UPF: Building a world of peace

e Universal Peace Federation (UPF) is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace in which everyone can live in freedom, harmony, cooperation and prosperity.

UPF recognizes 5 Principles for Peace:

• We are one family under God.

• e highest qualities of human beings are spiritual and moral in nature.

• e family is the school of love and the cornerstone for world peace.

Larry Krishnek

• By practicing the ethics of living for the sake of others we can reconcile the divided human family.

• Lasting peace cannot be achieved through political compromise alone but must involve a commitment to personal

Letters

Everyone deserves a safe community

Editor, e Riveters Collective Justice System Committee believes that everyone deserves a safe community, regardless of where they live, the color of their skin, or their income. We can have that without excessive punishment, excessive policing, our rights rolled back, or fear mongering.

Recently-passed state laws reforming police standards and drug policy work. Fewer Washingtonians lose their lives to police violence or get cycled through the criminal legal system over substance use.

Where To Write

Federal President Joe Biden (D), The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania. Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20500; Public comment desk, 202-456-1111; email form at whitehouse.gov/contact. Website: joebiden.com.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D), 511 Hart Senate O ce Building, Washington, DC 20510, 202-224-3441; Public comment form at cantwell.senate.gov/contact.

Website: cantwell.senate.gov.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D), 154 Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510, 202-224-2621; Public comment email form at murray.senate.gov/write-to-patty; Website: murray.senate.gov.

U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D), 2163 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-2605; Public comment email form at larsen. house.gov/contact. Website: larsen.house.gov.

State Governor Jay Inslee (D), O ce of the Governor, PO Box 40002, Olympia, WA 985040002, 360-902-4111; Public contact email form at governor.wa.gov/contact. Website: governor.wa.gov.

Senator Sharon Shewmake (D), 213 John A. Cherberg Building, PO Box 40442, Olympia, WA 98504, 800562-6000 or 360-305-0356; Public comment email at app. leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/42/2. Or email Legislative Assistant Sarah Soulliere atSarah.Soulliere@leg.wa.gov.

Website: senatedemocrats. wa.gov/Shewmake.

Representative Alicia Rule (D), JLOB 334, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 985040600, 360-746-3744; Public comment email at https://app. leg.wa.gov/pbc/memberEmail/42/1. Or email Legislative Assistant Rachel Campbell at Rachel.Campbell@leg.wa.gov.

Website: housedemocrats.

change. Dr. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon founded UPF in September 2005.

In the years since, UPF has grown to form a global network of Peacemakers that includes parliamentarians, heads of state, rst ladies, academicians, leaders of religions, the media, business, art and culture.

UPF has been active in Whatcom County for the past 17 years. Our early work centered on the Ambassador of Peace project.

An ambassador for peace is someone who is recognized for showing strong leadership qualities in their sphere of activity. ey also a rm UPF’s vision and principles of peace, exemplify the ideal of living for the sake of others, and transcend racial, national and religious barriers.

ese are causes for celebration, not a return to failed policies.

Decades of research show tough-oncrime approaches fail to keep people safe, and further criminalize communities.

Our current punitive tra c enforcement methods impact people of color and lowincome families the hardest, hitting many with nancial burden for low-risk issues. None of this improves safety on the roads, the real issue.

HB 1513 creates a grant program to help drivers address vehicle equipment problems and prevents o cers from making stops for low-level issues, such as broken tail lights or expired tabs. e bill will lead to fewer interactions between the public and law enforcement, which wa.gov/rule.

Representative Joe Timmons (D), JLOB 419, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600; Toll-free hotline: 800-562-6000, 360-7867854. Email: Joe.Timmons@ leg.wa.gov or public comment email at app.leg.wa.gov/ pbc/memberEmail/42/2. Or contact Legislative Assistant Hayden Jenkins at (360) 786-6854 or (360) 718-5299 or email Hayden.Jenkins@leg. wa.gov. Website: housedemocrats.wa.gov/timmons.

County

Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu, 311 Grand Ave. Suite 108, Bellingham, WA 98225-4082, 360-778-5200; Email: ssidhu@co.whatcom. wa.us. Website: https://www. whatcomcounty.us/415/ County-Executive.

Whatcom County Council Member Kaylee Galloway District 1, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360-489-9192; Email: kgallowa@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Website: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/3862/KayleeGalloway.

Whatcom County Coun- cil Member Todd Donovan District 2, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360-483-8474; Email: tdonovan@co.whatcom.wa.us.

Website: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/2261/ToddDonovan-Council-Chair.

Whatcom County Council Member Tyler Bird District 3 (Everson, Nooksack Sumas), 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360-778-5021; Email: tbyrd@ co.whatcom.wa.us. Website: whatcomcounty.us/2769/ Tyler-Byrd.

Whatcom County Council Member Kathy Kershner District 4 (Lynden), 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360220-7535; Email: KKershne@ co.whatcom.wa.us. Website:

On Feb. 4, at the Ferndale Public Library, UPF convened a conference on religious liberty titled Religious Freedom: e Bedrock of All Freedoms. Speakers addressed the importance of the American commitment to religious expression as an inalienable right that must be understood and protected to assure all freedoms are secure. Other speakers reported on the plight of religious minorities in China as well as dark incidents in our own American experience. e program concluded with a water ceremony in which the presenters and faith leaders poured water into a common bowl representing unity and our commitment to religious freedom. We also signed a statement of a rmation and commitment to be vigilant and active in protecting religious freedom.

-- Larry Krishnek is director of United Peace Federation for Whatcom County disproportionately impact people of color, who, more often than white drivers, are stopped and subjected to tra c fees.

