September 7 - 13, 2023
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Orcas spotted in Semiahmoo Bay, page 2
Famed architect talks Blaine home, city vision
Run with the Chums on September 9, page 5
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Borderite football lose first game, page 7
Raptor presentation educates and delights
By Madisun Tobisch
(See Freschi, page 15)
s Sardis Raptor Center volunteers gave a “Hunters of the Sky” presentation at the Birch Bay State Park wildlife theater on September 2. The Ferndale-based animal protection organization hosts the program at the state park during the summer to provide education on birds of prey, such as eagles, hawks and owls. Photo by Jana Turner
Blaine area businesses experience range of impacts from fewer border crossings By Madisun Tobisch This June rang in the first summer without restrictions on the U.S./Canada border with the lifting of mandatory proof of Covid-19 vaccination for those entering the U.S. Years of travel restrictions left a mark on some of the businesses closest to the border. Without Covid-era requirements in place, no two business recoveries have looked the same. The Peace Arch crossing is the busiest in Washington state, seeing over 120 per-
cent more U.S. entries than Point Roberts, which has the second-highest crossing volume, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In July, the Peace Arch border crossing had 311,087 personal vehicles traveling into the U.S., about 73,000 fewer than the same month in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. In Point Roberts, July 2023 crossing data from the U.S. Department of Transportation shows a 25.7 percent decrease from July 2019. Crossing data shows commercial trucks
WDFW plans to trap black bears seen in Blaine By Grace McCarthy Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers are setting several traps in the Blaine area for one mother black bear and two cubs reportedly digging in people’s garbage. The bears will then be assessed as to whether they can be relocated or need to be euthanized. The three black bears were first reported to WDFW in the Maple Falls area on August 23, WDFW communications specialist Becky Elder said. WDFW received
a call several days later that the bears were located 20 miles away. The bears appear to have traveled to Ferndale, Custer and now Blaine, where they have most recently been sighted, Elder said. WDFW has received 20 to 30 reports as they have moved westward. Human garbage is the key indicator for the bears’ movement, Elder said. “They’re opportunistic and are taking the opportunity to get into wherever they can receive a free meal,” she said. Custer resident Peter Svedin said he’s
lived near Valley View and Behme roads his entire life and seeing scat was the closest thing he’s come to ever seeing a bear on his property until he saw the mother black bear and cubs while he was working on equipment over the weekend. Blaine resident Vickie Jones Young said her family watched from their upstairs window as the bears ate garbage in their backyard, near Red Cedar Road, about 7:30 p.m. September 2. (See Bears, page 3)
have stayed close to pre-pandemic volumes. So far in 2023, there is a monthly average of 30,065 commercial trucks compared to an average of 30,800 in 2019. Canada lifted its final U.S. border travel restrictions last October when it stopped requiring proof of vaccination upon entry. As a result, the number of travelers entering the U.S. rose during a season when numbers traditionally begin to wind down from the summer, said Laurie Trautman, (See Border, page 6)
INSIDE
Nestled in the lettered streets of Blaine is a home unlike others – this one was designed by a world-famous architect. Canadian-born Bruno Freschi, best known for his role as the chief architect for Vancouver’s Expo 86, envisioned his one-story home as an artist’s escape, complete with an attached carport, modern landscaping, covered outdoor seating area and a detached guest house that doubles as a “his and hers” art studio. In this home they have dubbed “paradise,” Freschi and his wife of over 35 years, Vaune Ainsworth, lead a life of creativity, wonder and desire. “We’re both painting. To me, that’s an escape. I’m writing, painting, drawing and sometimes the odd architectural thing that I have to do,” Freschi said. “We created this little piece of paradise for that reason, and the pandemic came along. Thank God we had it. Fortunately, we finished just before. We were very lucky.” The home itself is gallery-like, showcasing memories, creative works and an abundance of Ainsworth’s tchotchkes collected from around the globe. In her office, where she runs her licensed therapy and coaching practice based out of Washington and D.C., carved hands, eyes and faces look on from nearly every shelf. In the main room, light pours in from large south-facing windows that frame the open backyard space. A pergola with seating and curtains sits on a concrete slab, encircled by a sea of blue glass stones. A walkway leads straight through the yard to the pair’s side-by-side art studios and guest house. In the few years since Freschi and Ainsworth moved in, their creative work is already evident from floor to ceiling. Ainsworth created an entirely new body of work in her abstract style. One room over, Freschi’s work area is filled with completed and in-progress journals. He said he has slowed down on ar-
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