February 25 - March 3, 2021
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IN THIS
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First U.K. variant found in county, page 2
Birch Bay man targeted in drive-by shooting
Get ready to plant, page 8
Local law enforcement hiring, page 7
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Borderite varsity football plays its first game in a year
By Grace McCarthy
(See Shooting, page 13)
s Senior Will McKinney, #11, tries to break through Lynden Christian’s defensive line in the Borderites’ home opener February 20. Photo by Janell Kortlever
U.S./Canada border closure nears one-year anniversary; politicians call for action By Grace McCarthy The most recent announcement extending the U.S./Canada border closure until March 21 means the border will have been closed to non-essential traffic for a year. This comes just days before a Washington state congressional delegation urged President Joe Biden to focus on safely reopening the border. In a February 22 letter, congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and six other members of Congress asked Biden to consider the border closure’s impact on areas like Whatcom County, and highlighted the unique situation of Point Roberts’ isolation from the U.S. mainland. “During the pandemic daily life has been uprooted in many ways for all of us, but for communities dependent upon cross-border interactions, life has completely halted,” the letter reads. “The United States,
Opening March 1
and Washington state specifically, share a deep social and economic bond with our neighbors to the north, and we must make meaningful progress in shaping a collaborative plan for safely reopening the border.” The letter contrasted Canadians spending $138 million in Whatcom County in 2018 to a 98 percent decrease in 2020 border crossings. Lawmakers asked for uniform border restrictions because the current procedure of individual Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA) officers deciding what is essential has turned people away from the border, especially Point Roberts residents. Lawmakers included Clallam and Jefferson counties on the Olympic Peninsula as facing hardships with the halt of the Victoria, B.C. ferry. Lawmakers asked the president to: • Create a bilateral plan to ease border
restrictions; • Vaccinate and test all necessary CBP staff • Add travel exemptions in the U.S. for family members across the border to re(See Border, page 10)
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
INSIDE
A Bellingham man, apparently fueled by a fit of rage, has been charged with attempting to kill a Birch Bay man in a February 19 drive-by shooting. Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies responded to the 5500 block of Hillvue Road at 5:45 p.m. on February 19 after receiving a report that Juan Avena, 28, had been shot and the suspect was on the run. Martin Dylan Siergiey, 35, allegedly believed Avena had raped his wife in November, according to the affidavit of probable cause (APC) sheriff’s deputy Erik G. Francis filed in Whatcom County Superior Court. The APC states Avena reportedly did not know Siergiey, who drove up to Avena’s house and asked him, “Are you Juan?” When Avena replied in the affirmative, Siergiey accused Avena of raping his wife last November and then “produced a black automatic handgun and began to shoot at [him] from his vehicle. [Avena] was only a few feet away and ran south behind a neighbor’s house.” Siergiey continued to shoot at Avena, who fled into his neighbor’s house. As he ran, a bullet struck him in the upper right thigh and passed through his leg, according to the affidavit. First responders later treated Avena, the only person injured, at the scene. He was later seen by a doctor. Siergiey allegedly shot at the neighbor’s house, which was hit by two rounds, one that hit the headboard in their bedroom and another that hit their bathroom closet. Avena said he believed Siergiey tried to kill him and wanted to pursue charges. He was able to describe Siergiey and his vehicle, which allowed deputies to provide a photo lineup from which Avena identified Siergiey. Siergiey was identified as a possible suspect based on a suspicious circumstance report filed by a third party in November that accused Avena of raping Siergiey’s wife. According to the APC, the wife was interviewed but did not confirm the accusation or cooperate with investigators. After the shooting, Avena told deputy Francis that he had met the woman in a chance encounter in November and had consensual intercourse with her. She left
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Your One Stop Shop! 183 C Street (near entrance to Peace Arch Park) See ad on page 2 for Specials!