March 5 - 11, 2020
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IN THIS
ISSUE
GLM Wine Co. caters to the weekend connoisseur, page 7
Food drive underway for dogs and cats, page 13
How to vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary, page 15
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
No local cases yet, but health officials are preparing for the coronavirus By Oliver Lazenby
(See COVID-19, page 12)
s At the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party on February 25, attendees enjoyed a family dinner of pancakes and gumbo at the Blaine Senior Center. Entertainment was provided by a professional Dixieland band, Josh’s Mardi Gras Stompers, and the Blaine High School jazz band. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Blaine Harbor Music Festival, which takes place every July.
Photo by Molly Ernst
Elenbaas defends ‘terrorism’ remark, citing citizen suits By Jami Makan Newly elected Whatcom County councilmember Ben Elenbaas defended his controversial remark likening a local environmental nonprofit organization to domestic terrorists, citing the group’s use of “citizen suits” to help enforce environmental laws. In a statement to The Northern Light, Elenbaas said he stood by his comments made at the February 11 Whatcom County Council meeting, in which he criticized the civic participation of RE Sources, a Bellingham-based nonprofit organization founded in 1982 to advocate for the environment. “If you look at the definition of domestic terrorism, you might even identify with some of the stuff that they do as that,” he told councilmembers prior to a vote on whether to increase the budget of a recycling education program delivered by RE Sources.
Elenbaas’ remarks were rebuked by fellow councilmember Todd Donovan, who called the comments “kind of frightening” for comparing legal actions like petitioning and picketing to terrorism. The remarks were also condemned by Shannon Wright, executive director of RE Sources, who said that they put the group’s staff and their families at risk. “The act of branding constituents with baseless, explosive labels in council’s chambers endangers them,” Wright said in a February 17 letter to councilmembers. Elenbaas suggested that environmental litigation brought by RE Sources to enforce statutes against major polluters meets the definition of terrorism. He pointed to the group’s use of citizen suits, a decades-old procedure in which private parties take action to enforce environmental laws like the Clean Water Act. Citizen suit provisions
were written into most of the major environmental laws during the 1970s, and are legal avenues for nonprofits and other (See Elenbaas, page 5)
INSIDE
The new coronavirus started to spread in Washington state from unknown sources, one step ahead of the state department of health’s ability to adequately test for it. Local health officials now say it’s only a matter of time before the disease spreads in Whatcom County. With 27 confirmed cases of the virus in King and Snohomish counties as of early March 4, local health officials are no longer aiming to contain the virus. Rather, they’re working to slow its spread so that it won’t overwhelm local health care institutions. “Containment is no longer the most effective strategy,” said John Wolpers, incident commander for a team that the Whatcom County Health Department assembled to manage a potential local outbreak. Whatcom County held a meeting to update elected officials and others on March 2 at its Unified Emergency Operations Center in Bellingham. “We are now moving to mitigation and personal prevention as our primary approaches,” Wolpers said at the update. “It is the consensus of public health officials that it is not a question of if, but a question of when, communities will have confirmed cases.” As more cases popped up in western Washington, beginning on February 28, Whatcom County’s incident response team ramped up its communication and coordination with elected officials, school districts, businesses and other organizations throughout the county. Washington governor Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency on February 29, directing state agencies to do everything reasonably possible in the effort to respond to and recover from the outbreak. The new coronavirus disease, called COVID-19, is part of a large family of socalled coronaviruses that include the common cold and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). It was first detected in China late last year and, as of March 4, had infected more than 90,000 and killed more than 3,000 in at least 65 countries. Of those, 80,000 cases were in mainland China. Like the flu, it killed mostly older people and those with underlying health conditions.
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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City’s rehabilitation of water wells continues
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least getting statewide attention. But this is the same contractor that worked with us last summer and so we are pleased to be working with them again.” In response to a question from councilmember Richard May, Whitewolf said that the city’s hydrogeologist, Associated Earth Sciences, reviewed the bid and recommended that it be awarded. “He essentially analyzed the bid and said, based on these parameters … he didn’t specifically say ‘going rate,’ but yes, he looked at each item,” she said. This project was budgeted in the 2020 Water Capital Improvement Plan. The city has a total of 14 water wells, the majority of which are located in the city’s wellfield on Pipeline Road. Two others are located in Lincoln Park, and there are others on 12th Street and at the end of Boblett. Some of the wells were drilled in the 1990s, while others date back to the 1970s and earlier. Not all of the wells are active. Separately, Whitewolf said that the city’s wellfield sustained about $250,000 of damage during Whatcom County’s recent “Super Bowl Flood.” She said that the structural supports for a runoff pipe were eroded, and that a road in the wellfield was also damaged. No actual wells sustained damage, however. She said that FEMA inspectors have visited the site, and that the city will be seeking FEMA reimbursement to pay for repair work expected to occur later this year.
PREROLL
ue to the city, said Whitewolf. “Well 2 is the older of the two wells, installed in 1965,” continued Whitewolf. “Well 5.1 is actually a newer well, but because it’s our top production well, we want to make sure that everything is operating at its peak for the summer.” Both of the wells are located in the city’s wellfield at the end of Pipeline Road. Well 2, originally installed in 1965 at a depth of 390 feet, was last rehabilitated in 1992, and is in need of a new pump and motor. A new drop pipe, wiring, sounding tubes and a variable frequency drive with controls will also be installed. The screen will be redeveloped and a video inspection will occur. Well 5.1, meanwhile, was installed in 2008 and is the city’s top-performing production well at a depth of almost 700 feet. Its pump and wiring will be replaced, the well screens will be redeveloped and a video inspection will occur. Both wells will be connected to telemetry, and will be able to provide an additional 20 to 30 years of service following the project. In response to a question from councilmember Eric Davidson, Whitewolf confirmed that the city received only one bid for the project. “Primarily because of the depth of Well 5.1, there is really only one well driller on this side of the Cascades, as I understand,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons we put it out to the Small Works Roster, instead of putting it in the Bellingham Herald for example, because that is at
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The city of Blaine is continuing its rehabilitation of the city’s water wells, and has accepted a bid for work on two more wells ahead of the hot and dry summer months, when water will be in high demand. At Blaine city council’s February 24 regular meeting, councilmembers voted 6-0 (Alicia Rule was excused) to authorize the city manager to enter into a contract with Holt Services Inc. The company will perform work on two wells, Well 2 and Well 5.1, for a total cost of $235,232. Well 2 requires about $95,906 of work, while Well 5.1 requires about $139,326. Introducing the agenda item to councilmembers, Blaine public works director Ravyn Whitewolf said that the work continues a maintenance project that started last year, when Holt worked on some other wells to boost their overall capacity. “It’s actually the last two of the rehab projects that we started last year,” Whitewolf told councilmembers prior to the vote. “It affects two wells, and even though this was bid to the Small Works Roster, because the bids totaled more than $100,000, we’re bringing it to you for council approval.” The Small Works Roster is operated by the Municipal Research and Services Center (MRSC), a local government resource agency. By using the roster, the city of Blaine was able to reach MRSC’s network of contractors across the entire state, delivering better val-
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The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
The Northern L ght The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc. Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors. Letters Policy The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com. Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Jami Makan jami@pointrobertspress.com Copy Editor Aly Siemion aly@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Oliver Lazenby oliver@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Intern Grace McCarthy prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Kristin Siemion sales@pointrobertspress.com
Letters The Editor: I am very concerned about the comments made by new Whatcom County councilmember, Ben Elenbaas, at a recent council meeting where he likened RE Sources, a local environmental nonprofit organization, to “domestic terrorists” that was reported in the latest issue of The Northern Light. I am very disappointed in Elenbaas’ inappropriate choice of words for many reasons. By using these toxic words, he put RE Sources’ 60 staff, board members, trainees, AmeriCorps members, interns and their families at risk. RE Sources is a valuable local group that has been contracted to provide important educational outreach services to our local school districts and youth organizations since 2011. Elenbaas is the council representative for my area and represents my family. During the campaign leading up to the recent county council election, my wife and I heard him speak at a local town hall meeting in Birch Bay. Elenbaas seemed to be sincere about working for the best interests of our county. Whatcom County has many difficult challenges ahead trying to balance our short- and long-term economic, energy and environmental needs. Calling RE Sources “domestic terrorists” in no way helps us solve these difficult challenges. We already have enough toxic rhetoric going on nationally and in Washington, D.C., and we absolutely do not need to add to this counterproductive communication method that only serves to further divide our country. We are better than this. I urge councilmember Elenbaas to follow the advice of Shannon Wright, executive director of RE Sources, and work together to find common ground for the betterment of our community. Brady Green Blaine The Editor: Amazing lack of self-awareness by the editors as they printed a letter comparing the President to Mussolini and warning of a coming dark age in the same issue that they wrote a multi-page article decrying county councilmember Elenbaas’ intemperate language regarding political opponents. For the record, I don’t agree with Elenbaas’ language. I also don’t support the political activity that RE Sources does. I guess I have to say that before I can push back against the characterization of the Trump presidency as a descent into fascism. Let’s review the record. Reduction in the power of the executive branch through the repeal of regulations; reduction in interference in the lives of ordinary Americans through the repeal of regulations; improvement in the lives of ordinary Americans
