Nov. 29 - Dec. 5, 2018
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Robbery, bomb threat forces Southbound NEXUS lane YMCA swim lessons now offered in Birch Bay, page 3 casino to evacuate, page 5 hours extended, page 11
City council ‘Tis the season for Holiday Harbor Lights tables offer from chocolate retailer B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Chocolate, page 2)
s Blaine public works lineman Luke Baldwin installs a wreath prior to Holiday Harbor Lights on Saturday, December 1.
B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Holiday Harbor Lights is sure to draw a festive crowd to Blaine this weekend. The main event will take place on Saturday, December 1 and features shopping, kids activities, a tree lighting ceremony, musical theater performances and – if everyone is on their best behavior – a visit from Santa Claus. “Come one, come all,” reads a statement from the Blaine Chamber of Commerce. “Experience the warmth and charm of a small town holiday celebration by the sea that will delight the whole family.”
A holiday arts and crafts market at the Goff building, located at 674 Peace Portal Drive, will kick off the event. About a dozen vendors will be selling their hand-made goods at the market, which will be open between 3–7 p.m. on Friday, November 30, 10–7 p.m. on Saturday, December 1, 3–7 p.m. on Friday, December 7 and 10–7 p.m. on Saturday, December 8. Also at the market, Peace Arch Montessori Preschool will offer activities for kids while local resident and historian Jim Zell will display an array vintage photos and artifacts of early days
Hand recounts ordered for two 42nd District races B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e With the results too close to call, the races for state senate and state representative, position 1 in the 42nd Legislative District are headed for hand recounts. According to a statement from the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office, the county canvassing board voted on November 27 to direct election division staff to begin hand recounts at 8 a.m. on Thursday, November 29. The recount is open to the public
and will be held on the fifth floor of the Whatcom County Courthouse at 311 Grand Avenue in Bellingham in conference room 513. According to the latest ballot count on November 26, the day prior to general election certification, two-term state senator Doug Ericksen (R) was in the lead with 46 votes over opponent Pinky Vargas (D). Fellow Republican incumbent running for state representative, position 1, Luanne Van Werven (R) was in the lead with 80 votes over her opponent Justin Boneau (D).
“There may be slight variations,” said Whatcom County Auditor Debbie Adelstein about the outcome of the recount. However, “the expectation is that they’re going to come out the same,” she said. Adelstein said she hoped the recount would be complete by late next week, but said the process may take longer. The final results will be certified by the county canvassing board once the recount is concluded. The date and time of certification will be posted online at whatcomcounty.us/auditor.
Photo by Louise Mugar
in Blaine, said Blaine Chamber of Commerce secretary Carroll Solomon. “[Zell’s] scanned copies of the Blaine Journal from the early 1900s will be available to view as well as old photos and artifacts,” read a statement from the Blaine Chamber of Commerce. “Maybe you can help identify some of your ancestors.” To get everyone in the holiday spirit, several musicians are scheduled to perform at the Goff building on December 1, including the Blaine Ukulele Group at 11 a.m., the Senior Center Jam Band at 1 p.m., Allie (See Holiday, page 4)
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4
INSIDE
Executives of Chewters Chocolates received a tepid response from Blaine City Council this week after offering $1.6 million to purchase approximately 7 acres of the Gateway Parcel to build a manufacturing facility outfitted for walking tours. With no discussion in public session, councilmembers voted 5–0 on November 26 to table consideration of a letter of intent presented by Chewters Chocolates Inc. and its affiliate ChocXO Chocolatier LLC. The company currently operates out of a location in Irvine, California and another in Delta, British Columbia. “Pending some further issues, we will table this,” said mayor Bonnie Onyon. Chewters Chocolates CEO Richard Foley and VP of manufacturing Wade Pugh were present at the meeting. In a brief presentation, Foley said, “We’re outgrowing our factory in Irvine and we’re looking for a new location to build our new factory.” Founded in 1984, the company specializes in manufacturing organic nut butter cups, chocolate bars, filled chocolates and more. It produces liquid chocolate at its 10,000-square-foot facility in Irvine and transports it to its 55,000-square-foot facility in Delta for packaging. Approximately 60 percent of the chocolate that’s manufactured and packaged at Chewters Chocolates is crafted for other brands, Pugh said. Its products are distributed to retailers in the U.S. and Canada, such as Costco, Whole Foods and other grocers. Foley and Pugh said they would relocate their Irvine location to Blaine and invest a total $15.6 million to purchase the land, construct a manufacturing facility and install machinery. They said a total of 58 jobs would be added to the city’s workforce. The company also plans to incorporate a retail and tourism component similar to their Irvine location and the Tillamook Creamery in Oregon, for example. “We walk you through the processing cacao beans go through before they make it to our
Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11
Coming Up . . . . . 14
Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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