April 5 - 11, 2018
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Jay Inslee signs capital budget into law, page 3
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Blaine baseball ends losing What people should know streak with 6-5 win, page 6 about fall prevention, page 8
Birch Bay Community Park gets $1 million from state Grant is a positive sign for park’s future By Oliver Lazenby
(See Park, page 2)
s Several community groups hosted egg hunts on March 31 and April 1 to celebrate Easter. Pictured are two happy participants of the annual egg hunt hosted by The C Shop in Birch Bay on March 31. The event also featured horse-drawn wagon rides and servings of the candy shop’s homemade chocolate and ice cream. More photos on page 10. Photo by Molly Martin
Locals working to bring Community Toy Store closer to home Information session scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17 at The Bridge at Birch Bay B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e To make the holiday season brighter for families in Blaine and Birch Bay, residents are gearing up to launch the Community Toy Store, a charitable program that serves Whatcom County families at Christmastime. About a decade ago, the Community Toy Store was established in Bellingham to help parents buy gifts for their kids during the holidays. Throughout the season, vol-
unteers collect new toy and clothing gift card donations for parents to purchase at a 75 to 90 percent discount. The items are setup just like a retail store and parents can purchase up to two gifts per child. Last year, the event took place at Roosevelt Elementary School in Bellingham and was open to all Whatcom County families. For those living in Blaine and Birch Bay, the Family Service Center managed referrals, which were available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Proceeds from sales were donated to Rebound of Whatcom County, Whatcom Dream and The Bellingham Promise. “We have been hoping, [for] the last
Tim Ballew throws hat in the ring for District 42 senate seat B y S t e fa n i e D o n a h u e Yet another candidate is vying to represent Whatcom County residents in the state senate. On March 28, Tim Ballew II, current at-large member of the Whatcom County Council and former chairman of the Lummi Nation, announced that he plans to run for state senate to represent the 42nd district. Ballew (D) will join incumbent state senator Doug Ericksen (R-Ferndale) and Bellingham city councilmember Pinky Var-
gas (D) in the race. Michael McAuley withdrew last December after filing to run for the position in 2017. “I have had the privilege to serve the people of Whatcom County throughout my career,” Ballew said in a press release last week. “When former [Port of Bellingham] commissioner Mike McAuley asked me to consider the seat in the 42nd, I was humbled. To me, it is another opportunity to create policy decisions that are best for everyone who calls Whatcom home.” McAuley said he withdrew from the race
because, “as state senator, the things I wanted to work on most, I couldn’t do,” adding, “My focus is much more local and much more specific.” Since January, Ballew has served the Whatcom County Council as an at-large member. He was selected from 29 candidates for the position, which was vacated in November after Todd Donovan resigned to serve in district 2, in a redistricting approved by voters in 2016. (See Senate, page 2)
five years, to bring it up to Blaine,” said Blaine resident and Community Toy Store volunteer Laura Vogee. “It has a lot of benefits to the community,” For those who are interested in learning more about the program, Vogee and a handful of others are hosting an information session at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 17 at The Bridge at Birch Bay, 4815 Alderson Road. The small group of volunteers has already received endorsements to start the program locally from several community groups, businesses and churches as well as the Blaine (See Toy store, page 3)
INSIDE
Whatcom County will receive a $1 million grant for the Birch Bay Community Park on Birch Bay Drive, but that money won’t speed up the park’s development. State legislators approved the grant, which comes from the state Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, as part of the state’s 2017-19 capital budget. The $1 million will partially compensate Whatcom County for the $2.46 million it spent to acquire the 3.6-acre property in 2014. The property is just south of the future Birch Bay library at 7968 Birch Bay Drive. Park construction won’t likely begin until 2020, after the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project is completed, said Michael McFarlane, director of the Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department. The park property will be used as a staging area for construction on the Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project, which aims to restore the beach and add bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to Birch Bay Drive. The county hired a landscape architect to plan the Birch Bay Community Park in 2016. The property is currently a grass field with remnants of an asphalt driveway looping through it and has been used by the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce for events, including the annual Polar Bear Plunge. Developing the field into the planned park – an open space with trees, picnic tables, a parking lot, restrooms, showers and other amenities – will cost $4.4 million, the landscape architect estimated. Though construction is years away, the county is applying for more funding for park construction and for the remainder of the purchase cost, McFarlane said. Whatcom County expects the Birch Bay
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