The Northern Light: January 6-12, 2022

January 6 - 12, 2022

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IN THIS

ISSUE

H Street annexation public hearing scheduled, page 2

County council tables senate seat appointment

Most memorable sports moments, page 7

PeaceHealth urges booster during virus surge, page 8

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Dozens start the New Year plunging into Birch Bay

By Grace McCarthy

(See Senate, page 2)

s Dozens of people forged through snow and freezing temperatures on January 1 for Birch Bay’s annual Polar Bear Plunge. View more photos of the plunge and the Ring of Fire and Hope on page 15.

Photo by Ruth Lauman

2021

year in

REVIEW

A look back at a year that just was

July • Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2) welcomed new activity coordinator Kaileigh Hubbard.

• The Birch Bay berm task force considered path restrictions for bikes and electronic scooters.

• Blaine City Council gave final approval to the Drayton Reach plat that will create 39 lots in the Montfort Park neighborhood.

The city will also create a new park and trail with beach access to Drayton Harbor in the area.

• The city of Blaine celebrated its annual Old Fashioned Fourth of July with an unofficial car show, street vendors, live music and kids games.

• Teams tackled the Ragnar Road Northwest Passage, a 200-mile relay running race from Blaine to Langley, at Peace Arch Park July 9.

• The city of Blaine sent a cease and desist letter to a local landscaper for doing unauthorized landscaping on city property without the city’s permission and posting it on YouTube.

• Kids cooled off from the summer heat by running through sprinklers in downtown Blaine streets during BBBPRD2’s Splash Days July 16 and July 30.

• As Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, some local government meetings such as the Blaine school district and Port of Belling-

ham started offering in-person options in addition to virtual attendance.

• Blaine City Council amended the 202122 budget to include $1.5 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds and committed $6 million to fixing the dilapidated east Blaine sewer system in 2022. The city set aside ARPA funds, federal Covid-19 stimulus money to offset revenue lost in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, to pay for things such as a utility bill relief program for people unable to pay their bills.

• Blaine and Birch Bay businesses followed a trend nationwide of battling with short staffed restaurants as they opened to full capacity.

• The Bligh Island, a derelict 1930s fishing vessel, sank off Point Whitehorn while being towed from Blaine Harbor to Bellingham.

• The Community Assistance Program clothing bank opened to the public in its new location at the former Freedom Community Church.

• Peace Arch State Park weddings continued throughout the summer for cross-border couples unable to travel freely between the U.S. and Canada.

• Blaine’s Black Forest Steakhouse temporarily closed for six weeks due to staff shortages and sent its employees to help at sister restaurant CJ’s Beach House in Birch Bay. • Blaine City Council unanimously voted

to rescind the proclamation of emergency, first enacted in March 2020 to help the city manage pandemic response.

• U.S. border patrol chief Rodney Scott visited Blaine.

• Birch Bay’s annual Rollback Weekend and Sand Sculpture Competition returned July 23-25.

• Unemployment claims return to prepandemic levels in Whatcom County and Washington state.

• Whatcom County Council prohibited the building of new refineries and shipping fa(See 2021, page 6)

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14

INSIDE

After a heated debate, Whatcom County Council voted 4-2 to postpone appointing a 42nd Legislative District senator until Tuesday, January 11. Councilmember Ben Elenbaas, who is one of three candidates for the seat, recused himself from the vote.

County council was tasked with appointing a candidate for the senate seat held by state senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale), who died after a monthlong battle with Covid-19 on December 17. The Whatcom County Republican Party sent county council a list of nominees on December 31 that council was slated to vote on during a special January 4 meeting before Washington’s legislative session convened Monday, January 10.

The Whatcom County Republican Party sent council three nominees: Ben Elenbaas, a current county council member representing the Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts area; Simon Sefzik, a Ferndale resident who recently graduated from Patrick Henry College in Virginia and has worked as an intern at the White House; and Tawsha Thompson, a Lynden resident who served nearly 25 years as a city of Bellingham police officer.

Saying he wanted a more transparent selection process, councilmember Rud Browne proposed council ask 20 questions of the applicants and allow residents until the end of the day on Friday, January 7 to offer additional questions.

Instead, council decided to give the applicants the questions immediately after the meeting, and have the applicants return their responses by the end of the day Friday, January 7.

Councilmembers Tyler Byrd and Kathy Kershner voted against Browne’s motion.

“I think postponing this to any degree at this point is really an injustice to people in the 42nd district who are needing someone in Olympia to represent them and help them with the flood,” Byrd said.

“People are trying to celebrate Christmas in a trailer because they can’t even get into their house and the trailer’s not insulated well in 7-degree temperature outside, some of the worst temperatures we’ve seen, ever. They’re begging for help and support. I don’t know how we look at every single one of those people who voted for us and say, ‘We’re doing what’s in your best interest.’”

Byrd also voiced concern that delaying the vote could mean the senator would be given whatever committees were left over after the legislative session begins.

The pushed vote means upcoming councilmember Kaylee Galloway will be voting on the new senator instead of Browne, whose term on county council ends before the next council meeting

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The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

Senate ...

From page 1

onTuesday, January 11.

John Ramsey, chair of the Whatcom County Republican Party, expressed his dismay with county council’s decision in a statement that was issued following the meeting. Ramsey said the Republican party, acting on county council’s request made during its December 22 meeting, reviewed dozens of applicants over the holidays before meeting

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December 30 to vote on its top three nominees.

“The council is now on record stating their intention to select our new senator next Tuesday, January 11. There should be no further stalling,” Ramsey said.

“The central committee of the Whatcom County Republican Party has fulfilled its obligations by submitting three names on very short notice and a tight deadline. It is time for the Whatcom County Council to fulfill theirs.”

County council is expected to meet 9 a.m. Tuesday, January 11 to vote on the appointee and a county judge will swear them into office shortly after. Council’s questions can be viewed online at bit.ly/3G2kzVj.

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2021

year in

REVIEW

Year in Review: Friends of Birch Bay Library

By Dianne Marrs-Smith In 2021 Friends of Birch Bay Library (FOBBL) engaged energetically with the Birch Bay community, and we were rewarded time and again with warm receptions.

This past year FOBBL sponsored, partnered with other groups (e.g., Birch Bay Chamber, Blaine Birch Bay Parks & Rec) or independently organized these activities: Trivia Night, Kite Festival, sand sculpture competition, Rollback Weekend, Discover Days, BBQ at the Berm Grand Opening party, book sales, Stripes the Cat treasure hunt, library capital facility area (LCFA) canvassing, Pirate Daze, poker run, numerous letters to the editor, Hawks Touchdown Club, grant applications, spooky tent, LCFA sign waving, and Holiday Lights Obstacle Dash. We also publish the FOBBL Flyer newsletter quarterly (with special editions as needed). We were busy!

Through it all, supporters of

s Friends of the Birch Bay Library members wave signs in support of Proposition 14 before the November 2021 election.

Photo by Aiden Ernst the library project continued volunteering, showing up, and giving their time and enthusiasm. FOBBL volunteers collectively donated 2,477 hours of their time to plan all the events, and then make them happen.

The November 2 election carried Proposition 14 (funding of the library) to the voters. We were gratified with the number of people supporting our cause, bringing us to over 59 percent “Yes” votes – just 26 votes shy of the number required to reach

60 percent. Therefore, we will be asking all who voted for us in November to turn up again for the February 8 special election and vote for Proposition 2, and those who didn’t vote before to help us then.

We believe, as Andrew Carnegie did, that, “A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people.” We look forward to bringing one to Birch Bay. Dianne Marrs-Smith, FOBBL president

Virtual H Street annexation public hearing scheduled Monday, January 10

By Grace McCarthy Blaine City Council is set to hold a virtual public hearing on the H Street Road annexation 6 p.m. Monday, January 10. The public hearing will discuss the proposed annexation of 3.2 acres in east Blaine comprised of two properties located at 4455 H Street Road and 2221 Cedarwood Lane.

In November 2020, landowner Patrick Rooney submitted an annexation request to the city for his 4455 H Street property. Along with Rooney’s request, the city included a neighboring property at 2221 Cedarwood Lane where the landowner had given the city permission to annex the property in a 2002 utility agreement.

The H Street Road annexation was brought before city council

in January 2021 and quickly received harsh push back from the Cedarwood Lane property owner and neighbors. Critics have argued in public meetings that an annexed property could lead way to future development, but city staff have said that concern is beyond the purview of the annexation request.

In May, council unanimously approved moving forward in the annexation process. But in mid-August, council directed city staff to fix procedural irregularities in the H Street annexation proposal that might have led to it being rejected by the Whatcom County boundary review board, which will ultimately decide whether to approve it. If city council decides to approve the annexation request following the public hearing, the request will

then go before the board.

Comment at the public hearing may not exceed five minutes.

Written comments will also be accepted for the public hearing. Written comments should be emailed to community development director Stacie Pratschner with the subject line “H Street Road Annexation” before 4:30 p.m. Monday, January 10. The message should be included in the email and not as an attachment.

