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The Northern Light • September 23 - 29, 2021
New Blaine Chamber of Commerce director looks ahead to Blaine events
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s The Blaine Chamber of Commerce recently hired Sheila Wood as its new executive director. Photo by Grace McCarthy
By Grace McCarthy Blaine Chamber of Commerce welcomes Sheila Wood as its new executive director. Wood brings in an array of experience, from her family’s event planning business in Woodinville to being part of the team that transformed Spokane’s Riverfront Park. “A lot of the time people won’t get together unless there’s someone to host, and I love being the person to host,” she said. “This job is like that. I love being the person to help other people have fun and have an enjoyable experience.” Wood grew up in Woodinville and watched her mom rent out their house as a wedding venue, which she said embedded a love for party planning in her from a young age. At Washington State
University, Wood earned degrees in psychology and sociology, before returning to the Seattle area to work in the restaurant industry. Spokane City Park and Recreation Department hired Wood for a two-year contract position, where she helped redevelop the city’s main park, Riverfront Park. In that position, she designed the pavilion’s interior, among other responsibilities. Wood moved to Birch Bay at the beginning of 2021 after her fiancé was hired as a pharmacist in Everson. Wood said she had never visited Blaine or Birch Bay, but was immediately drawn to working in the area. Wood said she looks forward to becoming active in the community and meeting more busi-
ness leaders. On Wood’s itinerary for events this year is the annual scarecrow competition and the Holiday Harbor Lights that dress up downtown Blaine. Although Wood is still transitioning to the new role, she said she has many ideas for the future – including a winter holiday bazaar. “Blaine is such a cute town and I didn’t really know it existed until I moved here,” Wood said. “Especially in the summer, it’s a destination. People come on vacation here. It’s really cute. There’s lots of opportunities for more events in Blaine.” When not working, Wood enjoys remodeling her Birch Bay home, running and going on walks with her 1-year-old German shepherd, Josie.
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Whatcom The folks who brought back the 4th of July County Council mandates curbside pickup
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By Meg OlsOn Whatcom County Council has approved changes to county code that will eliminate exemptions to mandatory garbage pickup in Point Roberts. At their June 5 meeting, council heard from an almost evenly split 15 community members on the proposal, which would establish a mandatory minimum service level of a 32-gallon can of garbage to be picked up twice-monthly and billed through the property tax roll. Opponents of the proposal cited a number of reasons for their opposition, priFREE Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay September 9 - 15, 2021 marily that the minimum service level was too high. “This exceeds the needs of 80 HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer PRSRT STD percent of those surveyed (in a 2016 onU. S. Postage PAID line survey sponsored by the county solid IN THIS Permit NO. 87 waste division) who self-haul or use tags,” Blaine, WA 98230 Kimberly Butts said. Ken Calder, also opposed to the chang- s Back in 1976, a group of civic-minded people got together to plan a 4th of July celebration, the first since 1916. On June 20, they had a reunion at Ruby White’s house. See story, page 16. Standing, from l.: Fred DeHaan, Rosy Negron, Carla Scherer, Pauli DeHaan, George es, submitted a petition signed by 364 sea- Scherer, Pat Jorgensen, Doreen Peltier. Seated: Norma Peltier, Ruby White, Kris Manning. Photo by Shelley Damewood sonal and full-time residents asking that council delay the decision until September to allow a recently formed solid waste subcommittee of the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee to continue to look at the issue. Cites client base and “increasing erts hospital district on June 26 that Unity according to Unity Care. Those in favor of the change as well as Care NW would end its contract to proThe number of people being served at community turmoil” county staff pointed out that PRCAC had vide services on the Point as of December the Point Roberts Clinic, as well as the 31, 2018, but would provide services on a number of visits, have been declining, acB y G r a c e M c c a r t h ybeen pondering the garbage collection B y M e g O l s O n for over two years, held numerous public a n d P a t g r u B B month-to-month basis if needed until June cording to the resolution. The number of If you struggle to balance a healthy bud- sponsored an online survey and meetings, 30, 2019 and help with a possible transi- visits per year shrank from 1176 to 1033 get, local nonprofits are here to help. sent out a mailer. Unity Care NW is done with the Point tion to an alternative service provider. between 2015 and 2017, which is deFinancial literacy nonprofit Whatcom “There have been numerous opportuni- Roberts clinic. According to the June 25 resolution, the (See Hospital, page 8) Dream will offer six money management ties for people to put in their two cents’ Citing declining use, a disproportionate Point Roberts Clinic does not fit with classes from Tuesday, September 28 until Arthur Reber said. “This process administrative burden and “communi- the other clinics Unity Care NW operworth,” Tuesday, November 2 at the new Commuhas been very thorough and collaborative,” ty turmoil,” the board of directors of the ates in Ferndale and Bellingham, which nity Assistance Program (CAP) building, said taxpayers’ association president Mark non-profit health care provider voted at its it described as “patient centered medi508 G Street. Classes will be held 6:30Robbins. Chamber of commerce president June 25 meeting to discontinue the con- cal homes.” Close to half of the visits to allpointbulletin.com 7:30 p.m. every Tuesday. Dee Gough said her association also sup- tract to operate the Point Roberts Clinic. the Point Roberts clinic are for urgent facebook.com/allpointbulletin Whatcom Dream is a nonprofit that ported the proposal, agreeing that mandaNotice was delivered to the Point Rob- care, and not for primary medical care, started in Bellingham in 1999 to tory educate trash pickup was the obvious solution residents struggling with finances. The to the perennial problem of dumping garnonprofit’s founders realized thebage reason on the roadsides. Classifieds ........................................ 