Blaine Harbor Music Festival is back for its annual week of bringing music to the Blaine community, both through instructing the youth and daily performances.
The festival will run Sunday, July 7 through Saturday, July 13, bringing musicians that include a Grammy winner and a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
“There’s a lot of warmth. Those who are involved in music in the Blaine community have really embraced these guys,” Marla Tuski said of the camp instructors. Tuski is co-president of Pacific Arts Association, the Blaine nonprofit that organizes the festival and camp.
Musicians will teach classes to youth ages 12-20 during the six-day camp. A sampling of classes offered includes saxophone ensemble, songwriting, composition and music theory.
This year’s faculty includes artistic director and saxophonist Nick Biello, Grammy winner and trumpeter Charlie Porter, Berklee professor and trumpeter Greg Hopkins, and singer/songwriter Camille Bloom of Luxembourg.
Musicians will perform free weekday concerts at noon at G Street Plaza in downtown Blaine. The concert series will have the Mark Kelly Group on Monday, Greta Matassa on Tuesday, Nick Biello and Charlie Porter on Wednesday, Bob Storms, Rick Whitaker and the traditional jazz players on Thursday, and sus4 vocal ensemble on Friday.
In addition to the G Street concert series, the performance schedule is as follows:
• Sunday, July 7: Jazz performers Jerry Steinhilber Trio and Greta Matassa will give a performance at 7 p.m. at Blaine High School’s Black Box Theater, 1055 H Street.
• Tuesday, July 9: Randy Halberstadt, Andy Marshall, David Joyner, Greg Hopkins and the camp’s jazz faculty all-stars will perform at 7 p.m. at Blaine Middle School’s Performing Arts Center, 975 H Street.
• Wednesday, July 10: Returning for the second year, an evening concert will be held at G Street Plaza at 7 p.m. featuring Chris Woitach Group, Camille Bloom, David Marriott, Majid Khaliq and Jovino Santos Neto. Tables and chairs will be available
(See Festival, page 5)
Line of duty service held for NWFR firefighter
s A procession of Whatcom County emergency vehicles
Bellingham man arrested for attempting to lure children in Birch Bay
B y N ola N B aker
A man was booked into Whatcom County Jail on five counts of luring after allegedly attempting to persuade multiple children into his car outside of The C Shop candy store in Birch Bay about 7:30 p.m. June 24.
According to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) statement, 53-yearold Corey Lee Cardwell, of Bellingham, was arrested by WCSO deputies on June 25. Cardwell allegedly offered candy and toys to two young children at The C Shop. Cardwell was heard asking, “Do you guys never want to see your parents ever again,” according to WCSO. Cardwell allegedly then attempted to lure the two children by showing a Fris -
bee from the trunk of his car before the children’s parent told Cardwell to leave. Cardwell then went inside the store and sat next to three girls, asking, “Do you guys want money? I have money in the trunk,” according to the WCSO statement.
The parent of the two children began calling 911, and Cardwell fled the scene toward Birch Bay State Park. The next day, WCSO deputies arrested Cardwell on five felony charges of luring.
Cardwell denied allegations but showed detectives the Frisbee in his trunk. The parent and another witness identified him, according to WCSO.
As of July 2, jail booking data showed Cardwell was still being held in lieu of a $150,000 bond or $15,000 cash.
Photo by Grace McCarthy
Citizen scientist monitoring for northern giant hornets starts in July
B y G race M c c arthy
If no northern giant hornets, better known by their buzzy alias, “murder hornets,” are found by the end of this year, they will be declared eradicated from east Blaine, and effectively, the entire U.S.
In an effort to help Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) scientists, the state agency is asking the public – especially those in Blaine and Birch Bay – to monitor and report northern giant hornet sightings.
“We’re still not out of the woods yet,” said Karla Salp, WSDA communications consultant. “If there are hornets out there, we need to know. The public’s participation is critical.”
The help takes many forms including setting hornet traps using orange juice and plastic bottles, and monitoring paper wasp nests, a popular meal for hornets in east Blaine. Citizen scientists must check and maintain their homemade traps weekly, and/or register the paper wasp nest they are monitoring with WSDA and spend at least five minutes each week observing it.
WSDA is asking the public be on the watch from July 1 through November, when new hornet colonies are established and workers emerge to hunt. In addition to northern Whatcom County resi-
dents, WSDA is asking residents in Island, San Juan, Jefferson and Clallam counties to consider participating. WSDA is also setting traps in Whatcom County, Salp said.
Native to Asia, the first northern giant hornet found in North America was discovered on Vancouver Island in 2019, with a nest eradicated that fall. Hornets were subsequently found in the Lower Mainland in 2019 and 2020, and one decayed hornet was discovered in B.C. less than a mile from east Blaine.
The first hornet in the U.S. was found in Blaine in December 2019, bringing international attention to the area. The first nest found in the U.S. was destroyed in east Blaine in October 2020. Three nests related to “nest zero” were eradicated in east Blaine in August and September 2021.
Since then, no hornets have been detected in Blaine. The invasive hornet will be declared eradicated in the U.S. at the end of 2024 if none are discovered, Salp said.
The hornet was made famous, in part, for its ability to decimate an entire honeybee colony in a matter of hours. The orange-and-black apex predator can grow up to two inches, sound similar to a hummingbird and feed on paper wasp nests. The queen emerges in the spring and workers become active late summer through fall before be-
coming inactive during the winter.
Salp said the public has reported half of the confirmed northern giant hornet sightings in Washington, and had a hand, either directly or indirectly, in the four nests found in east Blaine.
“Don’t let your guard down,” Salp said. “It’s still really important to participate in this project.”
Anyone who believes they see a northern giant hornet should take a photo, if it is safe to do so, and report it online at bit.ly/3cYpOId, email hornets@agr.wa.gov or call 800/443-6684.
