May 5 - 11, 2016
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Blaine baseball going to playoffs, page 6
Semiahmoo Shore’s model showcases residences project
Health and Wellness special section, page 8-9
Photos from Blessing of the Fleet, page 10
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
For those in peril on the sea
By Oliver Lazenby
(See Shores, page 3)
s Richard Sturgill carries a ceremonial wreath down to the Plover ferry during the Blessing of the Fleet ceremony on May 1. The wreath was taken out into the bay and released in memory of local fishers who have died at sea over the years. See more photos on page 10.
Photo by Steve Guntli
Intalco plant to stay open through 2018 By Steve Guntli Alcoa has signed a deal that will keep its Intalco aluminum plant in Ferndale open for another two years. Alcoa and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) finalized a short-term amendment to their power agreement on May 2. In a press release, Alcoa management said the amendment would keep the plant operating through at least February 14, 2018. Architects of the deal are hoping the additional two years of operation will give the global aluminum market a chance to recover, and potentially save
the plant in the long term. BPA and Alcoa announced the deal last month. BPA, which provides power to the Alcoa plant, agreed to a short-term energy amendment that would keep the plant going. Alcoa will purchase more of its energy on the spot market, meaning Alcoa can purchase power from lower-cost sources on a bid basis. Additionally, Alcoa will pay BPA $1.5 million for some of its surplus power. The proposal was subjected to a public comment period, which ended April 22 and was met with universal approval by those in attendance. The extension was also made possible by a
Bow Wow and Woofs holding fundraiser for war puppies By Steve Guntli In times of war, a lot of lives are upended, and not just human lives. Now, a Birch Bay Square store owner is holding a fundraiser to ensure that four-legged friends aren’t being left behind. Puppy Rescue Mission is a program that reunites military personnel with aban-
doned or orphaned puppies from conflict zones overseas. Anna Cannon, wife of an Afghanistan war veteran founded the Puppy Rescue Mission in 2011. She learned from her husband how soldiers formed a special bond with several of the stray dogs that lived near them, and now works to find the dogs loving homes in the United States, preferably with sol-
diers. The charity has saved more than 700 animals since they opened. Bow Wow & Woofs owner Heather Campbell is looking to raise money for the charity by holding a fundraiser in Peace Arch State Park. Campbell first got involved with the charity in March, when (See Dogs, page 2)
$3 million grant from the Washington State legislature, which was included in the final 2016 state budget approved in late March. Alcoa announced plans to curtail their aluminum smelting operations in November 2015. The curtailment would have cost 465 Whatcom County jobs, and another 400 in Wenatchee. Only the casthouse, which forms the aluminum, was to remain open, employing about 100 people. The company stated the decision was due to the low world aluminum prices. Intalco employees were originally scheduled to be laid off in March, but the cutbacks, now canceled, were subsequently postponed until June 30.
INSIDE
The first model home is finished on a development that will eventually include 46 housing units on Semiahmoo spit. The Semiahmoo Shore project, originally a Trillium Corporation project called Seagrass Cottages II, was first permitted by the city of Blaine in 2006. Once complete, the gated community will include 23 duplexes on just over 19 acres on Semiahmoo spit. Real estate broker and marketing manager for the project, Mike Kent, said it’s the only development of its size on the West Coast that is “low bank” waterfront – what real estate agents call properties with easy access to the water. “It’s also the only project that we’ve come across where you have inland water to the east and deep saltwater to the west,” he said. The model home, a duplex on the east side of Semiahmoo spit with an unobstructed view of Mount Baker and the Cascades, will also hold a leasing office for the development. Across Semiahmoo Parkway, construction is underway on six more homes that should be ready for purchase in October. The first six homes will cost $1,079,000 each and are about 3,000 square feet. The homes are available in two different themes: driftwood and Northwest. Driftwood is a beach theme with a light gray color scheme, while Northwest has darker wood floors and somewhat subdued interior tones. Later duplexes will range in size from 1,800 to 3,000 square feet The project’s developer is DBW Whatcom, Roosendaal-Honcoop Construction is building the first units, JWR Design is the architect and Semiahmoo resident Markie Nelson is in charge of interior design.
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . 15 Coming Up . . . . . 15 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 15
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