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2002: The Year in Review

Once again, the year has rushed by like herons headed for the golf course and it’s time for Point Roberts’ Year in Review. Just in case some of you were asleep, sit back and find out what happened in the year gone by...

January
• When the dust finally settled after a comedy of errors election, the fire district board of commissioners remained unchanged: John Fisher, Don Frantz and Jesse Lofquist.
• Mike Cadden came to Point Roberts as division chief for the newly formed North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Services. And Rich Emmons came on board as the new sheriff’s deputy.

February
• Under new rules at the border plants couldn’t come into the U.S. anymore without a clean bill of health from a Canadian agriculture inspector.
• U.S. Representative Rick Larsen hopped on the school bus with Point Roberts kids to get a taste of the daily two-border grind.
•David Gellatly was appointed the new manager of the Point Roberts marina.
•Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) officials had lunch with the chamber of commerce to discuss border wait times and the proposed NEXUS commuter lanes.
• Renovations got underway at Trinity Lutheran Church.

March
• The newly approved Point Roberts subarea plan made its way into county zoning regulations, which almost lost the Point’s tree retention policies in the process.
• A citizens group was formed to look into building a skatepark on the Point.

April
• The Pioneer group landed a $200,000 federal grant and put together a partnership to open a medical clinic on the Point.
• Whatcom County Council reversed a planning decision recommendation and strengthened tree retention requirements for Point Roberts in the county code.
• Tom Hollett was reelected as voters association president.

May
• Anna Uiboma, the crocheting sensation, singlehandedly raised $500 for the Trinity Lutheran Church building fund.
• The CANPASS and I-68 boat permit programs, suspended after September 11, 2001, re-opened but the Canadian program now requires boaters to go to designated reporting sites like all the other boaters.
• The school district applied for, and finally got, remote and necessary status for local primary school.
• Members of the Pioneer group, the Interfaith Community Health Center in Bellingham and the state department of health presented to the community their plans for a health center on the Point by the fall.
• The nursery moved downtown, with Bloomers opening at a new location on Benson Road.

June
• Construction got started on the first NEXUS lane at the Peace Arch port of entry.
• State governor Gary Locke visited Point Roberts.
• With no one available to run it the parks department cancelled the yearly summer program.
• The local voters’ association announced plans to lobby for local calling rates between the Point and the rest of the county.
• Blaine high school principal Dan Newell was arrested for drunk driving, The charge was reduced to reckless driving the following month.
• TV tower proponent Leslie Agron filed for bankruptcy and the property returned to the original owner, a charitable foundation in California.

July
• Mike Cadden quit as Point Roberts fire chief.
• The NEXUS program got rolling, burdened under a slam of applications. The processing center received over 30,000 in the first three weeks after the program opened.
• The scion of a horseracing dynasty started putting out feelers about the feasibility of opening a racetrack on the Point.
• At the taxpayer’s association annual general meeting departing board member John Lesow proposed the association merge with the local voters’ association.
• The local historical society was joined by 18 members of the Vancouver Historical Society on their annual walking tour.

August
•Fire district commissioners voted to replace departed division chief Mike Cadden with two full-time firefighters.
•Representing EQTAAH, the group headed by Andy Stronach proposing a horseracing and off-track betting project on the Point, James Ough moved into Maple Meadows and started courting local support.
• Border lineups, which had been dwindling after the initial reaction to September 11, suddenly shot back down the hill in Tsawwassen. The INS blamed a short staffed post, where one person sick can cut the volume they can process in half.
• NEXUS enrollment hit 3,500.

September
• Proponents of a pier at the foot of Gulf Road submitted a petition asking county council to put a maintenance levy for the pier on the ballot.
• Members of the Economic Development Committee trails group started firming up plans for a Point Roberts trail system and looking for dollars to build it.
• Ron Hays, head of INS inspections for the Seattle District for three years, quit and took a more lucrative job with the newly formed Transportation Security Administration.
• David Gellatly quit as manager of the Point Roberts marina.
• Nick Kiniski was hired as the first of two full-time firefighters on the Point.

October
•Water district engineers gave their first public presentation of what sewers for Point Roberts might involve, but failed to address the burning question. What will they cost?
• Local property owners found their projects stalled by Lummi Nation cultural resources staff checking for and mitigating burial sites.
•A local group asked the Whatcom County Authority to provide scheduled bus service on the Point.
• While U.S. and Canadian authorities were still processing a massive backlog of NEXUS applications, the number of new ones being submitted slowed to a trickle.
• Primary results showed Democrats the strong favorites among Point Roberts voters.
• While still favoring a site off Mill Road, race track proponents started looking at other sites where tree retention wouldn’t be as much of an issue.

November
• NEXUS lanes at Peace Arch and Pacific Highway expanded to give members 13 hours a day of expedited access. Point Roberts hours remained 5-7 p.m.
• North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Chief Mike Campbell was arrested on suspicion of child molestation and placed on paid administrative leave.
• Rather than scheduled service the Whatcom Transportation Authority opted to provide the Point with community vans to be run by volunteer drivers with a local board to manage their use.
• The voters’ association held a well-attended candidate’s night for local voters to meet their current and potential legislators.

December
• In an election upset state Senator Georgia Gardner won hands down in Point Roberts but still lost her seat to Republican opponent county sheriff Dale Brandland.
• Still not officially charged with any crime, Mike Campbell was brought back on the job with limited administrative duties.
• Water district engineers gave cost estimates at a public meeting on potential sewer development. About $10,000 per single home, but that’s based on a future community of 10,000 sharing the cost burden.
• The INS unveiled new rules that would require visas for many Canadian landed immigrants from commonwealth countries to visit the U.S, such as those from Pakistan, India and South Africa.

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