News in Brief

Community theater to hold performance
Blaine community theater is sponsoring a one night-only performance on Saturday, September 6. The comedy, �Said the Spider to the Spy� by Fred Carmichael, is the story of several people pretending to be someone else � the setting involves a Florida beach home and Colombian drugs. The play starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Blaine senior center at 763 G Street in Blaine. Tickets are available at the door for $10/U.S. and $15/Canadian.

Burn victim still in hospital, expected to recover
A man burned last week after his boat caught fire in the Blaine Marina remains in the hospital, but is expected to recover. Asbjorn Moldver, 60, of Bellingham, suffered burns across 30 percent of his body and was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle via helicopter. Moldver, who recently purchased the Fiberform boat and was in the process of refurbishing it, was below deck when the fire ignited. He had apparently been using a vacuum cleaner to clean up gas when fumes rose into the ignition source, causing the fire. There were no other injuries; however damage to several boats and the dock resulted in thousands of dollars in damage.

City officials announce second phase of boardwalk
The city of Blaine said it has entered the second phase of its boardwalk construction � negotiating a contract with Anvil Corporation for the remaining 70 percent of the pre-construction, design and engineering work. The first phase, according to community development director Terry Galvin, was to negotiate 30 percent of that contract. City manager Gary Tomsic said the boardwalk would cost about $1.5 million, and the city plans to pay it that through the hotel-motel tax, which amounts to roughly $200,000 a year � 95 percent of which is generated from Semiahmoo Resort. The remaining portions of the $1.5 million bill will be sought from state sources that fund projects similar to the boardwalk.

More than 450 pounds of meth, marijuana seized
A Blaine police officer and K-9 unit assisted U.S. Customs with a location and seizure of 332 pounds of methamphetamine and 138 pounds of marijuana from a commercial truck at the highway crossing on Saturday, August 23 at about 11:15 p.m. The semi tractor and trailer were seized by U.S. Customs, and the driver was taken into custody and booked into Whatcom County Jail on federal charges. The following day, a U.S. Customs inspector intercepted a stolen vehicle at Peace Arch at the primary inspection lane, and the driver admitted possession of the vehicle and to having 37 tablets of ecstasy. That driver was was arrested and also booked into Whatcom County Jail on felony charges. Names of the individuals were not available as of press time.

Two men may have been smuggled near Blaine
Two Pakistani men are still being held on immigration violations after they were detained two weeks ago at Sea-Tac International Airport, after airline employees found one of their names on a terrorism-related �no-fly� list � a list of people banned from flying commercial airlines because they may pose a terrorism threat. Both men had one-way tickets to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. Javed Khan and Arif Mahmood were detained by Port of Seattle police and turned over to the FBI. One of the men had a British Columbia driver�s license, the other a New York driver�s license.
The two men appeared before a U.S. district court magistrate last Thursday. A trial has been scheduled for October 14-15. Each man is being charged with entering the country illegally � charges that could result in six months of prison time and a fine of up to $5,000. According to an affidavit filed Wednesday, the men said they had been smuggled across the Canadian border near Blaine.

Vendors increasing at Birch Bay farmer�s market
The Birch Bay farmer�s market will be held for at least one more month, and maybe even two, according to organizer Kathy Norman.The market will continue as long as people have produce to sell and new vendors are always invited, she said. The market has grown every week since it started earlier this summer and the two vegetable vendors sold out of their produce last Friday. The Farmer�s Market is held every Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Birch Bay Garden Center at 5087 Lincoln Road. For more information, call 371-5551.

City finance director to be honored in Spokane
The city of Blaine was recently notified that the city�s 2003 budget has earned the Washington Finance Officers Association distinguished budget award. This award is patterned after the government finance officers� program and is the highest form of recognition of fiscal planning and budgeting within the state of Washington. Meredith Riley, the city�s director of finance, will be presented with a plaque at the 48th annual WFOA conference in Spokane next month.

Art contest deadline set for August 31
August 31 is the deadline for professional and amateur artists to submit paintings of the Blaine bed-and-breakfast, the Smuggler�s Inn. The inn is seeking art in any medium that depicts the house, or a view from the building. Finalists will be awarded gift certificates to local retailers, art supply stores, and the Smuggler�s Inn, and the winner will also receive two nights at the Inn�s Captain Suite. Businesses will display the entries for 90 days. For further details, call 332-1749.