Letters to the Editor

Thanks to rescuers
The Editor:
Over the last four years a group of volunteers and businesses in Blaine have provided complete turkey dinners and all the fixings to needy families in our community and Point Roberts. Last year we fed 50 families for a total of 265 people.
This year with the economy being so weak and the unemployment rate so high, especially in Whatcom County, the need is even greater.
Unfortunately the Blaine Food Bank doesn’t have the resources to hand out Thanksgiving baskets this year and instead is going to pass out $10 gift certificates to Cost Cutter. As we all know $10 is not nearly enough to cover the cost of turkey dinner.
In our baskets, we have provided fully cooked side courses that only need to be reheated. Our baskets contain a fresh turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, green beans, gravy, stuffing, a gallon of milk, dinner rolls, a pound of butter, cranberry sauce, a pumpkin pie, whipping cream and an aluminum turkey pan. This year since the need is so great and we may possibly need to feed twice as many people as last year, we have decided to simplify the basket to include all of the same ingredients except to have the raw products so the families can cook their own Thanksgiving meal.
We realize we don’t have much time, so this is where you come into play. We are looking for the following things: Cash donations (to be paid to Cost Cutter under the account of The Blaine Thanksgiving Program), 50 turkeys, 50 pies, 50 dozen dinner rolls, 50 gallons of milk, 50 pounds of butter, 300 pounds of potatoes, 50 heads of celery, 150 pounds of yams, 100 pounds of onions, 50 pounds of stuffing mix, 50 cans of cranberry sauce, 100 packets of turkey gravy mix and 100 pounds of fresh green beans.
We appreciate your help on this project, we have such a great community that happens to be very diverse in the economic spectrum and anything that you can help us with is a beautiful thing.
Annie Magner
Blaine

Refocus animal control?
The Editor:
This is in regards to a warning I received. I was so shocked and appalled when a Whatcom County Humane Society employee approached me about my dog being off her leash on October 26, at 11:43 a.m. The officer (dog catcher) saw from the road that I was exercising my little dog by throwing the ball for her, which by the way is not terribly far. It is tossed maybe 10 times before she gets tired and then she is back on her leash where she remains until we get back to our yacht, our home, here at the Blaine Marina.
She suggested that I knew, and had seen the sign that says, “Dogs must remain on a leash at all time.” Well, I have yet to see a sign here that says anything at all about dogs. Especially one saying that you will be fined for it. I have seen the brown sign with the cartoon of a man holding his dog on a leash, which suggests to me, that if you can’t control your dog at all times, they need to be on a leash.
For heaven sake, don’t they have better things to do than to prosecute responsible people, who care enough to get their dogs out for exercise, potty duty, etc.? By the way, we always clean up after her and others that don’t. They should be the ones that you are citing or dogs that are out running without supervision or as you call it “at large” which mine was not. She was under my control, as she always is.
I have lived here for six months and walk my dog three times a day in this park. Never have I come across a dog out of control on or off a leash when the owner is present, nor have I ever seen a dog fight. I think that you will find that this is true if you check with the office here.
The people who live here are responsible and loving pet owners, just as your application suggest that we be, caring for them properly, and seeing to it that they get plenty of exercise. What do you suggest? That we all buy doggie treadmills?
Come on! I really think that this is a disgrace to the humane society, which I plan never to support again. The fact they won’t even go out on a call, when someone does see a dog running, makes us wonder what their jobs entail. I have been asked in the past when I called them to pick up a stray dog, to capture it myself and bring it in. What kind of liability are they willing to be responsible for?
I would really like this warning to be dropped and if I were to get another citation, you can bet that I will take it to court and I will have an awful lot of people there to support my efforts.
I would like to suggest that they do the job that was intended for them to do, such as picking up strays and keeping people safe from dangerous animals. Stop harassing those of us who are responsible and caring pet owners.
I am extremely upset over this action.
Bernida Flynn
Blaine

Organic, shmorganic?
The Editor:
Many people prefer organic food because they think it is grown without chemicals or pesticides. Most of the organic produce we consume comes from the US. I am sure it will surprise almost everyone that organic food can be grown with chemicals and pesticides.
If one goes to the USDA-National Organic Program website and reads the "National List of Allowed and Prohibited
Substances" (www.ams.usda.gov/nop/NationalList/FinalRule.html) they will see that organic food production can, in fact, use a variety of chemicals and pesticides. One type of pesticide authorized for organic use is acaricides.
Pyrethrum is used as an acaricide even though the EPA lists it as a "likely carcinogen". Further reading reveals three different antibiotics can be used. If one adds up the different chemicals that are permitted it becomes clear the same chemicals that synthetic fertilizers put on the soil are also permitted to be put on the soil by organic farmers. Therefore if a person is buying organic food to avoid chemicals and pesticides, they may not be getting their monies worth. The public should know that
organic food does not necessarily mean grown without chemicals or pesticides, just different ones.
Robert Wager
Nanaimo B.C.

Thank you...
The Editor:
The Blaine high school Key Club would like to thank the residents of Blaine and Birch Bay for their charitable contributions to Walk ‘n Knock food drive and trick or treat for UNICEF.
On Saturday, October 26, National Make a Difference Day, residents of our community donated over 490 pounds of non-perishable food items for the Blaine Food Bank. On Halloween, over $300 was collected for donation to UNICEF, a foundation, which among other activities, helps fight polio amongst children. At house after house in the area, our members were met with caring and genuine generosity.
This attitude says a lot about the character of our community.
Brendan Mulholland
Blaine

The Editor:
I would like to thank the coaches of the Blaine 8th grade football team,Coach Bill Dodd and Coach Dan Delong. These men have tirelessly attended daily practices, in various weather conditions and supported the team to the best record in the county. They have shown sportsmanship and enthusiasm for the game and encouragement and kindness towards the team. There are many mentors in our community and these men rank among the best.
Tami Kramme
Blaine

The Editor:
Your coverage in The Northern Light was my very favorite. I am speaking about the Custer school Centennial coverage.
Thank you for helping us get the word out. By all measures, we felt our evening was most successful and we had a terrific turnout.
Susan Holmes
Custer

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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