February 6 - 12, 2025
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Sheriff statement on immigration enforcement, page 3
Film showing for Black History Month, page 3
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Guitar lessons for veterans, page 15
First snowfall of the year covers region Trump postpones big tariffs against Canada and Mexico for one month By Shauneen Miranda / W a s h i n g t o n S tat e S ta n d a r d
(See Tariffs, page 3)
s The first snowfall of the year created picturesque scenes across Blaine and Birch Bay, as seen at the Peace Arch during the morning of February 3. The level of snowfall varied throughout the county, but was enough to close the Blaine school district February 3-5.
Photo by Louise Mugar
Whatcom County appoints first members of Birch Bay Advisory Committee By Nolan Baker Whatcom County Council confirmed four appointees to the newly formed Birch Bay Community Advisory Committee on January 28, marking another step in the process of unincorporated Birch Bay achieving representation in county government. Doralee Booth, Daniel Mead Smith, Stephen Nelson and Sheila Wood were appointed by county executive Satpal Sidhu, and confirmed by a unanimous council vote. They will serve three-year terms. “This is a conversation that started in spring and we worked on it over the course of last year, so I’m glad we’re here,” councilmember Jon Scanlon said of the committee.
Jed Holmes, spokesperson for the county executive’s office, said the four appointees were filling at-large positions, and more appointees will be made to represent the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, BlaineBirch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue. “I believe this new official partnership with Whatcom County will ensure a better public participation and communication with the Birch Bay Urban Growth Area,” Doralee Booth wrote in her application. “This advisory [group] will hopefully give Birch Bay a voice in county planning by encouraging public participation and input.” Booth has been an active volunteer in the (See Committee, page 3)
INSIDE
President Donald Trump, on February 3, punted for one month his plans to impose sweeping tariffs against Canada and Mexico after both countries announced plans to act on his demands to curb drug trafficking and illegal immigration into the United States. Most elements of the plans had previously been announced by the two countries. The pauses came as Trump signed a trio of executive orders over the weekend that would kick-start a 25 percent tariff on Mexico, a 25 percent tariff on most goods from Canada and a 10 percent tariff on imports from China, beginning early February 4. The tariff against China remained in place the afternoon of February 4. Many economists have warned about the negative effects such broad tariffs could have on consumers. Trump said the tariffs – a tax on goods that come into the country – were an effort to hold the three countries “accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country,” according to a White House fact sheet. Mexico, Canada and China are the United States’ top trading partners. The three countries had responded to Trump’s plans with their own retaliatory measures. Two calls with Trudeau In a post on social media, Trump said “Canada has agreed to ensure we have a secure Northern Border, and to finally end the deadly scourge of drugs like Fentanyl that have been pouring into our Country, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans, while destroying their families and communities all across our Country.” Trump held two calls Monday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. After his second call with Trump, Trudeau said in a social media post that “Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan – reinforcing the border with new choppers, tech-
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