through reductions in illegal immigrants flooding our country; reduced unemployment; increased wages; increased opportunity; the appointment of many judges who actually believe in constitutional protections and rights. What is the flip side of our system? Well, the letter’s author states “destruction of the native races” which, although true, was also the norm for most of human history. The fact that we can look back and regret it means that we have advanced beyond most of history. “Women of all races as second-class citizens?” It is the third world which still does this. Women of all races have never had it better under western European civilization regardless of completely debunked “underpaid” and “glass ceiling” claims. “Enslaved millions?” How about the fact that western European civilization was the first in history to outlaw slavery and fight wars to enforce that edict? Slavery was the norm throughout history and still is in many parts of the world where Western influence is negligible. I come down on the side of the Founders, imperfections and all, and working to improve. Calvin Armerding Blaine The Editor: More than 500 people were murdered in Chicago in 2019, a tragedy that the news media blames on poverty, guns and racism. The truth that isn’t being told is that 50 years of progressive policies in the inner cities have driven business out of town, destroyed the dignity of work by incentivizing generational government dependency and encouraged crime by letting criminals go free because of the color of their skin. The fact is that Chicago’s inner cities are populated by a majority of law-abiding citizens who are being held hostage not by racism, poverty or handguns but by Democrat city councils, mayors and representatives who have trapped the people they claim to support in a self-perpetuating cycle of failure sustained by low expectations, deliberate agitation and the lies of racism and victimhood. The result is a sense of resentment, futility and anger that leads to fatherlessness and broken families. These problems have no racial boundaries. They occur wherever people have lost the old Bible-based values of faith, family, personal responsibility and self-control. They are problems that require individual and community initiative, combined with government assistance. Meanwhile the tragedy continues to unfold. At 2:55 p.m. on February 22 while many in Blaine were taking a walk on a rare sunny Saturday afternoon, Latonia
Williams on the south side of Chicago was shot in the head while sitting in her car. Her death could have been prevented with greater police presence, strict enforcement and conviction and jailing of criminals. Doing that would save lives immediately. But it would only be a start. It is also essential to reach inner-city youth. There are many programs now available covering every aspect of youth development. Those that are most effective have several things in common. 1. They are values-based and often religious-affiliated. 2. They maintain high expectations. 3. They are based on mentorship through personal relationships. 4. They are practical, providing skills and training that are immediately useful and marketable and that involve local business, church and community cooperation. For more information, search for “Faith-Based Outreach to At-Risk Youth in Washington, D.C.” at the Manhattan Institute. Dan Rudolph Blaine The Editor: The year 2020 is the 100th anniversary of the League of Women Voters and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. To some, these events represent allowing women “the privilege” to vote. To others, they represent the winning of governmental participation and improvement in the strength of our nation. Our country has benefitted by the oversight of women in cleaner food processing, child labor laws, controlling fraud, waste and abuse with legislation, protection of occupational health and safety and other areas where mothers, wives and women with consequential insight have contributed. Historically, women suffered the authoritarianism of abuse in their homes and recognize abuse of power when they see it. We cannot accept this abuse in our government. Egotistical power is not about biblical expectations; it controls by fear, paralyzes progress and makes our country vulnerable to economic, environmental, social and medical consequences. It is not fear of change and loss of dominance that should make our population distrust each other; it is the authoritarian lust for power and total control from the White House: pardon convicted criminals for corruption and murder, threaten legislators with retribution for conscience, take revenge on “enemies,” honor despots. Where will the authoritarianism stop? Vote. Donna Starr Blaine Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com
The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200 Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXV, No 37 Circulation: 10,500 copies
Circulation Independently Verified by:
Civic Meetings Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info: bbwsd.com.
Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.
Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: ci.blaine.wa.us.
Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info: blainesd.org.
Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: blainepc@ cityofblaine.com.
North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 1 p.m. Station 61. Info: nwfrs.net.
Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.
Next issue: March 12 Ads due: March 6
March 5 - 11, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com in Whatcom County, Lloyd concurred that bringing a citizen suit is not tantamount to perpetrating terrorism. “It’s really inappropriate to characterize something that’s authorized under federal law as inappropriate,” he said. “Federal law is there to protect everybody. This just gives the citizen the opportunity to go to court, not an opportunity to do something that the court wouldn’t order. Citizens are exercising their right that’s given to them by Congress, in a mechanism that protects both the polluter and the state from inappropriate citizen action.”
CITY OF BLAINE Unless noted, all meetings are held at City Hall, 435 Martin Street, Suite 4000 and are open to the public. Agendas can be found on the City’s website.
Monday, March 9 4:30pm – Study Session – PRA and OPMA Training.
5:30pm – Study Session – Code Cities and a Requirement for a Hearing Examiner. 6:00pm – Regular City Council Meeting
Irish Stew Dinner
Thursday, March 12 9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting
Thursday, March 12 2:00pm – Public Works
Saturday, March 14 4:30 - 7 pm
Advisory Committee Location: PW 1200 Yew Ave
Adults $10 Kids 6-12 $6 Under 6 Free
Monday, March 23 5:00pm – Study Session – New Blaine Library
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private parties to supplement government enforcement efforts. “The citizen suit is definitely a tactic they employ,” Elenbaas said of RE Sources. “The citizen suit is a vital part of many federal laws; however, it increasingly has become a tool that can be abused.” Elenbaas said that citizen suits can be “used to destroy businesses and farms with no benefit to the environment but absolutely benefiting the law firm financially as well as padding the pockets of NGOs.” Elenbaas declined to give examples of problematic citizen suits brought by RE Sources. “I would love to give you specific examples of these types of actions in Whatcom County, but I will not,” he said. “I will not because the employers and neighbors that I have talked to specifically asked me not to use their names. Why, you ask? Because they are afraid. They are afraid they will be targeted again.” In a statement, RE Sources said that any person in the country can bring a citizen suit against those who are breaking the law and polluting waterways, and that RE Sources makes use of this legal right as part of its mission to protect public health and the waters county residents depend on. “RE Sources takes legal action only against major polluters who are breaking the law, causing significant harm to our local or regional environment, and have not heeded warnings and citations,” said the group’s statement. “RE Sources never profits from legal cases – in fact, we frequently expend our own resources to protect our communities and waters. We turn to litigation as a last resort when other efforts have not been fruitful. It does not come as a surprise to polluters, and in almost every instance our letter of intent to sue is met with a quick settlement agreement wherein the polluter agrees to clean up the problem, comply with the law and make reparations for the damages they’ve caused. Those reparations, often in the form of fees, are distributed by the court to a third party who disburses them to other groups – never RE Sources, because that’s illegal. Other groups use those funds to restore environmental damage done.”
not to be brought.” Feldman said that just like federal agencies, nonprofits are also budget-constrained, and this generally forces them to pursue only the most egregious polluters. “To bring a lawsuit takes significant resources from somebody,” he said. “Even the environmental organizations have to make decisions about which cases to bring. They don’t have unlimited budgets. They do not always choose their cases wisely, but they would normally allocate time and resources to the most worthy and serious cases.” Edward Lloyd, an environmental law professor at the Columbia University School of Law, said that there are many safeguards to ensure fairness to alleged polluters. He said that before a citizen suit can be filed, the citizen has to give notice to the polluter, the state environmental agency that would regulate the polluter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Justice. The government then has an opportunity to bring its own suit and preclude the private lawsuit. “There are lots of safeguards to make sure the government and polluter know about it,” said Lloyd. “The government is given an opportunity to intervene and ultimately, a federal judge decides these issues, not a citizen.” While he was also not familiar with this story or the issues
3rd St.
From page 1
RE Sources provided several examples of projects that have been completed with recent settlements. It cited a project that reconnected three acres of coastal wetland to the marine environment and restored intertidal habitat along the shoreline of Lopez Island’s Fisherman Bay; a project that restored 10 acres of degraded riparian corridor to native plant communities within the Smokehouse tidal floodplain; and a project to restore one acre of Olympia oyster bed habitat in Fidalgo Bay. Jeff Feldman, a professor at the University of Washington School of Law, said that while he is not familiar with this story or the issues in Whatcom County, citizen suits have been established federal policy for a long time. “To make such a broad, sweeping attack is both inaccurate and doesn’t reflect what has been the longstanding policy of Congress – both parties of Congress, I might add,” he said. “To compare being a defendant in an enforcement action to being a victim of terrorism, that’s a pretty over-the-top and somewhat inaccurate description,” Feldman said. “At the same time, no one likes being sued. Anybody who is the subject of a lawsuit usually feels that they have been wrongly charged or accused. Are there citizen suits of marginal merit? Absolutely. But there are a lot of lawsuits of marginal merit that probably ought
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The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
Sports Now Enrolling 2020/21!
By Oliver Lazenby
Sportsmanship award winners announced
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At the end of each sports season, Blaine High School (BHS) coaches nominate players who demonstrated exemplary sportsmanship, leadership on their own team and goodwill toward players and coaches from other teams. With the conclusion of the wrestling season at the state
wrestling tournament on February 22, the winter sports season is now over for the Borderites. BHS winter sports coaches and sportsmanship award winners, from left: Ben Arps (boys basketball), boys basketball coach Brett Farrar, Gavino Rodriguez (boys wrestling), boys wrestling coach
Tom Hinz, girls wrestling coach Damon Higgins, Genesis Vazquez (girls wrestling), Shelby Freeman (cheer), cheer coach Christie Beson, Cayla Bullard (girls basketball), girls basketball coach Ryan Pike and girls bowling coach Sean Miller. Not pictured: Odie Dahl (girls bowling).
Blaine Barracudas bring home five medals
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NOTICE OF FLUSHING The City of Blaine Water Division started flushing the City's water distribution system. This is accomplished by opening hydrants along the system (starting at the well fields) to move fresh water throughout the distribution system. The purpose of flushing the system is to remove any grit and debris in order to improve water quality through the distribution system. During the city flushing program city water customers may experience a temporary low water pressure and/ or cloudiness when flushing is going on. The cloudiness condition (caused by air) should be only temporary, and can be cleared by running a cold water tap for a few minutes to clean and flush your service line. If the condition continues for an extended period of time please contact the Blaine Public Works. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, feel free to call Public Works at (360) 332-8820. Blaine Public Works.