For more information on helping WSDA fight the northern giant hornet, visit its website at bit.ly/45MUgAi.
Blaine Harbor Music Festival & Camp www.blaineharbormusicfestival.org
Number of Employees, Members, and Volunteers: There are 28 employees and 24 volunteers during the camp and festival week. There are 8 board members.
How long in Business: 24 years.
Description of the Business: The annual Blaine Harbor Music Festival and Camp provides a week-long choral and instrumental music camp for musicians aged 12-20. The purpose of the camp is to improve the skills of young musicians and to instill a life-long love of this art form. Students work with professional musicians that come from all over the world to our little town. The instructors and students provide 10 free concerts for the public.
How the business started: Bruce and Sandy Wolf started a jazz camp in Fairbanks, AK back in the ’90s. When they retired and moved to Blaine, they began a second camp here, using the same instructors.
Future Goals: Sustainability! Running a high quality music camp is a challenge in our small town. The city and Blaine Schools are big supporters in making this happen. We have received grants from individual donors, BTAC, the Paul Allen Foundation, scholarships from the Bellingham Assistance League and of course we have the student tuition, but we still need to pinch pennies to make this happen and rely heavily on our volunteers to cover the workload. Our goals are to pay a part-time administrator to keep up with all the details, and continue to seek out grants.
Upcoming Event: Blaine Harbor Music Festival July 7 – 13, 2024
s A northern giant hornet, colloquially known as a “murder hornet.”
Photo courtesy WSDA
s A northern giant hornet found in east Blaine in September 2021. Courtesy photo
The Northern L ght
The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc.
Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/ Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors.
Letters Policy
The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 350 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length and good taste. The letters to the editor column is primarily intended to allow readers to voice their opinions on local issues of general interest to local readers. A fresh viewpoint will increase the likelihood of publication. Thank-you letters are limited to five individuals or groups. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com.
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Contributors In This Issue
Doug Dahl, Jonathan Jakobitz, Pete Nelson
The Northern Light
225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230
Tel: 360/332-1777
Vol XXX, No 4
Circulation: 10,500 copies
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Next issue: July 11 Ads due: July 5
OpiniOn
Birch Bay State Park offers summer events
s Jana Turner, environmental educator with Friends of Birch Bay State Park, introduces master falconer Caitlyn Toroman’s presentation on birds of prey at the wildlife theater in Birch Bay State Park on June 29. Toroman will give the same presentation, which includes live raptor demonstrations, at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 13 at the wildlife theater. Events will be hosted at the state park throughout the summer and include live music, guided nature walks and tidepool exploration. See the Coming Up events on page 14 for summer activities.
Blaine book club review: “Under the Whispering Door” by T.J. Klune
B y J o N atha N J ako B itz
Reading “Under the Whispering Door” by T.J. Klune is, as the name suggests, like curling up in a cozy chair with a hot cup of tea. Some books inform the reader with new knowledge, but Klune’s writing inspires the reader to live more fully.
Wallace, a career-minded lawyer with little time for family, friends or leisure, suddenly finds his life thrown upside down. Death puts an abrupt end to Wallace’s ambitions, and as he navigates a transitory phase between here and the hereafter, he must reevaluate what it really means to live one’s life, even after it’s gone. Through this journey he finds new friends and family that bring new meaning and purpose. Klune’s ability to create heartfelt and
endearing characters is on full display. I dare you to read this novel and not fall in love with Wallace, Hugo, Mei, Nelson and Apollo. At the heart of the story is Wallace’s journey as a character, and this is portrayed in beautiful and relatable ways.
The bulk of the story’s setting is Charon’s Crossing, a tea shop whose purveyor, Hugo, is a loveable ferryman for the dead. Let’s just say, as a devoted coffee drinker, this book made me reach instead for a cup of tea. What higher praise can I offer?
I longed to spend a luxurious day relaxing in Hugo’s tea shop and was saddened to leave it when I finished the book. But truly, it’s the characters who inhabit Charon’s Crossing that bring it to life, and this tale lives and dies on the strength of Klune’s characters.
Fans of Klune’s earlier work, “The House in
Birch Bay Water and Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 p.m., district office, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info and Zoom meeting link: bbwsd.com.
Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: ci.blaine.wa.us.
Blaine Planning Commission: Second Thursday, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info: bit.ly/3EwWiZi.
Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Meetings are second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.
the Cerulean Sea,” will note many narrative and stylistic similarities. For instance, Klune, once again, shines as he revels in the idiocracy of bureaucratic structures, portraying absurdities in a Douglas Adams-esque way. Similarly, humor, pathos and romance pull at the reader’s emotions and drive the story onward. This is a wonderful journey of discovery, change and fulfillment, and a rewarding read.
“Under the Whispering Door” is the July selection for the Books and Bites book group. Join Books and Bites at Blaine Public Library at 1 p.m. Friday, July 19 for an afternoon of community and lively conversation. Visit wcls.org to find “Under the Whispering Door” and other similar stories.
Jonathan Jakobitz is an avid reader and the branch manager of Blaine Public Library.
Blaine Public Works and Park Advisory Board: Second Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Blaine council chambers. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.
Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district boardroom, 770 Mitchell Avenue. Info: blainesd.org.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue: Third Thursday, 10:30 a.m., Station 61 at 9408 Odell Road and via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
BBWARM: Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management (BBWARM) District Advisory Committee meets quarterly in-person and on Zoom. Info: bbwarm.whatcomcounty.org.
Photo by Dawn-Marie Hanrahan
Namaste brings authentic Indian cuisine to Blaine
B y N ola N B aker
Namaste The Royal Taste of India has been open for business since just December 2023, but it has already established itself as a go-to destination for flavors this side of the border.
Owner Chirag Prajapati said he had the idea of opening an Indian restaurant since 2017, but was unable to find a suitable location while searching the Seattle and Lake Sammamish area.