The public hearing will be streamed online. To access the virtual public hearing, visit cityofblaine.com. The meeting link will be posted three days before the meeting.

For more information, email Pratschner at spratschner@cityofblaine.com or call 360/3328311.

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9565 Semiahmoo Parkway | Blaine, WA 98230 | 360-318-2090

January 6 - 12, 2022 • thenorthernlight.com

2021

year in

REVIEW

3

Year in Review: City of Blaine

By Michael Jones As the ongoing pandemic established a new normal, city of Blaine staff continued important work to serve the community, and to advance goals of the city council. Council priorities in 2021 included fiscal responsibility, preserving and growing local businesses, and housing development. Public safety and the preservation and maintenance of critical infrastructure also ranked high in council priorities.

To help achieve the city council goals of increasing services for the community and enhancing the local economy, the city manager worked to bring the remainder of the former airport property into productive use. The city is scheduled to close a real estate sale with retail developers for 4 acres along H Street in December. The city is also scheduled to sell the 665 Peace Portal Drive property for a mixed commercial and housing project. That land sale should occur before January 30.

The public works department has been forced to respond to numerous storm events and infrastructure failure incidents. Two major electrical outages focused attention on electrical grid fragility. Fortunately, the department has already designed and bid a project to build facilities that will strengthen the grid in 2022, which will make it more responsive to future incidents. In addition, all feeders were rebalanced to maximize efficiency in the grid system and infrastructure was reviewed to develop a maintenance plan to repair, replace or upgrade equipment.

Developing a more programmatic approach to infrastructure maintenance has been a department priority this past year. As such, the Lighthouse Point Reclamation Facility completed its first filter replacement since the plant came online in 2010. This was done to maintain optimum waste treatment and water quality. Motors and pumps were replaced to provide backup protection in case of failures.

The department also completed camera-driven sewer line studies throughout the to ascertain condition of lines and inline equipment. This uncovered a major sewer line deficiency that is scheduled for repair and replacement in 2022.

The engineering branch of the department completed the city’s water comprehensive plan, processed the addition of city wells to various water rights, and managed completion of an urgent leak repair to a historical earthen dam at the city’s well field property. The engineering staff also worked closely with community development services to oversee construction of many private development projects including four new residential subdivisions allowing for nearly 200 new housing units. The water, wastewater and storm water department processed over 73 new utility service requests and replaced/ repaired older water lines. Over-

all, the department processed more than 600 individual work orders for public facility repair and maintenance.

The police department promoted three officers to supervisory roles to fill vacancies created by retirement and resignations. Two new officers were hired to backfill the openings created by the promotions, and the department is completing background investigations and assessments of potential candidates for the remaining opening. Officer Katelyn Weaver received a lifesaving award for her efforts to save the life of a crash victim.

The city values training to ensure employees are qualified and skilled at their jobs, and police department staff completed training in advanced interview techniques, field training, supervision and leadership, firearms instruction, and defensive tactics. Training in procedures and records management led to a finding of full compliance with the criminal justice information systems audits by the Washington State Patrol. Chief Donnell Tanksley and officers participated in a variety of community events and activities.

The finance department experienced transition in staff during 2021. Finance director Jeffrey Lazenby left the department after 12 years to work for the city of Marble Falls, Texas. Daniel Heverling was hired in August of 2021 to lead the department. The department developed and implemented a Covid-19 utility debt relief program after the city council authorized $60,000 in customer assistance. It also worked with community development services on a small business loan forgiveness program. Both the utility debt relief and the small business loan forgiveness were funded by federal Covid-19 assistance.

The 2022 budget was finished and approved in November, which was a tremendous effort by the finance department and all city staff members. Typically completed in December, a November budget is a significant accomplishment having not

occurred for many years. The department continued to maintain efficient and effective core department services, such as utility billing, accounts payable, cashiering, accounts receivable, payroll and financial reporting. The department is preparing to host the state Auditor’s Office as the city undergoes a routine annual audit of the community’s public finances.

The theme in 2021 of the community development services department’s (CDS) achievements was of streamlining administrative, project review, and regulatory development functions in support of efficient service models that will spur economic development. CDS digitized it’s permit application submittals; adopted municipal code updates that create more clarity and consistency for permit processing and decision-making; issued a comprehensive land use enforcement guidance document; developed new budgeting guidelines for the Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee (BTAC); and developed project charters for two park projects. Staff focused on professional development and completed trainings in land use planning; environmental policy; building inspections; economic development; leadership and management.

The city clerk’s office continued to manage information-related services at the city. The office specialist and city clerk continued their work to transition towards delivering services such as public outreach, meeting management, hiring, public records requests and cemetery requests virtually.

This has enabled citizens to continue to receive services and for staff to efficiently complete tasks: notably recruitment and hiring.

Everyone at the city looks forward to the full reopening of the U.S./Canada border in 2022, to a more active economy, to continuing service to the city’s citizens and visitors, and to working on the goals and priorities that the city council sets in response to community input.

Michael Jones, city manager

s Katelyn Weaver is sworn in as a Blaine Police Department officer in June 2021. She later received a lifesaving award for saving the life of someone involved in a motor vehicle accident.

Photo by Ian Haupt

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The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

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.

Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.

Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Intern Georgia Costa prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Gary Lee 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 XXVII, No 29 Circulation: 10,500 copies

Circulation Independently verified by:

Next issue: Jan. 13 Ads due: Jan. 7

The Editor: The instructors of the Bellingham Sail and Power Squadron wish to thank Gordon MacGregor and the staff of Blaine Senior Center and the city of Blaine for the use of the center’s studio-quality space and robust internet connection for several educational Zoom trainings. The boating instructors, also Blaine Senior Center members, who conducted this training reside in rural Blaine and have unreliable internet service at their homes. Blaine Senior Center’s internet is both stable and fast.

The presentations were free for boaters in the U.S. and Canada as part of a series for boating education. Over 160 people viewed three presentations: First aid for coastal waters, introduction to anchoring, and vessel traffic separation presented by the U.S. Coast Guard – Seattle trainers.

The Bellingham squadron is a unit of America’s Boating Club, which offers wide-ranging boating courses throughout the U.S. We will soon be presenting two additional workshops: How to use the ma-

2021

year in

REVIEW

The Community Assistance Program (CAP) started the year with several programs shutdown due to Covid-19. Fortunately, we were able to operate our food connection program with some restrictions and our crisis assistance program remotely. In May, we received a favorable ruling from the city to occupy our new location. The CAP Center, located at 508 G Street, provided us with enough space to meet protocols for crisis assistance and allowed us to restart the clothing bank in August.

We spent much of the year anticipating a

year in

REVIEW

The Editor: It’s been two months since our local elections. I was not successful in my bid for a seat on the Blaine school board. I want to thank the 3,000-plus voters who trusted me with their votes and the many others in the school system and elsewhere who supported me.

I urge everyone to come together and support our school district’s board of directors and our other educational leaders as they navigate the challenging times ahead.

Parents, administrators, teachers and support staff are working very hard to make sure that our students are safe, happy and

learning. Many of those working for our students are tired and need our support.

This is especially true for parents who deal with uncertainty almost every day.

We will likely have some challenging and difficult days ahead that might serve to divide us. Many of us have moved from fear and anger over the pandemic to frustration and impatience. Nonetheless, we all need to work together to support those who work on behalf of our students.

Please take a deep breath before getting upset about what the leaders of our schools are doing and do what you can to support our students and those who work with them with your thoughts, words and actions. Our children need us to be good examples.

Again, thank you to those who support(See Letters, next page) Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

Year in Review: Community Assistance Program

By Laura Vogee

2021

rine VHF radio and gunkhole kayaking.

The training couldn’t have been done without the support of Blaine Senior Center staff. Again, a very sincere thank you.

Donna and Graham Hunter, Bill Morin and Madeline Mimi Tompkins, Bellingham Sail and Power Squadron education team Bellingham

large number of requests for help after the lifting of the utilities shutoff moratorium.

We were very grateful for the community’s generosity to help people with this need.

With additional help from the city and other county agencies, the needs of our neighbors in this area have been met so far.

Our fall programs were very successful once again, due to many volunteers and a generous community. We were able to run our winter coat program out of the CAP Center, but had to find new locations for our Thanksgiving baskets and Community Toy Store, as the location we used the past two years was no longer available. Eight people completed the fall Financial Lit-

eracy class that we offered in partnership with The Whatcom Dream, and we plan to schedule another class early in 2022.

This fall also brought the rollout of our new Chaplain Ministry. It is designed to expand CAP’s services to include emotional/spiritual care, as well as longer-term practical support and follow up. This offers a more relational approach to serving clients and supporting volunteers.

Each year our goal is to bless our community by enabling our neighbors to love and care for one another. During 2021, we had about 3,000 occasions to do this through all of our programs.

