2006 in Review
And There Goes Another Year ...

By Meg Olson

January
• The public brought concerns about traffic, noise and the environment to a Tsawwassen open house on the Port of Vancouver’s plans to expand the Deltaport facility.
• A Fraser Valley duck came down with avian flu and the border was closed to uncooked poultry.
• County health officials took exception to a letter being circulated about new state septic system standards, calling the letter “scare tactics” aimed at promoting a sewer.
• State legislators Kelli Linville, Doug Ericksen and Dale Brandland met with half a dozen Point Roberts residents and planning commissioner John Lesow to talk about growth, water, and other local and wider issues.

February
• The valuation of property in Point Roberts was boosted by $10 million for 2006, a jump attributable almost entirely to new construction.
• The new county parks and recreation plan recommends acquiring Lily Point for public use or preservation, and suggested the local parks district would be the appropriate lead agency.
• A mutual aid pact between the local fire department and the corporation of Delta became official.
• The local water district committed $110,000 to drafting a new water comprehensive plan, which will identify a new source of water to allow the district to lift a moratorium on new connections.
• Local chef Steve O’Neill announced plans to open a bakery and café in the long vacant Pier Point property on Marine Drive.
• The federal government announced plans for a new passport card that would offer an affordable and compact alternative for border crossers, who under existing legislation will need a passport to cross the border by 2008.
• Ryan Monogue became the new deputy on the Point and Michael Lange took over as postmaster.

March
• The biggest storm since the 80s slammed the Point, causing widespread flooding in waterfront areas and widespread concern about slow response from the county public works and emergency services.
• The water district got state permission to hand out 162 additional water connections and started looking at a lottery process as a possible fair allocation method for the limited resource.
• State legislators called for delays in the requirement for a passport to cross the border.
•Lighthouse park manager Ben VanBuskirk unveiled his newest game, WOOF.

April
• Water district commissioners approved a new rate structure based on water usage.
• The Blaine school district started looking for a new superintendent to replace Dr. Mary Lynne Derrington.
• James Jarosz, the only adult convicted in connection with marijuana smuggling on the school bus, went back to jail for violating his parole conditions.

May
• Verizon Wireless and the local parks and recreation district began discussing the possibility of leasing unused park land to the communications company to build a cellular telephone transmission tower.
• Stanton Properties, poised to develop a 100 lot subdivision west of Claire Lane, proposed to the water district that developers team up to build additional storage in exchange for water connections.
• The hospital district officially took over operations of the local health clinic from the fire department.
• Clark’s Store was torn down to be replaced by a private home after the existing building was found to have too many structural issues for conversion.
• A new homework center opened at Point Roberts Primary School and the school district began promoting the Home Connections homeschoolers support program to local families who choose that option.
• As boating season got underway boaters faced a new regulatory twist. Blaine no longer qualified as a port for pleasure craft to enter the U.S. but Point Roberts did, with a customs booth going up on the old San Juan dock.

June
• Despite hours of public testimony at a series of special meetings water commissioners were no closer to finding a way to allocate water connections with broad support.
• Supporters of the Blue Heron Bus prepared to apply to Whatcom Transportation Authority to keep the van, operated by volunteers, as a community transportation resource.
• The fire department adopted a charity policy for patients who have no insurance and cannot afford to pay for emergency care or transport to a hospital in the local ambulance.
• The school district and local parent teacher organization announced a collaborative strategic planning effort for the local primary school, starting with a survey to see where the Point’s children went to school and why.
• Lighthouse Marine Park dropped day-use fees but started charging a fee to reserve a campsite.

July
• At their annual general meeting the Point Roberts Taxpayers Association regained momentum as the green party of Point Roberts, the membership strongly endorsing an active pursuit of the acquisition of Lily Point to preserve as open space and public water access
• July 4 organizers added post-parade festivities at the marina.
• Teaming up with the purchasing power of the city of Bellingham the local fire department put in an order for a new $100,000 ambulance.
• The first opposition to a cellular phone transmission tower on parks land surfaced at the parks board meeting, where the board heard concerns that the radio frequencies being transmitted by the tower could have harmful health effects.

