Letters to the Editor

The Editor:
I want to commend John Choulochas and his article in the latest edition of The Northern Light.

To revitalize downtown Blaine, one has to ask the question, what is there in Blaine that would make someone want to visit?  Right now the answer is quite obvious, nothing.

What is in Blaine that one cannot find in Bellingham, LaConner, White Rock, etc.?

Once again, nothing. Driving through downtown Blaine, one might think they’re in Hooterville, Arkansas. 

The curb appeal of downtown Blaine is, to put it mildly, uninviting and ugly. I guess if one wants to go back to the 1940 it’s O.K. It seems the property/business owners don’t want to part with a penny to make improvements to the downtown. Yet these same property owners complain about the status of the city.

Blaine could be a unique community with lots of tourists with money. Blaine is a nice community, so why not make it a great one. Property/business owners and city fathers need to stop their whining and do something. A good example is just down the freeway, look at LaConner.
Ron Boat
Birch Bay

The Editor:
The numbers are finally in and I am excited to announce that this year’s annual Dollars for Scholars Golf Tournament netted close to $15,000. Due to the generosity of so many of you, we were able to give out 19 scholarships to worthy seniors who are continuing their education in various fields.

There are too many people to thank individually, but a special thanks goes to our many sponsors, golfers, donors of merchandise for our raffle, and our volunteers. A variety of goods were donated by Totally Chocolate, Blaine Cost Cutter, Nature’s Path, and Sound Beverage, that were enjoyed by all of our participants.

On behalf of our entire board, a thank you to Greg Avery, Jeff Robinson, Brett Armstrong, and Bonnie Onyon for your generosity. Our special community helps to support this wonderful cause year after year.

Marta Kazymra
Blaine Scholarship Foundation
Blaine

The Editor:
On July 12 I read, “County left without recourse in Drayton Harbor Road delay” by county executive, Pete Kremen. I was disappointed to see such a self-serving submission. The county executive would like to place all of the blame for the project delay on me and my decision to appeal the hearing examiner’s decision. 

Well, it was the county public works department that chose to have the public hearing at the end of May, leaving insufficient time for the required process. It was the county public works department that failed to give the legally required public notice for the project. 

And, it is the county public works department that hasn’t acquired all of the construction easements it needs from the many private property owners where most of the shoreline work will be performed prior to completing the repair. 

I have real concerns with the Drayton Harbor Road repair, as do other property owners that live within the immediate vicinity of the proposed work.

There is a significant difference between actual notice and giving public notice according to the county’s code. In addition, the county’s violation of its own notice requirements resulted in a situation where the few area residents learning about the proposed work were unable to obtain basic environmental documents concerning the project before the hearing. It seems the only members of the public who knew the details of the project were residents of the Semiahmoo area. 

Now that we finally have the documents we need to educate ourselves on the details of the project, we would like the hearing examiner, Mr. Kremen, and the prosecuting attorney to listen to our concerns. After all, isn’t that the main reason for public notice?
Len Helton
Blaine

The Editor:
I realize writing letters to the editor is just as unproductive as writing letters to congressmen or governors. But I’m sending a copy of this to our governor anyway.

Regarding your article about Blaine’s shut-down liquor store and Nicole Perry’s being chosen to open a contract store. It seems to me something is very wrong with employees of the Liquor Control Board. They had no problem issuing a liquor license for the Nooksack Tribe’s north of Lynden casino against almost unanimous opposition from county officials. Now taxpayers are going to have to pay legal costs to combat that decision. If I were a cynic I might think some wampum passed under the table.

As I understand it, Nicole Perry was willing to take the risk of opening a contract liquor store and seems to have had her facts and figures down well enough to be the number one choice for the store. Then with new owners of the mall her costs would have escalated. She has an opportunity to open a store downtown at a lesser cost.
Mr. Dave Wilson, regional manager for the liquor board, without consulting anyone in Blaine government, and “spending a week in Birch Bay” writes off the downtown for a liquor store.
If he drove around a little and counted homes and apartments he would have determined the buying population is on the west side of the truck crossing – and most people hate the experience of driving east of the mall.

Too often I have seen those willing to take the risk be stepped on by someone who has a lifetime of feeding off the public trough.
James Carmack
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