2010 Olympic Shuttle Bus Service

You may be able to get there from here.

Birch Bay Square management and the 2010 World Games Souvenirs and Museum have joined in a plan to offer shuttle bus service from the Square to the Surrey SkyTrain station, said Greg Murphy, owner of 2010 World Games Souvenirs and Museum store in the Square.

But it won't be easy.

The plan says that buses will take U.S. passengers to the border, where they will disembark for customs and immigration processing. They will walk across the border to B.C. buses waiting on the other side. Those buses will drop passengers off at the Surrey SkyTrain station, where routes lead to most major venues.

On this plan, buses will depart from Birch Bay Square every 20 minutes from 6 a.m. and return until approximately 3 a.m., or whenever the last Surrey SkyTrain pick-up occurs. 

                                                                                                                     Photo by Al Krause                                                          

Greg Murphy and partner work the 2010 World Games Souvenirs and Museum booth 

at Birch Bay's Polar Bear Plunge, Jan. 1, 2010

 

Bus fare is set to be $40 per person for the round trip plus $10 for secured parking in an lot across Birch Bay-Lynden Road from the Square, Murphy said. Parking in the Square is intended for shoppers and will be limited to six hours, which will be closely monitored.

For more information, call 360-933-4641. Be sure to check before you go, as the details are so complicated, anything could change the plan.

rah

Disaster preparedness

Conventional emergency preparedness wisdom suggests every individual should be prepared to provide for his or her personal needs for at least 72 hours following a disaster situation. 

Common sense, based on recent catastrophic events in Haiti and elsewhere, suggests that a one-week plan would serve you best.

The American Red Cross provides the following advice:

Emergencies can strike at any time. Prepare yourself for the worst with our Emergency Preparedness Kit. The kit is packed with useful items to aid an adult for 3 days during the event of an emergency. Kit includes survival type items such as food bars, water, blanket and a first aid kit. All of this is packed in a heavy duty and portable 420 Denier nylon red backpack (11" x 17" x 5").

Contents:

• Battery Powered Flashlight (batteries included)
• Battery Powered Radio (batteries included)
• Emergency Blanket
• Food Bars (4,800 calories total)
• Work Gloves (one pair)
• 12-Hour Light Sticks (3)
• Moist Towelettes (6)
• Breathing Mask (NIOSH-N95)
• Plastic Sheeting (10' x 10')
• Rain Poncho
• Personal First Aid Kit
• Roll of Duct Tape
• Water (2 quarts)
• Water Container (2.5 gallon)
• Whistle
• First Aid and Emergency Preparedness Booklet

An Emergency Preparedness Kit (Adult, 3-day) Part #321279 

costs $49.95

See http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=2

to order, or assemble your own. 


Please comment on your preparedness philosophy.

rah

Willing Hands Create a Strong Birch Bay Chamber

New Years Eve, with the Ring of Fire and Hope, and New Years Day, with the Polar Bear Plunge, are among the best times in Birch Bay, despite weather that is predictably rainy, windy and cold.

Thursday evening was clear enough for the flares to be seen burning around the bay, from Point Whitehorn in the south to Birch Point in the north, with concentrations at Birch Bay Village, Cottonwood and the Central Reach by the big condos. Each year more flares burn – by 2020 we can expect an honored celebration with many folks coming from around Whatcom County and Lower BC. Reservations for lodging and parties will be required weeks in advance.

The Ring was conceived by Mike Kent, who provides free flares to participants. Fifty years from now, will the ceremonies honor him for initiating a Northwest institution?

While many can agree with the meaning of the Ring of Hope, the Plunge has several meanings – from courageous daring to wild insanity. However, few would deny it is a popular spectacle.

Registration – free of charge – was scheduled for 9:30, in advance of the 12 o'clock plunge. People started showing up at the Chamber's Visitor Information Center half an hour early. More than 300 people registered. No one knows how many more didn't bother. Red 2010 t-shirts sold out at $15 and most of the blue leftovers from last year sold at two for $5.00.

