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Thanks...
The Editor:
Soprano Karen Urlie and cellist Kevin Krentz presented Blaine
high school students with an assembly of music September
19, at the performing arts center. An audience of 480 packed
the center for a 45-minute concert. After the concert, Urlie
presented a master class for Andy Harmening’s swing
choir, and Kevin presented another for an upcoming young
cellist enrolled at the school. Master classes and an evening
concert were presented at the Ferndale high school September
18.
 Sponsored
by the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle, the annual awards
tour brings two musicians to eastern Washington, and two
to the west. Musicians, aged 20-35, chosen from Alaska,
Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington, are auditioned. They
then compete before a panel of judges each year. The western
winners tour schools in Blaine, Brewster, Ferndale, Okanogan,
Omak, Oroville, Port Angeles, Sequim, Tonasket and Winthrop,
where they present concerts and master classes at no charge.
The
five-member team that included accompanist Becky Billock,
LMCS coordinator Gail Perstein and her father, requested
nothing beyond meals and lodging.
As
the annual coordinator since the Blaine series began in
1994, I wish to thank Gail Perstein, Gordon Dolman, Dan
Newell and Don Lotze for lining up the event. Thanks also
belongs to Sandy Heydt and Steve Lawrenson, who provided
lodging at the Inn at Semiahmoo, and the Motel International.
Thanks, too, belongs to Joanne Donnellan who coordinates
the yearly Ferndale event.
The
Blaine school district is most fortunate to receive highly
skilled musicians every September at no cost. The Ladies
Musical Club of Seattle is a non-profit organization celebrating
its 110th year.
In
my opinion, it would be a suitable gesture for school district
residents to send donations to: Ladies Musical Club of Seattle;
Cobb Building, Suite 500; 1305 Fourth Avenue; Seattle, WA
98101. For additional information, go to www.lmcseattle.org
<http://www.lmcseattle.org, or e-mail awards@lmcseattle.org
<mailto:awards@lmcseattle.org>
Thank
you for your gift.
Richard Clark
Blaine
More
thanks...
The Editor:
On behalf of citizens for a new Blaine fire station, thank
you to all of the citizens of Blaine who voted in favor
of the construction of a new fire station for our city.
We re grateful for the overwhelming message of support for
our firefighters that this decision represents.
We
would like to thank all citizens who worked hard to spread
the word about the new station, and all of those who signed
citizen endorsement letters.
We
would also like to express our sincere gratitude to the
following individuals and organizations who either wrote
letters of support, or who made contributions of time, materials,
or services that helped us realize our goal:
Daphne
Johnson, John Choulochas, Peter Demers, Greg Goff, Fred
Jansen, MD, Jane Woods, Alma Wagner, Freeman Real Estate,
Pelican Press, Blaine School District, Pacific Building
Center, Blaine Senior Center, IAFF Local 3867, Craig Johnson,
Blaine Firefighters Association, Barb Bonsaing, Dodds Blaine
Marina, Trav Skallman, Stafholt Good Samaritan Hospital,
Inn at Semiahmoo, Coca Cola/Walton Beverage, Cost Cutter
Foods, Geographics, Diane Berge, Alisha Moore, Bellingham
Herald editorial staff.
Additionally,
we want to acknowledge the cash donations made by the following:
Gary and Renatta Tomsic, Bryan and Daphne Johnson, Blaine
Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 3867, Fred Jansen,
MD, Don and Ann Walters.
Our
firefighters deserve that best facilities possible as they
continue to serve the citizens of Blaine. Our new station
will ensure a high level of safety and quick response for
our city. Thanks to all of you who helped to make this dream
a reality.
Bryan Johnson for Citizens For A New Blaine Fire Station
Blaine
Keep
on thanking...
The Editor and Blaine football players:
As an outside observer, things look different to me this
year, and I’m not just talking about your 2-0 start.
It seems that you guys have figured out the meaning of a
bunch of words. Words like commitment, team, priority, and
unselfishness. It seems that you not only know what these
words mean, but you’re applying them.
Beginning
last spring, I noticed that a bunch of you decided that
football was important. In the summer, still more of you
followed the lead of guys like Zeth Simpson and Hardeep
Heer in the weight room – two players named captains
precisely because of their commitment this summer. It’s
easy to note the power of commitment, as last year’s
part-time player Simpson has scored 11 touchdowns in just
two games this season.
I’d
guess that good things are happening for your team because
you’re putting your team first. No dentist appointments
during practice. No birthday parties or shopping trips or
detention while your teammates are meeting. From 3 –
5:30 during the week, and on Friday nights, it’s all
football for you. You don’t make excuses. You make
priorities.
