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Many
thanks...
The Editor:
Along with the New York helpers, I want to acknowledge a
few of our Blaine helpers. I want to give a heart felt thank
you to Blaine Marina and two of their workers Roy and Dennis.
Last year after having knee surgery, I called Blaine Marina
because I needed a comfortable bed. Within 20 minutes they
came and set up my bed. Then throughout the year when Roy
would come to deliver something he would check my smoke
alarms to update my batteries in them. This year as I am
getting ready to have major back surgery Roy and Dennis
came to my home out of the kindness of their hearts. I fixed
them dinner that in no way covered the cost of their time
to put up a fence in my yard so I could keep my dogs after
my surgery.
 I
am disabled and single. I love dogs and could have in no
way afforded to put up a fence. I don’t know if these
two guys even have any idea how much their kindness meant
to me. So – thank you Roy and Dennis.
Judith Powers
Blaine
Bang, bang-bang!
The Editor:
As we see airlines hijacked doesn’t it occur to anyone
that only a few hijackers can overcome an entire airline
of hundreds of passengers only because the passengers have
no recourse or protection?
There
exist a few airlines in the world that have a history of
few or no hijackings, and that is because they have plain-clothed
armed security on board every flight, and the airline company
lets it be well-known that those disguised security folks
are on board.
Here
in America we have potential anti-hijacker systems already
available if only the citizens and state and federal leaders
would wake up and smell the freedom. It’s called the
right to bear arms. Yeah, you say, another gun nut coming
out because of a tragic disaster. But these so called gun
nuts are solid American citizens that have permits to carry
firearms and have been screened and background checked ad
nauseam.
They
are the good guys. They are the ones that have served as
government employees, military personnel, and ones that
have been background checked and fingerprinted by the FBI.
The scenario of a hijacker standing up and shouting that
he is hijacking the plane is almost laughable when you consider
the response of maybe 50 or more of these armed solid citizens
jumping up and pointing their collective armed resistance.
You
say, “But all that shooting will depressurize the plane
and it will crash anyway, killing everyone.” I say
that shots at the hijacker would be the preferable risk
and would beat the hell out of sitting passively while allowing
them to kill you anyway along with others on the ground
or thousands in a high-rise building.
It’s
time we began to take responsibility for our own safety
instead of thinking that the government or some other “system”
will protect us from every evil imaginable. I would feel
more secure and comfortable on an airplane knowing that
I was surrounded by like-minded, background-checked, armed
fellow Americans than by an entire plane load of helpless,
vulnerable passengers totally at the mercy of someone with
a weapon as simple as a box cutter. “But he said there
is a bomb on board that he will set off if we don’t
cooperate!” Well, the kind of terrorist in today’s
world will set it off anyway, regardless of your cooperation,
or just fake it until he can fly the plane into the White
House or Pentagon killing you, and others.
I
believe the paranoia about firearms being bad is perpetrated
by the newspapers and Hollywood, as all the citizens I know
with permits are good, solid citizens intent only on self
protection and the exercise of their God-given (not government
or legislated) rights to it.
“But
we can’t have everyone running around with guns!”
Yes we can, and we already do. They are the folks running
around with concealed carry permits that you don’t
even know about. Check with the police as to how many citizens
have their permits; they’re everywhere. Remember it’s
the bad guys that are already “running around with
guns” regardless of laws or permits; this idea puts
a balance to them by allowing the “good guys”
to protect themselves, and you.
Martin Conyac
Blaine
Tolerance, please...
The Editor:
Let me say first that all terrorists should be hunted down
and sent to hell for what they have done. That would include
any country or area that chooses to harbor such criminals.
But I, as an American, can not sit by and watch prejudice
take action here at home because of what we do not understand.
I
live and work here in Birch Bay and as I drove down Lynden/Birch
Bay Drive on Saturday, I was noticing some construction
at a new site near Kickerville Road. What I have been told
is a mosque is planned to be built on this site. I saw balloons
and a festive atmosphere at the site as I passed, and thought
that this is a very good thing for these individuals. To
break ground for a new start with whatever religion is always
a joyful time for the members of that belief, and it showed
on the faces of the people there.
Today
(Thursday) I found out that the signs of this new construction
have been torn down twice since the horror of the terrorist
acts struck against our nation. These people are not to
blame. What kind of terrorists messages are you sending
to these Americans based on your own prejudiced ways?
We
are all angered and ready for whatever comes from the terrorist
acts against us, but do not misplace your anger. These are
American citizens given the same rights as you and me. What
you are doing is wrong and instills terror in these innocent
people. That makes you a terrorist!
I
might be as close as you can get to a redneck, but I am
not an ignorant one. I will say that, if I see anybody terrorizing
these or any other people – I will stand by their side
as a fellow American to defend their rights. If there are
any problems please feel free to let me know.
Bill Burch
Blaine
Been there, seen that...
The Editor:
Although I don’t have any vested interest in Blaine
anymore, I’d like to address the proposition to revert
to an elected mayor system.
