4
The Northern Light • February 3 - 9, 2022
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. Publisher & Managing Editor Patrick Grubb publisher@pointrobertspress.com Co-publisher & Advertising Director Louise Mugar lmugar@pointrobertspress.com
Drop boxes open for the February 8 election
s Ballot drop boxes are open around Whatcom County for the February 8 special election. North county drop boxes include the Blaine Library, 610 3rd Street; North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Station 63, 4581 Birch Bay-Lynden Road; and Custer Elementary School, 7660 Custer School Road. Drop boxes are open until 8 p.m. Election Day. Ballots need to be postmarked by February 8 if returned by mail (no stamp needed). People may also vote at the voting center in the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office by 8 p.m. Election Day. Photo by Georgia Costa
Letters
Editor Grace McCarthy grace@pointrobertspress.com Reporter Ian Haupt ian@pointrobertspress.com Reporting Intern Georgia Costa prpintern@pointrobertspress.com Creative Services Ruth Lauman, Doug De Visser production@pointrobertspress.com Office Manager Jeanie Luna info@pointrobertspress.com Advertising Sales Molly Ernst, Gary Lee sales@pointrobertspress.com General Editorial Inquiries editor@pointrobertspress.com The Northern Light 225 Marine Drive, Suite 200, Blaine, WA 98230 Tel: 360/332-1777 Vol XXVII, No 33 Circulation: 10,500 copies
Circulation Independently verified by:
Next issue: Feb. 10 Ads due: Feb. 4
The Editor: I just returned from a Saturday shopping trip to downtown Blaine. In a parking lot and on the Peace Portal Way were trucks with all sorts of flags and “Stop the Mandate” signs. That is fine, opinions are good, but what is not good is the three American flags I found dragging on the ground and the five flags I found torn and frayed from flapping in the wind. I was raised to honor our flag and love it. It is a proud symbol, not an advertising tool. Your treatment of our national emblem is not patriotism, it is sacrilege when treated as I saw. A few “patriots” with degradation of our flag and hoped for domination rather than civil discourse is not only a crass demonstration, but renders our community subject of possible ridicule, not the pride and allegiance you hope for. Some citizens are sick of this, and sad and concerned for this community and country. Donna Starr Blaine
The Editor: Once again, there’s a huge weather disruption – this time on the east coast. At the time of this writing, over 100,000 customers with no power. A few weeks back there was a huge windstorm event across the entire central part of our country, leaving over 500,000 with no power. During our flood event here in November, power was out, albeit for a short time. To my mind, this is unacceptable any longer. It’s time for the power company to bury all new and refurbished power lines. Oh, I know it’ll cost them up front. You think repeated service in storms and paying lineman to repair these downed lines doesn’t cost them, too? Over and over? The only thing that doesn’t cost them is the rebates they give us for times when we are without their service. What’s that? You don’t get any break on your bill for having no service? Hmm. And immediate cost is about the only thing they are concerned with because of
the need to pay their investors. Here’s the deal: We regulate that business. The purpose of regulating businesses is so that they don’t cut corners on service or quality while pocketing all the profit they can get away with. Meat packers, food growers and packers, tire manufacturers, etc. They’re all regulated to ensure you get a safe product, time after time. And aren’t you glad of that? It’s time for the Public Utility District to approach the idea of regulating power lines to be underground for the safety and consistency of power we all pay for to be delivered. Shareholders can wait for their dividends for a while, don’t you think it’s time? Gary Meader Everson
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, 11 a.m., Station 61 at 9408 Odell Road and via Zoom. Info: nwfrs.net.
