December 2022
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New option for broadband service, page 5
New school district director needed, page 6
ECRWSS PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 14
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Point Roberts, WA 98281 Postal Patron Local
First windstorm of season huffed and puffed ... Red wave turns blue for 42nd district By Grace McCarthy Democrats swept the local field prevailing over newcomers and incumbents alike. Sharon Shewmake (D) won a tight race for the 42nd legislative district’s Senate seat. The race against incumbent Simon Sefzik (R) was a hard-fought battle, but with 234 votes left to count at 5 p.m. November 15, Shewmake had an unsurmountable lead with 836 votes. “I’m really honored and excited to do good work and I’m here to talk to people, whether they voted for me or not,” Shewmake said in a phone interview. “Everything is a community effort.” Housing is first on Shewmake’s agenda when the Washington state legislature convenes on January 9. She said housing affordability makes it harder for county residents to recover from the November 2021 floods, is the biggest part of people’s budgets that can be controlled and has environmental components. “It’s everything,” Shewmake said. “If we don’t do something right now, Whatcom County will be a place where only millionaires can live and that’s not acceptable to me.” Shewmake received 37,771 votes (50.5 percent) and Sefzik received 36,935 votes (49.3 percent). “I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t hurt, but at the end of the day the people made their decision and you move on,” Sefzik said in a phone interview, later adding. “I was never the most likely candidate for this position and we worked really, really hard. That’s the hardest part, to get close but not cross the finish line.” Sefzik said he reached out to Shewmake and offered his congratulations. He said he’s determining his next step – whether that is law school, as he originally intended, getting his master’s degree or working locally. Regardless, Sefzik said he remains committed to tackling rising crime and homelessness, lowering the cost of living and creating a more accountable government. “I want to thank the people of Whatcom County whether they voted for me or not,” (See Election, page 03
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s The first windstorm of the season on November 11 and 12 brought trees down across the Point and caused widespread power outages across the Point. Photo by Nic Lehoux
Water district to update comprehensive plan B y P a t G r u bb Work on an update to the Point Roberts water district’s (PRWD) comprehensive plan is about to get underway. On Friday, November 18, district staff will be meeting with state department of health staff, and engineers from Pace, a Washington state-based engineering firm to discuss the scope of work involved. The board of commissioners approved a proposed estimate of $185,000 for the work at their October meeting. Washington state requires water districts to update their comprehensive plans every six to ten years. Among other requirements, the comp update looks at whether
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the district is complying with state laws governing drinking water, determines the maximum daily usage which governs the total number of allowable connections and an update to capital system improvements. A current plan is required for a system to be eligible for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund applications and may be applicable for other water funding programs, such as Public Works Trust grants, and USDA Rural Development funds. Updating the plan involves meeting with the state department of health (DOH) to determine the scope of work and establish a time schedule for completion, submission and approval of the plan. According to the DOH, “All public water systems (See Water, page 6)
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Inside Classifieds ......................................... 12 Coming Up ....................................... 14 Numbers ............................................. 3 Obituary ........................................... 13 Opinion ............................................... 4 Sheriffs ............................................. 11 Tides ................................................. 13
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