May 25 - 31, 2023
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Blaine residents given WCSO award, page 4
Whatcom County candidates file for August primary
Blaine sports onto state, page 6-7
Birch Bay Drive repavement, page 10
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Thousands attend Blaine OysterFest
By Grace McCarthy
(See Election, page 5)
s Blaine Chamber of Commerce executive director Jacquee Sovereign said 5,000 people were estimated to have attended Blaine OysterFest on May 20, which is about one-third to half of the number of people who attend Blaine’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July. Over 12,600 oysters were consumed at the H and G Street plazas, Sovereign said, adding the chamber raised nearly $7,000 for local nonprofits. Net proceeds that Drayton Harbor Oyster Company raised, which were not known by press time, will go toward Drayton Harbor water-quality monitoring. Sovereign said the chamber is planning the next oyster festival for Saturday, October 7. More photos on pages 8 and 9. Photo by Louise Mugar
PeaceHealth palliative care cuts felt in Blaine By Grace McCarthy PeaceHealth is cutting three services in Whatcom County, with the most significant being a severe reduction to the county’s only outpatient palliative care program that provides comprehensive care for people who are chronically ill. Blaine resident Christina Needham, 70, learned PeaceHealth’s Whatcom County outpatient palliative care program would be eliminated from a staff member visiting her home in late April. Needham, who has congestive heart failure and has been homebound since being diagnosed with stage four cancer a few years ago, said she relies on the program to manage pain and offer emotional support. “Palliative care was there for people,” Need-
ham said. “They cared when no one else did.” Palliative care serves people with serious illnesses, such as cancer or heart failure, by focusing on relieving pain and improving quality of life. The holistic approach expands on regular health care, which is more procedural, by providing services such as chaplains and social workers. Consistent in-depth care catches symptoms before they require an emergency room visit, saving patients and insurance companies money. Unlike hospice, palliative care also gives comfort to people who are not terminally ill. “We can’t all fit in a box,” Needham said. “We’re all different. I think it is paramount that palliative care doesn’t look at you like a (See Health care, page 3)
INSIDE
Whatcom County candidates are gearing up for the August 1 primary, with a number of important positions up for election. Below are positions that will most impact Blaine and Birch Bay residents: Whatcom County Executive The Whatcom County Executive is a nonpartisan, four-year position that is currently being held by first-term incumbent Satpal Sidhu. Sidhu is being challenged by Misty Flowers, Alicia Rule, Dan Purdy, Barry Buchanan and Sukhwant Gill. Whatcom County Council District 4 Incumbent Kathy Kershner is being challenged by Mark Stremler and Katherine Orlowski for the district 4 seat on county council. The position is a four-year regular term and represents the greater Lynden area. Whatcom County Council District 5 Jackie Dexter, a Blaine resident and member of Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee, is running against first-term incumbent Ben Elenbaas, who is a fifth-generation farmer and has worked at BP Cherry Point. District 5 represents the Blaine, Birch Bay, Point Roberts, Lummi Nation and Lummi Island area. The position is a four-year regular term. Whatcom County Council At-Large Position B Carol Frazey is not running for a second term for one of the two at-large positions on Whatcom County Council. Atul Deshmane, Jon Scanlon, Hannah Ordos and Jerry Burns are running for the at-large position. Blaine school board District 1 Current school board member Erika Creydt will challenge incumbent Kimberly Akre for the district 1 position, which is a four-year regular term. District 1 represents Point Roberts and part of central Blaine. Blaine school board District 2 District 2 incumbent Dougal Thomas is not running for another term on school board. Tana Perkins Reneau, Ben Lazarus and Dean Berkeley are vying for the empty seat, which is a four-year regular term. District 2 covers east Blaine and south of downtown. Two other people originally filed but then withdrew from the race. Blaine school board District 3 The district 3 school board seat has been left vacant because Erika Creydt is
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