May 11 - 17, 2017
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
WCLS purchases Birch Bay library property, page 3
Track athletes prep for postseason, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
SeaSkills Marine Expo slated for May 13, page 11
Downtown Blaine fishing community honors lives lost building set for demolition B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Downtown, page 3)
s The annual Blessing of the Fleet and Seafarers Memorial was held May 7 at the Blaine Boating Center. Pictured is a wreath being sent to sea by Jessica Stone in honor of the fisherman lost at sea and at home. The service drew a crowd of about 125 people. See more on page 10. Photo by Richard Sturgill
Two injured in Birch Bay house fire, locals lend a hand B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e In the early morning on May 5, a fire ravaged a cabin located at the Idlesse Condominiums on 8112 Birch Bay Drive, leaving the two residents injured and multiple dogs killed. According to a statement from North Whatcom Fire and Rescue (NWFR), units arrived to the scene at 1:45 a.m. to respond to a structure fire, which eventually spread to a large two-story storage building. Responders from NWFR as well as crews from Lynden and Ferndale extinguished the blaze, which neighbor Linda Davies de-
scribed as “a mushroom flame.” The cause has yet to be determined, according to NWFR. “On behalf of myself, my husband and the residents of Idlesse Condominium Association, I would like to extend a very big thank you to the Birch Bay firefighters who worked so hard to contain this fire to the one cabin and community building,” Davies said. “This could have been so much worse if it hadn’t been for their courageous efforts.” The property belonged to former Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce president and active community volunteer Randy Parten.
Blaine city councilmembers confirm re-election bids B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Just days before the May 19 deadline to file for public office in Whatcom County, a string of Blaine city councilmembers confirmed their intention to run for another four-year term. Four of the Blaine City Council seats are up for election and include ward 1, position 2, currently held by Bonnie Onyon; ward 2, position 4, currently held by Charlie Hawkins; ward 3, position 6, currently held by Paul Greenough; and at-large position 7,
currently held by Harry Robinson. After being contacted by The Northern Light this week, all four sitting members confirmed they intend to file for re-election. “It has been an honor for me to serve as mayor for the past four years,” said Harry Robinson after announcing his intention to run again. “We have achieved a lot in the last couple of years and I am looking forward to what we can accomplish in the next four.” Following her announcement to run for a second term, Onyon touched on the significance of job growth and the development of
infrastructure to the health of Blaine’s economy. “My passion is to continue focusing on economic development, by bringing in family-wage jobs in the manufacturing zone (including city-owned property), and bringing in new retail businesses to downtown Blaine,” she said. “As a former owner of a downtown business, I am passionate about downtown revitalization.” Hawkins shared a similar sentiment about Blaine’s future, stating, (See Election, page 4)
At the time of the incident, Parten, his girlfriend Stacey McInnis and their three dogs were in the residence. The pair suffered burns, smoke inhalation and other injuries after attempting to rescue the dogs and were taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, according to NWFR. Since then, Randy was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment. Folks from around the community soon took notice. Birch Bay realtor and chamber of commerce director Mike Kent launched a GoFundMe for Parten in an effort to help (See Fire, page 15)
INSIDE
The city of Blaine has issued an order to demolish the former Costa Azul restaurant building on Peace Portal Drive after finding it in decay, pest-ridden and structurally unsound. Located at 665 Peace Portal Drive, the building stands next to Blaine Bouquets. For the past several months, city staff have been working with Seattle-based property owner Guenter Mannhalt to address their concerns. According to the city’s May 8 statement, long-standing damage resulting from a fire in the late ’60s, and decades of decay have compromised the structural integrity of the building, posing a risk of collapse. Based on reports from three engineering firms, the building is also riddled with mold, decay and pests, which qualify it as a nuisance under city code. Leading up to the demolition, city staff intend to evaluate the condition of nearby buildings, particularly neighboring Blaine Bouquets, in order to protect it during demolition. According to the demolition notice issued on May 5, Mannhalt or his agent must submit a demolition permit application by June 4. Demolition work must commence within 60 days of permit approval and the demolition must be completed within 90 days of permit approval. “Our code enforcement officer has been working carefully and diligently to have many properties in the city cleaned up or restored,” said s 665 Peace Portal Blaine community development director Michael Jones. “This building has been the most complicated and challenging. It’s been a difficult process and we’re unhappy that the order is causing expense for Blaine Bouquets, but
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