The Blaine Barracudas, a local K-8 youth wrestling team, brought home five medals from the Folkstyle State Championships on February 23 at the Tacoma Dome. The youth wrestlers
competed in the same arena as the top high school wrestlers. The wrestling club is funded by a grant from Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2. Pictured wrestlers, from l.,
are Kole Shelton, Cooper Smith, Axel Shelton, Aidyn Hancock (6th place), Avery Hancock (7th place), Otto Shelton (6th place), Curtis Hume (3rd place) and Noxx Briner (5th place).
Graduation, last day set for Blaine schools Following snow days on January 15, 16 and 17, the Blaine school district changed the last day of school to Monday, June 15, and it scheduled high school graduation on Monday, June 8, according to an update at the February 24 school board meeting.
The school district board of directors also approved a calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. The first day of school for that school year is scheduled for August 26, and the last day of school is scheduled for June 15, 2021. Graduation is scheduled
for June 11, 2021. The calendar has two extra make-up days built into it on March 26 and May 14. If makeup days aren’t needed for snow days or other school closures, there won’t be any school on those dates.
March 5 - 11, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com
7
Enterprise security risk management takes Blaine man across the world By Grace McCarthy From the corner of the Starbucks on Peace Portal Drive, Joe Zaccaria can evacuate executives of multinational corporations from high-risk security situations with a few clicks on his laptop and calls on his smartphone. Zaccaria, who has a background in enterprise security risk management and crisis response, has a career that has taken him all over the world doing everything from defusing bomb situations in Thailand to helping secure important documents during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, B.C. Zaccaria’s career started 36 years ago in law enforcement before he transitioned to private security, which led him to work in Bangkok for a U.S. security company, Pinkerton, where he was the managing director of security consulting for all of Asia. Eventually, Zaccaria relocated to Vancouver where he set up his own company and could easily commute to Asia. Blaine became Zaccaria’s home six years ago. One of Zaccaria’s most recent projects was assisting in the multi-billion-dollar remodeling of the LAX airport for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. In the fall, he worked for four months to review station and platform designs for the remodel that will create a 2.25-mile elevated train that travels from the airport to offsite parking and oth-
er transit facilities. The project is slated to be built by 2023. In 2009, Zaccaria managed security and business continuity for E-Comm 911, a 911 dispatcher in Vancouver that receives more than one million calls for service per year. There, Zaccaria worked with the RCMP Integrated Security Unit, the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) to ensure the E-Comm facility was secure. Zaccaria also works in food defense. He is qualified with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to inspect food production facilities and conduct vulnerability assessments. In these facilities, he looks for the potential for someone to intentionally contaminate food. This work is the result of the Food Safety Modernization Act passed following enhanced security after 9/11. “The federal government instituted a law that required companies to assess and mitigate threats related to intentional adulteration,” Zaccaria said. Now, Zaccaria tracks emails every day from the FDA on food recalls. Everything Zaccaria works on is contracted, he said. “It could be a food defense project. It could be a transportation-related project,” Zaccaria said. “I’ve done work for big technology companies assessing global offices. I’ve done international work with Fortune 500s that are building new facilities overseas
and they need input into the design process.” Zaccaria said his favorite part of his career is its day-to-day variance. “Physically, I may be in Starbucks coordinating something or out on the road in a food plant watching production or in a technology facility watching a manufacturer of electronics,” Zaccaria said. Zaccaria also helps get executives of multinational corporations out of crisis situations by coordinating with global contacts, primarily special forces or high-level police officials who Zaccaria has met over his career. During Indonesian protests and riots last September, Zaccaria helped escort four Fortune 500 clients that had 28 staff members to a safety zone, away from the civil unrest. Two of the firms decided to send their employees back to the U.S., which Zaccaria helped facilitate by chartering aircrafts from Singapore and Malaysia. “When somebody calls me with the need for an evacuation, I’ll call one of [my contacts] and we usually look to charter an aircraft,” Zaccaria said. “We securely pick the executive’s family up, we coordinate and we have armed guards escorting them to the airport. Then we go to a private area of the airstrip where we have a chartered aircraft waiting.” In the late 1990s, hand grenades were planted in one chain of stores in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, Thailand, resulting in three bombing
s Joe Zaccaria in the Starbucks on Peace Portal Drive, where he works on emergency security management and consultation. Photo by Grace McCarthy
incidents. Zaccaria worked to prevent further bombings by assessing every store in the chain and training employees to look out for potential threats. Six months later, Zaccaria and a team of legal and investigative colleagues were able to identify the perpetrator, a former employee who had been fired for committing fraud. The last crisis situation Zaccaria worked on was in November 2018 when he helped move a group of Fortune 500 executives and their families from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia after a controversial U.N. convention evoked protests in the capital city. Zaccaria said that as his field grows, more universities are of-
fering programs in security management. He has given presentations at the University of British Columbia and the University of Washington on how real-life cases differ from textbook examples. With the recent coronavirus outbreak, his phone has been ringing off the hook for pandemic planning and response. “When people hear the word ‘security,’ they think of security guards,” Zaccaria said. “They don’t realize that there are actually enterprise security risk management executives like myself out there who do this kind of work and help big corporations assess where they’re at and where they need to go.”
GLM Wine Co. is a hidden gem in the local wine scene By Grace McCarthy Housed in a converted garage at 1678 Boblett Street, GLM Wine Co. serves wines for the weekend connoisseur. The husband and wife duo, Tom Davis and Tracey DeGraff, own the winery that is only open on Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. The wines are created in-house, and customers can sample them in a rustic space. The couple has been making wine in Blaine since 2002. Davis first started as an amateur winemaker in 1990, collecting grapes from vineyards between southwest Oregon and B.C.’s Okanagan Valley that he would use to make wine for his friends. In 2002, Davis made wine from Yakima Valley grapes that he said was good enough to convince him to start a winery. GLM’s wine-making process starts in autumn by gathering eastern Washington grapes, which are then transported to the winery to be smashed in the parking lot. The wine goes through a crusher/destemmer before fermenting. Once the grape skins are separated by a winepress, the wine sits from fall until winter. The yeast and any suspended solids slowly sink to the bottom, so that the wine can be “racked” (transferred) off the “lees” (sediment) in the spring. Before being sold, the wine is aged in French oak barrels for two years. French oak barrels are more refined compared to
American oak barrels, Davis said, because they integrate with the wine in a subtler way to make the wine more complex and elegant. “Unlike making beer, you have one shot with wine,” Davis said. “From the day you crush the grapes, you’ll regret this or that because you can’t go back. You’ll have to wait another year.” GLM’s first wine, a vintage from the 2002 season, sold in 2006. The winery now sells four wines: two reds, one rosé and one white. Davis said the winery sets itself apart by labeling the color index on its wine bottles, which Davis said is an objective measurement for the quality of red wine. A beam of ultraviolet light is shined on a diluted sample of the wine to determine the color index. “You know what you’re getting as a red wine in terms of how full-bodied it is,” Davis said. “The Denier” and “Deluge” are two wines that recently won double-gold from the Seattle Wine Awards, meaning every judge scored the wine as a gold. “The Denier” is a 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, a $29 bottle from Columbia Valley, Washington, that won the award in 2019. It stands out for its slight acidity. “Deluge,” a 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon, won in 2017. The $35 wine was made from grapes that Davis said came from the best season he’s seen since starting the business. The winery’s rosé is dry and sparkling while the Sauvignon Blanc is dry and crisp with French oak that gives it more mouthfeel and complexity than people are
used to, Davis said. The winery was one of the first creators of what they call Enrobed wine, which results from the fermentation of red grape skins, like that of Cabernet Sauvignon, in the juice of a white grape like Marsanne. “It combines all the flavor of what would be in a white wine with almost all the flavor of what would be in a red wine,” Davis said. “There’s a million possible combinations of flavors you can create.” Davis, who works at a B.C. printing company during the week, got his start in the restaurant industry from his first job as a bus boy at The Keg, a Canadian steakhouse chain. With tips from that job and his later bartending at upscale hotels, Davis started buying nice bottles of wine that catalyzed his interest in wine production. The winery started next to the old Blaine airport before moving in 2009 to its current location across the street. The current location is decorated to the winery’s theme of the Glacial Lake Missoula Flood, a cataclysmic flood that covered eastern Washington several times near the end of the last Ice Age. “Those were the biggest floods ever. We want to make a wine that’s like that, that’s massive,” Davis said. “Our wines are uncompromising.” The winery plans to expand production within the next year. It currently sells 150 to 200 cases per year but hopes to raise that number to 350 cases. Adding food to the winery’s menu is also
on the agenda, Davis said. GLM Wine Co. is served at Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and occasionally by Blaine-based sommelier Amberleigh Brownson.
“Given our very little rinky-dink operation, I think we make wines that are easily among the best in Washington state, even though nobody knows it,” Davis said.
s Tom Davis has operated GLM Wine Co. since 2002. He hopes to expand the amount of wine the business sells from 150 to 200 cases per year to 350 cases.
s The winery at 1678 Boblett Street is open from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. It offers two red wines, one rosé and one white wine.
Photos by Grace McCarthy
8
The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
HEALTH & WELLNESS Encouraging happy, healthy lives!
Some helpful tips for diabetes prevention and management Diabetes prevention and management is a growing nationwide concern, and in Washington state, it’s no different. One in three adults has prediabetes, according to the Washington State Department of Health, and it’s estimated that around 10 percent of adults in our state have type 1 or 2 diabetes.
