December 14 - 20, 2017
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Blaine wrestlers compete at Battle at the Border, page 6
Pretrial hearing date set in Blaine Senior Center’s crab pot theft case, page 7 Young at Heart, page 8
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Chuckanut Bay Noah Barnes, 11, completes 4,200-mile walk in Blaine Foods to open new production facility in Blaine Sale of 2.28 acres of city land closed on Dec. 5 B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e
(See Sale, page 2)
s Eleven-year-old Noah Barnes, pictured at Blaine Marine Park, and his family arrived in Blaine on December 9 after walking 4,200 miles across the country to raise money and awareness to cure for Type 1 diabetes; Noah was diagnosed with the incurable condition at 16 months old. Local residents joined the family in finishing the final 6.5 miles of the walk to Peace Arch Park and celebrated with them at various events that afternoon. To learn more about Noah’s journey, visit noahsmarchfoundation.org. Photo courtesy of Alicia Rule
New school board director comes with diverse background By Oliver Lazenby With five kids who have attended more than 10 schools in multiple countries, Laura McKinney has seen a variety of educational systems in action. Her kids have attended public schools in the U.S., British schools overseas, and even an American school in Albania. As the newest Blaine School Board director, McKinney thinks that her background gives her a different perspective on education. “I’ve seen a lot of different approaches,”
she said. “ I think that definitely ignited a passion for how we engage in education and the learning opportunities for our kids.” In 2014, McKinney and her family returned to Blaine after years of frequently moving for her husband’s job as a foreign area officer for the Department of Defense. They had previously lived in Blaine for a year and a half in 2001 and had always hoped to return, she said. With her kids enrolled at Blaine elementary, middle and high schools, McKinney started to spend more time at Blaine
Residents, legislators invited to December 15 open house B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Hear about the city’s priorities for the upcoming legislative session at an open house at Blaine City Hall this week. State senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) and District 42 state representatives Luanne Van Werven (R-Lynden) and Vincent Buys (R-Lynden) will discuss the city’s legislative goals agenda for 2018 with city officials from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday, December 15 at Blaine City Hall, 435 Martin Street, suite 3000.
The agenda was approved by the Blaine City Council last month to guide discussions with state lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session, which begins on Monday, January 8. This year, two major infrastructure projects are featured on the agenda, which seeks state funding for the I-5/Exit 274 project and to extend power, water and wastewater infrastructure to east Blaine. During the last legislative session, legislators approved $12.1 million for phase one of the I-5/Exit 274 project; it was later
vetoed from the state’s transportation budget by Governor Jay Inslee due to lack of information about the project’s size and scope. A $3.4 million request to extend utilities to east Blaine was also turned down last session. “If someone misses the Exit 276, it’s more than a 10-mile round trip back to Blaine. At that point, most people will drive to Ferndale or Bellingham,” said Blaine city manager Dave Wilbrecht about construct(See Open House, page 5)
schools. She volunteered on the school’s fiscal committee before running for school board this fall and on December 12, took an oath of office at the school board’s meeting. Before moving to Blaine, McKinney directed a South Carolina-based economic development nonprofit called New Carolina, which has since changed its name to the South Carolina Council on Competitiveness. That organization developed a program called TransformSC, a (See School, page 13)
INSIDE
Blaine’s business community just got a whole lot sweeter — on December 5, representatives with packaged dessert producer Chuckanut Bay Foods purchased 2.28 acres of city-owned land located at the former site of the Blaine Municipal Airport, also known as the Gateway Parcel, for $396,644. Once a new production facility is constructed on the site, the business will relocate from Ferndale to Blaine, bringing with it an estimated 80–125 jobs, according to a statement release by the city of Blaine. Currently operating out of a 5,800 squarefoot facility, Chuckanut Bay Foods produces locally-sourced cheesecakes and desserts that are sold at major retailers, including Fred Meyer, Albertsons, Whole Foods, Safeway and more. About a decade ago, owners Matt Roth and Dave Loeppky purchased the business, formerly called Chuckanut Cheesecake. The company’s annual payroll is around $2.5 million for its 80 employees. In need of space to grow, the owners purchased additional land in Ferndale last year. Not wholly satisfied, they approached the city of Blaine in late 2016 with an offer on part of the 28.4-acre Gateway Parcel. In meetings with the Blaine City Council, Roth and Loeppky said they valued the location’s close proximity to the freeway and existing business partners, such as T.C. Trading Company. In April, the city followed up with a counter offer and Roth and Loeppky agreed to sign a purchase agreement, which allotted them 120 days to perform due diligence before closing the sale. Per the agreement, the business must adhere to specific performance standards established by the city. “Chuckanut Bay Foods will eventually employ 80 to 125 people,” said Ron Freeman from Freeman Real Estate, the company
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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