The Northern Light: August 27-September 2, 2020

Aug. 27 - Sept. 2, 2020

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IN THIS

ISSUE

Sheriff’s office launches crime data dashboard, page 3

Federal grant to temporarily add $300 a week to unemployment benefits

First annual Chalk Up the Town, page 7

American Graffiti Auto Show photos, page 16

PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230

Temporary Point Roberts ferry arrives in Blaine

By Oliver Lazenby

s Point Roberts residents unload at Blaine Harbor after catching the first ride on a temporary ferry the Port of Bellingham funded to allow Point Roberts residents to reach the mainland. See story on page 15.

Photo by Ruth Lauman

School service employees to be furloughed District signs agreement not to lay off employees before November

By Grace McCarthy The Blaine school board voted unanimously to approve a letter of agreement between the district and a union representing school service employees that will furlough employees until October 31. Under this agreement, staff such as bus drivers, food service providers and paraeducators will keep their health insurance. Previously, service employees feared they would be laid off.

“This is not the ideal but given all the things that we know right now, it’s where I think we can feel good about the sup-

port we’ve given our people,” said Blaine school district superintendent Christopher Granger during the August 24 school board meeting.

This comes after an August 18 layoff announcement to union members from Blaine’s Service Employees International Union 925 chapter. Local union representatives said they sent the letter after receiving the impression that the district would not budge with negotiations. Granger told The Northern Light in a previous article that the district believed it was still in negotiations at that time.

Union members protested in front of the

Low-barrier Covid-19 tests available weekly in Birch Bay

By Oliver Lazenby Whatcom County’s low-barrier Covid-19 mobile testing program expanded this week to include a site at Birch Bay Bible Community Church, as well as five other new locations throughout the county.

For the first day of the program at Birch Bay Bible Community Church, at 4660 Bay Road, the county health department and Whatcom Unified Command (WUC) performed tests between 9 a.m. and noon.

The program offers free testing and doesn’t require insurance or a physician’s referral.

Tests are available by appointment only and can be scheduled online at TestDirectly.com/whatcom.

As of this week, the mobile testing program will have a stop inside the border of every school district in the county. Visit whatcomcounty.us/covidtesting for a list of test sites and times. The health department is running the program with WUC and volunteers.

Future test dates in Birch Bay are not yet scheduled, but health department officials said the program would continue with a similar schedule to the first week, meaning that testing in Birch Bay will likely continue every Tuesday. Test dates and registration will open weekly on Saturdays at testdirectly.com, health department director Erika Lautenbach said in an August 25 media briefing.

(See Testing, page 3)

district’s office on August 18 and wrote letters to the school board members. The day following the union’s announcement, the board held a special meeting in executive session to discuss collective bargaining.

“I’m so happy that our efforts paid off,” said Kim Ingham, a bus driver and food service worker who rallied at the district’s office last week. “Everyone is happy they got a little more time with their medical.”

Ingham said she’s filing for unemployment after working with the district for 29 years. Although she describes the process (See School, page 3)

INSIDE

Those receiving unemployment benefits due to Covid-19 in Washington state will soon get some extra relief.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced on August 24 that it approved Washington for a grant that will provide an extra $300 a week for three weeks to workers who have lost work due to the Covid-19 crisis and are receiving unemployment benefits. The grant is part of the agency’s Lost Wages Assistance program.

On August 8, President Trump made available up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Americans who have lost wages due to Covid-19, according to a FEMA news release on the program.

Trump acted after Congress could not agree on a coronavirus relief package as other aid was expiring.

The benefit is currently limited to those who filed claims over a three-week period between July 26 and August 15, 2020, according to a press release from the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD), which is administering the program. Eligible workers will receive back pay dating to the week ending August 1. Not everyone who has filed an unemployment claim will be eligible, according to ESD. Suzi LeVine, ESD commissioner, said her agency estimated this grant would provide more than $400 million to individuals in Washington state.

The extra $300 a week is separate from the extra $600 per week previously available to those receiving unemployment benefits. That additional $600 was part of a federal CARES Act provision called the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation, which expired at the end of July.

FEMA has approved Lost Wages Assistance grants to at least 28 other states so far.

To learn more about FEMA’s lost wages supplemental payment assistance, go to: bit.ly/2FM4poK.

Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Garden . . . . . . . . . 8

Road Rules . . . . . 10 Classifieds . . . . . 11

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . . . . . . . . . 14

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August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

School ...

From page 1

as daunting, she said the district has eased the transition with quick communication.

Sue Schroeder, the Blaine union vice president, said the union is happy about the agreement and optimistic it can come to another agreement in mid-October.

The district and union will begin meeting before October 9 to discuss employment status after the October 31 agreement expires, according to the letter of agreement. If the district and union have not come to an agreement by October 15, the district can lay off employees on November 1.

The district is anticipating lower enrollment numbers for the 2020-21 school year that will decrease the district’s funding from the state, which is already not enough to compensate all staff for their salaries, according to the agreement.

The district had previously adopted a hybrid plan that allowed district employees to continue their employment before the Whatcom County Health Department recommended schools start the year with remote learning.

Granger said during the board meeting that he hoped students could start returning to the school by the end of September or early October. The district plans to phase students in to the classroom, starting with those in special education and life skills programs, those experiencing homelessness and those without internet access.

The district will ask service employees to return to work by seniority, according to the agreement. Employees who are high risk for Covid-19 and senior employees can continue to volunteer for furlough as long as it’s available.

“I think it’s a good way to move forward and gives our people time to adjust and gives the district time to see how it’s going to play out in the next couple of months,” school board president Charles Gibson said. “It gives us the flexibility of being able to bring people back as needed as we move into hybrid education.

That is our intent and has been our intent all along.”

3

Sheriff’s office’s new crime dashboard shows increase in vandalism, burglaries in Birch Bay

s A screengrab from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office’s new data dashboard shows the change in rates for seven categories of incidents from this year to last year in Birch Bay.

Image courtesy of Whatcom County

By Grace McCarthy The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office launched an interactive crime dashboard that organizes criminal activity in eight unincorporated areas of Whatcom County, including Birch Bay. The crime data is aggregated in six categories: accidents, burglary, robbery, stolen vehicle, theft, vandalism, and vehicle prowl. The data can then be selected by time period, which includes comparison by year, sixmonth period or 30-day period.

Once the information is chosen, it appears in a bar graph comparison and then can be selected to appear on a Google Map. The data can then be broken down by

Testing ...

From page 1

“We are refining times and locations. There will be some tweaks – we may move a site from the morning to the afternoon – but we are continuing this program,” she said. “This is a long-term program.”

Those with insurance must provide insurance information for billing purposes when scheduling an appointment. The program is designed for drivethrough testing, but it can accommodate people who don’t have a vehicle. To be tested without a car, call 370/778-6075. To schedule a test in a language other than English, call 360/778-6075.

the day of the week and time of day the crime occurred.

Vehicle prowls, vandalism and burglaries increased in Birch Bay during the year-to-year data available before press time, which was between August 26, 2018 to August 25, 2019 and August 26, 2019 and August 25, 2020.

Vehicle prowls in Birch Bay increased 75 percent from 24 to 42 prowls between the two comparison years. Vandalism in Birch Bay increased 57 percent from 28 to 44 incidents from the previous year. Burglaries increased 16 percent from 36 to 42, as well. Stolen vehicles also increased 80 percent from five to nine in the year-to-year data for Birch Bay, although the

small sample size creates a large percent increase.

While these crimes increased, accidents in Birch Bay decreased 42 percent from 21 to 12 accidents between the two years.

Robbery and theft also decreased in Birch Bay. In Birch Bay’s data comparing two six month periods, August 2019 to February 2020 and February to August, burglaries, theft and vandalism increased, while accidents, stolen vehicles and vehicle prowls decreased.

Burglaries in Birch Bay were the largest increase in the sixmonth data, which climbed 56 percent from 16 to 25 burglaries.

The largest decrease was vehicle prowls, at 64 percent, as prowls

decreased from 31 to 11.

“Having access to this information will enable residents to have a better understanding of what is happening in their communities,” said Whatcom County sheriff Bill Elfo in a news release on the dashboard. “The sheriff’s office utilizes this type of information to identify emerging crime trends and historical patterns of criminal activity to allocate resources and provide targeted patrols.”

The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Records Management System provides data for the dashboard, which is updated every 24 hours. Visit whatcomcounty. us/3442/Crime-Stats to view the crime dashboard.

As of August 23, 1,057 people in Whatcom County have tested positive for Covid-19 and 39 have died from the virus, according to the Washington State Department of Health. Three people in the county have been hospitalized with the disease this month, according to the state data, although the state’s dashboard didn’t yet have complete data past August 17 at press time.

As of August 23, Whatcom County’s rate of new cases per 100,000 people in the past two weeks was 33.3. That number declined in recent weeks and is the lowest of any large or medium-sized county in the state, Lautenbach said.

