Letters to the Editor

The Editor:
I am extremely disappointed in your paper for running a captioned picture of Rosalinda Guillen of community to community development on page four of your April 12 - April 17 edition.
In the caption, your editors allowed Ms. Guillen to again spout completely false and inflammatory claims against the Minutemen!
These very same baseless claims, made up out of “whole cloth,” were aired before the state commission on human rights last year, and were found to be without merit and completely unsubstantiated.

Ms. Guillen makes a living out of inventing false claims against the Minutemen and has an extensive history of racism and hate mongering associated with her attempts to stir up racial divisiveness and fear among the Hispanic (Latino) community of Whatcom County.

I find it irresponsible for your paper to run this captioned picture without allowing the Minutemen to defend themselves or stating that there have been absolutely no complaints against the Minutemen since their operations began in Whatcom County in October 2005. By now, everyone in the county knows that the Minutemen do not ask anyone for “citizenship documentation.” We watch the border, not people, and we report to the U.S. Border Patrol so that they may do their job more effectively. Please ask your editor to correct this painful smear on our reputation.
Hal Washburn,
Washington minuteman detachment
Olalla

The Editor:
Free group recorder lessons: Years ago I discovered that if I wanted to continue playing the recorder with friends nearby, it would be a good idea to start a teaching program. I therefore began to offer free group lessons to beginners and to others who read music. This strategy worked as I now play recorder with four different groups in this area.
I offer beginning classes to those who do not know how to read music and who have not played an instrument. For those who know how to read music, who perhaps learned to play an instrument while in school or have sung in a choir, I offer an intermediate class. Those who know how to play recorder have formed an advanced ensemble. Yes, these classes are free. I have never charged for teaching recorder. Those in the classes are asked to purchase a little music from time to time. I have a few extra recorders that I loan to those without access to a recorder. (Your child may have used one in elementary school that you might borrow.) Making music with a group is so much fun that it is well worth the time.

Recorders come in all sizes from soprano to great basses. Getting started is inexpensive and easy to learn. The modern makers of recorders make plastic as well as wooden models. The plastic recorders provide excellent quality and can be easily taken with you while camping or boating. If you are interested give me a call at 371-5193.
Bill Gardner
Birch Bay

The Editor:
I feel compelled to share the exciting and motivational experience of my attendance at the Dakota Creek Center on Blaine Road, particularly the Friday, April 6 youth event. The Dakota Creek Community Church which meets at the center has a mandate to see lives transformed and restored, appears to have been born out of the vision of our forefathers as proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence ... “that all men are created equal; that they are endowed with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness....”with a firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence.

The church opened the doors in January 2007 and is quickly filling with residents from the surrounding areas who are joyfully using their time, treasures and talents to do their part in bringing about positive change to our community. It has been suggested that the posting on the church’s door should be “Welcome to the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

There was a great turnout at the first youth rally held on Good Friday with free pizza, games, electrifying live music and life-changing testimonials. The main theme: you are not like a worthless ’82 Volkswagon Rabbit, but the truth is you are like a priceless Lamborghini in God’s eyes.

Upcoming events include a community-wide family fund-raising garage sale on Saturday, April 28 with a free concert following at 7 p.m.

For more information, call me at 360/332-9917 and/or log onto the web site at www.dakotacreekcenter.com.
Marion (aka Marnie) McCallum-Beck
Blaine

The Editor:
I have two grandchildren in the Blaine high school. This past Saturday was prom night. This is a major event in a high schooler’s life. I was concerned when I learned that the Blaine high school prom was scheduled to be held in Bellingham. My main concern was that it is another event that requires young drivers to be out on the roads at night on a weekend with all of the rest of the population that goes out on Saturday night to party.

These are young drivers with little experience who are themselves already in an excited party state of mind. Everyone is excited and nervous and not as focused on the serious task of driving as they should be. My other concern was the expense to those students who don’t drive.

Prom is already an expensive celebration and now we added the transportation to an event 30 miles away. Why is it so hard for the people who plan Blaine high school events to remember that we have already lost great students just in the past few years by encouraging young inexperienced drivers to get out on the roads while celebrating high school events?

There are plenty of places in Blaine that allow for large celebrations – couldn’t we find somewhere closer to home? Let’s not forget those that were not able to attend prom this year because of car accidents. Prom night is one of the most dangerous nights of a teenager’s life. I would personally like to see all of these students graduate. 
Jean Madsen
Anacortes

The Editor:
I saw a very pleasant sight the other day as I came to work – two young mothers with their little kids ranging in ages from about 18 months to eight years were picking up garbage from around the skateboard park.

These little guys with their moms were stuffing sacks with trash and putting it in the cans provided. They seemed to be proud of the park and what it afforded them, too bad the older kids, the ones who make the mess, would not do the same, the parents who drop their kids off and do not come back for hours are selling the park short, this is not a free daycare facility.

My office overlooks the park and we see the coming and going of the parents. I admit there are some who actually stay and watch their kids at play, too bad a few always spoil it for the deserving.

To shut the park down would be a shame especially since the few who do the damage could be weeded out if the city would provide someone to police the grounds even on a random basis.

We need the park, the kids need the park. If not here then find them an alternative, there is little else in this town for the kids, take charge and maintain what we have in the interim.

I would rather see them out there enjoying life than as clients in my facility.
Joyce Bigelow
The Lighthouse Addiction
Recovery Centre
Blaine

The Editor:
The Northern Light asks for letters, so I decided to write! I have owned a condo in Birch Bay for five years and love coming to Blaine as often as possible.

You see, it’s the last vacation place I booked for my family when my mom and dad were still alive. Being here brings back wonderful memories of skipping rocks and walking on the beach and exploring restaurants.

I now bring new friends to the area as well as family. And we always marvel at what a small town like Blaine is capable of doing – from promoting the successes of its students to making the library such a welcoming government institution of outreach.

Now, to make participation so much easier on those of us who are unfamiliar with the area, please give more directions to the events published in The Northern Light. I read about a hike on April 14 and have no idea where Stimpson Family Nature Reserve on Lake Louise Road is! The phone number has no area code although I presume it is 360.
Thanks for listening!
Rebecca Strand
Blaine

The Editor:
As a resident of Blaine/Birch Bay and a mother what I find shocking is the lack of parks and recreation for our children.

I would love a decent swing and slide and a place to take my young children. Most towns have these things! This is a growing community with an amazing amount of children. We moved to the Bay Crest development three and a half years ago and we were one of the first families to move in.

I expected with the size of the development that Homestead Northwest was planning a small community park to be in the plans. I was shocked to find out that they had no plans to adding a playground to one of their precious plots of land.

Now there is the closure of the skate park. I do not have children at the age to use this park but I am disappointed that the adults in the community have let this slip away.

Yes, the young people who were using the park have to take responsibility for their actions, but so do the parents of the children who were causing the vandalism. I would not lump all of the young people using the park into the category of reckless and irresponsible.
In a time when there are so many pressures, schedules, lessons and homework I want to remind everyone that our children need to have some unstructured (yet supervised) fun as well.
Debbie Peris
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