LETTERS TO THE EDITOR


The Editor:
It has come to my attention that our fire commissioners – yes, the people who represent us, have voted to continue to fully pay Point Roberts’ former fire chief Mike Campbell while he is on leave. It is my understanding that this is an acceptable practice when somebody is charged with an offense somehow related to the job. Mr. Campbell (I hate to call him Chief at this point) has been charged with a very serious offense, allegedly committed on his own private time – totally unrelated to his job. I believe in a man’s right to a fair trial and would not presume to judge and convict him without due process. In the spirit of fairness I also believe that Joe Taxpayer should not be paying to keep this man while the court system wends its way through he process oh – so – slowly. This could take years! Do the people of Point Roberts really think he should continue to receive full pay? I can’t imagine you and I or anyone else I know getting full pay for not doing a job for months or years while dealing with personal business.
Hasn’t anyone figured out yet that we are being taken for a ride here? Doesn’t anyone care?
Milt Litchard
Point Roberts
(Ed. note: Mike Campbell was placed on administrative leave following his October 8 arrest. Commissioners moved him to unpaid leave November 30. He was charged with child molestation and rape of a child December 6.).

The Editor:
Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Icelandic. My name is John Edvalds. My father’s name was Dui Edvaldsson. He made his name shorter to Edvalds upon arrival from Iceland. Born in Iceland in 1898, he died in 1977. I was the youngest of the boys. My father worked in Anchorage a lot during the Second World War. He was a very, very kind man. Our grandfather was one of the pioneers of Point Roberts, Arni S. Myrdal. His wife was Sarah.
I was born in Blaine, November 24, 1941. We later lived in the house on Portal Bay with the spiral tower, a victorian looking house, about two doors from the Oartell family.
We lost my sister Lillian a few years ago. She died a premature death after several strokes. She was a paralegal and did some mortgage business.
Frederick is still alive and travels with his wife Joan. Harold is still living and is often frequenting the Icelandic reunion on the Point or at the Peace Arch. My mother, Elin, is still living. She lives in a rest home in Snohomish, Washington. She is 95-years-old, suffering greatly from Alzheimer’s’ disease.
Leslie (Les) was a councilman for 12 years in Shawnee, Kansas. He is retired in Washington state.
He was a hard worker, always a giver and loved to help the underdog.
My wife, Win, and I, travelled to Europe a few times. We lived in France for a while. We did stop over in Iceland. But someday we would like to travel to Iceland as a destination vacation.
One of our sons Steve, is a pilot for Alaska Airlines, his wife is a pilot for Horizon Air (owned by Alaska Airgroup). We have another son, David, who is in financial management with the Boeing Company. Our daughter Lani, is a vice principal of a grade school. We have six grandchildren and one more on the way.
I used to run a chain of mens wear stores in the Seattle area. I eventually ended up owning my own store. I retired after that and took up selling for someone else for a while.
I have multiple sclerosis. I am retired due to that disease. One of my favorite friends as a boy was Johnny Sanders, from Point Roberts. He is now a psychiatrist, as I understand it, in Bellingham.
So, be assured that Point Roberts, and Blaine, Washington have a very warm spot reserved within my Icelandic heart.
I trust that this will find its way to someone who would be interested to what happened to the little boy down the street in the Victorian house on Portal Bay Road.
God bless you all.
John Edvalds
Tacoma, WA

The Editor:
This is just a short note to thank Jay, Diane, Brad, Lorry, Veronica and of course, Autumn and Ronda in the Deli, for helping make the interior painting of International Marketplace a truly pleasurable experience! Thanks for hiring a local contractor to do the job.
Hugh Wilson, All Hues Painting
Point Roberts

The Editor:
The unique political and geographical situation of Point Roberts calls for an equally creative approach to solving the border mess.
The answer lies not in a homegrown American or even “made in Canada” solution. The best example of how Point Roberts can coexist with its larger northern neighbor can be found in Europe. Campione d’Italia and Buesingen are Italian and German enclaves, respectively, within Swiss territory. Both are treated as part of Switzerland for customs purposes so no border posts exist.
A similar solution should be enacted for Point Roberts. While some residents might feel uneasy about giving up INS monitoring of incoming traffic, one needs only remember the INS was the same agency that renewed Mohammed Atta’s visa two months after he crashed a jetliner into the World Trade Center.
Canadians would be concerned, however, if Point Roberts were to become a backdoor for the importation of illegal firearms into our country. Given lax U.S. gun laws, we would have to be assured handgun possession would be limited to law enforcement officers before we could close our border station. And the USPS outlet would have to be replaced with a Canada Post office so that illegal items could not simply be mailed from the U.S. mainland and transported across the now-unguarded border.
Overall, however, it’s an idea whose time has come. It would be more logical than the existing situation and, given the reluctance of some Point residents to simply join Canada, the most realistic solution. If Europeans, who have fought countless wars amongst themselves, can cooperate to resolve their border problems, why can’t we?
Christopher McDonald
Spruce Grove, Alberta