A
few citizens may remember my time in Blaine as a reporter
with The Northern Light. In that capacity, I dealt with
your city officials on an almost daily basis. I live and
work in Snohomish now, and one of my beats is Monroe, a
town of about 13,000 with an elected mayor system. I don’t
think one system is better than the other, but let me share
a few points: Monroe’s mayor and some city council
members like to have closed meetings and frequently meet
outside the chamber and have been sued over it. The suit
lost, but the mayor was fined $2,500 for public disclosure
violations.
Monroe
is basically a giant strip mall, because the mayor won’t
enforce laws regarding plat approval. Additionally, many
businesses that past councils and the mayor allowed to develop
willy-nilly will soon be hurting when the city-backed bypass
around the main business corridor is built.
In
my dealings with the people that run the city of Blaine,
I have found them to have been very responsive to their
constituents; the city manager is quite accountable as he
answers to city council, which in turn is accountable to
voters in Blaine.
People
wanting a more responsive city government need only go to
meetings of the council and its various committees. It is
sometimes difficult to do that with a full-time job, but
then most of your city officials also work full-time.
I
don’t support one system over the other, but neither
is immune to corruption or apathy. You are blessed with
a city government that does almost everything as openly
as possible. In Gary Tomsic and his staff, you have a dedicated
bunch of people who only want to make Blaine better; they
have a big job because of mistakes made before a lot of
them were there, and it would be sad to see a break in the
momentum they have worked very hard to build.
The
effects may not be obvious yet, but a lot of hours have
gone into revising codes and zoning to attract business
and tourist in order to give Blaine’s economy a boost.
Soren Velice
Snohomish
Appalled...
The Editor:
I have always respected the professionalism of The Northern
Light. It may be a small paper in a small town but it has
always been informative, responsible and entertaining. When
I read your front page on September 13, I felt a feeling
of disgust and disbelief at the length of insensitivity
this paper displayed. The headline read – “Pints
and prayers for victims, vigilance at border.” Immediately
below this was another headline of equal type size. It read
– “Council approves porn zone to clean up downtown.”
Should
this headline about a disgusting subject (and very old news
at that) have been on the front page under an article about
the worst disaster in the new millennium? Does this paper
really believe at a time when we are mourning the deaths
of what could possibly be 5,000 people, we really care so
much about this subject that it should be given equal importance
as this horrible, sad event? I, for one, think not and I
am appalled that you would think we the readers do. At the
very least, this article should have been on the second
page. Are our minds so small that we can go from reading
about the greatest tragedy in American history to then mindlessly
skip on down to reading how the porn issue in Blaine is
going? Please give the caring, sensitive citizens of Blaine
some credit and allow them to grieve in a manner befitting
this event. Porn news could have waited or been buried at
the back of the paper where it belonged for now at least.
Gail Ginther
Blaine
A coming together...
The Editor:
Samuel Hill came back to Blaine on September 8 to rededicate
the Peace Arch on its 80th anniversary. Who could have imagined
the events of the following Tuesday, September 11? The tragedies
of that date, now seared on our hearts and minds, are examples
of the failure of our efforts to end the disaster of warring
nations.
This
letter was intended to be a “thank you” from the
United States/Canada Peace Anniversary Association to all
those who participated in the re-dedication of the Peace
Arch. However, in response to the events of last Tuesday,
the USCPAA heard the call that so many others heard and
scheduled an additional event, the peace vigil and candle
lighting ceremony for Canadians and Americans at our treasured
Peace Arch.
Both
events saw communities coming together to renew efforts
to celebrate our history, friendship and unity as an example
of countries living in peace in our global society. The
peace vigil and candle lighting ceremony provided the opportunity
for people of many nations to unite in grief. Our neighbors
to the north offered sympathy and condolence. Those to the
south gratefully accepted their support and friendship.
Our
thanks to the Barredo family (Mail Boxes Plus) for donating
the candles placed on the Peace Arch and to the Singh family
(Dollar Store) for donating the butane lighters. Thanks
to our friends at Blaine Bouquet for the lovely flowers.
Thanks to those who brought extra candles for their neighbors,
so no one would be without one. Thanks to the volunteers
who spoke the “peace quotations” and to those
who helped with the program set-up. Thanks to our accompanist
Larry Kozian.
The
volunteers were joined by others who placed additional candles
and flowers on the arch. Thanks to the officials of White
Rock and Blaine for their inspiring words. Thanks to The
Northern Light newspaper for their coverage. Thanks to the
park manager, Wayne Eden for permission to use the park.
The hundreds of candles encircling the Peace Arch provided
a beacon of freedom and solidarity to be seen by all those
attending as well as those passing by in their cars.
The
outpouring of sentiment, support and sympathy humbles those
of us who are a part of the United States/Canada Peace Anniversary
Association. The unity we witnessed at both events is strong
testimony to the friendship that exists between the citizens
of our two nations. Truly it was the coming together as
“Children of a Common Mother Dwelling together in Unity,”
Thank you all.
