March 28 - April 3, 2019
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
McClendon announces county council bid, page 2
Charity providing meals for kids, page 10
New depression and bipolar group, page 13
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Police chief Repaving work has started on Birch Bay Drive allegedly used ruse to enter private dwelling By Jami Makan
(See Schubert, page 3)
s The road along Birch Bay is damaged and closed in sections from a December 20 windstorm that whipped the bay onto and over the road, tearing away chunks of asphalt. Now the county is temporarily repaving the road, which should be fully functional by July 4. Photo by Chuck Kinzer
Blaine city council passes B&O tax ordinance The Blaine city council passed an ordinance for a Business and Occupation (B&O) tax at its March 25 meeting, in order to fund city services. The original proposal called for a 0.2 percent B&O tax on manufacturing and wholesale businesses grossing $20,000 or more in the city. The ordinance passed by city council, however, applies to most businesses with annual gross receipts of $250,000 or more. Retailers and businesses providing medical services or food and accommodation services are exempt. Other compromises were negotiated in the final ordinance. New businesses
or startups that bring 25 or more fulltime jobs into the city would qualify for a tax credit over three consecutive years. Council also agreed to delay collection until January 1, 2020 to provide adequate time for notification. Revenue will be used for public safety improvements such as an additional police officer, patrol car replacement and a faster 911 system, as well as economic development in helping manufacturing and wholesale businesses find and retain workers. A portion of the proceeds will also go toward the maintenance of parks and facilities. City businesses will be notified of the
New cheesecake facility opens on Boblett Street By Gwen Roley Chuckanut Bay Foods is hoping to use their new facility in Blaine as a jumping-off point for more growth. The locally-based dessert manufacturer opened a new baking center at 1649 Boblett Street on March 25. The company will be baking and processing their signature baked goods, which are sold to over 6,000 retailers across North America. They previously operated out of two facilities in Ferndale,
which have since been closed. “Many of our crew members already live in north Whatcom County and after evaluating all the different sites, we found Blaine to be the most accommodating to our needs,” said Jim Gibson, co-owner of Chuckanut Bay Foods. Nearly 100 employees from the Ferndale facilities were transferred to the new location in Blaine. Gibson said five new employees started with the opening of the new bakery. Due to the seasonal nature of the dessert industry, he said they are al-
most always hiring and there is a drop box to submit applications on-site, for those who are interested. The new facility totals 20,000 square feet, nearly double the combined space of their former two locations in Ferndale. Gibson said the location also provides plenty of space for expansion in the future. “Not only is there twice as much space, but we’re completely revising the layout to (See Cheesecake, page 3)
ordinance in writing within the next month. Follow-up written communication will include information as to how the ordinance will be implemented prior to the January 1, 2020 start date. In 2018, city council instructed staff to prepare information about a possible B&O tax to fund city services. Council scheduled two study sessions and two public hearings on the issue and input was taken from businesses and members of the community. Questions about the ordinance can be directed to Jeff Lazenby, city finance director, at 360/332-8311 ext. 3305 or jlazenby@cityofblaine.com.
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
INSIDE
Former Blaine police chief Allen Schubert may have entered a private residence unlawfully and scuffled with a 77-year-old man, in the course of helping the man’s wife gather her belongings following a domestic dispute. The incident, which allegedly occurred on January 8, led to an investigation by the city of Blaine which resulted in no disciplinary action being taken against Schubert. Schubert abruptly resigned as police chief less than a month later, on February 4, with just over 160 days of service under his belt. The incident is detailed in a police report obtained by The Northern Light, which contains the narratives of four officers with direct knowledge of the events that transpired on January 8. According to the police report, Schubert, wearing plain clothes and armed with a pistol, pretended he was from UPS to gain entry into a private residence on Peace Portal Drive, and then became involved in a physical altercation inside with the home’s occupant. The events took place after a woman sought the assistance of the Blaine police in collecting her belongings. The woman was concerned that her husband, Emil Clermont, 77, was not taking his prescribed medication for some time and was becoming increasingly agitated. She was concerned about potential harm towards her, although she advised police that she had not been assaulted by Clermont. Clermont had apparently locked her out of their apartment earlier in the day, and her keys, passport, purse and other personal effects were locked inside the home. She told police she wanted to retrieve them before crossing the border into Canada, where she planned to stay with relatives temporarily. When officers, including Schubert,
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