Despite those rather alarming statistics, there have never been more ways to help treat this incurable disease and prevent life-altering complications. Diabetes management tools have rapidly expanded in the last decade. Today, there are approximately 65 different medications that can be utilized to help peo-
Welcoming new patients Birch Bay Family Medicine
ple manage their blood sugars. Successful treatment of diabetes and prevention of complications fall on the shoulders of both doctors and their patients, who must understand how the disease affects them individually. Besides getting on the right medication, the biggest thing patients can do is incorporate
physical activity and a blood sugar-friendly diet. Newly diagnosed patients should also try to attend a diabetes education course and, if possible, meet with a professional nutritionist – someone who is best equipped to help suggest proper dietary adjustments. Seeing a doctor about their dia-
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betes means committing to a path of personal wellness that’s more than medication-based. And diabetes management is not passive. It involves actively engaging in lifestyle changes necessary to keep people healthy. Regarding nutrition, what is far more common than eating unhealthy foods is eating too much. Here are three tips to monitor nutrition: control portion sizes; time meals appropriately; and review the actual nutritional content of what is consumed. Regarding exercise, overweight or obese patients, or those not otherwise engaged in regular exercise, have work to do. If you join a gym, you need to hold yourself accountable to actually go and work out. A great place to start with exercise is to establish the practice of going for daily walks. Regardless of what one chooses for regular exercise, establishing a healthy routine will pay dividends. Furthermore, most patients likely won’t need to do more than the average 150 minutes of moderate physical activity recommended each week for healthy individuals. (Continued on next page)
WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS! NORTH WHATCOM HEALTH CENTER 6060 PORTAL WAY Conveniently located off of I-5 with Whatcom Transportation Authority service. Offering coordinated primary medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and lab services to north Whatcom County residents of all ages.
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(Continued from previous page) However, patients should also figure out their individual blood sugar levels before and after exercise, so that they can exercise safely without potential spikes or crashes. Despite the importance of personal responsibility, it’s important to not be too hard on yourself. It’s important to understand the complexity of the disease, and that it still requires medical intervention no matter how hard you try to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Some people can eat salad every day and exercise hard five days a week, and still struggle with blood sugar. Metabolically, there’s a lot of other “stuff” going on that keeps blood sugars high. Not properly treating diabetes can lead to a host of complications, some of which can be fatal. One of the most common complications is the risk of cardiovascular disease and events like heart attacks and strokes. Also common are diabetic neuropathies, especially peripheral neuropathy, which result in weakness, numbness or pain from nerve damage, usually in the hands and feet. With no cure for diabetes, managing the disease is essential to surviving with it long-term. It’s an investment of time, energy and money, but an investment in your health and happiness is always the best investment you can make. This article is courtesy of PeaceHealth Medical Group – Primary Care at 4545 Cordata Parkway in Bellingham.
9
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10
The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
2020 BORDERITE
SPRING SPORTS Boys Baseball
DATE 3/17 3/19 3/20 3/24 3/25 3/27 3/31 4/2 4/4 4/6 4/7 4/14 4/15 4/17 4/20 4/22 4/24 4/28 4/30 5/5-5/15 5/23-5/30
OPPONENT TIME SITE Squalicum 4:30 pm Pipeline Mariner 4 pm MarHS Archbishop Murphy 4 pm AMHS Sedro-Woolley 4:30 pm Pipeline Nooksack Valley 4:30 pm NVHS Anacortes 4:30 pm Daniels Lynden 4:30 pm Pipeline Ferndale 4 pm FHS Interlake 1 pm Pipeline Bellingham 4:30 pm Pipeline Squalicum 1 pm JM Lakewood 4 pm LWHS Sehome 4:30 pm Pipeline Mount Baker 4:30 pm MBHS Lynden Christian 4:30 pm Pipeline Meridian 4 pm MHS Nooksack Valley 4:30 pm Pipeline Sedro-Woolley 4 pm Janice Burlington-Edison 4:30 pm Pipeline 2A District at Daniels Field & Volunteer Park, Anacortes 2A State at Yakima County Stadium
Girls Softball
DATE 3/19 3/20 3/23 3/26 3/28 3/28 3/31 4/3 4/14 4/16 4/21 4/24 4/28 4/30 5/5 5/8 5/12 5/14 5/16-5/22 5/29-5/30
OPPONENT TIME Nooksack Valley 4:30 pm Ferndale 4:30 pm Meridian 4:30 pm Anacortes 6 pm Chelan 11 am Chelan 1 pm Lynden 4:30 pm Ferndale 4 pm Concrete 4:30 pm Squalicum 4:30 pm Lakewood 4 pm Sehome 4:30 pm Mount Baker 4:30 pm Lynden Christian 4:30 pm Meridian 4 pm Nooksack Valley 4:30 pm Sedro-Woolley 4:30 pm Burlington-Edison 4:30 pm 2A District at Janicki Fields 2A State at Carlon Park
Girls Tennis
DATE 3/18 3/19 3/20 3/23 3/25 3/30 4/1 4/15 4/17 4/22 4/24 4/27 4/29 5/4 5/6 5/8
OPPONENT Lakewood Granite Falls Sehome Squalicum Lynden Sedro-Woolley Ferndale Bellingham Burlington-Edison Squalicum Lynden Ferndale Sedro-Woolley Lakewood Anacortes Sehome
TIME 3:30 pm TBD 4:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:45 pm 4 pm 3:30 pm 3:45 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm 3:30 pm
Girls Golf DATE 3/26 3/31 4/14 4/21 4/28 5/5 5/12 5/19
OPPONENT TIME SITE Ana, B-E, LC, Mer, Seh, Squal 3 pm SwinLks Ana, Fern, LW, Lyn, Mer, NV 3 pm SemiaGC Fern, LC, MB, Mer, NV, Squal 3 pm Loomis MB, Ana, LW, Lyn, Squal, S-W 3 pm NBGC Squal, Ana, Fern, LC, MB, Seh 3 pm Shuksan Fern, Bell, LC, MB, NV, Seh 3 pm Loomis Lyn, Ana, LW, MB, Squal, S-W 3 pm Hstd GC 2A District Championships at Snohomish Golf Course
Boys Golf DATE 3/25 3/27 3/31 4/2 4/3 4/14 4/21 4/28 5/5 5/11 5/18
SITE NVMS Pipeline Pipeline Daniels Mt Goat Mt Goat Pipeline FHS Pipeline Geri LWHS Pipeline MBHS Pipeline MHS Pipeline Janicki Pipeline
SITE Home ??? SHS Home LMS SWHS Home Home BEHS SqualHS Home FHS Home LWHS Home Home
This page sponsored by:
OPPONENT TIME Fern, Bell, LC, Lyn, MB, Seh 2 pm Jack Barnes Memorial TBD Ana, B-E. LC, Mer, Seh, Squal 2 pm Birger Solberg Invite 12 pm Joe Lenberg Classic TBD Lyn, Ana, LW, MB, Squal, S-W 3 pm Ana, Fern, LW, Lyn, Mer, NV 3 pm MB, Ana, LW, Lyn, Squal, S-W 3 pm Squad, Ana, Fern, LC, MB, Seh 3 pm S-W, Ana, B-E, Bell, LW, Lyn, Seh 3 pm 2A District Championships at Skagit GCC
Track DATE 3/19 3/27 4/2 4/11 4/22 4/30 5/6 5/13, 5/15 5/20, 5/22
OPPONENT TIME Blaine Host 3:30 pm Lynden “Bedlington Twilight” 3:40 pm Ferndale Host 3:30 pm Birger Solberg Invite 10 am NWC Championships 4 pm Meridian Host 3:45 pm Anacortes Host 3:30 pm 2A Sub-District at Civic Stadium 2A District at Lakewood High School
Boys Soccer
DATE 3/17 3/19 3/20 3/23 3/25 3/28 3/31 4/2 4/14 4/15 4/17 4/21 4/23 4/28 4/30 5/4 5/7-5/16 5/18-5/30
BOLD = Home Games Schedules may change due to weather Check www.nwcathletics.com
SITE Loomis WGCC SwinLks BGCC Apple Hstd GC SemiaGC NBGC Shuksan Avalon
OPPONENT TIME Ferndale 4:30 pm Sedro-Woolley 4:30 pm Granite Falls 4:30 pm Anacortes 7 pm Lynden 4:30 pm Squalicum 1 pm Ferndale 4 pm Bellingham 4:30 pm Lakewood 7 pm Sehome 4:30 pm Mount Baker 4:30 pm Lynden Christian 4:30 pm Meridian 4:30 pm Nooksack Valley 4:30 pm Sedro-Woolley 7 pm Burlington-Edison 4:30 pm 2A District at Sedro-Woolley High School 2A State at Sunset Chev Stadium
Unified Soccer
Schedule not available at press time Check www.nwcathletics.com
SITE Home LHS FHS Civic Civic MHS AHS
SITE Pipeline Pipeline Pipeline AHS Pipeline SqualHS Phillips Pipeline LWHS Pipeline MBHS Pipeline MHS Pipeline SWHS Pipeline
March 5 - 11, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com
11
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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In re the Matter and Estate of: ULF GORAN HANSSON, Deceased. No. 20-400112-37 PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS RCW 11.40.030 THE PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE NAMED BELOW has been appointed as Personal Representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Personal Representative or the Personal Representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the Personal Representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets. NOTICE OF FIRST PUBLICATION: February 20, 2020 BENNETT F. HANSSON, Personal Representative Presented by: Law Offices of Roger L. Ellingson, P.S. By: Roger L. Ellingson, WSBA #19292 Attorney for Personal Representative PO Box 1258 / 289 H Street Blaine, WA 98231-1258 (360) 332-7000; Fax: (360) 332-6677
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New manufactured home in Bel Aire park in Blaine. Easy access to I-5, Birch Bay beaches, downtown Blaine, schools, shopping and Canadian border. Beautiful 2 BD home, with an open design makes this a great place to live.
