June 22 - 28, 2017
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Seafood truck rolls into town, page 4
Sunny weather spurs complaints about messy yards in Blaine
Blaine grad bound for naval academy, page 8
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Explore Point Whitehorn, page 15
Graduates say farewell to Blaine High School
B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e The city of Blaine has launched a monthly cleanup program to encourage residents to mow their lawns, pick up trash and help keep the streets clean. Sunny weather spurred a number of resident complaints about overgrown vegetation and discarded debris, according to a June 19 news release issued by the city. Currently, the city is working with 22 property owners to resolve vegetation and trash code violations. In accordance with city code, scrub vegetation cannot exceed 18 inches in height and discarded debris is prohibited on private property or within public rightof-way. “Keeping properties clear of overgrown vegetation and debris reduces the presence of pests like rodents, flies and mosquitos,” said community planner and code enforcement officer Maddie Ottley. “Property maintenance not only promotes the overall health of the community but also results in a higher quality of life for all residents and improves property values.” The monthly program was organized by deputy city clerk Sam Crawford and is managed by the Blaine public works department. The team is calling on volunteers to help and has offered to provide cleanup tools and on-site assistance. “Over the past couple of months, community members have generously volunteered their time by cleaning up the streets of Blaine,” Crawford said. “We want to keep this momentum going by recruiting more people into the volunteer program, which will result in a larger pool of volunteers we can tap into for future projects.” To volunteer, email Crawford at scrawford@cityofblaine.com.
s Blaine High School graduating seniors Jordan Bridges-Thomas, r., and Ethan Gibson, lead a line of classmates in a celebratory walk through campus. See page 10 for more graduation photos.
Photo by Janell Kortlever
Port awards $900,000 contract for harbor repairs B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e The Port of Bellingham has approved the second phase of a three-part project to improve the industrial area near the end of Marine Drive. During a regular meeting on June 6, the Port’s board of commissioners voted unanimously to award a $899,389 contract, in-
cluding a 20 percent contingency reserve, to Tacoma-based American Construction to tackle part two of a multi-phase project to improve Blaine Harbor’s marine industrial area. The project was started last year and is intended to increase dock space and boosting the load-bearing capacity of existing piers.
The project targets Sawtooth dock, located east of the Westman Marine building, north and south docks, located at the end of the industrial area, and includes updates to sewage pump out systems. Phase one of the project reopened part of Sawtooth dock and the north and south piers, all of which were unusable prior to repair, (See Port, page 3)
By Oliver Lazenby When she first heard full-time kindergarten was coming to Blaine Primary School, veteran teacher Teresa Smith was apprehensive. She thought that much time in the classroom would be too much for 5-year-olds. The first year of state-mandated full-time kindergarten at Blaine Primary School ends on Friday, June 23, and Smith’s apprehension about wiggling 5-year-olds kept too long in a classroom has mostly resolved. “I think because of how we did it and because it wasn’t so academic, it made it really comfortable for the kids,” Smith said. “It was more play-based and it just
feels like they’re fine. I was really pleasantly surprised.” While it’s still too early to tell from testing, teachers and administrators believe full-time kindergarten at Blaine Primary School appears to be a success. School and district officials said this class of kindergarteners is better at reading and math than previous classes and better prepared for first grade. “It has gone very well,” said school district superintendent Ron Spanjer. “Student response, staff response and the response of families have all been generally positive.” Previously, Blaine kindergarteners went to school for a full day, but on an every
other day schedule. Some classes would attend on Wednesday and Friday, and others on Tuesday and Thursday, with the two cohorts switching off every other Monday. That schedule made it difficult for kids to learn routines, according to some Blaine Primary School teachers. Learning where to hang coats and backpacks and what to do at lunch can be time consuming for kindergarteners, teacher Sue Steelquist said. “You’d constantly have to be re-teaching them all the things about how to be in school,” she said. “Now, it doesn’t feel like we’re always taking two steps forward and one step back.” (See School, page 6)
INSIDE
First year of full-time kindergarten called a success Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . 13 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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