The Northern Light - April 30, 2015

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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay

April 30 - May 6, 2015

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IN THIS

ISSUE

BHS students debut original play, page 3

Birch Bay Drive project moving ahead

Home and Garden special section, pages 8-10

PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230

Students redefine “senior skip day,” page 13

Race day in Blaine

By Ian Ferguson The Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility project is back on track to begin construction in late fall of 2016.

The $11.5 million county project is an effort to rebuild 1.5 miles of Birch Bay Drive with a berm and natural beach profile for better pedestrian access and better flood protection. The project fell 14 months behind schedule after contract negotiations with the original design firm broke down in spring 2014.

Middleton said smooth coordination with the new design firm, Environmental Science Associates based in Seattle, is part of what has allowed the project to make up for lost time.

“There’s been a lot of good communication between the public works staff, the design engineers and the permitting agencies,” Middleton said. “The permitting agents have come out to meet us on site, which saves a lot of time.”

Middleton presented a project update to Whatcom County councilmembers April 28. Approximately 30 percent of the overall design of the project is complete. Public works is in the process of seeking permits and acquiring right of ways (ROWs) needed for construction.

“Permitting and ROW acquisition might slow us up, but right now we’re confident we can begin construction in late fall of 2016,” Middleton said.

During his update, Middleton introduced a committee of Birch Bay residents interested in undergrounding utilities along Birch Bay Drive. The committee is sanctioned by the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, Middleton said.

“At the last public meeting, the number one concern we heard from community members was undergrounding the utilities,” Middleton said.

Burying electric, phone and other utility cables underground was once a priority for the road project, but due to high costs, a lack of funding and logistical obstacles it was removed from the scope of work. Early in proj(See Berm, page 2)

s Sailors maneuver around buoys during the Semiahmoo Bay International Regatta on September 26. The two-day event featured a distance race and a buoy race. See more photos on page 15.

Photo by Jack Kintner

City rejects construction bids for playground

By Steve Guntli The Marine Park playground project is facing some setbacks, but the city is confident it will still open in time for the Fourth of July.

Acting on a staff recommendation, Blaine City Council voted 7–0 on April 27 to reject two site preparation bids which were far over the budgeted amount.

The city reached out to 12 contractors in the area but only received bids from Moceri Construction of Bellingham and Williamson Construction Company of Deming. The companies submitted bids

for approximately $110,000 and $113,000, respectively. The city engineer had earlier estimated site preparation would cost $60,000.

Deputy community planner Alex Wenger said the city is working on cost-cutting measures and would hope to receive new bids closer to the estimate. Wenger said the city isn’t altering the size or design of the playground itself, but is looking for more economical building materials. Some items, like concrete picnic table pads and sidewalks, may be cut out of the plan and installed at a later date.

Meanwhile, the playground equipment has been delivered, and is sitting in a

Springfest Art Tour highlights 35 Blaine artists Dozens of local artists will show off their wares during the Springfest Art Tour of Blaine this Mother’s Day weekend.

Sponsored by Blaine Harbor Art Gallery, the Springfest event is marking its 10th anniversary. This year, 35 artists are slated to appear, displaying everything from paintings and sculptures to glass and woodcarvings.

Helen Worley is one of five volunteers from Blaine Harbor Art Gallery organizing the event. She is also an artist who will have her photography on display.

“We’ve got a thriving arts community here in Blaine,” she said. “Part of our mission is to market art and develop Blaine as

an artistic community.”

Worley said the event this year was made possible thanks to a grant from the Blaine Tourism Advisory Committee, which paid for marketing and the banner now hanging above H Street and Peace Portal Drive.

The tour is spread out over five locations in Blaine. The two largest displays will be at Semiahmoo Resort and Dakota Creek Winery. In addition to the art exhibit, Semiahmoo will also be hosting a special Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday, May 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 318-2090 for reservations.

Dakota Creek Winery will also feature a wine tasting to celebrate its spring wines.

Swanson’s Glass Studio at 628 Alder Street will show off the jewelry and ornaments of local artist Sharon Swanson. Bayside Treasures Studio at 9794 North Harvey Road will feature a variety of decorative garden art.

An exhibit at Paso del Norte restaurant will highlight the work of Blaine Primary School students.

“We really have an exciting diversity of work this year,” Worley said.

The Springfest Art Tour of Blaine will take place May 9 and 10. For more information on participating artists, visit blaineharborartgallery.com.

fenced-in area near the construction site on Marine Drive.

At the parks and cemetery board regular meeting on April 16, board member Angie Dixon stressed how important it was to complete the playground before the July 4 festivities. “We can’t have the park all roped off and messy on our busiest weekend of the year,” she said.

Wenger said the city is still aiming for a July 1 opening for the playground, but admits it will be tight.

“This setback may have cost us a number of weeks,” he said. “I’m still confident (See Park, page 2)

Online

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Inside

Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Coming Up . . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

Berm ...

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From page 1

Spring Flower Bouquets

ect planning, the county sought funding to underground utilities during the road construction but their loan application was denied.

“The companies that own the utilities are not obligated to help pay for burying them. We tried to twist their arm legally, but it’s not going to happen,” Middleton said.

An estimate from the original design team for the berm project put the cost of undergrounding

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utilities at $25 to $30 million, far more than the cost of the berm project itself. Councilmember Rud Browne said he was, “floored” by that figure, and Middleton agreed that the amount seemed high to him. He recommended the council work with the Birch Bay undergrounding committee to form a local improvement district (LID) and hire a consultant to investigate costs, strategies and a best route forward. The LID would also be able to levy funds specifically for undergrounding utilities.

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Enjoy viewing and purchasing unique gifts and home decor items from local artists on Blaine’s Annual Art Tour on May 9 and 10 with the first stop being at Semiahmoo…

Tuesday, May 5 with 8 different kinds of oysters: Drayton Harbor, Dabob Bay (Hood Canal), Penn Cove, Samish Bay, Stellar Bay, Kumamato, Kusshi (BC Canada) and Quilcene Bay from 11:30am – Close Oyster Shucking demonstration 4pm – 7pm

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we can hit that goal, but it may be a little more challenging. The site prep itself doesn’t require that much work. It’ll probably be a couple weeks of work when it’s all said and done. We won’t go forward until we get more bids.”

Mayor Harry Robinson was visibly frustrated at the large discrepancy between the estimated and actual costs of the site prep.

“How do we know that $110,000 isn’t a legitimate bid?” he said.

“Both bids were pretty close. How do we know our engineer wasn’t out to lunch?”

Wenger said the discrepancies stemmed from a lack of clarity in the city’s bid proposal. The proposal document was highly technical and nearly 100 pages, and some of the bids on individual items showed some confusion on the part of the contractors. For example, Moceri bid $3,650 for traffic control, while Williamson bid more than $17,596 for the same item. The city engineer estimated $5,000 for traffic control.

