February 2026
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WA leaders prepare for ICE crackdown, page 3
A letter from the new publisher, page 4
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Cemetery district ponders green burials, page 6
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Elliott Smith to the rescue! By Erin Kelly What started as a quick trip to the International Marketplace on December 28 turned into a dramatic and heartwarming rescue for Point Roberts resident Elliott Smith, who had a house full of visiting family at the time and no idea his errand was about to save a life. Standing in line at the deli, Smith overheard marina security officer Israel James taking an emergency call on speakerphone. A man was half a mile offshore, his engine dead, his boat taking on water, with only his dog for company. With holiday quiet blanketing the marina and no other boaters immediately available, Smith didn’t hesitate. “I said, ‘I’ll go,’” he recalled. “It was Christmas time. There wasn’t anyone else around.” Within minutes, Smith paid for his groceries, started his boat, and headed out while James coordinated with the Coast Guard from the dock. Using radio contact and location details, Smith navigated toward Lily Point, where the distressed vessel had been spotted about half a mile offshore. When he arrived, the situation was dire. The boat was filling fast with water. The first passenger to jump aboard Smith’s boat was the dog, who, Smith said, “was really ready to come off.” Moments later, the boat owner followed, grabbing only a small bag of personal belongings. Smith also removed the fuel tanks to prevent pollution. “Two or three minutes after we got them off, the boat just flipped,” he said. “Like the Titanic.” The Coast Guard was still en route from Bellingham, nearly an hour away. Without Elliott’s quick response, the man and his dog would have been left in frigid winter waters, facing a dangerous swim in rough conditions. “The timing was everything,” said James later. “That stranger in the deli saved lives.” Smith downplays the hero label, but his (See Rescue, page 7)
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WEEKLY NEWS BULLETIN
s US Representative Rick Larsen met with the Point Roberts Chamber of Commerce board and business people at the Pier Restaurant on January 28. He also met with the Point Roberts Taxpayers Association and the community advisory committee. Photo by Tamra Hansen
Behind closed doors: Port of Bellingham Parts 2 & 3 B y P a t G r u bb The contractors One contract was awarded at exactly $49,999.49. That’s fifty-one cents below the $50,000 threshold at which state law requires the Port of Bellingham to document competitive solicitation for professional services. The contract, awarded to TranTech Engineering in 2018 for Waterfront Franchise Utilities work, then grew to $308,205 – more than six times its original value. In Part I, the All Point Bulletin reported that 85 percent of Port professional services contracts lacked required procurement documentation. This ongoing investigation examines who benefited from
those patterns. Further analysis of the Port’s contract database reveals that a small circle of consulting firms received the bulk of contract amendments. Between 2018 and 2024, contracts starting at $45,000 or more that grew by at least 50 percent totaled $8.2 million at signing. Through amendments, they reached $34.3 million – $26 million in additional work. Four firms account for a disproportionate share: Anchor QEA, Landau Associates, Aspect Consulting, and CRETE Consulting. Each has multiple contracts that grew by hundreds or thousands of percent. (See Part II, page 8)
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Inside
Church ............................................. 12 Classifieds ......................................... 12 Coming Up ....................................... 11 Crossings .......................................... 13 Obituaries ......................................... 14 Opinion ............................................... 4 Seniors ............................................. 13 Tides ................................................. 12
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