Laura Vogee, CAP board member

Year in Review: Birch Bay Water and Sewer District

By Erin Carampot During the Covid-19 pandemic, Birch Bay Water and Sewer District has continued operations. Our essential workers continue to safeguard public health by providing clean safe drinking water and the management of our wastewater treatment plant. We welcomed two new operators, one each in water and sewer, Chris Bork and Benny Tapia.

Chris comes to the district with a commercial driver’s license and many years of driving experience, which will be handy in operating our dump truck and other heavy equipment. Benny, who has a degree in bi-

ology, is forklift certified and has water testing experience, which applies to laboratory work in our wastewater treatment plant.

The water operations’ staff is close to completion installing Automated Read Meters throughout the district. The waste water treatment plant implemented a study of our outflow and experimental treatment methods to reduce our impact on the Strait of Georgia.

In order to provide a safe work place and essential services to our customers, we have implemented changes to how we are working. Our business office is open on an appointment basis to provide a safe barrier for our employees. We continue to provide

customer service by phone and email.

Management has worked closely with our public assistance partners to create a customer assistance plan for delinquent accounts with the support of our board of commissioners. We remain responsive to changes to Washington state proclamations for the suspension non-payment water shut-offs and late fees. We have postponed our resumption of shut-offs until the beginning of 2022, to provide customers time to enter into a repayment plan.

We have proactively contacted affected customers with their options.

Erin Carampot, BBWSD accounts receivable clerk

Civic Meetings Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info and Zoom meeting link: bbwsd.com.

Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. Virtual meeting info: bbbparkandrec.org/board-meetings.

Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info and virtual meeting login: ci.blaine.wa.us.

Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.

Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m.

Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/2CiMKnk.

Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info and virtual meeting link: blainesd.org.

North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Rescheduled to Tuesday, October 19 at 11 a.m. via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.

January 6 - 12, 2022 • thenorthernlight.com

2021

year in

REVIEW

By Sally Church Blaine Food Bank is so blessed to serve in this community. More than any other time 2021 has indeed proven what a privilege it is to be a part of a community that truly cares.

As with many others we have struggled this year. We have faced supply chain issues, the ongoing impacts of the pandemic and rising prices, while demands for assistance have skyrocketed.

With summer we were blessed with the bounty of local home farmers’ fresh produce, and when the growing season ended, we were the recipients of a $16,000 gift from the ‘Good Ol Boys” golf tournament, and recently an amazing donation of over 2 tons

Year in Review: Blaine Food Bank of food, and $1,700 in cash from Blaine Elementary School that carried us through to this year’s Matching Funds Campaign.

Through the generosity of this caring community our all-volunteer crew collected, sorted and distributed 1,850,000 pounds of food to 20,500 local families that included 11,500 seniors, 37,600 adults and 28,500 children.

2022 will mark the Blaine Food Bank’s 50th anniversary of serving this community. Many people have worked long and hard over the years to establish this essential service to provide hunger relief to our friends and neighbors.

What a privilege it is to be associated with this organization!

Looking forward, it is our hope to replace the tent that we cur-

CITY OF BLAINE Due to Governor Inslee’s proclamation in response to COVID-19, this City Council meeting will be conducted in-person and telephonically.

Information on how to watch 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 location may change.

Monday, January 10 5:00pm – Study Session 6:00pm – City Council Meeting s Thomas Yang of the Semiahmoo Good Ol’ Boys golf group hands Blaine Food Bank operations manager Sally Church a check for $16,000 on September 3, 2021.

Photo by Ian Haupt rently use for distribution with a pole building that will provide much needed additional space for both distribution and storage. We are currently in the preliminary planning and permit stages, and with luck we hope to be under

cover before the onset of next year’s bad weather. We will continue to honor all who support our operation through service to those in need.

Sally Church, Blaine Food Bank operations manager

Washington State Parks (WSP) will have 12 free days in 2022 where a Discover Pass is not required to park at state parks and on recreation lands managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).

The holidays that the free days commemorate include former chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Billy Frank Jr.’s birthday on March 9, Juneteenth on June 19, and World Mental Health Day on October 10. Many of the free days will honor marginalized peoples and their histories, such as Indig-

Letters ...

From previous page

ed my candidacy … it’s time to listen to each other and work together for our students.

Bob Feaster Birch Bay The Editor: We, the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce board of directors, unanimously support the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library building project. We realize the significant role libraries play as educational, community and cultural centers. Libraries bring economic vitality and literacy to a community, thus enhancing the quality of life.

“The purpose of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce is to promote, encourage and coordinate cooperation and civil exchange between all elements of the community; and to promote, enhance and advocate for the civic, commercial, economic, recreational, and general welfare interest of the Birch Bay area.” (Article 2 BBCC Bylaws) “Libraries are essential. They are important cornerstones of a healthy community.” Therefore, we heartily endorse this endeavor

enous and Black communities. “[These free day additions are] a reflection of the state’s continued progress and commitment toward creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive experience for all who recreate in Washington’s great outdoors,” said John Scott, WSP diversity, equity and inclusion director, in a statement.

The free days also recognize the importance of mental health and the ways nature can heal those who are suffering. Studies worldwide show time spent in nature increases serotonin and decreases cortisol levels, along with many other health benefits, according to a WSP press release.

In 2022, the upcoming Discov-

er Pass free days are: • Monday, January 17 – Martin Luther King Day • Wednesday, March 9 – Billy Frank Jr.’s birthday • Saturday, March 19 – Washington State Parks’ birthday • Friday, April 22 – Earth Day • Saturday, June 11 – National Get Outdoors Day • Sunday, June 12 – Free Fishing Weekend • Sunday, June 19 - Juneteenth • Saturday, Sept. 24 – National Public Lands Day • Monday, October 10 – World Mental Health Day • Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day • Friday, November 25 – Native American Heritage Day

and would encourage all to help provide the needed resources to make this library building project a reality for the community of Birch Bay. Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce board of directors Birch Bay

left-leaning opinion news in The Northern Light. Hopefully, 2022 will focus on making truth and factual information available with less opinion for the benefit of all.

Janice Lee Blaine

The Editor: We were so very close – just 26 more votes would have met our required 60 percent goal. So, we have to start over.

We are very grateful for all the 59 percent of people who voted in favor of the Birch Bay Vogt Community Library. So very close.

There is a special election on February 8 where our Proposition 2 will offer another opportunity to show your support for this project. If everyone who voted for it in November invited one person who didn’t vote then to join them on Vote Yes! in February, we would have more than enough to make the 60 percent.

Do you think that’s possible?

Let’s see.

Ruth Higgins Blaine The Editor: Thanks to Susan Werner for her letter voicing concern of the slow move toward wokeness and

Thursday, January 13 9:00am – Park and Cemetery Board Meeting

Thursday, January 13 6:00pm – Planning Commission Meeting

Monday, January 17 City Offices Closed – Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Tuesday, January 18 9:00am – Special

Free state park days to look out for in 2022

By Georgia Costa

5

City Council Meeting

Discover Passes typically cost $30 to $35 per year or about $10 for a one-day visit.

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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The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

2021 ...

From page 1

cilities at Cherry Point.

August • Voters rejected the North Whatcom Fire and Rescue levy lid lift in the August 3 primary election.

• The Blaine Community Theater returned to the stage for its first performance since the pandemic to showcase the “Pirates of Penzance” water balloon show during Pirate Daze.

• The B.C. Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported methamphetamine seizures at the U.S./ Canada border increased 110 percent in 2020 from the year before.

• Birch Bay beekeeper Ruthie Danielsen purchased the first Asian giant hornet nest found and eradicated in the U.S. to further education on the invasive species. The nest was displayed at the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden before it would be displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. • New Blaine Police Department officer Katelyn Weaver was awarded a life-saving service award for helping save a man’s life in a car crash.

• Real estate excise tax revenues soar during high housing demand.

• Blaine Senior Center welcomed new director Gordon MacGregor.

• Governor Jay Inslee mandated state and private health care workers needed to be fully vaccinated

by October 18. Whatcom County and the city of Blaine did not make mandates for their workers.

• Unions representing the Canada Border Services Agency employees reached an agreement with the Canadian government August 6 after a work-to-rule campaign backed up about 100 trucks on I-5.

• The Canadian border opened to nonessential travel from fully vaccinated U.S. residents on August 9 as long as they took a PCR Covid-19 test within 72 hours of crossing the border.

• Blaine City Council returned for its first in-person meeting since the pandemic on August 9.

• The first live Asian giant hornet was spotted in east Blaine, which eventually led Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) scientists to discover the first nest of 2021 in east Blaine, one-quarter of a mile from the nest found in 2020.

• A surge in the Delta Covid-19 variant and cross-border travel caused Whatcom County providers to see double the demand for testing.

s Whatcom County government officials cut the ribbon celebrating the completion of the Birch Bay berm project, officially called the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project, on August 21. From l.; Jon Hutchings, Whatcom County public works director; Barry Buchanan, Whatcom County Council chair; Roland Middleton, Whatcom County public works manager; Roger Almskaar, former Whatcom County planning department employee; Jack Louws, former Whatcom County Executive; and Tyler Schroeder, Whatcom County deputy executive.