It’s also close to the state’s goal of 25 new cases per 100,000 per

two-week period, which, before governor Jay Inslee paused reopening indefinitely on July 28, was a metric for counties to be able to apply for a higher phase with fewer restrictions.

When Inslee announced that counties could no longer move to higher phases in the state’s Safe Start Washington plan, case counts were increasing statewide. The rate of new cases has declined statewide through

August, but the state hasn’t yet revisited its decision to pause reopening.

Lautenbach said on August 25 that she had a call scheduled with the state to talk about the county’s low case rate and whether restrictions could soon be relaxed.

“It’s really a statewide decision,” she said. “I don’t see this changing at the moment but we are in conversations with the state about that.”

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The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

Letters

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.

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Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Oliver Lazenby oliver@pointrobertspress.com Reporter & Copy Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Interns Kyra Planetz, Ian Haupt prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser, production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com Contributors In This Issue Doug Dahl

The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 11 Circulation: 10,500 copies

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The Editor and Mr. Werner: While it is your right to vote for President Donald Trump, please don’t ask for understanding. Yes, he is the first non-politician president. However, his previous experience of running businesses into bankruptcy (six times), squandering a $400 million inheritance, filing thousands of lawsuits to avoid paying legitimate business expenses, cheating on his taxes (and his wives’ taxes) and lying about his “success” did not bode well for his presidency.

His primary concerns are Donald Trump, not the country. He is trying to destroy the U.S. Postal Service to cripple vote-by-mail and win an election. His postmaster general was a huge campaign contributor with no prior experience who owns millions of dollars of stock in competing businesses.

Trump’s incompetence has led to countless unnecessary deaths. Actions such as gutting the pandemic response team, saying the virus was a hoax, holding rallies and failure to lay out a national strategy have caused massive disruptions in our lives and economy.

Trump has managed not to drain the swamp but fill it with corrupt cronies. At Goldman Sachs, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin peddled dangerous mortgage-backed securities, like those that blew up the economy. He was responsible for foreclosing on thousands at OneWest Bank.

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, without any educational experience, loves school vouchers, meaning we taxpayers would pay students’ tuition at private schools.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross failed to divest assets when he said he would, lying to ethics officials, leading to a rare rebuke from the executive branch’s watchdog who refused to certify Ross’ financial disclosure.

But I do agree that they are “well-founded in their respective disciplines” – those of abject loyalty to a thoroughly corrupt chief executive.

So rather than love, I would ask as one citizen to another that you research Trump’s background. Two journalists who have spent years investigating Trump, Wayne Barrett and Pulitzer Prize-winner David Cay Johnston, are great sources. The future of the country is at stake.

Carol Kemp Birch Bay The Editor: In regard to an article in the July 7 issue about Mike Hill – I drive by the roundabouts near D Street and Peace Portal Drive in Blaine all the time, noticing how great that area looks but didn’t know Mike Hill was the one making it all happen with mowing machines.

On August 19 at 9:30 a.m., I saw Mike on a riding mower and a second mower working by remote near the roundabouts.

I wanted to let him know all his hard work in downtown Blaine over the years has been greatly appreciated.

For the last five years, every month-anda-half or so, I sweep up the debris by the curb, also making sure the drain cover is not clogged in front of my residence.

The street cleaner can’t always get to some spots because of the parked cars. If all the abled residents in Blaine would chip in 20 minutes every couple months, if needed, the streets in Blaine would look even better, especially in the fall by keeping the leaves away from the curb. And most importantly, making sure the drains are not clogged and any snow over an inch or so in the winter is cleaned off the sidewalk or salted, if needed.

A little work goes a long way in Blaine. Thanks again Mr. Hill for the outstanding work.

Mark Knott Blaine

The Editor: Most of us would agree that being a parent is the most important (and difficult and rewarding) job we ever take on. Regardless of our religion, politics, age, race, gender, and sexual orientation, most of us would also agree on many of the qualities that we want to instill in our kids: Honesty, loyalty, kindness, compassion, and courage. Can they think of others’ needs as well as their own? Do they show respect to others, even if they disagree with them? If they are faced with a challenge, do they give it their best?

When they make a mistake, or learn that they have hurt others, do they take responsibility and try to make amends?

If you agree that these are values that we share as human beings, try to instill in our children and try to exemplify in our own lives, please ask yourself: Shouldn’t the leader of our nation be among the best of us? Throughout my life, I may not have agreed with a president’s policies or beliefs, but I have generally felt confident that they were acting in the best interests of our country and were people of integrity, worthy of respect.

Our country is suffering. We face an ongoing pandemic, the severity of which is far worse in the U.S. than in many countries throughout the world. We face economic challenges of catastrophic proportions. We are deeply divided. We need a president who is a calm and experienced leader; competent; able to build consensus and get things done. We need a president who can bring us together; one we can feel proud of; that we can hold up as an example of the best of us to our children, our grandchildren and the world. Please vote for Joe Biden. Please.

Erika Werdal Blaine The Editor: I am offended by bumper stickers that call groups of people names or invoke hatred (“Liberals suck,” “I hate liberals” etc.).

Last week I saw a car with the following bumper and window stickers: “Trump/2020,” “I have no problem with the Russians,” and “Ashkenazi/swine.” The latter made the hair on my arms stand up with fear.

I went home to research the word Ashkenazi and it refers to Jewish people who originated in Eastern Europe. So, basically it brought to mind the Nazi mindset that led to the Holocaust. There is no place in America for that kind of thought. When our political leaders don’t unequivocally condemn protesters who march, as they did in Charlottesville, Virginia, yelling: “The Jews will not replace us,” it encourages these individuals to vocalize their hate and, heaven forbid, act on these thoughts.

I know that there has been a backlash in our society against politically-correct speech. But allowing any hate speech not only divides our communities, but reflects poorly on the U.S. This is the United States of America and if we want it to be great again, we must not allow any group – religious, racial or political – to live in fear from these people. And we must not endorse politicians who feel the need to “include” these crazies because they represent another vote. We, collectively, need to do better and not normalize all this hatred.

Susan O’Malley Blaine The Editor and dog owners: Hello, all dog owners, a simple request: Leash your dogs. It is a law that must be abided to. No, a property that has no fence does not mean that the dog gets to run freely around it, it must be on a leash at all times if it’s out.

A great tragedy happened on Sunday

night that won’t be forgotten all too soon.

While out walking our dog in the early evening down the alley that backs Harrison and Blaine avenues, my wife was toppled to the ground by two unleashed dogs. The result was a shoulder break so severe it required surgery that involved a metal plate, screws and pins.

The people who are responsible for this will never know how kind we can be as neighbors is just as much of an understatement as, “Well, it’s my yard so we don’t leash them.”

The pain that this was causing while waiting for the surgeon is indescribable and I would wish that on no person. The idea that the alley will be a good place for a night walk is no longer to be. The fact that a person can be so irresponsible to not follow a simple guideline is beyond me.

A good dog can also be a bad one given the right set of circumstances reminds me, as a dog owner, to comply with the law.

Please, please leash you dog, even when you think your dog is not going to cause a problem, you just never know. Thanks to this one disregarded law, the end of this summer will be a pretty lousy one for my wife.

Brian Major Blaine The Editor: I recently saw a young boy, Brayden Harrington, give a speech to the nation during the Democratic National Convention. His courage in showing his disability, stuttering, to the nation was inspiring to the 3 million others who stutter, and he’s only 13. He was inspired by Joe Biden.

Like Brayden, I stutter. However, you learn to hide it. For example, while speaking, you think ahead at what words you know you’ll “block” on, and before getting to the word, you pause, cough or exhale to allow the word to come out. Perhaps you quickly think of another word to say that you won’t stutter on. Quite often, you end up breathless, or you joke about not getting the word out. Maybe you decide to just plow through and openly display how bad your stutter is without hiding it. When Brayden spoke, he did not try to hide it or compensate for it. That’s courage.

One of the many reasons I am voting for Joe Biden is not that he stutters, but his stuttering contributes to his empathy. His “gaffes” might result in using the wrong words to avoid stuttering, but his history in dealing with his stutter is part of the reason he shows so much empathy. He has a heart.

He cares for people. I think our country needs that now. Again, this is only one of many reasons I’m voting for Joe Biden.

Bob Blankinship Blaine The Editor: In response to Neal Engledow’s letter, I, too, rarely engage in political debate.

The left is only too quick to label Republicans/conservatives as “racists” or “haters,” which intends to discourage effective debate. Liberals tend to be influenced by their emotions, their “inner child,” liberal media, celebrity endorsements, race, sexual orientation and gender, rather than independent thought and studying the facts.

They’ve forgotten that Joe Biden fought school integration and busing, was surprised that Obama was a bright and clean African American, that Black felons are too sociopathic to rehabilitate, and was also friends with some white supremacists?

