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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
August 10 - 16, 2017
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Parks district levy to go up for a vote in November, page 6
Local ukulele group entertains, page 9
Scenes from Drayton Harbor Days, page 10
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Large crowds visit Drayton Harbor Days for some maritime fun Atwood Ales announces plans for expansion B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Atwood, page 2)
s Drayton Harbor Days took place August 5-6 and offered the public a variety of pirate-themed activities and contests. See more on page 10. Photo by Wayne Diaz
Construction will stall traffic on Sweet Road in Blaine Starting Monday, August 14, Colacurcio Brothers Construction will kick off a two-month-long construction project along Sweet Road and city staff are warning drivers to expect delays. The city contracted the Blaine-based firm in June for $622,755, well under the city’s $765,486 estimate. Work involves replacing a water main, adding a sidewalk and reconstructing Sweet Road from
Yew Avenue east to the city limits. City staff estimate the project will take two months to complete; however, dates and times are subject to change based on weather and scheduling limitations. “Motorists are reminded that weather and road conditions can change rapidly and should plan accordingly,” read a statement from public works. “When traveling through a construction area,
Birch Bay’s annual Rollback Weekend returns August 12-13 B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Prep your poodle skirt and dust off your driving gloves – the third annual Birch Bay Rollback Weekend is just around the corner this Saturday and Sunday, August 12–13. This year, event organizers with the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce are promising a full slate of music performances and vendors for the retro-themed
S BIRCH BAY’
AUGUST
2 13 1 K C A B ROLL KEND WEE &
event. Rollback Weekend takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday at 7930 Birch Bay Drive. A slew of classic cars will set the stage and some may even cruise down Birch Bay Drive like the good ol’ days. Car show participants are asked to register before the event; it costs $10 per day and can be completed online at bit.ly/2uoBonC. Prizes
will be awarded to participants. Last year, Aaron Case won first place for his 1954 Ford F-100, Russ and Cheryl Gregor won second place for their 1975 Dodge Dart Swinger, Harry Yeager won third place for his 2005 Ford Mustang GT and Shelly Dubois won fourth place for her 1969 Pontiac Firebird. Several musical groups are set to
CAR SHOW & LIVE MUSIC
(See Rollback, page 7)
drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians are asked to be patient, proceed with caution and obey flaggers at all times.” The construction project is funded with state grant funding from the Transportation Improvement Board and is the first step in the city’s plan to completely reconstruct the road west, all the way to the railroad. The remainder of the project will take place next year.
INSIDE
The 60 hop plants growing at Atwood Ales in Blaine are nearly ripe for picking and a small team of brewers is gearing up for more than just their annual harvest – last month, they announced plans to nearly double the size of their craft brewery by next spring. Atwood Ales opened over a year ago and is operated by husband and wife team, Josh and Monica Smith with help from their son Xavier Felmley. Parents Steve and Leslee Smith and Steve and Nancy Felmley also lend a hand. The small-batch brewery is located at the Smiths’ 100-year-old family farm on Sweet Road. The brewery regularly produces four types of beers, including Grange, a farmhouse ale; Mo’s Saison; No Whey, Bro, a sour blonde ale; and Dark Harbor, a stout made with oysters. The brewery creates experimental brews throughout the year, including its most recent batch called Rhuty, a sour ale with rhubarb. Most of the ingredients, including five varieties of hops, are grown on the estate while the rest is sourced from local vendors. “There’s an element of nature involved in determining every batch,” Josh said after emphasizing the importance of being cautious when experimenting with flavors. “I’m really interested in balance and approachability.” Josh spends upwards of 60 hours a week brewing up batches of the French and Belgian-inspired farmhouse ales. A full batch makes 26 cases of 12 beers that are hand carried up to a small barn attic for bottling. It’s an arduous ordeal in the summertime – one reason they’re looking forward to expanding the brewing workspace, Josh said.
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . 11-12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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