It wasn’t until Prajapati happened to stop by Peace Arch State Park one afternoon that he saw the vacant building at 234 D Street. It was that moment, Prajapati said, he knew he’d be starting his first restaurant in Blaine.
Like any restaurant owner knows, it wasn’t smooth sailing from the start.
“Even the day we opened, we didn’t have a menu,” Prajapati said. “But people came, God bless. It was a tough time, but it was a good tough time.”
Prajapati grew up in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in western India. He got his first job in food service managing a Subway sandwich shop, and is now celebrating his first summer owning and operating his own restaurant.
Prajapati said the high demand for Indian food in Blaine was an adjustment for what started as a crew of just five and has now grown to nine employees, but it was a problem he was happy to have.
“There really is no hard part of the job besides taking care of the customer,” Prajapati said. “We have to keep training, training, training and we’ll survive.”
Namaste has a dish for everyone, no matter how unfamiliar they are with the palate of traditional Indian cuisine.
For those who are just starting their culinary journey, start with the butter chicken, a mild, tomato-based sauce over tender bites of chicken. For those looking to try something more adventurous, Prajapati recommends the vegetable or chicken Chettinad, a spicy and aromatic masala dish.
Ultimately, Prajapati and the whole crew at Namaste hope the Blaine community can continue
Festival ...
From page 1
for attendees.
• Thursday, July 11: The festival’s swing band performance will feature Greta Matassa and Clipper Anderson at Barnstar Events in Ferndale, 5295 S. Church Road. Tickets cost $75 and include barbecue.
• Friday, July 12: The festival’s student showcase will start at 7 p.m. at the Blaine Performing Arts Center.
• Saturday, July 13: The festival will end with a street fair and student performances from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the G Street and H Street plazas. All festival performances, except for the swing band performance, will be free with dona-
to support their restaurant as it navigates its first year. So far, Prajapati said he has felt extremely welcomed, and hopes to return the favor to whomever stops by for a meal.
“Blaine is such a peaceful area,” Prajapati said. “There’s people coming in every day that we know. It feels like a town, not a city, so we can remember every customer.”
Namaste is open daily, from
10 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the summer, and deliver through Uber Eats, DoorDash and Viking Food. For more information, visit namasteblaine.com
FOR Fireworks in Blaine
tions encouraged.
Campers will attend classes at Blaine school district’s main campus, with overnight accommodation available at Lions Camp Horizon in Birch Bay. The camp, which had 88 participants last year, will be accepting students through the morning of the first day of camp.
“Our camp is noted for being a very loving, encouraging and joyful place,” Glenn Tuski said.
s Owner Chirag Prajapati opened Namaste The Royal Taste of India in December 2023 after discovering the vacant building on 234 D Street while on a trip to Peace Arch State Park. The restaurant operates seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Photo by Nolan Baker
s The Namaste menu features traditional west Indian cuisine from Prajapati’s native state, Gujarat, and familiar classics like butter chicken pictured here with dal tadaka and garlic naan.
Photo courtesy Namaste The Royal Taste of India
Birch Bay resident Steve Hodel, 82, was a former homicide detective at the Los Angeles Police Department with more than 300 murder cases under his belt when he got the first clue that his father, Dr. George Hill Hodel, may have been the killer of the Black Dahlia, one of the most infamous unsolved murders in U.S. history.
It was 1999 in San Francisco, shortly after George had died at the age of 91. Steve, then a private investigator in Bellingham, had traveled to California to help his father’s grieving wife.
As a gesture of appreciation for the support, George’s wife gifted Steve, then 58, with a 5-by-5-inch photo book containing old family photos, many taken by artist Man Ray – and an old photo of a near nude woman with brown hair.
“To this day, I can’t figure out how or why it came to me, but Black Dahlia came and went into my mind,” Steve said.
A day or two later, Steve was on the phone with his half-sister, Tamar Hodel, talking about their father’s death, when out of nowhere she told him that their father was a suspect in the 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short. Short’s body was found in a Los Ange-
les park, mutilated and severed in half, quickly vaulting her to front page national news with the
coined name “Black Dahlia.”
Tamar reported as a child their father had sexually abused her and, as she later told Steve, police had informed her in 1949 that their father was a suspect in the Black Dahlia murder when he was on trial for incest. (Despite two witnesses, George was acquitted.)
“With my background experience, I thought I’d be able to clear him in 10 seconds,” Steve said of the Black Dahlia rumor. “And that took 24 years. I followed the evidence and it took me exactly in the opposite direction.”
To follow the evidence, Steve moved to Los Angeles from Bellingham, where he had been rearing his two sons for 10 years and working as a private investigator for Whatcom County attorneys and court-appointed cases in the Whatcom County Public Defender’s Office.
Steve said he remembers his childhood as positive, centered in the glitz and glamor of old Hollywood during his earliest years. Steve’s mother married George after her divorce from her high school sweetheart, film director and screenwriter John Huston. George, a friend of Huston’s, was a successful physician and Hollywood socialite, known for rubbing shoulders with household names in the Golden Age.
The Hodels’ home resembled a Mayan temple and was built by Lloyd Wright, the son of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. There they hosted parties that attracted George’s friends like Arthur Miller.
“Dad had this presence that you might find if you walked into the presence of a pope,” Steve said. “He had that mystique around him. He was very powerful. He would walk into a room and everyone turned to him.”
However, that childhood was abruptly changed when George left the country for the Philippines in 1950, not to return until 1990. Steve later learned through research that his father knew he was being investigated for the Black Dahlia murder and fled the country.
Steve only saw his father through quick dinners in the years that followed. It wasn’t until George’s last decade when the two became closer, taking trips to visit each other in Bellingham and San Francisco.
