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LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
The Editor:
What a “classy” concert we had in Point Roberts February
10. This was the 3rd annual Valentine’s Concert, which
Esther Rosenthal has organized and presented to benefit the Point
Roberts community both artistically and financially.
Esther earned degrees in music from Oberlin School of Music and
Eastman School of Music. She has had a career in music in New
York and Los Angeles, so it was natural for her to seek out musicians
with whom she could enjoy her talent after she and Henry moved
to Point Roberts.
The roster of professionally trained local musicians performing
in this concert included Simone Shern on the oboe; Nancy Duncan,
bassoon; Vic Riley, Jack Blair and Esther playing the piano,
Julia Lattimer and Ed Lester on the violin, Dick Williams on
the clarinet; and a surprise performer Michael Tan for the finale.
The worthy but struggling organization to receive assistance
from this concert is Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness (PREP).
The interim committee is welcoming volunteers who will help identify
potential needs of the community during emergency situations
and who will help develop plans and policies working closely
with fire district #5 and water district #4 when emergencies
occur. The next meeting of PREP will be Monday, March 5 at the
community center at 7 p.m.
My advice to all is to watch for concerts being held at the Trinity
Lutheran Community Church if you want a great afternoon of music
and also please give some thought and support to emergency preparedness.
Mary Miller
Point Roberts
The Editor:
Community in a rural location such as ours is often developed
through repeated informal meetings at the grocery store, bank,
or coffee shop with a brief ‘hello’ and smile of
recognition. Here in Point Roberts, small as we are, it can
still be difficult to get to know people and feel truly at
home. One short cut strategy is to join a small group.
The Whacky Walkers is such a group. The group began four years
ago and has been active ever since. An eclectic gathering of
diverse individuals from many different ‘walks of life,’ we
choose to walk each Tuesday and Thursday morning for fresh air,
exercise and good conversation.
The group ebbs and flows as the members work it into their lives,
but there is a core group who one, ensures it continues on the
twice weekly basis rain or shine; and two, ensure there is always
someone at Lighthouse Park parking lot at 8 a.m. every Tuesday
morning to greet both regular walkers and newcomers.
Exploring the trails of Lily Point, the Nature Trail along the
creek near Lighthouse Park, and other trails through the forests
of Point Roberts is a great way to discover the natural beauty
that is ours. Do it with a guide. Hear some of the history of
Point Roberts, or join us simply for the opportunity of meeting
an interesting group of adults who enjoy stimulating conversation,
good humor and catching up on the news between issues of the
All Point Bulletin.
The walks are usually an hour at a brisk pace with coffee and
snacks after. All adults are welcome. We encourage the newcomers
to the Point to join us. Contact Jim at 945-1938 or Sally at
945-1804 for more information.
Annette Hamm
Point Roberts
The Editor:
How thoughtful of Mr. Hoogendoorn, after visiting the Point and
attending one meeting, to advise our community as to where
a cell tower might be located, if at all. He suggested
each of us should assess ourselves a couple of bucks a month
to fund the parks board.
I wonder whether Mr. Hoogendoorn might get the residents of his
hometown to round up the money and politicians to have their
sewage treated before it is dumped into the chuck. Some
years ago, they entered into an agreement with Washington state
wherein they agreed to have done this by 2008.
I have a hunch their sewage is more of a threat to
the public than a cell tower poses.
Ruby G. White
Point Roberts
The Editor:
I am one of many property owners who is anxiously awaiting a
resolution to the ongoing water moratorium and the allocation
of existing connections in Point Roberts. Having attended the
February 8 Point Roberts Water District (PRWD) meeting, I am
not confident that there is any timely resolution in sight.
The issue is one of supply and demand. The PRWD has 162 hookups
available but they don’t know how to allocate them. There
are currently 36 people who have submitted their plans to Whatcom
County Planning and Development Services and are waiting for
meters to start construction.
Although 36 people are on the list, it is not a fair representation
of the number of people waiting for a water meter. Some people
have attempted to submit their plans to planning and have been
told they wouldn’t accept them due to the moratorium.