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Rentals - Residential 1-BD MOTHER-IN-LAW apartment. Private and quiet. W/D, utilities included. No pets, no smokers. $1,000 mo. 360220-7127 WATERVIEW HOME 2 BD 1.5 BA,1000 SF, $1500/mo +util. N/S, Pets negotiable. 360-4836474.
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All real estate/rentals advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-877-0246.
Rentals - Rooms BIRCH BAY VILLAGE Private room, own bath,$550+$100 utilities, fenced backyard, Birch Bay Village. Small dog ok, no cats or smoking Perfume sensitive. 360-371-8700.
MORE REAL ESTATE LISTINGS ON THE NEXT PAGE!
FOR LEASE Retail/Office Space With Waterfront Views of Blaine Marina 800 - 1600 s.f. Prime ground floor office and retail space in The Northern Light Cannery-style building at Blaine Harbor.
For leasing information, contact Pat Grubb 360/332-1777
12
The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
COVID-19 ... From page 1
Though nine people have died in Washington state, about 80 percent of cases worldwide are mild, with no symptoms beyond coughing, fatigue and fever. Some with the virus have no symptoms at all. Many of those infected in Washington – and at least eight of the fatalities – were residents of the Life Care Center nursing facility in Kirkland, the supposed center of the U.S. outbreak. Everyone who died had pre-existing medical conditions, according to the state department of health. Current data indicates that the fatality rate is about two percent among those with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, county health department officials said. The fatality rate for all illnesses is likely quite a bit lower, as the disease has a wide range of symptoms and some who carry it have no symptoms at all. Further, that number is based largely on data from China and its accuracy is widely questioned by U.S. health officials. What you should do now The Whatcom County Health Department is not recommending any major changes to daily life. Right now people should concentrate on hygiene and taking some minor steps to avoid crowds and contact. That includes the following: washing hands frequently with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds; covering coughs and sneezes; avoiding touching the
eyes, nose and mouth; staying away from people who are sick; if you are sick, staying home for the duration of your illness to prevent spreading the infection; reducing handshakes and high-fives; reducing the number of people in close contact with each other; and frequently cleaning and disinfecting door knobs and other frequently touched surfaces. People should also prepare for the possibility of more aggressive “social distancing measures” such as school and work closures, by planning back-up child care and discussing work-from-home options with employers. Getting a flu shot is also a good idea; it won’t protect against the new coronavirus disease, but it may be possible to get both viruses at the same time. Locally, the county health department is the lead organization for responding to the outbreak and will notify people if they recommend taking other precautions against the virus’ spread. The health department is available to consult with employers and organizations about what to do, said Dr. Greg Stern, a health officer with the department. The county health department has more information on the virus and its response online at bit.ly/2wo6gvm. Whether the county will recommend stricter social distancing measures will depend on a variety of factors, health officials said. There’s no number of Whatcom County cases or other criteria that would trigger stricter recommendations, Stern said, as the
effectiveness of those measures would also depend on what’s happening around Whatcom County. At the March 2 briefing, health officials sought to assure elected officials that much of the planning is already in place and has been rehearsed. “I want to point out that while this is a new disease, our response to it is not,” Wolpers said. “We’re building on the pandemic preparedness that we and many others already have in place.” Blaine school district The Blaine school district sent home letters advising that families and staff take the same precautions as they would for the flu: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with warm soap and water and generally follow the same precautions stressed by the county health department. The district is also being diligent about cleaning surfaces and taking other precautions, said superintendent Christopher Granger. The Blaine school district will look to the Whatcom County Health Department for guidance on when and if to close schools. “The health department has been very helpful and very responsive,” Granger said. “We are connected, we are constantly receiving information and discussing it internally. We have everything in place to keep our students and families safe and we will always keep student safety the number one priority.” Granger said the district isn’t preparing for online learning in the event of extended school closures
because it can’t ensure that all students would be able to participate. “We couldn’t guarantee that every child would have that same access. I think every school would struggle with how to make that equitable,” he said. Granger has four kids, and noted that his household may have four cell phones but not four laptops. It would be much harder to do school work on a cell phone compared to a computer screen, he said. In a letter to state school districts about the coronavirus, the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction discouraged holding online classes unless they could be accessed by all students: “It will likely make more sense to cancel school and/or district services and make up missed days at the end of the school year, rather than deploying a distance learning model that can be accessed by some, but not all, of your students,” the letter said. By March 2, about a dozen schools around the state had closed to clean and disinfect, or because of possible cases amongst staff and students. Schools that closed so far were not instructed to do so by local health departments. School closures and other social distancing measures should strike a careful balance, local health experts said. About half the students in Blaine schools qualify for free or reduced lunch and may go hungry if schools are closed for an extended time, for example. With larger closures, “we need to balance the decision of wheth-
er it’s going to be effective and when the benefits outweigh the consequences,” Stern said. The city of Blaine Blaine city manager Michael Jones attended the county’s March 2 update, along with police chief Donnell Tanksley, and he said that the city’s role in a potential outbreak will be to maintain key services like drinking water and public safety. “At this point we are not really changing operations; however, we are staying abreast of the information,” Jones said. “The county health department is the lead jurisdiction for a virus outbreak. We are taking our direction from the experts.” He noted that the city has put hand sanitizer in key locations in its buildings and is increasing the amount of cleaning done to heavily used surfaces and objects. City staff are also preparing for other possibilities like telecommuting for employees and holding meetings by phone rather than gathering large groups of people. “These are all things that most employers should probably be thinking about at this point,” Jones said. PeaceHealth Robert Taylor, PeaceHealth’s emergency management coordinator, said hospitals throughout PeaceHealth’s network, including St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, have been preparing for weeks. He could not say how many patients PeaceHealth (See COVID-19, page 15)
Real Estate (continued from previous page Windermere Real Estate/Whatcom Inc. 360.371.5100
8105 Birch Bay Square St. I-5 Exit 270, Blaine
BLAINE, BIRCH BAY & SEMIAHMOO SEMIAHMOO SHORE OPEN HOUSES
OPEN12-5 DAILY
OPEN12-5 DAILY
Mike Kent 360-815-3898
OPEN12-5 DAILY
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9404 Turnstone Lane #20 $1,079,000
9454 Turnstone Lane #38 $1,195,000
MLS# 1360795 Remarkable Quality & Location with incomparable Saltwater Vistas of Drayton Harbor & Mt Baker. Exquisite craftsmanship throughout. Soaring vaulted ceilings in Great Room. 2 Luxurious Suites including owners on main. Gated entry. Direct access to trails & Beach and world Class resort nearby with Championship Golf, Saltwater Marina, Tennis, Pool & more. Directions: Take I-5 North to Exit 270, head W (L North bound/R South bound) on Birch Bay Lynden Rd. to R on Harborview to L on Lincoln which becomes Semiahmoo Pkwy all the way to Semiahmoo Spit.
SEMIAHMOO OPEN HOUSES
9452 Turnstone Ln #37 $1,295,000
MLS #1360756 Spectacular Semiahmoo Shore model Home with bonus Lot making it the largest in development. Also has abutting HOA owned Greenbelt lot. Stunning unobstructed views of Drayton Harbor, Mt Baker & Twin Sisters. Step off your covered patio w/outdoor fireplace onto miles of shoreline trails. Upgrades throughout & constructed by award winning R/H Construction. Dir: Exit 270 West on Birch Bay Lynden Rd., R on Harborview, L on Lincoln Rd., to Semiahmoo Pkwy., Semiahmoo Shore on Left.
Lisa Sprague 360-961-0838
BLAINE OPEN HOUSES
OPEN1-1 SAT 1
MLS# 1200998 Semiahmoo Shore 2902 sq. ft. Sunrise Home with spectacular view of Drayton Harbor and Mt. Baker. Includes Guest Casita with its own private entry. Finished throughout with top of line finishes, hardware, flooring, full appliance package including Washer & Dryer. Extensive hardwood flooring, Linear Fireplace, quartz countertops, Grohe and Kohler fixtures. Beautiful Guest and Owner’s suites. Covered Patio with outdoor fireplace, double garage with epoxy floors and much more. Dir: Take I-5 North to Exit 270, head W (L North bound/R South bound) on Birch Bay Lynden Rd. to R on Harborview to L on Lincoln which becomes Semiahmoo Pkwy all the way to Semiahmoo Spit.
Lisa Kent 360-594-8034
B I R C H B AY O P E N H O U S E S
Nearing Completion 8783 Clubhouse Point Dr $1,049,000
MLS #1232342 3935 sf. Last paired home at Semiahmoo’s 14 residence “Clubhouse Point”. Premium Southern exposure. Elevated, lake & green views of Palmer-designed 18th fairway. Primary living on main. Spacious office opens to your private interior courtyard. Expansive covered decks, walls of windows bring the outdoors in. Super pantry, Stainless appliances, white cabinets, quartz counters, juxtaposed w/gloss charcoal island to match massive stone tiled FP. Gloss white cabinets in laundry & baths. 3 car garage. Completion in approximately 90 days.
Brian Southwick 360-815-6638
F E AT U R E D P R O P E R T Y
OPEN1-3 SUN
4403 Castlerock Drive $534,500
MLS# 1556301 Step into the light-filled grand entry & immediately enjoy the water (California Creek) and mountain (Mt. Baker) views, welcome to Castlerock Drive in The Greens at Loomis Trail! 4 bed/2.5 bath features soaring vaulted ceilings, open concept design with luxurious main level Master suite (w/ private deck) + attached 3-car garage. Additional room on main for office or 5th bedroom - you decide! Gated entry & tree lined streets with sidewalks = a rare neighborhood combo in booming Blaine!