“He was never a warm-fuzzy,” Steve said. “When I started seeing him in 1990, when he came back,
he was reserved initially but that grew into a warm relationship, or as warm as he was capable.” As Steve dug, the evidence kept stacking: Police had agreed that the Black Dahlia killer was a surgeon because of Short’s mutilation. Steve found handwriting in anonymous letters the Black Dahlia killer had sent to police that matched his father’s; a handwriting expert showed there was a 95 percent match. Steve discovered Short likely knew his father. Once he had enough evidence, Steve privately presented it to a (See Black Dahlia, next page)
s Birch Bay resident Steve Hodel, l., and his father Dr. George Hodel at Steve Hodel’s former house in Bellingham in 1995. When George Hodel died in 1999, Steve Hodel, a career Los Angeles police detective, began putting together the pieces that his father was the likely killer of the Black Dahlia, one of the largest unsolved murder cases in U.S. history. Steve Hodel, a New York Times best selling author, will give a presentation on his investigation at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13 at Village Books in Lynden.
Photo courtesy Steve Hodel
s Dr. George Hodel and Steve Hodel in 1943, just four years before Elizabeth Short, known as the Black Dahlia, was gruesomely murdered in Los Angeles in January 1947. Photo courtesy Steve Hodel
said.
His investigation has been featured on an extensive list of TV shows, including NBC “Dateline” and CBS “48 Hours.”
Steve’s two sons in Bellingham and Seattle encouraged him to return to Washington, where he settled in Birch Bay at the beginning of 2022. Besides publishing in November 2023 “Black Dahlia Avenger IV,” a historical fiction to give voice to George’s suspected victims, Steve said he’s putting down the pen, for now (though his blog on stevehodel.com is still active).
Steve is enjoying the natural beauty and slower pace of life in Birch Bay, spending time with his grandchildren, and taking Rima, his two-year-old chihuahua and Yorkshire terrier mix, everywhere he goes. A TV series could also be in the works for the books, he added.
district attorney in 2002 who told Steve that if George were still alive, there would be enough evidence to at least file charges against him for Black Dahlia and the murder of Jeanne French, dubbed “the Red Lipstick Murder.” Steve said Los Angeles police investigated his father as a suspected serial killer involved in at least four murders, but Steve thinks that number is closer to 10.
In 2003, Steve published his New York Times best seller, “Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder.”
Steve continued the investigation in a series of books that built on new evidence, including a transcript vaulted in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office that showed the Los Angeles Police Department and district attorney’s office had solved the Black Dahlia crime after getting tape recording confessions of George admitting to the Black Dahlia murder and other crimes. Police let George flee, Steve said, because the department and political figures were corrupt, and George had information they didn’t want revealed.
“There’s so much evidence that’s beyond a reasonable doubt,” Steve
“You’ve got the loving son who was sure he was going to clear his father, and then you got the objective, trained detective with the experience of 300 murders
looking at it,” Steve said. “I had a parallel investigation going on, personal and professional.”
Steve Hodel will give a presentation followed by a Q&A on his investigation into the Black Dahlia and other murders his father is suspected in at Village Books in Lynden, 430 Front Street, at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13. Registration is required, and can be done by calling 360/526-2133 or at villagebooks.com.
(See Black Dahlia, previous page)
s Steve Hodel published his first book, “Black Dahlia Avenger: A True Genius,” in 2003.
Photo courtesy Steve Hodel
s The photo of an unknown woman Steve Hodel found in his father’s photo album in 1999 that he believes is Elizabeth Short, Black Dahlia.
Photo courtesy Steve Hodel
Active S eniors
The power of independent choices as
B y P ete N elso N
As we roll into another Fourth of July, let’s remember the true meaning of Independence Day. On July 4, 1776, the country’s leaders signed the Declaration of Independence, with the resolve of the U.S. to become a free country. This independence has allowed the country to offer our citizens the options to choose our paths and to grow into what I believe is a great nation.
Our forefathers most likely did not have the foresight to see how large our country would grow. Nor could they see the medical or technological advances that would allow so many people to live long lives. However, they set the foundation for us to gain our independence and, in most cases, have freedom of choice in how we live our lives.
None of us have the option of avoiding aging; however, we do have the freedom of choice to determine how we face new chapters.
Maintaining our individual in-
dependence has benefits for our nation, as our societal systems have not evolved fast enough to support our country’s fastest
growing population: senior citizens, or “super adults.” Yet, it is our individual ability to make choices to support ourselves
as we get older that can be a game-changer to how we live the rest of our lives.
Setting ourselves up for success
is the key. Conversations with our spouses and family, awareness of our options, and insight into how we can support ourselves and loved ones are crucial.
Talk to your spouse and/or family about financial and life skill issues. Are you empowered to continue your quality of life if your spouse dies? Do you have a housing plan that enables you to stay in your home or to move to a desired location? Do you have a long term plan if assistance is eventually needed? Do you or your spouse have the skillset (and access) to maintain monthly management of accounts or to simply support yourself, whether it be maintaining the house, cooking a nutritious meal or transporting yourself?
Estate and advanced care plans enable you to have your needs addressed and establish a plan before situations change. Change is inevitable as we get older, but these are the realistic conversations we need to have so that we can maintain the independence we want.
Aging in your current home means setting up your home to make it safer. There are options to make your home secure with better anti-fall systems and better bathroom utilities to raise toilets and improve access to bathtubs.
If you have an older family member who spends time in your home, also consider improving its safety. If you know you will not be able to maintain your home, then look at support services such as lawn care, home maintenance and home care service providers.
If you know you will need to move, establishing options now empowers you. Hold onto memories by identifying keepsakes important to you, transition physical pictures into digital copies, and make sure your financial and personal paperwork is accessible and in a secure (See Seniors, next page)
s Jaded Lovers in concert at the Blaine Senior Center on June 28, featuring a two-hour set of country and rock classics. The senior center will host a Fourth of July community breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m., $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for kids.
