LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


The Editor:
It has been quite some time since we first received water service right up to the door, so to speak. So long in fact, especially for those who arrived since 1990, that many of us may take the whole system for granted.
Fortunately, we have exceptional staff who closely check our water quality and maintain the delivery system. But what about that little black box near the front of your property?
Your water meter, which is monitored every two months, is more than just a method to track the amount of water consumed.
Our staff can also detect leaks and the condition of your existing equipment oftentimes nipping trouble before it becomes a big problem.
Some individuals have gone to some length to not only make their meter accessible, but have actually taken pride in keeping it neat, tidy and even landscaping around it. Bravo!
However, others are not even aware of their meter’s location, even to the extent of having gravel, topsoil, etc. delivered right on top. This makes it impossible to access your meter. Don’t you think it is quite unfair to expect your water department staff to dig through debris and bulky substances in
order to monitor your meter?
Well, then, does the Golden Water Meter Award exist? No, at least not yet. But how about October 2002 being water meter awareness month? That might be a first step in the right direction. You never know what the future has in store for our valued PRWD customers.
Madeleine Anderson
Point Roberts

The Editor:
The letters written by Ann Christi and Knick Pyles hit the nail on the freedom, honesty, equanimity and integrity head.
Everyone should read those two letters thoroughly and think about how much we have to be thankful!
I sent Ann’s letter to President Bush, asking him to think before he acts!
Lyn Pyles
Point Roberts

The Editor:
Thanks to some wonderful people in Point Roberts, the Dollars for Scholars is off to a good start after its summer fundraisers.
The book sale had some fine helpers: Margaret Moras, Michele Wallis, Christine Lieffering, Neal Teutsch, and Rhyan Lopez were invaluable. We even had help from unexpected sources. A man named Harry saw us struggling with the marquee and came over to assist, Sally Roberts appeared to help the seniors and her son Lin and grandson Bradley set up our tables. Tom Hollett came to buy books, and seeing we were short of manpower returned at the end of the sale to help us pack up. Don’t we live
in a great community!
The 2nd annual car wash featuring our firefighters and kids was a big success and a lot of fun. Fire chief Mike Campbell and firefighters John Shields, Fred DeHaan, Ali Saccone, Simon Grace, Leslie Duke, Gina
Ball, Jason DeHaan, Deb Knowles and Greg Hebert washed cars with Tyler Shields, Gavin, Garret and Gage Campbell, Neal Teutsch, Patrick and John Shields, Anthony, Kristin and Brandon Cooper, Joseph Steinberger and Rhyan Lopez. Kaitlyn and Conor O’Neill helped by alerting Tyee traffic that the car wash was in the International Market parking lot. When we were short handed, even Margaret Moras and John
Fisher got into the ‘advertising act.’ Special thanks to Jay Lewis who gave us permission to use the parking lot, and who even came rushing out wearing his apron to add his car to the line-up.
Thanks to all the people who bought books and who got their cars washed. Your participation and generous donations made our events worth all the effort.
Next June Dollars for Scholars is anticipating a bumper crop of a dozen graduating seniors who will apply for scholarships, so we need to raise funds to meet the increasing demand. If you would like to make a tax-free donation it would be greatly appreciated. Please send your check to
Point Roberts Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box
2180, Point Roberts, WA 98281.
Davea Fisher
Point Roberts

