October 27 - November 2, 2016
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New owner, new menu at Blaine’s Borderites head Home sales on the rise in Blaine and Birch Bay, page 8 Blaine restaurant, page 13 to the playoffs, page 9
Blaine Food Bank calls on the public to raise 25K by mid-December
Autumn sunset paints Blaine shades of yellow and orange
B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e As days pass by, the money being raised for the Blaine Food Bank’s current fundraising initiative continues to roll in. If the food bank reaches its goal of $25,000 by mid-December, an anonymous local donor has committed to match the funds in full. That money, $50,000 at a minimum, would pay for a year’s worth of eggs and milk from Lynden-based Edaleen Dairy for the food bank, which serves neighboring locations in Birch Bay and Custer, said office manager Joan Smith. The campaign ends on Friday, December 16 and the public is invited to donate with cash or check, by mail or in person. The campaign is usually the year’s most successful in terms of total funds raised for the organization, Smith said. “It’s wonderful,” she added. On average, 400 families, or 1,500 individuals, visit the facility weekly and receive more than 20,000 pounds of foodstuffs. Demand is on the rise – the volunteer organization is serving 100 more families than it was last year at the same time. “It seems to go up every year,” Smith said. The campaign, which began on October 17, had raised $2,200 in just five days. The Blaine Food Bank is accepting monetary donations in person at its location at 500 C Street in Blaine. Checks or cash can also be mailed to P.O. Box 472. The organization always accepts non-perishable foods as well as baby products and pet food, which are often in high demand. For more information about the Blaine Food Bank, call 360/332-6350.
s The sun sets on the Peace Arch on a cool day in October. After nearly a month into the fall season, Blaine is still below the six-year average for precipitation, according to statistics provided by Mike Sowers, operations manager with Birch Bay Water and Sewer District. The National Weather Service forecasts rain for the coming week.
Photo by Ruth Lauman
Birch Bay park plan is nearly final after three design meetings By Oliver Lazenby One project with the potential to transform Birch Bay in the next five years is coming together, at least on paper. After a third and final public presentation, Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department and its design contractor are making tweaks to the Birch Bay Community Park project. Plans for the 4.1-acre park call for a layout with about 124 parking spaces, a public restroom, beach access and several acres of open space dotted with picnic
tables, trees, and a small natural play area. “It’s a relatively simple plan, but in that simple layout it allows us to accommodate a variety of day-to-day uses as well as special events throughout the year,” said county parks design and development supervisor Rod Lamb. The county bought the park property, just north of the Birch Bay Visitor Information Center at 7954 Birch Bay Drive, for $2.5 million in late 2014. The county had an initial public planning meeting to gather ideas on August 6 and another public meeting to discuss two
designs on August 31. The county and its designer, Robert W. Droll Landscape Architects, have subsequently made relatively minor adjustments to the community’s preferred design. “The modifications were modest,” Lamb said. “We took a closer look at the spatial arrangement of the elements and relocated some of them.” For example, the designers pulled the fire pit back from the restroom for safety reasons and fine-tuned locations for wheelchair-accessible picnic tables. (See Park, page 2)
B y P at G r u bb Apart from deciding who would be the better candidate for President, the Donald or Hillary, local voters in this year’s general election have a slew of initiatives, advisory votes and a Senate Joint Resolution to consider. In fact, voters will first need to plow through 58 pages of the state voters’ pamphlet before they get to look at candidates running for federal, state and local offices. But they’re not finished yet – local tax levies and initiatives begin on page 109 and go on until page 149. Reading
it in bed is a surefire way to get a good night’s rest. Here’s an abbreviated look at state initiatives. Show me the money One problem with the voters’ pamphlet is that it doesn’t identify who has paid for, and has a vested interest in, getting the initiative on the ballot. We’ve included the latest figures shown on the Public Disclosure Commission website (bit.ly/2erLkbK). If it’s not clear whether the initiative has merit, check out who has written the statements for and against.
I-1433 This initiative would establish higher minimum wages, require employers to offer paid sick leave and adopt related laws. Washington state calculates cost of living increases to the minimum wage every fall which goes into effect the following January. The current minimum wage is $9.47 an hour for employees 18 years or older. A full-time worker would make $19,697 annually. Projected increases under current law anticipates increases to; (See Election, page 9)
INSIDE
Follow the money behind the general election ballot measures Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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