News In Brief

Bookstore: City to tear down if owners don�t
The building that formerly housed the Blaine Book Company, the last adult bookstore in the city, will likely be torn down within the next couple of months, according to city officials. Building owner John Stansfield, and his son Chris, informed the city planning department of their intentions to demolish the 1909 structure several months ago, however, no action has yet been taken. The city has now put a lien on the building and will demolish the structure, in the case the owners do not.

James Way decision held until August 5 meeting
The Whatcom County Council�s decision regarding the vacation of James Way is now set to be decided at the August 5 council meeting. The vacation originally came before the council at the July 8 meeting, where the council voted to table the decision in order to further look into the vacation. The vacation has already been denied once, when it was brought to the council three years ago.

Martin Street park to be completed next month
The Martin Street park should be completed and ready for use in about a month, according to community development director Terry Galvin. The city is in the process of converting land at the end of Martin Street and Peace Portal Drive into a city park that will contain space for a sculpture exhibit.

Next HFH work party set for August 9
The next work party building date for Blaine�s first Habitat for Humanity (HFH) home will be held on Saturday, August 9, when much of the exterior will be painted by Sterling Savings Bank. Amundson Heating will be installing the heating system, and trained volunteers will be doing the electric and plumbing. The Cedar Street home is scheduled to be completed in the early fall. Anyone interested in volunteering, can call Blake Kent at 715-9170.

�Art by the Bay� to feature over 200 artists
The work of more than 200 artists will be displayed in downtown Blaine on Saturday, July 26, as part of the annual �Art by the Bay� event. Art pieces will be on display at more than 10 areas around the city � galleries will open at 11 a.m. There will be an afternoon picnic at Marine Park followed by an outdoor display at 4 p.m. and a concert performed by the North Cascades concert band at 6 p.m.

George Raft racers wanted for Plover Days
The third annual George Raft race will be held on August 9, at 2 p.m., during the annual Plover Days, presented by Drayton Harbor Maritime. All George rafters must sign in by 1 p.m. at the Blaine Marine public boat launch. Rafts can hold up to four persons and one dog, and must be homemade - no engines allowed. Life vests must be worn by all and a small donation of $5 or more per rafter is suggested. The winners will hold the George trophy until next year�s race. For more information, call Bob Knapp at Catnap Canvas at 332-3111.

Whatcom end of life council to present program
The Whatcom End of Life Council (WEOLC) will present its free two-hour program designed to stimulate open and respectful discussion of the issue of expanded choice for the terminally ill on Monday, July 28. When last offered in 2001, this program attracted nearly 200 people. The program this year begins at 7 p.m. at St. Luke�s Health Education Center at 3333 Squalicum Parkway in Bellingham. Varied perspectives of this topic will be presented by national, regional and local speakers, with time allotted for questions and answers. For more information, call 756-6895.

Porta-potty loss result of possible lawsuit
The removal of the centrally located restroom from the public access area of Birch Bay was a main topic of discussion at the Birch Bay chamber of commerce meeting Tuesday, July 15. Chamber president Nick Jerns stated that the chamber had pulled the restroom due to threats of a lawsuit by Mariner�s Cove. When previously asked, Jerns had denied any knowledge of the potential lawsuit. Jerns said Mariner�s Cove�s threatened the lawsuit on the grounds that they own the area of the beach where the porta-potty has been seasonally placed for more than 10 years. �There became a lot of issues and underlying threats,� Jerns said of why the chamber decided not to bring the restroom back altogether. When asked why the chamber did not move the porta-potty to another location, Jerns cited lack of funding, stating that one porta-potty costs the chamber approximately $500 per summer.

Luke Ridnour signs three-year contract
The Seattle Sonics signed first-round draft pick Luke Ridnour to a three-year contract, Sonics general manager Rick Sund announced. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. �We�re very pleased to have Luke on board with us,� Sund said. �He�s an extremely skillful player who�s very fundamentally sound. I think he�ll benefit from the fact that he is from this area as he�ll be able to spend a lot of time with our coaches and staff.� Ridnour, 22, was one of the Sonics� first-round selections (14th overall) of this year�s draft. The Blaine native was named the 2003 Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and was the 2003 Pac-10 Tournament MVP � one of only two players in conference history to earn both awards in the same season.