March 1 - 7, 2018
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
New study looks at water supply in north Whatcom County, page 3
Lawmakers introduce gun legislation, page 5
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Traffic-free bike routes, page 8
State lawmakers go Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival is back March 16-18 into damage control with backlash over public records bill Legislators frame the bill as a win for open government, while opponents hope for veto by Governor Jay Inslee B y J o s h K e l e t y , WNPA O ly m p i a N e ws B u r e a u
(See Open records, page 6)
s The Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival will take place Friday through Sunday, March 16-18 in Blaine and Birch Bay. Photo by Eric Ellingson
B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e In just a matter of three days, you can become a skilled bird watcher. The 16th annual Wings Over Water NW Birding Festival is slated to take place from Friday through Sunday, March 16-18, in Blaine and will offer a look at the migratory birds that pass through Blaine and Birch Bay on the Pacific Flyway, which extends from Alaska to Patagonia. The festival will feature a variety of activi-
ties, exhibitions, speakers and more. Local bird watcher, writer and photographer Joe Meche said, “the rich tapestry of bird life in this area attracts birdwatchers from all over the country to experience a variety of birds close at hand.” The event kicks off by giving guests the chance to join an all-day field trip to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta, B.C. on Friday. The trip costs $42 and includes the bus charter, entrance fee, bird seed and lunch. Guests will get to see many
Blaine school threat was directed at Minnesota school By Oliver Lazenby The Blaine School District canceled classes on February 23 after receiving an email on Thursday about a threat to campus safety the next day. The threat turned out to be directed at a school in Blaine, Minnesota. The threat included the text “Blaine High School,” and came in the form of a screenshot from the messaging mobile application, Snapchat, according
to district superintendent Ron Spanjer. “It was in no way worth the risk of opening schools,” Spanjer said. “We needed to have time, in cooperation with the Blaine Police Department, to track down the source of the threat.” The threat read, in part, “ATTENTION all bhs (sic) students prepare too (sic) see my wrath tomorrow hahaha you all (expletive) up. I’m going to be the next to go down in history you SCUMS (expletive) all bhs, I dare you to go to school tm (sic)
I want to see how many people I can take with me.” The Blaine School District kept students and parents updated on its website, blaine.wednet.edu. By 7:30 a.m., the district learned that schools across the country received emails with similar or identical threats. Bremerton High School also canceled classes on Friday after receiving a screen (See Threat, page 15)
types of birds, including Sandhill Cranes. In the evening, there will be a Wings Over Water opening and featured artist reception at The Vault Wine Bar, 277 G Street. The event will feature a buffet along with wine and beer. Guests will have the chance to participate in a silent auction, view art, meet featured artist Annie Moorhead and listen to a presentation by Ric Zarwell, a representative of Rockjumper Birding Tours. (See Birds, page 2)
INSIDE
Following last week’s rapid-fire vote on a bill to exempt the legislature from state public records laws, lawmakers are going into damage control with public backlash mounting. The bill, SB 6617, explicitly exempts lawmakers from the state’s Public Records Act, and applies immediately and retroactively – meaning that existing records going back to statehood would be off limits to disclosure requests. The legislation allows disclosure of lawmakers’ calendars and communications with registered lobbyists, but only documents created after July 1, 2018. The law shields them from disclosure information on sexual assault incidents in the legislature, which a group of news organizations had sought and sued for last year. Introduced on February 21, the bill was rushed to a vote at break-neck speed, reaching the state Senate and House on February 23. It passed both chambers in 20 minutes with wide margins and no floor debate. By party breakdown, Democrats voted 68-8 or 88 percent in favor while Republicans voted 56-13, or 77 percent in favor. Two legislators were either absent or excused from the vote. “In my 18 years in the Legislature, this is by far the fastest I’ve ever seen a bill pass, from beginning to end,” said senator Mark Miloscia (R-Federal Way) who was one of the seven state senators to vote against SB 6617. He called the bill’s quick turnaround a “world record in my book.” The last-minute introduction of the law and the rush to enact it comes after a January ruling by Thurston County Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese, who determined that the legislature is subject to
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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