March 26 - April 1, 2026
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School board considers six-period days, page 4
Whatcom County plant sales, page 5
Softball gains win over Bellingham, page 13
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
City council shows support for police department amid investigation City manager calls complaints unfounded By Nolan Baker
(See City, page 2)
s An aerial view of Blaine Harbor with the Westman Marine cleanup site in the foreground. The Washington State Department of Ecology has opened public comment on the legal document that details how the Port of Bellingham will remove decades of contamination.
Photo courtesy of Port of Bellingham
Ecology calls for public input on contaminated Westman Marine site By Grace McCarthy The Washington State Department of Ecology has opened public comment for the final stages of the Port of Bellingham’s Westman Marine cleanup in Blaine Harbor, which will remove decades of contamination from boatyard maintenance and repair. Construction is expected to begin this summer and continue through at least 2027. The cleanup work is estimated to cost $28 million, and a state cleanup grant could reimburse the port for up to half the costs. The public is being asked to comment
on the legal document that details Ecology’s cleanup plan for the port as well as an updated public participation plan. The 30-day comment period runs through April 21. The Westman Marine cleanup site is at 218 McMillan Ave. in the southwest corner of Blaine Harbor. It includes 1 acre of upland cleanup and 27 acres of sediment cleanup in the water. The upland cleanup will remove 2 feet of contaminated soil and replace it with new soil as well as take out marine structures blocking contaminated soil. For the water cleanup, a new bulkhead will be in-
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue board approves levy rate for August ballots By Grace McCarthy North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Board of Commissioners unanimously approved placing a levy lid lift proposal on August primary ballots that would increase the current levy rate from $0.77 to $1.20 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The ballot measure would allow the district to collect up to $118.6 million during the six-year levy.
The approval came during the fire commission’s March 19 meeting. The August measure will be the fire district’s fourth attempt at a levy lid lift in recent years, with previous bids for taxpayer dollars once in 2024 and twice in 2021. NWFR Chief Jason Van Der Veen and fire commissioners have been sounding the alarm on what they consider a critical financial situation for the district over the past five years. The district, which hasn’t seen an increased
levy rate in 20 years, is at an impasse when it comes to adequately providing staffing and infrastructure to the growing district. “It’s not to build Taj Mahal headquarters,” Van Der Veen said. “We’re talking about hiring firefighters, the people who are responding to your home in your time of need.” Aside from one new battalion chief, the district hasn’t added additional staff (See NWFR, page 3)
stalled to help with sediment dredging and prevent the spread of contaminated soil. Port of Bellingham spokesperson Mike Hogan said after the clean up is finished the port will install new marine trades infrastructure including a travel lift, piers and a modern stormwater system. “These improvements will reactivate the property as a do-it-yourself boatyard where a wide range of marine repairs can be completed with the support of local maritime businesses,” Hogan said. Starting in the early 1950s, the port be(See Cleanup, page 3)
INSIDE
Blaine City Council unanimously approved a pair of resolutions supporting Blaine Police Department (BPD) during Monday’s meeting. One of the resolutions authorized the city to provide legal defense funding for Blaine police during a state investigation that city officials said stems from unfounded complaints made by a citizen advocacy group that has hurled accusations at city representatives for nearly three years. COMPLAINT The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC), which investigates law enforcement conduct, has opened an investigation into Blaine Police Chief Rodger Funk and other members of the police department. The citizen advocacy group is alleging that Funk and the department didn’t take sufficient action when members told officers they feared for their safety. The CJTC investigation stems from a series of citizen complaints against Funk and other BPD officers by members of a water advocacy group formerly known as Save Blaine. The group’s complaints are far-reaching, but mostly originate from an Oct. 13, 2025, statement from Blaine resident David Brudvik to the City Council during a town hall meeting. Brudvik, referring to four residents who comprised Save Blaine at the time, quoted a violent scene from the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction” where Samuel L. Jackson’s character recites a fictional bible verse before executing a man. The group perceived the statement as a threat against their lives, and four members filed a protection order with the Whatcom County District Court soon after. Judge Angela Anderson ruled on Dec. 5, 2025 that Brudvik’s remarks constituted a “true threat” under Washington law,
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