July 23 - 29, 2015
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Birch Bay Music Festival returns, page 3
Roll back to the past in Birch Bay
Photos from the Ragnar Relay, page 7
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Local historian seeks Air Force stories, page 13
Artists on the beach in Birch Bay
B y K at e ly n D o gg e t t Prepare for a blast from the past – Birch Bay is taking a time machine to the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s with its first Rollback Weekend held on Saturday and Sunday, August 1–2. The event is a throwback to the old days of Birch Bay, when the most popular recreational activity was to cruise the drive, said Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce president Jeff Carrington, whose family has lived in Birch Bay for four generations. “Remembering and celebrating our past is important to pass on to future generations,” Carrington said. “Providing these activities is helping bring family fun back to Birch Bay.” The event will take place along Birch Bay Drive and beach area, with local restaurants and business holding old-time specials. Live ’50s-style rock ‘n’ roll music will start at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday, as well as a beer garden, vendors and a classic car show. Kafe 104.1 will be broadcasting live from the event for three hours on Saturday. Free parking will be available for up to 500 cars behind the Birch Bay Visitor Information Center located at 7900 Birch Bay Drive. Carrington said attendees are encouraged to dress up in ’50s, ’60s and ’70s attire in order to have fun and fit the theme. The car show will host a variety of vintage cars with the chance to win one of 50 trophies, which are commemorative wooden surfboards. To register a car for the show, visit birchbaychamber.com/rollback-weekend. Registration is $10 and includes a commemorative dashboard plaque. The first 250 cars to register get a prime spot in the beach park, Carrington said. The weekend is planned and coordinated by the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce with help from volunteers, and sponsored by Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 and local businesses. For more information visit birchbaychamber.com/rollback-weekend or call the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce at 360/371-5004.
s Sand sculptors from the Holiday Shores subdivision in Birch Bay took home first place in the master’s division for this colorful mermaid. See more photos on pages 8-9.
Photo by Molly Ernst
Blaine pot store fined for selling to minor By Steve Guntli Blaine’s Evergreen Cannabis was one of 19 pot stores that sold marijuana to a minor in a statewide compliance investigation. The Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) conducted the
compliance checks by sending underage investigative aides to each of the 157 recreational pot stores in the state between May and June. The aides were all between 18 and 20 years old, and had to present either their true identification or none at all when asked by the clerk. Overall, the state had an 88 percent
Native canoe journey stops in Blaine this weekend Be part of a unique cultural event happening for the first time in Blaine this weekend. The G’ana’k’w Canoe Family is using Marine Park as the terminus for its annual canoe journey. The journey has been held for more than a century, but until now Blaine has only been a brief stopover, not the final destination. Dozens of people from the Canoe Family, the Lummi Nation and the Semiahmoo
Nation will travel for five days and more than 60 miles up the coast between Camano Island and Blaine. Travelers will make overnight stops at the Swinomish Nation near La Conner, the Lummi Nation and Sucia Marine State Park along the way. Blaine residents Ron Snyder and Cathy Taggett are members of the G’ana’k’w Canoe Family, and will be rowing along with the group for part of the journey. The pair has been driving support for the journey
for months, visiting local libraries to speak about the trip and raise awareness. The public is invited to attending the landing ceremony at approximately 1 p.m. on Friday, July 24. On July 25, the group will hold a potlatch in Marine Park at 6 p.m. The potlatch will feature presentations of traditional Tlingit and Haida dances from native performers, speakers, gift giving and songs. The potlatch is open to the public.
no-sales-to-minors compliance rate. “Our goal is 100 percent compliance,” said WSLCB board chair Jane Rushford. “While perfect compliance is always a challenging goal, it is clearly in everyone’s interest that our licensees be vigilant about preventing underage sales.” (See Pot, page 2)
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Inside
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14