June 25 - July 1, 2015
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Photos from Birch Bay Kite Festival, page 8
Government shutdown looms as legislature debates budget
Blaine author releases book, page 9
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Home and Garden special section, pages 10-12
A long and winding road
By Steve Guntli Washington state government is facing a shutdown if state legislators don’t soon agree on a budget. State officials have begun notifying some state employees they will be furloughed if the budget isn’t approved by midnight on June 30. More than 26,000 state employees could face mandatory unpaid leaves, according to the Washington State Office of Financial Management. Governor Jay Inslee said he does not believe the shutdown will take place, but the state is required to give employees notice in the event it does. “I don’t think it’s going to happen,” Inslee told reporters last month. “I have every confidence the legislators are going to produce a bipartisan budget fairly shortly. So I don’t want to think about the consequences of failure.” The House and Senate have been in a gridlock over budget negotiations for weeks. The legislation is currently in a second overtime session after the regular 105-day session and an additional 30-day session failed to reach a budget deal. Tax increases have been a major sticking point. Democrats are pushing for $1.5 billion in tax increases, including capital gains taxes on wealthy citizens, which would go towards funding educational programs. Republicans have been adamant about not raising taxes, insisting that the state has $400 million more than previously forecasted. (See State, page 2)
s Blaine’s Trevor Hoskins breaks the tape after completing his lifelong running goal of 50,000 miles in Semiahmoo on June 19. Hoskins, 80, began the challenge in 1976, running an average of 4 miles a day for 39 years.
Photo by Jack Kintner
Semiahmoo runner goes “twice around the world” By Jack Kintner As he energetically broke a symbolic tape held by family and friends last Thursday, Semiahmoo resident Trevor Hoskins completed a goal he’s had in front of him for the past 39 years – running 50,000 miles.
“That’s twice around the world,” said the affable Hoskins, 80, adding that it all began after having celebrated a raucous Fourth of July in Akron, Ohio. Forty-one at the time and recently arrived from his native England, he and two friends committed to the lofty goal of running that distance over the next four decades.
Blaine’s Fourth of July festivities return By Steve Guntli It’s that time once again. Blaine’s Old-Fashioned Fourth of July is the town’s biggest event of the year. Every July 4, more than 10,000 people from
both sides of the border fill Blaine’s streets for live music, food and Whatcom County’s largest Independence Day celebration. This year’s event promises to be every bit as fun as it has been in the past. The festivities on the Fourth kick off
with a pancake breakfast at the Blaine Community Center from 8 to 11 a.m. From there, visitors can check out the Show N Shine Car Show around downtown from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dozens of (See Fourth, page 2)
Two weeks later he was the only one of the three still running, and he’s never stopped, averaging over 3.5 miles a day every day since Ford was president and (See Hoskins, page 6)
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Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Coming Up . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17