Letters to the Editor: March 22 - March 28, 2012
Published on Wed, Mar 21, 2012Read More Letters to the Editor
The Editor:
I have a story I would like to share with you. I am the mom of a Burlington-Edison girls basketball player. My daughter and her teammates told me this story that took place in Yakima at the recent state tournament.
Apparently Blaine and BEHS were staying in the same hotel in Yakima. The Burlington girls had their pictures and names on their room doors in the hallway. Several different times during the tournament, the BEHS girls would return to their rooms and find messages that had been slid under the door by the Blaine girls. These messages were always positive and inspirational. My daughter and her teammates thought the notes were awesome!
I think this is a fantastic display of sportsmanship and shows the character of your girls. The BEHS girls would like to thank the Blaine girls and let them know how nice they thought the “messages” under the door were. As a mom and high school sports fan, I love this story and wanted to share it with you. Please let the coach and girls know their kindness was appreciated.
Congratulations on a great season!
Vicki Swanson
Burlington
The Editor:
It was Dale Carnegie who said, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.” The most recent school board meeting seemed to prove Mr. Carnegie right.
Although I admire the passions that were displayed in support of a teacher and against bullying, I have real concern about where so many people got their facts. I urge those people who were not directly involved or had a child involved in the alleged bullying to use logic and consider that there is always another side to the story. In this case, the other side involves a teacher using very bad language, the “F” word to be precise, and a frightening display of temper when overreacting to a misunderstood situation.
I think that we can all agree that we don’t want any child to be subjected to bullying at the hands of other children or staff members. It’s important that with respect to a subject as serious as bullying that we let cooler heads prevail, use logic, and make sure that we have all of our facts straight.
Name withheld by request
Blaine
The Editor:
Please help support the future of our train depot. On March 26, this coming Monday, at 6 p.m., Bruce Agnew with the Cascadia Institute will be speaking at Blaine City Council regarding the great progress made so far with restoring the historic Blaine Depot and having a operating train station once again here in Blaine.
It is still an uphill battle, so I write this to you all, please come and support this very important project.
Thank you.
Bill Becht
Blaine
The Editor:
I write this in response to the thought-provoking letters submitted by Suzanne Ravet and Paula Rotondi in the March 15 issue. I come from the coal/oil producing state of Montana and fully recognize the pros and cons of this energy form. First of all, we must be aware that there is no such thing as clean coal! After living in Denver, Colorado, prior to relocating here in Blaine we saw the coal trains from Gillette, Wyoming, running through the city/state to Texas. The smell and dust is disgusting and all over everything as the trains pass (including your lungs). There was even discussion at one time of moving the tracks east of the city for those reasons, until the farmers blew a gasket, wanting no part of that deal!
We need this conversation to fully understand what we will be sacrificing if this project goes through. It’s a dangerous proposal as is the pipeline being proposed. Interesting to note all of this goes to Texas, huh? Hmmm ...
Carole Tabb
Blaine
The Editor:
Congratulations to the city of Blaine on their completed purchase of the Banner Bank Building. Kudos to their foresight. The building, known upon its completion as the Whatcom State Bank Building, was a labor of love for our father, Ken Kellar, and he was very proud of it.
When our family arrived in Blaine in the early ‘60s, Dad had finally found our family a real “hometown.” He (and we) loved Blaine and as many of you know, supported the city and its residents privately as well as publicly through the Kenneth L. Kellar Foundation and Exports, Inc. Perhaps the sale is an extension of his efforts, and I believe he would have been very pleased to see the city of Blaine take stewardship of his baby.
Dad would find irony in the fact that court will be held near his former office, given his love/hate relationship with the legal system. You may hear him padding around in his stocking feet, or warming up lunch in the kitchen, or hear the distant boom of his voice, and if you do, say hi. He would like that.
Cookie Kellar
I have a story I would like to share with you. I am the mom of a Burlington-Edison girls basketball player. My daughter and her teammates told me this story that took place in Yakima at the recent state tournament.
Apparently Blaine and BEHS were staying in the same hotel in Yakima. The Burlington girls had their pictures and names on their room doors in the hallway. Several different times during the tournament, the BEHS girls would return to their rooms and find messages that had been slid under the door by the Blaine girls. These messages were always positive and inspirational. My daughter and her teammates thought the notes were awesome!
I think this is a fantastic display of sportsmanship and shows the character of your girls. The BEHS girls would like to thank the Blaine girls and let them know how nice they thought the “messages” under the door were. As a mom and high school sports fan, I love this story and wanted to share it with you. Please let the coach and girls know their kindness was appreciated.
Congratulations on a great season!
Vicki Swanson
Burlington
The Editor:
It was Dale Carnegie who said, “When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice, and motivated by pride and vanity.” The most recent school board meeting seemed to prove Mr. Carnegie right.
Although I admire the passions that were displayed in support of a teacher and against bullying, I have real concern about where so many people got their facts. I urge those people who were not directly involved or had a child involved in the alleged bullying to use logic and consider that there is always another side to the story. In this case, the other side involves a teacher using very bad language, the “F” word to be precise, and a frightening display of temper when overreacting to a misunderstood situation.
I think that we can all agree that we don’t want any child to be subjected to bullying at the hands of other children or staff members. It’s important that with respect to a subject as serious as bullying that we let cooler heads prevail, use logic, and make sure that we have all of our facts straight.
Name withheld by request
Blaine
The Editor:
Please help support the future of our train depot. On March 26, this coming Monday, at 6 p.m., Bruce Agnew with the Cascadia Institute will be speaking at Blaine City Council regarding the great progress made so far with restoring the historic Blaine Depot and having a operating train station once again here in Blaine.
It is still an uphill battle, so I write this to you all, please come and support this very important project.
Thank you.
Bill Becht
Blaine
The Editor:
I write this in response to the thought-provoking letters submitted by Suzanne Ravet and Paula Rotondi in the March 15 issue. I come from the coal/oil producing state of Montana and fully recognize the pros and cons of this energy form. First of all, we must be aware that there is no such thing as clean coal! After living in Denver, Colorado, prior to relocating here in Blaine we saw the coal trains from Gillette, Wyoming, running through the city/state to Texas. The smell and dust is disgusting and all over everything as the trains pass (including your lungs). There was even discussion at one time of moving the tracks east of the city for those reasons, until the farmers blew a gasket, wanting no part of that deal!
We need this conversation to fully understand what we will be sacrificing if this project goes through. It’s a dangerous proposal as is the pipeline being proposed. Interesting to note all of this goes to Texas, huh? Hmmm ...
Carole Tabb
Blaine
The Editor:
Congratulations to the city of Blaine on their completed purchase of the Banner Bank Building. Kudos to their foresight. The building, known upon its completion as the Whatcom State Bank Building, was a labor of love for our father, Ken Kellar, and he was very proud of it.
When our family arrived in Blaine in the early ‘60s, Dad had finally found our family a real “hometown.” He (and we) loved Blaine and as many of you know, supported the city and its residents privately as well as publicly through the Kenneth L. Kellar Foundation and Exports, Inc. Perhaps the sale is an extension of his efforts, and I believe he would have been very pleased to see the city of Blaine take stewardship of his baby.
Dad would find irony in the fact that court will be held near his former office, given his love/hate relationship with the legal system. You may hear him padding around in his stocking feet, or warming up lunch in the kitchen, or hear the distant boom of his voice, and if you do, say hi. He would like that.
Cookie Kellar
West Palm Beach, Florida
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.
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