Sept. 27 - Oct. 3, 2018
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City announces Hughes General election forums Tips for tending to your Ave. project delay, page 3 set for October, page 7 garden in the fall, page 8
Port tenants in Blaine look to expand business B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Port, page 10)
s Drayton Harbor Oyster Company owners Steve Seymour, l., and his son Mark Seymour, c., wowed a crowd at the oyster shucking contest during Bellingham’s SeaFeast on September 22. The Blaine restaurant served up grilled oysters at the two-day event.
Photo by Louise Mugar
Pot legalization could pose challenge for Canadian travelers B y P at G r u bb If Blaine immigration attorney Len Saunders is sure of one thing, it is this: Canada’s forthcoming nationwide legalization of marijuana on October 17 is going to mean lots of business for U.S. immigration attorneys. Recent proclamations coming out of Washington, D.C. have done nothing to make him think that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) authorities are going to
take a commonsense approach to Canadian travelers who admit to having used or been involved in the marijuana business up north. “On Friday, [CBP] finally issued a statement on what their policy will be in light of Canada’s legalization of marijuana,” Saunders said. The September 21 statement advised that “Canada’s legalization of marijuana will not change CBP’s enforcement of United States laws regarding controlled substances [...] Although med-
Health department hears about local health challenges By Oliver Lazenby At a listening session at the Blaine Public Library on September 20, Whatcom County Health Department staff presented health data about Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts and asked community members whether the county’s ideas about the community’s health match reality. The listening session will inform the health department’s “community description” of Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts. The county began publishing a
countywide health assessment in 2012, and for the first time it’s adding information specific to communities within the county. “One thing we heard when we did the first assessment was that that is important, but not enough,” said Katie Stanford, health department assessment specialist. “We really needed to take a deeper dive into individual communities.” The countywide Community Health Assessment was published this summer, and the localized description of Blaine,
Birch Bay and Point Roberts should come out before the end of the year, county staff said. The assessment looks at health and factors that contribute to health in four main categories – physical environment, health care, health behaviors and social and economic factors. The health department’s preliminary data found that on average, people in Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts, are significantly older than the rest of the
Whatcom Artist First 2 weekends in October Studio Tour
(See Health, page 10)
ical and recreational marijuana may be legal in some U.S. states and Canada, the sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana remain illegal under U.S. federal law. Crossing the border or arriving at a U.S. port of entry in violation of this law may result in seizure, fines and/ or arrest and impact admissibility.” Furthermore, anyone who admits to (See Marijuana, page 5)
INSIDE
Multiple businesses that serve the commercial fishing fleet in Blaine want to expand due partially to a string of improvement projects led by the Port of Bellingham on property it owns on Marine Drive. Among the projects is the redevelopment of the marine industrial area, which is located at the southwest end of Marine Drive. Over the past few years, the port has made pier and emergency bulkhead repairs and has demolished buildings. Real estate representative Brady Scott told port commissioners on September 18 that the owners of Boundary Fish Company, Walsh Marine, Drayton Harbor Fishery and Dakota Creek Shellfish want to expand their existing leases at locations in the marine industrial area. The businesses are tenants of the port, which owns property on the south side of Marine Drive. “We have multiple tenants interested in expanding their leaseholds,” Scott said. “Port staff generally support these projects, but given the redevelopment work, [...] the property to expand into is currently not available to lease.” Scott said Boundary Fish wants to construct a new building at the location to increase capacity, while Walsh Marine wants to expand its shipyard, Dakota Creek Shellfish wants to build a shellfish hatchery and Drayton Harbor Fishery, which currently operates a fish-buying facility under a month-to-month agreement, is interested in signing a long-term lease. “In order to make this land available, the port needs to complete its current projects and get further along in the design of access, utility and stormwater improvements and the bulkheads,” Scott said. Michael Hogan, the port’s public affairs
Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11
Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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COME SEE WHERE CREATIVITY BEGINS!
Oct. 6,7 & 13,14
For more info: studiotour.net facebook.com/WhatcomArtistStudioTour
Coming Up . . . . . 14
Police . . . . . . . . . 14
A FREE SELF-GUIDED ART TOUR ✽
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4
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