Letters to the Editor White Porta

Don't forget your garage sale signs
The Editor:
I don't know if it bothers anyone else,�but the people who have their garage sales are in a hurry to put up their signs and then seem to forget where they are after they are done with the sale. I realize there are responsible people but there are also the others. Let�s not leave our garbage hanging all over our town to be blown down and picked up by others.
It also is not fair to the folks who attend your sales to follow signs that are a week or two old. Just a heads up.
Leo Baldwin
Blaine

Color guard should start
The Editor:
Well, here we go again. The city of Blaine has shot itself in the foot again. Before I get into this, let me ask one question of everyone. What is the first thing to lead off a parade?
On July 4, the city of Blaine at their parade, instead of starting the parade the way every city in America does with the traditional honor guard, with the colors, instead disrespected not only the city, but the county, state and country by insisting that the parade lead off with the fire department unit. When the city parade organizers were told of the errors of their ways, they still insisted on starting with the fire department, saying that if there was an emergency the fire department could leave quickly.
Because of their stupidity, the color guard of the American Legion pulled out of the parade and refused to participate in their breach of protocol.
If you take the city�s approach to this situation, the fire trucks, if they had an emergency, the only thing they would have hampering their departure would be four men carrying the flags of the color guard. Now the fire trucks all have loud speakers in them, and all they would have to do is announce to the four men in front of them to get out of the way, that they had to leave, and they would be out of the way in a New York minute.
The color guard was right to pull out of the parade with this breach of protocol, and the city will be lucky to get them to come back. If you watch any parade from any country worldwide, they all start their parades with their respective color guards, and for the city of Blaine to disrespect this country the way it did on the 4th, this nation�s birthday, is appalling. The people who gave their lives for this nation�s freedom would be rolling over in their graves at the disrespect shown to them and this nation by this city.
The city owes an apology not only to the color guard, but knowing who and what governs the city, I wouldn�t hold my breath waiting for it to come.
David White
Blaine, WA

Fishers having hard time
The Editor:
What�s with the double standard in Washington? A 79-year-old man gets a $100,000 fine for catching a salmon in one of our rivers, yet Canadians can come down here and steal, yes steal, crab from not only locals who are waiting for the season to open, but they are stealing from the commercial fishers who make their living from the crab industry and they have been doing it for years.
The reason? They will be charged in Canada; down here they do as they please. I have them coming to our place of business for bait, I tell them crab season is closed, they smile and move on, real arrogance and inconsideration. They need to be charged, convicted and barred from entering the U.S. again.
The commercial fishers are having a hard time as it is without these thieves from the North contributing to our problem. Again, remove them and don�t let them return.
Harvey Wilson
Blaine

No porta-potty?
The Editor:
Regarding the story on the front page of The Northern Light a few weeks ago regarding the chamber of commerce deciding to forgo ordering a port-a-potty at the Birch Bay center beach. This is so unbelievably short-sighted.
The chamber of commerce advertises Birch Bay in many places, always encouraging families to come and enjoy the beach. On the Fourth of July, I saw cars from many states visiting. However, after carrying the food, towels, kids, dogs, chairs and blankets down to the sand for a full day of fun, where do you go if one of the kids has to go the restroom? If you pack the kids into the car and drive him to the state park facility, the likelihood of your parking space being there when you return is nil. This has proven such a hardship for many including the elderly. To say the port-a-potty was being used by teenagers to do drugs is insane! The last place these kids would want to be is a smelly toilet doing drugs. What more basic a human need than elimination!
I have been coming to Birch Bay for over 50 years and love everything about it but this.
The beach needs restrooms in the summer. The restaurants and stores don�t want kids and parents with sandy feet traipsing through their premises. I beg the chamber of commerce to reconsider and place the most basic of necessities back on the beach this summer. You will have many, many thankful visitors.
Candy Gray
Birch Bay, WA & Vancouver B.C.

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 email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com