March 13 - 19, 2025
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Tariff situation rapidly evolving, page 5
Granger accepts position at Sultan school district
Vaccine clinics for uninsured, page 8
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Borderite spring sports preview, page 10
Wings Over Water festival comes to Blaine
By Nolan Baker
(See Granger, page 2) ND
22 N U A L AN TAKE I-5 EXIT 275
s Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival is returning to Blaine and Birch Bay for its 22nd year Friday, March 14 through Sunday, March 16. The festival will have a birding expo, youth activities, keynote speech from award-winning author Lyanda Lynn Haupt, and bird-viewing stations where people can get a chance to see birds such as the greater yellowlegs (pictured). Read more about Wings Over Water on page 5. Photo by Chuck Kinzer / ckimageart.com
Blaine City Council: Town hall, code of ethics and park upgrades By Grace McCarthy The latest from the Blaine City Council meeting on March 10. Town hall The city of Blaine held its first regular town hall before a Blaine City Council meeting on March 10 after city council voted on February 24 to hold a town hall before the first council meeting of each month. The town hall was scheduled for 30 minutes, with each person being allotted one minute to speak. Councilmembers and city staff quickly addressed or responded to questions. Council chambers was standing-room only as it was packed with several dozen people. Most in attendance were against
the city manager’s recommendation for the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 to receive an operations contract for senior services at the Blaine Community Center, as opposed to the Blaine Senior Center. Council will likely be presented with official recommendation in April, city manager Mike Harmon said. About 10 people made a line to speak at the podium, where a new crowd-control barrier separated them from council and staff. Half of the speakers were in support of the Blaine Senior Center receiving the contract, while other topics included a stormwater manual update, “single female drivers” speeding on H Street, allowing mo(See City, page 3)
INSIDE
The Blaine school district needs to start searching for a new superintendent. The Sultan school district voted unanimously to accept Christopher Granger as its next superintendent during a March 6 special board meeting. Sultan school board chair Gigi Gouldner confirmed to The Northern Light that an offer was made to Granger, and that Granger signed a letter of intent to join the Sultan school district. A contract has yet to be signed, but the Sultan school district hopes to finish the process later in the week, Gouldner wrote via email. According to the letter of intent, Granger will start his contract on July 1, 2025. A contract between Granger and the Sultan school district is still being worked out, and a final salary could not be confirmed by press time. The letter of intent wording shows the salary will likely be in the $200,000 range, which is similar to Granger’s current salary of nearly $216,000. According to a March 3 press release, the Sultan school board began its superintendent search in September 2024. The position received 24 applicants, which was narrowed down to six by February 19. On March 1, the board narrowed down the search to three finalists: Lauri Landerholm, assistant superintendent of La Center school district, Dr. Nathan Plummer, principal of Heritage Tulalip High School, and Granger. Granger spent a day touring the Sultan school district on March 4, and was awarded the position during the March 6 board meeting. Granger held the reins as superintendent of Blaine school district for six years of particularly turbulent times in the Blaine community and the country. Granger started during the 2019-20 school year, when classes moved online because of Covid-19. He also presided over three consecutive years of budget cuts that have seen roughly 100 full-time employees lose their jobs at the district due to state funding and enrollment shortfalls. In February 2024, Granger was named one of three finalists for an open superintendent position at the Ellensburg school district, for
TheNorthernLight
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . 11, 12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . 7, 10 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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NORTHWEST BIRDING FESTIVAL
FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
MARCH 14-16, 2025 • B L A I N E - B I R C H B AY- S E M I A H M O O
ALL-DAY BIRDING EXPO SATURDAY, MARCH 15 • Blaine Pavilion, 635 8th St. Blaine • 10AM-5PM
S IL GE A T A DE E P 6 SE 1