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April 4 - 10, 2024

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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer

IN THIS

ISSUE

Paso Del Norte fire, page 2

Whatcom County Council news, page 5

BHS alumni take wrestling collegiate, page 6

PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230

Easter celebrated on Blaine waterfront Leslee Smith remembered for service to others By Grace McCarthy

s Children scramble to fill their baskets during CTK Blaine’s Easter egg hunt at Blaine Marine Park on March 30. CTK Blaine was among several community groups hosting family events during the holiday weekend. See more photos on page 10. Photo courtesy Taylor Andrews

First-degree murder charge dismissed for Blaine man found incompetent to stand trial By Grace McCarthy A 77-year-old Blaine man charged with first-degree murder for shooting his neighbor last October is incompetent to stand trial, a Whatcom County Superior Court judge ruled. The man’s charge will be dismissed without prejudice, meaning the charge could be refiled in the future. On March 29, Judge Evan Jones issued a court order dismissing Wayne Harold Mahar Sr.’s murder charge and directing him to undergo a five-day involuntary civil commitment evaluation at Western State Hospital. The court found Mahar lacked the ability to understand the nature of proceedings against himself and ability to assist in his own defense and

was unlikely to improve. Jones’s ruling followed a March 26 hearing on Mahar’s competency where two forensic evaluators testified that Mahar was unfit to stand trial. Both forensic evaluators came to largely the same conclusions regarding the specifics of Mahar’s competency and gave the court their medical opinion that Mahar had an unspecified neurological disorder that likely included dementia. “Both doctors independently examined the defendant and reached the same medical conclusion,” Jones wrote in the court order dismissing the charge. “The court finds their testimony to be creditable and sufficient by a preponderance of the evidence to overcome the presumption of competency in this case.” (See Court, page 3)

(See Smith, page 15)

INSIDE

Leslee Smith, the first career female firefighter at North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR) who was known for her unwavering service to others, in and out of bunker gear, died March 26 after battling job-related liver cancer. She was 69. Leslee’s death is considered a line-of-duty fatality because of hazardous exposures while working as a firefighter. Leslee spent several years as a volunteer firefighter before switching careers from a school behavioral health specialist to become a NWFR firefighter at 40 years old in 1999, eventually becoming the district’s first female lieutenant. Leslee retired from NWFR in October 2021 due to her cancer. She was initially diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012, becoming cancer free after surgery, and then was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2020 that required her to start chemotherapy. Along with her trailblazing career in the fire service, Leslee held many titles throughout her life including counselor, behavioral health specialist, school volunteer, baker, gardener, and most importantly to those who knew her: mother, wife, and daughter. “Leslee had a thirsty curiosity and a beautiful mind. She was engaging, disarming and genuine in her interactions with everyone and had an innate ability to connect with people on any level and make them feel seen and heard,” Steve Smith, her husband, wrote in an email to The Northern Light. “This strength of character was often displayed in the love she had for her community and her efforts in that regard to motivate, educate and assist whenever and however needed.” Leslee was born December 7, 1954 in Penticton, in the Okanagan Valley of B.C. Upon graduating from Douglas College in 1974, Leslee began working as a child care and family counselor at The Children’s Foundation in Vancouver. After meeting Steve, the Smiths moved to Blaine where Leslee worked as a behavioral health specialist at Blaine school district from 1989 to 1999. Jennie Sand, a close friend to Leslee, said their friendship cemented through co-teaching a conflict resolution class at Blaine school district. Leslee earned children’s trust and cared deeply about their lives, Sand said. Leslee helped start and managed the

Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . 11, 12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . 6, 7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14

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3/20/24 4:25 PM