Charlotte Wells 360-441-5023
In case of inclement weather, please call agent to confirm open houses.
6976 Birch Bay Drive $379,000
MLS #1553915 Partial ocean views PLUS private beach access across the street highlight this Birch Bay area home. This 3 bdrm 2 bath home is well designed with vaulted ceilings, pantry & spacious deck w/view. Partially fenced back yard w/RV parking, garden space, plus room for more! Beautifully landscaped. Located on very desired strip of Birch Bay. Few minutes walk to State Park, short bike ride to C-Shop plus all amenities Birch Bay has to offer. Perfect spot for snowbird/second home or full time living.
Randy Weg 360-305-5704
www.windermere.com
00 Birch Bay Lynden Road
$404,000
MLS #1567509 32 acres with possibility of subdividing into 6 residential acreage lots. Quick access to Birch Bay Square, Outlet Mall, and I-5. Located less than 15 minutes from Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, and Canada. Water provided by Custer Water Association.
Gerry Allen 360-920-0563
March 5 - 11, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com
OBITUARIES
All charges dismissed against McDaniel All charges were dismissed against a 43-year-old Blaine man who had been accused of trapping, molesting and raping a 13-year-old girl in November. At a February 26 hearing in Whatcom County Superior Court, charges of second-degree child rape, second-degree child molestation and unlawful imprisonment were dismissed against Jeremy Michael McDaniel. “It is hereby ordered, adjudged
and decreed that there is insufficient evidence to support conviction,” said a February 26 order of dismissal signed by a judge and deputy prosecuting attorney Evan Jones. “In the interest of justice, the above-entitled cause shall be and is hereby dismissed without prejudice.” McDaniel said that the charges had no basis in reality and that he was unfairly targeted. “I feel sorry for all those people out there
that this has happened to,” he said. “It’s not fair that someone can just blurt out accusations like that. And then they can just scoop you up and put you in jail.” McDaniel continued: “It’s wrecked my life, it’s cost me a lot of money, it’s cost me time in jail. Now I’m trying to start over again. I’m not trying to badmouth anyone or anything, but it’s bullshit that this happened. I’m glad they put an end to it.”
Big Climb 2020 will raise funds for leukemia and lymphoma research By Jami Makan At this year’s Big Climb fundraiser in Seattle, a team from Blaine will scale the Columbia Center skyscraper in order to raise awareness about the importance of leukemia and lymphoma research. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Big Climb 2020 was originally scheduled to take place Sunday, March 22, but has since been postponed. This year’s participants will once again include Larissa’s Crew, a fundraising team from Blaine. The team’s members include Dr. Marta Kazymyra, her grandson A.J. Telles and Larissa Dhanani, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2008. “I started doing this to support my dear friend Larissa Dhanani, who went from an extremely healthy and fit 45-year-old to a very, very sick lady in a very short period of time,” said Dr. Kazymyra. “Due to her strength and tenacity, her brothers’ stem cells and amazing care at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and the University of Washington, she is now 10 years disease-free and living a wonderful and active life. I witnessed her terrible struggle while she was recovering and fighting for her life. It is not something
you can easily forget.” During the annual fundraiser, participants climb the stairs of the Columbia Center skyscraper in downtown Seattle. At 788 feet of vertical elevation, the Columbia Center is the tallest building in the Pacific Northwest. It takes 69 flights of stairs, or 1,311 steps, to reach the building’s observatory, which offers views of the entire Puget Sound region. “The trip up those 69 flights of stairs is brutal, and as I get older, it doesn’t get any easier,” said Dr. Kazymyra. “Believe me, I am not like one of the youngsters that gets up there in 10 minutes. My goal is to raise lots of money and get to the top, alive and breathing, in about 23 minutes.” This year will be Dr. Kazymyra’s eighth climb and her grandson A.J.’s fifth climb. Dr. Kazymyra hopes to raise $15,000 while A.J. hopes to raise $5,000. In 2018, the Big Climb’s participants together raised a record-breaking $3,007,080 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which invested the money in its mission to fund blood cancer research and support services for patients. “We are very passionate about finding a cure for blood cancers, as they are so devastating and common,” said Dr. Kazymyra.
s Dr. Marta Kazymyra and her grandson A.J. Telles, who are raising funds for blood cancer research.
Courtesy photo
“Before I retired this year, there wasn’t a single week where I didn’t see a blood-related disease. However, over these past few years, there have been so many breakthroughs and improvements in treatment. Much of this is due to the money we raise.” Blaine residents who are interested in supporting Dr. Kazymyra or A.J. can donate directly to their fundraising webpages, which are located online at llswa.org. Alternatively, you can drop off checks made to “Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – Big Climb” at Bay Medical Clinic, 377 C Street or mail them to 9616 Harvey Road, Blaine, Washington 98230. Please specify whether your donation is for Dr. Kazymyra or A.J. Telles.
Donate to a food drive for dogs and cats Birch Bay resident Samantha Syrnich is organizing a food drive for dogs and cats. A few years ago, Syrnich decided to run a food drive for the first time. She loves animals deeply and has a cat and two dogs of her own. “We had quite a bit of success that year and delivered a lot of food,” she said. “I have a van, and it was totally packed except for the driver’s seat. It took more than one trip to deliver it all.” After a second successful food drive, she is now doing her food drive for the third time, this time benefitting dogs as well as cats. The food drive, which runs until Sunday, March 22, will benefit Whatcom Feline Alliance (WFA) and Rescued Hearts Northwest. Syrnich hopes that local residents will donate food, toys, treats, puppy pads, litter and supplies. For dogs, she is specifically requesting Nutro, Victor and other high-quality brands of dog food. She said that dog treats are also welcome except for rawhide
treats. For cats, she is requesting dry and hard cat food, as well as pine pellet cat litter. Donations can be dropped off to the Birch Bay Activity Center, 7511 Gemini Street or Syrnich’s residence at 4667 Loft Lane in Birch Bay. Amazon purchases can also be shipped directly to either address. After the food drive concludes, Syrnich will load up her van with the donations and deliver them to WFA and Rescued Hearts Northwest. WFA is a no-kill, foster carebased “virtual” shelter with the primary mission of saving and improving the lives of Whatcom County’s feline population. Run by Siva Marie and Chelsea Lyn Matthews, WFA saves newly lost or abandoned stray cats who are often injured, ill and starving. “I’ve donated cat food in the past to them,” said Syrnich. “I just know of them that way, and I’ve seen what they do. I’ve been to their facilities. I totally believe in what they’re doing to help cats
13
and save cats and educate the community. They are very good.” Rescued Hearts Northwest, meanwhile, is a nonprofit that is operated by Judy Cobb and Rebecca Rae and rescues dogs and other animals in need. After being rescued, the animals are brought into their foster home program for care and rehabilitation, and through a screening process, they are eventually placed in permanent, loving homes. “Rescued Hearts Northwest has been my favorite rescue for dogs, ever since about 2016 when I first got to know them very well,” said Syrnich. “They help so many dogs and they are so good at re-homing and they put a lot of their own money into taking care of these dogs, so they could use the help.” Syrnich said that she hopes her food drive will raise awareness about the importance of taking care of animals in need. “I believe that animals bring us so much comfort and companionship,” she said.
Amy Louise Goodbody Kendall Ruprecht July 2, 1981 – January 29, 2020 Amy Louise Goodbody Kendall Ruprecht passed away suddenly and unexpectedly January 29, 2020. Amy was born in Seattle on July 2, 1981, a firecracker baby, and she was a firecracker in life too. Sixteen years ago, Amy contracted an autoimmune disease, Guillian-Barre, where the antibodies attacked her nervous system. This restricted her mobility to the use of wheelchairs, walkers, and canes. This never slowed her down. She spent one month in Korea with her husband Mark, participated in the 12K Bloomsday Run twice, earned a second-degree black belt in Combat Hapkido, and most importantly gave birth to her beloved daughter. Amy will be missed by her friends whose hearts are broken, her 1500 followers on Twitter, and her many online gaming friends. Amy wouldn’t just give you the shirt off her back, it would be her whole closet. She lived as if people she didn’t know were just friends she hadn’t met yet. A kind and gentle spirit has left this world and will be sorely missed. Amy is survived by her husband Mark Ruprecht and daughter Raen; father Jeff Kendall; grandmother Donna Louise Kendall; sister Nicole (TJ) Morris; nephew Tripp Morris; uncles Doug and Bruce Kendall; cousins Gina, Samantha, Marissa, Dominic, Jordon, and Brian in California, and Joshua, Jessica and Jordon in Indiana. A celebration of life will be held on Saturday March 28 at the American Kitchen, Peace Arch Park, Blaine, WA.
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The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
Whatcom County Dog and Cat Food Drive: Through Sunday, March 22, 7511 Gemini Street and 4667 Loft Lane. Benefitting Whatcom Feline Alliance and Rescued Hearts Northwest. Accepting donations of toys, treats (rawhide-free), puppy pads, litter, dog/ cat food and supplies. Amazon will deliver donations.
Coming up
Live Music at The Vault: Saturday, March 7, 7–9 p.m., The Vault Wine Bar and Bistro, 277 G Street. Featuring: Spencer Redmond Trio. Info: 392-0955.
(AP), Running Start and our College in the Classroom (CIC) offerings. CIC will have significantly reduced fees in the 2020-2021 school year, improving accessibility.