Photo by Grace McCarthy • About 50 parents and community members assembled outside of the Blaine High School cafeteria to protest governor Jay Inslee’s mask mandates on August 25.

• The completion of the Birch Bay berm was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony August 21.

• Blaine City Council meetings return to being only held online until the state’s indoor mask mandate is lifted for fully vaccinated individuals.

September • The Blaine Police Department searched for funding options to start its body-worn camera program that is required in 2022 under new Washington state law.

• Discover Birch Bay Days returned for its 42nd year and brought three days of family activities.

• The Peace Arch celebrated its centennial September 6, albeit no official celebration because of the pandemic.

• The Blaine school board requested Whatcom County officials listen to community members against the state’s mask and vaccination mandates in a September 7 letter.

• A Federal Railroad Administration report cited vandalism as a likely factor in the December 22, 2020 Custer train derailment.

• The ninth annual Run with the Chums was held at BP Highlands September 11.

• An unofficial ceremony at the Peace Arch paid tribute to those who lost their lives and put their

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lives on the line 20 years prior during the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

• The city of Blaine welcomed new finance director Daniel Heverling.

• At least 168 people tested positive for Covid-19 after attending the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden.

• WSDA scientists eradicated the second Asian giant hornet nest found in east Blaine in 2021.

• Blaine City Council gave final plat approval to the first East Maple Ridge plat, which was expected to have 48 single-family lots and 12 multi-family parcels with 48 units.

• A Seattle jury convicted Ellen Reiche, of Bellingham, charged with one count of violence against a railroad carrier for placing shunts on train tracks in north Bellingham in November 2020.

• Sheila Wood was hired as the Blaine Chamber of Commerce’s new executive director.

• Travel writer and T.V. personality Rick Steves highlighted Blaine in a video series exploring Whatcom County.

• WSDA scientists eradicated the third Asian giant hornet nest found in east Blaine in 2021.

• Blaine school board president Charles Gibson adjourned the September board meeting for one hour after a community member refused to wear a mask while speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting. The meeting was continued later that night online.

• Blaine City Council gave final plat approval to Woodberry, a 29 single-family home subdivision just south of Fire Station 62 on Semiahmoo Parkway that had previously caused public concern on its environmental impact.

• Living Pantry, a zero-waste store that opened in Blaine in 2020, opened a second location in Bellingham.

• Former Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office corrections deputy, Christopher ​​ Frederic Baetz of Blaine, was sentenced to one month in jail after he pleaded guilty to smuggling items for a female inmate earlier in the year.

October

• A single-use plastic bag ban started statewide October 1.

• National Night Out, an annual parade celebrating first responders, returned October 5.

• Friends of the Birch Bay Library members waved signs in support of Proposition 14, a November 2021 election ballot measure that would fund library construction, at busy intersections in Blaine and Birch Bay. • The Semiahmoo Good Ol’ Boys golf group donated $16,000 to Blaine Food Bank.

• The Washington state Department of Commerce opened a grant program for small businesses impacted by the U.S./Canada border closure. Up to $50,000 in grants were available to businesses that applied by the October 18 deadline.

• Drayton Harbor Oyster Company expanded into the former Kaisacole Seafood Market to add extra bar seating.

• The city of Blaine submitted requests to use Whatcom County’s ARPA funds to assist paying for a $2.5 million sewer rehabilitation project in the Lettered Street neighborhood and $500,000 for a North Harvey Road water pump station.

• Skeers Construction, Inc. and Land Development Engineering and Surveying, Inc. held a public meeting on the Mott’s Hill Overlook project, an east Blaine neighborhood that would create 54 single-family homes.

• A federal judge sentenced Samantha Frances Brooks, of Bellingham, to six months in prison after she pleaded guilty to interfering with a railroad signaling system in north Bellingham in November 2020.

• Whatcom County Council voted 4-3 to create a no-shooting zone in Drayton Harbor within 1,000 feet of the shoreline just days before hunting opened in Drayton Harbor October 16.

• Washington State Department of Transportation closed the Custer rest stops again after they were temporarily closed earlier in the year because of lack of resources.

• Members of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 165 requested

Whatcom County stop its plans to demolish the Northwest Annex, a 1920s Tudor-style building on Smith Road and Northwest Drive.

• Blaine school district had 40 fewer students on the first day of school than it did in 2020, the lowest the district’s enrollment had been in five years.

• BP announced it plans to invest $269 million in three projects at the Cherry Point that will bring more than 300 jobs in the next three years and reduce the refinery’s carbon emissions and double its renewable diesel production.

• The Port of Bellingham director of economic development announced two potential buyers were looking at purchasing the Alcoa Intalco Works aluminum smelter in Ferndale.

• Blaine school district finance director Amber Porter said in the October school board meeting that the district has the funds to purchase a property in Birch Bay where a future school could be built.

• By the state’s October 18 vaccine mandate, local organizations such as the Blaine school district, North Whatcom Fire and Rescue and PeaceHealth St. Joseph Hospital had exempted some staff who were not fully vaccinated.

• Tony Andrews, owner of Tony’s Just A Bite, decided to leave Blaine after nearly 40 years of owning restaurants in town.

• Whatcom County Council unanimously voted to reverse its decision to create a Drayton Harbor no-shooting zone, leaving nothing changed after two years of debate in county council.

Council chair Barry Buchanan attributed treaty rights as part of the new decision.

• The Blaine school board voted to terminate the employment of a cheer coach after she didn’t meet the school’s exemption accommodations for the vaccine mandate.

• Blaine City Council extended the utility moratorium by one week, until the first week of November, to give customers behind on payments during the state’s utility moratorium one more chance to pay their bills or create a repayment plan.

November • Voters rejected the North Whatcom Fire and Rescue levy lid lift for a second time in the November 2021 election.

• Proposition 14, which would have established the Birch Bay library capital facility area to fund construction of the Birch Bay library, was 26 votes away from meeting the supermajority threshold needed in the November 2021 election. Whatcom County Library System officials announced it would be on a special February 2022 ballot.

• U.S. congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Pramila Jayapa (WA-07) demanded a formal apology from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol after officers detained almost 100 Iranian-Americans in January 2020 at the Peace Arch Border Crossing.

• Southwest Airlines made its inaugural flight into Bellingham International Airport November 7.

• The U.S. opened its border to nonessential travel from fully vaccinated Canadians on November 8. However, Canadians still were (See 2021, page 10)

January 6 - 12, 2022 • thenorthernlight.com

7

Sports Year in Review: Blaine High School sports takes on a Covid year

By Ian Haupt • The Borderite football team was excited to get back on the field for the first time since 2019, and play in the Blaine High School’s newly-built, unused stadium. Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) released new guidelines and an adjusted fall sports season is scheduled, with football, girls soccer, cross country and volleyball all competing.

• Borderite fall sports struggle to find wins in the middle of their adjusted season.

• Football won its first game of the season against Nooksack and then had its season cut short due to Covid-19 exposure. Girls soccer, cross country and volleyball finished out their seasons.

• Boys soccer, baseball, softball, golf and track competed as WIAA’s adjusted spring season began.

• Borderite baseball and softball players and track athletes made conference leaderboards.

• Baseball finished a shortened spring season with a 7-7 record, while boys soccer finished 0-6 and softball ended 4-9.

• The 2020-21 adjusted winter sports season started with basketball and wrestling competing in June.

• Winter sports season ended.

Boys basketball finished with a 7-6 record and girls basketball finished 5-8.

• Football and girls soccer opened their return to a “regular” fall sports season with a win while volleyball lost on the road.

• Senior forwards Randi Roose and Bries Nolasco each scored a hat trick in girls soccer’s 9-2 win over Mount Baker on senior night.

s Scott Baldwin makes a catch in the Borderites’ 46-22 loss at Archbishop Murphy.

• Blaine’s girls soccer team finished with a 8-7 record and entered the 1A post-season bracket as first seed.

• Blaine’s football team beat Nooksack 35-21 in a dramatic fourth-quarter comeback on senior night.

• Blaine’s girls soccer team beat Meridian in penalties to advance out of the district bracket. They moved on to play The Bush School in Bellevue with the winner advancing to the state tournament.

• Girls soccer lost 2-0 to The Bush School on the road to the

state tournament, ending their season.

• Winter sports started and boys basketball won its opening game 70-53 against Archbishop Murphy while girls basketball were forced to delay its season due to a Covid-19 case.

• Blaine High School hosted Battle of the Border, a two-day, 15-school wrestling tournament, December 10 and 11. The Borderites took fifth in the competition, with standout performances from Alex Welch, Timothy Pomeroy and Cael Button, who all finished in the top three of their weight classes, respectively.

• Blaine’s boys basketball team beat rival Lynden for the first time since the 1992-93 season.

The Borderites beat the Lions 4944 at home December 20, sending a spark into the team that had a 3-4 losing record before the holiday break.

