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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
February 18 - 24, 2021
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IN THIS
ISSUE
First sports competitions, page 2
Birch Bay dance studio opens, page 5
Tony’s Tavern closes road for outdoor dining, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Whatcom County moves to Phase 2 By Grace McCarthy
(See Phase 2, page 3)
s A snow-covered Peace Arch State Park provided a place for people to sled and meet up on February 14. Photo by Anna Johnson
B.C. officials scrutinize Peace Arch Park, days before couples brave snow for Valentine’s Day By Grace McCarthy The U.S. side of Peace Arch Park has remained open during the pandemic, becoming a focal point for frequent meet-ups between U.S. and Canadian residents. With Canadian case rates significantly lower than the U.S., B.C. officials questioned the loophole’s logic that allows for these gatherings just days before Valentine’s Day. In a February 10 letter written to B.C. premier John Horgan, B.C. liberal MLAs Trevor Halford (Surrey-White Rock) and Stephanie Cadieux (South Surrey) called
on Horgan to take action against the park meetings. “While we appreciate the desire or families to reunite – it must be done through the proper channels and following all health guidelines, not a loophole no one wants to take responsibility for,” the letter states. The MLAs wrote that they hear complaints from residents who don’t feel safe with the number of people meeting. In the wake of the more contagious Covid-19 variant, they asked Horgan to put pressure on Washington governor Jay Inslee to
Public works to prevent Deer Trail erosion from worsening By Ian Haupt A roadway in Birch Bay is experiencing severe erosion that has forced Whatcom County Public Works to limit traffic to one lane at the spot of the landslide and look for ways to prevent more of the road from falling away. Brian Walker, senior engineering technician for public works, said in an email the damage to Deer Trail was observed in early January when the roots of a maple tree separated from the hillside along the
road, pulling the edge of the road with it. On January 5, a county maintenance and operations crew removed the maple tree that was in danger of falling over due to the roots being destabilized by erosion. Walker said the bulk of the landslide occurred shortly after the tree removal, and there has been some minor erosion since January 5. The county has hired a consulting geotechnical engineer to analyze recommended temporary stabilization measures to take before the roadway can be perma-
nently reconstructed. Walker said those measures are still being analyzed. Near the intersection of Cherry Tree Lane, the spot of the landslide, Deer Trail has been reduced to one lane and stop signs have been placed on either end of the road to control traffic. However, it can be difficult for those entering the residential area to see oncoming traffic on the other side of the barriers that block the eroded roadway because of the gradient and bend (See Deer Trail, page 3)
close the park until the border reopens to non-essential travel. But in a news conference later that day, Horgan said the park is not regulated by Washington state or B.C. He also said he hasn’t discussed the cross-border meetings with Inslee, while other topics like Point Roberts have come up. “If we see consistent concerns about Peace Arch Park, I’ll certainly raise that with the federal government and they can take action with their counterparts in Washington, D.C.,” Horgan said. “I’m (See Park, page 8)
INSIDE
Whatcom County and the rest of Washington have moved into Phase 2 of the state’s two-phase reopening plan. With some minor metric reporting glitches due to a hospital error holding back one region, all of the state’s regions were in Phase 2 as of February 15. Whatcom County moved into Phase 2 on February 14, after governor Jay Inslee announced that counties previously slated to move into Phase 2 on Monday could open a day early for Valentine’s Day. The move to Phase 2 allows restaurants to have indoor activity with 25 percent capacity. The county, and the rest of the north region that includes Skagit, Island and San Juan counties, met the four requirements under the governor’s “Roadmap to Recovery” plan. Here is how the north region moved phases, according to “Roadmap to Recovery” metrics: • 32 percent decrease in rate of new Covid-19 cases in the past two weeks • 17 percent decrease in new Covid-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 in the past two weeks • 53 percent ICU occupancy in the past week • 6 percent Covid-19 test positivity rate Six other regions in the state moved forward in phases Sunday. When the eligible phases were announced February 11, the south central region was the only region to remain in Phase 1. However, the state department of health reported Sunday that a Walla Walla hospital was unintentionally misreporting hospital admission data and the region was eligible to move to Phase 2. South Central includes Kittitas, Yakima, Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla and Columbia counties and has since moved into Phase 2. Puget Sound and West regions moved into Phase 2 on February 1. The whole state is now in Phase 2. The governor was asked during the news conference why the state would risk reopening now when the new, more con-
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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