December 13 - 19, 2018
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ISSUE
School district hosts resource fair, page 5
Funding for berm project could be in jeopardy, page 7
Park district now offers Silver&Fit program, page 10
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Design for a Local singers bring joy to all at the senior center 7,600-squarefoot library gets warm reception By Oliver Lazenby
(See Library, page 7)
s Sharon Mayson, l., and Wendy Donaghy, r., of Angels Descending performed a variety of festive tunes at the Blaine Senior Center on December 8. The performance, called ‘Christmas Joy: A Holiday Concert,’ attracted about 40 people. Photo by Stefanie Donahue
It’s time to get out and ‘Shell-ebrate’ Event to feature oyster samples, activities for kids and awards B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e To mark the second anniversary of recreational and commercial shellfish harvesting restrictions being lifted on more than 800 acres of Drayton Harbor, local groups are
coming together to host a ‘Shell-ebration.’ The free event will feature refreshments, oyster samples from Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, activities for kids and a community awards ceremony. It’s set to take place from 4–6 p.m. on Friday, December 14 at the G Street Plaza. “Drayton Harbor is an ideal location for growing shellfish and historically provided a productive source of oysters and clams for commercial, tribal and recreational harvest,” read a press release from the Whatcom County Public Works Department. In 1995, harvesting restrictions in Drayton
Blaine City Council adopts $56.4 million budget for 2019 B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Blaine City Council voted 6–0 on December 10 to approve a balanced operating and capital budget for 2019 totaling $56.4 million. City finance director Jeff Lazenby said the budget prioritizes public safety as well as maintaining city infrastructure, parks and facilities. The operating budget includes $100,000 for a full-time police officer position, $88,000 for a full-time parks and facilities position, $70,000 for What-Comm 911 emergency dispatch services and $26,000 for a part-
time administrative services position. The funds will be taken from the $7.8 million general fund, which is used to pay for city administration, policing and utility billing, among other things. The fund is generated by taxes and fees, such as sales, utility and property taxes. The Blaine Police Department is the largest recipient of general fund revenue. Thirty-four percent of the fund, totaling approximately $2.7 million, is budgeted for police department services in 2019. In its capital budget, the city approved $800,000 to extend sewer lines to east Blaine,
$145,000 to design and build a trail along Semiahmoo Spit, $100,000 to demolish the former City Hall building and $40,000 for an improvement project at Blaine Cemetery. Lazenby said full-time equivalent positions at the city are expected to rise from 61 to 65 in 2019, which will bring the city back to pre-recession levels. In conjunction with passing the 2019 budget, Blaine City Council also approved a 1 percent property tax increase in November. The 1 percent increase is projected to generate approximately $11,385 in revenue for 2019.
Harbor were imposed due to high levels of pollution that made consumption of shellfish unsafe. The restrictions extended until December 2016, when the Washington State Department of Health lifted recreational and commercial shellfish harvesting restrictions on 810 acres of Drayton Harbor. The community has been working hard for over 20 years to improve water quality, according to county public works. “Thanks to your sustained efforts and on-theground improvements, shellfish harvesting (See Shellfish, page 4)
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4
INSIDE
Zervas Architects is fine-tuning the design for the future Birch Bay Library and its latest design is a departure from previous concepts: it does not incorporate the brown craftsman-style house currently on the site at 7920 Birch Bay Drive. Instead, it recreates the facade and porch of the historic house and incorporates some of its flavor while not being burdened by the constraints of a 105-year-old house that wasn’t designed to be a library. “We’re getting the best of both worlds without trying to salvage a house that isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, frankly,” said Terry Brown, principal at Zervas Architects, at a December 10 meeting at the BP Heron Center. Incorporating the 2,135-square-foot house into the design of a 7,600-squarefoot library ended up being inefficient, Brown said. Both designs – with or without the house – cost about the same, but scrapping the house resulted in a library design that’s more useful for the community and staff and more space efficient, Brown said. The front of the library in the new design is closer to the street than the current house. Designing a big enough library that included the house “almost buried the front of the house behind the new additions, so all of a sudden that little gem of a craftsman-style facade was not as prominent,” Brown said. “It also resulted in a lot of compromises to a good library layout,” he said. “[Redesigning without the house] gave us a lot of ability to go beyond the original house while still respecting its architectural heritage.” Brown said he thought the last library meeting at the house on August 18 had been an eye opener for attendees; although the house’s exterior is beautiful, the interior is much less inspiring. Other features of the new design include a driveway that wraps around the property, several different areas with bay views, skylights on the roof and a “Library Express” lobby that will open before and after
Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11
Coming Up . . . . . 14
Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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