The Editor:
I would like to congratulate Grace McCarthy for three years of excellent journalism at The Northern Light. She has now been there for three years, first as an intern for university credit and now at the helm as editor. This paper, and others like it, are essential to informing the public about key societal institutions in their further advancement, and Ms. McCarthy has done a brilliant job documenting many of the key issues.
As a previous editor, I had the privilege of interviewing Ms. McCarthy for her internship application. After she was accepted, not only did she do top-notch reporting, but she also asked important ethical questions. When a small business that she was writing about sent her a free, unsolicited product sample, she asked if she should keep it or send it back. When a local legislator asked to edit one of their statements after a Q&A, Ms. McCarthy asked for guidance on this too (I advised that the politician couldn’t revise their quote).
In a profession that does not have legislated rules for sound constitutional reasons, these types of questions must be deliberated upon by each journalist as they chart their own course. Indeed, all of us must consider such questions, since we are all journalists every time we post on social media, speak up about common concerns and shared issues, or otherwise express ourselves to others.
The whole team at The Northern Light is doing a wonderful job at serving its readers, encouraging community engagement and helping to raise awareness of important topics relevant to this unique and special part of America and the world.
Thank you for reading my letter, and best wishes to Ms. McCarthy for the continued progress of her outstanding journalism career.
Jami Makan
Coquitlam, B.C. and Blaine
The Editor:
I was encouraged to read Dr. Sandhya Gelou’s letter (January 5-12 issue) in which she addressed the urgency of diabetes prevention, noting some remarkable successes in the American Indian and Alaska Native communities.
All other populations are continuing to trend upward in diabetes diagnoses at alarming rates.
It’s time to connect some dots: Diabetes prevention should be an ambitious public health initiative. Now. Not off into the future.
Type 2 diabetes, the opioid crisis, alcohol and tobacco use have something in common. They are among the top health challenges in our country. They are expensive to contain and treat and raise the cost of insurance and medical care for employers and employees. Additionally, they negatively impact workforce participation.
The governor, chambers of commerce, business owners and various media are expressing concerns about the difficulty in recruiting and retaining a stable workforce. These challenges have become acute.
In December, the CDC warned of a 700 percent surge in diabetes in young Americans under the age of 20 in the coming decades. This new research should be a wake-up call to ensure all of our children are the healthiest they can be.
Our health department will be the administrator of the Healthy Children’s Fund (Proposition 5) that was approved in November 2022. They should include diabetes prevention as a priority. Prop. 5 plans are still in their developmental phase – so it’s possible to include diabetes prevention in the 10-year project, which is funded by property taxes.
How many readers know the elected Whatcom County Council comprises the board of our county health department?
It was county council that voted to put the so-called healthy kids measure on the ballot, even though there was no developed plan defined.
Diabetes prevention belongs on the public health agenda if we want a future healthy labor pool. Where’s the leadership?
Delores Davies
Ferndale
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here