May 26 - June 1, 2022
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Candidates file for August primaries, page 2
Peace Arch Park ranger celebrates 50 years with WA State Parks
Two BHS track athletes Scientists prepare for Asian giant hornets, page 5 head to state, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Plover summer ferry trips begin Friday
By Hannah Cross
(See Ranger, page 15)
s Richard Sturgill watches the historic Plover ferry’s new crew prepare for the summer season at Blaine Harbor on May 20. The passenger ferry is returning Friday, May 27 to carry passengers between Blaine Harbor and Semiahmoo Resort for the first time since the pandemic started. Rides cost $5 for adults, $1 for youth and are free for children 12 years old and younger. The ferry will run Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. Photo by Hannah Cross
Council approves changes to parks board, keeps maintenance review in board’s purview By Grace McCarthy Blaine City Council unanimously voted 5-0 during its May 23 meeting to approve changes to the city’s park and cemetery board but will keep maintenance review in the board’s purview. The vote comes after a spirited debate during the last city council meeting on limiting the parks board’s involvement in managing the parks and its budget. Councilmembers Mike Hill and Garth Baldwin were absent from the vote, although Baldwin had been at the parks study session earlier that evening.
Councilmembers were asked to vote on Resolution 22-2982 that revised language in Blaine’s municipal code. City staff recommended reducing the board’s involvement in maintaining and managing city parks so the board could work more on development. Both council and parks board members pushed back on this recommendation and council chose not to include it in the new parks changes. Staff recommended the parks board continue proposing a six-year capital improvement plan each year, but no longer make operational budget recommendations. The budget change was proposed because de-
Union ratifies labor contract with Blue Wolf By Grace McCarthy Intalco union members have entered a contract with Blue Wolf Capital Partners, prospective buyer of the idled Alcoa smelter in Ferndale. The labor deal marks one step closer to restarting the nearly closed smelter, with the final – and most cumbersome – leg being securing an energy contract with Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) District
160, representing Intalco union members, secured a five-year labor deal with New York City-based private equity firm Blue Wolf, the union announced May 15. Compared to previous agreements with Alcoa, the new agreement improves wages and benefits, quarterly bonuses and job protection. Alcoa slowed production of its Ferndale plant in summer 2020 and put its nearly 700 employees out of work after low aluminum prices made the business less profitable. Only 12 union employees are left
maintaining the facility for routine maintenance, IAMAW District 160 business representative Luke Ackerson said in an email to The Northern Light. Ackerson said he felt hopeful about the labor agreement after previous negotiations with Alcoa had been contentious and didn’t send a positive message to the workforce. “Negotiating with Blue Wolf was refreshing,” he said. “They were very fair (See Smelter, page 3)
velopment is funded through the capital budget, while the operational budget has become more limited since pandemic budget cuts and staff would be better suited to handle that budget. Council agreed to this change. City staff recommended adding one councilmember to the group of five voting board members, which council decided to make non-voting. Staff had recommended cutting the number of meetings from 10 to four, and adding meetings if needed. Council opposed this (See Parks, page 3)
INSIDE
Ranger Rickey Blank will celebrate 50 years serving Washington State Parks (WSP) on June 1. Blank currently works as park ranger at Peace Arch State Park, after working in 19 parks and park areas throughout his career. “I like to say I arrived at Peace Arch by natural law,” Blank said. “I had a lot of opportunities but I’m glad I ended up here.” He said Peace Arch is an outstanding place to meet people from all over the world and has given him the ability to stay close to his daughters who reside in Vancouver, B.C. as well as his church and extra-curricular activities he enjoys, such as ballroom and country dancing. Blank started his career as a seasonal park aide at Sequim Bay State Park on June 1, 1970, the day after he graduated high school. He thought it would be temporary as he wanted to go to college to become a high school teacher and basketball coach at the time, but quickly fell in love with the parks. After two full years of service as a seasonal park aide and youth corps supervisor from 1970 to 1973, he became a commissioned park ranger on February 10, 1974. His next big career move was working as Deception Pass State Park’s operations and maintenance officer for 30 years. It was from there that Blank transferred to Peace Arch. He said as an older ranger who has been with WSP for nearly half of its existence, WSP leadership thought he was the perfect candidate. “Since I first started at Peace Arch on January 1, 2019, I have tried my best to offer superior customer service with a smile every day,” he said. Amber Forest, who is a park ranger and Whatcom County area manager, said she has been working with Blank in the same region and agency since she first started with WSP in 2000 as a park aide when he was stationed at Deception Pass. “I became Rickey’s supervisor in 2018
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