Photos by Janell Kortlever

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The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

Health & Wellness Local choices in health, healing & fitness.

Covid-19 in Whatcom County, by school district boundaries: Recent two-week case rates, cumulative counts and vaccinations Blaine Lynden Nooksack Valley Vaccination: 73% Vaccination: 57% Vaccination: 54% Case rate: 594 Case rate: 665 Case rate: 689 New cases: 112 New cases: 143 New cases: 79 Ferndale Meridian Vaccination: 69% Vaccination: 66% Case rate: 769 Case rate: 544 New cases: 274 New cases: 61

By Grace McCarthy

Mount Baker Vaccination: 49% Case rate: 629 New cases: 101

Bellingham Vaccination: 80% Case rate: 509 New cases: 576 s The case rate is the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks.

New cases are the total number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the last week. Vaccination is the percentage of the population that has had at least one vaccine shot. Rates were updated January 1.

Covid-19 case rates continue to dramatically increase in all school district areas in Whatcom County since they first began to rise mid-December.

There have been 112 new Covid-19 cases in the Blaine school district area and 1,346 new cases throughout Whatcom County in the past week, according to Whatcom County Health Department data. The increase in cases is mainly due to the Omicron variant which transmits much more easily than previous virus variants. It was first detected in Whatcom County December 10.

The Ferndale school district area had the highest Covid-19 cases in the county, with 769 cases per 100,000 people. Blaine

school district had the fourth highest case rate with 594 cases per 100,000. Bellingham school district had the lowest case rate at 509 cases per 100,000.

Whatcom County has had 21,510 confirmed and probable Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, according to January 3 Washington State Department of Health data. The death toll in Whatcom County is now at 204 for Covid-19 deaths, which accounts for .9 percent of total cases. In the state, 9,909 people have died from the virus.

On January 4, 42 people at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham had either been admitted for Covid-19 or tested positive for Covid-19 after being admitted for another rea(See Covid, next page)

PeaceHealth urges boosters, safe practices amid rise in Covid-19 cases Due to a sudden and significant increase in Covid-19 patients, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center is expanding its Covid bed capacity to meet the demand and asking for the community’s help in minimizing the transmission and severity of infections.

The uptick coincides with the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant, first detected in Whatcom County on December 10.

“We are extremely concerned to see these numbers, and urgently ask community members to take

the precautions that we know will help keep hospitalizations down,” said Dr. Sudhakar Karlapudi, chief medical officer for PeaceHealth’s Northwest network. “At the top of that list are receiving a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot if you have been vaccinated already and, of

course, getting your first dose if you have so far chosen not to.”

While two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines are highly effective against the earlier strains, including delta, they have proven much less so with omicron, Dr. Karlapudi said. A booster shot,

however, appears to dramatically increase protection against omicron.

“Early studies on the omicron variant are finding that it causes less severe symptoms than previ(See PeaceHealth, next page)

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January 6 - 12, 2022 • thenorthernlight.com

9

Health & Wellness Local choices in health, healing & fitness.

Covid-19 case rates in Whatcom County

American Legion hosts health screenings January 14 The American Legion Peace Arch Post 86 will host health screenings on Friday, January 14.

Life Line Screening, a national health screening company, will screen people for health risks from conditions such as carotid artery, abdominal aortic aneurysm, peripheral artery disease and osteoporosis at the post, lo-

s Covid-19 cases rates per 100,000 people in Whatcom County have increased among all school districts in the past month. The Ferndale school district area has the highest case rates in the county, at 769 cases per 100,000 people. See the graph on page 8 for this week’s case rates.

Graph courtesy WCHD

Covid ...

From previous page

son.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 1,058 people have been hospitalized for Covid-19 in Whatcom County.

Covid-19 case rates continue

PeaceHealth ...

From previous page

ous strains, which is good news,” he said. “However, the flip side is that omicron is extremely contagious, causing varying levels of illness among both the unvaccinated and vaccinated. We are preparing for the potential for a large surge in hospitalizations.”

Dr. Karlapudi noted that this preparation includes careful caseby-case review of all scheduled surgical procedures. Beginning Monday, January 3, and at least through this week, a majority of cases are likely to be rescheduled to ensure adequate resources to care for the increasing number of Covid-positive patients. Affected patients will be notified.

While getting vaccinated is the most effective step you can take to avoid serious illness and hospitalization, simple precautions are also important: • Avoid any event or gathering that may attract a large number of people and where you cannot maintain a safe distance.

• If you are planning to travel or attend a gathering with people who may be unvaccinated or especially vulnerable, consider getting a Covid-19 test.

• Wear a mask whenever you are in an indoor public space or crowded outdoor area, or with people who are unvaccinated or

to increase among all age groups.

People 25-44 years old have the highest Covid-19 transmissions in the county, with 988 cases per 100,000 people, and people 18-24-years-old follow with 682 cases per 100,000.

Blaine has the second highest Covid-19 vaccination rates in the county, at 73 percent, which fol-

lows Bellingham, 80 percent, at the highest. Residents aged 25-49 years old have the highest vaccine rates among age groups in the county, with 90 percent of people having initiated the vaccine and 82 percent fully vaccinated.

For more Whatcom County information, visit whatcomcounty. us/coviddata.

whose vaccination status is unknown.

The CDC recommends a mask made of at least two layers or more of washable, breathable fabric that completely covers your nose and mouth. The mask should also fit snugly against the sides of your face and not have gaps. The CDC also suggests having a mask with a nose wire to help you get a secure fit and prevent air from leaking out of the top of the mask.

Maintain physical distance of at least six feet from people who are

outside your immediate family or social circle.

“It is essential that our hospital maintain the capacity and resources to provide a high level of care to all patients who need it, whether they are coming to us with Covid-19, a heart attack or a traumatic injury,” Dr, Karlapudi said.

“We need the community’s help to ensure we can continue to do this by protecting themselves and each other against Covid.”

Courtesy PeaceHealth health systems

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The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

2021 ...

From page 6

required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test when returning to Canada.

• U.S. congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) visited Blaine stores to see the border town open for Canadian visitors.

• Blaine City Council voted unanimously to use $118,000 in ARPA funds to pay for a G Street pavilion.

• A New York City investment group acquired Chuckanut Bay Foods in a $6.6 million purchase.

• The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9474 and American Legion Post 86 honored military members in a Veterans Day ceremony outside of the Blaine police station.

• The Washington state department of commerce awarded Covid-19 relief grants to over 100 Whatcom County businesses impacted by the U.S./Canada border closure.

• A civil case between Smuggler’s Inn owner Bob Boule and a U.S. Customs and a Border Protection agent was announced that it will be heard in the U.S. Supreme Court and could potentially expand first amendment rights.

• State senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after arriving in El Salvador and asked Republican state legislators for help receiving treatment. He then took a medevac flight to a Florida hospital.

• Severe flooding closed Blaine and Birch Bay roads November 15. The flooding devastated other parts of the county, forcing hun-

dreds of evacuations along the Nooksack River. Governor Jay Inslee declared a severe weather state of emergency for 14 counties impacted by the heavy rainfall.

• Canada dropped the Covid-19 testing requirement for fully vaccinated Canadians taking trips less than 72 hours into the U.S. on November 30.

• Rep. Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) announced she would run for the 42nd Legislative District seat in the state senate.

• Volunteer support poured in for Whatcom County residents impacted by the severe flooding in mid-November.

December • Holiday Harbor Lights returned for a day-long celebration.

State data showed most school employees across the state who received vaccine exemptions were for religious reasons. Ninety percent of Blaine school district employees were fully vaccinated and eight percent received a religious exemption.

• Blaine City Councilmember Richard May and Bellingham resident Joe Timmons announced they would run for state representative in the 42nd Legislative District.

• Pierce County resident Gary Vernon Johnson pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide in a July 2020 crash on I-5 that killed his brother, Blaine resident David Bruce Johnson.

• The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) awarded the Lighthouse Point Water Reclamation Facility a 2020 Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance Award.

• The Blaine school board adopt-

ed a second redistricting plan after a push from Birch Bay residents concerned about representation.

The plan will give Birch Bay two of its own districts, Blaine two of its own and one split between them.

• Blaine school district board vice president Laura McKinney resigned from the board and announced she and her family are moving out of state.

• Gary Slavin, owner of The Rustic Fork Eatery, opened Gateway 1890 Taphouse & Grill in downtown Blaine.

• Blaine Police Department arrested a 12-year-old after graffiti threatening a school shooting was found in a Blaine Middle School boys bathroom. This came after other Whatcom County schools had school shooting threats.

• Harbor Custom Development, the developer for Horizon at Semiahmoo, announced it was in contract to purchase Grandis Pond from Blossom Management.

• State senator Doug Ericksen, a longtime conservative member in the state legislature, died December 17.

• Smuggler’s Inn owner Bob Boule pleaded guilty to helping people cross into Canada through his bed-and-breakfast. Boule will serve 30 months of probation.

