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August 28 - September 3, 2025 Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Man arrested for Blaine sexual assault, page 2
Blaine school board adopts budget, other school news
Borderite Community Block Party, page 4
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
County health director appointed, page 6
Excitement abounds on first day of school
By Grace McCarthy
(See School, page 6)
s Eager students made their way to their new classrooms before the first bell rang for the first day of the 2025-26 school year on August 27. See more photos on page 10 and at thenorthernlight.com. Photo by Grace McCarthy
Judge warns city of Blaine could seek sanctions in public records lawsuit By Grace McCarthy A Whatcom County Superior Court judge has found that a man who filed a public records lawsuit against the city of Blaine incorrectly cited the law and warned that practicing it in such a way could potentially be a criminal act and risk the plaintiff being sanctioned by the city. In a motion hearing on August 22, Judge Robert E. Olson “advised the Plaintiff, Mr. Baker, about filing errors and his intended use of a pseudonym. The Court strongly ad-
vised Mr. Baker to obtain counsel and not proceed pro se, due to Mr. Baker not having a distinct motion, that his use of a pseudonym was moot; he did not file a summons; his miscited and mislabeled use of the law; and that practicing law in such a way could potentially be a criminal act. “The Court stated further findings on the record regarding the use of civil and local court rules, and cautioned Mr. Baker about potential sanctions that the City of Blaine could seek.” Olson presided over the hearing for a public
Ecology asks public for feedback on Drayton Harbor water quality study By Nolan Baker In an effort to help improve water quality in Drayton Harbor, the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) is asking the public to review its draft study on how dangerous bacteria enters Drayton Harbor, and its plan to improve the watershed. The public comment period opened August 21 and will close Friday, September 26.
The Drayton Harbor Bacteria Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) technical study hopes to address bacteria pollution in the watershed by evaluating properties used for livestock, identify and eliminate faulty points in stormwater drainage systems, identify and repair sewer and septic leaks, educate the public on best practices to reduce bacteria seeping into the watershed, and increase water quality monitoring efforts, among a host of other strategies.
The study identifies the need for a 61 to 99 percent reduction in bacteria pollution to protect Blaine’s shellfish business. The DOE states that most bacteria come from “nonpoint sources,” meaning the source of pollution is spread across the watershed, not from specific faulty pipes or agriculture sites. In an August 25 press release, DOE (See Harbor, page 5)
records lawsuit that Geoffrey Baker, using the pseudonym Otto Pointer, filed August 8 on behalf of a citizen group called Blaine Water Coalition. The 112-page complaint alleges the city systematically violated the state’s public records act, failed to respond in a timely manner, denied physical inspection of documents and concealed environmental documents. Baker has been among a small group critical of the city’s transparency and procedures, especially dealing with environmental con(See Lawsuit, page 5)
INSIDE
The Blaine school board finalized its budget in the district board room on August 25 during its last meeting before the 2025-26 school year officially started. The board also used the meeting to discuss senior parking spots, adding Birch Bay to the district name and student enrollment. Budget The board unanimously adopted the 2025-26 budget after new finance director Lynn Vanbuskirk provided its general overview. The vote was 4-0 with Ryan Swinburnson absent. The budget comes after interim superintendent Dan Chaplik, who started his one-year term in July, put forward a plan to the board that stopped a merger of the primary and elementary schools. The board voted in July to pause the merger, which would have moved first and second grade classes from the primary school into the elementary school, saving the cash-tight district $600,000 this year. Chaplik said the district saved money from the halted merger by saving some money from many line items, including eliminating the superintendent’s budget altogether. He added that he was focused on the district applying for more grants as well. “When we look for sustainable funding cuts, I’ll always look away from the classroom,” Chaplik said. Enrollment trends have the largest impact on the general fund revenue. Chaplik said that kindergarten enrollment was showing improvement from previous years. Enrollment numbers will become available in mid-September. The district’s 2025-26 ending fund balance is planned to be $3.1 million. Adding Birch Bay to district name The board unanimously approved not adding Birch Bay to the Blaine school district name right now, citing financial
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . 12, 13 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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