The Editor:
I want to sincerely thank everyone in Blaine who has given me the honor and opportunity to serve as both a councilmember and deputy mayor over the past four years. It’s a role I’ve never taken lightly and one I’ve been truly grateful to hold. I take a great deal of pride in what our council, city leadership and staff have been able to accomplish together during that time.
For me, some of the highlights include the G Street sewer project, important updates to the Blaine municipal code, major improvements to city infrastructure and continuing to pass balanced budgets. Other important projects include the Marine Park shoreline restoration, laying the groundwork to secure grant funding for the Bell Road grade separation project, and most recently, the downtown revitalization project.
I also want to recognize our outstanding city manager and city clerk, along with the entire city staff and leadership team. We are incredibly fortunate to have such capable, dedicated people serving this community every day. Their professionalism, institutional knowledge and commitment to doing things the right way are what keep this city moving forward. I also want to thank our police department for its integrity, commitment to service, and the care it shows in keeping our community safe. Blaine is better because of the people who show up every day to serve it.
Blaine is in a strong place, and I truly believe the future is bright. With the people we have in place and the direction we’re headed, this city will continue to grow, improve and thrive. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have played a small part in that journey, and I’ll always be proud to be a Borderite.
Rhyan Lopez, former city councilmember
Blaine
The Editor:
Wow! The Polar Bear Plunge really kicked off 2026 for the Birch Bay community.
You know – that place in Whatcom County, that place where the administration of Birch Bay is made by people who live half an hour away and who need the economic significance of that place to fund the administration of greater Whatcom County.
I hope 2026 provides the Birch Bay community with the opportunity to vote on organizing a city of Birch Bay. I recognize some apprehension of people when they consider the question: Should Birch Bay be a city? The apprehension of deciding that question is a function of not knowing the future.
If you went to the Birch Bay Plunge and still believe that this place is not ready to be a city and should remain part of Whatcom County government, ask yourself: how and why did this event happen?
How? Because a small group of people had an idea to promote Birch Bay – their effort moved the idea ahead (nice job, Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce) and incorporated others who call Birch Bay home.
Why? Because it reflects a community of people wanting to contribute to the success of Birch Bay, even if that requires thousands of people standing in cold water.
If 2026 provides the opportunity to vote for a city of Birch Bay, I am confident that the Birch Bay community has the talent and desire to protect the interest of Birch Bay significantly better than Bellingham.
I’d like to hear your thoughts.
Steve Nelson
Birch Bay
The Editor:
A twitch is a tool used by farriers and veterinarians when working with a horse as a substitute for a tranquilizer. A loop of rope, attached to a stick is put around the animal’s upper lip and twisted. It calms the horse and distracts it from the pain it would otherwise experience. President Trump’s attacks on Venezuela have twitched the American people again.
Donald Trump, a convicted felon, and a man scared of what will be revealed in the Epstein papers, has just twitched American. He hopes we’ll all forget about his possible role in the Epstein scandal with his illegal takeover of Venezuela, the kidnapping of the Venezuelan president, the murder of foreign sailors in international waters, and the promise of huge profits from the theft of Venezuela’s oil reserves. His “drug-driven war” is his mask, and he hopes for a sufficient distraction so that the American people will set aside the threat of criminal behavior that could lead to his third impeachment. He hopes the drug war twitch will cover the shame that the Epstein papers will undoubtedly bring his way.
We’ve seen this war twitch before when the distraction was the threat of “communists” in Vietnam and the prize was rubber, and once again in Iraq when the twitch was the search for nonexistent weapons of mass destruction after 9/11, and the prize was once again oil. Each time a standing president was covering domestic failings with a convenient war as the twitch to divert and mask his embarrassment.
Please America, wake up to the president’s latest scam (remember Canada, the 51st state). Surely we Americans are smarter than a horse with a twitch on its lip. Contact your congressman and senator and let them know you’re tired of this repeating insanity.
Ronald Snyder
Blaine
The Editor:
The Blaine/Birch Bay Community Toy Store leadership team would like to thank all those who donated toys, gift cards and funds to help provide Christmas gifts for 317 children from 119 families through the 2025 Community Toy Store program.
The parents who shopped with us had over 1,200 toys and 300 gift cards to choose from! They were thrilled by the huge selection of high-quality toys that filled our store, and all left with huge smiles on their faces and many words of gratitude for the opportunity to purchase gifts for their own children.
Each family also received a dozen Christmas cookies baked by the Blaine High School culinary arts students, a Christmas ornament craft kit for each child, and free stocking stuffers provided by Operation Homefront.
We would also like to thank the over 100 volunteers who made this program possible, as well as Christian Way Community Church for the use of their facility. It is a joy and privilege to be part of such a caring and generous community! Thank you for your outpouring of love and support for all these families!
This year’s shopping proceeds totaled over $3,300, which was split between the Blaine Food Bank, The Bridge Community Hope Center’s emergency assistance fund and the Loads of Love laundry program. Thanks to the families who shopped with us, as well as the donors, for making it possible for us to support these important services in our community.
Laura Vogee, Blaine/Birch Bay Community Toy Store director
Blaine
The Editor:
Mr. Grubb, thank you for your service. Your absence from this newspaper will be sorely missed.
Nolan Baker brought awareness to the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2’s California Creek kayak park. You published my October letter expressing concern that this was an ill-founded, taxpayer-funded boondoggle that should be shut down. This is my update.
On December 22, the county’s State Environmental Policy Act officially issued a determination of non-significance (DNS) to allow the project to proceed without any mitigating conditions. No publication.