The Editor:
My name is Neal Teutsch, I am a senior at Blaine high school and a resident of Point Roberts. In today’s society, getting into university is a big step and a competitive one.
Simply having good grades just isn’t enough anymore, you have to be involved with programs associated with your school and community.
Why am I bringing this up? Because Point Roberts has many brilliantly gifted students who may never be given the opportunity to reach their goals because they don’t have access to a car or because they can’t afford $50 a week for gas.
Currently there are 140 students who travel daily to Blaine to school. Over the 13 years that I have attended the Blaine school district, I have seen the student population in Point Roberts double; where we used to fill one bus we now fill two. I have witnessed a number of families that have moved out of Point Roberts to avoid the transportation challenges, including my neighbor and best friend of 16 years who moved to Blaine in
order to play football.
We are fortunate to attend a school that has so many programs available to its students.
Unfortunately the majority of these programs are scheduled before and after school and are not available to students of Point Roberts who do not have private transportation. The problem has been long avoided and addressing it is much overdue.
Scheduled public bus service between Point Roberts and Blaine would help solve this problem.
On September 18, a committee of Point Roberts citizens presented a grant proposal to the Whatcom Transit Authority. The request was for the WTA to apply for the rural mobility grant, a state grant that provides funds to communities like ours whose citizens have challenges reaching necessary
services. The proposed service would provide weekday connector service between
Point Roberts and Blaine, linking to WTA service between Blaine and Bellingham.
Please support our WTA grant proposal to bring public transportation to Point Roberts so that every future student has an equal opportunity to participate and reach their full potential.
I would like to thank the WTA for agreeing to apply for the grant on our behalf.
Thank you to all the individuals who wrote letters in support of the grant proposal.
Neal Teutsch
Point Roberts transportation committee
Point Roberts

The Editor:
Until a few days ago I, blindly it turns out, assumed those affected by any decisions regarding the huge expense of a comprehensive sewer system would be asked to vote on such a project, and, following such a vote, I felt certain the rate payers of the Point Roberts water board were, like myself,
almost unanimous in opposition to a big sewer system being installed here. As a property owner in Point Roberts, I had little concern over proposals, rumors of proposals, or even preliminary studies to investigate
comprehensive sewers being installed until I asked to be included in an e-mail question and answer session between a former water commissioner and sewer opponent and water commissioner Tom Prescott.
John Lesow asked ten very concise questions which went directly to the commissioners’ private interests in sewering the Point and how they intended to communicate with the little people, us, on the progress of sewer studies, etc. He even asked a question I did not believe had to be asked!
He asked if we were going to be allowed to vote on the issue that in the event that a proposal for a limited or comprehensive sewer system for Point Roberts is approved by the commissioners of water district #4, will the commissioners ratify that approval by public vote of the district ratepayers?
Commissioner Prescott: Unfortunately the vast majority of the ratepayers are not entitled to vote. That is one of the issues we have to struggle with. There is no simple answer to this but the constituency for any
final approval will likely be the registered voters of the Point and/or the landowners in any proposed LID.
The ratepayers are a subset of both of these groups but there are voters who are not ratepayers, ratepayers who are not voters, and landowners who are neither voters or ratepayers. You have to keep in mind that
a sewer system would serve all parcels in the service area and not simply those attached to the current water system.
Does this sound like a vote is a certainty?
It sounds to me like excuses for why one will not be offered. Now, I know there is every possibility this project will end with the water board forcing a sewer on us and could result in putting a lien on my property because I (like many of us) can’t afford the hook up fee, (maybe not even the monthly maintenance fee).
Putting aside the question of expenses, a big sewer is a taxpayer subsidy, a gift to developers which will forever change the entire character of Point Roberts.
I urge rate payers to organize and insist a way be found to allow us to vote our mind on sewers here on the Point.
Roger Gates
Point Roberts

The Editor:
This is in response to Kaila Seeley’s letter in the August issue about the lack of a youth center in Point Roberts. Kaila’s question – which seems a good one – is how come? We have a place where seniors can meet, but no
place where kids can go after school and on weekends for recreation and socializing.
I’m told that the Boys and Girls Club in Blaine is no longer a feasible substitute, since the special bus which students used to be able to ride home after extracurricular activities is now available only to those who participate
in athletics.
Surely the young in Point Roberts are worth investing in. The young people I’ve met are of exceptionally high caliber. I understand there is also a significant number of kids of primary school age who will soon need something to do. Where will they go? How can we expect to keep them on the Point?
The community center already has pool tables, a place to play basketball, a big lawn where games such as volleyball could easily be set up, and rooms that stand empty half the time. The library is there with resources available three days a week for students who need help with homework.
Older students could act as paid supervisors, mentors, tutors, referees. From what I hear, there are no jobs available on the Point in the winter. A youth club could provide an answer to this need as well. At a glance, the community center would seem a place to start. Or perhaps there is a better
place. Suggestions anyone? Since so many commercial ventures in Point Roberts seem to regularly go belly up, now might be the time to invest in a sure thing to give a rousing Yes! to our most valuable resource: our young.
Tippets Jensen
Point Roberts

