November 21-27, 2024
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
Court system online again, page 3
Blaine City Council, pages 3 and 6
Blaine school bond fails to reach supermajority threshold
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Election precinct results, page 15
Christmas tree arrives at G Street Plaza
By Nolan Baker
(See Bond, page 3)
s Blaine Public Works Department assembles the Christmas tree on G Street Plaza on November 18 ahead of the Holiday Harbor Lights tree lighting ceremony on November 30. The tree is now decorated with ornaments, bows and string lights awaiting its official lighting. Read about the festival on page 5. Photo by Ruth Lauman
California Creek Estuary Park doubles size in likely last land acquisition By Grace McCarthy The land for the future California Creek Estuary Park has more than doubled in size in what will likely be the last land purchase for the 55-acre park. Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 (BBBPRD2) announced this month that state representative Alicia Rule (D-Blaine) helped the parks district secure a $185,000 state grant for 31 acres of usable parkland. The land will be split between 11 acres on the west end of the park, away from the shoreline, and 20 acres in a wooded area on the south end that will allow for a trail connecting Lincoln Road. “This purchase solidifies our commitment to keeping open space available for
the Birch Bay and Blaine community to have recreation spots while conserving and creating safe places for native animals and plants to thrive in our environment,” BBBPRD2 director Heather Lindsay said. Once complete, the day-use park will have a kayak launch, 3/4-mile trail, picnic shelter, environmental education stations, restrooms and 50-car parking lot. In addition to recreation, the park and protected land around it will provide habitat conservation for salmon, migratory shorebirds and Drayton Harbor shellfish harvesting. The parks district is still in the permitting phase and hopes to start construction in mid-summer of 2025, Lindsay said. The park came to fruition about a (See Park, page 3)
INSIDE
For the second time in 10 months, the Blaine school district’s proposed $70 million general obligation bond failed to reach the required 60 percent supermajority threshold at the ballot box, and the district will again consider solutions to various aging infrastructure in the new year, district superintendent Christopher Granger said. According to the most recent vote tallies from the November general election, by the Whatcom County auditor, 11,872 Blaine, Birch Bay and Point Roberts residents voted on the bond measure, with 55.9 percent (6,584) voting to approve, and 44.1 percent (5,204) voting against the property tax. If passed, the bond would have gone toward infrastructure improvements, mainly financing the construction of a new middle school, upgrades to multiple campus buildings, updates to Pipeline Fields athletic complex, among other improvements. Approval would have required property owners to pay a $0.76 per $1,000 in assessed value tax, keeping the tax rate flat for the foreseeable future as previous bonds were paid off. “Although we did not reach the 60 percent supermajority required to pass the bond measure, the support shown for our schools reflects the incredible commitment of our community to our students and staff,” Granger wrote in a post-election statement. With voter turnout in November over double than the last bond vote in the February special election, support for the bond increased just over a percentage point, from 54.7 percent to 55.9 percent. During a Supper with the Superintendent community meeting at Birch Bay Bible Community Church on November 18, Granger said the facilities committee and school board will discuss next steps for a bond introduction, but said the February 2025 special election would likely be too early. Granger said the district couldn’t commit to an exact date for when a bond will be reintroduced to voters, but said the
Coming Up . . . . . 14 Classifieds . . 11, 12 Letters . . . . . . . . . 4 Police . . . . . . . . . 14 Sports . . . . . . . . . . 6 Tides . . . . . . . . . . 14
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