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November 30 - December 6, 2023 Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
City of Blaine’s 2024 legislative priorities, page 5
Blaine volleyball coach retires, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
How Blaine and Birch Bay voted, page 10
Holiday Harbor Thanksgiving baskets help 1,213 residents Lights, events kick off winter By Grace McCarthy
(See Holiday, page 3)
s Community Assistance Program volunteers and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue firefighters distributed Thanksgiving baskets to Blaine, Birch Bay, Custer and Point Roberts residents at T.C. Trading Company on November 21. The baskets provided Thanksgiving meals to 813 adults and 400 children, 1,213 people total. Photo courtesy Shirley Tobian
City council approves Plover restoration contract By Grace McCarthy Blaine City Council unanimously authorized Drayton Harbor Maritime (DHM) to finish restoring the Plover ferry during its November 27 meeting. DHM anticipates the repairs will cost $82,000, including taxes; city staff had originally set aside $75,000 for completing the Plover maintenance project in the 2024 budget. In fall 2022, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered the vessel needed significant repairs, including fixing soft spots on the
wooden hull and stem post, before it could transport passengers between Blaine Harbor and Semiahmoo Spit. DHM, the nonprofit that operates the Plover, soon realized repairs were more involved than when it originally restored the boat in the 1990s, which pushed last summer’s completion deadline and required additional funding. City council originally allocated $30,000 for the repairs, and then approved another $16,800 after DHM spent that amount outside of the contract. In September, the city solicited bids
No northern giant hornet detections in 2023 By Grace McCarthy The buzz around town is there is no buzz. Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) wrote in a November 21 statement that state entomologists are leaving empty-handed after wrapping up this year’s search for northern giant hornets, also known as “murder hornets.” Citizen scientists are scheduled to take down homemade traps November
30 and WSDA workers will follow shortly after in December as they remove 800 traps across Whatcom County. Despite no hornets being discovered, scientists are cautiously not celebrating. To declare the northern giant hornet eradicated, the state requires three years of no confirmed reports. The last hornet was discovered in Blaine in 2021, meaning the invasive species will be considered eradicated at the end of next year. “It looks like we’re headed in the right direction but there’s still work to
be done,” said Amber Betts, WSDA public information officer. “We still need community support to report sightings, and participate in our citizen science trapping programs.” WSDA entomologists worked with researchers at Kyungpook National University in South Korea this year to learn more about the species in their native area. The scientists collected data to better understand the hornet’s foraging (See Hornet, page 5)
for a contractor to complete the Plover’s remaining repairs after its contract with DHM expired. City manager Mike Harmon said the city tried to cast a wide net to solicit bid proposals and Blaine Public Works Department reached out to every shipwright in Whatcom County. DHM was the sole bidder. The contract requires DHM to complete the repairs required by the U.S. Coast Guard no later than May 15. If DHM fails (See Plover, page 3)
INSIDE
As the winter holidays begin, Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo have events celebrating the festive season Friday, December 1 through Saturday, December 2. Holiday Harbor Lights Holiday Harbor Lights will once again bring holiday traditions to Blaine for a full day of activities spread across town on December 2. The festival starts at 8:30 a.m. with a community breakfast at Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. The breakfast will be served until 10:30 a.m. Blaine Public Library is holding a holiday book sale from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the library, 610 3rd Street. Blaine Community Theater will put on a Christmas play 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. There will be live music at the senior center intermittently from noon to 7 p.m. Gateway 1890 Taphouse & Grill is hosting a beer garden 3-7 p.m. at the senior center. Two holiday craft bazaars run from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Blaine Community Pavilion, 635 8th Street, and in downtown Blaine, at 648 Peace Portal Drive. The Grinch will make an appearance at the downtown bazaar 1-3 p.m. Beach Cat Brewing will have a beer garden at the downtown bazaar from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. People shopping at the bazaar will be able to drop off children who are 5 years or older from noon to 4 p.m. at the senior center. Childcare activities will include making snowflakes at 12 p.m., creating holiday cards at 1:30 p.m. and cookie decorating at 3 p.m. The Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 will host its Holiday Lights Obstacle Dash at 2 p.m. at Lincoln Park, 1800 H Street. Participants may dress in their best holiday fits as they run or walk the gravel course. Santa will be at the race, and there will be holiday activities, hot stew, cookies and drinks. Pre-registration for the dash is available on bbbparkandrec.org and registration is
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