August
• Water district commissioners extended the moratorium on new connections again and faced public frustration with a lack of clarity in their discussions.
• Fire district commissioners directed staff to start looking at a pole building to house all the department’s equipment at their Benson Road property, putting the Gulf Road fire station up for sale.
• A 17-year-old Point Roberts resident, the driver in a multiple-car crash in Blaine that left two dead, was sentenced to a maximum of 80 weeks detention.
• Quilter Rose Momsen and woodworker George Wright opened a new gallery across from the Blue Heron Gallery on Gulf Road, while Deb Brett and Peggy Keenleyside opened the Cottage Pantry at the corner of Tyee and Benson roads.
• The annual garden tour, for the first time under the umbrella of the local garden club, was one of the busiest ever with almost 500 visitors to a dozen local gardens.

September
• The WTA gave the Point use of the Blue Heron Express community van for another three years.
• Water district commissioners were presented with estimates to build a one-million gallon storage tank for $1.7 million or a three-million-gallon tank for $3 million, as a step towards increasing system capacity.
• The local taxpayers association asked the Point Roberts Parks and Recreation District to take the lead in efforts to purchase Lily Point as a public park, and the answer was no, the district didn’t have the resource to take on that role.

October
• Sewer proponents gave early warning to water district commissioners, announcing their intention to present a petition with enough signatures to direct the district to build a sewer system for the west side of Point Roberts.
• Border-crossers got a break from tighter ID requirements as Congress approved pushing the requirement for passports at land borders back to June 2009.
• The proposal to build a cell tower on local parks land continued to attract supporters, including the local fire department and the county sheriff’s office, and detractors, who numbered three at the monthly parks board meeting.
• Point Roberts was the only northbound port of entry in the county that stayed open when Canadian customs officers walked off the job hearing that an armed biker might be heading for the border.
• An anonymous donor offered to donate $50,000 in matching funds to a community fundraising effort to buy Lily Point for public use.
• A visitor from B.C. who lit a brush fire while burning his personal financial documents at Lily Point reimbursed the local fire district for the cost of putting the fire out.
• The Whatcom County library system director approached the local parks board to plant the idea that the local library would like to expand.

November
• With winter around the corner, Maple Beach residents encouraged county engineers to make repairs to the seawall in hopes of avoiding a repeat of last winter’s floods.
• As promised, supporters of a sewer for the west side of the Point presented a petition formally requesting the water district put in place a funding mechanism through property tax assessments to build the system.
• Cellular transmission tower opponents came together as the Point Roberts Alliance for Sound Public Policy and held an informational meeting about the health risks of the proposed facility.
• Point Roberts taxi service shut down faced with fines, fees and paperwork associated with trips into Canada.
• Two local women were charged with smuggling two pounds of marijuana into the U.S., a local man was charged with rape of a minor, and another with assault following an alleged attack on his wife. Trials were scheduled for December and January.
• Candidates for state and federal office spoke to the community at the annual Point Robert Registered Voters Association candidates’ night.
• A Canadian radio station reported a Delta school district member suggesting they solve their enrollment problems by having Point Roberts students attend Delta schools.
• With only a two-percent response to their survey, the Blaine school district and the local parent teacher organization identified improving communication with the community as the most important next step in their efforts to make the school stronger.
• A Tuesday night children’s program kicked off with a Halloween party.

December
• Point Roberts water commissioners announced they would seek a legal opinion on whether the recently submitted petition requesting the formation of a utility local improvement district to fund the creation of a west side sewer system met the requirements of state laws.
• County engineers announced plans to begin implementing a 2005 report to protect Maple Beach from flooding, including repairs to the seawall and beach feeding
• Seattle developers Cobalt Properties entered into a contract to buy the local marina.
• The Washington Survey and Ratings bureau suggested the Point could earn a better insurance rating based on their review of the fire department. Fire commissioners agreed to apply for the improved rating.
• Republican incumbents held on to their seats locally while the Democratic party won big on a national level.
• Parks commissioners began their review of a proposed agreement to lease land to Verizon Wireless, as they paid thousands of dollars to fulfill access to information requests from tower opponents.