FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
December 1 - 7, 2022
HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Blaine man arrested on suspicion of rape, page 3
Winter sports start season, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Finalized November 2022 election results, page 15
City wraps up Winter wonderland blankets downtown Blaine city manager search By Grace McCarthy
(See Manager, page 3)
s The first snowfall of the season paired with a newly-assembled Christmas tree created a winter wonderland in downtown Blaine on November 29. The tree will be lit during the Holiday Harbor Lights festival on Saturday, December 3. Photo by Grace McCarthy
County council to host public hearing on westbound Drayton Harbor Road closure By Ian Haupt Whatcom County Council will hold a public hearing at its 6 p.m. Tuesday, December 6 regular meeting for a temporary westbound road closure on Drayton Harbor Road that could last until summer 2024. The closure would require a fivemile detour for westbound drivers. During the severe storms and king tides in November 2021, a portion of Drayton Harbor Road, west of Shintaffer Road, experienced a block slope failure on the waterside, westbound lane. According to a November 29 press release, Whatcom County Public Works was initially hopeful to complete repairs in 2022, but determined more extensive repairs were needed
Holiday Bazaar Live Music & Caroling
Tree Lighting
after additional engineering evaluations. These repairs will not be completed until summer 2024, the release says. For safety, public works will establish a one-way traffic pattern on Drayton Harbor Road for eastbound travelers and a signed detour for westbound travelers that will begin around Friday, January 13, 2023, according to the release. The detour is five miles, connecting Harborview Road, Lincoln Road, Semiahmoo Parkway and Drayton Harbor Road, according to the detour map. Whatcom County Council meetings are being held online and in council chambers, 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham. For more information on participating, visit the county’s website at bit.ly/3VEQu5w.
INSIDE
The city of Blaine could select a new city manager as early as Thursday, December 1. Mayor Mary Lou Steward said during the November 28 Blaine City Council meeting that the city had whittled down 30 initial applications. City council reviewed and selected its top five candidates during a recent executive session, which dropped to four when one person left the running. The four candidates were slated to visit Blaine on November 30, and council was expected to vote on the candidates in a December 1 executive session, interim city manager Dave Wilbrecht said. The city hired Strategic Government Resources for $30,000 to recruit a new city manager after Michael Jones resigned in June to pursue a position as county administrator for Island County. Jones spent 15 years working for the city, four of which were as manager. The hiring timeline seems to be on track with what the city expected, as Jones previously said he thought it would take until January 2023 for the city to hire a new manager. The city manager will oversee about 70 staff members while being responsible for the city’s day-to-day administrative duties. The manager makes recommendations to council, while ultimately working under council’s direction. The candidate is expected to earn $150,000 to $170,000 and must live within Blaine school district boundaries, according to the job posting, Here are the final four candidates for the city manager position. Gurdeep Bains Gurdeep Bains is a Blaine resident and chief financial officer of Pampa Metals in Vancouver, B.C., a copper and gold exploration company with projects in Chile. Bains has over 20 years’ experience as a certified public accountant, and is a Blaine Chamber of Commerce director. He’s worked as a chief financial officer of OK Tire in Surrey and vice president of internal audit and financial analysis at Canaccord Genuity in Vancouver and Toronto. Jerry Gabrielatos Jerry Gabrielatos was the city manager of West Linn, Oregon, a city of 27,000 people
TheNorthernLight
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
@TNLreporter
@TheNorthernLightNews
TheNorthernLight.com
This
Rite Aid
Blaine’s Holida Harbor Lights
G Street Plaza @ 4:45 PM Visit with Santa & Mrs. Claus Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides Mini-Train Rides & More!
Saturday, December 3, 2022 Downtown Blaine BlaineByTheSea .com
e2 g a n p ule o d d e a sche e S or f