Photo by Nolan Baker
July Blaine Senior Center Lunch Menu 11:30 am -
Wed, July 3: Beef or Veggie Hotdog w/ Onions & Sauerkraut, Baked Beans, Pineapple Coleslaw, Watermelon
Thu, July 4: Fourth of July pancake breakfast, center closed for lunch
Fri, July 5: Center closed for Fourth of July
Mon, July 8: Beef Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Honey Glazed Carrots, Spinach Salad, Peach Crisp
Tue, July 9: Orange Chicken or Vegan Orange Chicken, Brown Rice, Broccoli, Asian Slaw, Fresh Pineapple
Wed, July 10: Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce or Marinara, Italian Vegetable Blend, Caesar Salad, Fruited Jell-O
Thu, June 11: Creamy Clam Chowder or Corn Chowder, Tuna Salad on Pita, Garden Salad, Fresh Melon Medley
Fri, June 12: Grilled Pastrami Rueben or Grilled Swiss & Kraut, Roasted Red Potatoes, Four Bean Salad, Chocolate Chip Cookie
Fri, July 26: Teriyaki Chicken Burger w/ Pineapple or Teriyaki Veggie Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, Kale Citrus Salad, Ice Cream
Mon, July 29: Vegetable Lasagna, Italian Vegetables, Caesar Salad, Sliced Peaches
Tue, July 30: Indian Butter Chicken or Vegan Butter Chicken, Basmati Rice, Broccoli Cauliflower Blend, Garden Salad, Orange Slices
Wed, July 31: Swedish Meatballs or Veggie Swedish Meatballs, Egg Noodles Normandy Veggie Blend, Spinach Salad, Mixed Berry Crisp
Subject to change. While quantities last.
Seniors ...
From previous page
place. Creating a plan for future housing – whether you plan to live with family, need affordable housing or assisted living – can give peace of mind.
As executive director of Blaine Senior Center, my goal is to offer a community that supports you
from the age of 50 to hopefully 100-plus. In addition to creating community, our goal is to educate members on their future options, help with life game plans, establish support networks and ignite skills training.
I embrace Blaine’s seniors by supporting independence and the right to choice as we get older.
Pete Nelson is executive director of Blaine Senior Center.
Terrell V Goertz, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®
Financial Advisor 8115 Birch Bay Square St Suite 118 Blaine, WA 98230 360-738-3454
We support the Blaine, Birch Bay & Semiahmoo Communities. > edwardjones.com MKT-5894O-A AECSPAD
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29 years ago, a newspaper was born...
Since June 16, 1995, The Northern Light newspaper has been the primary source for local news and events for the Blaine, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo community, proudly keeping our readers informed, engaged and connected, in print and online!
The Northern Light since June 1995...
• Number of issues published: 1,454
• Number of articles written: 29,714
• Number of Washington Newspaper Publishers Association awards received (since 2014): 293
• Number of Blaine, Birch Bay, Semiahmoo households receiving The Northern Light in their mailbox: 9,749*
• Total number of published and distributed copies of The Northern Light every week: 10,500*
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR
THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In re the Estate of: KENNETH GENE HAMSTRA, Deceased. Probate No. 24-4-0055537. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. Assigned Judge: Evan P. Jones
The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Clerk of this Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice (twenty-four (24) months if notice is not published). If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.
Date probate opened: June 21, 2024
Date Notice to Creditors filed: June 28, 2024
Date of first publication: July 4, 2024
Date creditor claim period closes: November 4, 2024
Attorney for the Estate:
KEITH A. BODE, WSBA #7791
314 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 688 Lynden, WA 98264-0688
Tel. (360) 354-5021
Personal Representatives:
DAVID L. HAMSTRA
MICHAEL G. HAMSTRA
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF WHATCOM In re the Estate of: ADRIANA VAN HORSEN, aka JENNY VAN HORSEN, Deceased. Probate No. 24-4-00556-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS.
Assigned Judge: David E. Freeman
The Personal Representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the Clerk of this Court. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1) (c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice (twenty-four (24) months if notice is not published). If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.
Date probate opened: June 21, 2024
Date Notice to Creditors filed: June 28, 2024
Date of first publication: July 4, 2024
Date creditor claim period closes: November 4, 2024
Attorney for the Estate: KEITH A. BODE, WSBA #7791 314 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 688 Lynden, WA 98264-0688
Tel. (360) 354-5021
Personal Representative: CORRINE REYNOLDS
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF Whatcom In Re the Estate of Stephen Martino, Deceased. NO. 22-4-00318-37. PROBATE NOTICE TO CREDITORS. (RCW 11.40.030) JUDGE: Lee Grochmal
The personal representative named below has been appointed as personal representative of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the personal representative or the personal representative’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probate proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) Thirty days after the personal representative served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 and 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.
Date of First Publication: June 20, 2024
Personal Representative: Mary Vilotti 1320 Ridgeview Drive Ukiah, CA 95482
Attorney for the Personal Representative: Katti Esp
301 Prospect Street Bellingham, WA 98225
Address for Mailing or Service: Katti Esp
301 Prospect Street Bellingham, WA 98225
Court of Probate Proceedings Superior Court of Whatcom County and Cause Number: Cause No. 22-4-00318-37.
IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON IN AND FOR WHATCOM COUNTY In re the Estate of: DANIEL J. SEAFELDT, Deceased. No. 24-4-00534-37. NOTICE TO CREDITORS. Judge Robert E. Olson
The Administrator named below has been appointed and has qualified as Administrator of this estate. Any person having a claim against the decedent must, before the time the claim would be barred by any otherwise applicable statute of limitations, present the claim in the manner as provided in RCW 11.40.070 by serving on or mailing to the Administrator or the Administrator’s attorney at the address stated below a copy of the claim and filing the original of the claim with the court in which the probated proceedings were commenced. The claim must be presented within the later of: (1) thirty days after the Administrator served or mailed the notice to the creditor as provided under RCW 11.40.020(1)(c); or (2) four months after the date of first publication of the notice. If the claim is not presented within this time frame, the claim is forever barred, except as otherwise provided in RCW 11.40.051 AND 11.40.060. This bar is effective as to claims against both the decedent’s probate and nonprobate assets.