President Trump is not destroying institutions. He stands up for America and the Constitution. He speaks freely and honestly, though often roughly, through tweets as he has to defend against “fake news”. We Republicans like his candor, and his unrehearsed, humorous rallies. He’s also not

August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

The Editor: My wife and I were having dinner recently on the patio of a local resort bar. It was a lovely evening, with groups of families around us, kids and adults all masked. The bubbles were keeping separate. Also on the patio was a group of about 20 people

socializing. They were all twenty-and-thirty-somethings, attractive, happy – and not masked.

There were hugs and smiles, drinks in hand and no separation other than a relaxed two to three feet. I noticed one fellow introduce another to a couple more. There were handshakes and smiles and no separation or masks.

This is going to be a long pandemic.

Graham Hunter Blaine The Editor: After reading several anti-Trump letters, I feel it’s time for another perspective. Here are some accomplishments of President Trump that you might not be aware of.

• 4 million new jobs have been created and unemployment claims hit a 50-year low.

• Female unemployment dropped to 3.6 percent in May 2018, the lowest since 1953.

• The 25 percent lowest-paid Americans enjoyed a 4.5 percent income boost in November 2019.

• Trump signed the National Resources Management Act, which designated an additional 375,000 acres as protected land.

• Trump signed the “Save our Seas Act,” which reauthorizes $10 million per year to clean tons of plastic and garbage from the ocean.

• Trump signed a bill this year allowing some drug imports from Canada so that prescription prices would go down.

• Trump has brought businesses back to the U.S. and lowered the number of unemployed.

Why has he been falsely accused of absurd accusations and called names? The reason: He wasn’t supposed to win. President Trump appealed to citi-

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zens who took pride in the U.S. and those citizens were tired of eight years of Obama apologizing to the world about us. I am saddened at the inexcusable and total lack of respect shown to President Trump and the office of the president. I am proud to be an American and I’m proud to say the U.S. is great and I want to keep it that way. Why don’t you?

Has anyone writing anti-Trump letters ever really listened to President Trump? Do all those negative traits of President Trump come from the media? Our election isn’t a personality contest. Our 2020 election is about keeping our president, who brought our economy back, created jobs, put money in your

401K and savings and kept us safe. Imagine you own a business (the U.S.). Do you want a lifelong politician running it or an experienced business executive?

Kindly tell me why you have a problem with our president?

You don’t like his tweets, his brashness, his past? Let me know when you find that perfect person, I only know of one so far…Jesus.

Anne Freeman Birch Bay

CITY OF BLAINE Due to COVID-19 and the Governor’s Proclamation, meetings are now only open to the public telephonically. Information on how to listen to the meeting live will be on the City Council agenda which is located on the City’s website homepage under Your Government, City Council, City Council Agenda.

Please check the agenda prior to each meeting as the call in number or location may change.

Thursday, August 27 *CANCELED* 9:00am – Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

Parks and Cemetery Board Meeting

Thursday, August 27 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting

Monday, September 7 City Offices Closed – Labor Day

For real news:

Read Local!

Tuesday, September 8 8:00am – Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee

Thursday, September 10 9:00am – Parks and Cemetery Board Meeting All City offices are currently closed to the public. Contact information for staff and Councilmembers can be found on the City’s website.

Call (360) 332-8311 or visit our website.

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divisive, if defending our Constitution, protecting our nation, building our economy, raising the standard of living, and providing more job opportunities for all Americans is divisive.

This is not the time for a “softie” to be president.

Trump’s not in it for himself.

He chooses not to take a salary, but has benefited millions of middle-class Americans with tax reductions and better jobs.

He’s a political outsider, who got where he is by being a tough negotiator, hiring and “firing” advisers, and eliminating wasteful management. He didn’t bring political baggage with him, nor apologize for America as did his predecessor.

Neal feels that if Trump loses the election, his supporters will vent their anger with assault weapons. On the contrary, our fear is that the criminal violence, looting, anarchy, murdering and torching of cities under Democratic leadership will spread. The Democratic National Convention and Joe Biden are either ignoring these problems or don’t have a plan. Our president is strong on law and order.

I encourage my fellow Republicans to stand up and be counted. Engage your liberal friends in a respectful and constructive dialogue and counter their feelings with facts. Don’t be afraid. Vote and God bless America.

Lary Breitbarth, D.D.S. Blaine

5

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The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

Council decides against unsolicited offer to purchase old city hall

By Oliver Lazenby Blaine City Council decided not to pursue an unsolicited offer to purchase the old city hall, at 344 H Street, at its August 24 meeting.

City manager Michael Jones received a letter from Leonard Rivero, who expressed interest in purchasing the property to develop multifamily housing. It’s unclear what Rivero wanted to offer for the property, though he did mention several amounts in the letter.

“We are willing to refurbish and redecorate the building for multi-family housing with the highest quality at an estimate cost of up to $350,000,” he wrote. The letter, typed in a bold and italic font, continued to say that Rivero would also consider tearing down the existing structure to redevelop it. “If that be the case, the land value would be worth about $200,000 after the existing building is removed and the property is leveled ready to build on.”

In closing the letter, Rivero included a B.C. phone number.

Rivero’s LinkedIn profile describes him as the president and

CEO of a modular home development company with a pun name: Surelock Homes.

The old city hall closed in 2012 after the city moved its offices to the current location at 435 Martin Street. The Blaine Police Department is storing some evidence and impounded items in part of the building, but it is otherwise unused.

City council pursued selling the building in 2019, but at a February 2020 study session, decided to retain the property for future use. Before then, the city issued a request for proposals with an asking price of $400,000, but did not receive any proposals. The city is currently working toward demolishing the building and plans to keep some of the lot for expansion of the police station.

Since city council had previously decided not to sell the property, Jones brought the offer to council for its attention only.

“Unless you’ve changed your minds, I will tell him we are not interested in selling at this time,” Jones told city council.

He advised the council to put the item on a future meeting agen-

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s The city of Blaine received an offer to purchase the old city hall property, at 344 H Street. Currently, the city is working toward demolishing the building and it plans to retain part of the property to allow the police station to expand into it.

Photo by Oliver Lazenby

da if it wished to revisit a sale.

“If you do want to put it on the market, I suggest we do exactly that rather than just accept one unsolicited offer.”

Several councilmembers expressed renewed interest in putting the property on the market in the future, though not through a request for proposals, which places more parameters on a potential buyer.

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Jones concluded the discussion by telling council that he would tell the prospective buyer that the city isn’t interested in selling at this time. “And you all know the process for agendizing an item if you want to consider marketing the property for sale in the future,” he said.

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Councilmember Charlie Hawkins remained vocal about keeping the property.

“Once again, we don’t have very much city land and the idea we’re going to give up an area in downtown Blaine, next to the police department, just doesn’t make sense,” he said. “Losing land for future city development just to sell it for a couple hundred thousand dollars just doesn’t

Two new housing assistance programs funded by the CARESAct will help eligible households struggling with lost income due to Covid-19 make rent or mortgage payments. The programs, CARES Housing Assistance and CARES Eviction Rent Assistance Program (ERAP), is being imple-

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mented by the Whatcom County Health Department in cooperation with local partners.

The health department expects to spend over $3.3 million in federal CARES funds between the two programs. The CARES Housing Assistance program, which will provide supplemental housing payments to eligible households, is expected to serve approximately 200 households earning between 50 and 80 percent of the area median income.

The health department also expects “significantly more households will benefit” from ERAP, which is similar but available to households earning less than 50 percent of the area’s median household income, which is $59,285, according to 2018 census data.

Both programs will be available

until the end of the year or until funds are exhausted.

In addition to meeting income requirements, applicants must “have experienced income loss due to Covid-19, lack resources to pay their rent or mortgage, hold the lease or mortgage contract for their home, and not be receiving other funding intended for the same purpose,” according to the health department.

To complete an application and verify eligibility, those seeking assistance through either program are encouraged to contact the Opportunity Council at 360/7345121 ext. 316 to schedule an appointment. After receiving the necessary documents verifying eligibility, both programs will issue checks to landlords or mortgage lenders on behalf of the resident.

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August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

7

First Annual Chalk Up the Town with Hope enlivens schools On August 17, Birch Bay-Blaine Thrives hosted the first annual Chalk Up the Town with Hope event. The event aimed to share messages of hope and positivity through street art.

Participants drew with chalk on the walkway behind the high school gym.

All photos by Geof Morgan

County Boys and Girls Clubs to offer childcare during school hours

By Grace McCarthy The Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County will offer distance learning assistance and licensed daycare at several sites in the county, with possible expansion to Blaine.

Project Connect, the new K-6 program, will start by helping students access remote learning at the organization’s chapters in Bellingham and Ferndale. The Ferndale clubhouse is the only location open for enrollment, but the organization will open the Bellingham site when enrollment reaches 48 kids in Ferndale, said Heather Powell, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County. To date, 20 of the 60 spots in the Ferndale location have been filled since registration opened August 21.