There are others who have cleared their lots and installed a
septic system but hesitate to commit to further financial investment,
until this water issue has been resolved. Some people have meters
on their lots and wish to move them to another property, while
others have meters that just need to be reactivated.
All of us intend to build as soon as the board decides to begin
a fair allocation of the water meters currently available. The
problem is that PRWD doesn’t know how many people are in
urgent need of water and they haven’t made any attempt
to find out. For all we know, the demand may be less than what
is currently available.
In an effort to expedite this, I am asking any property owner
who is currently in need of a water meter and intends to build
immediately upon resolution to contact me at PRWater@gmail.com.
I will forward the list to PRWD with the hopes that they will
take action to start the allocation process.
Patti Beugh
Point Roberts
The Editor and Mr. Pete Kremen:
I represent a group of people with family ties to Point Roberts
going back to the mid 1890s. We are incensed at the treatment
of the people by the local garbage company using our land leased
from the county to coerce and extort monies out of the people.
The land in question was acquired by the county when the township
of Point Roberts ceased to exist. One of our members tried to
lease some of this land approximately two years ago and one month
ago and was turned down both times. He is also barred from the
use of the garbage transfer station or pickup service forever
and his properties in perpetuity.
As a group we intend to offer the people an alternative. The
reason this letter is directed to you is because some of our
group have been misled and outright lied to by your county staff – so
what we need is a commitment from you to lease us the same amount
of land in the same area as the local transfer station at the
same price, which we believe is about $50 a month. We would commit
another $450 a month in donation to be split by the local parks
department and the food bank. Depending on the success of business
this amount could increase.
We are presently in negotiations with several companies that
actually recycle garbage, demolition green waste and construction
debris. We would like some yes or no answers. We don’t
care to deal in political spin and bovine scatology. We are not
going away and we are going to solve these problems to the benefit
of the people of Point Roberts and the environment first and
our company second.
If this county land is made unavailable to us we would expect
county support in using any other property of our choosing and
if this is the case the minimum donation to the parks department
and the food bank will still happen.
Ron Calder
Point Roberts
The Editor:
I have acquired a list from Whatcom County Planning and Development
of single family resident permits currently waiting for water
verification. It is a measly total of 36. In the worst case
scenario, some of them may actually already have a meter hookup
but planning and development may not have updated their records.
Others may not even have any intention of building immediately.
In any case, I see no reason why the water board should not issue
at least a maximum of 36 meters of the 162 that are currently
available, to those people who are in urgent need of completing
their building process.
It is high time for the board to revert back to their original
proposal when they first put the moratorium into effect – which
was that if an individual already had a development application
submitted to Whatcom County Planning and Development, they would
accept an application for water hookup.
The water board should also be taking in applications from anyone
who is anticipating building in the near future, including the
date that they expect to require water. This is the only way
that we can get a clear idea of the supply versus demand.
In the meantime, the board should continue to work on a comprehensive
plan to increase our future requirements and methods of acquiring
additional water to meet the need of our community. We know that
it is within their power to change their decisions at any time
and issue water meters if they so decide.
We believe that these steps need to be taken regardless of the
advice of their lawyer.
I can hardly begin to tell you what an adverse effect this is
having on us. For starters, it has put our lives on hold for
two years. We have already invested in the services of an architect
and an interior designer. By the time we are able to build our
house, it will have largely defeated our purpose because our
12-year-old son will be off to college and we won’t be
in such desperate need of a larger home. Also, we are paying
taxes for a piece of property on which we are unable to build.
The cost of building is going up every day. History has shown
that only 15 – 20 houses are built in Point Roberts per
year. We need to continue development at a rate of growth that
this community can support. There are a very limited number of
tradesmen and construction companies able to provide us with
their services in Point Roberts. I can’t imagine the amount
of chaos, delays, frustrations and pressure that would be placed
on us if water meters were to suddenly become available via a
lottery or if a “comprehensive plan” were to be put
into place.
I believe that the only resolution to this problem is to begin
allocating water meter hookups now!
Karin Pruss
Point Roberts
The Editor:
With appreciation to Emily Smith and all the previous directors
of PREP. The Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness group (PREP),
about which you’ve been reading in the All Point Bulletin
lately, wouldn’t be where it is today or perhaps even
in existence were it not for the vision and commitment of Emily
Smith.
