July 20 - 26, 2017
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Drayton Harbor Days kicks Price for senior park passes Blaine alum wins pro off August 5, page 6 set to rise next month, page 9 golf tournament, page 15
Blaine City Can state Main Street Program revitalize downtown Blaine? Council candidates talk issues ahead of primary election B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Primary, page 8)
s Downtown Blaine on July 15.
By Oliver Lazenby Downtown Blaine isn’t alone in having vacant storefronts and a lack of shoppers – downtown districts and retail stores are struggling nationally. For those interested in re-energizing downtown Blaine, there’s a bright side to that predicament: they can learn from a growing body of research into what has
worked for downtowns that have bucked the trend. That’s the message a crowd packed into The Pastime Bar and Eatery heard last Thursday, July 13. The city of Blaine and the Blaine Chamber of Commerce hosted Ellen Gamson, executive director of the Mt. Vernon Downtown Association, who described how downtown Mt. Vernon has become a lively spot with popular events and diverse retail-
Birch Bay Sand Sculpture Contest begins this Saturday B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Get ready to sculpt with sand – the 34th annual Birch Bay Sand Sculpture Contest takes place this Saturday and Sunday, July 22–23, at 7930 Birch Bay Drive. Participants are asked to check in at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Shovels hit the sand at 10 a.m. and contestants have until 3 p.m. to polish off their creation. Judges
will deliberate until 4:30 p.m., when they announce the winners. Saturday’s contest is broken out into four age groups – age 8 and below, age 9 to 14, age 15 to 18 and age 19 and above. Teams can contain up to six people. Participation awards are given to all in the youngest age bracket and gift cards to Paso Del Norte will be given to eligible high school students. Prizes will also be given to
the top three sculptors in the race. On Sunday, teams representing local business, church groups, families and neighborhoods will come together for the community sand sculpture competition. Community teams can have 10 to 15 people while family groups can have seven to 15. A slew of vendors will be on site to entertain the masses on both days. For more information, visit birchbaychamber.com.
Photo by Ruth Lauman
ers. Its downtown had struggled ever since the Cascade Mall opened in Burlington in 1990, she said. Gamson attributed much of Mt. Vernon’s success to its participation in Washington state’s Main Street Program, which is administered by the state department of archaeology and historic preservation and has been (See Downtown, page 2)
INSIDE
Three candidates are competing for the same seat on Blaine City Council in a race that will be narrowed down in the Tuesday, August 1 primary election. There are four positions up for election on Blaine City Council this year: wards one, two and three and the at-large seat. The council is made up of seven non-partisan members who serve four-year terms. Three wards make up the city of Blaine and each is represented by two councilmembers; the seventh member serves at-large. In May, both incumbent councilmembers and new faces to public office put their names forward for the positions. Only the at-large position is featured in the primary election as there are more than two individuals filed to run for the position. The top two candidates who finish in the primary will appear on the November 7 general election ballot. Ballots were mailed to all registered voters on July 12 and must be returned by Tuesday, August 1. Mail-in ballots require a 49-cent postage stamp and must be postmarked by election day. Drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on election day and are located at the Blaine Library, 610 3rd Street and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, 4581 Birch BayLynden Road. Leading up to election day, The Northern Light spoke with all three candidates running for the at-large position on the Blaine City Council. Here’s what they had to say: Harry Robinson Harry Robinson has called Blaine home for a quarter of a century. He began offering his time to the city in the late 1990s by filling a seat on the Blaine Planning Commission. He served the commission for 10 years and eventually landed
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JULY 22-23 - BIRCH BAY
Sand Sculpture Competition
Multiple Categories - Prizes
www.BirchBayChamber.com