Irish Stew Dinner: Saturday, March 14, 4:30–7 p.m., Custer United Methodist Church, 2996 Main Street. Adults $10, kids 6-12 $6, under 6 free. Info: 360/366-5181.
Blaine Primary School Kindergarten Registration: Thursday, March 12, 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Blaine Primary School, 820 Boblett Street. For the 2020-2021 school year. Bring proof of child’s birthdate and immunization records. Info: 360/332-1300.
Haynie Opry: Saturday, March 14, 7 p.m., Haynie Grange, 3344 Haynie Road. Featuring Matt Audette and the Circle of Friends Band with guest artist Eric Hirst on saxophone. Tickets: $10 at the door, kids under 12 free. Info: 360/366-3321.
Semiahmoo Women’s Club Luncheon: Thursday, March 12, 11:15 a.m., Palmer Room, Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club. Speaker: Cheryl Crooks, photographer and writer, on her extensive career in the arts and as a reporter. $27 buffet lunch plus free draw. RSVP by 5 p.m., Monday, March 9 to 817/600-4192 or young. drum@hotmail.com. Women from all communities welcome to join the club. Info: semiahmoowomensclub.org.
Al-Anon Meetings: Mondays, noon, United Church of Christ, 885 4th Street. Info: Call M.J. 360/920-3679 or Bob 360/920-3676.
Neon Sock Glow Dance: Thursday, March 12, 5:30–7:30 p.m., Blaine Elementary School gym and cafeteria. DJ/dancing, photo booth, game table, craft station, light refreshments. Socks and glow wands availHearing Aid Shopping 101: Saturday, March 7, able for purchase. Tickets $10 per person in advance at 10 a.m.–noon, Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Craft and Chat: Monday, March 9, 5:30–7 p.m., my.cheddarup.com/c/neon-sock-glow-dance. Open to Heino Sunter presents info about pricing, retailers, Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Enjoy demon- elementary and primary school students. Must be achearing aid maintenance and testing your hearing, strations of different crafts and techniques with companied by a responsible adult. Presented by Blaine based on personal experience. Info: 360/305-3637. fellow crafters. Bring a needle craft or other craft you Elementary School PTO. are working on to share. Info: 360/305-3637. Big Bucks Bingo: Saturday, March 7, 1-3 p.m., The Heart of the Cross: Friday, March 13, 6:30 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Open to the Supper with the Superintendent: Monday, Blaine United Church of Christ, 885 4th Street, Blaine. public. Early bird game at 12:30 p.m. and regular March 9, 6:30 p.m. at the Blaine Primary School Li- Scripture comes to life with a one-woman play with bingo at 1 p.m. Cost $15 for 8 games with 3 cards brary. Join Dr. Granger for an informal town hall-style Olivia Woodford. Info: 360/332-6906. per game. Cash prizes. Lunch at noon for $6. Info: gathering with a light dinner included. Folded Not Sewn/Variations on the Accordion 360/332-8040. Book Workshop: Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, Blaine High School College Credit Earning March 15, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 235 Marine Drive. Visiting Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Options Meeting: Wednesday, March 11, 6–7 artist Cherryl Moote allows students to make a wide Experience: Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m. and Sunday, p.m., orange and black box theater, Blaine High variety of accordion books such as reverse folds, basic March 8, 3 p.m., White Rock Playhouse Theatre, School. Join other sophomore and junior students 1532 Johnston Road, White Rock. Script and lyrics by and parents at an informational meeting to discuss pop-up books, gallery books, tunnel books, flag books, Mo Williams and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. ways to earn college credits while a student at BHS. meandering books and books that do tricks. From $275. For tickets call the box office at 604/536-7535. We will present information on Advanced Placement Info/registration: washiarts.com/workshops.
Toastmasters Meeting: Tuesdays, 6:30–7:45 p.m., 382 Boblett Street. Improve your public speaking skills.
Stitching A Small Story Workshop: Sunday, March 8, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., 235 Marine Drive. Join artist Christine Mauersberger as you stitch free flowOpen Call for Student Art: Through Friday, April ing lines and small marks using thread and a variety 3. Whatcom County students in grades 6-12 are of colorful papers/fabrics including Oakshott, Kaffe invited to submit a two-dimensional piece of artwork Fassett, Purl Soho brand and Japanese fabric bits to inspired by the theme “living without the Internet.” create artworks in response to our own short stories. More info and application form: gallerysyre.com or $145. Info/registration: washiarts.com/workshops. email gallerysyre@gmail.com. Teen Art Club: Monday, March 9, 3-4:30 p.m., Belgian Beer Tasting: Friday, March 6, 3–7 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Do you love to The Vault Wine Bar and Bistro, 277 G Street. Featur- draw, paint or create original characters? Bring your ing Aaron Cohn with Merchant du Vin European beer creativity and your friends! All art supplies provided. importer. Info: 360/392-0955. Info: 360/305-3637. Live Music at The Vault: Friday, March 6, 7–9 p.m., The Vault Wine Bar and Bistro, 277 G Street. Featuring: Chad Peterson. Info: 360/392-0955.
Community Youth Center Ribbon Cutting: Monday, March 9, 4 p.m., 1733 H Street, Suite 260 (next to Cost Cutter). Tours and light refreshments. All are welcome. Info: 360/510-0221.
Crossword Answers at thenorthernlight.com
ACROSS 1. Currency of Guinea 5. Avert something bad 10. Sounds 12. Immediate dangers 14. Legendary Tar Heels coach 16. Californium 18. Work standards government dept. (abbr.) 19. Coastal Scottish town 20. Triangular lower back bones 22. Trouble 23. A way to smile 25. Something that is not what it seems 26. Of she 27. Temporary living quarters 28. Bag-like structure in a plant or animal 30. Indicates near 31. Spiritual leader 33. Soup dish 35. Philippine island 37. No longer fashionable 38. Peaks 40. Alabama football team 41. __ King Cole 42. Digital audiotape
44. Open trough 45. The woman 48. Cools down 50. Turkic language 52. Body part 53. Pulse steadily 55. Embedded computer hardware company 56. Indicates shape 57. Thou (plural) 58. Odd and remarkable 63. An evening party 65. National capital of Zambia 66. Tantalizes 67. Dark brown or black DOWN 1.Not naturally outgoing 2. Exclamation of pain 3. Polynesian garland of flowers 4. Surrounded by water 5. Church towers 6. Hot beverage 7. Body parts 8. Travel documents 9. Railway 10. Gradually wear away 11. Measuring instrument 13. Minor dust-ups
15. Strongly alkaline solution 17. Extreme scarcity of food 18. Dash 21. Philly culinary specialty 23. Popular lager __ Adams 24. Snitch 27. Trimmed 29. Greek god of desire 32. Take to the limit 34. Cool! 35. Sound mental health 36. Native American group 39. Test for high schoolers 40. Rocky peak 43. Preferences 44. Bother 46. Call attention to (slang) 47. Snake-like fish 49. Bulgarian capital 51. Don’t know when yet 54. Italian Seaport 59. Brooklyn hoopster 60. Where to bathe 61. Equal, prefix 62. Beverage container 64. Denotes openness
ArtScape Teens: Tuesdays, 3–5 p.m., Soul Space Studio, 264B H Street. A safe place for teens to set their imaginations free through art. Free studio time. Sponsor: Healthy Youth Coalition. Info: 435/704-1598.
Community Meals: Wednesdays, 5–6:30 p.m., Blaine Community Center, 763 G Street. Through May, except holidays. Info: blainecap.org. The Alaska Packers Association Museum: Saturdays and Sundays, 1–5 p.m., 9261 Semiahmoo Parkway. Info: 360/371-3558. Teen Nite: Saturdays, 5–9 p.m., Border Town Pizza, 738 Peace Portal Drive. Kids ages 13–18 come enjoy open mic, karaoke and games. Free pizza at 5 p.m. Narcotics Anonymous Meeting: Sundays, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Christ Episcopal Church, 382 Boblett Street, entrance on 4th Street. Nwwana.org. Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
Weather
Police Reports February 22, 7:30 p.m.: A Blaine resident informed officers of a suspicious circumstance. While walking her dog, an unknown man reached out from underneath a vehicle and grabbed the woman’s leg. The woman’s dog then bit the man’s arm. The woman then walked up to a U.S. border patrol agent to report the incident. Officers did not locate anyone in the area suffering a dog bite and no one called to report being bitten. February 23, 9:30 a.m.: Officers responded to the 300 block range of 3rd Street for a report of a counterfeit $100 bill. Officers arrived and contacted the man who had attempted to purchase fuel with fraudulent money. Officers examined the currency and determined it is likely counterfeit. The suspect did not know that the money was counterfeit. Officers seized the bill and will be forwarding it to the United States Secret Service for inspection. February 24, 8:19 a.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to a report of a man causing a disturbance in the 2500 block of Peace Portal Drive. The man, known to police to have mental health issues, was shouting loudly at passerbys and blocking traffic. Officers spoke with the man, who agreed to go home and stay out of the roadway in the future. February 25, 11:39 a.m.: A Blaine officer on routine patrol observed a vehicle with expired registration traveling on the roadway. Officers stopped the vehicle and determined the driver had a suspended license. Officers also determined the driver violated a required ignition interlock device. Officers arrested, cited and released the individual with a mandatory court date. Officers impounded the vehicle and cleared with no further incident. February 25, 6:22 p.m.: An officer found a vehicle parked on the I-5 off-ramp in the painted no parking zone. The vehicle was an obstruction to any semi traffic or vehicles hauling trailers. The officer attempted to call the registered owner, but the phone number listed was incorrect. The officer had the vehicle towed. February 25, 7:12 p.m.: A Blaine officer responded to the Peace Arch port of entry because a vehicle had switched plates. The officer found that the vehicle was not registered to anyone. The officer had the vehicle impounded because the subject could not provide proper paperwork that the vehicle belonged to him. Officers arrested, cited and released the individual with a mandatory court date. Officers impounded the vehicle and cleared with no further incident. February 26, noon: Dispatch reported that an anonymous caller reported that a person was standing on the side of the road who appeared to be under the influence of something. A police officer located the person and contacted them to see if they needed any help. The person refused medical or any other kind of assistance. February 26, 8:25 p.m.: Blaine police responded to a report of a drunk teen laying in a ditch. The reporting person stated that there were two other teens with the boy but they left him when confronted by an adult. The boy was completely unconscious but breathing. North Whatcom Fire and Rescue arrived to assess the boy. The boy was taken to the emergency room via ambulance. February 27, 3:46 p.m.: Blaine Police Department officers responded to Blaine City Hall for a report of trouble with a person. Officers arrived and contacted an individual who was upset with how she was treated by a city employee. Officers resolved the event and the individual left. February 28, 11:44 a.m.: The school resource officer was called to the Blaine Middle School for a report of an assault. The victim wished to pursue charges. The case was forwarded to the Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office for charges. February 28, 10:53 p.m.: Police were dispatched to a party complaint occurring at a home under construction. Officers arrived and contacted multiple intoxicated persons inside the home. Dayshift officers will follow up with the property owner and investigate the matter for possible criminal charges. The party-goers were allowed to leave with designated drivers.
