Letters to the Editor

The Editor:
My name is Emily Hendricks-Hockey and I have been selected to attend “Business Week” camp at Western Washington University this summer.
There I will learn leadership skills, make friends in the business community and study the many different career options available to me in Washington state.
I am excited about this opportunity and am raising funds to help pay my tuition fees. If you would donate money towards my tuition costs I would be very appreciative! (It is also tax deductible.) Please send donations to P.O. Box 5194, Blaine, Wash. 98231.
I will work hard to positively represent my community of Blaine and value your support.
Emily Hendricks-Hockey
Blaine

The Editor:
Sixteen million dollars to enlarge the Blaine airport, so that by the year 2025 the airport will gain 11 more airplanes. $16 million divided by 11, means it will cost you, the taxpayers, $1,454,545.40 for each new airplane. These figures come from the new airport master plan. This is on top of the $1,300,000 spent by the city on the airport in the last five years.
This year, the airport budget is $313,000, plus $500,000 the city spent buying a piece of property worth $300,000.
Half a million dollars so the airport could destroy seven to eight hundred trees (you can go count the tree stumps). Half a million dollars is almost twice what the property was worth, (I hope that if I ever sell my ho use, the city will buy it for the airport).
Add to this the $60,865 taxpayer money which the city is now calling “outstanding loans” over the past 10 years (see the Bellingham Herald, June 7, 2005, page A3), plus the $784,821 the airport owes the street department for the use of “our” street department property (RCW 42-09-210).
Sixteen million dollars. What will the citizens of Blaine receive for this money? The cost of operating the airport will go up.
This year’s airport budget is $313,103. So maybe the 2007 budget will be $626,206 to operate the airport. And $250,000 over the next 10 years in “outstanding loans” plus lost jobs, lost tax income from the property taken off the tax rolls.
In other words, more tree stumps, less money and more noise.
Ray Wilkett
Blaine

The Editor:
The Sixty-Five SisterHood Helping Hands garage sale was an amazing success and we would like to thank the many businesses and individuals for their generous donations.
We would also like to thank Randy and Karen Reid, Suzanne Washburn, Jonie Tingley, Andria Reid, Sato Okada, Amanda Fischer, Norm Scheib and Gary Love for their many hours of help.
Last, we are especially appreciative for all the people who came to the garage sale. Everyone was very patient and made the event a great deal of fun. The garage sale was very successful and we look forward to contributing the money earned back into the community of Blaine and 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

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