Christina Alexander
Blaine
4H donates...
The Editor:
The Discovery Club would like to send our condolences to
the families of the victims of the terrorist attacks in
New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
The
club has voted to donate $25 to the Red Cross in New York.
We are challenging other Whatcom County youth organizations
to meet or exceed our donation for the relief of the terrorist
attack victims. For additional information on this challenge,
contact Stephanie at 318-8352.
The Northwest Washington Fair has ended, and following is
a list of placings by the Discovery Club members: Jessica
Einfeld, Champion Novice Sewing Judging; Miguel Valdez,
Grand Champion Dairy Goat, Grand Champion Goat Fitting and
Showing, and Reserve Grand Champion Dairy Goat Fitting and
Showing; Ramona Valdez, Champion Dog Judging; and Suzanna
Valdez, Champion Dog Obedience.
On
October 11, the Whatcom County 4-H Council will hold the
annual 4-H Promotional Night. This event will be hosted
by the North Bellingham School, from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
For additional information, contact the extension office
at 676-6736. Come out and see what 4-H is all about. Remember
4-H is more than animals!
Stephanie Hiner
Lynden
Looking
for good...
The Editor:
Good shall come of this, awaking the USA from naivete in
thinking this country and its good people were safe from
all the evil in this world: Realization that only in God
we can trust, remembering the commandments, “Love thy
neighbor,” “Thou shalt not kill.” Also “Vengeance
is mine, saith the Lord.”
We
are now in a situation not unlike England – for years
under attack in the last war – where spirit and courage
unified the country, neighborhoods took care of one another
and churches were a focus, not empty buildings. Now, like
England, we need leadership under God, needing faith and
inspiration, words and music.
Perhaps
Washington D.C. officials standing together on the capitol
steps to sing God Bless America will draw attention to the
fact that this country was born of, and owes its survival
to God, who is the author of peace and lover of concord.
Now
finally, untold numbers of families are drawing together,
realizing we do not know where or when. We need to live
each day to the fullest, love one another to the utmost,
sharing tears and laughter and trusting in God.Good has
already started to come out of this.
A
hurting America, awake, alert, loving and focusing on their
own households and neighborhoods.
Hopefully
the very real horror on the news everyday will dull our
apparent need for violence, evil and gore in our movies
and music.
Let us remember evil will never triumph over good. We are
children of God, loved and cherished by Abba, our father
who is fully aware of every second of every millennium.
He watches and waits to see how we will make good come out
of all this. He gave us bodies, hearts and minds, let us
use them well to bring the good out of this evil.
Sandra Gallagher
Blaine
We
believe
The Editor:
The owners of Western Herb and Dietary Products, a Blaine
herb store, also operate a web site called curecancer.com.
This web site was not shut down by the Federal Trade Commission
(FTC). The owners of this web site voluntarily took the
site down temporarily to make some modifications to the
site.
It
is true the FTC did file a suit against us in court in Seattle,
and the court told us that we could not use the word “cure”
in our web site. We voluntarily took our web site down to
comply. We have voluntarily modified some of the content
of our web site in order to focus our energies on helping
people rather than expend additional unnecessary energy
fighting with the federal government over the words we use
on our web site.
Although
the FTC made a number of allegations in the complaint that
it filed, these allegations have never been proven or admitted.
We stand by our initial statements that we have not engaged
in false advertising or deceptive practices. However, we
choose not to waste our energies fighting with the federal
government.
We
choose to focus on helping people. We stand by the letters
of people who have written us letters telling us how they
got well. We put up these letters on our web site to show
people that alternative therapy has helped many people and
may be able to help them also.
Marvin Beckwith
Blaine
The
Editor:
This is a letter to inform the public about some very unscrupulous
individuals who are preying on innocent people who use wood
for their heat. If a family has to buy wood and has been
ripped off by a crooked wood seller or is about to buy wood
and might see a trailer or truck full of wood for sale –
watch out – what you see you might not get. They will
tell you that load is sold but we have a lot more just like
it. Not true!
Anyway,
if you would like to find out who these crooks are, feel
free to call me at 371-0966 and I will be glad to tell you.
I guess you can tell I’ve been had and I’m not
afraid to pass the information on.
William Bryant
Birch Bay
Letters
Policy
The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor; however,
the opinions expressed are not those of the editor. Letters
must include name, address and daytime telephone number
for verification. Letters must not exceed 350 words and
may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality, length
and good taste. Thank-you letters should be limited to 10
names. A fresh viewpoint on matters of general interest
to local readers will increase the likelihood of publication.
Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters
will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding
names will be considered on an individual basis. Only one
letter per month from an individual correspondent will be
published.
Please
send your letter to:
225 Marine Drive, Blaine, WA 98230 or fax 360/332-2777.
E-mail:editor@thenorthernlight.com
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