May 18 - 24, 2017
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
Parks and recreation summer guide, page 9-12
ISSUE
Blaine duo plans to open a restaurant downtown
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Inslee vetoes I-5/Exit 274 funding from transportation bill, page 17
Locals develop “SeaSkills” at weekend marine expo in Blaine
B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Restaurant, page 2)
s The inaugural SeaSkills Marine Expo drew a crowd to Blaine Harbor on May 13. With support from several organizations throughout the county as well as the Canadian Power and Sail Squadron, the Bellingham Sail and Power Squadron (BSPS) offered the public a series of training exercises, demonstrations and exhibitions throughout the day. See more on page 8.
Did you hear? Gray whales were spotted in Birch Bay B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e If you saw a few gray fins break the surface in Birch Bay last week, you weren’t the only one. According to Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network principal investigator Victoria Souze, there was an outpouring of reports from locals over the last week about three gray whales
visiting Birch Bay on their northbound migration to southeast Alaska and the Bering Sea. Gray whales are known to make one of the longest annual migrations of any mammal, spanning about 10,000 miles per year. The population known as Eastern North Pacific stock spend the winter breeding in the coast of Baja California, Mexico and head north to feed in
Vandals strike Lions Camp Horizon for second time B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Just days after staff with Lions Camp Horizon put the finishing touches on a $90,000 project to replace a slew of Cold War-era kitchen appliances, vandals broke in and caused $10,000 in damage. And it’s not the first time, staff say. Two incidents took place over the last several weeks, said Camp Horizon Foundation president Jan Polen. Each time, vandals broke into the on-site dining
Photo by Michael Guelker-Cone
hall and discharged fire extinguishers, leaving a thick layer of chemical dust on the floor, furniture and appliances. “It was a real shock,” she said. “It was just pure vandalism.” In just a matter of weeks, Lions Camp Horizon will open its doors to hundreds of summer campers from throughout the Puget Sound. The camp serves individuals with developmental disabilities and is located at the site of the former Blaine Air Force base in Birch Bay. Polen said
despite the damage, the camp will start on time. The first incident took place at the beginning of April, Polen said. It resulted in little to no damage because the kitchen upgrade project had just started and most items in the dining hall were covered in protective plastic. The second time around was a different story. Vandals broke in sometime between May 7 (See Vandals, page 17)
the early summer. Mature gray whales weigh an average 80,000 pounds, are 50 feet long and are marked with a dorsal hump and eight to 14 small bumps called “knuckles.” In 1994, the Eastern North Pacific stock was removed from the U.S. List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Since then, (See Whales, page 3)
INSIDE
With just weeks before they break ground, Blaine couple Skye and Mike Hill have high hopes for their latest business endeavor – soon, they plan to unveil a new restaurant in the heart of Blaine’s downtown. The duo promise a simple menu and family atmosphere at the restaurant, which they’ll manage together. Dubbed “Red Door Fish and Chips,” the new spot will serve up heaps of the English classic as well as other seafood dishes, beer and wine. Red Door Fish and Chips will be located in the former Woody’s Service and Repair, next to the 568 Peace Portal Drive Chevron station that Mike has owned for 27 years. After Mike (Woody) Wood announced his retirement in January, the Hills realized it wasn’t going to be easy to find a replacement and decided to open a restaurant in his place. They felt it was a good fit for Blaine, Mike said. “You can’t find a spot like this,” he said. “It’s a jewel that’s never been polished.” After crews tear down the repair bays, they’ll construct a two-story building that encompasses about 3,000 square feet. Mike and Skye will use the top floor as private office space; below will be the restaurant, which will seat about 80 people. Red Door Fish and Chips will have large garage doors that can be opened to the outdoors in the summer. Indoor and outdoor seating will be covered and the building will feature a brick and tile
Coming Up . . . . . 18 Classifieds . . . . . 15 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 18 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 18
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