May 20 - 26, 2021
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Boat catches on fire at Blaine Harbor, page 3
Inslee announces opening the state, masks optional for vaccinated
Whatcom County won’t go into Phase 2, page 8
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Who has the right-of-way, page 15
Sculptures decorate Peace Arch Park
By Grace McCarthy
(See Inslee, page 13)
s “Pack of Dogs” by Ron Simmer, a Burnaby, B.C. artist, was one of a few sculptures installed at Peace Arch Park on May 15. “Pack of Dogs” is made of recycled stainless steel fire extinguishers. The sculptures are part of the annual Peace Arch Park International Sculpture Exhibition put on yearly by the International Peace Arch Association. Photo by Ruth Lauman
NWFR withdraws from regional fire authority By Nolan Baker Negotiations to form a regional fire authority (RFA) encompassing North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) and Whatcom County Fire District 4 (WCFD4) have foundered following an April 15 decision by NWFR fire commissioners to drop out of the negotiations. The two districts had been planning an amalgamation of the both districts into a cohesive regional fire authority earlier this year. A RFA means residents from Agate Bay to Birch Bay would be served under one district and
would join a group of 12 RFAs already established throughout the state. In explaining their move, NWFR fire commissioners cited “cultural and strategic differences” between the districts. A decision that was once expected to be on the 2021 ballot for voters will now be delayed, most likely with planning to begin after the November commissioner elections, according to the districts. Levy expected on August ballot For residents of NWFR, otherwise known as Whatcom County Fire District 21, and Whatcom County Fire District 4
New train inspection facility to reduce traffic delays By Ian Haupt A new train scanner to be installed at the border may reduce traffic delays in Blaine and Birch Bay as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says the new technology would allow trains to travel at twice the speed. In a May 10 Blaine City Council meeting, CBP program manager Garret Kylie Reinhart told council the new system will increase scanning efficiency and security. Trains will be allowed travel up to 12 mph
through the new scanners, while the current scanner allows for a maximum of 5 mph, he said. CBP announced in a May 12 press release that it will, in a $46 million initiative, begin replacing aging rail scanning systems at 12 ports of entry this fall. “Blaine was specifically chosen, along with another location along the northern border, due to health and safety reasons,” Reinhart said, referring to the Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive intersection. Bell Road connects the communities of
Birch Bay and Semiahmoo with downtown Blaine and Interstate 5. Because of the placement of the current scanning system, just south of the intersection, a train can cause long traffic delays when undergoing inspection, especially if something is detected and further investigation required. Reinhart said the trains are then stopped, blocking the intersection, while the suspected car is inspected and possibly replaced. (See Train, page 6)
(WCFD4), a ballot measure to increase the property tax levy that funds fire and rescue operations will appear on incoming ballots in the August 3 primary elections. If approved by voters, the proposed levy lid lift will increase the levy rate to $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed property value (APV). The current maximum levy amount allowed under state law is $1.50 per $1,000 APV, with a yearly increase capped at 1 percent per year. This will be the first time NWFR has (See RFA, page 16)
INSIDE
Many public spaces in Washington state will be set to reopen to 100 percent capacity on June 30, governor Jay Inslee announced during a May 13 media conference. “This is a huge step forward,” Inslee said during the meeting, where he spoke without a mask for the first time in months. “It’s a new step forward in our fight against Covid-19.” The full reopening, which encompasses restaurants and gyms, could reopen sooner if more than 70 percent of people 16 or older are fully vaccinated for Covid-19, Inslee said. Currently, 56 percent of that population has had at least one vaccine dose. Children 12 and older became eligible for the vaccine on May 12, but Inslee said it was too recent to be fair for that group to be included in the 70 percent requirement for full reopening. People are fully vaccinated after two weeks of receiving their second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccine, according to the CDC. The state could see restrictions again if the state’s ICU occupancy goes above 90 percent, Inslee said. As of May 19, the ICU capacity was 78.8 percent. State follows CDC mask guidance Starting immediately, Washington will also follow CDC guidance issued earlier in the day for fully vaccinated people. Masks are still required in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and doctor’s offices, schools, public transportation, correctional facilities and homeless shelters, according to the governor’s office. According to the CDC, those fully vaccinated may resume activities they did before the pandemic without wearing a mask or social distancing, except when required by law or businesses. Business owners can still require people to wear masks, Inslee said. People will not need to show businesses their vaccination card right now, unless the business asks
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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