August 13 - 19, 2015
FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Fair addresses E. coli concerns, page 2
Red tide toxins shut down Pacific coast crabbing
Workshop tackles signage woes, page 3
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Active seniors special section, pages 8-9
A peek into the past
By Steve Guntli A large ribbon of red tide algae stretching from California to Alaska is prematurely ending crabbing season in some parts of Washington’s Pacific coastline. However, crabbing will still open in Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts on August 13. On August 4, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) barred crab fishing in the 45 miles of coastal waters between Point Chehalis west of Olympia to the Queets River. The shutdown is an expansion of a closure between Point Chehalis and the Columbia River that has been in effect since June. Dan Ayres, WDFW’s coastal shellfish manager, said more than half of the state’s 157-mile-long ocean coastline has been shut to crab fishing. The shutdown was prompted by an increase in domoic acid levels. Domoic acid is a natural toxin that affects certain types of marine algae and can trigger what is known as amnesiac shellfish poisoning (ASP) in humans. Symptoms of ASP include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In more extreme cases, patients can experience headaches, dizziness, disorientation, short-term memory loss, coma or, in highly concentrated doses, death. Cooking or freezing does not affect the toxin. The ribbon of red tide algae, which is 40 miles across and 650 feet deep in places, has been thriving in the unusually warm waters of the Pacific Ocean for the last several months. While red tides are common this time of year, researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say this ribbon (See Red Tide, page 7)
s As remodeling begins on the former Goff’s department store, the store’s original sign was revealed beneath its old facade. Developer Ken Imus is in the process of renovating the building at 648 Peace Portal Drive, to be used for condos and retail space. Photo by Ruth Lauman
City will cover costs to complete pavilion project By Ian Ferguson The city of Blaine has committed to paying the remaining cost of finishing the pavilion on H Street after city council voted to allocate $115,000 from the general fund. A long-envisioned recreational build-
ing for the Blaine branch of the Boys & Girls Club of Whatcom County, the pavilion is partially constructed on land next to the Blaine Senior Center. The building will be available for other recreational uses, but its primary purpose is to add much-needed programming space for the cramped Boys & Girls Club.
Head out to Birch Bay this weekend for the Birch Bay Music Festival, offering two days of music, food and fun in support of a good cause. The music festival, now entering its fifth year, is the brainchild of Bay Café
(See Pavilion, page 7)
Online
Birch Bay Music Festival bigger than ever this weekend By Steve Guntli
“We have the largest per-capita enrollment in Whatcom County, but we have the least amount of space,” said Brian Johnson, a Blaine Boys & Girls Club board member, as he urged council to commit the funds.
owner Tammy Pearce. Pearce started the festival as a way to raise money for local animal charities. The festival has grown in popularity over the years, and has expanded to its largest footprint this year, moving from the small lot next to The C Shop to more than 7 acres near the Birch Bay Waterslides.
Proceeds from this year’s festival will benefit several local animal rescue charities, including the Friends for Life Canine Scholarship Fund, Creature Comforts Foster Home for Cats and Kittens and the Orca Network. Proceeds will also go (See Music, page 3)
thenorthernlight.com facebook.com/thenorthernlight
Inside
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14