Families in the Blaine and Lynden school districts, where Project Connect has not started, are encouraged to register their child in another clubhouse in the county, and if enough demand allows, the organization will try to open other locations.

“Our role is to be an advocate for the kids who need us the most in the community and right now we’re trying to solve an equity issue for the communities we serve,” Powell said.

A number of Blaine families said they would benefit from, or

s Students attended programs at the Blaine chapter of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Whatcom County this summer. The organization will now offer a K-6 distance learning program for parents unable to supervise their children during school hours.

Photo courtesy of the Boys and Girls Club

need, childcare in the organization’s survey that was sent July 31 from the Blaine school district to families. But of those survey participants, only a small percentage said they would be willing to pay up to $150 per week for all-day childcare, Powell said.

The cost of Project Connect varies every month between $350-550 per month for fulltime enrollment and $264-429 for enrollment three days per week, according to the organization’s website.

Based on the surveys, the demand for childcare in Blaine was greater than Ferndale, but less than Lynden or Bellingham. But the program will start in Ferndale because the Blaine location still needs to determine if it can use its pavilion, which is shared with three other organizations, Powell said. Once the organi-

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The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

ways looking for seeds to stick in the ground and see what would grow,” Sunter said.

Along with a large garden – complete with fruit trees – in her front yard, Sunter also maintains three plots at the Blaine Community Garden. In one plot, she grows crops that she donates to the food bank while the other two plots are reserved for kids programs. The kids programs are on hold this year, so she’s using

By Kyra Planetz As a young child, Blaine resident Kelle Sunter said she was fascinated with plants, finding magic in growing something edible. What started as a curiosity turned into a lifelong passion for gardening and food preservation as Sunter continues to grow her own food while sharing the hobby with others.

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those plots to donate more food to the food bank.

Sunter taught herself how to preserve her home-grown fruits and vegetables in her twenties and hasn’t stopped canning. She usually teaches 30 to 40 canning classes each year at the Blaine library through the Blaine Community Orchards for Resources and Education (CORE) program, but hasn’t been able to this year due to Covid-19. With people spending more time at home during the pandemic, Sunter encourages the community to continue to garden and preserve their summer crops.

“Realistically, we don’t know where things are going to go, so it’s probably a good plan to have at least a little something growing in your yard that you can munch on,” Sunter said.

For canning beginners, Sunter recommends starting by canning apples, pears or peaches. These crops have a high acid content and won’t be contaminated by botulinum, a toxic bacteria found in improperly-preserved food that can cause death. Most other foods need to be pickled with vinegar in order to avoid contamination. Sunter encourages first-time canners to read the

s Kelle Sunter poses next to her apple tree at her home on August 24.

Photo by Kyra Planetz

(Continued on page 9)

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August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

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Quantity of fruit: An average of 21 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; an average of 13 ½ pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. A bushel weighs 48 pounds and yields 14 to 19 quarts of sauce – an average of 3 pounds per quart.

Quality: ...Continued from page 8 USDA Food Guide to Canning; a condensed version can be found on the CORE website, at nwcore.org.

Water bath canning is a simple way to preserve food, Sunter said.

It works by first preparing the fruit or vegetables and placing them into clean jars. Then, after sealing the jars with a lid, they are submerged in boiling water for a specific amount of time depending on the recipe. After the jars cool, the lids will make a popping sound, which indicates an air-tight seal and that they are ready to be stored. Though it’s possible to teach yourself, Sunter recommends learning from an experienced canner.

“In terms of preserving, I would find somebody who is already doing it and ask if you can come help them,” Sunter said.

“A really great way to learn is to watch somebody else go through that process.”

Sunter also encourages gardeners to start planting winter crops now, such as carrots, peas, lettuce and beets. She recommends covering the ground around each plant with straw to ensure cold weather doesn’t penetrate the ground, keeping vegetables warm enough to grow.

“If you have the tiniest bit of protection around those crops, they actually will continue to grow and thrive quite well even if we get snow,” Sunter said.

What Sunter seems to enjoy most about growing and preserving her own food is controlling what she eats. For example, she makes applesauce without any added sugar and salsa without salt. Sunter believes canning is

Select apples that are sweet, juicy, and crisp. For a tart flavor, add 1 to 2 pounds of tart apples to each 3 pounds of sweeter apples.

Procedure: Wash, peel and core apples. If desired, slice apples into water containing ascorbic acid to prevent browning. Place drained slices in an 8 to 10-quart pot. Add ½ cup water. Stirring occasionally to prevent burning, heat quickly until tender (5 to 20 minutes, depending on maturity and variety). Press through a sieve or food mill, or skip the pressing step if you prefer chunk-style sauce. If desired, add 2 tablespoons sugar per quart of sauce. Taste and adjust. Reheat sauce to a rolling boil. Fill jars with hot sauce, leaving ½-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process. Follow the link below to learn how to do this.

Process time: 15 minutes for pint jars and 20 minutes for quarts.

To learn how to process and store canned foods, visit the nwcore.org site and click on the “education” link on the left side of the page and scroll down to the section for canning and food preservation. Kelle Sunter’s handout for the class she teaches is the first link.

perfect for anyone with food intolerances or diet restrictions because you can make products as healthy as possible. It’s also relatively cheap – less than $50 for all the equipment needed – she added.

Sunter has thought about

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The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

Fire District handing out ice cream “tickets” to kids wearing helmets

By Ian Haupt North Whatcom Fire and Rescue firefighters are handing out ice cream coupons to kids “caught” wearing helmets while riding bikes, scooters and skateboards in Blaine and Birch Bay. The fire district has partnered with Edaleen Dairy to distribute coupons for a small soft serve ice cream as an incentive for kids to wear safety equipment while riding their bikes and other human-powered vehicles.

The coupons are redeemable at any Edaleen Dairy location, including the store at 458 Peace Portal Drive.

Firefighters in Birch Bay and Blaine will give out coupons until the end of September or until they run out, fire lieutenant Leslee Smith said in an email to The Northern Light.

The Northern Light file photo

Road Rules: For this drunk driver, sometimes the truth hurts

By Doug Dahl Question: I got pulled over because I didn’t dim my headlights at night. All I did was flash my headlights because I thought the oncoming headlights were way too bright. I wasn’t driving with my high beams on. I feel it’s B.S. I was charged with failure to dim my lights, driving on a revoked license and DUI. Was I driving DUI? Yes. I just don’t feel they had probable cause to pull me over. Never seen me driving drunk or nothing. Please help.

Answer: You’re not going to like this. – long pause – Now that I’ve taken a few deep breaths, I’m going to dial my response back a bit so this is still publishable. Here we go: You’re wrong. You were wrong when you drove with a revoked license. You were wrong to get in the driver’s seat while impaired.

You’re wrong about the officer’s probable cause. You’re wrong about the officer not seeing you driving impaired.

The only thing you’re right about is that you need help. But I suspect you weren’t asking for that kind of help so you’re wrong there, too.

Let’s work through all the wrongs, starting with the revoked license. With this one statement you’ve put yourself in a select group.

In Washington, only 5 percent of drivers have their license suspended, revoked or canceled.

You almost have to be intentionally bad at driving to get your license revoked. Any reasonable driver in that category would make efforts to not get pulled over, but not you, which brings us to the next point.

Even though you’re not supposed to drive at all, you chose to pilot a multi-ton projectile while impaired, and then thought it wasn’t fair that you got caught.

Put another way, you took an action that is responsible for 58 percent of traffic fatalities in Washington despite only a small percentage of drivers actually participating in that behavior,

and you think you’re the one being harmed.

You don’t think there was probable cause for the traffic stop even though you admit to committing a violation of the law. The law requires drivers to switch to low beams when approaching an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet. I understand that plenty of people flash their high beams at oncoming cars to let the other driver know to dim their lights.

You may think that’s helpful, but that doesn’t make it legal.

Is it worth getting a ticket for?

Maybe not, but if you were licensed and sober I’d bet that you would have driven away with a warning. While the violation itself is minor, making traffic stops for flashing high beams is a legitimate strategy for investigating impaired driving, as I’ll explain next.

You said you flashed your high beams because the oncoming headlights were “way too bright.”

We’ve already addressed that you were driving impaired, so I’m going to discount the credibility of your assessment of brightness.

Here’s why: Alcohol delays the responsiveness of pupil dilation and contraction.

Normally when you encounter a car on a dark roadway, your pupils constrict a bit so that the lights don’t seem so bright. It’s kind of like the auto-aperture setting on a camera that makes sure your pictures aren’t over-exposed. Once you add alcohol, your pupils don’t constrict as fast and everyone’s headlights seem too bright, even if they’re not on high beams.

Despite your statement, the officer did see you driving impaired. Since the details weren’t included in your question, I’m going to guess the scenario of how this traffic stop played out.

You saw a car approaching and you flashed your high beams.

The car you flashed was being driven by a police officer who didn’t actually have his high beams activated. Because of what the officer knows about alco-

hol and how it affects vision, he recognized your action as consistent with someone impaired by alcohol.