The Editor:
As a Point Roberts resident I have, as we all have, an interest in seeing Delta Hospital remain a fully staffed, full service hospital. Many of us have needed Delta Hospital in times of crisis and for convenience when a trip to Bellingham could be avoided. Dr. John Bayne is devoting time and money to the effort to notify the Campbell government we want an MLA who will fight to protect the local hospital by recalling Val Roddick. The recall petition says simply: Val Roddick has failed to represent the interests of her constituents. This means she has served her party’s agenda in trying to destroy a major public service, rather than serving her constituents’ overwhelming wish to save Delta Hospital. His workers are going to be going door-to-door for the next 30 days. I hope all Delta voters will sign the petition.
Gordon Campbell’s huge majority has created a level of arrogance incompatible with democracy. I have met no one who disagrees, only those who feel a recall won’t deter a rampaging government, and those who have surrendered to an ideologue bent on creating a private, for profit health care system. As an American I am not an authority on Canadian politics, just on his goals – and I’ve seen private health care, mainly from the outside. For ten years I could not afford to have any. What I have now goes up in cost each year and after all that, I just don’t trust ‘em to pay the big claims!
It is depressing to think people will fail to sign a recall petition for the reason (they say) that the existing MLA will be replaced by someone just as bad. Young people seem to think this is how politics has always been, that there is no other possibility. That is just not true. The senior citizens of Delta, the back bone of the recall drive, remember when elected officials represented the people and not the party boss.
I know people are feeling disillusioned, ready to draw back from a dysfunctional mess, but the Campbell train has barely left the station, and its destination is further devastation to social programs down the line. Come on, all voting Canadians on the Point, the time to derail this train is now!
Roger Gates
Point Roberts

The Editor:
Ron Calder’s rant in last month’s APB about the fire district was true to form. Over the years, Ron has delighted in writing the political obituaries of others in your opinion section. Perhaps it’s time to write his.
Calder’s cheap shots at former fire commissioner Dan Levy only prove that Ron isn’t nearly as funny as he used to be. Newcomers to our goofy little community should be reminded that Levy was elected fire commissioner in two general elections. Despite continued pressure from Ron and his cronies, Dan Levy was successful in turning our underfunded, undermanned and scandalized fire department of the mid ‘90s into the professional organization that we have today. No small feat.
The voters of Point Roberts have consistently endorsed our fire department’s new direction in successive elections. In 2001, fire commissioner Don Frantz won his seat by a three to one margin. Commissioner John Fisher was elected by an overwhelming majority. Despite recent tribulations, there is still wide community support for our fire district and confidence in our elected commissioners.
The “number one paid chief who failed to show up for work” is Ron’s reference to fire chief Scott Chehock, who, despite his best efforts, was unfairly hounded from his job by the Calder crew while our spineless community stood by and did nothing. Calder’s allegations against former chief Chehock, which dominated conversation among the whispering classes and were even posted on the Internet, were groundless. But the fact that a reputation can take a lifetime to build and an instant to destroy was not lost on local malcontents and their Minister of Misinformation.
Ron Calder was elected water commissioner in 1990, beating Syd Wallace by one vote. Congratulations, Ron, for ending Syd’s dismal 12 year reign characterized in its final days by mismanagement, indifference to ratepayers and hostility towards the press.
Ron also deserves credit for preventing a pro-sewer majority on the water board. Because there is no doubt that a water board dominated by Syd Wallace and Jerry White in the early 90s would have ushered in a comprehensive sewer system for Point Roberts, given the hot real estate market and the pro-development sentiment of the times.
But Ron loses credit with me for his witless verbal and written tirades against fellow commissioners, ratepayers, and a Whatcom County judge during his six-year tenure. As a water commissioner, Ron accomplished little, alienated many and was bad for business.
Ron didn’t run for re-election in 1996 because he realized that in a three way primary race against Lorne Nielson and myself, he would finish dead last. Too bad. By not running, Ron and the voters of Point Roberts lost an opportunity for a public referendum on his record as an elected official.
I have won and lost water board elections. Winning is better. But running and losing is better than carping from the sidelines about the alleged mistakes of others when you are unwilling to stand for public office yourself.
The current vacancy on the water board presents a golden opportunity for former water commissioner Calder to defend his record, articulate his goals, and reestablish himself after six years in the political wilderness. How about it, Ron? Are you willing to apply for that vacant seat on the water board?
John Lesow
Point Roberts

