Letters to the Editor: February 20-26, 2020

The Editor:

In his letter in last week’s paper (February 13-19), Mickey Masdeo exhibited the kind of self-defeating thinking that can ruin school systems.

Voting no on levies because you have no children in school is short-sighted and selfish, since good schools benefit the whole community.

Voting no because you disagree with the way funds are managed means you’re missing the point.

If you feel that way, run for the board yourself. Join the other public-spirited citizens on the board who serve in a volunteer position that takes a year to really learn and do well.

I do agree that Birch Bay should incorporate rather than continue to demand city-like services from the county. Because of what incorporation entails (a city hall building, a police force, etc.), the most efficient way (for those of you who hate taxes) would be for Blaine and Birch Bay to merge. We could go back to Blaine’s original name, “Concord.”

Perhaps, Mickey, if you oppose this idea, like the school levy, it would pass as well.

Jack Kintner

Blaine

The Editor and Blaine City Council:

Now is more appropriate than ever to restore our historic station and push for it to become an active Amtrak rail stop. Think of how well this restoration would fit in with the planned go-ahead of the BNSF Alley along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe right of way.

The city of White Rock purchased and restored their station even though it was understood that it would likely never become an active rail stop again. The restoration was part of their overall plan to redevelop the business area along their waterfront. The success is evident.

Think of how much more of a benefit Blaine would gain with its train station restored, with a good possibility that it will likely become an active rail stop sometime in the near future as well.

Tearing it down to replace it with something much less substantial, such as a simple platform with a cover when Blaine once again becomes an active train stop, would be an outrage. A covered platform would make waiting for the train, especially for those crossing over from Canada, much less desirable. It would be cold, wet and windy compared to a warm, enclosed historic building in which to wait.

So how about it? This has been a no-brainer waiting for a long time.

Jess Rainey

Blaine

The Editor:

It was fascinating to read the tribute to Kirk Douglas in the latest issue of The Northern Light (February 13-19). Unlike so many celebrity stories, this one had a personal connection since it was written by journalist Ron Miller who had spent time with Mr. Douglas. Mr. Miller’s article was intriguing as he noted Douglas’ answers to some of the unique questions he posed. In this way, readers were treated to a side of this renowned actor that revealed the person behind the Hollywood mask. I was especially captivated by Mr. Miller’s analysis of Douglas’ relationship with John Wayne, given that they were on opposite sides of the political spectrum. This is the kind of detail that only a superb interviewer identifies and recognizes as relevant to readers.

I should not have been surprised to read this excellent review of Kirk Douglas, since my husband and I have been treated to a series of programs Mr. Miller has been giving at the Semiahmoo Resort on Wednesday evenings. For those of us who are still enchanted by the golden age of Hollywood and the TV stars who followed, Mr. Miller’s stories, from his prodigious career interviewing many of them, are a rare opportunity. If you are interested in learning more about these great classic film and TV stars, I highly recommend both this program and the books Mr. Miller wrote with co-author James Bawden. Each program – and each book – is a fascinating compendium of famous stars, in a brief but incisive format, far beyond the typical, superficial accounts of today’s so-called celebrity interviewers.

Patricia A. Bloom, Ph.D.

Blaine

The Editor:

I just read the front page article in The Northern Light’s February 13-19 edition, “APA Museum attraction highlights role of Chinese labor.” I know the author of the article to be a compassionate person and am confident the article was seeking to provide an accounting of local history.

However, I have to object to repeated references in the article to the full name of the piece of equipment at the museum that was recently painted. That name includes a racial slur, and in the published article, the slur was not partially obscured – no early warning about it, just an acknowledgement, the third time it’s mentioned, that the name is “now racially charged.” To my knowledge, it was a racial slur at the time the equipment was built. The name was repeated five times between the caption and the article content. Four times the name was in quotes, and one time it wasn’t.

I was at a grocery store in downtown Bellingham last week and heard yelling in the store. When I got closer to the registers, I could see a woman loudly alternating between describing a newspaper salesman outside the front of the store as a black man, and then using the n-word to single him out. She said she didn’t want to give him money. I see this man frequently and he never approaches me, waves to me as I walk by, and a variety of folks stop and have friendly conversations with him. He had to hear this woman targeting him with slurs multiple times, from inside, and then outside the store close to where he was.

It was traumatizing to me, so when I think of how the targeted gentleman would feel seeing that word in the newspaper after that experience, and when I think of even worse encounters that involve the hurling of racial slurs, I can’t really find a justification, history lesson or not, where slurs of any kind should not be treated with the weight of a profanity by a newspaper or by a museum.

Dena Jensen

Birch Bay