Briefs

Sterling Savings wins contest for “robber” scarecrow
Sterling Savings Bank won first place in the Bountiful Harvest Scarecrow Display contest for their entry later named Johnny Jailbird, stuffed bank robber.

The bank won the grand prize of a glass spider bowl filled with gourmet chocolates .

Christy Lonquist, owner of Northern Meadows specialty gift and wine shop, organized the event in conjunction with a food bank drive.

Twenty-seven local businesses, individuals and community groups participated in the event.

Sterling Saving Bank’s team of scarecrow designers included John and Vicki Paradis, Kim Shea, Christina Jacobson, Mary York and Sabrina Ooms.

Seven of the participating businesses included food bank donation boxes that will be in place for the next few weeks.

In addition to Sterling Savings Bank, donations for the Blaine Food Bank can be made at West Marine Express, Northern Meadows, Goff’s department store, Blaine Bouquet, Petal Attractions and Seaside Bakery Cafe.

Silent auction benefits
students’ Japan trip
Everyday Fitness has scheduled a silent auction at 7 p.m., Saturday October 21 to help the Blaine High School Wind Ensemble fund their trip to Japan for the Funabashi Music Festival in Tokyo this February.
The event will auction more than 150 items from Blaine and Whatcom County merchants such as a Labradoodle puppy, gym memberships, massages, photography, a leather recliner and several rounds of golf, said Cheryll Ryan, manager at the gym.

Purchases are tax deductible through the Blaine Fine Arts Association. Live music by the Blaine Wind Ensemble and refreshments will be provided. First month’s dues from gym memberships purchased at the event will be donated to the band for their trip.

Everyday Fitness is located at 1700 H Street, Suite 850. For more information, call 332-7210.

Series feature student directors
Blaine drama students will perform “Four Fabulous One Acts” at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday, October 27 and 28 at the Blaine Performing Arts Center.

Each act is directed by a different student director and plays include: “A Little Something for the Ducks,” directed by senior Kholt Moore; “Something Wicked,” by senior Ashley Damon; “The Coffee Commercial,” directed by senior Natalie Kelm; and “The Ballad of King Windowglass” directed by juniors Sarah Crediford and Katey Gronen. Two of the acts were written by BHS staff – “The Coffee Commercial” was written by Laura Nelson and “Something Wicked” was written by Lisa Laskey.

A matinee performance is also scheduled for 2 p.m. Sunday, October 29. Tickets are $3 for students and $5 for adults.

For more information, contact Blaine drama coach Lisa Laskey at 332-6042.

Designing Birch Bay
Two community events are planned for Birch Bay to consider what a town center within the Birch Bay Urban Growth Area might look like.
Whatcom County has commissioned help from the group “A Northwest Collaborative” (ANC), a Seattle-based urban development company.
The first meeting is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, October 26 at the Birch Bay Bible Community Church at 7039 Jackson Road. The event will begin with an open house and map gallery beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The meeting will present participants with a visual survey of options of what Birch Bay might look like with future development, as well as other interactive exercises.

The second meeting is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, October 28, and will include a design workshop to gather community preferences for design standards and discuss implementation of those standards.

The meetings will be facilitated by Seattle urban planner Davidya Kasperzyk, whose current project with the resort city of Long Beach on the Olympic peninsula is comparable in scale to Blaine.
-Compiled by Tara Nelson