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The Northern Light • November 12 - 18, 2020
Opinion
The Northern L ght 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.
Flag raising at Peace Arch Park
Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com Editor Oliver Lazenby oliver@pointrobertspress.com Reporter & Copy Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com
s The Washington State Patrol and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raised the American and Canadian flags at the Peace Arch on November 10, 2020. The flags were raised back up after restoration work and painting of the Peace Arch over the summer and fall. The International Peace Arch Association is coordinating six flag raising ceremonies throughout the year to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Peace Arch’s dedication on September 6, 2021. Future flag raising ceremonies may be open to the public, depending on Covid-19 restrictions on gathering size. The International Peace Arch Association filmed the November 10 ceremony and plans to release video soon, said Christina Winkler, president of the International Peace Arch Association.
Reporting Intern Ian Haupt prpintern@pointrobertspress.com
Photo by Oliver Lazenby
Letters
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 22 Circulation: 10,500 copies
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The Editor and Blaine residents: Have you visited the new Living Pantry on Peace Portal? My husband and I are delighted with this new store. They offer herbs and spices, skin lotions, shampoos, conditioners, liquid body soaps, dish soaps, oils, vinegars and honeys, all of which will be filled for you into your own clean jars, and oatmeal, flours, sugars, nuts, coffees and many other items in bulk, which will be dispensed into paper bags. Recycling is good, but re-using is even better. I enjoy not having a tub full of plastic and glass bottles for my dear husband to carry out to the sidewalk every other week. As soon as I have used up my current laundry liquid – in its big plastic container, I am planning to switch to their laundry soap pods – and will never have to recycle another hefty detergent jug. Welcome, Living Pantry. Thank you for giving each of us a means to simplify our lives and to do our bit to heal Earth. Angela Garvey Blaine The Editor: The holidays are coming. It makes me think with the pandemic bearing on all of us in one form or another, I would like to remind everyone that between now and January 2, 2021, we will be bringing a lot
of recyclables into our households and to spend a few extra minutes, if needed, sorting and separating as to recycle everything we can. In addition, with the holidays coming upon us, I suggest people don’t get in a hurry, take your time. Also, plan ahead if you can. Last minute planning could create last minute mistakes. Try to be extra focused on fraud and theft, above all on the road driving as I’ve noticed in previous months of the pandemic a percentage of drivers don’t seem to be as focused as they should. Let’s be courteous to our fellow drivers on the road and in parking lots. Don’t let your frustration, aggravation get to you. It’s not worth a fender bender, or worse. Also, be attentive to the number of pedestrians and bicyclists that will be out at this time of the year. It’s going to be a very different holiday season for all of us. Please wear your mask, sanitize your hands, try to give your friends and neighbors moral support if you think they need it. Let’s watch out for each other. Let’s make this holiday season safe as possible for everyone. Mark Knott Blaine The Editor: In July, the San Francisco Bay area helped California reach Covid-19 levels second only to New York. Today the same
area is down to a 0.8 virus level and open for business and jobs. How did they do it? In late July they passed masking requirements, fines for not covering and total lockdowns. As of August 21, cases started going down. Masks work. We are a consumer society, we need money to spend, jobs to produce what we want, entertainment, travel, donations and tithes for our churches. If you don’t care about the essential workers that make safety and convenience for all of us, wear a mask to save money spent on hospital care for the uninsured and the PPE required. If you don’t care about your neighbors, help keep our national debt from exploding as employment and businesses implode. If you don’t want to feel your liberty is challenged, make it possible to get back to work, travel and the recreation we want and need for mental and physical health. Tired of this pandemic? It will not go away, but we can manage it and get back to a new normal. Commit to total masking, cleaning and spacing – at least two months of total attention to combating the spread. We can do this, together. Donna Starr Blaine Please send letters to letters@thenorthernlight.com no later than noon on Monday.
