September 8 - 14, 2016
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Theft reports increase slightly in Blaine, page 5
Blaine meal program is back this September
Lynden farmers discuss Guernsey dairy, page 9
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Blaine skate park likely to reopen soon, page 13
Birch Bay Community Park planning reaches halfway point
B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
s Bob Droll and Birch Bay residents discuss plans for the future Birch Bay Community Park at the second of three planning meetings on August 31. The park property is at 7930 Birch Bay Drive.
Photo by Oliver Lazenby
Parking and open space desired for new Birch Bay park By Oliver Lazenby Halfway through the design process for the Birch Bay Community Park, those involved are paring down a long list of ideas. They hope to keep the park a simple staging area for the beach with a balance of parking and flexible open space with some activities. At a September 1 meeting – the second of three for the park – the park’s landscape architect Bob Droll presented two similar designs that were met with agreement from most attendees, at least on broad concepts. Droll created the designs for the 4-acre
park after gathering citizen input at an earlier meeting and a back-and-forth process with county staff. Both designs included about 130 parking stalls in a lot on the east side of the park; ADA-accessible picnic tables and standard picnic tables, with some fixed in place around the park’s border and some mobile tables; six unisex bathrooms; some form of shelter; an outdoor shower; a wheelchair ramp to the beach; a small area with play equipment and lots of open, grassy space for flexible uses. Most attendees agreed on those concepts. “I think the big thing is making sure
Blaine Senior Center welcomes new director B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e One hug at a time, Kathy Sitker is getting to know the community at the Blaine Senior Center. Sitker took over as director in late August following Dana Hanks’ July announcement to retire after several years with the organization. With just a week of experience on the job, Sitker said the hugs and smiles were what she enjoyed most.
“It’s a great place,” she said. “I’m glad I’m here.” Prior to joining the team at the Blaine Senior Center, Sitker claimed the title of executive director at Bellingham-based nonprofit, The Alzheimer Society of Washington. The volunteer-run organization aims to educate the public about dementia-related diseases. Among other services, Sitker and the volunteer staff with The Alzheimer Society of Washington held 16 support groups per
month for caregivers and those afflicted with dementia-related diseases. One of the support groups is held at the Blaine Senior Center. Sitker’s father suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, and her mother, Parkinson’s. Sitker’s role with the Alzheimer Society placed her in close proximity with a community coping with the implications of a life-altering disease. Providing support to (See Director, page 12)
there’s parking and open areas where everyone can congregate,” said Alene Johnson, who lives next door to the park in the Golden Tides cabins. The designs differed mainly in the amount of covered area, the location of walkways, and the size and type of playground area. The two design concepts weren’t meant as a choice, but rather something the community could scrutinize and select elements from. Like Johnson, many residents wanted to make small changes to the design. Johnson (See Park, page 2)
INSIDE
Community Meals returned for another year on Wednesday, September 7 at the Blaine Senior Center. Sponsored by the Blaine Community Assistance Program (CAP), the weekly program offers the public a chance to sit down for a warm meal from 5 to 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday. Meals are free of cost, although donations are accepted. The program began in 2011 at the Peace Arch City Café, formerly the Blackberry House Café, on H Street. Early planners called it the “community soup kitchen” and about a dozen or so people showed up to each meal. “We knew there was a greater need,” said Laura Vogee, CAP board member. In 2012, when the program came under the oversight of CAP and began operating out of the Blaine Senior Center, participation went up to about 60 to 80 people per meal, she said. Individuals with financial need, an interest in connecting with the community or simply looking for some help cooking up dinner are encouraged to stop by. “[The meals are] an opportunity for a family to eat together,” Vogee said. “We’re meeting a broad range of needs.” Each meal is sponsored and facilitated solely by volunteers. This year, nine teams are signed up to host meals on a rotating basis. Last year, the meals program served 2,838 meals, including 861 meals for children and 1,977 for adults. Nearly 250 volunteers provided about 2,000 hours of service. Since the organization plans to serve 35 times this year, they’d like to see a few more volunteer groups join in, Vogee said. On-call volunteers operating on an individual basis, or groups of about 10-12 to host a meal are invited to participate. A liaison from CAP will be on scene to address volunteer needs. Interested parties can email communitymeals@blainecap.org. A weekly menu can be found on the CAP website, blainecap.org.
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . 11-12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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