September 22 - 28, 2016
FREE
Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
New rule issued to reduce carbon emissions, page 2
Blaine student stars in “The Miracle worker,” page 14
Blaine Air Force Station hosts a reunion, page 15
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Birch Bay gets one step closer to a new community library Donors to be honored at Marine Park ceremony B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
s Gary and Cindy Lou Vogt offered this house, at 7968 Birch Bay Drive, for use as a Birch Bay branch of the Whatcom County Library System for $750,000. The Whatcom County Library System will start studying the property to determine whether it is appropriate for a library, but how to fund its purchase is unknown.
Photo by Oliver Lazenby
Historic Birch Bay house offered as library building By Oliver Lazenby The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce’s library committee had its first meeting in February 2015, when a group of citizens gathered to discuss bringing a Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) branch to the growing town on the bay. The committee installed a free library box last month outside the visitor information center, but soon they could be celebrating a much bigger milestone. The WCLS board of trustees at its September meeting voted to study a possi-
ble new library location in Birch Bay – a brown Craftsman-style house owned by Gary and Cindy Lou Vogt, of the pioneering Vogt family. Gary Vogt would like to see the community benefit from the 0.86acre property at 7968 Birch Bay Drive, so he has offered it to WCLS or a “Friends of the Library” organization for $750,000. The trustees have to decide if it could work as a library, but the offer he’s galvanized support for a Birch Bay library. Vogt, 60, is the third generation of Vogts to own the 2,135-square-foot brown Craftsman house that’s just north of the
Event dedicated to all things seafood is just days away B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Prepare to spend the weekend enjoying a bounty of seafood and stories during Bellingham’s inaugural SeaFeast. In celebration of Western Washington’s maritime heritage, people all the way from Bellingham to Blaine are banding together to host the first-ever SeaFeast, lasting from Friday, September 30 to Sunday, October 1. Admission is free and all ages are welcome to join in on the fun and fresh seafood. “We want people to eat, play and explore
the abundance of our Salish Sea bounty,” said Deb Granger, Bellingham SeaFeast general manager in a news release. “When we appreciate and understand all of the benefits of our locally produced seafood, we’ll be motivated to ensure that future generations can enjoy them as well.” Opening ceremonies will take place in Marine Heritage Park, located on West Holly Street, at noon on Friday. From there, eventgoers can munch on grub from Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro while enjoying the performances of local fisherman
as they sing, read and entertain crowds through the evening. Day two begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Zuanich Point Park at Squalicum Harbor. All are invited to start the day watching grillers from all experience levels compete for prizes in an international salmon barbeque grilling contest judged by celebrity chefs. Twelve slots are available to the public and are divided based on skill; salmon is provided and just a grill is required. (See SeaFeast, page 3)
future county park. It was built in 1913 and the property has 165 feet of beachfront. Vogt no longer wants to maintain the property, but he’d rather it didn’t get bulldozed for condos, as several developers have offered. “They reached the decision that it’s OK to sell grandma and grandpa’s house, but they didn’t want it to just be anything,” said Pat Jerns, a Birch Bay real estate broker representing the Vogt family. “I think anyone knows that property knows it (See Library, page 10)
INSIDE
Nearly one year after the opening of the Marine Park playground, city staff are preparing to host a ceremony to honor the many community donors who helped make it happen. The End of Summer Celebration will take place on Saturday, September 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Blaine Marine Park Playground. The event will feature a brief rededication ceremony, live music and food vendors. “We just want to have another end of summer celebration,” said Blaine community planner Alex Wenger. “It has been such a success for our whole community.” The nautical-themed playground on Marine Drive made its public debut in late October last year. Since then, it has been a huge hit for children and families and acts as a prime location for community events, such as Drayton Harbor Days. In total, the construction of the playground cost nearly $450,000. Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD) committed $200,000, the city of Blaine granted almost $160,000 and private donors raised $83,000, Wenger said. Now, a series of sea-themed bronze plaques sit fixed onto a teal walkway bordering part of the park – each piece recognizes a donation from $250 to $10,000. To supplement the rededication ceremony, city staff have organized a beer garden s The Marine Park and food stand, playground features featuring hot bronze plaques embladogs supplied zoned with names of by BBBPRD, local donors ice cream from Sugar Shack and more. Proceeds from the hot dog lunch will benefit the park district’s after-school program at the Birch Bay Activity Center.
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . 11-12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
TheNorthernLight.com TheNorthernLight
@TNLreporter
@PointRobertsPress