September 23 - 29, 2021
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
New Blaine chamber executive director, page 2
PeaceHealth employee vaccination rates, page 3
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Ferndale artist illustrates Blaine maritime, page 8
Rick Steves highlights Blaine as a travel destination U.S./Canada border closure continues B y P a t G r u bb
s Travel writer and T.V. personality Rick Steves highlights Blaine in the second video of a three-video series where he explores Whatcom County. In the episode, Steves meets with Blaine harbormaster Andy Peterson (above) at Blaine Marina, visits Peace Arch State Park and the Drayton Harbor Oyster farm. Videos can be viewed at bellingham.org. See more on page 9. Photo by Louise Mugar
Blaine school board asks county officials to listen to parents against mask and vaccine mandates By Ian Haupt In a letter sent September 7 to Whatcom County elected representatives, the Blaine school board requested county officials listen to community members against the state’s mask and vaccination mandates. The letter comes after 15 parents voiced their concerns at the August 23 school board meeting about the state mandates requiring students to wear masks and K-12 staff to get fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The letter was addressed to state senator Doug Erickson (R-Ferndale) and state representatives Alicia Rule (D-Blaine) and Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham). It said the new mandates are causing parents to withdraw students from school and that the Blaine community was being divided and eroded by the removal of power of the board to make local decisions. The letter goes on to request that representatives consider the concerns of all their constituents to ensure proper legal government function.
State utilities moratorium ends September 30 On Thursday, September 30, the state utility moratorium will expire for the first time since governor Jay Inslee enacted the emergency measure on energy and water bills in March 2020. Inslee issued the final extension July 2. Over half a million Washington residents are at risk of having utility services turned off because of overdue bills, according to the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (WUTC). About half of Washington residents use private energy utilities and 280,000 of those residents
have overdue bills. The state’s private utilities are Puget Sound Energy, PacifiCorp, Avista, Northwest Natural Gas and Cascade Natural Gas. To help, private utility companies have spent more than $28.5 million in assistance funds. Consumer-owned utility companies, serving about 60 percent of the state, have waived late fees, delayed rate increases, established customer payment plans, created relief programs and made those programs more encompassing.
People at risk of having their utilities turned off should contact their utilities operators as soon as they can, according to an August 30 Washington state Utilities and Transportation Commission media release. Assistance will vary by utility provider, but some utility companies are offering payment plans, financial assistance and federal assistance for low-income residents. WUTC-regulated private utility companies will not charge late fees until April (See Utilities, page 13)
“Our community members and our school board are asking that the legislators listen to the citizens of Washington and Whatcom County regardless of their political affiliation. Many of those who are speaking out on this topic are from different ends of the political spectrum, but they do not feel like they are being heard and included in the decision making,” the letter reads. The letter said the board also heard from (See Letter, page 6)
INSIDE
The Biden administration announced September 20 it plans to loosen air travel restrictions beginning in November. Currently, residents of 33 countries are unable to visit the U.S. including the European Union, England, China, South Africa and India, among others. Visitors will be required to be fully vaccinated and have a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of their departure to the U.S. White House pandemic coordinator Jeffrey Zients said the changes do not apply to the land borders. That has politicians on the border seeing red. “Another month brings another border extension. That means more unpredictability, suffering, and frustration for our border communities. It does not follow the science to say Canadians can fly from Vancouver to Seattle but cannot drive from British Columbia to Whatcom County. It is a disservice to families and businesses along the border that vaccinated Americans can travel north to Canada, but we have not reciprocated,” congresswoman Suzan DelBene said. “The Biden administration must take immediate steps to reopen the Canada/U.S. border to vaccinated Canadians.” New York congressman Brian Higgins was equally unsparing in his reaction: “Continued closure of the U.S. border to vaccinated Canadians is completely unnecessary and unexplained. “It is welcome news that the White House is making progress on reciprocating international public health measures to protect air travelers. Yet it is inexplicable that no announcement on easing travel restrictions at land ports of entry is being made today since the livelihoods of communities across the Northern Border depend on cross-border commerce.” The current U.S. restrictions were due to expire September 21; however, these were extended until October 21 marking the 19th month of closure. Given that Zients said that travel over the land border would not be relaxed when air travel is in November, it seems likely that land restrictions will extend at least into November.
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