At last year's events, Lisa Guthrie, president of the Chamber, carried most of the load. When asked by the board to serve another year, Lisa, who is busy as Director of Development for Homestead Northwest, said she would need more help from all board members. In essence, she invoked the late John Heywood, English playwright and poet (1497-1580), who said, “Many hands make light work.” And all hands turned out:

  Marty Stauffer, Vice President, Oltman Insurance

  Molly Ernst, Secretary, The Northern Light newspaper

  Janell Kortlever, Treasurer, Neighborhood Mortgage

  Bob Moffatt, Visitor Information Center Coordinator, Birch Bay Village Realty

  Patty White, Director, Tide Catcher Resort

  Ruth Lauman, Director, NW Cascades.com

  Chandra Dunn, Director, Birch Bay Preserve, TT/NACO

  Mike Kent, Director, Windemere Real Estate

Star of the day was Dunn, who served as Mistress of Ceremonies for the costume award ceremony. Pictured at the far right in this photo, she joyfully awards prizes to the winners of Birch Bay's Polar Bear Plunge, New Years Day, 2010.

Applause for all hands!                                  

[For more details and photographs, see www.birchbaychamber.com.]

Please comment, start a dialogue, be a critic, join the applause - or not.

Happy New Year

Birch Bay Winter Sunset

 

Welcome back from our prolonged hiatus. We left for Thanksgiving and brought back lingering colds that may have been a bit of H1N1 flu. But now we're well and raring to go.

A comment on the Sunday, November 1, 2009 post has just been added.

rah

Personal Property vs. Social Consciousness

If there's not enough rancor for you watching the arguments on TV about the health care bill, come to the meetings about pollution in Birch Bay.

Last Saturday morning, 11.21, the Whatcom County Planning Department held an open house to explain the Birch Bay Watershed Action Plan, a yearlong study of the causes of pollution affecting the bay.

In addition to the usual attendees of meetings of the Birch Bay Steering Committee who come smiling, there were the strangers with sullen faces. As one woman explained, while looking at a large map of the watershed, “Those of us who live in this area have nothing in common with you folks in Birch Bay.” She was pointing to the basin that drains into Terrell Lake. The lake for fishing and bird hunting was formed by damming Terrell Creek. The spillover flows into the creek and on to Birch Bay.  Apparently this woman doesn't bring visiting relatives to the bay to dig for clams.

Pollution is one sacred subject that unites most everyone who lives within walking distance of the bay. Many folks who live out in the county don't recognize – or don't want to recognize – that water from their properties, fouled by pesticides, animal waste and faulty septic tanks, is a problem. So they're angry about the tax, passed by the County Council last year, to fund BBWARM, the special Birch Bay Watershed Aquatic and Resource District.  They're looking for opportunities to protest, including the recent election where several of the “seven dwarfs” were replaced by insurgents who said they would defend “property rights.”

"The study that was discussed Saturday isn't costing any Whatcom County taxpayer money. It is funded by a Federal EPA grant, perhaps to create a model for how water pollution issues can be handled. Margaret Clancy, a consultant from FSA  Adolfson and Peter Gill of the county planning department, are managers of the study who explained that their objectives are two-fold. One objective is to develop better maps of the watershed, and the other is to help developers with problem areas. One such action is offering “cap and trade” solutions to problems such as impervious surfaces and mitigation of wetlands.

Mention of wetlands caused one irate man to tell how he bought property from the county without disclosure. He said he's been required to spend thousands of dollars on changes to his small lot that he didn't know was wetland. He ranted against the treatment by a county planning department member who, he says, offers only sarcasm.

David Stalheim, director of the planning department, identified himself, and after an exchange that caused some to fear for David's well-being, the two adjourned to another room. David came back without apparent harm; the angry property owner didn't.

Ms. Clancy’s presentation was devoid of any horror stories or emotional appeals. It was left to Bob Hendricks, a Bay Keeper, to rise and explain perils to the bay, which was closed for a period this past summer because of pollution.

Ms. Clancy reiterated the fact-finding nature of the mission, explaining that there would be three more meetings during the winter, spring and summer with recommendations going to the County Council in the fall.

One of the critics said, “We don't need more presentations; you need to come and talk to us.” Ms. Clancy suggested a focus group.

That may be a step in a good direction.

AK