No, it wasn’t the classic weaving over the fog line, but there are many ways impairment manifests itself in driving and you demonstrated one of them, triggering a suspicion that you may be impaired. The violation of the

law, although minor, provided probable cause to make a traffic stop and investigate further. As the officer interacted with you on the traffic stop, it became apparent by your behavior that you were impaired, leading to you getting arrested.

Based on the information you provided, it looks like you legitimately earned your arrest. I’ve

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always tried to be helpful and informative in this column, but I’ve never promised any sympathy, and you’re not getting any from me on this one.

Doug Dahl is a manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission, Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.

August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

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SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM, No. 18-2-01850-37.

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION. Green Truck Financial, LLC, Plaintiff, v. Reginald Chandra, You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the twentieth (20) day of August, and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the plaintiff Green Truck Financial, LLC, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorneys for plaintiff, at their office below stated; and in case of your failure so to do, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court.

The purpose of this lawsuit is to obtain a judgment for Defendant’s breach of contract and for the collection of monies due and owing. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Plaintiff’s attorneys: Andersson Cross Border Law Corp., R. Dallan Bunce, WSBA #47213, 1305 11th St. STE 304. Bellingham, WA 98225.

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SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM, No. 18-2-01673-37.

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION. Green Truck Financial, LLC, Plaintiff, v. Iqbal Singh Samra, You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the twentieth (20) day of August, and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the plaintiff Green Truck Financial, LLC, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorneys for plaintiff, at their office below stated; and in case of your failure so to do, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court.

The purpose of this lawsuit is to obtain a judgment for Defendant’s breach of contract and for the collection of monies due and owing. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose.

Plaintiff’s attorneys: Andersson Cross Border Law Corp., R. Dallan Bunce, WSBA #47213, 1305 11th St. STE 304. Bellingham, WA 98225.

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM, No. 18-2-00707-37.

SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION. Green Truck Financial, LLC, Plaintiff, v. CallN-Haul Transport, LLC, and Richard Lee Castleman. Call-N-Haul Transport, LLC, and Richard Lee Castleman, are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the twenty-seventh (27) day of August, and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the plaintiff Green Truck Financial, LLC, and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorneys for plaintiff, at their office below stated; and in case of Call-N-Haul Transport, LLC’s, and/or Richard Lee Castleman’s, failure so to do, judgment will be rendered against Call-N-Haul Transport, LLC, and/or Richard Lee Castleman according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court. The purpose of this lawsuit is to obtain a judgment for Defendants’ breach of contract and for the collection of monies due and owing. This is an attempt to collect a debt and any information obtained will be used for that purpose. Plaintiff’s attorneys: Andersson Cross Border Law Corp., R. Dallan Bunce, WSBA #47213, 1305 11th St. STE 304. Bellingham, WA 98225.

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12

The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

Real Estate

Bay Properties Semiahmoo homeS, inc.

NW LUXURY REAL ESTATE AT A HIGHER LEVEL

4751 Birch Bay Lynden Road #2, Birch Bay • $229,000

LOCATED JUST MINUTES FROM THE BEACH...

This 1 BD, 1 BA home has been seriously upgraded and remodeled!

The main living area is 384 LATITUDE 49! +/- SF with a 132 +/- SF front porch that has an enclosed addition on the porch which could be used as a second bedroom! There is a nice garden shed which will have a washer / dryer hook up. This 180 day property is close to all amenities at Latitude 49: pool, hot tub, putting green, exercise room, playground and clubhouse. Minutes to I-5 and the US/CND border.

1361 Mitchell Avenue, Blaine Starting at $309,000

What is your house worth?

callhugh.johnlscott.com/home-evaluation

LOCATION! LOCATION! LOCATION! This ideally

located cottage offers convenient access to schools and city amenities and is NEW LISTING! in Blaine’s most desired neighborhood. The single bedroom, 1.5 bath 816 SF home, on a single lot, is being sold with the neighboring two city lots which would allow building of a primary residence and converting existing home as an accessory dwelling or structure. Live on your property while you build your dream home!!!

Call Hugh :

or

4720 & 4730 Tidal Way 101K, 102K & 103L, Birch Bay Starting at $329,900

360.371.5800 Hugh Brawford, Managing Broker

MOVE IN READY!

NEW 3 BD/2.5 BA CONDOS! The Tides... BRAND NEW! Birch Bay’s premier community of craftsman townhome condos nestled on 11 acres above the bay. Beautiful & private units are 1,500 +/- SF, 3 BD, 2.5 BA, superbly finished w/quartz counters, rock gas fireplace, SS appliances, on-demand HW, quality fixtures, designer flooring & much more! Clubhouse, pool, & spa! Close to all Birch Bay offers. Secure your place in this wonderful beach community.

Terry Conway • (360) 410-0503

CeCelia Breivik • (360) 303-8161

I’m always available to show you by private appointment all Residential, Commercial, Vacant Land & New Construction Properties!

8045 BIRCH BAY DRIVE, BLAINE, WA 360-371-7252 BAYPROPERTIESNW.COM

Your Local Expert For All Real Estate, Residential Or Commercial Services!

20+ ACRES - $175,000 Homesite on Kickerville with beautiful, meandering Terrell Creek.

Build your home here!

Owner contract possible AT 20% DOWN, 6.5% 30 year Amortization. Some residential zoning, currently in open space. Great tax advantage.

Semiahmoo Marina Boat Slips Available!

Carl W. R. Dufton • (360) 815-6637

www.CallHugh.com

PENDING! 3!!! NEW LISTINGS!!!

7650 Birch Bay Drive #H3, #O5 & #S8, Bay Rim Starting at $267,900

JACOB’S LANDING CONDO!

7806 Birch Bay Drive #302, Jacob’s Landing • $284,000 DESIRABLE UPPER END UNIT AT JACOB’S LANDING!

Each of these Bay Rim Condominiums features 2 bedrooms and 1.5 baths! Enjoy all this condo development has to offer: an outdoor heated pool, a 2 minute walk to your own private beach and picnic area plus miles of beach for walking, beach combing and crabbing! Grab your beach buckets and come to enjoy all that Birch Bay has to offer!

This 900 SF 2 BD, 1.5 BA unit is nestled in the quiet setting of beautifully landscaped grounds. Enjoy the back deck for quiet morning coffee or private dinners and the front deck for basking in the sunshine. Features of this condo include wood floors, wall to wall carpet and stainless steel appliances. Enjoy as your primary residence or weekend get-away! A rare find - don’t miss out on making this your new home!

Jeremy Porter • (360) 306-1794

Ruth Skeete • (360) 358-5075

WELCOME TO THE BEACH LIFE!

5390 Night Heron Drive, Semiahmoo • $1,575,000

BEACH ACCESS!

EXCEPTIONAL DETAILS!

90 feet of waterfront facing Drayton Harbor, White Rock B.C. and the Canadian Mountains. This 4891 SF 4 BD, 3.5 BA home features a kitchen remodel with quartz counters, SS appliances and a wide open space to entertain. Main floor living leads to the Master suite with his/her closets, a fireplace and private deck to enjoy the sunrise. The lower level of the home offers a media room, wet bar, multiple flex rooms and private guest en-suite. Enjoy the mature landscaping and huge 3 car garage with a workspace and mudroom. Step down to the beach for oysters/clams and kayaking as eagles fly above!

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT • Vacation Properties WE DO • Residential Properties !

IT ALL • Commercial Properties

8361 Semiahmoo Drive, Birch Point $1,680,000 WEST FACING WATERFRONT!

Flawless Masterpiece w/timeless design-no expense spared! Just shy of an acre, a private sanctuary offers 3,419 sq. ft & spectacular 139’ of waterfront w/views of Bay, Canada & San Juan Islands. NW Asian design delivers a rare opportunity to experience refined living at its best! Thoughtful details into the Chef’s kitchen, expansive great room and open floor plan all on one level. Enjoy breathtaking sunsets every evening while surrounded by the Feng Shui inspired landscape.

YOU have arrived!

Call Phill Esau Today!

Nimbus Property Management

360-594-8600

Julie Ward • (760) 522-2564

Heather Taylor • (425) 785-5771

225 G Street, Suite 102

Classifieds are online at thenorthernlight.com/classifieds !

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9598 Sherwood Dr. Blaine • $1,368,000 Unrivaled modern masterpiece in Blaine’s best kept secret - the exclusive gated Sherwood Drive Estates! Stunning pivot door entry, 12’ motorized glass door/wall, suspended floating stairs, polished concrete floors on 5.76 park-like acres. Spaces planned & executed perfectly, custom 4,796 square foot home beyond compare. MLS# 1446049

Jen Freeman 360-815-0803

NEA

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IO PLET

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9464 Odell Road • $675,000

3388 Haynie Road • $609,000

The quintessential Blaine farmhouse, barn, guesthouse, studio, potting shed & potential equestrian area. Located on 4.8 acres & tucked away 250’ from the street with easy access to booming downtown Blaine, the waterfront, US/CAN border & I-5.