Date of Filing of Notice to Creditors: June 14, 2024 with Clerk of Court:
Date of First Publication: June 20, 2024
Name of Administrator: ALBERT SEAFELDT
Attorney for Administrators: Steven D. Avery, WSBA #35262
Address for Mailing or Service: Avery Elder Law, P.S. 801 Samish Way, Ste. 202 Bellingham WA 98229
Telephone: (360) 325-2550
Email: steve@averyelderlaw.com
DATED: June 14, 2024
AVERY ELDER LAW, P.S. STEVEN D. AVERY, WSBA #35262
Attorney for Administrator: ALBERT SEAFELDT
Road Rules: Right-ofway on one-lane roads
Question: There’s a short stretch of road I travel frequently, Drayton Harbor Road, that is reduced to one lane because part of the road fell into the ocean during a storm. There are stop signs on either end of the one-lane road. Most of the time drivers alternate one car in each direction, but sometimes when several cars are lined up on one end, they’ll all go through at once. Shouldn’t we be alternating? What does the law say?
Answer: The law says a lot of things about a lot of things, but not much about this. I might even be underselling how little the law addresses this situation. I can’t find any law in the Revised Code of Washington specific to your question. Maybe that’s not surprising. We don’t typically build one-lane roads and expect traffic from both directions. This scenario seems limited to unexpected road failures, construction zones and one-lane bridges in rural areas.
If you can’t quote the law, who is right? And how do we measure rightness, if that’s even a word? (I just checked; it’s a word.) Is it the person who is the safest, the most courteous, or the most efficient? And if it’s courteousness, to whom does the courteousness apply? And is this too many confusing questions in a row? My bias is toward safety, but this seems like a situation where neither cars alternating one-at-a-time or several cars going through at once has a clear safety advantage.
When stop signs show up in the law they’re at intersections, but maybe we can take some principles as guidance for our situation. The Washington Driver Guide states, “At a fourway stop the driver reaching the intersection first, goes first (after coming to a complete stop).”
Inferring from the driver guide, you might conclude that drivers should take turns at the stop signs. However, that explanation is a simplification of the law, which states , in part, that drivers “shall yield the rightof-way to any vehicle in the intersection or approaching on another roadway so closely as to constitute an immediate hazard.” Based on this, it appears that if several cars go through the one-lane road at once, the car on the other side should yield to all of them.
Practically speaking, when you arrive at the stop sign, you’re at the whim of how the drivers on the other side interpret the rules. If the second car,
OBITUARY
Mari Richards
March 18, 1960 – June 21, 2024
Mari Geraldine Richards (Lewis), 64, of Birch Bay, died peacefully in Bellingham, WA at the PeaceHealth Whatcom Hospice House on the morning of June 21, 2024. She was with family and friends as she embarked on her final journey, guided by the arc of the summer solstice.
Mari was born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada in 1960 to Jacquelyn and Ronald Lewis joining her two older brothers and awaiting the arrival of her younger sister; all of whom eventually connected with the pack of children who “ran wild” in the neighborhood. After she completed school in Oakville, she headed west to Calgary, Alberta to join the growing workforce of the 1970s oil boom, first in the oil patch but then into banking. Once in banking and finance Mari had found her niche pursuing a career in the field for more than 35 years.
After Alberta, she made her way to the west coast of B.C. and eventually Washington State where she met and made home with Steve Richards in Point Roberts for over 20 years. About four years ago, with tentative steps into early retirement Mari quickly found community in Birch Bay, WA becoming a pickleball enthusiast and dedicated walker of the environs of Birch Bay.
Mari was preceded in death by her brother Stephen, father Ronald, and nephew Dale, and is survived by her husband Steve, mother Jacquelyn, sister Kitty, brother Patrick, nieces Willow and Jamie, nephews Teiji and Joel, step children Shaunna and Blake, and grandchildren, Kali and Taylor.
The family wishes to express their deepest gratitude for the care, kindness, and attention provided to Mari by all the good folks at Whatcom Hospice House. A celebration of Mari’s life will be held at a future date in Birch Bay. In lieu of flowers or cards please consider making donations to PeaceHealth Whatcom Hospice House (2806 Douglas Ave. Bellingham, WA, 98225).
and third, fourth and fifth all think it’s OK to follow along, there’s not much you can do, short of a withering stare.
Maybe we should alternate because it’s courteous to the driver on the other side, so they can get through quicker.
But if you’re car number two, wouldn’t it be courteous to the cars behind you to set an example of following the lead car and getting your entire line through more quickly?
From an overall efficiency perspective, it makes more sense to have a string of cars drive through in one direction until there’s a gap, and then another string from the other direction. For example, you don’t
see flaggers on a one-lane road alternating one car at a time.
Ultimately though, I can’t provide a solid backup from the law for either point of view. Whether you’re in camp courtesy or on team efficiency, have some grace for the other drivers who might not share your point of view and mean no harm to you.
No matter where you come down on it, the overarching principle is to travel safely. Or as the law states , “Exercise due care and caution as circumstances shall require.”
Doug Dahl is a Blaine resident, manager with the Washington Traffic Safety Commission Region 11 and publishes TheWiseDrive.com.
B y D ou G D ahl
File photo
sheriff’s repOrts
June 22, 4:14 a.m.: Juvenile problem on Kickerville Road.
June 22, 12:13 p.m.: Missing person cold call on Sweet Road.
June 22, 7:27 p.m.: Theft cold call on Birch Bay Lynden Road.
