The Editor:
Traffic enforcement in Blaine has been getting negative attention in the letters lately, but I wanted to share a
positive experience:
I was so excited to drop off my daughter for her first day of high school that I forgot myself and gunned it out of the parking lot. As a longtime Blaine resident, I know exactly where the officer sits in the school zone and I’m usually a considerate driver. Technically, I didn’t have enough time to exceed the speed limit, but I was cruising for a bruising.
Fortunately, I received a brief warning flash of lights from the squad car. I returned it with a hearty wave. I’m grateful to the officer for the driving reminder and that I wasn’t ticketed.
Thanks for keeping our schoolchildren and community safe!
Erin Carampot
Blaine
The Editor:
Vote yes to support the continuation of the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 levy initiative in November. Here’s why:
We all know that parks enrich our quality of life and bring economic benefit to our communities. Where else can we take our families to enjoy fresh air, get some exercise, engage in recreational activities, current programs and community events offered by our park and recreation district so close to our homes, right in the middle of our own community? Small company owners say recreation, parks and open space are the highest priority in choosing a new location for their business.
Think about this: You are being asked to vote yes for a six-year continuation of the park and recreation district levy at the same rate you are paying of 10 cents per $1,000 on the assessed valuation of your home per year. The simple math fact is that if your home is assessed for $200,000 you will pay $20 dollars per year – that’s $1.66 per month. It’s a bargain!
Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District 2 boundaries are the same as the Blaine school district. The money is spent locally within those boundaries. The park commissioners are not paid and the money is spent directly on upgrading parks, playground facilities, trails, recreational programs and fun events for kids and families.
The Marine Park Playground and the Blaine Community Center Pavilion are projects that received significant grant funds from the park and recreation district. The district maintains the Birch Bay Beach Park and operates the Bay Horizon Park Activity Center. Your tax dollars have been well-spent! The residents of our communities have greatly benefited as a result of the park and recreation district.
What could be better than this for our community now and in the future? Vote yes for the continuation of Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District. It’s the best deal in town!
For more information, visit bbbparkandrec.com.
Doralee Booth
Birch Bay
The Editor:
The family of Brad “Brose” Ambrose would like to thank all of the sponsors and donations who made the Third Annual Brose/Ryder Cup Memorial Tournament such a great success again. There are too many sponsors and donors to name. Two $500 scholarships are handed out each year to one male and one female senior high school student.
We’re very fortunate to live in a phenomenal town like Blaine. Also, thank you to Tony Fiore and the Wheelhouse Bar and Grill bartenders for an excellent supper. Huge thank you for all the personal time and effort put in by Rick Freeman, Steve Miller, Randy Kirk, Rudy Ambrose and all those who made this huge event a great success. We hope to see you all next year.
Susan Sanders and
Ryder Ambrose
Blaine
The Editor:
I have lived in Birch Bay for many years and I walk my dog down to the beach about three times a week. He swims and chases sticks and we head home. This has been our regular protocol for years.
About two weeks ago, he started refusing his food, sleeping more and having diarrhea. We headed to the vet and did bloodwork and X-rays. He was determined to have a severe “ileus,” [a painful obstruction of the intestine] but narrowing down a reason as to why proved difficult. Meanwhile, he was sick and losing weight. He did not respond to oral meds and so he was hospitalized and given hydration and IV meds to counteract the illness. Next, he had to have an ultrasound. Last, a barium test to see if we could identify what the intestinal issue was, as all other tests provided no clues. A final set of X-rays proved the ileus was finally starting to subside and he was ordered more rounds of meds.
I am writing the paper because I don’t want this to happen to any other dog owners in Birch Bay. The vet, ultrasound doctor and I concluded that the beach, full of toxins and standing water, as well as dead and decaying material, was the location my dog contacted the infection. I learned an over-$2,000 lesson – he will no longer be my swimming beach buddy, we will now walk trails and more benign locations.
I had never thought the beach posed a threat to my dog as we visited there for years, but I was very wrong. I had seen the warning signs regarding shellfish, however I didn’t think we were in any danger. I am so glad he is recovering and will get a second chance. Please be aware of the danger the beach can pose to your dog’s health.
Ann Coleman
Blaine
The Editor:
The Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center (WDRC) is a valuable resource to our community, especially in these times of perceived escalating conflict and misunderstanding, whether in the workplace, at home, in the community and – indeed – in our country.
The WDRC promotes constructive and collaborative approaches to conflict through mediation, training, facilitation and community education. Mary Dumas, president of Dumas & Associates, is one of WDRC’s course instructors, whose workshops are designed for engagement on misunderstandings and conflict that arise, in some cases, simply because we’re all human and disagreements happen.
Dumas’ workshops, including Understanding Conflict and Tools for Tough Conversations, provide the necessary practical tips on how to apply de-escalation and communication skills to respond to and resolve conflict in constructive and creative ways. I can attest as a workshop participant that these skills have impact and positive results. A series of six sessions are scheduled for October.
Dispute Resolution Centers were authorized by the state legislature in the 1984 Court Improvement Act. Each DRC is a private, nonprofit organization or a service of local government. Most DRCs offer mediation as their primary conflict resolution service. In mediation, a trained, neutral person helps people discuss and resolve problems, or at least narrow and clarify issues. Typical cases handled by DRCs involve: landlords and tenants, consumers and merchants, neighbors, citizens, agencies, employees, employers, families, divorcing and divorced couples, youth and end-of-life choices.
Our WDRC mediates small claims cases and public policy issues, which saves our civil court system valuable dollars and personnel hours each year. They provide free services or use a sliding fee scale based on income. No one is turned away due to inability to pay. The WDRC’s services help build stronger, healthier communities. I encourage you to contact the WDRC at 360/676-0122 or whatcomdrc.org for more information.
Micki Jackson
Bellingham
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here