Unbelievable care & detail have gone into restoring this 3-BD charmer. Guesthouse features 3/4 bath + kitchenette area.

A wonderful opportunity awaits: private + peaceful equestrian property set back from the road, updated 4 BD/2.5 BA house, massive 30x60’ heated shop with power + 2 stall horse barn! Home features vaulted ceilings, modern updated flooring, cabinets, quartz counters, s/s appliances & gas fireplace. Zip down Valley View for quick & easy I-5 access or US/CAN border access. Don’t delay, this one checks all the boxes and won’t last long! MLS #1628098

MLS# 1604802

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8787 Clubhouse Point Dr. • Blaine $849,900 MLS # 1647207 • 3-BD, 2.5-BA, 2,797 Sq. Ft. Northwest contemporary, elegance & seclusion await!

Last single story home (0 steps) on Semiahmoo’s 18th fairway.

Final free standing home@ Clubhouse Point will enjoy elevated views of the lake & 18th green. Excellent Southern sun exposure like this is rare. Master suite & Casita open to your own private courtyard. 14 foot ceilings in great room, kitchen & dining. 9 ft ceilings elsewhere. 50 year presidential roof & Hardi siding.

Quartz, stainless, gorgeous lighting, quality finishes throughout.

PE

7545 Sunset Drive • $609,999

6155 Semiahmoo Lane, Blaine • $2,150,000 Exceedingly rare newer construction show stopper!

Medium bank 2.1 acre waterfront property features 200’ of grandfathered beach + tidelands ownership, in-home elevator, 10 & cathedral ceilings, south facing wall to wall windows + 180 degree ocean & mountain views. Tucked away between Seattle & Vancouver, all the details were thoughtfully considered when creating this private modern oasis: ADA accessible, passive solar design, radiant concrete floors, stunning owner’s suite & chef’s kitchen. MLS #1647980

MLS #1622292

Thinking of

Listing your property?

Call Lisa for a

FREE

Market Analysis Owner/Agent

360.815.6638

briansouthwick@gmail.com

see more pictures at www.briansouthwick.com

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.

CALL ME...

Lisa Sprague

Location, Location!

360-961-0838

FOR LEASE Retail/ Office Space

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IN ND

Visit us at: www.JenAndLeah.com

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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.

D!

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to purchase a beautiful water view property w/ in home elevator to all floors! 3-BD, 4-BA, home has been very lightly lived in & would be an ideal full time residence or vacation rental.

Open concept kitchen/dining/living features gas fireplace, 10’ ceilings + leads directly to massive wrap around bay view deck. No detail overlooked: Credo built & rock solid - wide & bright spaces, skylights + just steps to Birch Bay State Park.

Leah Crews 360-305-4747

8783 Clubhouse Point Dr. • Blaine $1,049,000 MLS # # 1232342 • 3-BD, 2.75-BA, 3,935 Sq. Ft.

www.NimbusRealEstate.com

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Downtown Blaine (Across from Hill’s Chevron)

FIND YOUR NEXT HOME HERE

8105 Birch Bay Square St. I-5 Exit 270

Rentals - Commercial

NELSON BUILDING 925 Ludwick Ave., Blaine

Near Truck Route & Shopping Mall

LEASE SPACES FOR:

Warehousing & Distribution Manufacturing or Retail Yard Storage for Vehicles Please Call Don Nelson For Availability & Rates

360-332-2743

Email nelsbldg@msn.com

With Waterfront Views of Blaine Harbor

800 - 1600 s.f.

Prime ground floor office and retail space in The Northern Light Cannery-style building at Blaine Harbor.

For leasing info, contact Pat Grubb

360/332-1777

August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

Salmon enhancement project forces lane closures on I-5

OBITUARIES Debra Jo (Stoker) Adam

By Ian Haupt

June 5, 1953–August 23, 2020

Expect lane closures on northbound and southbound I-5 lanes through August 29 between Custer School Road and Birch Bay-Lynden Road for an $11.5 million project to improve fish passage in California Creek.

Work on the project began in May and has caused intermittent lane closures on each side of I-5 this summer, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).

The project will create new, larger culverts that will slow water flow, creating easier conditions for fish passage and more natural streambeds. The existing culverts in this part of California Creek are narrow and water flows too quickly for migratory and resident salmon and other species to pass.

WSDOT contractor crews built a temporary bypass in the median of I-5 between State Route 548/Grandview Road and Birch Bay-Lynden Road that now has to be deconstructed, said Tom Pearce, communications consultant for the department of transportation.

“It’s a challenge when we need to dig up both lanes of I-5 to replace a culvert. The median bypass lane will allow us to keep traffic moving on the interstate throughout the project,” said Mikkel Lamay, WSDOT’s project engineer. “The work zones on SR 548 and Zell Road are too small to do something similar, so we’ll need full closures at those locations.”

Dining Guide

Debra Jo (Stoker) Adam, born in Downing CA., age 67, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, July 23, 2020 with Jesus and her beloved family surrounding her after a long courageous battle with a terminal illness.

She was an educated woman with a college degree, successfully managed three Pizza Huts and was a grant writer for Fred Hutchinson. In 1979 she met and married the love of her life, Marv Adam. They moved to Blaine and in 1999 became the proud owners of the Blaine Pizza Factory where Debra and Marv lovingly devoted the next 20 years in building and serving the community.

Debra always went out of her way to help those in need. She loved reading, writing, gardening and had a huge passion for cooking, She also loved to travel, Hawaii was a favorite. Debra was a beautiful soul, a devoted grandmother and deeply loved by her family. She is survived by her beloved husband of 41 years and family.

We want to thank the local hospice team for all their loving care and compassion. Celebration of Life to follow.

Devonna “Sue” Miller

May 12, 1943–August 14, 2020 The deconstruction of the bypass will cause lane closures and possible delays for traffic traveling in both directions, Pearce said.

August 24-29, the intersection of SR 548 and Portal Way will be closed. Closing the intersection helps ensure the safety of workers and travelers, a WSDOT press release said. Traffic will still be able to get to the former AM/PM

gas station but will not be able to get through the intersection, Pearce said. Signed detours will be in place to direct traffic.

The project is part of the state’s larger effort to improve fish passage under state highways and will open an additional 6.5 miles of habitat and salmon spawning grounds.

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONAL

DIRECTORY 2011 Large Business of the Year

Louis’

Louis Auto Glass Family Owned and Operated Since 1929!

The Only Validated Auto Glass Company in Whatcom & Skagit Counties.

ouis’Auto & Residential Glass We Guarantee Your Safety

Spring Special!

Dinner on Us and90 a Can of Glass Cleaner Celebrating years!

with every windshield purchased and installed

Great Authentic Mexican Food 758 Peace Portal • Blaine 360-332-4045

Windshield Replacement

BELLINGHAMFree Pick up & Delivery Bellingham 1512 N. State St. • 360-734-3840 1512 N. State St.

LYNDEN

Free Loaner Cars

Lynden 407 19th

Vernon St. •Mt.360-354-3232

407 19th St.

1721 E. College Way

To Our Canadian Friends

Proud supporters of the Blaine Community! www.louisautoglass.com

Enjoy Huge Savings with U.S. Prices

Formerly 1st Propane of Whatcom County

Must present ad for special. Not valid with any other offers. Expires June 30, 2014.

277 G Street • Downtown Blaine

360-392-0955

TheVaultWine

DRAYTON HARBOR OYSTERS Farm Fresh Oysters

Served Raw, Grilled, Fried, Stewed & other delicious Seafood Specialities

Local Craft Beers & Wine

360-656-5958 DraytonHarborOysters.com 685 Peace Portal Dr. • Downtown Blaine

Keep Full Service • Budget Payment Plan • Tank Installation & Rental Modern Equipment • Safety Checks • Locally Owned & Operated

360 332-3121

Sue loved a good cup of coffee and conversations. Alzheimer’s took her voice in these last years and she left us on August 14, 2020 to reunite and gab up a storm with all of her loved ones who went before her.

She was born a coal miner’s daughter in Capels, West Virginia to Joseph and Leona Roberts and raised in Virginia. She married young and moved many times between Virginia and Washington, but Virginia was always considered home to her where her large family of brothers, sisters and cousins were. She went back home often and talked on the phone every day to her family. And oh, how they could talk! When going back home, she and her brothers and sisters could stay up all night talking and laughing as all the younger generation faded away and went to bed.

Ironically, she worked for many years as a caregiver at a nursing home and, in these last three years, her daughters and granddaughters cared for her at her home. We loved her so much and it was our honor to give back all the love and care she gave us.

Waiting to greet her with loving arms are her husband, James Miller; her son, Floyd Miller; her mother and daddy; sister Shirley Scott; her brothers Darryl, Harold and Bill Roberts; and 18 aunts and uncles.