June 23, 1:58 p.m.: Moving vehicle accident injury on Alderson Road.
June 23, 2:11 p.m.: Hit and run on Alderson Road.
June 23, 5:28 p.m.: Trespass on Titan Terrace.
June 23, 11:01 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Custer School Road.
June 24, 8:15 a.m.: Burglary arrest on Blaine Road.
June 24, 1:34 p.m.: Vehicle prowl cold call on Blaine Road.
June 24, 2:16 p.m.: Burglary cold call on Blaine Road.
June 25, 8:46 a.m.: Vehicle prowl cold call on Morrison Avenue.
June 25, 11:37 a.m.: Domestic violence arrest on Halibut Drive.
June 25, 2:11 p.m.: Vehicle prowl cold call on Birch Bay Drive.
June 25, 6:48 p.m.: Traffic stop arrest on Harborview Road.
June 26, 2:18 a.m.: Traffic stop arrest on Birch Bay Lynden Road.
June 26, 1:14 p.m.: Trespass cold call on East Street.
June 26, 1:58 p.m.: Simple assault on Fleet Road.
June 26, 9:05 p.m.: Sex offender registration on Selder Road.
June 27, 2:17 p.m.: Traffic stop arrest on Birch Bay Lynden Road.
June 27, 2:49 p.m.: Warrant arrest on Maple Crest Avenue.
June 27, 5:10 p.m.: Domestic violence arrest on Bayshore.
pOliCe repOrts
June 22, 9:44 p.m.: Trespass on Boblett Street.
June 23, 4:42 p.m.: Security check on 10th Street.
June 24, 10:22 a.m.: Theft on D Street.
June 23, 1:39 p.m.: Trespass on D Street.
June 24, 6:41 p.m.: Missing person on Wilson Avenue.
June 24, 9:53 p.m.: Sex offender registration on A Street.
June 24, 11:58 p.m.: Fight on Boblett Street.
June 25, 9:27 a.m.: Trespass on D Street.
Coming up
Community Breakfast: Saturdays, 8–11 a.m., American Legion Post 86, 4580 Legion Drive. All-you-can-eat pancakes $5, kids 4 and under get free pancakes. Other breakfast items available for purchase. Hosted by G.O.A.T. Sandwiches. Info: 360/296-4204. Portion of proceeds benefits the American Legion.
Fourth of July Community Breakfast: Thursday, July 4, 8–11 a.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Classic pancakes, eggs, sausage, potatoes, veggies, yogurt, fruit, granola, oatmeal and more. $12 adults, seniors $10, Kkds $5. Seatings at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Please join us for our annual fundraising breakfast. Volunteers needed. Info: blaineseniorcenter.org.
4th of July Kickoff: Thursday, July 4, 9 a.m.–11 a.m., Blaine Pavilion, 835 8th Street. Fun for the whole family including bounce house, games and activities, face painting, coffee and beverage cart, ice cream truck. Sponsored by Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2.
ACROSS
1. Six (Spanish)
5. Invests in little enterprises
9. Large dung beetle
11. Gored 13. Partially paralyzed
15. Still a little wet 16. Legal field media company
17. Not working 19. 500 sheets of paper 21. Church structure
22. Sheep disease
23. Small drink of whiskey
25. Weaving tradition
26. Pestilence
27. Body part
29. Nabs
31. Places to stay
33. Witnesses
34. Looked for 36. Arranges
38. Political action committee
39. Middle eastern nation (alt. sp.)
41. Hair-like structure
43. Parts producer
44. Greek city 46. Subway dwellers
48. Norm from “Cheers” 52. Clean a floor 53. Vied for 54. Canned fish
56. Inspire with love
57. Sent down moisture
58. Wrest 59. Partner to carrots DOWN 1. Mounted 2. Assign 3. Wrath 4. Self-immolation by fire ritual 5. Parts of an organism 6. Person from England 7. Tropical plants of the pea family 8. Body part 9. Practice boxing 10. Containers 11. Contrary beliefs 12. Bleached 14. Pre-Islamic Egyptian 15. A group of sim -
ilar things ordered one after another 18. Innermost spinal cord membranes 20. Cassava 24. A restaurant’s list of offerings
26. Annoy constantly 28. Orchestrate 30. Z Z Z 32. Astute 34. Highly decorated tea urn 35. Teach to behave
37. Endurance 38. Urinating 40. Barbie friend dolls 42. Repents 43. Man-eating giant 45. Jewish calendar month 47. Accelerated 49. Husband of Sita in Hindu 50. Lump of semiliquid substance 51. Lying in wait 55. Cease to exist
ANSWERS:
June 25, 12:03 p.m.: Fraud on Canvasback Road.
June 25, 12:05 p.m.: Trespass on D Street.
June 26, 6:30 a.m.: Theft on Hughes Avenue.
June 26, 8:32 p.m.: Theft on Peace Portal Drive.
June 27, 3:27 p.m.: Burglary on H Street.
June 28, 9:06 a.m.: Abandoned vehicle on Adelia Street.
June 28, 12:42 p.m.: Trouble with subject on Mary Avenue.
June 28, 1:45 p.m.: Domestic physical on Peace Portal Drive.
tides
July 4-10 at Blaine. Not for navigation.
Blaine’s Old Fashioned Fourth of July: Thursday, July 4, downtown Blaine. Show-n-shine car show from 8 a.m.–2 p.m., arts and crafts street fair from 10 a.m.–5 p.m., kids activities on G Street Plaza, parade running from Boblett along Peace Portal Drive at noon, beer garden on G Street Plaza 1:30–9 p.m., fireworks over Semiahmoo Bay at 10:15 p.m. Info: Blainechamber.com.
Friends of Blaine Library Annual Book Sale: Thursday, July 4, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Blaine Library, 610 3rd Street. Find some fantastic summer reads while supporting the library. Info: wcls.org.