City staff has consulted with Pacific Surveying and Engineering to simplify and clarify the bid proposal. Wenger said the city will reopen for bids on Thursday, April 30 and will contact local contractors within the week.

“We’re excited by the opportunity to work with some local businesses for this project,” he said.

Celebrate Mom this Mother’s Day Weekend!

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money so that when the Birch Bay Water and Sewer District (BBWSD) replaces the sewer and water lines along Birch Bay Drive, they may be able to do it all in one package,” Middleton said.

Dan Eisses, assistant general manager for BBWSD, said in a phone interview the water and sewer lines along Birch Bay Drive were installed in the mid-70s with a 50–100 year material lifespan.

Population growth could necessitate their replacement at any time, making it virtually impossible to estimate when the lines would need to be replaced.

The next public meeting for the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility project is scheduled for June 6 at the Birch Bay Bible Community Church, 4460 Bay Road, Birch Bay. The time of the meeting has not been set yet.

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April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

Blaine students debut first original play

By Steve Guntli A group of Blaine High School (BHS) theater students are getting the chance to stage their own show.

“Soldat: A Bittersweet Alchemy” is an original musical written, produced and directed by the Blaine High School Theater Arts team.

While this is not the first original production BHS has staged, it is the first original play that’s entirely student-run. The show will be performed May 7–9 at the Blaine Performing Arts Center.

Senior Kini Stewart is directing the production, which was written by senior Kayla Wilson. The two have been working on the production since late August.

“It’s taken us so long to get to this point,” Stewart said. “It’s been really challenging but really rewarding.”

Stewart is overseeing a cast of 22 high school and middle school students, as well as nine stage techs who run the lights and sound and built the sets. Most of the people in the cast are pulling double or triple duty on the production. In addition to being the playwright, Wilson is an actor.

Senior Alex Gehringer plays multiple roles, despite also being a member of the track team.

“Kayla said, ‘I know you’re busy with track, but could you come in for one monologue and maybe half a song?’” he said.

“And now I’m assistant director, playing one of the lead roles, helping build the sets and dancing in a few numbers.”

Drama club advisor Shari Akers said she has had very little involvement in the production. Michael Latham, a theater arts education major from Western Washington University, volunteered to supervise the crew and act as a sounding board, but Stewart was in charge of the production. Akers said she is immensely proud of the way the show has come together.

“I’ve known some of these kids since the second grade,” Akers said. “These were some of the few people that didn’t quit in all the madness of building the theater program and have been with it from the beginning, so I trusted them completely. They’ve done a phenomenal job.”

“Soldat” has been entered into the 2015 Seattle 5th Avenue Theater high school theater competition. The competition imposes several conditions on the production: the producers had to col-

laborate with the Cultural Unity Club on the story; the production had to be family-friendly; students had to oversee every aspect of the production and they had to bring the show in with a $500 budget.

The winners of the competition will be announced on June 8.

“We’ve never done anything like this before,” Akers said.

“We don’t have a daytime theater class to work on it every day, so the kids were working on this while we were rehearsing [fall musical] ‘Beauty and the Beast.’

They’d put in an extra half-hour here or there and check in with me in the morning.”

“Soldat” (which means “soldier” in Russian) conflates three traditional European fairy tales into one original story. Combining elements of the Dutch fable, “The Steadfast Tin Soldier,” the Russian “Baba Yaga” and the German “The Bremen Musicians,” the stories are united by themes of love and transformation.

“Originally, the idea was that someone from the outside world would travel through all these different stories,” Wilson said. “As the production went on, we decided to mash them all together ‘Into the Woods’-style, which gave us a chance to adapt these characters and make them our own.”

Junior Nathan Smith composed the music, and Akers contributed lyrics. Akers said Smith has never composed a musical before, and had to learn from the ground

up. Freshman Isabel Bushman designed all the sets, using a cartoony, storybook aesthetic.

Stewart said, despite all the hard work and stress, she is proud to be closing out her high school theater experience with an original production.

“It’s been such a crazy time,” she said. “But I’ve learned so much and I’ve really loved it.”

Admission for “Soldat: A Bittersweet Alchemy” is on a donation-only basis. The show will be staged at 7 p.m. May 7–9, with a 2 p.m. matinee on May 9.

Mother’s Day Weekend May 9 & 10, 10am-5pm Semiahmoo Resort & Spa 9565 Semiahmoo Pkwy Dakota Creek Winery 3575 Haynie Rd ALSO: Bayside Treasures, Swanson Glass Design Studio, and children’s art at Paso del Norte. for map, go to: www.blaineharborartgallery.com

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The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

The Northern L ght Bring your daughter to work day at Semiahmoo The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc. Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors.

Letters Policy The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste.

Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication.

Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.

Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@thenorthernlight.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@thenorthernlight.com Editor Steve Guntli steve@pointrobertspress.com Copy Editor Kara Furr kara@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Ferguson ian@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@thenorthernlight.com Office Manager Amy Weaver info@thenorthernlight.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Janet McCall Catherine Darkenwald sales@thenorthernlight.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@thenorthernlight.com Contributors In This Issue Alyssa Pitcher, Jack Kintner Mary Kay Robinson, Mike Kent The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200 Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XX, No 46 Circulation: 10,500 copies

Circulation Independently verified by:

Next issue: May 7 Ads due: May 1

s Semiahmoo Resort’s culinary director chef Eric Truglas teaches the daughters of Semiahmoo employees how to make pizza during bring your daughter to work day. The daughters are: Leilani Heenan-Lentini, Chloe Archer, Myca Andruscavage, Holley Siebol, Victoria Dodge, Myrtle Scheepens and Aaliyah Mendoza-Brownson.

Photo courtesy of Amberleigh Brownson

Letters The Editor: Do you love the beautiful Blaine environment as much as we do? But have you ever been walking along the beach, neighborhoods or parking lots and been a bit disappointed when you come across trash? We are fortunate to have a group of young folks from our community who want to do something about it. They are mobilizing to take action and have come up with a great idea and are asking for participation.

They are calling this group action a trash-a-thon and are reaching out seeking donations per bag of trash collected or just toward the cleanup event itself.

The cleanup in Blaine will be Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. and Birch Bay on Saturday, May 16 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

If you donate, you will not only be helping to beautify Blaine, but will also be helping to fund the Peace Arch Church youth summer camp-out at Birch Bay State Park. If you are interested in donating or have a child who would like to participate please contact

Brandi Bell at 661/448-0486, pacyouth@ peacearchassembly.org or facebook.com/ peacearchchurch.

