Letters to the Editor

Pushing for change
The Editor:
When we elect our leaders BLAINE WINS !
Our involvement in choosing our leaders is still the best form of government.
A winning system set up by our forefathers, who had no actual political experiences, but instead ran governments with common sense and life experiences.
What if the nay-sayers had won in telling them that you have “no business in government because you have no experience” and Thomas Jefferson had given up? Where would America be today?
The same elitist group in Blaine who believe that people who live in manufactured homes are “substandard” are those who believe the citizens of Blaine can’t make a responsible decision to elect a mayor. Are they saying that the citizens of Blaine can’t make decisions that are best for us? Or do they only know what’s best for Blaine?
Some people don’t want you to elect our mayor, Blaine government doesn’t like backseat drivers. That why there’s people in our community opposed to giving you the choice to elect a leader that’s responsible to us. They think that they know what’s best for you and all of Blaine. Fact is,they fear giving us the ability to elect our mayor.
On September 18, tell them that You know what’s best for Blaine!
Elect the people’s mayor of Blaine. Voteyes on # 2 !
Jim Anderson
Blaine

The Editor:
For those people of Blaine who received the flyer from the same group that want to keep the present form of government, you need to ask yourselves this question:
How come when this group was asked to debate their position with the editorial board of the Bellingham Herald they wouldn’t? If they feel they have that strong a position, why won’t they debate it? Maybe The Northern Light can coax them into a debate. Are they afraid of too many facts getting out they can’t refute? Which they can’t anyway.
Dave White
Blaine

Yes to pride and speed
The Editor:
There are many ways to measure the amount of pride a community has in its fire department and emergency responders. From the child’s ‘mock salute’ on the street corner to the passing fire engine, to the rallying of community support that is shown to the victims of a house fire, and even the respect paid by drivers on the road pulling over to the side when the siren is heard and red lights are seen in the rear view
mirror.
Another very important measure of pride is how the community can provide for adequate facilities to house its volunteer firefighters and equipment. If your readers have seen the current facilities that provide for Blaine fire and medical response, they would see that the building is grossly inadequate to train their volunteers, to staff a response shift, or to clean and care for the city’s equipment.
It is time for the citizens of Blaine to step up to the plate to provide the funding for an adequate fire station for their volunteers. I encourage your readers to show their pride and vote yes on September 18.
Craig Johnson
Blaine

Dear Editor,
As a volunteer firefighter for district 13 at the Blaine station I would like to encourage all voters to vote for the bond issue to support the new fire station.
On Friday, August 31 I was in the ambulance responding to a call for chest pain – this is a common call for us and considered critical. We would like to be at the address of the patient within five minutes but on Friday our time was again slowed down, as it often, is by the traffic on the truck route intersection. The volunteers were at the station from home, dressed and riding in the ambulance in time but as we were pulling up to the intersection with our lights and sirens on, a semi truck pulled across the intersection in front of us taking advantage of the opening others had made while responding appropriately to our lights and sirens.
Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence at this intersection.
I am sure I speak for all of the volunteer firefighters when I say that our goal is to provide the best care in as short a time span as possible. This is very hard to do when traffic is backed up on the truck route. Once our pagers go off, we need to stop what we are doing at home and drive to the station. This is usually slowed down because most of us have to cross two intersections, the first one is the stop light at H Street and the second is the truck route and Boblett. The light at H Street is not that long and gives us the break in traffic that we need but the traffic at Boblett is not only a blockage to our response, it is also dangerous. Frequently trucks are backed up and blocking the intersection but the worst part is that drivers of cars are unpredictable and will often be passing these stopped trucks on both the right and the left sides. Although it may look clear we will often encounter a car coming from the freeway at 40 - 50 miles an hour passing the trucks on the right. Once we finally get to the station we then have to maneuver across that intersection again in the ambulance or firetruck. We encounter the same problems as getting to the station. Often we can’t be seen by southbound traffic due to the trucks lined up northbound. We also have trucks making wide right turns into our lane of traffic as they head into the truck stop located at that intersection.
Our new chief has great plans for improving response time with sleeper programs that will allow for volunteers to be at the station and ready to go at all hours. Unfortunately the only solution to the traffic is to move the fire station. If it is you or a family member that is in need of medical help or has a house fire I am sure you don’t want to wait those extra few minutes or risk the lives of the firefighters while they attempt to safely get to your house in an emergency. Please vote yes for a new fire station on September 18!
Jean Madsen
Blaine

Community ties
The Editor:
We were seriously burned in a hotel fire in Seattle. We are home now and experiencing a total outpouring of “love one another” – neighbor taking care of neighbor. What a blessing!
All of the churches in Blaine prayed for us. Many friends, of all faiths, from downtown Blaine and Semiahmoo have prayed for us and are going out of their way to take care of us on a daily basis. God bless all of you and thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This is quite a community!
Our doctors have been truly astounded at how quickly we are healing. We keep telling them that they are not the only ones who are healing us. Thanks be to God and all of you earthly angels.
Kay and Brent Brentnall
Blaine

4H report
The Editor,
This year, the Discovery Club members participated in several departments at the Northwest Washington Fair August 13-18. The following members took their animals: Jessica Einfeld, Ramona Valdez, and Suzanna Valdez took their dogs; Miguel Valdez, Ramona Valdez, and Suzanna Valdez took their swine; Miguel Valdez took his two dairy goats; and Miguel Valdez and Ramona Valdez took poultry.
Congratulations to these members for taking the opportunity to learn more about their animals and to have a good time learning to show them!
Some of the other departments that Discovery club members entered include Crafts, Crocheting, Demonstrations, 4-H in Action, Primary Show and Tell, Record Books, Sewing, and Table Displays. Good job on taking the initiative to participate in such a wide range of learning opportunities! As a club, we entered a Banner and Educational Booth. We also had Booth Duty in the 4-H building two times during the week.
We are currently collecting greeting card fronts for the St. Judes Ranch for Children. The ranch uses the card fronts in fundraising activities, and also to teach the children responsibility. We collect soup labels for the Ranch as well. If you have any of these items that you would be willing to donate, please call club member Tyne at 647-3341.
The Discovery Club continues to collect stuffed animals to be distributed to the county Trauma Units through the Lynden Fire Department. If you have any new or like-new animals to donate, we have collection boxes at the Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, and Lynden Libraries. Call Wyatt at 647-3341 for more information.
The Discovery Club would like to send its sympathies to the Bowen family of Ferndale on their loss of Ginny Bowen, who was also the main leader of the Trail Blazers. We are truly sorry at the loss of such a great leader and friend of 4-H.
Stephanie Hine
Lynden

 

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

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 are limited to five individuals or groups. 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, fax 360/332-2777 or E-mail:editor@thenorthernlight.com