Annual Birch Bay Cleanup: Friday, July 5, 9 a.m., Birch Bay waterfront. Help clean up Birch Bay beach after the Fourth of July. Gloves, bags, tools and snacks available at the booth across from the Birch Bay Beach Park, 7930 Birch Bay Drive. Sponsored by Birch Bay Chamber, BBWARM and Whatcom Conservation district.
Tidepool Exploration: Friday and Saturday, July 5 and 6, 11 a.m., meet at Birch Bay State Park’s bp Heron Center. Every day at the beach is a new discovery. Enjoy learning about the habitat at Birch Bay State Park with naturalists. Info bbbparkandrec.org.
Raptor Hunting Strategies: Saturday, July 6, 2 p.m., Birch Bay State Park wildlife theater. Volunteer trainers from Sardis Raptor Center will provide insight into identification anatomy of flight, the raptor’s role in the environment and much more. Bring a chair. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.
Blaine Harbor Music Festival: Sunday, July 7– Saturday, July 13. Kickoff concert, Sunday, July 7, 7 p.m., Blaine High School black box theater (behind Borderite Stadium); noon performances Monday– Friday on the G Street Plaza; an Evening with the Stars, Wednesday, July 10, 7 p.m.; Blaine Performing Arts Center, student showcase, Friday, July 12, Blaine Performing Arts Center. Free. Info: blaineharbormusicfestival.org.
Big Band at the Barn Fundraiser: Thursday, July 11, 7 p.m., Barn Star Events, 5295 S. Church Road, Ferndale. Enjoy a night of fun with BBQ, live music and swing dancing. $75. Info and tickets: blaineharbormusicfestival.com.
Jazz-By-The-Sea: Saturday, July 13, 11 a.m.–4 p.m., H and G street plazas. Live music by Blaine Harbor Music Festival students and street fair. Info: blainechamber.com.
Blaine Chamber Breakfast: Thursday, July 11, 7:30–8:30 a.m., Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Info: blainechamber.com.
Black Dahlia: Saturday, July 13, 2 p.m., Village Books in Lynden, 430 Front Street. Birch Bay resident Steve Hodel will give a presentation followed by a Q&A on his investigation into the Black Dahlia and other murders in which his father is suspected. RSVP is required, call 360/526-2133 or visit villagebooks.com.
Falconer: Saturday, July 13, 3 p.m., Birch Bay State Park’s wildlife theater. Presentation with live birds by master falconer Caitlyn of Mount Vernon. Topics will include falconry, native raptor species identification, and conservation. Bring a chair. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.
Weather
Precipitation: During the period of June 24 to June 30, 0.2 inches of precipitation was recorded. The 2024 year-todate precipitation is 17.5 inches.
Temperature: High for the past week was 74.6°F on June 25 with a low of 46.7°F on June 25. Average high was 67.9°F and average low was 53.8°F.
WeatherUnderground.com
Pride in the Park: Sunday, July 14, 11 a.m.–3 p.m., Blaine Marine Park. Bring a blanket and your family to picnic and enjoy activities for all ages. Story time, jewelry crafting, art vendors, karaoke, a pride scavenger hunt and more. No matter how you identify, this event is for you to celebrate all things Pride with your loved ones and chosen family. All ages are welcome. Info: wcls.org.
Tidepool Exploration: Friday, July 19, 10 a.m., meet at Birch Bay State Park’s bp Heron Center. Every day at the beach is a new discovery. Enjoy learning about the habitat at Birch Bay State Park with naturalists. Info bbbparkandrec.org.
Midsummer Night by the Bay: Friday, July 19, 6–9 p.m., Birch Bay Beach Park and Birch Bay Library. Enjoy an enchanting evening filled by captivating stories around a campfire, games and crafts for the kids, plus a special performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream by the talented children of the BBBPRD2 camp. Free hotdogs by the Friends of Birch Bay Library.
Big Bucks Bingo: Saturday, July 20, Blaine Senior Center, 763 G Street. Over $275 in prizes. Games start at 12:30 p.m. Eight games $15. Lunch available for $8. Info: 360/332-8040.
Walk on the Wild Side: Spring and Summer Wildlife: Saturday, July 20, 1 p.m., Birch Bay State Park wildlife theater. The Whatcom Humane Society Wildlife Center experiences a wave of wildlife babies each summer. Learn about the different species the wildlife center commonly receives and what happens once they are admitted to their care. Bring a chair. Info: bbbparkandrec.org.
Blaine Food Bank: 500 C Street. Open Mondays 9 a.m.—noon, Wednesdays 5–7 p.m., and Fridays 9 a.m.—noon. Info:360/3326350 or Info@blainefoodbank.org.
Submissions to Coming Up should be sent to calendar@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
Firework safety from the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office
Many families look forward to celebrating the Fourth of July. Due to the dangers of fireworks, we urge you to celebrate safely this holiday. In 2023, fire incidents from fireworks resulted in more than $12 million of property damage in Washington state. Children under 15 made up 22.7 percent
of reported fireworks injuries. When possible, it is best to choose to view fireworks at a public display. If you do set off fireworks at home, please follow these suggestions to stay safe:
• Only use legal fireworks
• Have a bucket or hose nearby
• Supervise children
• Get rid of defective fireworks properly
• If you have a defective firework, soak in water overnight, drain off water, tie it up in a garbage bag, and throw it in the trash
• Do not consume alcohol while using fireworks
• Safely dispose of fireworks by soaking them in water after use
• Keep fireworks and sparklers away from your body. Sparklers can reach temperatures of up to
3,000 degrees. For more information, contact the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office at 360/596-3904. Courtesy of the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office
BLAINE HARBOR MUSIC FESTIVAL
LEARN MORE www.blaineharbormusicfestival.org
s Fourth of July fireworks in Birch Bay in 2023. Photo by Chuck Kinzer / CKimageart.com
