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LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
The Editor:
A big thank you goes out to everyone who helped make this summer’s
Family Fun Night a great evening!
Thank you to the blue sky and gentle breeze for allowing us to
play and visit outside!
Special thanks to Nielson’s Building Center for their very
generous donation of prizes, and also another big thank you to
Jay Lewis and the Marketplace for allowing us to post the event
on your sign.
Thank you to Arthur for bringing his bubble machine; wands and
toys for kids of all ages!
Thank you to the PTO members for the fabulous back-to-school
backpack raffle prize and; and to the wonderful kids who participated
and helped make the evening a success!
Thank you to Anita for helping with set-up and cleaning afterwards.
Thank you to Debbie, Grace and Veronica for creating a wonderful
banner! Thank you to the Point Roberts Parks and Recreation Board
for allowing us to use the community center for the event.
Most of all, thank you to all the families who came and participated
in the games, songs, and raffle, we had lots of fun playing get-to-know-you
games and munching down all the lovely snacks you brought for
us all to enjoy!
Linda Hughes (Point Roberts PTO) & Emily Bouchard
(Blended-Families.com)
Point Roberts
The Editor:
To the horse riders on Saturday, September 11 riding along Bayview
Drive at Maple Beach - you should be ashamed of yourselves
for leaving behind the disgusting mess that was dropped by
your horses at the end of Alder Street. I am sure you know
who you are!
Every Saturday and Sunday morning, several neighbors on Alder
Street go down to the beach to enjoy their morning coffee at
the bench. Imagine our surprise when we spotted the huge pile
of horse poop that was along the length of the bench and past
it by about three feet! I ended up walking back home to get a
shovel to move the mess off the road so that someone wouldn’t
step in it. Then I found out I was too late - one of my neighbors
had stepped in it on Saturday night. Believe me, she was not
impressed.
This isn’t the first time that this has happened along
Bayview Drive. About a week or so before the Labor Day weekend,
there was another big deposit left in front of the old Clark’s
store as well. While I can understand that it would be impossible
to carry a shovel while riding, wouldn’t the responsible
thing to do, be to come back after your ride and clean up the
mess left behind by the horse you were riding?
Dog owners are now seen everywhere carrying their little doggie
bags and scooping. I really think it’s about time the horse
riders offered the same consideration, after all, horse poop
is about 10 times the size of dog poop!
What are you thinking, that it will just disappear on its own?
Teresa Thieman
Point Roberts
The Editor:
The Blue Heron Express, the Point Roberts community van was never
meant to replace either the Safety Net WTA bus, or the Blaine
after school activities bus. Nevertheless, that is what seems
to be happening with public transportation in Point Roberts.
As it stands, we do not meet the standards set for a community
use van: two trips per day, six days per week; a standard based
on a “fixed route service” set by the WTA as an experimental
measure, since they don’t have a service in existence that
meets our specialized needs.
We have demonstrated that the community use van, the Blue Heron
Express, is a useful, desirable, and flexible supplement for
current public transportation needs in our community; and as
awareness of this service spreads, so does its usage increase.
However, if the WTA proceeds as it intends to do and eliminates
the safety net bus service twice a month from Bellingham; as
Blaine school district has eliminated the after school activities
bus; the Blue Heron Express will become the only public transportation
facility left in Point Roberts, outside of the excellent service
provided by the Point Roberts Cab Company.
I have volunteered as the program/schedule coordinator since
January, and, based on my experience, as the program stands now,
we are not able to meet the needs of our community, or the “standards” set
by the WTA. We need more volunteer drivers to drive our students,
our seniors, and all those who enjoy the symphony, rock concerts,
or a night under the stars.
I am not a well-connected member of the Point, so I don’t
always know what the great event of the month is: I need you
to tell me. And I want you to know that just because something
is printed on the schedule doesn’t mean it’s written
in stone.
If you want to go somewhere, and it looks like there might be
a conflict, call the reservation line anyway! If people don’t
sign up for a scheduled event, we don’t drive. If three
people sign up for an event, we go! If it is a medical trip,
we’ll take one person, though we’d rather have three.
And it helps if we have a few days notice to put something together.
Many of the folks with appointments call the reservation line
right after they make their appointment, so I have ample time
to find them a driver; and perhaps put together a group to go
on the same day.
Our success thus far is due to our drivers, and those who want
to take the Blue Heron Express to get where they need to go.
I have heard one or two reminisce on traveling through Europe
and commenting favorably on our service. I hope we are able to
continue to grow and meet the needs of our community. If you
have comments, please call our reservation line, email ridethevan@hotmail.com,
and let us know your thoughts.
Cheryl Fitzgerald
Blue Heron Express program/schedule coordinator
Point Roberts
The Editor:
Regarding Mr. Hammel’s letter in the last All Point Bulletin,
I’ve never discussed his secessionist ideas with him. What
I took issue with was a lot of the narcissist bombast in his
first letter.