Anne Broward Blaine The Editor: Oil and coal trains pass through our community daily and they pollute our and the world’s environment. How as a community can we stop them? If trains are just a part of our lives, then how can we as a community at least make our three railroad crossings noise pollution-free as Bellingham is trying to do and White Rock has already done?

Leonard Kellom Blaine The Editor: GPT proponents continually repeat GPT’s fantasy propaganda and ignore facts. Last week’s letter writer who proclaimed GPT would provide “more than 1,000 permanent local jobs” needs to read GPT’s official project application

documents that state the most jobs the terminal would provide is, “213 shift workers and 44 other workers.”

The writer’s claim that GPT would be another “good neighbor industry” ignores the fact that none of Cherry Point’s existing industries seem to want GPT for a neighbor; none of them has endorsed GPT. GPT’s plan for 18 coal trains a day traveling through our communities on the same track as crude oil and chemical trains is dangerous for our existing industries and us. BNSF studies indicate GPT’s addition of 18 daily coal trains would increase the risks of Cherry Point’s crude oil and chemical trains derailing. In a 2011 lawsuit about the cause of train accidents, BNSF testified the train derailments were caused by coal dust from trains that “…combined with water from extraordinary amounts of precipitation, weakened the road bed Continued on next page Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

Civic Meetings Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4:30 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info: bbwsd.com.

Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources Management District: Third Wednesday, 6 p.m., location varies. Info: bbwarm.whatcom county.org.

Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: ci.blaine.wa.us.

Blaine Parks Board: Third Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.

Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 7 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: blainepc@ cityofblaine.com.

Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info: blaine.wednet.edu.

Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Birch Bay Chamber Officem 7900 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay. Info: blainebirchbayparkandrec.org

North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 7 p.m. Blaine Fire Station. Info: nwfrs.net.

April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

Letters ...

From previous page

and caused track failure.”

Local residents who are most familiar with the facts have debunked the writer’s other propaganda proclamations. A total of 214 Whatcom County doctors debunked the writer’s proclamation that GPT would “surpass all of Washington’s extremely high standards” on environment. These doctors are “deeply concerned” about GPT because there is no “safe threshold” of exposure to the toxic coal dust and diesel emissions GPT coal trains would release. And although GPT coal trains would block Washington and Whatcom County railroad crossings on average every 80 minutes daily, GPT would pay 0 percent of costs to improve our railroad crossings (we taxpayers would pay 95 percent and BNSF 5 percent). One railroad overpass can cost $40 million.

The Ferndale school district superintendent debunked GPT’s propaganda about school taxes.

In an October 22, 2012 letter about GPT to the school board, the superintendent wrote, “Our district will not receive any more money as a result of this project … it isn’t going to cause an influx of money into our school system.”

Paula Rotundi Birch Bay The Editor: Circumstances in our overcrowded jail have reached the lethal stage. We have been dithering about the problem for 20 years; meanwhile, the odds for a catastrophe increase every day.

Jails are designed to keep people in. In an emergency, they are not quickly evacuated, not in older jails. A mock fire drill done two years ago came up with people dead, both employees and inmates. The time needed to get them out of there was too great.

So what happens after disasters like that? You don’t have to be brilliant to know lawsuits will follow. A few large damage awards will bankrupt our county. They would cost far more than a new modern jail would, and we would have nothing to show for our outlay but empty coffers and a ruined county.

We can deal with the problem now and build a new jail or continue dithering, keep having pie-in-the-sky philosophical conversations. It’s our choice.

Joan Browning Bellingham

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Explore the Possibilities at Community Meetings

Corrections

In preparation for our Master Plan Renewal, YOUR input is being sought for future projects and programs - Help decide the next priorities.

In the April 23 issue of The Northern Light, we identified the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce as the sponsors of the “Fragile Waters” program. It is actually a presentation by the Birch Bay State Park Interpretive Program.

Join us for one or both meetings.

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Planning Commission meeting Thursday, May 21, 9:30 am

Park and Cemetery Board meeting

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The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

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Blaine kicker honored at national level

By Ian Ferguson Anyone who attended Blaine high school football home games last season is used to hearing Kyle Sentkowski’s name over the loudspeaker. The sophomore kicker is the team’s go-to guy for field goals, kickoffs, punts and point-after attempts.

Sentkowski was recently ranked as the fifth best kicker in the country for the class of 2017. Chris Sailer Kicking, a nationally respected kicking and punting instructional program, determined the ranking based on season performance and an in-person evaluation. Sentkowski attended a regional development program for USA Football in Westlake Village, CA in February,

MARCH Boy and Girl of the Month

Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County, Blaine Branch

Kyle Welch

Kyle is a 2nd grade member of the Blaine Clubhouse. He is actively involved in programs, from Power Hour to Science Club. Kyle has outstanding manners, using “please” and “thank you” on a daily basis, or asking the staff “How was your day today?” He always has a smile on his face and is overall a positive presence at the club! Kyle’s friends say he is fun to play with, especially during competitive games like foosball, Battleship, and Connect Four. Thank you, Kyle, for being great!

Emily Murphy

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Locally Owned and Operated

Emily is a 1st grader at the Blaine Branch. She is a great listener and is always asking staff if she can help out. Emily likes taking time to get to know her fellow members and staff, and she is known for her great conversation. She is also a star student, making sure she completes her homework every day before joining other programs.

Her friends describe her as sweet, playful and funny! We love having Emily at our club!

360-332-1700 1733 H St. Blaine

Community Chamber of Commerce

Member of the Month Louis Auto Glass 1512 N. State St., Bellingham 360-734-3840 www.louisautoglass.com Number of employees: 30 How long in business: Since 1929. Owned and operated by the same family for four generations

Description of business: We are a full-service glass company specializing in all types of auto glass, home window replacement, home glass replacement, custom shower enclosures, mirrors, cut glass and commercial glass replacement.

s Kyle Sentkowski kicks a field goal at a USA Football development camp in February as fellow camp-goers look on.

Photo courtesy Gene Sentkowski

and based on his performance was invited to attend a national development game this summer.

The 6-foot sophomore is in the midst of soccer season right now, playing the sport that started it all for him.

“I’ve been playing soccer since kindergarten. One day my dad took me to the football field to kick field goals and it ended up clicking for me,” Sentkowski said.

While playing soccer probably helped his leg muscles develop, Sentkowski said kicking a soccer ball is a different motion than kicking a football.

“In soccer, you want to get over the ball and it’s a more natural leg swing. In football, you want a more vertical leg motion and you want to lean back a little bit to get under the ball,” he said.

Building the muscle memory for a consistent kick takes a lot of practice. In the spring, Sentkowski is focused on playing soccer, but he still makes time to kick footballs every week. Over the summer, he’ll step up his practice regimen.