The Editor:
I am extremely concerned about the health, environmental and financial cost of disposing of collected sewage. If I were given the choice between upgrading my septic system and a sewer system, I would choose to
upgrade my septic. I believe septic is a better choice for Point Roberts.
Although I am a Canadian, my grandparents were Americans. Four generations of my family have enjoyed the Point since the 1950s. I hope my voice will be heard on his matter.
Tena Colton
Point Roberts

The Editor:
I am trying to recover from an unnatural disaster. I did not have a fire, nor did a tornado rage through my home, but I have suffered a great loss.
On September 18, I was advised secondhand from a friend that from September 4 all of my nine-year-old daughter’s and my possessions were unceremoniously dumped curbside on Gulf Road, with a free sign. As
you can imagine we’re devastated, since many of our things were of great monetary as well as sentimental value.
Some of these items included: Jessy’s hope chest and collectible toys, memories of my son, grandmother’s jewelry, souvenirs from my travels, Christmas, Easter and Valentine decorations, film scripts and memorabilia,
phone lists, training materials, boating and camping gear, winter and arctic clothing, household furnishings, brass hand-tooled table top, file cabinets and much more!
If anyone innocently stopped at the free sign, and salvaged anything – anything at all, we should dearly love to have them returned to us. I realize with heart-wrenching sadness that only a small amount of these items will come home to us, as the remaining items went into a dumpster and
now are lost to us forever.
Some kind and concerned people, who have heard of our plight, have already come forward. These wonderful folks have returned a teddy bear that belonged to my daughter, and a few keepsakes. Please call
me at 360/945-3001 if you were at the scene or pass the word around the community and pass the word to our neighbors in Canada,
as no one could possibly love these possessions as much as my daughter Jessy and I do.
Lesley St. Nicholas
Point Roberts

The Editor:
I would like to take this time to say thank you to the wonderful people of Point Roberts. A celebration of life was held on September 21 for my dad, Ray Molyard, who passed away September 4.
The gathering was held at Kiniski’s Reef, a most appropriate place. My thanks to Ernie Loreen for his comforting words. To Joanie, Kelly and Vicki for your loving words. To all of the people who brought pot
luck. Everything was great. To Nick Kiniski, your loving words and your comforting presence earlier in the day are beyond words and made things so much easier. To Linda, thank you for your words and organizing
the whole thing. I have never before been in the presence of such loving and caring people.
Sheila Woods
North Vancouver, B.C.

The Editor:
To all the kids in Point Roberts who have been at our house to ride on our half pipe skate ramp, it has been a pleasure having you over.
All of you know that there was an upset neighbor that actually wound up making us go to court over the skate ramp. Good news is that we won. The sad news is that the ramp was getting rotten and had holes in it.
But don’t worry, the court ruled that the half pipe can stay, so in March when the weather is better, a brand new one will go up again. If you would like to skate the ramp, come back in the spring.
Until then, thanks for coming around.
Tabatha Gault
Point Roberts

Letters Policy
The All Point Bulletin welcomes letters to the editor; however, the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor. Letters must include name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. Letters must not exceed 450 words and may be edited or rejected for reasons of legality and good taste.
A fresh viewpoint on matters of general interest to local readers will increase the likelihood of publication. Writers should avoid personal invective. Unsigned letters will not be accepted for publication. Requests for withholding names will be considered on an individual basis.
Thank You letters should be limited to ten names.
Only one letter per month from an individual correspondent will be published.

Please send your letter to: P.O. Box 1451, Point Roberts, WA 98281
or fax (360) 945-1613.
E-mail:editor@allpointbulletin.com

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