March 3 - 9, 2016
FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Local doctor climbs to fight cancer, page 2
BBBPRD2 hosts Winter Carnival, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Health and Wellness special section, pages 8, 13
A day at the beach Northwest Birding Festival Special pull-out Section
Stop signs and slower speeds are coming to a Birch Bay intersection By Oliver Lazenby The intersection at Bay and Jackson roads, the site of at least three collisions since 2010, should soon get safer. Whatcom County Council unanimously passed a package of ordinances aimed at slowing traffic near the crossroads east of Birch Bay State Park at its February 23 council meeting. The intersection, which is currently a two-way stop, will become a four-way stop with reduced entry speeds as soon as new stop signs and speed limit signs go up. They should be installed in about three weeks, said county engineer Joe Rutan. People living near the intersection recommended the changes to county council, councilmember Barbara Brenner said at the meeting. Brenner was surprised at how dangerous the intersection was after visiting it. “We saw some cars speed through without stopping,” she said. “It’s so dangerous. I’m glad public works moved this along so fast.” All four legs of the intersection will be 25 mph speed zones. South of the intersection on Jackson Road, the speed limit (See Stops, page 3)
s A group enjoys the low tides and high temperatures in Blaine’s Marine Park on February 25. Photo by Ruth Lauman
Crowdfund raises money for Blaine Schools fixtures By Steve Guntli It’s the first rule of the Internet: don’t read the comments section. But Bob and Dorita Gray broke that rule, and it made them happier than they thought possible. The comments were on a crowdfunding website set up by Ferndale firefighter Michael Gustafson, who wanted to help raise money to make repairs to the Grays’ house. The response was instantaneous and overwhelming, and the comments reflected generations of
Blaine residents who did not hesitate to voice their support. “Reading all those comments has been wonderful,” Dorita said. “This proves to me there is good in this world, and it proves that Bob and I were right to believe in all those kids and families for so long.” The Grays are fixtures in the community, serving for years as educators and artists. Bob has been the band teacher in Blaine for 35 years. He’s contributed to the Blaine Jazz Festival and the Whatcom Symphony and oversees student exchange programs between Blaine and Ja-
pan. Dorita is an artist active with Allied Arts of Whatcom County. Each year she spearheads the Art and Jazz fundraiser at Blaine Middle School, which raises money for school arts programs. In recent years, the Grays have faced some hard times. Dorita has been fighting cancer, and the expense of her treatment has meant needed repairs to their home have had to be postponed indefinitely. Gustafson learned of their plight in February. A friend of the Grays had contacted the fire department to come and look at
County council recommends name honoring Wolf Bauer By Oliver Lazenby Whatcom County Council on February 23 passed a resolution recommending that the point at the mouth of Terrell Creek be named Wolf Bauer Point. The finger of land at the delta of Terrell Creek, across the street from the Will’O Pub & Cafe, is already being informally called Wolf Bauer Point by shoreline scientists and the local community, according to a report prepared for the council.
Wolf Bauer died on January 23 at the age of 103. Bauer was an influential mountaineer, kayaker, conservationist and shoreline restoration pioneer. Most importantly in regards to Terrell Creek, Bauer’s 1975 report titled Birch Bay Shore Resource Analysis is the foundation of the Birch Bay berm restoration project currently underway. The council doesn’t have the authority to actually name the landform. Instead, it will request that the Washington State
Committee on Geographic Names recommend Wolf Bauer Point to the Washington State Board on Geographic Names. The committee meets twice a year to consider proposed names, but the board usually doesn’t consider applications for commemorative names until five years after the person died, according to its application packet. The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce and nearby property owners support the name, according to the council’s report.
INSIDE
(See House, page 3)
Classifieds . . . . . Police . . . . . . . . . Coming Up . . . . . Tides . . . . . . . . . .
11 18 18 18
TheNorthernLight.com TheNorthernLight
@TNLreporter
@PointRobertsPress