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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
June 29 - July 6, 2017
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Entering our 23rd year, page 5
IN THIS
ISSUE 7
State legislators close in on budget agreement, page 7
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Friends of Birch Bay Library up and running, page 13
Locals learn about water safety, brush up on swimming skills
22
Blaine City Council approves task force recommendation B y A ly s s a E va n s
(See Task force, page 7)
s Birch Bay Waterslides and Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 partnered in The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson on June 22. See more on page 19. Photo by Dynamite Images
School board passes plan for new graduation requirements By Oliver Lazenby After nearly three years of work, the Blaine school board adopted policies this week to help high school students meet new, tougher state requirements for high school graduation. Next year’s freshman class at Blaine High School will need 24 credits to graduate, rather than the 22 the school required this year. Governor Jay Inslee signed legislation
in April 2014 outlining the new requirements, which aim to make high school graduation requirements more similar to college-entry requirements, while also providing flexibility for students who want to pursue non-college career paths. The new requirement took effect for most districts in the state for the class of 2019, but Blaine and dozens of other districts got a two-year waiver to spend more time preparing.
What to expect at this year’s Fourth of July celebration B y A ly s s a E va n s It’s almost time for Blaine’s annual Old Fashioned Fourth of July celebration. Here’s what’s on deck: The Blaine Senior Center will host a pancake breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. The meal price is $6 for adults and $4 for children. After breakfast, festival-goers can visit the Show ‘N Shine Car Show, which features over 200 classic vehicles; the show goes from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. downtown.
The Blaine Library Book Sale will have plenty of books on offer for those who want some good reads for the summer, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Arts and Crafts Street Fair will feature local artists and artisans selling their work from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. downtown. The old-fashioned parade will start at noon along Peace Portal Drive. Parade staging is based on a first-come, first-served basis. Pre registration isn’t required to participate, but organizers recommend filling
out the registration form ahead of time and bringing it to the line-up. Forms are available at blainechamber.com. Registration starts at 9 a.m. and parade judging is at 11 a.m. A surprise this year and hailing from Bensen, Minnesota, the Bensen High School 60-person marching band is set to perform in the parade. “This year there will be band members for (See Fourth, page 3)
“I think we’re prepared now,” said high school principal Scott Ellis. “It’s going to be different, that’s for sure.” Next year’s freshmen will need one more lab science credit, two world language credits and an extra credit in art. The arts and world language credits are flexible, and can be partially replaced with credits in subjects that students have de(See School, page 3)
INSIDE
Blaine City Council unanimously voted to approve a recommendation drafted by the city’s short-term revenue task force that details ways to generate revenue in the 2018 budget year. Next, the draft will be brought to the Blaine Economic Advisory Committee for additional discussion on how to take action. The finance committee will also be involved in the process. Unless the city takes action, Blaine will experience a fiscal shortfall in 2020, meaning Blaine’s expenditures will exceed revenues, according to the task force. The city is now operating using reserves and if the reserves are depleted, city services such as police officers could be cut. The task force approved the draft recommendation at the end of May, after five meetings. The task force is the second step of the Strategic Economic Initiative, which was started in 2016 as a way to improve Blaine’s economy. The first step of the initiative was asking voters to approve a sales tax increase to fund street and trail projects, which was passed by 72 percent. The additional sales tax won’t be enough to save the city’s budget. To hire a new police
Coming Up . . . . . 18 Classifieds . . . . . 15 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 18 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 18
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Blaine’s Old Fashioned 4th of July Celebration All
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Activities Street Fair H Car Show H Parade H Live Music H Fireworks & More!
H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H See H Had H on H page H H H H H H H H schedule! H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H 2 for complete