Within the weeks and months after the December 2004 tsunami in
southeast Asia, Emily, along with husband Reid Smith and good
friends, Ron & Wendy Klages fostered a collective vision
that an emergency preparedness and response group could become
a viable part of the Point Roberts community.
With great enthusiasm and energy, they developed the idea, talked
to friends and neighbors on the Point and ultimately created
PREP. While each of the four contributed countless hours to the
project, it was Emily who partnered her role as head of the Point
Roberts Chamber of Commerce with the need for an emergency response
group. She fostered the connections, asked the initial questions
and inspired others to add their talent and energy to the effort.
Throughout 2005 and into 2006, Emily went about the work of getting
PREP set up as an official 501C3 organization, register it with
the state, created and maintained the website and then in late
February, provided real hands on leadership and support to residents
of Maple Beach and Marine Drive during brutal late winter storms.
Emily’s husband, Reid, added guidance, enthusiasm and a
sense of practicality to all those early endeavors. If Emily
was the face of PREP, Reid was its backbone. During the floods,
it was he who was sloshing through sometimes knee-deep water
to help neighbors move a log or haul a water soaked chair from
their front deck, always with a smile on his face and willingness
to keep working at it.
Ron Klages brought to PREP his prior experience in community
planning and organization. It’s Ron whom we can thank for
the healthy start on PREP’s emergency response plan which,
with a bit more work, we will be able to present to county officials
for approval. Ron invested days and days scouring various emergency
preparedness websites, identifying resources and potential plans
that could be adapted for use in PREP. As someone remarked, Ron
took to reading and absorbing all that FEMA material like a duck
to water.
Meanwhile, Wendy Klages focused her energies in highlighting
the importance of emergency medical assistance in the event of
an emergency. She pulled together nearly a dozen qualified nurses
and other medical personnel for Red Cross training, which would
form the core of an emergency medical response team for PREP.
And who can forget Wendy’s canoe, emergency survival gear
and preparedness brochures in the hallway of the community center
at last winter’s pre-Christmas craft sale.
As the reader may or may not know, Reid & Emily, and Ron & Wendy
all moved off the Point last fall. Thanks to their earlier efforts,
PREP has recruited new leadership and is continuing on with the
vision Emily fostered. So it’s with genuine gratitude and
appreciation that we, the current CEOs of PREP, recognize and
thank Ron, Wendy, Reid and, particularly Emily, for all they’ve
done to raise awareness in Point Roberts about the need for emergency
preparedness and response capabilities here and getting PREP
off the ground. Thanks to each and all.
Henry Rosenthal, Ed Lester, Michael Tan
Point Roberts
The Editor:
I want to thank all our friends and neighbors who have
supported Jason McDougall and I during this opening phase of
Captain Bob’s Emporium.
My main focus is to continue to build a store with great value
and tremendous character. I’ll be putting together activities
to amuse the community and increase community involvement and
togetherness. Right now I am gathering photocopies of Point Roberts
folks posing with celebrities. Bring in a picture and I will
frame it and place it in the “Hall of Fame.” So far
we’ve got Zsa Zsa, Richard Dean Anderson, Paul Rodriquez,
O.J. Simpson and more! Color copies can be made at Caffe Capanna.
Mid April, we will start the Saturday market and everyone is
welcome to come and sell anything they want! Booth spaces will
be $10 and the money will go to a worthy cause. We also want
to do “Midnight Madness” sales as a fundraiser for
your non-profit organization. Schedule a sale after hours and
we will donate 10 percent of all sales during that time period
to your organization! This could raise a lot of money for your
cause and all you have to do is get your members to shop! Call
me to schedule.
I also have a community bulletin board in the store and if you
want to put your event on my calendar at Captain Bob’s,
it will help with the problem of event conflict that we all experience
as event promoters. Call me if you want me to put your event
on the calendar or better yet, come in and buy some stuff while
you’re at it!
Another thank you for electing me as your chamber of commerce
president. I want to help this community grow in a character
driven direction that will enhance the experience of visiting
and living here. I want to see our history preserved and our
artists cherished.
