Letters to the Editor

The Editor:
I am writing in regard to the letter of November 16 about the Blaine Food Bank. They have very hard workers there. They put many miles on their truck to try to supply us with food. They also have bookkeepers and many volunteers to help them. They do the best they can to help us. I am very indebted to them. They do the very best they can.

I am a single senior citizen on a small pension, but my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren live with me. If it was not for the food bank I would be lost. They give out what they can every week. I get potatoes, salad makings, fruit and vegetables. I praise the Lord for the occasional laundry soap and always toilet paper.
Do not be hard on the food bank. They do the best that they can.
Imogene Wilson

BlaineThe Editor:
Anyone who goes to the food bank should count their blessings. I’ve been going there for over 20 years and I’ve volunteered there too. They would never intentionally give out bad food.
For example, this week I received a turkey hindquarter, chicken fingers, potatoes and sweet potatoes, apples, canned cranberries, canned pumpkin, canned vegetables, bread and buns, two boxes of cereal, orange juice and more.
There’s enough for at least four full meals. The food bank is there to help you stretch your budget. I’m very thankful that it’s there.
Linda Aff

BlaineThe Editor:
While driving home from her second job in the early morning hours of around 3:15 a.m. Dominique Walter noticed a fire.
Thinking to herself it was too big for a bon fire and too early in the morning. As she drove closer she could see a large barn was on fire. Without thinking she drove up to the front of the house and started pounding and kicking on the door, she could see the dogs inside going crazy but not a person in sight.
Thinking the homeowners were out of town she called 911. Then she called home to let me know why she was late arriving home. Hearing the pain in her voice I drove the two miles to be with her. As we stood out in the rain watching this beautiful barn burn to the ground we couldn’t help but feel the pain of the owners coming home to this.
It was only today that I found out the homeowners were home and didn’t wake up until the first fire trucks arrived. I am very proud of my daughter’s quick actions. I feel that without them there would be more then just a barn burning that morning. We are very proud parents.
Patrick & Michaela Fuller

BlaineThe Editor:
The Giving Tree committee would like to give a great big thank you to the Crystal Tricycle band members, Steve, John, Wynn, and Lenny. Once again they very generously donated their time and their talents to put on a fun-filled dance.
The benefit raised money to help purchase Christmas gifts for the children of our community. Thank yous also go to Mary Lee and her staff at the Pastime Bar for letting us use her facility for the dance, Goffs’, Northern Meadows, TC Trading for donating goodies for the raffle basket, and to Gary Tomsic for performing an impromptu auction of some pies donated by Mary Lee. We had a full house and a good time was had by all.
Sponsors are still needed for Giving Tree families as well as donations of cash. For more information, contact Stafholt Good Samaritan Center at 332-8733. Thanks again.
Laurie, Marsha, Debbie, and Natasha

BlaineThe Editor:
From November 27 through December 8 Blaine high school will be hosting a toy drive contributing to the Starlight Starbright Foundation. We will be collecting toys, games, and CDs from the students at Blaine high school as well as members of the community. These toys will go towards terminally ill children in hospitals around the state. (Please no stuffed animals.)
Thank you for your support. There will be a box in the office for the community members to donate. There will also be a class competition between seniors/sophomores and juniors/freshman.
More information will be posted in the courtyard for students.
Rick Shockey

BlaineThe Editor:
Harassment. False arrest. I guess a few police officers have something against my son; arresting him for the wind is pretty childish. Then to tell him you’ve had enough of him. I think you should have better things to do with your time other than to make things up against Joseph. Besides going through his stuff without a search warrant is illegal. I watched several vehicles drive funny today. Why didn’t you pull them over and arrest them for dangerous driving?
A copy of this has been sent to Olympia as well to former chief of police Bill Elfo and to our lawyer.
I don’t think it’s proper for an officer of the law to tell someone that all they would have to do is pull someone over, plant drugs in their vehicle and arrest them because you can’t go against the Blaine police.
Carrie Merrifield

BlaineThe Editor:
The 2006 CAP Thanksgiving Basket Project was a tremendous success. There were 181 families fed. Families in Blaine, Birch Bay, and Custer received the dinner baskets on Wednesday afternoon in time to prepare complete turkey dinners for Thursday.
It all wouldn’t have happened without the tremendous support of this wonderful community. Hundreds of people gave donations. Too many to mention, but a few should be listed. Brad and Diane O’Neill paid for 175 turkeys, Edaleen Dairy gave 180 gallons of milk and Bedlington Potato Warehouse gave 900 pounds of potatoes. Jeff Robinson and Totally Chocolate provided 10 complete Thanksgiving dinner baskets.
Then there was Kathy Stauffer who not only gave us a most generous financial donation, but also lent us her diesel pickup truck to haul the big loads. Windermere Real Estate and Sterling Bank led local businesses in their financial support. The list should go on and on, for many gave very generously to help our community.
Next, there were the volunteers from our community who gave us the pies. They were gratefully received. Even with many people giving, we ran short by about two dozen.
Finally there are some special thanks. First, to Greg Avery and his team at Cost Cutter; Next, to Bob Williams, Bryan and Daphne Johnson, Tom Dorsey, Robert Mims, and Jim Holloway who spent many long hours working to bring it all together.
Mike Nelson and the NW Whatcom Professional Firefighters Local 3867 hung the banner, moved the groceries and returned the milk crates to Lynden. Kahlil Dhanani muscled the heavy baskets of food to the waiting needy families. Larissa Dhanani and Andrea Marcus spent hours contacting and working with the people who received the baskets.
They didn’t finish until 7 p.m. on Thanksgiving eve. Tom Dorsey took baskets that evening to shut-ins and others who couldn’t get to the distribution center. Without these people, it would have been chaos.
Thanks so much to all of you and to those others, too numerous to list, who helped. And thanks to all of you who gave so generously financially that made this whole outreach effort possible.
Because of your giving hearts and helping hands, more than 700 children and 260 adults had a reason to be thankful last Thursday. You can be truly proud of what you have done!
Bless you all.
Brent Brentnall, Director
Community Assistance Program
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