20 why their working low-income neighbors Jeff Hegedus with the Whatcom County Coming Up ...................................... 19 remained in poverty was because they Health Department said by establishing a B y M e g O l s O n running three weekends in August. didn’t know how to manage money propGarden ............................................. 15 mandatory minimum service level for all Kiniski’s Reef Tavern is partnering with erly, said Kevin Stray, a Whatcom Dream Library ............................................ 18 developed properties, as determined by “The Point Roberts Arts and Music the foundation, offering a location, planvolunteer who will teach the Blaine classes which properties have a water connection, Festival is back on the water,” says Arts ning assistance and funds for this year’s Obituaries ........................................ 22 this fall. it would lead to vendor stability because Foundation founder and festival organizer event. “We decided to make it longer so Opinion .............................................. 4 “We think finances are an important more users would support the system. Craig Jacks. more people can enjoy it,” said tavern slice of everyone’s life and if we can hanSeniors ............................................ 18 After being put on the shelf for a year, manager Allison Calder. The first weekend dle [money] well, we can make everyone’s Tides ................................................ 10 (See Garbage, page 7) the festival will be back for its 23rd year, (See Arts & Music, page 14) lives better,” he said. The classes will teach budgeting, handling new and old debt, credit scores and history, achieving and maintaining finan- s Birch Bay’s seaside festival offered another weekend of family fun September 3-5. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce hosted the cial stability, retirement planning and the fun-filled event, with help from Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 and Friends of Birch Bay Library. Attendees enjoyed activities such as a pancake breakfast, outdoor kid games and rubber duck derby. More photos on page 16. psychology behind money. AFTER Photo PARADE FAMILY ACTIVITIES: BEGIN THE DAY AT THE by Chuck Kinzer/CKimageart.com Stray, who has a business degree from St. Martin’s University, said he sees peo- Community Center 1437 Gulf Rd. H Breakwaters Bar & Grill STARTS AT 12 NOON along POINT ROBERTS MARINA ple struggle the most with debt, long-termPancake Breakfast 7:15-11:15 am PREP benefit at Point Roberts Marina. Gulf Rd. from Marine Dr. to Tyee Dr. planning and responsible spending. AT 10:30 PM Flag Raising Ceremony 11:30 am featuring PR Winds H Kiniski’s Reef Tavern Financial classes are geared toward people earning low incomes, but Stray said all are welcome. Classes will be offered to about 20 people, but there’s not a set limit. Scheduling foot warehouse in September 2020 that al- cused on what he can control. in advance is recommended, but attendees B y G r a c e M c c a r t h y lowed it to store over 20,000 boxes awaitTodd Robinson, Security Mail Services can also show up to the classes. Over a year-and-a-half after the U.S./ ing cross-border customers. manager, echoed Baron’s sentiments. The “We hope a lot of people will be inter“We used up all of the creativity we had last year-and-a-half has been hard but with ested, come out, learn more about money Canada border closure and Blaine mailbox and how to deal with it,” Stray said. “We’re stores wait patiently for the return of loyal to maximize the space we had, which is boxes stacked high around him, he said always excited to put on another class in Canadian customers, all while they’ve set- what prompted renting the warehouse,” he’s in a much better place than he would tled into an adapted business routine. Baron said. have predicted. Blaine.” Mail Boxes International owner Brant Baron and other mailbox operators are “When [the border] first closed down, I The program will offer free financial mentoring to people who finish the course. Baron said his parcel store has changed its mostly catering to Canadian companies would have never anticipated being closed No childcare is available during the eve- business strategy to stay busy during the that need products from the U.S. forward- this long. I thought three months, maybe, ed. Although business has been better, he tops,” Robinson said. “I’m pleased with ning classes, so people will need to plan border closure. To deal with parcels yet to be picked up, emphasized his situation is not detrimen(See Financial classes, page 4) (See Box stores, page 2) the H Street business rented a 4,800-square- tal and he has leaned into his faith and fo-
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Former BHS student wins big with tuba, page 5
Borderite sports are back, page 7
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Discover Birch Bay Days brings community fun Free financial Unity Care NW decides against renewing clinic contract literacy class offered in Blaine
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Single-use plastic bags ban starts October 1 By eMily Feek Sales of single-use plastic bags will be banned in Washington state beginning on October 1 after governor Jay Inslee rescinded the proclamation delaying the original January 1, 2021 start date. The ban prohibits the sale of single-use plastic bags for grocery stores, restaurants, small vendors and retail businesses, according to a department of ecology (DOE) press release. Instead of using these bags, businesses can either sell customers bags
that are compliant with the ban or customers can bring reusable bags. Stores can sell paper bags or more durable plastic bags for eight cents. The eight-cent charge, mandated by law, is not a tax, but is kept by the merchant both to encourage customers to bring their own bags and to account for the increased cost of compliant bags. While the ban goes into effect on October 1, businesses can implement changes sooner, said Dave Bennett, DOE solid waste management program spokesperson.
“Nothing is preventing a business from charging a fee and using compliant bags right now,” Bennett said. “We encourage those businesses to do that and start making those changes now.” The bag ban is intended to cut down on pollution caused by plastic bags, which are difficult to recycle and can clog recycling sorting machines, according to the DOE. In addition to the ban, Inslee signed a new state law regarding plastics use and (See Plastic bags, page 4)
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Blaine mailbox stores use creativity as they wait for the U.S. to open Canada border
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