June 23 - 29, 2016
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Peace Run returns to Blaine, page 2
Designer approved for Birch Bay beach park
Primary school improvements, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Active Seniors special section, pages 10-11
Kites over Birch Bay
By Oliver Lazenby
(See Park, page 2)
s A family flies a massive kite over Birch Bay during the Birch Bay Kite Festival on June 19. See more photos on page 8. Photo by Ruth Lauman
Get ready for a lively Fourth of July By Sarah Sharp Every July 4, Blaine claims bragging rights for the largest show of patriotism in Whatcom County. The Old-Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration will take place for its 15th year – with plenty of love for the stripes and stars. It’s Blaine’s biggest event of the year, attracting more than 10,000 visitors. The celebration just keeps on growing. The parade will now extend to the second block of 8th Street. The number of food vendors will increase from about 80 to 100, and more than
250 antique cars are expected to coast into the Show ’N Shine Car Show on Monday morning. Most activities throughout the day are free, unless otherwise noted. A pancake breakfast will kick off the day at the Blaine Community Center from 8 to 11 a.m. The price of the meal is $6 for adults and $4 for children. All proceeds benefit the Blaine Community Center. The Show ’N Shine Car Show will showcase blocks of vintage cars, trucks and motorcycles downtown on Martin and Fourth streets, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Slots in every category of the competition have been filled. Competitors pay a
Arts and music festival comes to Peace Arch Park The International Arts and Music Festival is returning to the Peace Arch State Park June 24-26. This is the fourth year the festival has been held in Peace Arch Park. Artists and musicians come from all over Washington and British Columbia to share their passion for the arts with the local community. Cosmos Bistro will be providing food for all three days of the festival. The Bellingham eatery has become one of Whatcom County’s most popular dining locations, thanks to its gourmet twists on classic comfort food like
macaroni and cheese and pulled pork sandwiches. Boundary Bay Brewery and Samson Estates Winery will provide beverages for the wine and beer garden. More than a dozen artists have signed up to sell their work at the festival, with artistic mediums as varied as painting, sculpting, woodworking, quilting and mixed-media pieces. This year’s musical performers will play an eclectic blend of styles from around the world. Local favorites Whisky Minstrels, JP Falcon, Lord Knapp and Sabrina y los Reyes will be joined by new acts such as
Baby Cakes, an experimental pop group, and Rocky Vasalino, a ’50s throwback group. Ocheami is returning this year to perform for younger audiences. The group performs traditional African music and folktales for children. Parking for the event is free and won’t require a Discover Pass. The International Arts and Music Festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 24, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 25–26. For more information and a complete calendar of events, visit peacearchart.org.
$10 registration fee but entry is free to car aficionados hoping to get a glimpse of some classics. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Arts and Crafts Street Fair will offer activities for children, including bounce houses, pony rides, face painting and a miniature railroad car. A new face will join the ranks of local artists presenting their work in street booths this year: Andrew Latham of Stardrive Paintings. Latham will perform a spray painting demonstration of his signature starry space landscape. Throughout the day, musical performances (See Fourth, page 3)
INSIDE
Planning will start soon on Birch Bay’s long-awaited community park. Whatcom County Council voted unanimously to hire the Robert W. Droll Landscape Architect firm to design the Birch Bay Community Park for $50,000. The park is located at 7954 Birch Bay Drive, on the east side of the road just north of the Birch Bay Visitor Information Center. The Lacey-based firm will hold three public meetings after it does some initial site analysis and planning work. Tentatively, that will occur in the next four to six weeks, said Rod Lamb, design and development supervisor at Whatcom County Parks and Recreation. Aside from a requirement for parking and restrooms, the park is a blank slate for the firm. Robert Droll said the park’s design process will be shaped by public input. The park property is a 4.1-acre lot the county bought in 2014 for $2.5 million with money from its Conservation Futures Fund. The firm’s resume includes design work for sports complexes, urban plazas and forested parks throughout the state. The firm hasn’t worked for Whatcom County before, Lamb said, but it has worked for the city of Bellingham – most recently as a design consultant for Squalicum Creek Park. “Parks are what we do,” Droll said. “Ninety-five percent of our projects are in public parks.” Droll, whose firm was chosen out of five others, said he liked the project’s location. “It’s a nice site. It has fantastic views,” he said. “I like waterfront projects. It’s across the street from the beach but in my mind and, in others I’m sure, it’s viewed as a waterfront project.” Under the contract, Droll must finish the park’s design by the end of the year, if not earlier, Lamb said. The county will determine a construction schedule once the design is final.
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . 15 Police . . . . . . . . . 18 Coming Up . . . . . 18 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 18
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