“In the summer I practice five times a week on any field I can get,” he said.

His routine is well versed. He starts with a warm-up jog and a stretch, and then begins a kicking progression. He starts with no-steppers; as the name implies, it means kicking the ball without stepping into the kick.

All the power for the kick has to come from the leg swing with no prior momentum. Next he does one-steppers, then a full step.

“The progression helps build a stronger kick and makes you focus on the technique,” Sentkowski said.

All that practice comes in handy during games, when most kicks and punts are performed in a high-pressure situation. Sentkowski has done a good job performing

under pressure, scoring 35 points over the 2014 season in field goals and PATs. When asked if he had a strategy for dealing with high-pressure kicks, Sentkowski said, “Not really.

With a helmet on you can’t hear a lot of the crowd noise and it’s pretty easy to focus on the kick. With enough repetition in practice you build up muscle memory so that every kick is consistent.”

Practice is key, but Sentkowski has something else going for him.

Kicking runs in the family.

Gene Sentkowski, Kyle’s father, was a kicker at Bellingham High School, played in college and even played semi-pro football for Washington teams the Snohomish/King County Blue Knights, the Puget Sound Jets and the Bellingham Eagles. Kyle’s older brother Keith was also a varsity kicker for Blaine.

“I always thought he had a leg on him from the time he was playing youth soccer,” Gene said of Kyle.

“He’s already doing better than I ever did.”

For field goals, Kyle is pretty accurate from 45 yards and in, and 50 yards on a good day, Gene said. He’s also getting used to kicking from the ground rather than off the 1-inch tee used in high school games.

“When kicking off the ground the sweet spot is lower, so you have to change your motion,” Kyle said.

Kyle said the camp in California was a good learning experience and he’s looking forward to the USA Football development camp at Claremont McKenna College in California this July. For more information on the camp and to help get him there, go to gofundme. com/ksentkowski.

For the long term, Kyle wants to play as a varsity kicker in college.

Meanwhile, you can expect to hear his name over the Blaine loudspeakers for the next two years.

Who started the business: The business began in 1929 by Louis Adelstein. It is now owned and operated by Rick and Gary Adelstein, Louis’ grandsons and Carrie Adelstein, Louis’ great-granddaughter. With branches in Bellingham, Lynden and Mt. Vernon, Louis Auto Glass serves Whatcom, Skagit, North Snohomish and Island counties.

Future goals: Louis Auto Glass will continue to grow and expand both its market area and the number of locations throughout Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

Featured businesses are selected randomly from the Blaine Community Chamber of Commerce membership.

This is a monthly feature sponsored by the Blaine Community Chamber of Commerce www.blainechamber.com • (360) 332-4544 • Join the chamber today ... membership has its privileges!

15+ years experience

April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

Hillary Kiele, 12th grade

Kylee Bott, 12th grade

Hillary is driven to do well in class.

She works to understand tough concepts and persists until she gets her questions answered. She is a positive, encouraging and inspiring leader in and out of the classroom. She is very focused and excited as she moves into the Air Force Academy several weeks after graduation. Knowing her self-motivation, she will do well with this new endeavor.

Alexis Den Hartog, 8th grade Alexis works very hard and strives to do her best.

She is liked by her peers and is also into doing the right thing in class.

I appreciate her positive attitude and willingness to put forth all of her effort.

Devin Halter, 3rd grade Devin is an outstanding student. He always has a smile on his face, and is always excited to lend a helping hand. Devin tries hard at everything he does. He is kind to everyone and lights up the room with his positive attitude.

Kylee is a dedicated student and a caring and compassionate person. She is also a skilled writer and an attentive and detail-oriented learner. She works diligently towards goals such as preparing for college and applying for scholarships. Kylee makes a difference in the world around her. Her senior project benefits patients at Children’s Hospital, and she organized several fundraisers for the AVID Club scholarship fund to help an AVID senior attend college.

Derek Porter, 7th grade Derek is a quiet, conscientious, hard-working student.

He is incredibly articulate and strives to do his best. His ability to express himself in writing is truly impressive.

Makayla Nasi, 1st grade Makayla is doing a marvelous job. She is quiet, attentive and doesn’t distract others. She is doing a better job of completing tasks on time and does quality work. She is a kind girl who gets along well with other students. She has many friends in class. Makayla is a great addition to our class and I enjoy being her teacher. Her smile brightens our classroom!

We are pleased to present a monthly look at a few of the many local youths in the Blaine School District who enhance our society and our lives, as selected by their teachers or school staff.

Samuel De Los Reyes, 5th grade

Sam is an excellent student and classmate.

He always has a positive attitude. Through cooperation and collaboration, he is always willing to share his brilliant ideas with others and offer support.

He gives all people respect. Sam is a great role model for our learning community.

Blake Markusen, 1st grade

Blake is a fabulous student!

He is smart, polite and kind.

His reading and math skills have blossomed because of his hard work at school and home. He completes assignments, works on task and seems eager to improve. Blake brightens our classroom; it is a joy to be his teacher!

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The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

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Garden

A monthly special section in The Northern Light

Hot home improvement trends that make your home work for you B y M a ry K ay R o b i n s o n Recent home improvement trends have embraced energy efficiency, low-maintenance exteriors and double-duty space. What these trends show is that Americans like our houses to work harder and smarter for our money.

Homeowners no longer want bigger; they want space that’s flexible, efficient and brings order to the chaos. They’re watching energy usage with monitors and meters and preserving weekend leisure time with maintenance-free exteriors. Here’s a look at seven hot home improvement trends that improve the way we live.

Maintenance-free siding: Homeowners continue to choose maintenance-free siding that lives a long time, but with a lot less upkeep. Fiber-cement siding is one of the fast-

est-growing segments of the siding market. It’s a combination of cement, sand and cellulosic fibers that looks like wood but doesn’t rot, combust or succumb to termites or other wood-boring insects. At $5 to $9 per square foot, fiber-cement siding is more expensive than paint-grade wood, vinyl and aluminum siding. However, it returns 87 percent of investment, the highest return of any upscale project on Remodeling Magazine’s latest cost vs. value report. Maintenance is limited to a cleaning and some caulking each spring and repainting every seven to 15 years. Wood requires repainting every four to seven years.

Forget “museum rooms” that are used twice a year, and embrace convertible spaces that change on a whim. Foldaway walls turn a private study into

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s Smaller houses with bigger kitchens are one of the hottest trends in remodeling. an easy-flow party space. Walls can consist of fancy glass panels ($600-$1,600 per linear foot), or they can be simple vinyl-covered accordions ($1,230 for a 7- by 10-foot panel). Portablepartitions.com sells walls on wheels ($775 for approximately

7 by 7 feet).

