The Editor:
I was so sorry to learn that Brenda Gelwicks will no longer be leading Zumba through the Birch Bay park and rec program starting April 1. I am a senior gal that has never before particularly enjoyed exercise, and I have tried many programs and classes over the years. Seldom did I find any that I stuck with longer than six months, even when I paid for a membership.
However, friends introduced me to Zumba with Brenda three years ago, and I have steadily attended three times a week. While I still can’t say I love to exercise, Brenda always made it seem like you were coming to a party! She always had a smile on her face and seemed to find joy in leading our classes. Her smile is infectious and you couldn’t help smile back.
She is a gem, and I am so sorry we have lost her from the park and recreation program. I have never attended any classes where the instructor made you feel so good and happy. So many others in the class echo this sentiment as well.
Her class has steadily grown in attendance over the three years that I have been attending. This is all due, primarily, to word of mouth from friend to friend.
We have really lost a treasure, and I just want to say a great big thank you to Brenda for all her years of leading this program. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors.
Sheryl Jensen
Blaine
The Editor:
There is an old saying: “If you don’t learn from your mistakes you are doomed to make them again.” The city of Blaine seems to have a council that is in that position.
More than 20 years ago we had a city manager and council who were very anxious to cater to several supposed developers who proposed to develop two subdivisions east of the Vista Terrace area. This area was in Whatcom County at that time, and to make it a feasible development they would need city of Blaine services. In order to provide these services, the city council and developers went to the property owners of what is now called East Blaine and made promises of the benefits of being within the city in order to get them to join Blaine. The majority of these promises have yet to be fulfilled.
The city council is seemingly again falling into the trap of putting the cart before the horse. They have budgeted $350,000 for 2016 to extend utility service from the east end of E Street through Lincoln Park to the eastern boundary of the park. These utility services would service zero property owners at this time. Supposedly several developments are proposed, but we have all heard that story before.
The installation of any services for possible future development should be borne by the developer, not financed by the taxpayers of Blaine. Even if they have developers promising to reimburse the city for this extension, the city is not a bank to be financing speculation. At least three subdivision proposals have been put forth in this area in the last 20 years, yet none have moved a shovel of dirt.
“Build it and they will come” is a great catch phrase for a movie, but it doesn’t necessarily work in the real world. I would caution city council to learn from past mistakes, don’t repeat them. Do things in a common sense way: let the developers pay for infrastructure as they build outward from the existing city services.
Donald Scherck
Blaine
The Editor:
Blaine High School’s softball program would like to thank our amazing community for its generous support of our 45th annual crabfeed fundraiser! We would especially like to thank Hill’s Chevron, Boundary Bay Fish Company, The American Legion, Paso Del Norte and all of those who attended our event. We are very appreciative of the many donated silent auction items we received.
It was an evening filled with good food and generous hearts, brought together for a great cause. The crabfeed is an annual tradition and our team’s only fundraiser. It is instrumental in providing funding for uniforms, equipment and other essential needs.
We invite the community to join us on a warm April afternoon to attend a game and we look forward to seeing everyone at next year’s crabfeed.
Coach Burk and Coach Miller,
Blaine High School softball
The Editor:
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation has developed an informative educational tool for Whatcom County residents that clearly describes the medical specialty known as palliative care.
The document, developed in partnership with various community partners, has a triple aim: to raise awareness about the growing need to expand palliative care outside the walls of the hospital; to inform the public of the many benefits of palliative care, which improves quality of life, for patients and their caregivers, with prolonged survival and lower medical costs; and to generate the necessary funding to offer patient-centered care to the right person in the right place at the right time, every time.
PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s palliative care expansion effort is rolling out prior to National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD), which is April 16. Palliative care and advance directives go hand-in-hand.
Ramping up to NHDD, Village Books in Fairhaven is hosting a presentation titled, “The Realities of Advanced Medical Interventions” on Sunday, April 10, at 4 p.m., which helps attendees understand what advanced medical interventions mean to the average person and their families. “Realities,” presented by two ICU nurses, is offered in cooperation with Whatcom Alliance for Health Advancement.
I urge you to support PeaceHealth St. Joseph’s community-based, outpatient palliative care mission and to complete your advance directives. In doing so, we all win!
Micki Jackson
Bellingham
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