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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay
April 1 - 7, 2021
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IN THIS
ISSUE
Birch Bay Road Race is back, page 5
Hybrid students to return to class with 3-foot rule
Public offices up for election, page 6
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Women’s trailblazer joins Christ Episcopal, page 10
Berm structure reaches completion, details remain
By Ian Haupt The Blaine school district expects to return all hybrid students to the classroom Monday, April 19, superintendent Christopher Granger announced in a March 29 community Q&A. Following the state Department of Health’s new K-12 guidance that reduces physical distancing between students to 3 feet, the district can increase class size by five to nine students. While the change in guidance helps the district get more students back into the classroom, it does not return class size back to normal. In the webinar, Granger said the 3-foot requirement does not allow the district to double the number of students in the classroom but does allow for all hybrid students to return to the classroom for the rest of the school year. Online students will remain online for the rest of the year, and the four-days-a-week, halfday schedule will not change. Granger and administrators across the state have advocated for months for such a rule change so they can get their schools back to full capacity. Granger said the district is planning to have all students back in the classroom in the fall, and said returning all students looks possible with the rule change, schedule rearrangements, classroom size adjustments and low enrollment. “Our goal for next school year is all students in the building, all day, five days a week,” he said. “We really feel like we can do that safely. We will build our schedules differently to accommodate for the 3 feet of space.” Governor Jay Inslee announced the change March 25 to align with the CDC’s revised guidance to allow at least 3 feet between students in classrooms from the previous 6-foot minimum. The revision only applies to students in the classroom. Six feet of distancing is required everywhere else in the building, and adults – teachers and staff – are to maintain 6 feet of distancing at all times, Granger said. (See 3-foot rule, page 2)
s County public works’ crew dig holes for signs that will remind community members to keep off the plantings along the Birch Bay berm path on March 31. See more on page 6. Photo by Ian Haupt
City and port prioritize Marine Drive remodel By Ian Haupt The city of Blaine and Port of Bellingham are seeking $4 million in transportation funding to reconstruct the westernmost section of Marine Dive that provides access to the Jorgensen Public Pier. The road has been closed to traffic since 2015. City manager Michael Jones said the city is asking for state funding because the unfinished stretch of Marine Drive is a high cost locale and serves as a breakwater for Blaine Harbor Boating Center and the city. “It’s the only thing protecting the city,”
Jones said. The road closure has also compromised access to nearby fish processing industries, with Starfish Inc. being particularly challenged, Jones said. Brian Pritchett, plant manager at Starfish Inc., said the project would dramatically improve their dockside capabilities. The eroding breakwater and road has prevented workers from using Starfish’s main service area and hoist, used to unload fishing vessels. “It would greatly improve truck access as well as safety for pedestrians and vehicle access to the pier,” Pritchett said
about the reconstruction. The project would provide bike, pedestrian and vehicle access to Jorgensen Pier as well. While the city and port have the project budgeted in their priorities, it’s up to the state to grant funding to make the project a go. “It’s all kind of grant funding dependent at this stage,” said Mike Hogan, public affairs administrator for the Port of Bellingham. “We, the port, are looking for money. The city of Blaine is looking for money.” Hogan said neither the port nor city have enough money budgeted to complete the
East Blaine sewer system in need of serious updates By Grace McCarthy Blaine City Council unanimously voted during the March 22 council meeting to authorize city manager Michael Jones to approve a contract between public works and engineering firm David Evans and Associates, Inc. to address sewer infrastructure problems in east Blaine. Concern over dilapidated east Blaine sewer lines was first brought to council’s attention during a March 8 study session when public works staff informed council
that sewage had leaked into the streets just west and southwest of the Blaine school district campus last summer. This highlights an extensive infrastructure update that has been recommended since the mid2000s and was supposed to be completed by 2009, public works staff said. “Essentially none of the improvements recommended in 2005 have been made in the sewer system,” said Rodney Langer, who works with David Evans and Associates, Inc., during the study session. “We need to understand the low-hanging fruit
to get ahead of this issue as quickly as possible.” City public works director Bernie Ziemianek said the department hopes to have engineering completed and designs ready by September, and will update council on estimated costs throughout the summer. Ziemianek said during the March 22 meeting that the contract will not exceed $530,000. The study, first done in 2004 and then (See Sewer, page 16)
INSIDE
(See Marine, page 3)
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . . . . 11 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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