Most of all, I want the children of this community to be able
to look back, as my children do, and say “Wow, I had the
best childhood ever.” And on that note, I really want to
encourage everyone to participate by building a float for the
July 4th parade.
The theme this year is “Your Favorite Movie.” This
is a great theme since you could be Aladdin or Al Pacino. Look
for the tickets to go on sale soon for the Point Roberts Chamber
of Commerce Spring Social which will have the same theme – I
am looking forward to the evening gowns and bling since all of
us can be movie stars for an evening!
Any kind of movie costume is welcome – be a Wookie if you
want!
Pamela Oakley
Point Roberts
The Editor:
I have talked to over 300 people who live here full and part
time with respect to their opinions on the erection of a cell
phone tower in our park near our school. Many have said they
would like a tower and better cell phone reception (for business
and safety).
Many have said they do not want a cell tower anywhere on the
Point because of concerns with adverse health effects and or
the loss of migrating birds (at the base of towers of this size
and power, they are finding dead birds daily). Others have concerns
with the eyesore that denies a character plan. None have said
in our park (zoned recreational open space) near our school.
Well be it – the middle ground then would be a smaller
less powerful tower in a semi industrial zone; outside of potential
aesthetic or health concerns.
The Point Robert’s Alliance for Sound Health Policy has
grown from three concerned citizens to a very large group of
well informed people, working to stop this tower. We had an informative
public meeting, attended all the parks meetings, consulted planners,
doctors and communication’s experts to help in our mission.
One hundred and sixty people have signed a petition to oppose
our parks board decision. Many wrote letters.
We have compromised and provided expert advice from our communications
engineer; a solution based alternative with means to unite this
community by solving most of our wishes namely: a small tower
or three little low powered structures with the latest technical
and safety standards in an area zoned to minimize health risks,
diminish eyesores, migrating bird death, that won’t sacrifice
park aesthetics or negatively shape our character plan and that
generates community funding.
I oppose any industrial or commercial structure in our park (we
have a decent water structure there that’s enough). Have
you ever walked the beautiful forest rich with large birch, old
massive cedars and Douglas firs that comprise the other half
of our park? Let me be clear, no sell outs, trade offs or
sales of our only community park land – none.
Let’s wake up and keep our green space green, make it lovely
and bring on better communications in a responsible way. Not
in our park near our school!
Craig Jacks
Point Roberts
The Editor:
All the girls from Boobs Across the Border would like to thank
each and every one of you for making our first fundraiser at
TJ’S a complete success. Your generosity was amazing.
We would also like to thank all of the businesses that donated
prizes, Country Farm Garden for the beautiful bouquets, Point
Roberts Marketplace for dinner and a movie, Dennis’ Auto
for a free oil change, Caffé Cappanna, Brewster’s,
Rose and Crown for the gift certificates, Bubbles Bakery, Dylan’s
Shellmart, Captain Bob’s Emporium, Point Robert’s
Soap and Candle for the gift baskets, Point Roberts Golf & Country
Club for green fees for two, Nielson’s Building Center
for the stoneware set, and Tairlight for the beautiful infinity
candle holder.
We would also like to thank the staff at T.J.’s, Leanne,
Mandi, Dawn, Steve and of course our beloved Bert for a job well
done. And special kudos’s to Nicholas for pumping
out those hamburgers as fast as they were ordered. Good job!
Thank you Mark and Vicki for letting us have our first fundraiser
at T.J.’s. and to Lillian for just being there to help
out wherever she was needed.
Encore did a great job rocking the night away. They dedicated
the night to Ellen’s best friend Maria who has just been
diagnosed with cancer. Maria – our prayers are with you.
We still have a lot of work to do besides training to walk the
60K, we have to raise $16,000 dollars, T.J.’s fundraiser
gave us a good start but it is only the beginning. So please
watch for up and coming fundraisers. Once again, thank you
Point Roberts and friends for your generosity and support.
Love from Boobs Across the Border United for a Cure
Dani Magnusson (on behalf of Boobs Across The Border United For
A Cure)
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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