She is survived by her daughters Gwynn (David) Swartos of Birch Bay and Wendy (Rob) Nicoll of Langley, B.C. Granddaughters, Leah Reid, Lauren Swartos, Lara (Nicholas) Levey and Sam (Michael) Stewart. Grandson, Preston Miller, and great-grandson Tanner Reid. She leaves with many loving memories her little sister Sherri (Richard) Lyon and her sister-in-law Carole Roberts, both of Sugar Grove Virginia, many nieces and nephews, and too many cousins to list.

There will be a private family service as Mom hated goodbyes.

We wish to thank hospice for the wonderful help they gave us in her last months.

Please share your memories of Sue at www.molesfarewelltributes.com.

Rock Chip Repairs

(360) 734-3840 (360) 354-3232 (360) 424-9759 www.LouisAutoGlass.com

TheVaultWine.com

13

Fill your bottles - Easy RV access

2163 Nature’s Path Way • Blaine

This space can be yours for only $37 per week.

13 week commitment. Call 332-1777 to reserve.

Cleve R. Wirts

February 24, 1966–August 4, 2020 Cleve Raymond Wirts, 54, beloved father and son of Blaine, went home to be with Jesus on August 4, 2020.

He was born February 24, 1966, in San Bernardino, CA, the son of Rose Marie and Robert Wirts. It is with heavy hearts that we announce his passing, but we know he is resting in peace.

Cleve was predeceased by his father, Robert Ray Wirts, and his brother, Kevin Robert Wirts, who both passed in 2013. He is survived by his mother Rose Marie Wirts of Blaine; daughters Rose Wirts of Bellingham, Kayla Wirts of Cottonwood, AZ and son Raymond Wirts of Cottonwood, AZ; their mom Candice; brother Michael Wirts of Aurora, CO; and sister Kristin Blakley of Clarksburg, MD. He believed in the Lord, and loved his family. He had worked hard and enjoyed going hiking and fishing.

We know we will see him in heaven and we will truly miss him.

Memorial service will be held Saturday, August 29, 2020 at 11 a.m. at Northwood Alliance Church, 580 C Street, Blaine, WA 98230 (360) 332-8610, Pastor Charles Gibson will be officiating.

14

The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

Games and Puzzles

Coming up Please wear masks and follow physical distancing guidelines.

Vinyl Night and Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, August 27, The Vault Wine Bar and Bistro, 277 G Street. This week’s theme: Time travel to the `80s. Music starts at 5 p.m., trivia at 7 p.m. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Birch Bay Drive-in Movie: Friday, August 28, gates open at 7:30 p.m., movie begins around 9 p.m., Birch Bay Waterslides parking lot, 4874 Birch Bay-Lynden Road. Featured movie: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. $25 per car, $15 per golf cart. Info and tickets: birchbaychamber.com.

Yard Sale Fundraiser: Saturday, August 29, 9 a.m.–3 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road.

Benefits The Bridge food distribution program. Donations welcome, call 360/366-8463.

Birch Bay Drive-in Movie: Friday, September 4, gates open at 6:30 p.m., movies begins around 8 p.m., Birch Bay Waterslides parking lot, 4874 Birch Bay-Lynden Road. Double feature: Grease and American Graffiti. $30 per car, $15 per golf cart. Classic cars encouraged with trophies awarded. Info and tickets: birchbaychamber.com.

Golf Cart and Bicycle Poker Run: Saturday, September 5, 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Free. Prizes for top hands. Info and preregistration at birchbaychamber.com.

Ongoing: Blaine Farmers Market: Saturdays, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., Blaine’s G Street Plaza. Local and fresh produce, crafts and goodies. Flea market on the last Saturday of the month. Info: blainechamber.com.

Blaine Food Bank: 500 C Street. Open Mondays 9 a.m.– noon, Wednesdays 5–7 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m.–noon.

Delivery options available. Info:360/332-6350 or blainefood@ hotmail.com.

The Bridge Food Distribution Program: Fridays 3:30–5 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Registration required at thebridgehope.com or call 360/366-8763. Volunteers welcome.

The Bridge Clothing Bank Boutique: Open Wednesdays 3–5 p.m. and Fridays 12–5 p.m., The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Donations by appointment, call 360/366-8763.

Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce Virtual Meetings: Thursdays, 1 p.m. Meeting ID on birchbaychamber.com.

Blaine Chamber of Commerce Virtual Meetings: First Wednesday, noon. Meeting ID on blainechamber.com.

Blaine Library: 610 3rd Street. Curbside holds and pick up and returns. Monday–Friday 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Info 360/305-3600.

Billy Brown’s Crab Derby: Sunday, September 6. Weighing and judging noon–4. p.m., Birch Bay Visitor Center, 7900 Birch Meals on Wheels & More: Wednesdays 11:30 a.m.–12:30 Bay Drive. Info: birchbaychamber.com. p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Adults 60+ pick up one fresh and six frozen meals. Suggested donation $5 per Virtual Trivia Night: Thursday, September 10, 7–8 p.m. meal. First come first serve basis. Info: 360/332-8040.

Test your knowledge in this fun, virtual Zoom based event featuring seven categories consisting of 10 questions each.

Free. Pre-register your team by Wednesday, September 9 at 6 Toastmasters Virtual Meetings: Tuesdays 6:30–7:45 p.m.

Info: 360/933-1671. p.m. at bbbparkandrec.com.

Crossword Answers at thenorthernlight.com

ACROSS 1. Chop with an ax 4. Where a bachelor lives 7. Indicates near 10. Doctors’ group 11. It’s just a number 12. Type of bread 13. Lively ballroom dance 15. Charles S. Dutton TV series 16. A way to use up 19. Singular event 21. Home of Disney World 23. Minerals 24. Most insightful 25. Consult 26. In addition 27. Agents of downfall 30. Organizations 34. Supervises flying 35. Bar bill 36. Alfalfa 41. Dish soap 45. Witnesses 46. Ancient Greek City 47. Newspaper bigwigs 50. Discuss again

54. Small group with shared interests 55. Support 56. Popular sportcoat fabric 57. Take hold of 59. Pre-Mayan civilization 60. Woman (French) 61. Wheeled vehicle 62. Georgia rockers 63. Cold War player (abbr.)

64. Pitching stat 65. Attempt DOWN 1. Czech monetary unit 2. Arousing intense feeling 3. Elks 4. Muscular weaknesses 5. Before the present 6. Figures out 7. Infinite 8. A low wall 9. Silly 13. Political organization 14. Used of a number or amount not specified 17. Divisions of the psyche

18. Denial 20. Ancient Iranian person 22. Count on 27. Popular sports league 28. Water (French) 29. Partner to cheese 31. When you hope to get there 32. Angry 33. One point east of due south 37. Respects 38. Organize anew 39. French wine grape 40. Intrinsic nature of something 41. Neural structures 42. Brews 43. Where ships take on cargo 44. Holiday season singer 47. Shock treatment 48. Popular average 49. Products 51. A type of bear 52. Utilize 53. Old world, new 58. Swiss river

Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

Police Reports August 15, 1:53 p.m.: A Blaine resident called the police to report that she and her husband’s bicycles were stolen sometime in the last four days. The bikes were in front of the garage of their residence when they were stolen. A report was generated to document the theft, and there are no suspects at this time.

August 15, 3:51 p.m.: A Blaine resident called the police to report that his bicycle was stolen sometime in the last week. The bike was locked in a bike rack at the marina when it was stolen. A report was generated to document the theft, and there are no suspects at this time.

August 15, 9:30 p.m.: An officer took a vehicle prowl report. Two people left a friend’s house and discovered several belongings had been taken from their vehicle. The reporting party wished to press charges if the suspect is caught.

August 16, 9:40 p.m.: A man called police to report a bag was stolen from his vehicle sometime overnight. The bag contained a laptop valued at approximately $3500. Luckily, the owner had security cameras and will be providing the footage to the police.

August 16, 2:00 p.m.: A woman called police reporting a counterfeit bill. The caller owns an ice cream truck and went to the bank to deposit funds. The bank informed the woman she received a counterfeit $100 bill. The counterfeit bill was taken by the bank for processing. The business lost $95 due to the incident. The whereabouts of the suspect are unknown. It is also unknown if the suspect knew the bill was fake.

August 17, 1:40 p.m.: A woman called police to report an aggressively driven vehicle had nearly collided with her. The vehicle then sped off and threw rocks and dust onto her vehicle. No damage was reported to the woman’s vehicle. A description of the suspect vehicle was provided to the Washington State Patrol and other Blaine officers.

August 18, 1:30 p.m.: Blaine police were called the 200 block of Marine Drive for a report of a man finding his father’s stolen trailer.

An officer arrived and investigated the incident. The trailer was confirmed stolen and the man in possession of it is having charges forwarded to the prosecutor for having the trailer. The owner of the trailer arrived on the scene and took possession of his trailer. The trailer was removed from the computer system as being stolen.