• A federal judge sentenced Ellen Reiche to 12 months in prison for one count of violence against a railroad carrier after she tried to place shunts on railway tracks in north Bellingham in November 2020.

• Governor Jay Inslee sent a request to President Joe Biden to declare November’s flooding a federal emergency major disaster.

Rules of the Road: How to stop impaired driving

By Doug Dahl This week I’m turning things around a bit. Usually you ask the questions, but this time I’m going to do it. Or more accurately, I’m going to repeat a question that Washington Traffic Safety Commission asked: “What have you done to stop someone from driving drunk or high?” Folks responded, and their answers are worth sharing.

Maybe you’ve been in a situation where an impaired person intended to drive and you knew it was up to you to make sure they didn’t. In that moment you might have felt like you were out there on your own. I hope that after you’re done reading this you’ll know that you’re not. These stories (and actual research data) show that when you prevent impaired driving, you’re part of a team that includes a lot of us.

How many? A survey of Washington drivers found that 80 percent of people in a situation to intervene have taken action to stop someone from driving impaired.

Here are a few of their stories.

There’s the couple that would disconnect their mom’s car battery when she was drinking because they know she’d try to drive. They also knew she’d be mad about it, but as the person wrote, “At least she’s still alive and we can look back on those awful nights and laugh a little.”

There’s the woman who was hit

by a drunk driver, and has made a commitment to be a designated driver or hold onto keys when friends are consuming.

There’s the man who worked the nighttime shift at a bowling alley and encountered a clearly drunk person (described as “smelled like he fell into a beer vat”) knocking on the door. The man held onto the impaired person’s keys and let him sleep in his car in the parking lot until morning when he came in for coffee and breakfast.

There’s the woman who has been doing the designated driver thing for so many years that it wasn’t even a thing when she started.

There’s the guy who called 911 when he saw a person stumbling toward their car and struggling to get in. The dispatcher had an officer on the way before the vehicle even started moving, and the (See Road Rules, page 16)

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11

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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY In re the Estate of: DAVID MICHAEL SIMS, JR., Deceased. No. 21-4-00786-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS Judge Robert E. Olson.

The Administrator named below has been appointed and has qualified as Administrator of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probated proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Administrator served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 AND 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.

Date of Filing of Notice to Creditors: December 29, 2021 with Clerk of Court: Date of First Publication: January 6, 2022 Name of Administrator: NICOLE MARIE SIMS Attorney for Administrators: Steven D. Avery, WSBA #35262 Address for Mailing or Service: Avery Elder Law, P.S. 801 Samish Way, Ste. 202 Bellingham WA 98229 Telephone: (360) 325-2550 Email: steve@averyelderlaw.com DATED: December 29, 2021 AVERY ELDER LAW, P.S. STEVEN D. AVERY, WSBA #35262 Attorney for Administrator: NICOLE MARIE SIMS www.averyelderlaw.com

IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF Whatcom In Re the Estate of Edwin Barrett Jr, Deceased. NO. 214-00414-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030). JUDGE: Robert E. Olson.

The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.

Date of First Publication: January 6, 2022 Personal Representative: Mary Ullrich 808 NW 108th Street Seattle, WA 98177 Attorney for the Personal Representative: Katti Esp 301 Prospect Street Bellingham, WA 98225 Address for Mailing or Service: Katti Esp 301 Prospect Street Bellingham, WA 98225 Court of Probate Proceedings Superior Court of Whatcom County and Cause Number: Cause No. 21-4-00414-37.

SUPERIOR COURT OF WASHINGTON FOR WHATCOM COUNTY in re the Estate of ALLAN CALVIN KOCH, Deceased. No. 21-4-01055-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS (RCW 11.40.030).

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE The above Court has appointed me as their Personal Representative of Decedent’s estate.

Any person having a claim against the Decedent must present the claim: (a) Before the time when the claim would be barred by any applicable statute of limitations, and (b) In the manner provided in RCW 11.40.070: (i) By filing the original of the claim with the foregoing Court, and (ii) By serving on or mailing to me at the address below a copy of the claim. The claim must be presented by the later of: (a) Thirty (30) days after I served or mailed this Notice as provided in RCW 11.40.020(1)(c), or (b) Four (4) months after the date of first publication of this Notice. If the claim is not presented within this time period, the claim will be forever barred except as provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective for claims against both the Decendent’s probate and non-probate assets.

Date of First Publication of this Notice: January 6, 2022 Personal Representative: Kenneth Ray Koch 5513 Salish Rd. Blaine, WA 98230

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The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

Real Estate Sat Ope ., J n H an ou . 8, se 1-3 pm

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January 6 - 12, 2022 • thenorthernlight.com

2021

O B I T U A RY

year in

REVIEW

Year in Review: Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce

By Danielle Gaughen As we prepare to turn the calendar on 2021, we reflect on the year past and are thrilled with all that we accomplished. Entering 2020 there were a number of uncertainties including the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, continuing construction of the pedestrian facility, or berm project, and the availability of the Birch Bay Beach Park. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors together with newly appointed executive director Danielle Gaughen and new event coordinator Sacha Sanguinetti were able to put together a calendar of events this year that was exciting and engaging.

Our annual summer events: Kite Festival, Sand Sculpture Competition, Rollback Weekend and Discover Birch Bay Days are time-honored traditions, which highlight the best of what Birch Bay has to offer. While these events were modified in 2020 and 2021 they continue to draw large crowds of locals, and visitors from near and far. Though the Birch Bay Beach Park remained unavailable to us this year we enjoyed partnering with Friends of Birch Bay Library and Whatcom County Library System to enjoy our events at the site of the future Birch Bay Vogt Community Library.

In addition to our traditional summer events, we got to continue our outdoor movie nights at the Birch Bay Waterslides and

2021

year in

REVIEW

By Jennie Sand North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) responded to 5,062 calls through November 2021.

Almost 69 percent of those calls were for emergency medical assistance; 3 percent of the calls were for fires. The remaining 28 percent of calls were for false alarms, public assists and hazardous conditions.

Five new career firefighters were hired in 2021 to fill existing vacancies leaving NWFR with two unfilled positions.

One Lieutenant was promoted to rank of captain in April.

Two firefighters were promoted to the rank of lieutenant in September.

One firefighter was hired as a lateral firefighter in September.

Lieutenants Leslee Smith and Keith Zylstra and mechanic John

13

Kay Carolyn “Miss Kay” Olason Kay “Miss Kay” Olason, 75, passed away on November 30, 2021 in Yuma, Arizona.

Mom requested immediate cremation and for her ashes to be combined with Papa’s. We will distribute them per their wishes at a later date. No services are planned at this time.

Born in Corvallis, Oregon to Theo Clinton and Norma Jean Griffeth, Kay is survived by daughters Tina (Darwin) Hardin and Kelly Louveau; grandson Jesse Nieuwendorp and fur-baby Oliver. She is also survived by her sister Karen Griffeth of Lynden and brother Clint (Colleen) Griffeth of Sedro Woolley and numerous other family members and friends.

Kay loved to love on people. She sewed dolls, quilted and crocheted afghans and angels constantly. Her hands were rarely still.

She also shared her love with food – she was a great fried chicken maker and loved to bake.

Kay was preceded in death by her parents, husband Randy Olason and son Travis Louveau.

Be comforted knowing her earthly body was broken, she was tired of fighting, she is now at peace resting comfortably with her departed loved ones in a better place. Those we love don’t go away, they walk beside us every day…unseen, unheard, but always near, still loved, still missed and very dear.

Feel No Guilt in Laughter Feel no guilt in laughter, she’d know how much you care.

Feel no sorrow in a smile that she is not here to share.

You cannot grieve forever; she would not want you to.

She’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.

So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared, The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.

Let memories surround you, a word someone may say Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour or a day, That brings her back as clearly as though she were still here, And fills you with the feeling that she is always near.

For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart And she will live forever locked safely within your heart. ~ Unknown

thank them for their continued partnership and helping us bring this fun summer tradition back to Birch Bay for another safe family-friendly activity. Also new to the 2021 event calendar was our launch of Trick-or-Treat on the Berm. We lucked out with amazing weather, and are excited to host this fun community event again in 2022 – this time with more candy!

We want to take a moment to thank each of our members (139 at the time of writing this); What-

com County Lodging Tax Advisory Committee; Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2; our Platinum Sponsors: Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery; Silver Reef Casino Resort/Loomis Trail Golf Course; Yes! Whatcom Libraries; our Gold Sponsors: Banner Bank & Billy Brown Windermere Realtor. We are honored to support, partner and work with each of you and we can’t wait to “Join the Fun in Birch Bay” in 2022.

Danielle Gaughen, Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce executive director

Allan C. Koch

May 19, 1943–December 18, 2021 Allan C. Koch, age 78, passed away on December 18, 2021.