I
believe your leadership in commitment has set the tone for
a great school year – in the classroom, in the halls,
and on the fields, mats and courts. You’ve given more
than one middle-aged coach a glimpse of the old days we
remember fondly, what we call “old school.”
But
it’s not only coaches who are noticing. BHS principal
Dan Newell told me, “these guys have made it cool to
be a jock again.” And town doctor and long-time BHS
supporter Dave Allan said, “there’s more spirit
on that sideline than I’ve seen in years.”
A
while ago your coach made a statement to you: “Either
you’re in ... Or you’re out. And either way, it’s
100 percent.” You’re the ones who have chosen
to be “in.” You’ve made a commitment, you’ve
set priorities, you care about your team’s needs more
than your own. In this regard, you look a lot like our baseball
club in Seattle.
You
football Borderites are 2-0, but I want to be clear: this
letter has little to do with wins and losses. It’s
about much more important life lessons, like honoring commitments,
and teamwork. I’d like to thank you and your coaches
for leading us all in that direction. Thanks for doing it
right.
Craig Foster
Blaine
Tune
in...
The Editor:
Governor Locke has declared that September is Weather Radio
Awareness Month in Washington! This is appropriate because
September is the traditional start of the school year and
we focus on the safety of our students and their families.
September is the month prior to the start of Washington’s
storm season and this month is also just a few months before
the holiday shopping season.
We
are pleased to support an effort to have Weather Radios
become as common as smoke detectors in homes and businesses
throughout the state. This will help save lives and property
from natural and man-made hazards. It is suggested that
a Weather Radio can make a thoughtful housewarming or holiday
gift to a homeowner.
When
purchasing your Weather Radio, important features include
a warning alarm feature that instantly alerts the listener
to fast breaking, potentially life-saving messages around
the clock and a backup battery. Some radios will broadcast
the latest weather forecasts 24 hours a day. Perhaps,
most important, is that Weather Radios can serve as a part
of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) providing broadcasters
and the public with emergency warning information.
Weather
Radios can be purchased at local electronics shops and hardware
stores in addition to retail and discount stores. They are
also available on the internet.
If
you have questions regarding a Weather Radio, please contact
the Washington State Emergency Management Division.
Gordon Dolman, Ed.D.
superintendent
Blaine school district
Blaine
Poetic
message...
The Editor:
September 11, 2001
Today, I mourn and always will,
as our Lives have been changed forever
These days of Grief are hard to endure,
as I think of the Lost and Grieving.
Together we will stand, although our Freedom is shaken.
These days, I weep, with an ultimate Sadness.
The Unity of our World is
threatened, with hatred, destruction and terror.
I pray for Peace, in an unsettled World
I pray for Humility, in a World of Anger
I pray for Love, in a World surrounded by Hate!
My heart is Heavy with Pain for all the Lives Lost
from America and so many other countries. In Canada,
we are with you, to help you, and to be a part of your family.
I lift up my voice and cry out for Peace for our Nation.
We are not granted the promise of tomorrow,
But must embrace the beauty, love, compassion
and honor, that may heal the earth and heal each other
today.
Freda Palmer
South Surrey, B.C.
It's
still a hare-brained idea...
The Editor:
In the September 20-26, 2001 issue of The Northern Light
you published a letter that I submitted that I titled why
airplane hijackings occur.
I’m
upset and insulted about the way you trivialized the letter
by changing its title to “Bang, bang-bang!” At
a time of great national concern I was offering a suggestion
to help combat terrorism and hijackings and before the reader
even had a chance to read the letter and make up his own
mind on its merits, you biased the reader with a title appropriate
for a comic book.
If
after reading my letter the reader disagrees with me, that’s
fine. But I resent your bias about the letter to the reader
before he even got a chance to read it. The title of a letter
should reflect its tenor and content.
The way you retitled my letter was not only misleading to
the reader, but also insensitive to the author (me) and
the very subject matter, considering the national emergency
with which our country is involved.
“Bang,
bang-bang,” my word. If I was a friend or family of
a victim of the terrorism back east, I’d be mad as
hell at your flippant treatment of the deadly seriousness
of the letter I submitted, and the way your title trivialized
one of the most important liberties and freedoms we enjoy
in this country, the right to bear arms.
Bias
in the press has long been suspected; now it’s proven.
You should be ashamed and embarrassed.
Martin Conyac
Blaine
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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