Around the Bay

Update to Birch Bay planning meetings
The Birch Bay Transportation and Public Safety implementation subcommittee has changed its monthly meeting to 7 p.m., the third Thursday of the month.

The next meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. January 18 in the basement of the Birch Bay Bible Community Church at 7039 Jackson Road in Birch Bay.

The public is welcome to attend. For more information about the meetings of the Birch Bay Steering Committee and its subcommittees, visit www.biz.birchbay.net/bbsc.

City approves preliminary agreement with GSA
The city is moving forward on a preliminary agreement with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to vacate a section of residential neighborhood in east Blaine to make way for a new border facility at the Peace Arch port of entry.

In a regular meeting of the Blaine City Council, members voted 6-0 to approve a preliminary agreement with GSA to vacate several blocks along B Street up to Second Street and along First Street to Peace Arch Park, as well as the alley between B and C streets.

If approved in a later meeting, the agreement would bind the GSA to complete a number of mitigations such as improvements to sidewalks, street trees and road resurfacing to bring Second Street up to standards.

The agreement would also require GSA to provide pedestrian and bicycle access to the park, to Second Street as well as the I-5 area for residents and visitors during the construction.
According to Ron Weber, a site acquisition contracting officer from the GSA’s Auburn office, the agency is still on schedule to complete the project by the 2010 winter Olympics.

Whatcom County offers women’s handgun class
Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department is pleased to offer a one-evening women’s handgun class at Plantation Indoor Range from 7 to 10:30 p.m., Monday, January 22, that covers the basic operation of handguns, how to choose the right ammunition and the laws and liabilities related to self defense.

It focuses on instinctive shooting techniques. This class offers two hours of classroom instruction and one hour on the shooting range. The fee is $30 per person. Handgun rentals and total metal jacket ammunition are available for the class.

Register by phone, in person, by mail or online at: whatcomcounty.recware.com. The deadline is January 18.

Youngest member promoted to black belt
At the rank test of the freestyle Goju Kai held at the Lynden YMCA December 10, Blaine resident Alec Connor, 8, became the youngest freestyle Goju Kai karate black belt to date through Northwest Christian Martial Arts Alliance in Blaine.

Alec started training at the age of four in Blaine. During that time, he placed high in tournaments, participated in karate demos and worked his way through the ranks.

Also going for their ranks on that day were Blaine resident Rebecca Walters, who was promoted to the ranks of a brown belt, Nicholas Mattson, of Custer, who was promoted to a brown belt, and Gerry George, of Lynden, who made it to the rank of a black belt.