Reports provided by Blaine Police Department
Precipitation: During the period of February 24– March 1, 0.95 inches of precipitation were recorded. The 2020 year-to-date precipitation is 13.98 inches. Temperature: High for the past week was 58°F on February 26 with a low of 33°F on March 1. Average high was 53°F and average low was 37°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.
Tides February 28–March 5 at Blaine. Not for navigation. 49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W
DATE TIME HEIGHT TIME HEIGHT Fr 6
3:56 am
9.0
8:59 am
6.8
1:15 pm
8.1
8:54 pm
-0.7
Sa 7
4:32 am
9.4
9:49 am
6.1
2:29 pm
8.3
9:44 pm
-1.0
Su 8
6:04 am
9.7
11:35 am
5.3
4:35 pm
8.6
11:32 pm
-0.9
Mo 9
6:36 am
9.9
12:19 pm
4.2
5:39 pm
8.8
Tu 10 12:20 am
-0.4
7:06 am
9.9
1:03 pm
3.1
6:43 pm
9.0
We 1
1:06 am
0.5
7:36 am
9.9
1:47 pm
2.0
7:45 pm
8.9
Th 12 1:52 am
1.7
8:08 am
9.8
1.2
8:51 pm
8.8
2:33 pm
s Singers perform at the Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Party on February 25 at the Blaine Senior Center.
Photo by Molly Ernst
March 5 - 11, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com
15
Primary voters must publicly declare their party affiliation In the state’s upcoming presidential primary on Tuesday, March 10, people will be required to identify as either a Republican or a Democrat in order for their vote to be counted. Unlike in some past years, there will be no option for primary voters to identify as unaffiliated or independent. While your choice of party will not affect how you may vote in future elections, the party declaration will be located on the outside of your ballot envelope, and it will be a matter of public record. “That information will be public for 60 days,” secretary of state Kim Wyman said in a recent interview with KOMO News. “So if you choose a Democratic ballot or a Republican ballot, that will be a list that will be available to the public, and people will be able to
tell what your party affiliation was at least on that date. Who you voted for will still be kept secret, but which side of the aisle you chose will be a public record.” This is pursuant to a new state law that changed the primary date-setting process, how candidates gain access to the ballot and how parties use the results. Most significantly, the new law moved Washington’s presidential primary up to March 10; previously it was held later in the cycle. In her interview, Wyman explained exactly how voting will work in the March 10 primary. “As a voter, you’re going to receive an outer mailing envelope that will have two oaths on it, the Democratic Party oath and the Republican Party oath,” she said. “You as a voter have to select one of those two
and sign it, attesting that you are a member of that party. When you get to your ballot materials, it will be a single ballot. One column will be the Democratic column and it will have all the Democratic nominees in alphabetical order, and then the other column will be the Republican column and that will have ‘Donald Trump’ and ‘write-in.’” Wyman said that voters must stay on the same side of the ballot as the political party they choose; if you cross over, that will negate the ballot. “If you say that ‘I’m a Republican’ and you think you’re going to be sneaky and cross over and vote for a Democrat, in the sorting process at the county level, before they ever open your envelope, they physically sort out the ballots by the Republican stack and the Democratic stack,” she
COVID-19 ...
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in Tukwila closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to concerns over the new coronavirus after an employee who visited Life Care Center in Kirkland got sick, according to DHS. Blaine immigration lawyer Len Saunders said two of his Canadian clients, including one who lives in Birch Bay and another in Lynden, had citizenship interviews at the office cancelled. Neither client had visited the office on or after February 24, when DHS said the sick employee was there, Saunders said. Two separate clients, one from Point Roberts and one from the Birch Bay area, were in the office at the same time as the sick USCIS employee, but had not been instructed to self-quarantine. How we got here Until February 28, Washington state’s only cases of the virus were associated with people who had traveled to places with known outbreaks or had contact with other known cases. Cases in patients with no travel history or contact with known cases (known as “community spread” by health officials) began popping up on February 28. That’s the first day the state health department began testing for it, after the initial test kits sent all over the country by the CDC turned out to be flawed and produced inconclusive results. As of March 3, the state’s tests had confirmed new cases every day since. In other words, the state health department began to confirm cases on February 28 not because that’s when the disease arrived in Washington, but because that’s when they could begin testing for it. Prior to that, test samples were sent to the CDC’s lab in Atlanta, and getting results took days. Before February 28, 37 Washington residents were tested for the new coronavirus, said Kristen Maki, a public information officer with the state department of health. As of early March 4, two Whatcom County residents had been tested for the new coronavirus, and the results for one were still pending. The Washington State Department of Health said on March 1 that genetic testing showed the virus had likely been circulat-
ing in western Washington since about January 20. As several news outlets reported, the CDC removed information about how many individuals had been tested in the U.S. from its website on March 2. At that time, the country’s testing ability was rapidly improving, with state health departments around the country getting their tests up and running. Still, before the information was hidden from the public, the CDC had recorded 472 people tested nationwide; the CDC’s testing ability seemed to lag behind virtually every other country to have a coronavirus outbreak. South Korea tests more than 10,000 people every day. The CDC did not respond to a phone call or email with questions about how many people have been tested in the U.S. and why that information was removed from its website.
From page 12
could quarantine or isolate, but said that its plan for epidemics includes a lot of flexibility. “We can always make changes to our locations. We work with public health to reshape our approach. We can find better settings for [current patients] in the event we need the space, whether it’s a long-term care facility or other places that aren’t exposed,” he said. “As it stands now, we’re more than prepared to handle more patients.” Taylor noted that most of PeaceHealth’s primary care patient rooms are single rooms and patients are already treated in isolation. PeaceHealth asks that patients call the clinic before arriving if they have recently traveled outside the U.S. or have been in contact with a person known to have COVID-19 and exhibit symptoms including a fever or cough. For many patients with symptoms of the new coronavirus, PeaceHealth staff can care for them at home, Taylor said. CBP and DHS The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have added health screening capabilities at border crossings in Blaine, Buffalo, New York and San Ysidro, California, said Jason Givens, public affairs specialist for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP is working with the CDC to identify arriving travelers who have been in mainland China or Iran within the past 14 days, he said. Those travelers go through an enhanced health screening conducted by the CDC. “All CBP ports of entry are following the same operational guidance as issued by the Presidential proclamations and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” Givens said in an email. “With exceptions specified in the proclamations, foreign nationals (other than immediate family of U.S. citizens, permanent residents and flight crew) who have been physically present in China or Iran within 14 days of their arrival at a U.S. port of entry will be denied entry into the United States.”
said. “And so when they separate your name from the ballot and they actually open it and you’ve crossed over, they will not count that ballot because you didn’t vote on the Republican side.” In further remarks to The Northern Light, Wyman said that the requirement for primary voters to declare their party affiliation is not new and has been a longstanding principle. It helps give political parties a higher confidence level in choosing their standard-bearer, she said. She said that in some past primaries, an unaffiliated option appeared. It proved to be a popular choice for voters, even if the political parties didn’t take those votes into consideration. In 2000, 1.3 million people cast primary ballots, and over 500,000 of them chose an unaffiliated option, she said.
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The Northern Light • March 5 - 11, 2020
New pastor at Christ Community Church Jordan Embree was installed as the new pastor of Christ Community Church (CCC) in Blaine during the morning church service on March 1. Embree succeeds the former pastor, Lon Graham, who accepted an offer to pastor a church in Tyler, Texas at the end of 2018. CCC has been pastored for the last year by interim pastor David Van Boven. Embree moved to northern Whatcom County in 2018 from South Carolina with his wife Leah and their sons Haddon and Knox. Leah practices medicine as a medical doctor at the Birch
Bay Family Care Network clinic. Their family recently grew with the birth of their third son, Ryle. A 2011 graduate of University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota, Embree’s B.A. was in youth and family studies. His education continued through 2016 at Northwestern in the master of arts in biblical studies and master of divinity programs. Both Jordan and Leah are eager to become acquainted with the greater Blaine community and the surrounding communities of Birch Bay, Lynden and Custer. They wish to invite all visitors to
weekly Sunday morning worship services at 11 a.m. CCC’s address is 4310 H Street, Blaine.
s Jordan Embree.
Courtesy photo
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