News In Brief

Meeting to discuss delays scheduled for Monday
Been held up in traffic by a train lately? You may want to attend a meeting held by the city of Blaine on Monday, October 20 at 7 p.m. at city hall. The meeting will address the increasing train delays and the public safety problem it may create with state, federal and railroad officials. City manager Gary Tomsic said correspondence has been sent to several officials; however, he has yet to receive word from representatives at the Department of Homeland Security or the Burlington Northern Sante Fe railroad if they will be attending. For more information about the meeting, call 332-8311.

Birch Bay steering committee meets Wednesday
The next meeting of the steering committee will be Wednesday, October 22 at 7 p.m. at the Birch Bay fire station, with Mike McFarland, the new director of Whatcom County parks and recreation as the special guest. The agenda for the last meeting included discussion of��redistricting� some neighborhoods and neighborhood elections, but the committee has tabled that discussion until the Birch Bay community plan is accepted by the Whatcom County Council. For those interested in reviewing the plan, it can be viewed online at www.smartgrowthbirchbay.org.

Blaine Community Theater brings comedy to town
The all-volunteer Blaine Community Theater group is bringing a comedy to the Blaine performing arts center just in time for Halloween. �Frankenstein Together Again� � a comedy by Pat Cook and directed by Sandy Brewer � tells of the Frankenstein family efforts to get rid of all the nasty stories surrounding their family castle and relatives. To do this, the family transforms their Transylvania residence into a dude ranch and one of the invited guests sees all sorts of odd things. The play will be performed at the Blaine senior center at 763 G Street on October 24-26 and October 31-November 2. Friday and Saturday show times begin at 7:30, and Sunday matinees are at 2 p.m. General tickets are $7 and children under 12 are free. Dessert theater tickets are $10.
In addition, the Blaine high school play �The Servant of Two Masters� will also be on stage on October 24-26 and October 30 - November 2. Sunday performances are at 2 p.m., all others at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation and tickets are available at the door.

Navy to stop sonar use in straits
People For Puget Sound, a non-profit citizens' group working to protect and restore the health of Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits through education and action, called for the Navy to stop its use of sonar in Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits, in the wake of a new study showing that mid-range sonar use causes whale and dolphin deaths. Shortly after, the Navy announced it would stop using sonar, but it would continue in other regions of the world. The new study was published in the scientific journal Nature and implicates Navy sonar use as the likely cause of whale and dolphin beachings in which the animals died of a decompression disorder similar to the �bends.� The rocky environment of the Straits region causes sound to travel and bounce around rather than to dissipate. For more information visit�www.pugetsound.org.

Police nab six drivers for suspended licenses
Blaine city police officers nabbed a record number of drivers with suspended licenses on Friday, October 10. Between 9:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. five Blaine residents and one Tacoma resident were arrested and released. Their vehicles were impounded.

HOGS head to Stafholt bearing gifts
The annual Harley Owners Group (HOGS) event is coming to town on Saturday, October 18 at 11:30 a.m. The HOGS, with Santa also en route, will be parading down Peace Portal Drive to Stafholt Good Samaritan Center to deliver toys for the holiday season. Cookies and juice will be available to children between 11:30 a.m. and noon behind Stafholt at 456 C Street.