December 1 - 7, 2016 • thenorthernlight.com
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Permits issued to authorize wastewater discharge require routine testing and official review, said DOE spokesperson Krista Kenner. Nature’s Path was required to sample wastewater and report back to the DOE on a monthly basis, she said. Monitoring reports dating back to 2014 reveal that wastewater discharged by Nature’s Path at times failed to meet proper dissolved oxygen levels, flow requirements, filtration standards and, most often, pH levels. Improper pH levels can potentially damage sewer lines, disrupt sewage operations
Tax ... From page 1
issue will return to council on December 5 and it will take five votes to overrule Louws’ veto. The 1 percent increase would have resulted in increased revenues of $285,000 in 2017. Louws gave as his reason for vetoing the increase the fact that council earmarked approximately $150,000 for a legal review of possible legislation on banning fossil fuel exports from Cherry Point while the rest of the money wasn’t intended for a specific purpose. Louws believed there were more urgent concerns facing county residents than a legal review he described as being unnecessary.
and create hazards for on-site staff. Blaine assistant public works director Bill Bullock said the violations didn’t appear to cause any damage to Blaine’s water treatment plant, pointing out that wastewater produced by Nature’s Path dilutes on its 1.5-mile trek through sewer pipes before it reaches the facility. Despite no signs of damage, he said the city still plans to use its robotic sewer camera to get a closer look. “We are going to do our due diligence,” he said.
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s Fall sports coaches and sportsmanship award winners at the Blaine school district board meeting on November 28. Front row, from l.: Madeline Hall, soccer; volleyball coach Bryan Clausen; Tucker Jensen, football; Kaylee McPhail, cheer; Lauren Kordas, volleyball. Back row, from l.: football coach Jay Dodd; cheer advisor Christie Beson; Elijah Yost, cross country; Jamie Good, cross country; cross country coach Carey Bacon; soccer coach Kelly Tuski.
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edges and is about 3 inches long, said school district superintendent Ron Spanjer. It’s worn under a student’s clothing. “We have affirmed that the edges on this religious symbol are not sharp and we don’t consider this to be a knife. It’s a replica of a knife,” he said. “We have reinforced with the family that it stays under the clothing, that it’s secure in the sheath, that it’s not sharp, and the family has been very supportive of the expectations we’ve communicated.” In a November 28 letter, the school district’s lawyers advised the board to accommodate Sikhs who want to carry kirpans, citing federal and state law. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which covers Washington and much of the American West, ordered a school in Livingston, California, to lift its ban on kirpans in 1995.
knife can be used to cut things and it is not a religious symbol. That’s really the context. “I’m not offering these thoughts because I intend to change your mind or feelings about this particular item in your child’s classroom but I just want to reassure parents that we’re doing everything possible to ensure the safety of children in our schools.”
3rd St.
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Parents at the meeting also questioned how other kids would perceive the symbol and their own safety. One parent thought it would make other kids more likely to bring pocketknives to school. “While the kirpan is perceived as a knife, it cannot be used as a knife,” Spanjer replied. “You can’t cut someone with it. A pocket-
Peace Portal Dr.
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The court ruling did place certain restrictions on kirpans, including that they have a dull blade, be limited in length, be secured in the sheath, and be worn on a strap under clothing. Still, some parents are concerned. “That seems a little bothersome for some of the parents who don’t necessarily want knives in school,” said Mylissa Bode, a Blaine primary school parent, in a phone interview. “There are some other kids at school who may be a bit less mature, and if they were to get a hold of those it could be a problem.” Bode works at a law firm and is familiar with the legal precedents but thinks more restrictions could be placed on kirpans, she said. “Having a dull edge, it doesn’t really make a difference,” Bode said. “If my daughter were to have a butter knife, that would be an issue. So we’re hoping the district can come up with some kind of concession.”
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