4
The Northern Light • May 13 - 19, 2021
The Northern L ght Registration opens for Tour de Whatcom bike ride The Northern Light is published weekly by Point Roberts Press Inc. Locally owned and managed, the company also publishes the All Point Bulletin, covering Point Roberts, Mount Baker Experience, covering the Mt. Baker foothills area, Pacific Coast Weddings annual guide, and the summer recreation guide Waterside as well as maps and other publications. Point Roberts Press Inc. is a member of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, Chambers of Commerce of Bellingham/ Whatcom County, Birch Bay, Blaine and Point Roberts and the Bellingham/ Whatcom County Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors. Letters Policy The Northern Light welcomes letters to the editor. Please include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters are limited to 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. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis. Consumer complaints should be submitted directly to the business in question or the local chamber of commerce. Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published. Email letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com. Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Interns Nolan Baker, Sienna Boucher prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com Contributors In This Issue Doug Dahl The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVI, No 47 Circulation: 10,500 copies
Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: May 20 Ads due: May 14
Get your pedals in gear – registration for the Tour de Whatcom bike ride recently opened for its 16th year. The ride will start the morning of Saturday, July 17, leaving from Boundary Bay Brewery in downtown Bellingham. With four different routes, varying from 22 to 100 miles, this ride offers something for riders of all abilities and makes it great for the family, according to an April 30 announcement. The ride has views of Mt. Baker, Lake Whatcom, valleys, rivers, lush farmland, beaches and the Salish Sea all in a fairly flat ride. Whatcom Events, a community nonprofit organization, hosts the event. The organization also puts on Ski to Sea, Mt. Baker Hill Climb and Trails to Taps. The event will follow CDC guidelines and Washington state mandates to prevent the spread of Covid-19, according to Whatcom Events. Masks will be required at the start area and rest stops, but not
Photo courtesy Tour de Whatcom
while riding. Anyone 10 years old or older – an age limit put in place for safety reasons – can register for any distance. Prices currently vary from $40 to $55 per entrant and will increase by $15 after Sunday, May 16. Also, reduced prices are available for tandems or multiple riders and families (living in the same household). Rest stops will only have restroom ac-
cess and water this year, except for a food stop in Lynden for century riders. Participants will be given a brown bag of snacks the morning of the ride to eat while riding. There will be no official afterparty this year, but riders can receive happy-hour priced drinks at Boundary Bay Brewery upon showing their bib number. To register or find out more about the event, visit tourdewhatcom.com.
Letters The Editor: We have a small cottage in Point Roberts and it is with continued frustration and sadness that our two governments cannot come to a simple travel arrangement given the unique geography of the Point and the hardship of people. We have not been able to check on the cottage for over a year – we hope that there is no critters moving in or a jungle of a yard. We have both had our Covid-19 shots on March 17. Is it not possible to get a 48-hour “pass” from U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the provision for maintenance checkup only? I would urge all interested people (on both sides of the border) do some serious lobbying. Maureen Neff Salt Spring Island, B.C.
Student letters The following letters were submitted by Blaine Middle School students in Megan Schutt’s eighth grade social studies class. The students were assigned to write about freedom of speech, with the understanding that letters would be published in a local newspaper. More student letters will be published in upcoming issues. The Editor: The American flag is the symbol of our nation. Although on the surface it is just a piece of cloth, it stands for much more. It is a source of pride for millions, but it is also a symbol of oppression. What would happen if someone were to protest it? Should it be a crime? While you may not like it, flag burning should be allowed. One reason that flag burning should be allowed is because banning it would be a violation of our rights provided by the
First Amendment. It states that “Congress shall make no law [...] abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” Flag burning is what is considered symbolic speech. The right to express our opinions via symbolism is protected. We saw this in the Tinker v. Des Moines case, where students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. Another reason why flag burning should be allowed is because of the laws regarding private property. You are allowed to do anything with property that you own, and the flag is no different. Of course, the burning of flags that belong to the government or someone else’s property is a crime. One argument against flag burning is that it is unpatriotic, since people died for that flag. However, that does not mean it should be banned. It is simply another way for people to utilize their right to freedom of speech. Allowing things we don’t agree with is how we remain free. Protesting by burning the American flag should be allowed. I encourage all of you to use your First Amendment right to protest for what you believe in, whether it be symbolic, large or small. London Fletcher Blaine Middle School Blaine The Editor: Did you know you could lose your job for stating your opinions online? American actress Gina Carano was fired from Disney in 2020 for making controversial statements on social media. Firing her may seem unconstitutional since she was practicing free speech, a First Amendment right, but it’s still legal. Private companies have the right to fire workers for what they post online. However, I don’t
think workers should be fired for practicing free speech in their private lives. Citizens should be able to express their controversial thoughts without the fear of losing their job. We benefit from hearing beliefs of others. Editorial.voa.gov mentions, “Freedom of speech and press allows citizens to communicate their ideas verbally and in writing …” This is important because when people can say their ideas, and if you’re willing to listen, you understand their beliefs, and our nation may become less divided. Some claim firing Gina Carano was the right thing, since her posts were offensive to some people, and she deserved a punishment. However, she has the right to state potentially offensive opinions without punishment. U.S. Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer, stated “... the worst thing you can do by way of abridgement is stop somebody from talking because you don’t like what he says …” He claims this because if we limit the right to speak about certain subjects, where would the line end? Would the cut off get closer to more important subjects like how our government is run? We need to have an open mind, and accept others who might have differing opinions. We have this freedom of speech, and letting others utilize it, as well as ourselves, is important. Maybe we can stand in other’s shoes, see from their perspective, and have more understanding for one another. Helena Macarthur Blaine Middle School Blaine Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
Civic Meetings Birch Bay Water & Sewer District: Second and fourth Thursdays, 4 p.m., district offices, 7096 Point Whitehorn Road, Birch Bay. Info and Zoom meeting link: bbwsd.com.
Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation: Second Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., location varies. Info: bbbparkandrec.org. Virtual meeting info: bbbparkandrec.org/board-meetings/
Blaine City Council: Second and fourth Mondays, 6 p.m., Blaine City Council chambers, 435 Martin Street. Info and virtual meeting login: ci.blaine.wa.us.
Blaine Park and Cemetery Board: Second Thursday, 9 a.m., virtual meeting. Info: 360/332-8311, ext. 3330.
Blaine Planning Commission: Second and fourth Thursdays, 6 p.m. Info: blainepc@cityofblaine.com. Info for joining Zoom meetings: bit.ly/2CiMKnk.
Blaine School Board: Fourth Monday, 7 p.m., Blaine school district offices. Info and virtual meeting link: blainesd.org. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue: Third Thursday, 1 p.m. Info: nwfrs.net.