A Murphy bed pulls down from a wall unit and turns any room into a guest room. Prices, including installation and cabinetry, range from $2,000 (twin with main cabinet) to more than $5,000 (California king

File photo

with main and side units).

Humankind advanced when the laundry room rose from the basement to a louvered closet on the second floor where the clothes live. Now, homeowners are taking another step forward by granting washday a room of its own. If you’re thinking of remodeling, turn a mudroom or extra bedroom into a dedicated laundry room big enough to house the washer and dryer, hang hand-washables and store bulk detergent. Look for spaces that already have plumbing hookups or are adjacent to rooms with running water to save on plumbing costs.

Although houses are trending smaller, kitchens are getting Continued on next page 9

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Home Remodel ...

From previous page

bigger, according to the American institute of Architects’ Home Designs Trends Survey. Kitchen remodels open the space, perhaps incorporating dining rooms, and feature recycling centers, large pantries and recharging stations. Oversized and high-priced commercial appliances (Did we ever fire up six burners at once?) are yielding to family-size, mid-range models that recover at least one cabinet for storage. Since the entire family now helps prepare dinner (in your dreams), double prep sinks have evolved into dual-prep islands with lots of counter space and pullout drawers.

Americans are wrestling with an energy disorder. People are binging on electronics – cell phones, iPads, Blackberries, laptops – then crash dieting by installing LED fixtures and turning the thermostat to 68 degrees. Are we ahead of the energy game? Only the energy monitors and meters know for sure. New tracking devices can gauge electricity usage of individual electronics ($20 to $30) or monitor the whole house’s energy ($100 to $250).

The TED 5000 Energy Monitor ($240) supplies real-time feedback that you can view remotely and graph by the second, minute, hour, day and month.

As all of us bow to the god of declutter, storage has become the Holy Grail. We’re not talking about more baskets we can trip over in the night.

We’re imagining and discovering built-in storage in unlikely spaces: under stairs, over doors and beneath floors.

Under-appreciated nooks that once displayed antique desks are growing into built-ins for books and collections. Slap on some doors, and you can hide office supplies and buckets of Legos. Giant master suites, with floor space to land a 747, are being divided to conquer clutter with more walk-in closets.

&Garden

Home offices come out of the closet. Flexible work schedules, mobile communications and entrepreneurial zeal are relocating us from the office downtown to home. Laptops and wireless connections let us telecommute from anywhere in the house, but we still want a dedicated space, preferably with a door, for files, supplies and printers.

Spare bedrooms are becoming home offices and family rooms and niches are morphing into working nooks. After a weekend of decluttering, basements and attics are reborn as work centers.

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April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

Continued on next page 10

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The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

Home

Build your own home on beautiful property in Blaine.

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Rental housing shortage looming

By Mike Kent

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NOTICE OF FLUSHING

The City of Blaine Water Division started flushing the City's water distribution system. This is accomplished by opening hydrants along the system (starting at the well fields) to move fresh water throughout the distribution system.

The purpose of flushing the system is to remove any grit and debris in order to improve water quality through the distribution system.

During the city flushing program city water customers may experience a temporary low water pressure and/or cloudiness when flushing is going on. The cloudiness condition (caused by air) should be only temporary, and can be cleared by running a cold water tap for a few minutes to clean and flush your service line. If the condition continues for an extended period of time please contact the Blaine Public Works.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, feel free to call Public Works at 332-8820.

Leroy Dougall, Blaine Public Works.

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While it may not be obvious yet, we are on a path that spells bad news for tenants.

With Birch Bay and Blaine just a 30-minute drive from Bellingham and gas prices at moderate levels, it’s only a matter of time before locals will find themselves competing for housing with Bellinghamsters.

Currently, Bellingham is experiencing a rental housing crisis with near zero vacancy rates in all categories including apartments, condos and houses. Making matters worse, landlords know they are squarely in control and rents are soaring on the simple economic principle of supply and demand. Properties that rented a year or two ago for $800 per month are now commanding $1,200 a month and climbing.

The entry-level price in Bellingham for a room and shared bathroom down the hallway is now $400. The situation will only get worse until more apartments are built, and few are in the works.

These dynamics leave tenants no choice but to venture north in increasing numbers to our community to seek housing opportunities. This trend has already started and will continue, as Bellingham has little in the

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pipeline to fulfill tenants’ needs.

Most of the projects are restricted to low-income and assisted-living clients, leaving others who want a nice place to call home either out of luck or commuting up and down I-5 from places like Birch Bay and Blaine.

Those currently renting would be well advised to extend their leases as soon as possible and convince their landlord that they are a model tenant and deserve a fair rent rate in return. If you are considering moving into Belling-

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ham, make sure you have a place to go prior to giving notice that you’re leaving or you could find yourself panicking for an address.

How scary is the shortage? It is now commonplace that renters will be lined up at property management firms on Monday mornings especially near month’s end waiting for the doors to open, desperately trying to find a place to rent only to hear the discouraging news that their name will only be added to a list. This is the tightest rental market in more than two decades, and comes at the same time home purchases by younger buyers is low as a result of the fall in the home resale market beginning in 2007.

Even though confidence in home ownership may be bruised as a result of the last several years, know that rents are headed much higher and it may be time to revisit the advantages of owning and paying for your own address instead of your landlord’s.

For those who wait to enter the more secure and stable world of home ownership know costs will escalate there as well due to declining supply and increasing demand.

April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

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Local 360-410-7832

11

Legal IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON FOR WHATCOM COUNTY. COMMAND AVIATION INC., a Washington corporation, Plaintiff, vs.

CHRIS COULTHURST, Defendant.

NO: CV15-0819 AMENDED SUMMONS (FOR PUBLICATION) The State of Washington to: CHRIS COULTHURST, Defendant.

The State of Washington to: CHRIS COULTHURST, Defendant.

You are hereby summoned to appear within sixty days after the date of the first publication of this summons, to wit, within sixty days after the 23rd day of April, 2015, and defend the above entitled action in the above entitled court, and answer the complaint of the plaintiff Command Aviation, Inc., and serve a copy of your answer upon the undersigned attorney for plaintiff Command Aviation, at his office below stated; and in case of your failure so to do, judgment will be rendered against you according to the demand of the complaint, which has been filed with the clerk of said court. The action involves a suit for breach of contract. Nathan L. McAllister, Attorney at Law, P.S. Nathan L. McAllister, WSBA#37964 Street Address: 1313 E. Maple Street, Suite 208, Bellingham, WA 98225, Telephone Number: (360) 734-0338 Facsimile Number: (360) 685-4222.

Blaine School District Budget Extension The public is advised that copies of the Blaine School District 2014-2015 Capital Projects Fund budget extension are available for review in the Blaine School District office at 765 H Street.

