A look back at the year that was

This is the second and final review of 2018.

July

• Residents and visitors gathered in Blaine for the Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration. The all-day event included a pancake breakfast, ‘Shine and Show’ car show,  parade, live music by Silver City Band, The Replayzmentz and Checo Tohomaso and fireworks at Blaine Marine Park.

• Custom knife company Silver Stag opened in Blaine on July 4. Founder and majority owner Brad Smith sells knives at more than 1,000 stores, including Cabela’s.

• The Pacific Arts Association (PAA) hosted the Drayton Harbor Music Festival July 8 through July 14 in Blaine. The festival is the biggest event of the year for the PAA and featured concerts at the G and H Street plazas as well as a music camp for kids.

• Birch Bay’s waterfront filled with sand sculptures as part of the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce’s annual competition on July 14 and 15.

• After spending 20 years as head ranger of Birch Bay and Peace Arch state parks, and 43 years with Washington State Parks, Ted Morris retired. In an interview with The Northern Light, Morris listed his accomplishments, including helping form the Friends of Birch Bay State Park and restarting the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2.

• The Blaine Welcome Center, located at 546 Peace Portal Drive, and Starbucks, located at 530 Peace Portal Drive, opened.

• Birch Bay residents expressed concern over a proposed project to build a three-story apartment building at Richmond Resort, an RV and manufactured home park, located at 8086 Birch Bay Drive, due to its impact on views.

• Bellingham residents Mark and Julie Sampson sat down with The Northern Light to talk about their new business, Aquarius Yacht Charters LLC. The business offers sailing cruises out of Blaine Harbor on a 54-foot, Jeanneau sailing yacht called Southern Cross.

• Michael Knapp ended his service as interim chief of the Blaine Police Department on July 31.

August

• More than 20 bands, including Rocky Vaselino, Powerhouse, Alien Probe and Exit 266, participated in the 8th annual Birch Bay Music Festival on August 3–5 at the previous Homestead Golf Course Grounds. The three-day festival was a fundraiser for local animal rescue and welfare organizations.

• Drayton Harbor Days took place at the Blaine Harbor Boating Center on August 4 and 5. During the event, the public climbed aboard tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain, took part in the 5K Run to the Border and joined in the Prestigious George Raft Race.

• Locals participated in Splash Days in downtown Blaine.

• Incumbent candidates running for seats in the 42nd Legislative District were fiercely challenged during the August 7 primary election. Incumbent state senator Doug Ericksen (R) received 19,177 votes (45.85 percent) over his opponent Pinky Vargas (D) who received 12,067 votes (28.85 percent).

• The Blaine Senior Center celebrated its 50th anniversary by hosting a ‘Golden Anniversary Hoedown’ on August 11. The center was created in 1968, when local seniors formed a group called Young at Heart. The group met at the former Blaine Lutheran Church before breaking ground on a facility of their own at 763 G Street in October 1974.

• Birch Bay’s annual Rollback Weekend offered the public live music, entertainment, a beer garden and a car competition on August 11–12.

• The Blaine Public Works Department hosted the annual ‘Roadeo’ on August 17. Staff displayed an excavator, loader, tractor, vactor waste truck, bucket truck, line truck and street sweeper.

• Owners of Home Farm UPick & Events, husband and wife Daniel Beurdick and Bridgette DiMonda, spoke with The Northern Light about their new business. At the time, the farm yielded approximately 6,000 strawberries of four different varieties, 2,000 raspberries of four different varieties, 1,200 blueberries of four different varieties.

• Allen Schubert was sworn in as chief of the Blaine Police Department by city clerk and assistant to the city manager Sam Crawford on August 20. Schubert previously served as a lieutenant at the Los Angeles Police Department.

• Windermere Real Estate agents Jen Freeman and Leah Crews sponsored the second annual Summer Fun in the Park event on August 25 at Blaine Marine Park. Gladstone and Trouble at the Henhouse performed a mix of popular cover songs.

• Wildfire smoke blanketed Washington in late August. At one point, air quality in north Whatcom County was rated as unhealthy by the Northwest Clean Air Agency.

