INSIDE

Around the county. . .

New border initiative proposed
Washington governor Christine Gregoire is seeking approval from the federal government for a new border technology project she is championing.

The project would utilize handheld scanners that would read bar codes on the back of Washington and B.C. driver licenses. The bar codes and readers would be able to determine the nationality of the holder and authenticity of the license. Gregoire’s program is in response to the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which will require travelers to carry passports in order to cross the border.

The requirement is scheduled to come into effect June 1, 2009. Gregoire said, “We want to find a way to boost security at our border without hampering trade and tourism. This is particularly important with both the 2009 World Police and Fire Fighter Games and the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics fast approaching.”

The pilot project would last three months and would utilize a wireless hand-held scanner that is connected to law enforcement databases. License holders would be required to upgrade their current licenses to the new version.

Governor Gregoire has also asked the Department of Homeland Security for cooperation on a study of the possibility of using enhanced Washington driver licenses and identification cards as an alternative to passports at the border between Washington and British Columbia.
- By Pat Grubb

AP Program a Success
A three-year federally funded program designed to draw high school students into advanced placement (AP) classes has met with such success in Blaine that the school has become the state’s prime example on how to run an advanced placement program in districts with high concentrations of low-income students.

The grant funded 40 projects state-wide, and in Blaine the number of students enrolled for the year in AP classes increased 829 percent over the three years the project has been in place. From the second year to the third year (2005-2006) the number of students increased by almost 50 percent, from 95 to 144. Presently about 43 percent of the 169 seniors and 169 juniors are taking AP classes, a far higher figure than any other district in the county.

The AP classes are recognized for credit at most colleges and universities in 20 different countries but, unlike other programs such as running start, classes are taught at the school by teachers who receive special training. That keeps the students on campus, retaining state funding based on student population that otherwise would be lost. This past year that amounted to a little over $150,000 in state funding for the Blaine school district.

High school counselor Karen Mulholland and English teacher Neil Nix spoke to the Blaine school board recently to summarize the results of the three year program.

The grant itself was used to support training four to six teachers each summer to teach AP classes in their fields. In some cases, such as with art teacher Brian Smith, Blaine faculty also participated in designing the classes themselves.

Blaine now offers 12 different AP classes. One is math teacher Mike Shappell’s AP computer science class, one of only 200 in computer science offered statewide. Unlike the technology classes that use computers to design structures, Shappell has students writing code and designing their own software.

Both Nix and Mulholland emphasized the need for continued funding and support as the grant closes down.

“We need funding for teacher training and materials,” said Mulholland, “but also to subsidize students who want to take the test at the end of a particular course but can’t afford it.”

Tests are administered locally to a national standard and are separate from the grade a student may receive in the class. They’re a requirement for receiving college credit, however, and Mulholland emphasized that unlike many districts, Blaine requires its AP students to take the exam at the end of the course.
- By Jack Kintner

Flood damage?
Whatcom County residents and businesses that have experienced flood related damage are requested to report damage of the Division of Emergency Management at 360/676-6681 as soon as possible. The damage assessment process must be completed by November 22. Damage to secondary or recreational homes are not eligible for assistance, but should be reported.

The Whatcom County, with the assistance of the American Red Cross, is conducting an initial damage assessment to help establish areas of need and to determine eligibility for assistance from the state and federal resources such as the Small Business Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Call 360/676-6681 to report damage to business or homes.