Letters to the Editor: December 20-January 2

The Editor:

I was dismayed at the tone of your article in the December 13 issue blaming the local native tribes for the “languishing berm project.”

The county is the party totally responsible for the delays. The county did not anticipate any part of the permitting process in a realistic way.

You state that the work was to begin in fall 2016 and show a picture of the cultural excavation in April 2017. Didn’t the county know that native populations had lived in this region for 10,000 years and that this survey was a requirement? When did the tribes receive the completed survey? Why was the easement process so protracted?

I went to several meetings on this project and each time the county representatives were totally cavalier and disregarding of the realities involved. The schedule was always a little joke.

Now that funding is at risk, to blame the native americans for the project delays is totally unreasonable, yet typical. Blame the Indians is always an easy answer. Scapegoating is always the easy answer. I am retired professional civil engineer and I know where the problem lies.

Whatcom County engineering has done a very poor job in coordinating this project: the blame for the delays and potential loss of funding is their responsibility.

John Kwiecinski PE

Seattle

The Editor:

The way we were … a voice in the wilderness!

This may be a bunch of foolishness on my part, since the horse has long since run out of the barn. But I learned not to lie, boost, showoff, or harm others when I was a preschooler in the early 40s.

Watching TV today is astonishing in this regard. I watched TV emerge in the 50s and was impressed by its inherent honesty, quality and goodness.

Numerous topics were prohibited or avoided. It seemed that adult common sense prevailed.

In advertising the following topics were absent:

Hard liquor, wild car ads, medical practice offices and doctors, prescription medicines, gambling, as well as disgusting or sexually degrading humor, lying, or fabricated statistics.

I find it impossible not to be offended by what I see and hear. Eighty-four percent better … better than what?

Can you imagine calling your doctor to pass on TV ad recommendations.

Do people really do this?

And I am incensed by adult bashing-ridiculing the adult wisdom and contributions, generosity, advice, love and caring – the stuff that creates life and supports it.

‘You are acting just like your father!’ I hope so! Father knows best … he usually did.

Somehow, we’ve forgotten our children are not born geniuses; they start from scratch, needing bodacious amounts of food, love, instruction and correction.

Regarding our government. where is the adult in the room?

Can we put the genie back in the bottle?

Thomas Kimberly

Blaine

The Editor:

The first annual Blaine/Birch Bay Community Toy Store, our new holiday gift assistance program, was held last week on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday morning and

afternoon.

Thanks to the overwhelming support of so many of you in the community, 189 children and teens from 72 families will be waking up to some wonderful gifts on Christmas morning that their parents were able to select and purchase themselves.

The shopping proceeds added up to $1,526, which will go to support the Blaine Food Bank and The Bridge Community Hope Center.

Our Community Toy Store leadership team has been continually amazed at the generosity of people in this community, and we want to say a huge thank you to each person and business who donated toys, gift cards and money.

Over 1,400 toys, 135 gift cards, and additional funds were collected! A huge thanks also goes out to all the businesses and organizations that hosted collection sites, to Pacific Building Center for their toy match and to all the churches and other organizations that provided volunteers for the many tasks needed to make this happen.

It truly was a community-wide effort, and we are so grateful for the outpouring of love and support provided for these families. Each parent left the Toy Store with a smile on their face, and according to their survey responses, each felt blessed and was extremely grateful for the opportunity to shop at the Community Toy Store.

Thanks to this amazing community, our mission was accomplished!

Laura Vogee

Blaine/Birch Bay Community Toy Store Director