August 18, 1:30 p.m.: A man called Blaine police after being contacted by a Snohomish County Sheriff’s detective. The man was informed his mail was recovered from a stolen vehicle and he would need to file a police report with the Blaine Police Department. An officer investigated the incident and contacted the detective. The suspect will be arrested for possession of the stolen property from Blaine.

Weather

Precipitation: During the period of August 17–23, 0.58 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2020 year-to-date precipitation is 23.8 inches.

Temperature: High for the past week was 86°F on August 17 with a low of 52°F on August 23. Average high was 77°F and average low was 58°F. Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Tides

DATE TIME HEIGHT TIME HEIGHT August 28–September 3 at Blaine.

Not for navigation.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

Fr 28 12:26 am 8.5

8:25 am -0.6

4:27 pm 8.8

9:14 pm 7.0

Sa 29 1:32 am 8.3

9:23 am -0.7

5:15 pm 9.1 10:22 pm 6.6

Su 30 2:40 am 8.1 10:15 am -0.8

5:53 pm 9.2 11:14 pm 6.1

Mo 31 3:42 am 8.0 10:59 am -0.7

6:27 pm 9.3 11:56 pm 5.5

Tu 1 4:38 am 7.9 11:41 am -0.4

6:55 pm 9.2

We 2 12:32 am 4.9

5:30 am 7.9

12:19 pm 0.1

7:21 pm 9.1

Th 3 1:06 am 4.4

6:18 am 7.8

7:45 pm 9.0

12:53 pm 0.7

August 18, 8:37 p.m.: A person saw a suspicious vehicle parked at a construction site putting things in the back of the vehicle. When the person contacted the people at the site, they got into their vehicle and left the area. The police are attempting to contact the contractor to try and determine if a crime was committed.

August 19, 1:02 a.m.: A police officer on routine patrol of the school campus located several teenagers hanging out late at night without their parent’s knowledge. The parents were contacted and advised of the children’s location. The parents arrived and brought the kids back home.

August 20, 11:56 p.m.: A Blaine officer responded to an assist agency call involving a single-car accident in the county. The Blaine officer determined the driver was impaired. Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office took over the DUI investigation. The driver was arrested for DUI and booked into the Whatcom County Jail.

Reports provided by Blaine Police Department

A busy day at the Blaine Harbor public boat launch.

Photo by Ruth Lauman

August 27 - September 2, 2020 • thenorthernlight.com

Childcare ...

Ferry service begins for stranded Point Roberts residents

From page 7

zation knows if it has access to the pavilion, it will then need to address WiFi challenges in the building.

The program will run from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. on weekdays, followed by an afterschool program until 5 p.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

Students and staff will be screened with questions and temperature checks before entering clubhouses and the buildings will be cleaned to CDC guidelines. Students must have a temperature under 99 degrees and then immediately wash their hands for 20 seconds before entering their room. Masks will be provided and physical distancing will be required for staff and students.

Powell said she saw children build sanitation routines during the organization’s summer programs and benefit from interacting with other kids.

“We’ve seen kids be happy to connect with other kids, even from a six-to-10-foot distance,” Powell said.

The organization will work with the Whatcom County Health Department if a clubhouse is exposed to Covid-19, Powell said.

Up to 12 students are allowed per classroom. Enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis but the organization will look at the need of families on scholarship applications, Powell said.

“We’re providing a service to people who are called on to go to work,” she said. “Schools are very large. The clubhouse is not large so we’re bringing far fewer children, serving a few is easier and safer than opening a school.”

For more information, visit whatcomclubs.org.

The 50-foot “Salish Sea” ferries Point Roberts residents to Blaine on August 25.

B y P a t G r u bb a n d Grace McCarthy A temporary ferry service operating between Point Roberts and Blaine began August 25.

The Port of Bellingham started the once-a-week ferry service to help those stranded on Point Roberts and unable to cross the Canadian border. It’s offered free of charge on a first-come, firstserve, advanced-reservation basis to Point Roberts residents. Whatcom Transportation Authority is providing a shuttle from Blaine Harbor to Cordata Station in Bellingham.

Point Roberts residents have been confined to the Point, aside from essential cross-border travel, since the border closed in March.

Tom Fijal was one of about 25 Point Roberts residents who rode the ferry on Tuesday. During his trip, Fijal shopped for items he couldn’t get in Point Roberts and had a socially-distant meal with his son, who lives in Bellingham.

Although this trip only serviced Point Roberts residents, Fijal said he hopes it could benefit his town’s economy.

“Should it continue, it would be a great way to get people here again, spending money at our markets,” he said. “I hope it continues and people are able to take advantage of it,” Fijal said.

Ferry service is provided on San Juan Cruises’ 50-foot vessel Salish Sea and 100-foot vessel Salish Express. Face masks are required on both ferry and WTA connections, and the number of passengers is limited.

The idea for a ferry was first discussed in an August 11 Port of Bellingham meeting after Point Roberts resident Mark Robbins emailed port commissioner Bobby Briscoe asking for a solution.

In the meeting, commissioners showed a committed attitude to Point residents and called for immediate action.

There are people who are concerned that the new ferry service will make ongoing negotiations with Canada on easing transit between the Point and the rest of the U.S. more difficult. “I don’t think a ferry will help with solving the land crossing issues,” said Point Roberts fire chief Christopher Carleton in an August 18 telephone interview. “It just gives

Photo by Louise Mugar

Canada a chance to stonewall.”

Carleton points out that a ferry is just a temporary solution at best, given the huge expense and limited window provided by summer weather. “These are decisions being made by people who don’t know our community,” he said. Previously, Carleton spoke about the demographics of the Point being non-conducive to ferry service due to age and limited income of a significant portion of the Point’s population.

Asked if the Port of Bellingham leadership was concerned about the fears that a ferry service could jinx negotiations, port executive director Rob Fix replied, “We reached out to the federal delegation and inquired about this affecting long term negotiations. They didn’t think it would affect the border issue and thought this was a great short term solution. The emphasis is on ‘short term solution’ because it just isn’t financially feasible to do this long term. A border solution must be found and everyone recognizes that.”

During the August 11 port meeting, Don Goldberg, director of economic development

Surrey man charged two years after allegedly attempting to traffic 200 pounds of meth

By Grace McCarthy A Surrey resident was charged August 10 for allegedly importing nearly 200 pounds of methamphetamine two years earlier at the Pacific Highway Border Crossing. If convicted, he could face life in prison.

Steven Andrew Golding, 64, allegedly imported and possessed methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking on December 1, 2018, according to an August 19 RCMP news release. The

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charges were approved by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada after an investigation by an RCMP Federal Serious and Organized Crime team, the release states.

In 2018, Golding and a passenger were searched by Canada Border Services Agency officers during a secondary examination of their commercial Volvo tractor trailer.

The passenger was not charged, according to the release.

Golding was arrested on Au-

gust 17, 2020 and released on the promise to appear on September 14 at the Surrey Provincial Court.

Stephen Lee, inspector for the RCMP Federal Serious Organized Crime, said methamphetamine is sold in B.C. by the 0.1 gram. The amount seized equals 900,000 doses, he said.

“We commend our partners at Canada Border Services Agency for their sharpness in detecting and locating these dangerous narcotics,” Lee said in the news release. “Our FSOC investigators rose to the challenge to gather solid evidence for charges to be laid.”

at the port and a member of the Whatcom Unified Command Border Task Force, said senior-level officials on both sides of the border were attending task force meetings.

Governor Jay Inslee was asked if he had heard from Whatcom County and Point Roberts about the problems faced by Point Roberts during a media briefing held August 20. “I have not spoken to those communities and I probably should listen to see if they have any ideas,” Inslee replied.

“We’re at the mercy of the federal governments on both sides of the border largely on this. You raise something that I should look into and I will ask them if they have any creative ideas.”

After pausing, Inslee carried on, saying, “I was just told that our staff has talked to them although I have not done so personally.

“The last time I spoke to the British Columbia leadership we could not think of a way to solve this problem. That was two or three weeks ago. At the moment, I don’t have a solution but we should all try to find one,” he concluded.

A day later, Inslee sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on August 21 asking Trudeau for help finding a solution for Point Roberts residents.

Trudeau had yet to respond to the letter by press time.

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The Northern Light • August 27 - September 2, 2020

American Graffiti Auto Show Nimbus Real Estate and Wild Bird Charity hosted the American Graffiti Auto Show on August 22 in downtown Blaine. People drove from around the region to show off classic and vintage cars as well as some newer models.

Photo by Chuck Kinzer/CKimageart.com

Photo by Chuck Kinzer/CKimageart.com

Photo by Ruth Lauman

Photo by Chuck Kinzer/CKimageart.com

Photo by Chuck Kinzer/CKimageart.com

Photo by Chuck Kinzer/CKimageart.com

Photo by Karen Trudel

Photo by Karen Trudel