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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
September 11 - 17, 2025
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New Blaine educators, page 4
Borderites play first games of year, page 6
Widnor Farms, page 7
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Nonprofit serves veterans with fishing, crab derby Free Blaine community dinners return By Grace McCarthy
s Emery Road, a Lynden-based band, performed during the Warrior Service’s barbecue on Sunday, September 7 at the American Legion Post 86. The Warrior Service brought about 300 people to the Blaine area for salmon fishing and a crab derby aimed at supporting veterPhoto by Ruth Lauman ans on September 6 and 7. See more photos on page 16.
Mayor asks councilmember to resign over emails By Grace McCarthy
s The community gathers for a meal at the community center. File photo
A Blaine City Council meeting that started with a proclamation being issued for Good Neighbor Day ended in yelling on September 8. The meeting represented nearly two years of tension coming to a head between a small group that has been hurling accusations at city leaders, with mayor Mary Lou Steward requesting councilmember Eric Lewis resign out of corruption concerns. No other councilmembers echoed the mayor’s concerns on the councilmember, whose seat is up for election in November.
The kerfuffle stems from an email that an anonymous person or group called “Stronger Blaine” sent to the city of Blaine, the Whatcom Democrats and The Northern Light on September 4. The message contained 23 pages of emails between Lewis’ personal email address and the Blaine Water Coalition between mid-February and early March. In the emails, the coalition instructed Lewis to bring two motions to council that would update the city’s stormwater manual and create a code of ethics for the city. Lewis confirmed the emails’ authenticity to The Northern Light and said they were
‘Catoberfest’ to make second-year comeback By Grace McCarthy ‘Catoberfest’ is bringing lagers and family fun to Blaine Marine Park on Saturday, September 13 in an effort to raise thousands of dollars in support of Blaine Food Bank operations. Beach Cat Brewing, which has its flagship location in Birch Bay in addition to a new Bellingham brewery, is hosting the event for its second year. The Oktoberfest event, which will run from noon to 7 p.m., will have live music, food, a silent auction, youth games and other entertainment.
The brewery hopes to raise $50,000 for the food bank, which has been facing financial stress while serving more families in recent years. Admission runs $25 for general admission, $100 for groups of five and $50 for VIP tickets that include two drinks and commemorative items. Children under 18 years who arrive with an adult receive free entry. Pets are not allowed. The event will run from noon to 7 p.m. and is located at 272 Marine Drive in Blaine. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit bit.ly/4mHJ13w.
a result of a public records request. When asked why Lewis communicated with the group via his personal email address, he told the newspaper, “I was responsive to the public records request.” The coalition is a group that the city has said it’s been in a misinformation fight with for nearly the past two years and filed a public records act lawsuit against the city in August. Steward said she would give Lewis two weeks to “do the honorable thing and resign,” or she would put forward a motion (See City council, page 5)
INSIDE
Free community dinners are back on the menu at the Blaine Community Center/Senior Center. The Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2) is hosting the first community dinner at the community center since the pandemic 6-8 p.m. Thursday, September 18. The dinners will be free, though donations are accepted, said BBBPRD2 director Heather Lindsay. “This event is open to everybody,” Lindsay said. “We hope this is a place where the community can connect to each other.” Since taking over management of the community center, Lindsay said parks and recreation has planned to revive the dinners, which have been on a five-year hiatus since the pandemic. The dinners will be held the third Thursday of each month. For the premier dinner, Windermere Real Estate is serving up spaghetti with salad, slaw, garlic bread, punch and water. There will be live music, and some dinners will have additional entertainment. BBBPRD2 commissioner Billy Brown is leading volunteer efforts for the dinners, which includes having an organization or group host each month. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can email info@ bbbprd2.com. “Find a seat and enjoy the community,” Lindsay said. “We need to have laughter in Blaine.” The community center is located at 763 G Street in Blaine.
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TheNorthernLight.com s ‘Catoberfest’ in 2024. Photo by Ruth Lauman