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The Editor:
To all who showed concern and love for our son Seth by
calling, sending cards and stopping by to visit after
he was brutally assaulted at a January 7 school function,
we thank you. We also wish to thank the Blaine police
department and the ambulance personnel who responded,
apprehended the offender and questioned countless witnesses.
We also would like to thank the school for taking immediate
action and expelling permanently all those involved.
After the meeting with the high school vice-principal,
at our suggestion, the school will now implement a print
out to include pictures of those students no longer allowed
on school property to be checked at the entrances of school
activities, and hopefully those violent and otherwise unwelcome
visitors will no longer be a threat to our children.
The school has also stated that as a result of the idiotic
actions of a few taken on January 7, the only option the
school may have to consider in order for these kind of
incidents to never occur again, would be to no longer allowing
dances and concerts of the same sort to take place on school
property.
This is unfortunate for all the students who really just
want to hang out with their friends and enjoy a night out
in safety. For the few who participated in the assault
of our son, shame on you. And yes, we are very mad and
so are a multitude of Seth’s peers. Shame on you,
not only for attacking an innocent child who was just there
to enjoy the music, but also for being cowards, and stupid
enough to ruin fun activities for the entire school district.
Do you think that makes you popular now that you may be
the cause of ruining all the other students’ future
fun planned event? Everyone is going to blame you and your
stupid actions and choices, should the school decide to
never allow those events to be held on school grounds.
And a word to the parents of these delinquents: When your
kids do stupid things let them face the consequences and
perhaps they will come out of it learning a lesson and
hopefully they will turn out to be positive providers to
this society rather than a burden to tax payers. And when
you try to defend yours and their actions when you do bail
them out by saying: “Gosh, I just don’t know
what to do for these kids anymore, I keep trying.” Well,
here’s your answer: “Duhhhh, Sherlock!” Let
them rot for a while, maybe they will learn, you think
maybe there’s your answer?
A word of advice for the attackers/instigators: Stay away
from my children! You mess with my children, you mess with
the wrong mama bear.
Greg and Liliana Robbins
Blaine
The Editor:
It is unfortunate that Mr. Hill’s letter to the editor
regarding Mr. Myers and the future of Blaine’s airport
is flatly what Mr. Hill intended it to be: an incendiary
device. Let me assure Mr. Hill that, whatever the individual
inclinations of members of city council may be regarding
the airport, each of us, in our own manners, has labored
mightily to act in the best political and fiduciary interest
of Blaine.
Let me also assure Mr. Hill that Mr. Myers’ bid for
the mayor’s chair was not motivated by his predilection
for airports. It was predicated upon a dispute within council
itself over the role of the mayor in our form of city government.
Moreover, let me further assure Mr. Hill that Mr. Liebert
has not been actively seeking the airport’s closure
and that Mr. Myers has not been actively endeavoring to
keep it open.
To date, council has only one third of the information
it requires to make an informed decision about Blaine’s
airport: we have the FAA study. We still await projected
closure costs, which will be provided by our city attorney.
And, finally, we must review alternate uses for the airport
property with their prospective revenues, which will be
presented by the committee appointed to gather that information.
This information gathering process was initiated by Mr.
Liebert and it will continue, even though Mr. Myers is
in the chair. It is a process which every member of council
desires to complete. Anything less would be irresponsible
behavior on council’s part. Mr. Hill’s howling
demand for a summary closure of the airport without such
an examination being made is so resolutely unreasonable,
one can only wonder at it.
Kenneth Ely, Blaine City
Council, Ward 2
Blaine
The Editor:
During the First World War there was a weighty but fairly
fast fighter plane called the Albatross. For the past
third of my mid-septuagenarian life, our turn-of-the-century
city has had an Albatross hanging around its neck. And
our albatross has a name. Albatross Airport.
But our albatross is unusual. It flies somewhere over
the rainbow, way up high, while the council and administration
hunt for a pot of gold. Meanwhile, it’s breaking
the city’s neck. Why, just the other day, Charlie
and Ken squeezed into the cockpit, and I’ll be darned
if they didn’t shoot down our mayor. John Liebert
was sent into a breakneck tailspin, but he miraculously
survived the fiery crash and crawled out of the ashes.
Why did those boys nosedive the old Albatross into the
council chambers last week? I know nothing of their flight
plan. Ken once told me he had long ago decided to avoid
angry people. Does he think the mayor is just an angry
old man, like me? “I doubt you and I will do much
talking in the near future because your lifetime of anger
is not likely to abate sufficiently for any sort of productive
conversation in the foreseeable future,” he messaged
me three months ago. I imagine he’ll have even less
talking to do now. I’ll bet half the city is airborne
with anger. But Charlie? Of all people, why Charlie? Maybe
he merely needed to display some clout, like old Pope John
XXIII who fooled everybody when he changed the course of
Roman Catholic history.
