August 31 - Sept. 6, 2023
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Parks district won’t collect 2024 taxes, page 3
School district plans for levy on February ballots
Borderite fall sports preview, page 7
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
The Wave art studio tour photos, pages 15-16
Students welcomed during first day of school
By Grace McCarthy
(See School, page 3)
s Blaine school district staff greeted elementary school families as they arrived for the first day of school on August 29. Photo by Molly Ernst
Longtime Birch Bay advocate honored for service By Grace McCarthy It’s hard to find something Kathy Berg hasn’t impacted in Birch Bay. Decades of dedication are evident in everyday ways of life for the community; she’s had a hand in seeing through the long-awaited berm as well as helped establish the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office neighborhood deputy program and Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management (BBWARM) Advisory Committee. The bp Heron Center at Birch Bay State Park and Blaine-
Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 Activity Center are also standing, in part, thanks to Berg. And everything for which Berg assisted sowing the seeds, the list doubles on what she helped maintain and bloom. Those contributions can be seen at North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) and various other Whatcom County government meetings, where Berg kept a close eye on decisions over the years. However, Berg may be best known for her emails that kept Birch Bay residents
Man seriously injured at Birch Bay Waterslides By Grace McCarthy A man who sustained a serious injury at Birch Bay Waterslides on August 25 was transported to the hospital for treatment. The water park has closed for the remainder of the season. The man was injured on one of the main slides at the Birch Bay water park and medical response was immediately provided before first responders arrived, according to a Birch Bay Waterslides Facebook post on the incident.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) chief Jason Van der Veen said the district received the call at 12:56 p.m. and arrived at 1 p.m. The man was treated and rapidly transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham for basic life support. Van der Veen declined to identify the man or the extent of his injuries. The Northern Light was unable to confirm how the man was injured or receive a condition update. Whatcom County Health and Community Services Department began investigating the incident after park staff notified the
department on August 25, spokesperson Marie Duckworth said. More information will be released when the investigation is complete. The park closed for the remainder of the season before its scheduled Labor Day closure. Park staff offered ticket transfers or requests through its website. The park has operated since 1983 and has eight slides, two pools, hot tub and other amenities, according to its website. Birch Bay Waterslides could not be reached for comment.
informed and earned her the nickname “mayor” of the unincorporated area. The community joined together to celebrate Berg during the Birch Bay Derby Day parade on August 26, where NWFR escorted her as fire marshal. The fire commissioners also made her honorary fire chief of Birch Bay Fire Station 63 during their meeting earlier in the week. NWFR chair Bruce Ansell said Berg, who he described as a watchdog, regularly attended fire commission meet(See Berg, page 6)
INSIDE
Blaine school board discussed plans to include a maintenance and operations levy and potentially a capital bond measure in the February 2024 special election during its August 28 meeting. The four-year maintenance and operations levy funds day-to-day expenses and would replace the levy passed in February 2020. The new levy would be the same amount as the expiring one and only requires a simple super majority to pass. The capital bond would support projects focused on Blaine Middle School construction, Performing Arts Center (PAC) upgrades and smaller improvements throughout the district. The district is considering the bond to be around $56 million. “We’re trying to do our best to stay within the current tax rate,” superintendent Christopher Granger said. A task force of 14 district staff, parents and community members has been reviewing school facilities since February to determine the district’s priority projects and if there was need for a capital bond or levy. Granger and finance director Amber Porter presented the task force recommendations to the school board during the August 28 meeting. The task force determined capital funding first needed to address Blaine Middle School, through construction, security improvement and PAC enhancements. Pipeline Fields was next on the task force’s list, with adding running water to restrooms and upgrading the softball and baseball areas. HVAC, mechanical and electrical work is also needed across the district, as well as lighting and playground improvements at Point Roberts Primary School, according to the task force. The task force also recommended long-term projects that would be less urgent, such as construction of a Birch Bay elementary school, upgrades to Blaine Elementary School, transportation facility upgrades or relocation, and a district office expansion.
TheNorthernLight
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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