Letters to the Editor

The Editor:
The Birch Bay Lions Club is starting their annual fund raising campaign of the Birch Bay community birthday calendar. The money raised goes to the purchase of eyeglasses and eye exams for the residents of Birch Bay and Blaine in need.
The calendars can be purchased for $6, which entitles you to five entries on the calendar and $1 for each entry after the first five.
If you would like to purchase one or place an advertisement on the calendar please contact the club at 773-8422 or 371-0171.
What’s raised in the community stays in the community.
The deadline is September l – so hurry and contribute to those in need of eyeglasses.
Dean Adkins, Birch Bay Lions Club
Burlington

The Editor:
For quite some time, users of Lincoln Road have been concerned about its narrow and dangerous conditions. The closure of Drayton Harbor Road has resulted in more traffic using Lincoln and many large construction vehicles traveling to various projects in this area have recently further exacerbated the situation.
The county appears to have changed its mind several times about the date for re-opening Drayton Harbor Road and for commencing the alterations to Lincoln Road. In the meantime, residents of Semiahmoo, visitors and traffic to the hotel on the spit are only able to use Lincoln Road.
At a recent public meeting, the developer of Horizons at Semiahmoo indicated that the feeder road from his property, which will also handle traffic from Birch Bay Village, would “break through” into Semiahmoo Parkway/Lincoln Road next year. Unless this is timed after the reconstruction of Lincoln Road, total chaos, let alone even more dangerous conditions, will result, in my view.
The county has responded that Lincoln Road is not dissimilar to other county roads. Really? Are they only 19-feet-wide? Are they without useable shoulders? Do they have deep ditches close to the road edge and is traffic volume (with trailers almost 9-feet-wide) the same as it is now and will be in the future, as Lincoln Road? For comparison, Semiahmoo Parkway is 24 feet wide, with additional “bike paths” on either side – a total of 34 feet useable road.
Perhaps we all should protest again to Pete Kremen. While this road is in the county, because Semiahmoo has been annexed to Blaine, we also need to urge Blaine city manager and council to represent us tax-paying residents in our desire to handle this reconstruction in an efficient, timely and coordinated manner. We should also take extreme care when we meet drivers taking on cell phones, lighting cigarettes, putting on make-up and many other activities not associated with controlling vehicles. A letter to the construction companies asking their drivers to take special care with large vehicles and trailers might also be valuable.
The speed limit on Lincoln Road is 35 mph. Even if this limit were observed, a 70 mph collision would result from a driver veering across the center. Why do we have overtaking lines in this dangerous area, when the remainder of the road’s continuation, as Semiahmoo Parkway, does not permit this?
Trevor Hoskins
Blaine

The Editor:
People were wondering if I had died. For nearly a month I worried over the prospects of becoming blind. Doctors were concerned with blood pressure. I was legally blind in one eye, and the other was on its way. On May 16, I came through cataract surgery with flying colors – no hemorrhage, pain, or nausea, and now a whole new world of color, light and depth has returned.
City council gave the Pugwash sister city proposal a black eye April 10. I, among other sister-city enthusiasts, departed in a state of sadness if not shock. Still, I doubt the issue is dead.
My rapport with our representatives is not robust. For the record:
Dr. Ely diagnosed me with an incurable state of lifelong anger and said he wouldn’t much talk with me anymore.
Dr. Wolf says he wants to know more about Pugwash. Previous to his request, I had sent him an email and left a phone message, asking if I could discuss the sister city plan with him. He ignored both requests. With whom can he reliably talk?
In an April 11 email message, Onyon wrote, “My intention is to have a group meeting in the near future to try to make everyone’s positions understood better; hopefully culminating in an amicable agreement without attacks.” She believes I’m an attacker. When will she hold that meeting?
Overstreet described the sister city proposal as “very political.” We need to learn exactly how so. Is Pugwash politically liberal, conservative, Christian, Buddhist, or what?
Neither Onyon nor Overstreet answered my email requests for discussion.
Hawkins was unhappy because I criticized him and Ely for shooting down mayor Liebert. I don’t know what they think of the sister city idea; they weren’t present to vote.
Nor do I know what our mayor currently thinks of the proposal.
That leaves Liebert and I. So I shall spend my three minutes discussing the issue when the city council meets June 12. I hope those who favor the sister city concept will be present to lend support. God knows I’ll need it!
Richard Clark
Blaine

The Editor:
I have stood idly by and watched the airport issue ebb and flow and said nothing but a recent letter to the editor prompted me to speak up.
I was there when Issaquah decided to get rid of the “Seattle Sky Ranch,” a small field on the shore of Lake Sammamish. After the field was covered with apartments and houses the moaning began. “Why did we get rid of our lovely air field?” As for the money everyone thought was going to help Issaquah, it went into the pockets of only a few (realtors, land developers, etc.)
Next came Bellevue airport. After it is gone, you can’t have it back. Same moaning, same place for money.
Now we are in the same boat in Blaine. Everyone thinks Blaine is going to benefit from the sale of the airport. We have big brother’s word on this – Ron Freeman, Scott Dodd, Bruce Hansen and Dennis Hill. They know what’s good for all of us. Not too hard to see who is going to benefit, eh? They are having a meeting on June 5, and if you are in favor of the airport, they don’t want you to come. Thank you so much for free speech.
Why are four unelected men steering the course for all citizens of Blaine? And I can hear the moaning now. Why did we let them take away our beautiful airport?
Allen Nicholson
Blaine

The Editor:
Most of us know to apply the brakes when we see a stop sign. That is basic English comprehension; stop means stop. It distresses me to see that officials charged with protecting the public good lack such a basic skill. Planning commissioners Jeff Arntzen, Ken Oplinger, and David Bailey obviously lack this basic skill.
If one reads the Semiahmoo master development plan (SMDP) you will realize that Trillium’s proposal does not meet the plan’s requirements. There are many areas in which the requirements are not met.
For example; the SMDP shows an open “park zone” in the center of the spit which is to be a “landscaped environment.” Instead of looking out over an open landscaped central environment Trillium has residential units in this open area. The “park zone” is an integral part of the SMDP. It is the gathering point from which visitors will start their journey to the various attractions the spit has to offer. Let us hope and pray that the city council members have the comprehension skills of the four planning commissioners who voted against Trillium’s Seagrass proposal.
Dr. Ed Schellinck
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

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