The Editor:
This is for the lady who yelled, “Why does it matter?” when she overheard me telling two kids that they were riding their bicycles on the wrong side of the road. Allow me to explain why it matters.
First and foremost, riding on the wrong side of the road is dangerous. Drivers who are turning out of or into a side road or driveway are not looking for vehicles traveling in the wrong direction. They could very easily turn into a cyclist’s path.
Second, it is rude. Cyclists who are traveling in the correct lane and direction may have to swerve into traffic or off the pavement in order to avoid a collision.
Finally, for those who care little about safety or the sensibilities of others, it is illegal. Per Washington state law, bicyclists are required to follow the same rules of the road as automobile drivers.
Jeff Sterling
Blaine
The Editor:
The following is the text of an email I have sent to our Congresswoman, Suzanne DelBene, of Washington’s first district:
In the past several months, our home delivery of mail has been rapidly deteriorating. Current example (of a chronic problem): our mail on Thursday, June 4 arrived after 8 p.m.; there was no mail yesterday (June 5) or today (June 6).
I was expecting two packages from Amazon; first, the online tracking information said they were both out for delivery and then there’s this cryptic message: “You were not at home so your package is available for pickup.” That is doublespeak for “the post office didn’t bother to deliver these packages at all.” Of course I was home, and I checked the cluster mailbox several times yesterday and today.
These post office problems have been repeatedly experienced for months. What has happened to “Your mail will be delivered by the close of business day” (which, for the post office, is 5 p.m.)? Is there any way you can look into this chronic problem, and affect a significant improvement? Thank you for your help!
Because I believe in the squeaky wheel syndrome, I encourage my fellow Whatcom County citizens to continue to press this issue of poor performance by our local post office. Maybe we’ll finally catch a break and get back to the reliable delivery we experienced in the last century.
Jeanne Halsey
Blaine
The Editor:
Thank you to Penny and Marie Dohner and crew for all your help moving all the heavy tables, machinery etc. for me.
Thank you to Don Richmond and Bob Drake for your help setting things up at the new Busy Bee Upholstery address.
Gladys Croft
Blaine
The Editor:
To the environmentalists in America, it is great the way people worry about the air. But if they would show as much concern about America it would really be great. Here is a list that is really important to a lot of Americans:
Why do people think it is OK to burn, break and steal whenever they get angry?
Why is it OK to shoot anyone you don’t agree with? What did a 1-year-old child do wrong?
Why is it whenever kids get upset it’s OK to kill their parents or other kids and then cry that they had a bad childhood or they’re depressed.
Why is it no one cares about the idiots in Washington, D.C., who live on the backs of hard-working Americans and totally ignore the fact that ISIS is knocking at our door?
Why is it OK to blame police officers for doing their jobs because there are a few bad apples in the barrel?
Why don’t the remaining officers say, “screw this,” and quit?
It’s because they love America and its people, just like dying and living soldiers, and the greatest generation of people who are left.
My America died in the mid-1960s. God help the America that’s left; yes, worrying about the environment is top priority in America.
Janet Zagloba
Custer
The Editor:
All great democracies have committed financial suicide somewhere between 200 and 250 years after being founded.
The reason? The voters figured out they could vote themselves money from the treasury by electing people who promised to give them money from the treasury in exchange for electing them.
The United States officially became a republic in 1776, 238 years ago. Our citizens have become cynical as voters. They seem to think such cynicism makes them sophisticated. In fact they are just lazy as their conduct discards the freedoms we all cherish.
Terry Montonye
Bellingham
The Editor:
I have been rebuked for not being sufficiently attentive to the needs of the mentally ill. Evidently if I support the bond to build a much-needed jail, I am indifferent to the plight of the mentally ill and drug addicted.
Not so. When I discuss the issue, those who wish a counseling center for the mentally ill insist it be separate from jail construction. They also insist it be located some distance away, and reduce the jail by at least a third of the bond size. That would mean that the jail would go from 521 beds down to about 347 beds – less than what our current illegally overcrowded jail holds.
In short, barring compromise on this jail bond, the taxpayers of Whatcom County are going to get no safe jail, no mental health facility concession and will continue to house inmates in a facility ripe for heavy lawsuits by both inmates and administrative staff.
Neither the citizens, the mentally ill nor our enforcement and judicial branches are helped by the current standoff.
Mark Nelson
Bellingham
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