November 15 - 21, 2018
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IN THIS
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Blaine Senior Center honors veterans, page 4
Volleyball team places 9th in the state, page 6
Photos from the Blaine PD open house, page 10
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Blaine’s annual Thanksgiving dinner cancelled B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Thanksgiving, page 9)
s To mark 100 years since the end of World War I, the International Peace Arch Association hosted a bell ringing ceremony on Veterans Day at Peace Arch Park. Those who attended crafted paper poppies to place on the monument in remembrance of those who served. See more photos on page 8. Photo by Christina Winkler
Recounts looking probable for two 42nd District races County auditor says around 700 ballots challenged B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Stakes are high, margins are slim and voters are still unsure about which 42nd Legislative District candidates came out victorious this general election. According to the latest ballot count, which took place at 4:20 p.m. on November 9, two-term state senator Doug Erick-
sen (R) is in the lead with 72 votes over his opponent, Bellingham city councilmember Pinky Vargas (D). Ericksen received 36,048 votes (50.05 percent), while Vargas received 35,976 votes (49.95 percent). Running for state representative position 1, incumbent Luanne Van Werven (R) is in the lead with 131 votes over her opponent Justin Boneau (D). Van Werven received 35,964 votes (50.09 percent), while Boneau received 35,833 votes (49.91 percent). Not as close is the race for state representative position 2. Western Washington University professor Sharon Shewmake (D) is the likely winner with 941 votes over her op-
Blaine City Councilmember resigns, moves to Coupeville B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e After serving on Blaine City Council for just over a year, Meg Olson announced her resignation on November 13 in a letter to city manager Michael Jones. “With the sale of our home in Blaine, and relocation to Coupeville for business reasons, I must resign from my position on Blaine City Council effective today,” she wrote. Olson recently purchased a bookstore in Coupeville. “I had anticipated being able fill the position
until January but things have moved much faster than we had anticipated.” Olson was appointed to Blaine City Council in September 2017 after Dennis Olason resigned. She had expected to fulfill the remainder of his term, which expires December 31, 2019. Mayor Bonnie Onyon formally announced Olson’s resignation during a regular city council meeting on November 13, at which Olson was not present. “We’re going to miss Meg,” she said. “She was a
valuable member of our team here.” Olson said she will miss serving the city and working with councilmembers and staff. “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to serve the citizens of Blaine during this period of important transitions,” Olson wrote. “During my short tenure, the city has seen changes in a number of staff positions including the city manager and chief of police, and I have enjoyed being part of the development (See Resignation, page 3)
ponent, incumbent Vincent Buys (R). Shewmake received 36,379 votes (50.66 percent), while Buys received 35,438 (49.34 percent). According to the Washington Secretary of State’s office, recounts for non-state races are mandated under certain circumstances. A machine recount is required when the difference between the top two candidates is less than 2,000 votes and also less than half of 1 percent of the total number of votes cast for both candidates. Using current vote tallies, the state senate and state representative position 1 races are eligible. (See Election, page 9)
Letters Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Classifieds . . . . . 12 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . Sheriff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 14
INSIDE
A fixture of the community for nearly two decades – Blaine’s annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted at the Blaine Senior Center has been cancelled, leaving the hundreds of people who attended every year with nowhere to go. “Every year has taken more and more out of me and my family,” said David Van Duisen, who has organized the dinner with his wife Lisa Carr-Van Duisen for the past eight years. He stepped down from the role earlier this year due to the physical toll it was taking and hoped that someone would take his place. Unfortunately, no one did. The Sons of the American Legion Squadron 86, a program of Blaine American Legion Post 86, began hosting the dinner in 2000, said Van Duisen, who is no longer a member of Post 86. It was hosted at the Blaine Senior Center and offered the public a free meal with company on Thanksgiving Day. To raise money for the dinner, volunteers from the squadron manned a hot dog and hamburger stand outside of the H Street police station during Blaine’s old fashioned Fourth of July celebration. In recent years, an average of 85 people from the squadron and the community came forward to help host the dinner, including cooks who spent long hours preparing a combined 60 large turkeys and hams and 650 pounds of potatoes, among other food items, some of which were donated by local businesses. “It wasn’t just buy it from the store, unpackage it and cook it,” Van Duisen said. “We cooked all around the clock.” Van Duisen estimated that more than 800 people were served at the dinner in 2017 and said that when he first got involved, an estimated 150 people attended.
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