• Private investor Peter Gigante disclosed he was in “final talks” with Ferndale-based Barlean’s Fishery Inc. to open a retail store at a building he was constructing at 685 Peace Portal Drive. The project, which is still under construction, includes a mix of commercial and residential space.

• Longtime transportation supervisor Carl Wagelie retired in August after 24 years with the Blaine School District. Wagelie was succeeded by Rachel Hrutfiord.

• The Blaine school board unanimously approved pay contracts for staff on August 31. Teachers at the lowest level of the salary schedule would get a 5.7 percent raise and teachers at the highest level would get a 9.8 percent raise for 2018-2019.

• Wildbird Treasure Nest: Thrift & Gift, located at 442 Peace Portal Drive, celebrated its grand opening on August 31.

September

• Discover Birch Bay Days took place on September 1–2. Hosted by the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce, the event included food and craft vendors, live music, a parade, the Discover Days Dash, chainsaw woodcarving, a crab derby and Kids Olympics.

• Selling natural fiber clothing, organic home products and offering a vegan cafe, Rawganique opened at 429 Peace Portal Drive.

• Dr. Marta Kazymyra confirmed to Blaine City Council that she and her husband Dr. David Allan will retire from Bay Medical Clinic, located at 377 C Street, in December. To councilmembers, Kazymyra said Premera Blue Cross would conduct the search to recruit new providers and that the clinic would remain open until March 31.

• Blaine City Council voted unanimously on September 10 to amend an employment contract for interim city manager Michael Jones to make his position permanent.

• More than 250 first responders from the U.S. and Canada converged at Peace Arch State Park for a ceremony held on the 17th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks. Several dignitaries were present as well as honored guests from New York.

• Runners and walkers assembled at the BP Highlands on September 15 for the annual Run with the Chums 5K.

• In a presentation to Port of Bellingham commissioners on September 18, real estate representative Brady Scott announced that owners of Boundary Fish Company, Walsh Marine, Drayton Harbor Fishery and Dakota Creek Shellfish want to expand their existing leases at Blaine’s marine industrial area. The businesses are tenants of the port, which owns property on the south side of Marine Drive.

• The Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce introduced Douglas Bennion as its new executive director on September 20. Bennion succeeded Dannita Schacht, who stepped down to pursue new opportunities in August.

• Celebrating the region’s maritime heritage, SeaFeast took place on September 21–22 with Drayton Harbor Oyster Company taking part in an oyster shucking contest and serving up grilled oysters.

• Three First Nations representing the Semiahma, Kwakwaka’wakw and Haida peoples came together to raise a Haida totem pole at Peace Arch State Park on September 21. The original pole was removed near the U.S.-Canada border without proper consultation.

October

• The Lummi Nation bought the Loomis Trail Golf Club and took ownership on October 1. The Lummi Nation bought the property for $3.75 million, according to the Whatcom County Treasurer’s Office. Whatcom County appraised it at $6.3 million in 2017.

• General election candidates fielded questions at a forum in Birch Bay moderated by Terry Terry.

• Roots, a program that helps families who have suffered trauma from abuse, neglect or poverty, returned to Blaine on October 10. The program is sponsored by Bellingham-based nonprofit Rebound of Whatcom County.

• Canada legalized recreational marijuana nationwide on October 17. As a result, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials warned travelers that the sale, possession, production and distribution of marijuana remained illegal under U.S. federal law.

• Blaine Community Theater marked the end of an eight-year hiatus on October 19 with the debut of “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” The theater group formed in 1999 and faded out due to low audience participation.

• The Whatcom County Health Department revealed that more children are eligible for free and reduced lunch programs in Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts than the rest of the county during a listening session at Blaine Library on September 20.

• Whatcom Land Trust announced it would begin restoration work on 11.5 acres of land it purchased on California Creek in 2017. Eventually, it will transfer the land to Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 to turn into a public park.

• In a presentation, finance director Jeff Lazenby forecasted that the city’s general fund would increase to $6.7 million in 2019, up 3 percent from 2018.

