September 21 - 27, 2023
FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Harbor Harvest Festival Nooksack River adjudication meeting, page 5 comes to Blaine, page 8
City of Blaine proposes eliminating 10 percent of staff
Blaine flutist on World Peace Day album, page 15
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Borderites drub Vashon Island 55-0
By Grace McCarthy
(See Layoffs, page 3)
s Senior wide receiver Hunter Vezzetti caught three touchdown passes en route to Blaine’s blowout, 55-0 win over Vashon Island on September 15. The win is head coach Andy Olson’s first for the Borderites. Photo by Nolan Baker
By Nolan Baker Blaine Borderites football won its first game of the season on September 15 in rousing fashion, demolishing the visiting Vashon Island Pirates 55-0 at home. The victory was head coach Andy Olson’s first win in his new tenure, bringing Blaine up to a 1-2 record. “It feels great,” Olson said. “I’m happy for the kids. The whole second half was really fun to get some of those kids out there who have been working hard all summer for us. They don’t really get that opportunity to play underneath the lights.” The Borderites never gave Vashon a chance, scoring on the opening drive with a 25-yard strike from junior quar-
terback Colin Davis to senior wide receiver Hunter Vezzetti. The drive seemed to stall when the Borderite offensive line was called for two consecutive holding penalties, reminiscent of Blaine’s penalty woes suffered in its two previous losses. Led by Davis, the Blaine offense finished the drive with a touchdown, and the rout was on. “My favorite drive was the first one when we had back-to-back holding calls,” Olson said. “Instead of imploding, we stayed the course and just did our jobs.” The Borderites seemed to do more than just their jobs during the Friday night game. The defense held Vashon to just 37 total yards of offense, and did not allow a single
Planning commission approves manufactured home parks, but in smaller zoning area By Grace McCarthy The Blaine Planning Commission voted 4-1-1 during its September 14 meeting to recommend manufactured home parks that are five acres or larger be included as a permitted use within east Blaine as long as they are limited to a smaller zoning area. The proposal will go in front of city council for a vote. If approved by council, city staff will need to draft a zoning map
and text amendment to limit the size of the allowed area for manufactured home parks. The city’s zoning amendments would go before planning commission and then council for final approval. Commissioners Jerry Marczynski opposed and Donald Kruse abstained in the 4-1-1 vote. Marczynski said during the meeting he was against experimenting with allowing manufactured home parks in a smaller area. “Once you allow the development to be
there, it’s there in perpetuity,” Marczynski said. “I don’t think for Blaine, right now especially, that manufactured homes where lots are rented is a good plan.” The commission was slated to vote on whether to recommend city council approve allowing large manufactured home parks in east Blaine. However, during the commission meeting, chair Calvin Armerding suggested (See Planning, page 3)
completion over the air. Blaine’s defensive backs intercepted two of Vashon’s five total pass attempts. The defensive line combined for five sacks on the night. On offense, the combination of quarterback Davis to wideout Vezzetti terrorized Vashon Island’s secondary all game. The duo combined for three touchdowns, and led to a career-high four-touchdown performance from Davis, who was subbed out by the fourth quarter. The rushing attack was non-stop, as junior back Rommel Paez led the team with 82 yards and a touchdown on just 10 attempts. The team combined for 163 rushing yards on 30 attempts for an impressive (See Football, page 7)
INSIDE
The city of Blaine is planning to eliminate about 10 percent of its staff in a round of layoffs that would be the first of this extent in a decade. City manager Mike Harmon gave notice to employees September 13-15 that the city planned to eliminate 6.5 of its approximately 65 full-time positions on November 1. The city also plans to not hire a vacant IT, planner and one of its two vacant police officer positions. The layoffs would impact the following staffed city positions: One police department position, 2.5 finance department positions, two public works positions, a half-time court position and a half-time clerk’s office position. The city would save about $800,000 to $900,000 in its 2024 budget if it cut those positions, Harmon said. Other cuts to the approximately $40 million budget could include reductions to travel, consultants, technology and supplies. The layoffs are subject to Blaine City Council’s decision. City council will approve, deny or modify the layoffs in the 2024 budget. If council decides it wants to keep the positions, it will need to spend less on capital improvement projects to balance the budget, Harmon said. “The city has a structural deficit in the number of revenues coming into the general fund and the number of operations we have,” Harmon said. Last fall, city council prepared for a $950,000 deficit in its 2023 general fund, where salaries and wages make up over 60 percent of expenses. The budget became unbalanced as inflation increased employees’ salaries and wages but revenue didn’t increase. City finance director Daniel Heverling said earlier this year that the city was slated to deplete all of its $4 million reserves by 2026 if it followed the trajectory predicted in the 2023 budget. However, as of September 19, Heverling said the city
TheNorthernLight
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . 11, 12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . 6, 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
@TNLreporter
@TheNorthernLightNews
TheNorthernLight.com
ThisFLYERS Week’s
FSI Save