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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
April 14 - 20, 2022
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Easter worship services, page 7
IN THIS
ISSUE
Samaritan saves woman from burning car, page 10
Birch Bay stabbing suspect arrested, page 15
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Nexus | 'neks s Working Waterfront Coalition hosts tide-to-table | Noun: Trusted traveler program | Syn: SNAFU e
B y P a t G r u bb
(See NEXUS, page 5)
s From l.; Dennis Smith, Gail Weiss and Dana Jack enjoying the Tide-to-Table Celebration of the Salish Sea at Drayton Harbor Oyster Company on April 12. The Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County held four dining and fundraising events to help support the efforts of the coalition, which promotes the vitality and economic benefits of working waterfronts for Whatcom County residents. One of the current projects is establishing the Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship program supporting workforce development in maritime trades. Photo by Louise Mugar
Multi-family housing coming to Horizon doubles subdivision’s housing to over 400 homes By Grace McCarthy Multi-family housing slated for Horizon at Semiahmoo will nearly double the subdivision’s residences to over 400 single-family, triplexes and fourplexes. Harbor Custom Development (HCD), the Gig Harbor-based company that purchased Horizon less than a year ago, sold six acres of land to Noffke Homes for $4.48 million on March 30. The land will be used for 56 triplex and fourplex units that are expected to be constructed by
2023, said HCD chief operating officer Jeff Habersetzer. “The sale reinforces our business plan of providing single and multi-family plans and backs up the desire for product in this area,” he said. Noffke’s purchase is the first of eight multi-family tracts Horizon developers plan to sell. The other tracts have 30-40 multi-family units that are currently in various design stages, Habersetzer said. Three more multi-family tracts are expected to be available to builders near the end of 2022
Sheriff’s office looking for three suspects after robbery of Birch Bay home By Grace McCarthy Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies are searching for three suspects after a robbery at a Kickerville Road residence late at night on April 11. Two women in their 20s wearing surgical masks arrived to a Birch Bay man’s home in the 8000 block of Kickerville Road, near the corner of Birch Bay-Lyn-
den Road, around 11:30 p.m. on April 11, according to WCSO. The homeowner allowed the women into his home after they asked to use his phone because they claimed they were having car trouble. A masked man with a handgun then entered the home and one of the women showed she was also carrying a gun, according to WCSO. At gunpoint, the suspects forced the homeowner to the ground while they raided his home and
stole cash, firearms and electronics. A WCSO K-9 track brought no leads after the three suspects fled. The suspects’ identities and whereabouts are unknown as the investigation remains active. WCSO has determined probable cause to arrest the three suspects on first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and theft of firearms.
and beginning of 2023, HCD marketing director Jennifer Lang said in an email. “We’re shopping around,” he said, referring to builders. “Some tracts still have work to do on them. We’re in the process of developing the rest of the tracts.” Subdivision Noffke’s multi-family land purchase only represents a fraction of Horizon at Semiahmoo’s 149-acre property. The subdivision will have about 140 single-family homes (See Horizon, page 3)
INSIDE
Travelers who are just getting around to renewing their NEXUS membership or applying for the first time should be prepared for long waits at the border while their application slowly wends its way through the bureaucracy. According to Rebecca Purdy, senior spokesperson for Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), there is a backlog of over 270,000 NEXUS applicants currently waiting for an interview. This figure does not include the number of Global Entry, FAST and SENTRI applications on the U.S. side. Individuals who re-apply online before their membership expires are given a twoyear extension to the original five-year term. Reportedly, there was a six-month backlog prior to the border being closed in March 2020 meaning some people have been waiting since September 2019 to have either their applications or renewals processed. Once an individual has applied online and paid the application fee, both CBSA and CBP separately undertake a risk analysis of the applicant. Once an application has been approved by both countries, the applicant receives an email confirming their conditionally approved status. The applicant is then able to schedule an interview at a NEXUS enrollment center. In an email to The Northern Light, Purdy said the CBSA was completing risk analyses of applicants within the agency’s service guidelines but did not say how long that would actually take. (The Northern Light in a follow-up email on April 11 has requested clarification on this and other issues.) In a travel media virtual roundtable event held at the end of March, Michael Millich, director of the U.S. Trusted Traveler programs, said that it was generally taking 16 days for Global Entry, a similar Trusted Traveler program solely administered by the U.S., applications to be provisionally approved with another 90 days for appointments to take place. NEXUS applicants
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