December 15 - 22, 2016
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Winter weather cancels Battle at the Border, page 6
Dual citizens flying to Canada for the holidays could hit a snag
Where to shop this holiday season, page 8
Blaine City Council approves 2017 budget plan, page 12
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Bundle up – cold weather to continue through the weekend
By Oliver Lazenby
(See Travel, page 12)
s Snow hit Whatcom County last week and icy conditions were quick to follow. On December 14, the National Weather Service (NWS) forecasted temperatures averaging a high of 34 degrees and a low of 23 degrees in Blaine and surrounding areas through Sunday, December 18. The NWS forecast also featured potential snow showers on Saturday and Sunday, December 17-18. For the latest details about weather in your area, visit forecast.weather.gov.
Photo by Kara Furr
Planning commission votes in favor of wharf district zoning amendment B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e After much discussion, Blaine planning commissioners voted to recommend approval of a modified proposal to amend Blaine’s Wharf District Master Plan (WDMP). Commissioners cast the vote on December 8 after evaluating a proposal to expand permitted uses and building heights in an area called Mariner Village in Blaine’s WDMP. Blaine City Council will take the recommendation into consideration prior to casting a final vote, likely in January.
Adopted by the city of Blaine and the Port of Bellingham in 2007, the WDMP outlines a mix of commercial, marine, industrial and recreational uses in areas along Marine Drive. Mariner Village, located between the Blaine Harbor office and Sundance Yachts (formerly Blaine Marine Services), is zoned for water-oriented commercial, retail and service space on the ground level with office, residential and lodging accommodations on higher floors. Building heights in this particular area are to remain between 25 and 55 feet, according to the plan.
Lift on harvesting restrictions prompts a shell-ebration B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Following the recent announcement to lift shellfish harvesting restrictions on 810 acres of Drayton Harbor, a multitude of local and statewide advocates are taking a moment to celebrate. Beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday, December 16, members of the public are invited to take part in a “shell-ebration” hosted to honor the more than two decades of work by groups throughout the city, county and state to improve water quality in Drayton
Harbor. Several will be in attendance to speak at the event and discuss the history of the effort, which is still ongoing. Starting in the mid-1990s, high levels of fecal coliform pollution plagued the water and spurred closures throughout the harbor. Since then, several have come together to improve water quality and restore harvesting access. Efforts led to examination of on-site septic systems, management of nearby livestock waste and outreach to boat owners about direct discharge.
Several were pleased to receive the announcement from the Washington State Department of Health in early December after tests revealed noticeable improvements to water quality as a result of their actions. The event will take place at Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, located at 677 Peace Portal Drive. Tents and heaters will be set up outside for overflow, but the public is encouraged to dress for cold weather as a precaution.
After nearly 10 years, the city has yet to receive substantial development interest that falls within the existing guidelines. In June, the Port of Bellingham approached the city of Blaine with a request to amend those rules, calling for the inclusion of marine-related use in Mariner Village and an increase to building heights from 45 to 55 feet in one sub-area and 35 to 45 feet in another. If approved, Portland-based Sundance Yachts would like to expand its facilities in (See Wharf, page 12)
INSIDE
A new Government of Canada rule that requires more identification from Visa-exempt foreigners flying to or through Canada could cause problems for dual citizens flying to Canada. As part of the rule, which went into effect on November 10, the Canadian government started requiring dual citizens to have their Canadian passports when flying to Canada. Canadian-American dual citizens, however, are exempt from the rule and shouldn’t be affected. But that doesn’t mean they won’t be. The day before Thanksgiving, British Airways security kept Blaine City Council member Mary Lou Steward off her flight from London to Vancouver, B.C., citing the new rule. Steward, a Canadian-American dual citizen, had tried to board the flight with just her U.S. passport, she said. Security asked for her Canadian passport as well, which she didn’t have. She doesn’t typically travel with her Canadian passport because it’s just one more thing to keep track of, she said. “I was just absolutely stunned that I couldn’t fly into the country of my birth when a lady in line behind me had just a U.S. passport and she could get on the flight to Vancouver,” Steward said. Lisa Filipps, an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson, confirmed that the rule shouldn’t affect U.S. citizens or Canadian-American dual citizens. Her agency isn’t aware of any instances in which dual Canadian-American citizens were prevented from boarding flights because they didn’t have Canadian passports, she said. Steward suspects British Airways didn’t realize U.S. citizens were exempt and didn’t want to pay to fly her back to London if Canadian customs wouldn’t let her in the country. “Somebody at some point did say if you’re not allowed in the country we have to fly you back,” Steward said. Steward boarded a
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