By Meg Olson
January
• Whatcom County Hearing Examiner Michael Bobbink sent The Cottages at Seabright Farm project back to the drawing board to modify their plans to better preserve open spaces and wildlife corridors.
• Dakota Land Company, LLC. was the first applicant for a license to sell retail marijuana listing a Point Roberts address.
• A sudden and early cold snap hit the Point, freezing the sea at Maple Beach out almost as far as the border marker.
• In an effort to provide “100 percent transparency,” fire district commissioners endorsed recording the district’s meetings and posting them on the district website.
• Newly appointed Whatcom County Library System director Christine Perkins made her first visit to Point Roberts.
• Protestors from both sides of the border lined Tyee Drive to protest an application to build a tower farm at the intersection of Tyee Drive and McKenzie Way.
February
• The Whatcom County Hearing Examiner gave preliminary approval to The Cottages at Seabright Farm, adding 11 conditions to those recommended by staff in a effort to increase protection for wildlife, native vegetation and wetlands.
• An overflow crowd at the Gulf Road community center heard about grassroots efforts to oppose plans for a proposed array of radio towers to be built in Point Roberts, and to donate funds for what was expected to be a lengthy legal battle.
• The Point Roberts Artisan Guild handed over $1,723 from the guild’s December craft fair to the Point Roberts Historical Society.
• High-speed internet service came back on line after a month of sluggish performance after an anchor damaged the submarine fiber optic cable that provides service to the Point.
• Local veteran Sam Miller, 97 years old, was honored for his service through the We Honor Veterans program, a collaboration between Whatcom Hospice and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Two companies sharing the same Point Roberts address applied for marijuana retailer, processor and producer licenses.
• Construction began on two malls on Tsawwassen First Nation land, scheduled to open in spring 2016.
• The Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee (PRCAC) broadened its role beyond transportation issues, agreeing to ask the county for funding for the Point Roberts Ambassadors program.
• Fundraising efforts to transform the Julius fire station into a new library broke the $300,000 mark, and the local parks district began planning in earnest for the project.
March
March 2014: Nutmeg the killer ewe goes on a rampage attacking innocent snowpeople on the west side of the Point. Photo by Heidi Baxter
• With a new rate survey showing current rates and fees would not cover rising costs, water district commissioners looked to raise water rates and connection fees.
• PRCAC officially took over as the Point Robert Character Plan Advisory Committee (PRCPAC), which had not been active for several years.
• Auntie Pam’s Country Store held its second annual Miniature Art Show to raise funds for the new library construction fund.
• Canadian and U.S. border authorities announced plans to share information on travelers, effectively creating an entry and exit monitoring system for both countries.
• The Hughes family took over management of Caffe Capanna, giving the Gulf Road eatery a facelift.
• Canadian Olympic rower Joy Fera visited the Point Roberts Primary School to encourage kids to reach for the stars.
April
• Water district commissioners approved a 20 percent increase in the cost of connecting to the water system.
• PRCPAC gave the thumbs up to plans for a barn at The Cottages at Seabright Farm despite a design with siding wider than specified by the plan, but sent an application for a new sign at the Valero station back to the drawing board for exceeding height and illumination restrictions.
• The state auditor gave the local fire district a clean bill of health following an accountability audit covering 2010 and 2012.
• Blaine School District president Todd Berge presented Jonquil Moon with a plaque recognizing her many years of volunteering at the local primary school.
• Stephen Falk joined the parks board as its newest commissioner.
• More than 50 community members turned out for an emergency preparedness forum hosted by the Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness group.
May
May 2014: Sales got underway big time at the Point Roberts Homegrown Co-op on Benson Road.Photo by Louise Mugar
• Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws was the featured speaker at the Point Roberts Registered Voters Association’s annual general meeting, mixing mostly positive notes with a dash of realism.
• The PRCPAC focused on non-conforming signs in the community, asking local businesses, starting with Sterling Savings Bank as it transitioned to Umpqua Bank, to change their internally lit signs.
• The Point Roberts Homegrown Co-op began selling shares in its summer harvest, with participants getting a weekly box of fresh produce for the farm’s 15-week season.
• The “round up” campaign for the new library fund at the International Marketplace raised $4,000 thanks to the generosity of shoppers and a hefty matching donation from the store.
• The county hearing examiner approved a conditional use permit for the water district to build a new shop and office adjacent to the Benson Road fire station.
June
• The Cottages at Seabright Farm project workers broke ground and got busy putting in infrastructure to get the project rolling.
• Fourth of July, Point Roberts Garden Tour and Arts and Music Festival organizers kicked into high gear for the Point’s busy summer of fun.
• The water district applied to the state to borrow almost $5 million to replace 5 miles of aging water mains.
• The Point Roberts Registered Voters Association teamed up with Campobello in New Brunswick, asking that residents of the two exclave communities be exempted from transit requirements.
• A Delta, B.C. school psychologist was arrested at his Point Roberts residence with hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos of children.
• The Point Roberts Garden Club launched an “adopt-a-mound” program, hoping for greater participation keeping the landscaping along Tyee Drive tidy.
• Auntie Pam’s Country Store celebrated its two-year anniversary.
• A community fundraiser collected $10,000 to help local resident Denise Richards cover unexpected medical expenses.
• Point Roberts fire equipment got snazzier with artwork by local primary students adorning its doors.
• The Canada Border Services Agency extended northbound NEXUS hours, while the U.S. counterparts continued to “look at it.”
• The Visit Point Roberts student ambassador program shut down due to a lack of volunteer board members to work with students.
• A Little Free Library was unveiled at the Maple Beach Park.
• Local resident Armene Belless proposed a scenic loop for the Point to the PRCAC, and the committee voted down Holger Michelsen’s motion to make compliance with the character plan optional.
July 2014: As always, the 4th of July was a well-attended and fun day. Photo by Meg Olson
July
• Point Roberts residents enjoyed a great 4th of July parade.
• The parks district, the county library system and local friends of the library agreed to changing a contract by giving the parks district a potential future role in funding the renovation of Julius Fire Station as a new library.
• Digivations Camp Demigod announced scholarships for its 2014 season.
• A special service and reception at Trinity Lutheran Church honored pastor emeritus Ernie Loreen for his 55 years of service as a Lutheran minister.
• Volunteers combed Point Roberts streets for trash at the voters’ association’s street cleanup.
• Nine local students celebrated their graduation from high school.
• PRCAC approved using gas tax dollars to pay for a scenic loop.
• Whatcom County gave tower applicant BBC Broadcasting a month to come up with additional information or face the expiry of its conditional use permit application.
• Golf course owner Kenji Nose announced plans for significant reinvestment in the golf course’s associated residential development.
• Hundreds of frustrated residents petitioned U.S. Customs and Border Protection to extend southbound NEXUS hours to match Canadian hours.
• Congresswoman Suzan DelBene threw her support behind a local petition to expand NEXUS hours that had grown to 600 signatures. CBP responded by expanding NEXUS hours until 9 p.m. in the evening through Labor Day.
To be continued next issue
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