Allan was born in Los Angeles, California on May 19, 1943. He was the first-born son of the late Calvin H. Koch and Marguerite Holzschuh Koch. He is survived by his brother, Kenneth R. Koch and his wife, Ruth of Birch Bay; his sister, Sandra K. Greenberg and her husband, Donald of Ventura, CA.; his aunt, Eunice Koch Limberg of Lompoc, CA.; by niece Allison Ross, her husband, Michael; niece Marie Rodriguez; grandnephews Nathan Ross and Marcel Rodriguez; grandniece Chloe Ross; and many cousins and friends.

At George Washington High School, he was on the varsity track and cross country teams. He was involved in scouting throughout his youth from cub scouts to Eagle Scout, to Order of the Arrow, and as an Explorer Scout in Post 124. Allan graduated from George Washington High School, Los Angeles, in the winter class of 1961.

He worked several jobs to support his college education at Harbor Community College then California State University, Northridge.

While in college, he received his draft notice and joined the US Navy. He was trained as a Signalman (SM2) and did his tour of duty on the USS Aludra AF55 in the Pacific during the Vietnam War. The USS Aludra made several trips up the Saigon River to supply the troops on the ground.

His first career was as an Aerospace Design Engineer. He worked initially at Teledyne, then at Hughes Aircraft, then moved to the Santa Barbara area to work at Santa Barbara Research, ultimately retiring at age 55 from Raytheon.

Allan and his sister built a house in Sudden Valley, where he moved after his aerospace career. He started a second career building custom homes in Sudden Valley. He loved playing golf and eventually started Joe’s Professional Golf Lab with his business partner Joe Holdridge in Bellingham. This ultimately led to Allan managing and operating the pro shop and golf course at Birch Bay Village. He loved those activities, and talking with the golfers and cooking for them as they finished their golf rounds. He improved the pro shop from a small uneventful shop to a place where golfers and non-golfers gathered for socializing and good food. He was known for his Taco Friday Socials, barbeques, and smoked ribs.

As a brother and to his friends, he was enormously generous in spirit and in kindness. Allan was 6’ 3.5”. We thought of him as a gentle giant. He gave great bear hugs. He greeted everyone at the pro shop with a smile that radiated friendliness. He helped many along his life’s journey but was always too humble to talk about it.

He will be greatly missed by his brother and sister-in-law, Ken and Ruth Koch, his sister and brother-in-law, Sandy and Don Greenberg, and by his many friends and relatives at the Birch Bay Village and elsewhere.

Please share memories of Allan Calvin Koch at molesfarewelltributes.com. Donations may be sent in his honor to the Boy Scout Mount Baker Council, North Cascades District, 1715 100th Pl. SE, Suite B, Everett, WA 98208 or online at mountbakerbsa.org.

Year in Review: North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Lovatt all retired from NWFR in October.

Fire commissioners John Crawford and Kimberly Calman-McMurray were reelected, and both will serve another six-year term.

Unfortunately, the levy lid lift failed twice to pass during 2021.

NWFR welcomes public input for funding options to meet the ever-increasing calls for service with its aging fleet of apparatus.

Due to Covid-19 and the current state guidelines, many of the community events that NWFR looks forward to participating, including parades, school fairs, memorials, Pumpkin Party, Hogs and Horses Car Show, and CPR classes were canceled. The hope is that many of these events will resume in 2022 once the virus is under control. NWFR was able to participate in the Community Assistance

s North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) commissioner John Crawford, l., and nonprofit Firefighters Crossing Borders CEO Moi Castellon. NWFR donated an ambulance and two fire apparatus engines in 2020 to Unión de Tula, Mexico. The city recognized NWFR for the donations in 2021.

Photo courtesy John Crawford Thanksgiving Basket giveaway, multiple “drive-bys” celebrating birthdays and some preschool visits.

NWFR would like to give special recognition to the dedicated volunteers that serve throughout the district. The district is grateful for

your continued commitment and service.

Jennie Sand, NWFR administrative assistant

14

The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

Sheriff’s Reports Dec. 25, 9:16 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Birch Bay-Lynden and Kickerville roads.

Dec. 25, 10:08 a.m.: Traffic hazard on Kickerville and Loomis Trail roads.

Dec. 25, 2:05 a.m.: Watch for on Birch Bay-Lynden Road, Custer.

Dec. 25, 3:42 p.m.: Traffic signal on Morningside Drive and Lincoln Road.

Dec. 25, 5:23 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Loomis Trail Road and Portal Way. Dec. 25, 10:31 p.m.: Prowler on Custer School Road, Custer.

Dec. 26, 6:01 p.m.: Domestic verbal on Birch Bay Road.

Dec. 26, 7:06 p.m.: Death investigation on Bay Road.

Dec. 26, 7:38 p.m.: Senile individual on Iverson Lane, Custer.

Dec. 26, 9:59 p.m.: Traffic hazard on Harborview and Birch Bay-Lynden roads.

Dec. 27, 8:07 a.m.: Security check on Arnie Road, Custer.

Dec. 27, 10:54 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Kickerville and Loomis Trail roads.

Dec. 27, 1:07 p.m.: Theft on Blaine Road.

Dec. 27, 2:16 p.m.: Suspicious vehicle on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Dec. 27, 6:48 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Sweet Road.

Dec. 27, 8:31 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Valley View Road,

Custer.

Dec. 28, 8:15 a.m.: Hazard on Drayton Harbor Road.

Dec. 28, 9:12 a.m.: Behavioral health issue on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Dec. 28, 11:25 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Kickerville Road.

Dec. 28, 2:36 p.m.: Behavioral health issue on Elmwood Drive.

Dec. 28, 5:17 p.m.: Trouble with subject on Carson Road.

Dec. 28, 7:27 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident blocking on Giles Road.

Dec. 29, 8:19 a.m.: Welfare check on Harborview Road.

Dec. 29, 12:01 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident blocking on Harborview and Anderson roads.

Dec. 29, 12:50 p.m.: Traffic hazard on Birch Point Road and Birch Bay Drive.

Dec. 29, 2:49 p.m.: Disorderly

Police Reports Dec. 25, 6:40 a.m.: Malicious mischief on Peace Portal Drive.

Dec. 25, 11:25 a.m.: Collision, car ran into a lamp post on Semiahmoo Parkway.

Dec. 25, 12 p.m.: Assist citizen on H Street.

Dec. 26, 8:03 p.m.: Verbal dispute on Bayview Avenue.

Dec. 27, 12:36 a.m.: Welfare check on 3rd Street.

Crossword

ACROSS 1. __ de Mornay, actress 8. Surrenders 13. Omission 14. The white poplar 15. They become butterflies 19. Used to chop 20. Select 21. Volcanic craters 22. Consumer price index 23. Utilize 24. “True Blood” actress Paquin 25. Got up 26. Sank in 30. Retail 31. Giants 32. Most bald 33. Changes color 34. Unit of loudness 35. Undresses 38. Fathers 39. Learned skill 40. Remove qualification 44. Covered with frost 45. Speak up 46. Nowhere to be found 47. Part of surgery

conduct on Birch Bay-Square Street.

Dec. 29, 3:30 p.m.: Behavioral health issue on Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Dec. 29, 5:53 p.m.: Death investigation on Holeman Avenue.

Dec. 30, 1:08 p.m.: Traffic hazard on H Street Road and Kettle Way. Dec. 30, 4:54 p.m.: Hot rod on Harbor Drive and California Trail.

Dec. 31, 1:19 p.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Drayton Harbor Road.

Dec. 31, 1:52 p.m.: Behavioral health issue on Surf Place.

Dec. 31, 3:51 p.m.: Threat on Sunrise Road, Custer.

Dec. 31, 4:47 p.m.: Fireworks on Tracy Place.

Jan. 1, 12:01 a.m.: Motor vehicle accident on Point Whitehorn Road.

(abbr.)

48. Type of wrap 49. Church seating 50. Mathematical figure 51. College football conference 55. Turkish officer title 57. Organized body of knowledge 58. Smooth and glossy 59. Left DOWN 1. Get back 2. Pass or go by 3. Having a sharp taste 4. Midway between east and southeast 5. Cairo Regional Airport 6. Peace officer 7. Brings to life 8. Automotive vehicles 9. One point south of due east 10. Football position 11. Goes by 12. Most attractive 16. Road divisions

17. Not the sea 18. Small, faint constellation 22. Cabbage 25. Least frequent 27. Change slightly 28. A country in NE Africa 29. Metric units of measure 30. More coherent 32. Make uninteresting 34. Nausea 35. Institution of Oceanography 36. Of little value 37. Hindu model of the ideal man 38. Biblical exclamation 40. You throw it at a board 41. Be about to happen 42. Brutal 43. Opened one’s mouth widely 45. 19th letter of Greek alphabet 48. Saturate 51. The woman 52. Someone who is

Dec. 27, 6:45 p.m.: Found property on A Street.

Dec. 30, 1:39 a.m.: Trespass letter on 12th Street.

Dec. 30, 6 p.m.: Hit and run on Alder Street.

