Letters to the Editor: August

The Editor:

Our family has owned our property on South Beach Road for almost 100 years. Up until last year we never had any issues and felt comfortable leaving our door unlocked if we went on a beach walk and our chairs out on deck that faces South Beach Road.

Last year, someone stole our lawn chairs. This year, while it might not seem like much to some, they clipped off our roses. My parents’ ashes are buried under the rose bush and it’s fairly evident that it is a memorial planting, based upon the rocks and shells that surround the small bush. I was saving the blooms to cut them off myself and press them.

I was very upset and very disappointed that someone would take this away from our family. May Karma come your way you lowlife thief.

Bev Mitchell (Hourston)

Point Roberts

The Editor:

I have been a “resident” of the point for 38 years. I grew up here over the summers, eventually grew my own family of five, and later built a home on our existing property in 2012. As much as I am Canadian, I feel at home here. My heart and fondest memories live here.

It has been a true sad state of affairs to watch what is becoming of this town. We survived Covid, recessions and hopefully we’ll survive the Trump era. Beyond the hardware and grocery store, everything else seems to be on a recycled timeline. Businesses pop up, last a year or two or even five, but eventually close their doors. Rinse and repeat.

Lighthouse Marine Park is a joke when it comes to a viable and functional boat launch. No break water, no dock (despite the wooden one lasting decades that was deemed replaceable with an aluminum one that didn’t survive its first year of service) and given the obvious tides, the existing concrete ramp is flooded with beach gravel multiple times per day. Trucks get stuck, trailers get buried and to add insult to injury, the one functional backhoe that was used to clear the ramp broke down last year.

But wait! There’s more!

The marina. I have been a part-time user of the marina for years. Years. For two years running now my dock access has a magnetic door that does not lock. We’ve had no electrical power. The chandlery and accompanying maintenance facility have closed their doors. The marine travel lift that is used to launch boats over 3.500 pounds has been broken for that same period of time. But there is a breakwater, just no carved out access ramp to launch from (which would be simple to install).

WTF, Point Roberts? How do we stand for this? It’s hard to feel sorry for a town that can make cell towers go away but won’t fight for infrastructure that it needs and would provide various revenue streams. We are surrounded by water yet have no means to launch a boat over 18 feet in length and we can’t even provide full hook up service to the vessels that do reside in the marina.

It’s time to wake up and fact check the various numbered companies and follow the “money” that is bankrolling these places. Clearly, the owners’ interests are not with our little five-square-mile peninsula.

John Carinha

Point Roberts

The Editor:

On Monday, July 14 it became apparent that someone had broken into my neighbors home. I called the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and was informed that the local sheriff was having his day off. Despite this, on his day off, deputy Leach contacted me and came down to investigate.

I was extremely impressed with this level of service and kudos to the sheriff!

Lorne Goldman

Point Roberts