The Editor:
Seeing this fire department fiasco unfold brings to mind an old naval saying “the rats always abandon the ship first!” If there was ever a reason for the recall process these individuals in their dwindling numbers have far exceeded any of them.
I know that attending public meetings in most cases is about as interesting as watching grass grow, so that is why these people have gotten away with wasting all our money and showing nothing for it. We now have two union firefighters at a cost of approximately $135,000 per year total. This covers about three days per week, but don’t expect them to respond if everything is not just right with the union rules.
This leaves our care in the capable hands of the unpaid volunteers; sounds like old times without the money! I feel that the people of Point Roberts would be outraged if they only knew the truth and I believe it is your job Mr. Editor/Publisher, remember, it’s your money too, as well as your safety.
It appears as though they have gotten rid of approximately $300,000 that was set aside before this nightmare began and have spent all of the other funds too. Now what? The tax money doesn’t come around until April! I would hate to see our volunteer firefighters hanging around the fuel stations like lot lizards bumming gas money.
This all brings to mind (now resigned) commissioner Fisher’s campaign slogan “come join our team.” Maybe the other two should follow his lead. Joining their team would be like accepting a free ride from the captain of the Titanic.
Ron Calder
Point Roberts

The Editor:
It is with much regret that I have resigned from my position on the board of fire commissioners. During August, I was hospitalized on three occasions in emergency situations. The third time bypassing the emergency ward and being admitted directly to the surgical unit.
Since August, I have been unable to regain sufficient strength to enable me to carry out my duties as fire commissioner in the manner I feel is required. When I took on the position several years ago I was asked to attend one meeting per month. Last month I had to attend six meetings. Attendance is not a problem, but the preparation for each meeting requires time and effort.
I think that the period that I have served has been productive and that we have accomplished a great deal. Driven in the main by the Point Roberts pioneers group and supported by fire district #5 and the Bellingham Interfaith community health center, the Point Roberts wellness clinic will soon be opening at the Benson Road fire station. It’s our hope that the wellness clinic will reduce the necessity of frequent travel to Bellingham for medical reasons and ensure that people with potentially serious medical problems are advised to see a physician before their situation becomes critical and life-threatening. Working on the wellness clinic committee since its formation has been extremely worthwhile and I look forward to seeing the clinic open its doors in the near future.
Our Interlocal Agreement with fire districts 3 and 13 has not been without problems. We are making progress however, and we are seeing the benefits that are associated with being a part of a much larger entity. For instance, our insurance premiums have dropped dramatically due to the carrier being able to write one policy that covers three fire districts.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Service has set up a repair shop which specializes in the repair and maintenance of fire apparatus. From a small beginning involving three fire districts, the shop now has repair and maintenance contracts with 13 fire districts.
In closing, I must say I am happy to have been able to serve the community and to work with the volunteers of fire district #5, a fine group of men and women. They have never hesitated when their duty requires them to step forward to protect us, whether the call is fire or medical. Our volunteers are the backbone and strength of fire district #5 and I am proud to have been associated with them.
I thank everyone for the support and advice freely given to me and, if it were not for health problems, I wold certainly enjoy soldiering on.
John Fisher
Point Roberts

The Editor and Whidbey Telephone Company:
It is with great appreciation that we acknowledge receipt of your lead donation in the amount of $5,000. Your contribution towards making a primary health care facility available to Point Roberts is an example of your corporate leadership in our community.
Thank you for taking this opportunity to endorse our efforts and give us a fundraising foundation that has inspired our efforts. It is a beacon of hope and a large stepping stone towards meeting our goal.
We sincerely thank you.
Brian Canfield, chair
Point Roberts Pioneer Group
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

BACK TO TOP