That decision is clearly erroneous based upon the facts and the process. The applicant should be required to prepare an environmental impact statement. At the very least, a mitigated DNS is warranted. I offered, and the county ignored, 10 reasonable conditions.
Despite email requests for updates, no one from the county bothered to reply. The county had my phone number and email address.
One December 29, a full week after the DNS was issued, the county mailed a copy of it to me advising that January 1, 2026 – a day the county offices were closed – was the final day to appeal the DNS decision.
On January 2, one day after the appeal deadline, I received the county’s letter in the mail.
By its actions, the county ensured that I did not have time to file a timely SEPA appeal.
Based on what we have seen so far, it appears that the county intends to refuse to be transparent in this matter. We have seen this before. This proposed project will cause enormous traffic and environmental problems and costs in the California Creek and Drayton Harbor areas – costs that will ultimately be passed to homeowners in the area.
The message is clear, the county and BBBPRD2, its agency sister, are prioritizing their favorite boondoggles – while our community bears the impacts.
There are five federal approvals, four county approvals and four variances that are still needed for this proposal. I have asked the county to give me timely notice of these other decisions as they are processed, because these regulatory decisions can be appealed.
We’ll see.
Jack Grant
Blaine
The Editor:
The Northern Light, and a light indeed you are.
When I moved to Blaine from Canada years ago I was overjoyed to find such a fine local newspaper in my mailbox. It takes much effort and work to put out a paper of this caliber.
A hallmark of this paper is integrity. You are light-hearted also. I wonder if you will every fully know how much your paper has contributed to this community. Such a help to us. An important building block.
Lois K. Smith
Blaine
The Editor:
Who ever thought that we could find ourselves in a Harry Potter moment fighting the Death Eaters? It seems that what we have understood as Constitutional protections for ourselves and our institutions are no longer acknowledged or recognized.
What has happened to the assurance that our government had citizen’s best interest prioritized over profit and prestige?
Be assured that, like in Harry Potter, being steady, unshakeable and immovable will build walls and plant gardens of truth and protection for our Constitution and, in some cases, our lives.
We can and must assure that the heavy load of weaving beauty, integrity, honesty, harmony and justice back into our country and government is recognized and accepted by all. We must not stand still, concerned but inactive.
Ceausescu in Romania was ousted by rattling car keys, and the Chicago ICE was ousted by green whistles. We can do this quietly by numbers. We will not let the Death Eaters hold this land hostage!
Donna Starr
Blaine
The following are comments The Northern Light received on social media in reaction to its article announcing that co-publishers Pat Grubb and Louise Mugar were retiring after 35 years and the newspaper would become a nonprofit under new ownership.
I’ve enjoyed every issue of your newspaper since moving to Blaine in 2011. Thank you and happy retirement! – Laurie Jones
Well done. Congratulations and thank you for the wonderful local paper. – Sharon Tucker
Thank you both for everything you have done for this community! – Jason Friend
Thank you for your hard work! Your newspaper helps define our community. Very important for us. – Mark A. Hodges
Thank you. – Steve Ganz
A few of us remember the state of journalism when you arrived here. Since then, no one has accomplished more than the two of you in generating Blaine pride in its unique identity, an identity largely attributable to your positive vision. You connected neighborhoods and promoted community among them in ways only ever possible with steadfast dedication and decades of right-minded action.
In the process, The Northern Light is, no doubt, the premier weekly in all of Washington, as evidenced by Pat’s latest extensive series on the port’s failure to comply with fundamental state regulations concerning public meetings, board action and arms-length contracting. Thank you, Pat and Louise, for making our glorious corner an even better home. – Don Montfort
Thank you, Louise and Pat. Incredible story. I’ve been reading The Northern Light since 2001, when I was 20 years old. And now I’m an advertiser of our small businesses, which I have worked on directly with both Louise and Molly, both amazing people to work with. I can’t thank you enough for your dedication to our communities, and I can only hope the nonprofit will be able to continue what you have worked so hard on. Many wishes for a great retirement, and thank you! – Erin Ryan
Thank you for such a service to our community for all these years! We will miss you, but are so happy about the transfer. – Alicia Rule
Thank you for your commitment to Blaine. – Helen Worley
Thank you for all you have done for our community! Enjoy retirement, but you will be missed.
– Kerry Clausen
You have provided an incredible service to our community. Thank you so much. The best to you both in retirement. – Diane Olsen
Thank you. Enjoy retirement.
– Marilyn Grainger Martin
Thanks for all of the years of service and a damn fine publication ... honest reporting is this day and age can’t find, at least by my standards. Live long and enjoy.
– Warren Marx
And what a going away present you have given us – the excellent reporting on the Port of Bellingham. Thank you and best wishes.
– Laurie Bender
Have fun in your next adventures! Our family so appreciates the honesty of your reporting what was happening in our town. You both have left some big shoes to fill!
– Charlie Hawkins
Thank you for all that you have done to keep our community informed. – Mary Lou Steward
Thank you Pat and Louise for working so hard for so long, and for allowing some of us to join you on the ride! It was a pleasure. – Kara Nicole
Whaaaat? Definitely the end of an era ... and such a great one! What a legacy you leave behind.
– Gregory Leigh Lyons
Congratulations on your retirement. I know how hard you’ve worked. Thank you for all you did for our community! Enjoy this next “adventure” in your life.
– Katherine Sitker
Best wishes and thanks for all you’ve done in journalism and for the community!
– Dodd Snodgrass
