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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
March 10 - 16, 2016
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Families sue over E. coli, page 2
Car Care special section, page 9
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Daylight Saving Time: spring forward March 13
County mathletes gather in Blaine Birding experts to speak at Wings Over Water By Steve Guntli
s Blaine Middle School principal Darren Benson, r., presented awards to fourth through eighth grade students at the Whatcom County Middle School Math Championships on February 27. The event, sponsored by Phillips 66, attracted nearly 600 students and 150 teams from around the county to display their math skills.
Photo by Jeff Callender
City to beef up municipal code enforcement By Steve Guntli The city of Blaine has brought on an additional staff member to ensure Blaine buildings stay up to code. The city hired Madeline (Maddie) Ottley in February as a community planner. One of her job duties will be ensuring the city’s municipal codes are being followed to the letter. She graduated from Western Washington University with a degree in urban planning
and sustainable development, and recently worked as a code enforcement officer for the city of Ferndale. Ottley is responsible for making sure that the city is up to the standards defined by the municipal code. This involves working with property owners to clear junk, repair or demolish derelict buildings and remove junk vehicles. The city will begin issuing notices to any property owners in violation of city codes over the next few weeks. The city is seeking
State switches Blaine interchange funds in budget By Steve Guntli Blaine mayor Harry Robinson and the city council are upset after learning the state senate removed a Blaine improvement project from the budget in favor of projects in Ferndale and Lynden. On March 7, Robinson sent a letter to state senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale), protesting the removal of Interstate 5 exit 274
interchange improvement funds from the state’s budget. The city has been working for years to get funding for the project, which would improve exit 274 by adding a southbound offramp and a northbound on-ramp. The project would have allowed southbound I-5 traffic to exit into Blaine near Blaine Road. Currently, the nearest off-ramp is exit 270, requiring any vehicles that need
to make a U-turn to go nearly 8 miles south before they can turn back to Blaine. “There are many reasons not to require cars and trucks to make an 8-mile U-turn,” Robinson wrote in his letter to Ericksen. “Extra miles means additional fuel, increased pollution and the expansion of the carbon footprint.” Robinson said the limited off-ramps (See I-5, page 3)
voluntary compliance, but they are within the rights of the law to impose penalties if property owners fail to address the problem, according to community development director Michael Jones. “I look at code enforcement as a way to encourage investment in the city,” Jones said. “Cleaning up properties and removing derelict buildings shows that the city government and the citizens care about (See Code, page 3)
INSIDE
The annual Wings Over Water Northwest Birding Festival takes place this weekend, and the organizers have snagged some respected speakers to headline the event. James Currie is an author, photographer and television personality recognized as one of the foremost birding experts in North America. A native of South Africa, Currie now lives in Florida, and hosts “Birding Adventures,” which is currently airing its seventh season on Discovery Channel’s spinoff network, Destination America. During his presentation, Currie will read from his new book, “When Eagles Roar: The Amazing Journey of an African Wildlife Adventurer,” and share his experience working up close with majestic birds of prey. The presentation, entitled “The Roar of the Eagle,” begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Blaine Performing Arts Center this Saturday, March 12. David Hancock is a popular writer, publisher, lecturer, filmmaker and conservationist who has spent most of his life studying the birds of the western United States and the Arctic. Hancock has written books and scientific papers on birds, whales and seals, and has specialized knowledge about raptors of the Northwest. He’s written two books on eagles in Washington and Alaska, as well as other subjects, such as wildlife in North America and native tribes of the Pacific Northwest. Hancock’s Wings Over Water presentation is entitled “Eagles Next Door,” and charts the journey of eagles from the endangered species list to a thriving population of more than 70,000 birds. “Eagles Next Door” starts at 11:30 a.m. at the Blaine Performing Arts Center on Saturday, March 12. Both presentations are free to attend, though donations are welcomed. To see a full list of activities, including other presentations from local birding experts, visit wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com.
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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