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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