I’m too old and ill to inflict much more damage upon
Blaine. But I hope John, like the Phoenix, will ascend
from the ashes to become the people’s own, albeit
lone, representative. I hope he’ll become the councilman
willing to ignore Albatross Airport – and Albatross
Boardwalk, too – for the sake of serving Blaine’s
alienated residents, even those labeled with a lifetime
of anger, like me.
Albatross tastes like chicken, John. Maybe we should just
roast it and serve it to our citizens. But don’t
give me the neck.
Richard Clark
Blaine
The Editor:
This is in response to the three letters attacking Dennis
Hill, whom I do not know personally. Seems like this
was a concerted effort.
Jeff Robinson made some good points, Lois Franco made
some sense and typically Lincoln Rutter wrote like a
loose cannon. I seriously question his statement that
Blaine is going broke and that nearly all of its funds
will be in a deficit soon. I wonder where he got his
information. I doubt if he got it from the Blaine city
manager or finance director. I wonder what the financial
positions and fund status is of the Blaine airport. He
didn’t mention them. I
suggest that Mr. Rutter disclose the source of his ridiculous
statements. I am sure that this information did not come
from any Blaine official in the know.
It is regrettable that readers have to endure all these
personal attacks back and forth. Since it is my understanding
that a committee is to study the feasibility of closing
the airport, I strongly suggest to all the letter writers
that they direct their comments, concerns and suggestions
to the proper venue, not The Northern Light.
It would be a valid suggestion to this committee that they
hire a reputable appraisal company to determine the highest
and best use of the airport property and also its current
fair market value. I believe that these two factors would
answer many of the questions or accusations made in these
recent letters. Since there is rash speculation about a
purported truck stop and about what the current market
value is of the subject property, this study properly conducted
should answer all this guessing on the part of both supporters
and opponents of this issue.
Mr. Robinson made an excellent point about Mr. Hill’s
signing of his letter. I would then suggest that he contact
his cohorts and Lincoln Rutter, Jo Slivinski and Marilyn
Vaux. They all write letters and sign them Blaine and none
of these three live in Blaine – thus a false claim
by all of them.
Mickey Masdeo
Birch Bay
The
Editor:
I would like to address the Blaine airport issue again.
I wrote a letter about three months ago with some very
valid questions that taxpayers in Blaine are owed an
answer. I am still waiting for that letter to be addressed.
The city council should be ashamed of themselves. The
ousting of John Liebert was ludicrous. How dare him be
fair and listen to your bosses (the taxpayers and citizens)?
You put a quick stop to that. Select members of our city
council may need to be reminded who they work for.
Dennis Hill has been a lifelong resident of Blaine as
has his entire family. He has already stated that he
has no interest in the land the airport sits on. The
idea of a truck stop was that alone, an idea. The small
group of pro airport people think that the more they
drill the “truck
stop” into people’s heads, the more support
they will gain. The possibilities are endless for that
land.
Has anyone heard of the newest loan to the airport approved
by our city council? Oh yes, another $50,000 or so? Where
does that come from you ask? The general fund. Why do
they need it? To cover normal operating expenses. The
airport is not able to sustain itself. That is a fact.
The only way it may ever be able to sustain itself is
if they get the coveted federal grant. Then, guess what?
We will never be rid of it. Ever. Maybe at least then,
the federal government would oversee it rather than our
corrupt city government.
Rachel Hrutfiord
Blaine
The Editor:
For a city with a population of approximately 4,000, the
residents of Blaine are fortunate to have a wide variety
of good places to dine out. We can enjoy everything from
fast food to fine dining including Chinese, Mediterranean,
Mexican, and Southern specialty eateries. I am concerned
that some of our restaurants won’t survive unless
we, the residents of Blaine, patronize them more often
than we do now. I have no financial interest in any Blaine
business, but I do have an interest in seeing our city
maintain its surprisingly large and diverse number of
excellent eateries. The next time you have an opportunity
to dine out, please consider patronizing a Blaine restaurant
before going to Bellingham or White Rock.
John Yirak
Blaine
The Editor:
Thank you John Liebert for your service to the citizens
of Blaine in your tenure as mayor. In you, all the people
had a representative and a voice. You will be missed.
Norma Thomasson
Blaine
The Editor:
The Blaine Food Bank is adding to its hours of operation.
Starting on February, it will be open on Wednesdays from
5 p.m. – 7 p.m. In addition we will continue with
our current hours of 9 a.m – 12 p.m. on Tuesdays
and Fridays.
We thought this may help those working families that are
in need of help stretching their income. With the rising
cost in gas and other expenses, some families have had
to take away from the food account in order to get to work.
We hope that these evening hours will give them an opportunity
to come and receive some community help.
There are no income requirements to receive help from the
food bank. All that is required is that you live in the
Blaine, Custer and surrounding county areas. All client
information is kept confidential.
For those of you who would like to donate we will be available
to take donations on Wednesday evenings as well as Tuesdays
and Fridays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
The Blaine Food Bank board of directors and our volunteers
remain grateful to the community for their gracious and
heartfelt donations this past year that has allowed us
to add this additional shift to help those in need.
Thank you for your generosity.
Sheila K. Connors, president,
Blaine Food Bank
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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