Specifically, a very good phone conversation started with him
saying, “So do you think I’m full of crap.” I
told him that the fact that he’d forgotten to gas up his
car, needed to go to the bathroom and had a car whose air conditioning
wasn’t working weren’t a border guard’s problems.
(In other words - stuff that he should have taken care of himself
can’t be blamed on someone else.) His response was to ask
me if I thought they should allow steer manure across the border.
I told him that I’d prefer it that they did, but if one
of the trade-offs for living in Point Roberts was occasional
restrictions like that I could live with it. I spoke for myself.
I never said anything about all of us living here being so blessed
that we shouldn’t complain about customs hassles. I’m
not that simple. So, I ask Mr. Hammel that if he’s going
to put my views in a nutshell that the nutshell be accurate.
He writes that he can’t help but note that I’m whizzing
through with my NEXUS pass while he’s stuck in traffic
unable to get one. If he’s implying that my attitude towards
border restrictions comes from the fact that I have a NEXUS pass
he’s very wrong. I have a NEXUS pass because my profession
requires me to travel frequently to Vancouver and Seattle - sometimes
on the same day. I don’t consider it an idle privilege.
It’s a professional necessity. And in terms of bringing
things across the border - the NEXUS lane is much more restrictive
than the other. The list of things you can’t carry across
in the NEXUS lane seems to grow daily. Whizzing by to quickly
bring things in? Hardly.
In our phone conversations we talked about a variety of things.
Exercise, sailing, bikes, nothing at all about the various national
and international conspiracies he mentions in his letter. I certainly
wasn’t avoiding the topic. It didn’t come up. But
I would find it hard to ponder the truth of what he is saying
about these things. If he’s going to turn forgetting to
maintain his car and needing to go to the bathroom into resentment
towards the government - there are other truths to ponder.
Ross Douglas
Point Roberts
The Editor:
There is a nicely maintained trail (thank you) starting at the
east end of APA Road, called the nature trail to Lighthouse
Park. Just to the left of this trail, next to the canal there
stood a lovely old pear tree. Until recently it was fully laden
with fruit and healthy and just the other day I noticed it
has been reduced to a stump a few feet high. Why? I can not
see any reason for doing so. The apple tree near it looks quite
a lot the worse for wear as well, having been excessively pruned;
i.e. butchered. Are you trying to kill that too? If so, why?
Sue Johnson
Point Roberts
The Editor:
Trinity Church would like to say thank you to Diane and Max of
South Beach House Restaurant for their wonderful hospitality
at our recent church picnic on August 22. The weather was cloudy
that day, but Diane said, “we’ll just cook the
hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, no problem.” So
we did just that and then the sun came out and we finished
them on our barbecues. What a great day we had. The gardens
were glorious, along with the view. Thank you so much for a
great picnic Max and Diane.
Ruth Liukkonen, administrator, Trinity Church
Point Roberts
The Editor:
A couple of stories in your September issue were of interest
to me, as I was mentioned in one. The Rural Advisory Committee
article firstly - the last thing Point Roberts needs is another
committee; but if forced upon us, it should be a committee
against committees. For that one, count me in.
Your article mentions Mr. Lesow’s fame or infamy and my
name. I take no credit or blame for either. You describe a fistfight
at a water board meeting. That would be an upgrade from your
original report of the incident as ‘jostling’ where
Mr. Lesow tried to exit the room sans door and his pugilistic
style could not be confused with fistfighting even by the most
naive of people.
Mr. Kremen appointed Mr. Lesow so I think it would only be fair
he provide John with a desk in his office. He has the space and
I believe John could enlighten him on a great many issues. If
time allows, maybe he could get him on the hospital district.
I believe he has a vast knowledge that knows no borders. Great
paper.
The not so prolific writer.
Ron Calder
Point Roberts
The Editor:
On Monday, August 23, after shopping at the Marketplace, I returned
to the car to find a very flat tire. I had three little girls
with me and it was raining. The lady in the Marketplace very
kindly let me use the telephone to have the girls picked up.
Then I telephoned BCAA. They said they would send a tow truck
from Ladner, but when help had not arrived after an hour and
a half, I telephoned again.
BCAA contacted the tow truck driver who was being held up at
the border crossing - “not allowed to work in the U.S.
without a permit.” Shortly after that, two uniformed customs
officers came into the Marketplace. I asked them if they had
seen a tow truck at the customs. They said, “Yes, are you
the lady with the flat tire?” They thought the truck would
not be allowed through the border, but offered to check and let
me know.
They started to their car and then turned back and said, “We’ll
change your tire.” Could you believe it?
I was, and am, so grateful to those two border patrol gentlemen.
Canada/U.S. relations would prosper if there were more chaps
like these two. Many thanks.
Margery Milne
Vancouver, B.C.
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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