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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
February 11 - 17, 2016
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Haggen auction postponed, page 2
Camp Horizon seeking donors, page 3
Active seniors special section, pages 8-9
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Pavilion will Taking in the sights have grand opening next week By Steve Guntli
s Bruce and Diana Harris of Custer take in the view from Birch Bay State Park on February 9. The retired couple had decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather.
Photo by Steve Guntli
Blaine school district levy passes in special election By Steve Guntli Voters overwhelmingly supported school district levies in this year’s special election. Early results from the February 9 special election, tabulated Tuesday night, show all seven proposed school district levies in the county passing, including one for the Blaine school district. The Blaine school district was seeking approval for a four-year maintenance and operations levy. The money raised will
pay for day to day expenses in the district, including maintenance, textbooks, class supplies and salaries for teachers and staff. None of the levies passed in this election are new. Each one is renewing a levy that expires this year. The district will continue to collect $1.98 per $1,000 of home value on all taxable properties within the district beginning in 2017. That amount will increase slightly for each of the four years. The levy is projected to take in nearly $30 million by the end of the four-year levy. The Blaine school district levy passed
Bite of Blaine returns next week By Steve Guntli Blaine’s tastiest annual event returns on Monday. The Bite of Blaine will be held in the Semiahmoo Resort’s ballroom on Monday, February 15. Twelve Blaine and Birch Bay restaurants will be showcasing their best dishes, giving the community a chance to sample what they have to offer. Participat-
ing restaurants include Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, Edaleen Dairy, Semiahmoo Resort, Subway, The Beach at Birch Bay, The Burrito King, Tony’s Just a Bite, Will’O Pub, Seaside Bakery Café, Paso del Norte, Lizzie’s Café and Good Samaritan Society-Stafholt. Come by and vote for your favorite bite, and help raise money for Blaine’s July 4 fireworks display. Semiahmoo Resort will also
be offering a special “Stay the Night at the Bite” promotion, with reduced-rate rooms for February 15 and 16 only. Call 360/3182000 for details and to book a room. Tickets for the Bite of Blaine are $25 per person and can be purchased at Pacific Building Center and Blaine Visitor Center. Tickets will not be sold at the door, so call ahead to 332-6484 or visit blainechamber.com.
with 2,577 (68.8 percent) voting yes and 1,167 (31.2 percent) voting no. Six other maintenance and operations levies were passed in other school districts, as was a technology levy in the Bellingham school district that would replace some of the school’s outdated computers and lab equipment. The ballot count will be updated at 5 p.m. on February 10, and final results will be certified February 19. For more information, visit results.vote. wa.gov/results/20160209/whatcom/
INSIDE
It’s been a long and bumpy process, but the new pavilion at the Blaine community center at 763 G Street will finally get its grand opening next week. The opening takes place on Thursday, February 18 at 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend the opening, and refreshments will be provided. The pavilion is a 5,000-square-foot annex to the community center. The enclosed area will allow various clubs and organizations to hold classes and activities year-round, regardless of weather conditions. Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2), the Blaine Boys & Girls Club and the Blaine Senior Center will all host programs out of the facility. The project has been in the works for more than four years, with city and county leaders officially breaking ground on the facility last June. The city of Blaine funded $165,000 of the project, which also received donations from NBA player Luke Ridnour, the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, the Whatcom Community Foundation and BBBPRD2. Originally conceived as an open-air facility, the pavilion designers modified it into a closed space after an influx in donations from Ridnour and the Ripken Foundation. Mauri Ingram, president and CEO of the Whatcom Community Foundation, gives a lot of credit for the pavilion project to local philanthropist Mel Hollinger, who passed away in September at the age of 99. Hollinger was the first donor to the pavilion project and co-chaired the steering committee with local realtor Mike Kent. “Mel saw the potential of the pavilion,” Ingram said. “He envisioned a wonderful new space that would be enjoyed by Blaine residents of all ages. He wanted to give something back to a place that had been such a wonderful home.”
Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Coming Up . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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