Low-risk tra c stops are ine ective at preventing tra c accidents or ghting crime, and have escalated to violent encounters that put drivers and law enforcement at high risk of injury or death. Expired tabs aren’t the cause of deadly tra c accidents. Time wasted enforcing them has public safety consequences and places people in a poverty trap.

HB 1513, the Tra c Safety for All bill, o ers drivers a path toward addressing car repairs in a way that doesn’t cause nancial burden or trap them in the criminal

See Letters on A6

North Whatcom County city government

Ferndale City Council

Ferndale City Council meets at 5 p.m. the first and third Mondays of each month (unless it’s a holiday, then they meet the Tuesday immediately after the Monday holiday). Meeting are currently held online. When in person, meetings are held at the City Hall Annex, 5694 Second Ave. Visit cityo erndale. org for agendas and links to council and other committee meetings.

Lynden City Council

whatcomcounty.us/3322/ Kathy-Kershner.

Whatcom County Council Member Ben Elenbaas District 5 (Ferndale/Custer), 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225, 360778-5025; Email: BElenbaa@ co.whatcom.wa.us; Website: https://www.whatcomcounty. us/3321/Ben-Elenbaas.

Whatcom County Council

Member Barry Buchanan

At Large Position A, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360-2244330; Email: bbuchanan@ co.whatcom.wa.us; Website: https://www.whatcomcounty. us/1975/Barry-Buchanan.

Whatcom County Council Member Carol Frazey At Large Position B, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 105, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360-778-5024; Email: cfrazey@co.whatcom. wa.us; Website: https://www. whatcomcounty.us/2996/ Carol-Frazey.

North Whatcom Municipal City of Everson, 111 W. Main St./PO Box 315, Everson, WA 98247, 360-966-3411; Mayor John Perry, email: mayor@ci.everson.wa.us. City Clerk/Treasurer Melanie Dickinson, email: mdickinson@ ci.everson.wa.us. Website: ci.everson.wa.us.

City of Ferndale, 2095 Main St./ P.O. Box 936 Ferndale, WA 98248, 360-3844302; Mayor Greg Hansen, 360-685-2350 ext. 1105, email greghansen@cityo erndale. org. City Administrator Jori Burnett, 360-685-2351 ext. 1104, email joriburnett@cityofferndale.org. Website: cityofferndale.org.

City of Lynden, 300 4th St. Lynden, WA 98264, 360-354-1170; Mayor Scott Korthuis, email korthuiss@ lyndenwa.org; City Administrator John Williams, email williamsj@lyndenwa.org.

City of Nooksack, 103 W Madison St, Nooksack, WA

98276, 360-966-2531. Mayor Kevin Hester kevin@cityofnooksack.com. Clerk/Treasurer Virginia Arnason, email: virginia@cityofnooksack.com.

Website: cityofnooksack.com.

City of Sumas, 433 Cherry St./ P.O. Box 9 Sumas, WA 98295, 360-988-5711; Mayor Bruce Bosch, email: Bbosch@ cityofsumas.com. Finance Director Jennifer Bell, email: jbell@cityofsumas.com.

North Whatcom Public education

Blaine School District, 765 H St., Blaine, WA 98230, 360-332-5881. Superintendent Christopher Granger, email: cgranger@ blainesd.org. Website: blainesd.org.

Ferndale School District, 6041 Vista Drive/P.O. Box 698 Ferndale, WA 98248, 360-3839200. Superintendent Kristi Dominguez, 360-386-9207, email: Kristi.Dominguez@ ferndalesd.org. Website: ferndalesd.org.

Lynden School District, 516 Main St., Lynden, WA 98264, 360-354-4443. Superintendent David VanderYacht, 360-354-4443 ext. 3414, email: vanderyachtd@lynden. wednet.edu. Website: lynden. wednet.edu.

Meridian School District, 214 W. Laurel Road, Bellingham, WA 98226, 360-3987111. Superintendent James Everett, email: jeverett@ meridian.wednet.edu. Website: meridian.wednet.edu

Mount Baker School District, 4956 Deming Road/P.O. Box 95 Deming, WA 98244, 360-383-2000. Superintendent Mary Sewright, 360-6174600, msewright@mtbaker. wednet.edu. Website: mtbaker. wednet.edu.

Nooksack Valley School District, 3326 E. Badger Road, Everson, WA 98247, 360-9884754. Superintendent Matt Galley, email: matt.galley@ nv.k12.wa.us. Website: nv.k12. wa.us.

Lynden City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and the third Mondays of every month. If Monday is a holiday, then council will meet on Tuesday. Community members can join the virtual Lynden City Council meeting by visiting the City of Lynden website,lyndenwa.org,and selecting the link from the home page or the date of the meeting from the calendar. Community members have the option of joining through Microsoft teams or by calling in. Also visit lyndenwa.org for more information, including board agendas, which are released no later than 24 hours before the meeting.

Everson City Council

Everson City Council meets at 7 p.m. the secondand fourthTuesdays of each month at Everson City Hall, 111 W. Main St. Visit ci.everson.wa.us for the zoom link to attend virtually.

Nooksack City Council

Nooksack City Council meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month at Nooksack City Hall, 103 W. Madison St. If Monday is a holiday, then council will meet on Tuesday. Visit cityofnooksack.com for more information.

Sumas City Council

Sumas City Council meets online at 7 p.m. the secondand fourthMondays of each month. Planning Commission meets at 5:30 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month if needed. Other committees meet only as needed.

Council meets at Sumas City Hall, 433 Cherry St. Visit cityofsumas.com for agendas and links to council and other committee meetings.

Jan Brown, jan@ferndalerecord.com