch border U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers arrested a man with an active warrant for child rape at the Peace Arch border crossing on May 22. The 23-year-old suspect was attempting to cross into Canada when his passport triggered a positive match to a
warrant issued in King County. Officers fingerprinted the suspect and returned a match. The man was wanted for third degree rape of a child. “CBP officers at the Blaine ports of entry remain vigilant in intercepting people who are wanted for criminal ac-
tivity,” said area port director Kenneth Williams. “CBP and the Canada Border Services Agency have an outstanding working relationship and together we ensure individuals face justice for the crimes which they are in accused in our respective countries.”
Breakfast • Espresso • Lunch • Happy Hour
The Railway Café
Open 7 Days 795 Peace Portal Drive, Downtown Blaine 360-332-2448 • therailwaycafe.org
Happy Hour! Open Till 9pm
MON, THURS, FRI & SAT Enjoy cold beer & wine on our deck! Starts 6/3
be part of a Boy Scout or Girl Scout troop. The price of admission is $15 per person. Hands Across the Border will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 12. For more information or to volunteer to help with the event, visit handsacrosstheborder.info.
INSIDE
Three years after declaring the Custer fire station “surplus,” North Whatcom Fire and Rescue is making progress toward selling the station and has hired local real estate broker Mike Kent to market the property. Not everyone agrees with the decision – fire commissioner Dean Berkeley made a push in recent months to reconsider the sale over concerns about future population growth. The Custer station hasn’t been staffed for years, but with nearby Birch Bay projected to grow by more than 5,000 residents in the next 20 years, Berkeley thinks the decision to sell is premature. “I can’t see selling a station for a measly $350,000 and then five or 10 years down the road having to build a new one for a couple million,” he said. Berkeley made a motion to revisit the decision at an April 21 board of commissioners meeting, but the other fire commissioners wouldn’t discuss it. “It could have at least been discussed,” Berkeley said. “It’s appalling to me that it wasn’t.” Berkeley campaigned for fire commissioner on a platform of not selling the Custer station, he said, and he narrowly beat 18-year incumbent Roger Hawley. “The people put me in place because of my stance on the station,” he said. Berkeley thinks the board should have looked into other options, such as leasing the station, he said. Fire chief Henry Hollander said there have been inquiries into leasing the station, but that’s not a direction the board wanted to pursue. Fire commissioners didn’t respond to interview requests. The board of commissioners voted
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . 18 Coming Up . . . . . 18 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 18
TheNorthernLight.com TheNorthernLight
@TNLreporter
@PointRobertsPress
TRY OUR NEW:
Bacon Waffle Croissant Philly Chese Steak Avocado Toast Cheese & Meat Platter & More!