The Capital Projects Fund budget will be fixed and adopted by the School Board at the regular monthly board meeting to be held on Tuesday, May 26th, at 7:00 PM, in the district boardroom.

The meeting will include a Public Hearing to consider input from the public for or against any part of the Capital Projects Fund budget.

Anyone having questions regarding the budget or the meetings may call the district office at 332-5881 or contact Amber Porter, Blaine School District Business Manager, aporter@blainesd.org.

Wanted Horseshoe Coins & Antiques We BUY, SELL & TRADE

Coins, Stamps, Gold, Silver, Currency, Jewelry, Mining/Nautical, etc.

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11 a.m.- 5 p.m.-ish Closed Sun. 810 Peace Portal, Blaine

Every edition online: thenorthernlight.com thenorthernlight.com

12

The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

EAT!

IANT H

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dougan@windermere.com

4968 Cottonwood Ct. •

For Sale

By Owner

2 AT 1 S N E

OPE

9047 Dearborn Ave. • Blaine

8073 Kispiox Rd.

-2

2 AY 1 D N U NS

OP

$199,900

Cute Water view Cottage 2-BR 1-BA 861 sq. ft in the heart of Birch Bay. What everyone wants and can’t find! MLS #776804

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$299,900

7681 Francis Lane

3-BR, 2.5-BA Quiet cul-de-sac in Baycrest MLS #763886

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8 decades of combined experience with Blaine and Birch Bay Real Estate • 8105 Birch Bay Square • I-5 Exit 270 • Blaine

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All real estate/rentals advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or an intention to make any such preference, limitation or discrimination. This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement for real estate which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-877-0246.

BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION Salish Breeze in Birch Bay

4751 Birch Bay Lynden #44

$88,000

2006 Meticulous park model on 180 day lot. Partially fenced, lrg storage shed. Top of the line Athens Park model. MLS #762167

Easy I-5 access AND just minutes to Birch Bay!

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4423 Windlass Lane • $229,000 A beautiful “like new” home in the Anchor Manor community! Perfectly located near the back of the community on a quiet cul-de-sac next to a lush green space.

3-BR, 2-BA, single level home was lovingly cared for & updated. SS appliances, very large, open living space, hardwood, 2-car garage w/ added window for extra light & low maintenance yard

4751 Birch Bay Lynden #316

$105,000 Spectacular 2010

CAVCO Park Model, pristine. Large 365 day lot. Private, work shed, storage and lots of parking. Amenities. MLS #759078

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2 outstanding BBVillage golf course lots for sale,

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Lowest price. 360-371-4100 BEAUTIFUL PARKLIKE setting! D-6 Lakewood Road, Oak Harbor, WA. In Lake Wood Estates (which consists of 15 acreage lots), nine homes currently in the development range in price from $425K to approx. $650K. Property has large Evergreens and Alder, lots of ferns in a beautiful setting. $175,000. 360-720-9095.

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A secluded setting for your very own cottage in the woods on almost ¼ acre. With a green belt behind you, and no neighbors on either side, it feels like a lot more. This house needs a little TLC to bring it back to its potential. MLS #764476

3-BR, 2-BA in BBV. Large kitchen, W/D, D/W, stove, refridg, Quiet location.

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2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, Duplex. Like new, garage, quiet street $1050/mo.

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Rentals - Commercial FOR LEASE large attractive Blaine office. Central location.

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April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

Blaine students crowd-fund senior skip day

By Steve Guntli “Senior skip day,” the loosely-organized, unofficial holiday in which outgoing seniors take a day off school near the end of the year, has been an open secret in high schools across the country for decades. Some Blaine High School seniors want to turn the tradition into a lasting legacy.

Senior class president Adam McShane is trying to make “Senior Day 2015” an established, concrete reality. McShane envisions the event as an all-inclusive day for seniors to reflect on their time in high school, and is turning to crowdfunding website GoFundMe. com to raise money for the event.

“It’s always been kind of a high school tradition everywhere,” McShane said. “Last year we watched our seniors plan this really poorly. It was just scattered, everyone doing their own thing. We decided we wanted to invite everybody to hang out as a class and celebrate our accomplishments.”

Along with fellow student government members Carl DeBelen and Hannah Kiele, McShane set out to create a holiday that would be by students and for students.

The three hope Senior Day will create a yearly tradition for seniors at Blaine High School.

The school district hosts a pre-graduation field trip for seniors each year, but McShane felt the trip wasn’t enough.

“The pre-grad trip maxes out at 75 students,” he said. “But we have 165 in the class. You have to be in good standing with the administration to go, so if you have any kind

of detention record you have to stay behind. We wanted something that would include everyone and would be free to attend.”

Senior Day will take place at Bloedel-Donovan Park in Bellingham on Thursday, May 21.

McShane said he has lined up five barbeques and enlisted some parents willing to shuttle students to the park.

McShane set a goal of $1,500 on the GoFundMe account. The money will go towards printing T-shirts for the students and providing food and drinks.

“We want to order shirts for everyone from Cauliflower, which is [former Blaine wrestling coach] Craig Foster’s company,” McShane said. “That will cost about $1,300.

The rest of the money will go toward food for the barbeque. And in the very small chance we get an excess of funds, we’ve thought about donating it back to the school or creating a scholarship.”

McShane hopes to place the order with Cauliflower by the first week of May, but the fundraising process has been slow. So far, the group has only raised $175 of its $1,500 goal. McShane has also sent a letter to more than 20 businesses in the Blaine area hoping for some local sponsorship.

“We’ve had a very positive response,” he said. “Several have contributed as businesses, and a few others have donated as individuals. If we aren’t able to meet our fundraising goal, we’ll make sure to acknowledge them in some way.”

If the fundraising goal isn’t met in time, the group is prepared to

Art Beat: May 2015

May’s Featured Artist: Sandy Wolf Sandy Rood Wolf attended Bellingham High School where she participated in the theatre program. Always the understudy and never the lead, she put theater on hold, studied medical technology and later worked in pediatric hematology. But her love for theater never died. At the University of Alaska she earned a theater degree and a masters degree in playwriting. Later she taught theater and English at the university.

Sandy has lived in Blaine for 20 years, following 30 years in Alaska. Fifteen years ago, she began writing a musical, “Marina.” The show, set in 1908 Blaine, features

a protagonist who has fled Alaska following the drowning of her young son in the Copper River, a river Sandy and husband Bruce floated twice without mishap. She began writing the play as a song and dance piece to draw tourists to Blaine. The more research she did, the more she realized that the basis of a great story lay in Whatcom County history. The sinking of the Star of Bengal; the conflicts between organized labor and outof-work immigrants; the fight for temperance and the ongoing relationship between the cannery here and fishing up north gave her the basis for a complex piece of musical drama.