• The Blaine Pizza Factory and the Blaine-Birch Bay Healthy Youth Coalition hosted Rocktoberfest, a concert and fall festival on October 27 at the Pizza Factory, located at 738 Peace Portal Drive. The event included a trick-or-treating, a beer garden and live music.

• Semiahmoo resident May Esther spoke with The Northern Light about the fifth season of her gluten-free cooking show Mayn keittiö, or May’s Kitchen, which is filmed at her home. The show airs on Finnish network AlfaTV.

• William Pernett announced he would resign from his position as fire chief at North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, effective December 31, citing an interest in pursuing other professional opportunities. Assistant fire chief Joe Noonchester would fulfill the position on an interim basis.

• The Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 hosted its annual Kids Karnival at the Birch Bay Activity Center on October 20.

November

• The city of Blaine announced it would consider relocating Blaine Skate Park on 4th Street to make way for possible development. During a public meeting on November 6, users of the park expressed support for relocating to Marine Park, as long as the city paid for upgrades.

• Results of the November 6 general election were ambiguous for all three 42nd Legislative District races. A November 9 ballot count showed state senate candidate Ericksen (R) in the lead with 72 votes over opponent Vargas (D).

• An estimated 300 people attended an open house hosted at the Blaine Police Department on November 7. Police personnel were on the scene to offer tours, answer questions and serve up a barbeque dinner.

• Meg Olson resigned from Blaine City Council on November 13.

• Blaine’s annual Thanksgiving dinner hosted at the Blaine Senior Center was cancelled. David Van Duisen, who organized the dinner with his wife Lisa Carr-Van Duisen for eight years, stepped down from the role due to the physical toll it was taking.

• To mark 100 years since the end of World War I, the International Peace Arch Association hosted a bell ringing ceremony on Veterans Day, November 11, at Peace Arch Park.

• Volunteers packed boxes with food for the Community Assistance Program’s annual Thanksgiving Basket program on November 20. About 275 families were served through the program. CAP volunteers expected to get 419 pies to the distribution center next to Cost Cutter.

December

• Holiday Harbor Lights took place in downtown Blaine on December 1. The event included shopping, kid’s activities, a tree lighting ceremony, musical theater performances and a visit from Santa Claus.

• At a December 4 meeting, Whatcom County Council approved writing to the Lummi Indian Business Council, urging it to sign agreements crucial to permitting the 1.6-mile Birch Bay beach restoration project known as the berm. Without an agreement, the project would be delayed and some funding could be in jeopardy.

• An estimated 50 social service organizations participated in a Family Resource Fair at Blaine High School on December 5. The event featured 30-minute presentations on a variety of topics, including social media.

• Hand recounts were ordered for two 42nd Legislative District races. Results of the recount determined state senate candidate Ericksen and state representative candidate Van Werven came out ahead. Results were certified on December 5.

• The Whatcom County Public Works Department hosted a ‘Shell-ebration’ on December 14 at the G Street Plaza to celebrate the anniversary of recreational and commercial shellfish harvesting restrictions being lifted on 810 acres of Drayton Harbor.

• Zervas Architects unveiled the latest design for the future Birch Bay Library at a meeting on December 10. Despite not incorporating the brown craftsmanstyle house currently on the site at 7920 Birch Bay Drive, it got a warm reception from the public.

• Blaine City Council adopted the budget for 2019 totaling $56.4 million. The budget included $100,000 for a full-time police officer position as well as $800,000 to extend sewer lines to east Blaine.

• BP donated $100,000 to Friends of the Birch Bay Library on December 17 to kick start the group’s effort to fund a new library. Before the donation, the group had $20,000 in private donations and needs an estimated $3.5 million to build the library.

• In its first year, the Community Toy Store served 72 low-income families in Blaine and Birch Bay. More than 1,400 toys and 135 gift cards were donated by community members during the fall.

• A wind storm on December 20 damaged homes, businesses and roads in Blaine and Birch Bay. The storm saw peak gusts of 60 mph and winds that reached 50 mph. Bay Breeze Restaurant and Bar was forced to close indefinitely as a result.

• Visitors and residents in Birch Bay ended the year with Ring of Fire and Hope. As part of the annual event, participants light road flares around the bay as a symbol of peace and hope.