Dec. 31, 4 a.m.: Noise complaint on Peace Portal Drive.

Dec. 31, 6:38 p.m.: Warrant arrest on H Street.

Coming up

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, January 6, 7 p.m., 277 G Street.

This week’s theme: 2002 pop culture. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Live Music at The Vault: Friday, January 7, 7 p.m., 277 G Street.

Featuring: Richard Rorex. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Big Bucks Bingo: Saturday, January 8, 1–3 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 635 G Street. $15 includes eight games, three cards per game. Early bird at 12:30 p.m., two games $1 each. Info. 3328040.

Punch Brothers in Concert: Tuesday, January 11, 7 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial Street, Bellingham. This band of virtuosi have spent more than a decade changing the face of acoustic music, stretching the limitations of instruments, and influencing a generation of young musicians. Info and tickets: mountbakertheatre.com.

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, January 13, 7 p.m., 277 G Street.

This week’s theme: General knowledge. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Joan Osbourne Performs Songs of Bob Dylan: Thursday, January 13, 7 p.m., Mount Baker Theatre, 104 N. Commercial Street, Bellingham. Take a ride through the classic songs of Dylan revisited by this critically acclaimed singer. Info and tickets: mountbakertheatre.com.

Affordable Health Screenings: Friday, January 14, American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Drive. Learn your risk for cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, diabetes and other chronic conditions by Life Line Screening. Preregistration required by calling 1-877-237-1287 or visit lifeline screening.com.

Live Music at The Vault: Friday, January 14, 7 p.m., 277 G Street.

Featuring: Adrian Clarke. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Trivia at The Vault: Thursday, January 20, 7 p.m., 277 G Street.

This week’s theme: Winter Olympics. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Live Music at The Vault: Friday, January 21, 7 p.m., 277 G Street.

Featuring: Trio Sueño. Info: thevaultwine.com.

Ongoing

Report by Blaine Police Department.

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.

highly skilled 53. A way to launch an attack on 54. Where golfers begin 56. Atomic number 58

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.

ANSWERS: THENORTHERNLIGHT.COM

Tides

CAP Clothing Bank: Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m.-noon and Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m. 508 G Street. The Community Assistance Program clothing bank is now located in the basement of the CAP Center providing free clothing and linens. Donations accepted only during open hours or by special arrangement. Info: blainecap.org or 360/392-8484.

January 6-12 at Blaine.

Not for navigation.

The Bridge Clothing Bank Boutique: Open Wednesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m, The Bridge Community Hope Center, 4815 Alderson Road. Donations by appointment, call 360/366-8763.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W DATE

TIME

HEIGHT

TIME

HEIGHT

Th 6 1:25 am -1.8

9:05 am 10.8

3:00 pm 6.0

7:04 pm 7.5

Fri 7 2:09 am -0.5

9:41 am 10.5

8:18 pm 6.7

4:04 pm 5.1

Sa 8 2:53 am 1.1 10:15 am 10.2

5:04 pm 4.1

9:48 pm 6.0

Su 9 3:35 am 2.7 10:47 am 9.9

6:02 pm 3.1 11:36 pm 5.8

Mo 10 4:21 am 4.2 11:17 am 9.6

Meals on Wheels: Thursdays 11:30 a.m.–12 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Adults 60+ pick up one hot and six frozen meals. Suggested donation $5 per meal or whatever is affordable.

First come, first serve basis. Info: 360/332-8040.

Toastmasters Virtual Meetings: Tuesdays 6:30–7:45 p.m. Entertaining and educational. Have fun speaking, learn to overcome fears. Info: Call Pete 360/933-1671 or email him at pcorcorran@ gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) Meetings: Mondays 6:30–8 p.m., CAP Center, 508 G Street, Blaine. A support group for parents of adult children dealing with addiction, but open to anyone (18 or older) seeking to learn a better way to help an addicted love one. Evidence-based, structured curriculum and offer peer support at no cost. Info: palgroup.org or email Bev and Dave at wamillards@comcast.net.

6:52 pm 2.2

Tu 11 1:40 am 6.2

5:13 am 5.6

11:45 am 9.4

7:36 pm 1.3

We 12 3:18 am 7.1

6:21 am 6.7

8:16 pm 0.6

12:15 pm 9.2

Weather

Precipitation: During the period of Dec. 27 to Jan. 2, 0.12 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2022 year-to-date precipitation is 0.12 inches.

Temperature: High for the past week was 45°F on Jan. 2 with a low of 6°F on Dec. 27. Average high was 42°F and average low was 10°F.

Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

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

January 6 - 12, 2022 • thenorthernlight.com

15

Birch Bay brrr-ings in the New Year All photos by Ruth Lauman except where indicated

Photo by Molly Ernst

16

The Northern Light • January 6 - 12, 2022

2021 year in

REVIEW

B y J o n at h a n J a k o b i t z The Blaine Library had an eventful 2021. From March to July we progressed from limited visits to a full reopening. It’s been great seeing new and returning community members enjoying the library space.

We said goodbye to over 57 years of library experience as be-

2021 year in

REVIEW

By Bryan Johnson Like all organizations in Blaine, The Pacific Arts Association’s (PAA) 2021 year was significantly impacted by the pandemic. Our major event, The Blaine Harbor Music Festival and Jazz Camp, was canceled as a live session because of Covid-19.

We started 2020 with high

Road Rules ...

From page 10

driver was arrested for DUI two blocks later.

There’s the man who wrote, “Someone is waiting for you at home.” He then shared a video telling his personal story of how

Year in Review: Blaine Library loved staff retired or moved on to new opportunities. Yet the library grew, adding skilled new staff members. We are well positioned to serve the community with a crew of knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate workers.

2021 saw new services at the library. The Canadian border reopening brought many patrons requesting ArriveCAN as-

sistance. Staff helped navigate the new regulations, and saved the day for many a weary traveler. Additionally, Blaine gained a new book return location for all WCLS materials at the Blaine Middle School.

The library took part in many community events: A pop-up library at Pirate Daze, a carnival-themed booth at Trick-or-

Treat on the Berm, and a candy cane limbo at the Holiday Lights Obstacle Dash. Branch visitors saw changes in the building as well. Summer Reading brought us a mural of Chart Your Own Path reading cards, and a StoryWalk around Blaine. Library Card Signup Month introduced Sasquatch scavenger hunts. Fall and winter saw staff costumes, a scarecrow window display and a winter-themed “I Love Blaine Library” photo backdrop.

The Blaine Library Building Project received many donations

Year in Review: Pacific Arts Association

this past year. The Ronald Cyr Estate contributed a generous $19,100, and the Friends of the Blaine Library worked tirelessly with book sales and events to help raise additional funds towards our new building goal.

The Blaine library is a thriving and active place, and we look forward to the community’s support in the coming years as we work to realize the vision of a new library building. Come see what’s new in 2022!

Jonathan Jakobitz, Blaine Library interim branch manager

hopes of being able to present a “normal” summer camp, but these dreams were soon overtaken by the reality that Covid had not disappeared sufficiently. We made a tough decision early in the year and began planning for an alternative “Virtual Camp.”

Fortunately, many of our faculty members had become techno-wizards having mastered the intricacies of teaching via Zoom

and other virtual platforms.

Using the same July camp date, we were able to present a week’s worth of remarkable virtual classes that were very well received. The enthusiasm of our teachers, under the leadership of Nick Biello, was remarkable.

One of the most amazing offerings was a concert presented by 17 students from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Unable

to attend school in person, they played from their homes all over the world. Although many of them had never met their band mates, through the wonders of technology, their individual instruments were blended together seamlessly in melody, pitch and rhythm. The results were truly amazing and their passion for their creations made the experience all the more inspiring.

Happily, virtually all of our gifted faculty members have indicated that they are eager to get back to a live camp experience in 2022. Monetary support from the Blaine community has been exceptionally generous and plans are well under way of next summer’s live opening day on July 10.

So get your vaccinations and boosters, and we will look forward to seeing you at the 2022 Blaine Harbor Music Festival and Camp.

Bryan Johnson, Pacific Arts Association president

he was paralyzed after having a couple drinks and falling asleep at the wheel.

There was also someone who responded that if they see someone weaving on the road, they keep their distance because there isn’t anything else they can do.

Keeping your distance is a wise strategy, but I hope that these sto-

ries dispel the notion that there’s nothing you can do.

Many of you could add to these examples. Intervention can look like a lot of things; being a designated driver, hanging on to someone’s keys, calling 911, telling your own story of how impaired driving impacted your life, or giving someone a safe place to

sleep it off. If, like the guy from the bowling alley, you let someone sleep it off in their car, make sure that their car is safely off the roadway and you hold onto the keys (like he did).

Impaired drivers make up a tiny fraction of drivers on our roads, but impairment was a factor in 60 percent of all traf-

fic fatalities in Washington last year. This holiday season, if you find yourself with someone who intends to drive impaired, the greatest gift you can give them is an alternative to driving.

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

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