May 11 - 17, 2023
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Manufactured home park request withdrawn, page 3
City considers pursuing charges related to credit card transactions
Blessing of the Fleet photos, page 10
Blaine Bouquets under new ownership, page 15
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
McDonald’s opens Blaine location on truck route
By Grace McCarthy
(See Audit, page 5)
s McDonald’s opened its Blaine location on May 10 at 747 Grant Avenue, on the corner of H Street and State Route 543. The fast food restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., though the hours are subject to change, said Joanna Paine, administrative assistant for McDonald’s Bellingham office. Photo by Grace McCarthy
Blaine Oyster Festival to benefit local nonprofits By Grace McCarthy Blaine Oyster Festival is returning Saturday, May 20 for people to enjoy oysters in downtown Blaine while benefiting local nonprofits. The festival will bring back some of the highlights that made last year’s inaugural event a success while introducing new family-friendly activities. The festival runs noon to 8 p.m. The oyster festival will have a seafood barbecue where punch cards can be purchased at the G Street Plaza and Blaine Welcome Center for oysters and clams. Net proceeds will be evenly split between local nonprofits Community Assistance Program, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Girl Scouts and Blaine Chamber of Commerce. “The structure of this event is different
from October but I’m really hopeful that it will resonate with the community that local nonprofits are getting involved and getting support,” Blaine chamber director Jacquee Sovereign said. “I would love to see them be very successful at the event.” A street fair will take over H Street with over 35 vendors selling arts and crafts, jewelry, soaps, woodwork, beauty products and other goods. H Street will be closed one block from Peace Portal Drive to 3rd Street, but Peace Portal Drive will be open to vehicle traffic, Sovereign said. The fair will run noon to 5 p.m. Live bands will be performing throughout the day. Alex Britton and Pretty Much Nothing will play modern rock at G Street (See Festival, page 2)
INSIDE
The city of Blaine is looking into pursuing criminal charges against a former public works director who has been accused of using a city credit card for personal purchases. The decision comes after the state auditor’s office recently completed a fraud investigation that confirmed the city’s findings last year and found more misappropriations, which totaled $8,600 altogether. Last July, Bernie Ziemianek was asked to resign from his position as the city’s public works director after a city investigation found he allegedly misused a work credit card for at least $4,000, according to records previously obtained by The Northern Light. The finance department began the investigation in late June after a public works employee questioned Ziemianek’s purchase of a $1,200 electric concrete grinder. The city investigation found Ziemianek had eight credit card transactions totaling $7,600 that were “inappropriate and odd” from October 2021 to July 1, 2022, including the electric concrete grinder, a saw, and building code and plumbing handbooks, city records show. City staff could not prove all of those purchases were misused, and Ziemianek paid back $4,150 immediately after his resignation. The city then submitted its investigation to the Washington state auditor’s office for review. The state auditor’s office published its fraud investigation on April 24, along with the city’s regular audit. It found $4,500 in questionable transactions from June 2021 to November 2021 that it was unable to determine were for business and $4,100 in misappropriations from March 2022 to June 2022. The purchases totaled $8,600. The auditor’s office recommended in its report that the city retrieve the $9,200, which includes investigation costs, either from the former public works director or insurance. The audit found weaknesses in the city’s internal review processes on expenditures, and processes have been put in place to ensure misuse of public funds doesn’t hap-
Coming Up . . . . 14 Classifieds . . 11, 12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . 14
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