Mark Kuntz is directing her fully orchestrated production May 21–23 at the Mount Baker Theatre in Bellingham.

Blaine schools May 9–10: 10th annual Springfest Art and Gift Tour. Blaine artists showing their art at Semiahmoo Resort, Dakota Creek Winery, Swanson Glass Studio and Bayside Treasures Studio.

Primary students’ art on display at Paso del Norte. Open 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.

May 22–24: Art by the Airport.

Whatcom Art Guild’s annual spring show offering fine arts and crafts. Artist demonstrations and daily raffle in support of WAG’s Art Scholarship Fund. Free ad-

alter their ideas.

“If we don’t raise enough money for food, we’re just going to ask students to bring stuff to the barbeque,” Kiele said. “We’re going to send out formal letters to the seniors explaining what’s happening and what we have planned.”

The general response from other seniors has been supportive, but dubious.

“The students are on board.

Some people probably think we’re a little crazy to think we can pull this off,” McShane said.

DeBelen has received offers from students to help raise the funds however they can.

“We’ve had students approach us who are offering to make a video for the website, or to help out with the mailing campaign,” he said.

Kiele said she’s aware that skipping a day of school may carry consequences, but said the intentions behind the event are good.

“We just want to make sure it’s fun and safe,” she said. “Sometimes seniors will use skip day as an excuse to partake in illegal activities. We wanted to make sure we use this opportunity for something positive.”

The school administration could not be reached for comment. The usual punishment for truancy varies from after-school detention to attending Saturday school, depending on how much time is missed. Students who don’t appear at school on the day of a sporting event will not be allowed to participate, but no sporting events are scheduled for May 21.

For more information, visit gofundme.com/seniorday2015. mission, parking and refreshments. May 22, 2–8 p.m., May 23–24, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Hampton Inn’s Fox Hall, 3985 Bennett Drive, Bellingham. Info: 7782930, greenwoodsblue@aol.com or whatcomartguild.org.

May 28: Evening of the Arts, presented by Blaine school district and the art department. Free admission. 6 p.m., Performing Arts Center, 975 H Street.

The Jansen Art Center, Lynden May 7: Spring Juried Exhibit. Showcasing the artistic talent in Whatcom County and the surrounding region. Live music from 6 to 8 p.m. Paintings by Quincy Anderson and Promising Futures: Whatcom County High School Student Art. On display until May 30, 2015. Free.

May 12: How It’s Made: Whatcom Symphony Orchestra Conductor Yaniv Attar. Attar will discuss music from the time of the Holocaust. 6:30–7:30 p.m. Free.

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Dining Guide Sunday-Tuesday 7am-3pm Wednesday-Saturday 7am-8pm

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Breakfast Lunch Dinner 360-778-3826

4823 Alderson Road, Birch Bay

THE KNOW June 26–28: International Art Festival, a three-day gathering of artists within Peace Arch Park. Info at peacearchart.org.

13

Farm Market • Bistro • Distillery Fresh Farm Lunch in our Bistro Local Cider, Wine & Spirits 10 - 5 Daily • 6140 Guide Meridian

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Great Authentic Mexican Food 758 Peace Portal • Blaine 332-4045

14

The Northern Light • April 30 - May 6, 2015

Blaine Builder: Carol Liebert

Coming up Birchwood Garden Club’s 23rd Annual Plant Sale: Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m.–noon, Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central Avenue, Bellingham.

Info: birchwoodgardenclub.org.

Dahlia Tuber Sale: Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Peace Arch State Park, Blaine. Buy dahlia tubers and surplus plants. Info: June, 332-8221.

Applique Beading with Lummi Artist Earline Hanson: Saturday, May 2, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Learn the art of sewing beads onto leather. Participants will make their own pins or barrettes. Space is limited to the first 15 attendees. Register at wcls.org. Free.

Info: 305-3637.

Art and Faith: Saturday, May 2, 6–8:30 p.m., Northwood Alliance Church, 580 C Street, Blaine. Gallery of art by local art teacher Brian Smith, coffee house and live music by local musicians. Gallery open 6–7 p.m., music 7–8:30 p.m. Info: 332-8610.

The Blessing of the Fleet: Sunday, May 3, 1:30 p.m., Blaine Harbormaster’s building meeting room. All are welcome. Info: 332-8090.

Murder in the Fourth Corner: True Stories of Whatcom County’s Earliest Homicides: Monday, May 4, 6:30–8 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Author and Emmy Award winner Todd Warger will talk about his latest book that exposes the murders that have occurred in our area. Info: 305-3637.

Cinco de Mayo: Tuesday, May 5, Paso del Norte, 758 Peace Portal Drive.

Free wagon rides from 4–7 p.m., Live music by The Replayzmentz at 8 p.m., food and drink specials. Info: 332-4045.

Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 Community Meeting: Thursday, May 7, 6:30 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Have your say about projects and programs. Info: blainebirchbayparkandrec.org.

Soldat: A Bittersweet Alchemy: Thursday, May 7–Saturday, May 9, 7 p.m., May 9, 2 p.m., Blaine Performing Arts Center. A melding of Three European Folk Stories into a new musical where a Ballerina and a OneLegged Soldier go on a journey to fight for what they believe in. Admission is pay you can. Info: Shari Akers, 332-1300.

Springfest Art and Gift Tour: Saturday and Sunday, May 9–10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Unique gifts and home décor from local artists. Six locations: Semiahmoo Resort, Dakota Creek Winery, Bayside Treasures, Sharon Swanson Glass Art Studio and Blaine Primary School artwork at Paso del Norte.

Info: blaineharborartgallery.com.

s Mayor Harry Robinson presents Carol Liebert with the Blaine Builders Award at the regular city council meeting on April 27. Liebert earned the award for her long history of volunteering in the community and her contributions to the Blaine Senior Center.

Photo by Steve Guntli

Crossword

Across 1. Eyeglasses 6. Preserve, in a way 10. Hail Mary, e.g.

14. Grant 15. Think 16. Biblical shepherd 17. ___ del Sol 18. Motor vehicle 19. Conclusion 20. Posted mph (2 wds) 22. 20-20, e.g.

23. Animal house 24. Supplement 26. Flat 29. Asian plant’s flaxlike fiber 31. Like “The X-Files” 32. Sensory nerve endings 36. Extol 37. Santa Claus feature 38. Certain surgeon’s “patient” 39. International commerce without government interference (2 wds) 41. Gave out 42. Food containing milk products

43. Muscular and heavily built 44. Bets 47. Family retriever dog, for short 48. “Beowulf,” e.g.

49. Lawful 56. Dungeons & Dragons snake-like creature 57. Mosque V.I.P. 58. Drunk, in slang 59. Percussion instrument 60. “Blue” or “White” river 61. Open, in a way 62. Increase, with “up” 63. Civil War side, with “the” 64. Cream puff

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Bursae Alka-Seltzer sound “... or ___!”

Pigeon’s home Wrap or bind in bandages Philip Roth’s “The Human ___” Jack-in-the-pulpit, e.g.

French novelist Pierre

9. Was unfaithful (hyphenated) 10. Leader of the pack 11. Beyond’s partner 12. Exodus commemoration 13. Bias 21. “Malcolm X” director 25. Barely beat 26. Brand, in a way 27. “How ___!”

28. Military officer

who acts as

assistant to a

more senior

office (3 wds) 29. Query before

“Here goes!”

30. “God’s Little ___” 31. “The Lord of the

Rings” figure 32. Back 33. Face-to-face exam 34. Bank 35. Undertake, with “out” 37. Small herring processed like a sardine 40. Toni Morrison’s “___ Baby” 41. Fraught with uncertainty or doubt 43. Dracula, at times 44. Proceeds 45. In pieces 46. Lively Baroque dance 47. British sailor (slang) 50. Arabic for “commander” 51. Apple variety 52. Peewee 53. “The Sound of Music” backdrop 54. Caddie’s bagful 55. Irascible

Find Crossword Answers at thenorthernlight.com

Tides May 1 – May 7 at Blaine.

Not for navigation.

Stafholt Open House: Saturday, May 9, 1–3 p.m., Good Samaritan Society-Stafholt, 456 C Street. Tour the new post acute rehabilitation unit, food, music and door prizes. Info: 332-8733.

Date Time Height Time Height Fr 1

4:09 am 8.5 10:56 am 1.6

5:28 pm 7.6 10:49 pm 4.2

Sa 2 4:37 am 8.5 11:26 am 0.9 6:14 pm 8.1 11:33 pm 4.6

Su 3 5:05 am 8.4 11:58 am 0.3

6:56 pm 8.5

Mo 4 12:17 am 5.0 5:31 am 8.3

12:30 pm -0.2 7:38 pm 8.9

Tu 5 12:59 am 5.3 5:59 am 8.2

1:04 pm -0.5 8:20 pm 9.2

We 6 1:43 am 5.7 6:27 am 8.1

1:38 pm -0.7 9:04 pm 9.3

Th 7 2:29 am 6.0 6:57 am 7.9

5k/10k Fun Run/Walk: Saturday, May 9, 10:30 a.m., Blaine Marine Park playground site. Benefits the Blaine Marine Park playground fund. No prizes, and not officially timed. Wear your best pirate outfit. Entry is by donation. Info: Blaine Runners Group Facebook page.

Fancy Nancy Tea Party: Saturday, May 9, noon and 1 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Dress up in your fancy party clothes and enjoy stories, treats and crafts, based on the Fancy Nancy series by Jane O’Connor.

Choose from two hour-long sessions at noon or 1 p.m. RSVP to the library in person or call 305-3637 to register.

49° 0’ 0”N - 122° 46’ 0”W

Blaine Trash-a-thon: Saturday, May 9, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Kids will clean up trash in Blaine. Info: Brandi Bell, 661/448-0486.

2:16 pm -0.8 9:52 pm 9.4

Weather

Haynie Opry: Saturday, May 9, 7 p.m., Haynie Grange, 3344 Haynie Road. Everson’s Claudette Dykstra Sterk performs a tribute to Little Jimmy Dickens. Also performing, Cousin Eddie and Matt Audette and the Circle of Friends Band. Tickets $10 at the door. Info: 366-3121.

American Legion’s Mother’s Day Breakfast: Sunday, May 10, 7 a.m.– noon, American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Drive, Blaine. All you can eat breakfast. $3 for mothers, children ages 4 and under free, all others $8.

Info: David Van Duisen, 739-1671.

Mother’s Day at BelleWood Acres: Sunday, May 10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., BelleWood Acres, 6140 Guide Meridian. Mimosa orchard tour, country brunch and kids open mic. Free mom massage and DIY bath salt bar.

Brunch $25 for adults, $10 for kids ages 3–10. Info: bellewoodfarms.com.

An Evening with Bob Free: Monday, May 11, 6:30–8 p.m., Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Enjoy the fascinating work of Blaine resident and veteran Bob Free, and hear about the stories and processes behind his unique art creations. Info: 305-3637.

Ongoing Birch Bay Activity Center Events: 7511 Gemini Street, Birch Bay. Zumba Fitness, Zumba Toning, Zumba Step, Pickleball, line dancing and more. Visit website for days and times. Info: bbbparkandrec.org or 656-6416.

Sit and Knit: Monday and Friday, 3–5 p.m., Beach Basket Yarns and Gifts, 7620 Birch Bay Drive. Info: 371-0332.

English Conversation Class: Thursdays, 11 a.m.–noon, Blaine Public Library, 610 3rd Street. Learn to speak English or improve your speaking skills in this fun, informal class. Free. Info: 305-3637.

Precipitation: During the period of April 21 to April 27 there were 1.12 inches of precipitation. The 2015 year-to-date precipitation is 14.45 inches.

Alzheimer/Dementia/Memory Loss Caregiver and Care Partners Support Group: First Tuesday of the month, 1:30–3 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street, Blaine. Info: 671-3316.

Temperature: High for the past week was 70.3°F on April 27, with a low of 40°F on April 26. Average temperature for the week was 50.9°F.

Community Meals: Wednesdays, 5–6:30 p.m., Blaine Community Center, 763 G Street. No charge for meals; donations accepted. Everyone is welcome. Info: communitymealsblaine@gmail.com.

Courtesy Birch Bay Water & Sewer Dist.

Reading Help: Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, Grace Lutheran Church, 702 G Street. Special help for dyslexic students. Adjustable fee of $2 per session. Info: 371-3978 or whatcomlearninglab.org.

Karaoke: Friday and Saturday nights at 9 p.m. Paso del Norte, 758 Peace Portal Drive. Info: 332-4045.

Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.

April 30 - May 6, 2015 • thenorthernlight.com

15

Semiahmoo Bay International Regatta

s A participant pulls into the harbor after the buoy race on April 26.

Photo by Alyssa Pitcher

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s From l., Alan Finston maneuvers “Jaribou” into position alongside Mark Gumley’s “Blue Lightning” on April 25.

Photo by Jack Kintner

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218 McMillan Ave. • Blaine, WA 98230 s Sailors work their way towards the starting line for the distance race on April 25.

(360) 332-5051

walshmarine@yahoo.com

www.portofbellingham.com blaineharbor@portofbellingham.com

BLAINE HARBOR

Photo by Alyssa Pitcher

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