Letters to the Editor – December

Posted

The Editor:

In regard to the Senior’s Point column that appears every month in the All Point Bulletin. The apostrophe should come after the plural (seniors’) or else you are referring to the singular! This senior is going to gain weight eating all this food.

Ilma Gourley

Point Roberts

(Ed. Note: Regarding the apostrophe … the person who originally titled the column was Glennys Christie who started the All Point Bulletin in 1985. After we bought it, we asked about it but we don’t remember her answer. Unfortunately, she’s no longer around to ask again but she did have a reason. And we’re sticking with that reason, whatever it is. Perhaps it’s because we want to see how many readers pay attention to grammar. Judging by the number of people who have commented on it, I guess the answer is one. Congratulations, Ilma! Please don’t celebrate by eating all of the lunch offerings at the senior lunch.)

The Editor:

I was very pleased to be a part of this democratic process we just went through. It appears that the incumbent, Bennett Blaustein, has won the election for parks commissioner position 1. It was a close race. Congratulations, Bennett!

It was great to see the high voter turnout. Remember, your vote counts!

Thank you to everyone for your support; I will continue to help the parks board in any way I can.

Hugh Wilson

Point Roberts

The Editor:

For the past year, the Friends of the Point Roberts Library has been sponsoring film evenings at least once a month. The movies are shown on Friday evenings in the library meeting room. It’s a new program and the audience has varied by the season, of course, with more people coming out during the summer. But the numbers have been steady.

The Friends has purchased a yearly film license to make these showings possible. But it is a Friends project, not a library project. Staff from the library who have been running these films are volunteering their time, a gift for which we are very grateful.

But in the long run, it needs to be a community group project that is supported by the Friends. We’re looking for some people who are interested in hosting these film nights (opening and closing the building, turning on the heat), choosing the films, doing publicity for them and operating the computer that runs the film.

We’d be pleased to hear from anyone who is interested in joining us to create such a group; email us at foprl1@gmail.com.

Judy Ross, Friends of the Library

Point Roberts

The Editor:

Another point I could have added to my recent letter to you is that, in Canada, lottery winnings are not taxable. In fact, I’ve been told that no gambling winnings are taxable, unless one earns his living as a professional gambler. But I think a person could get around this by having some part-time job and declare that as his means of livelihood. The Canada Revenue Agency would probably look at it tongue-in-cheek, but not take any action – if they actually knew the guy was a gambler. I find them easy to deal with if one is up front with them.

A racket that is going on in Canada works like this: an immigrant gets a mysterious phone call. The caller says the immigrant is in trouble with the income tax department, but the caller says his outfit can prevent the immigrant from going to jail. They will get him out of trouble for a fee. One woman was taken for $28,000 CDN. The caller wanted payment in gift cards! You would think that alone would have put her wise to the fraud. The last place that the Canada Revenue Agency wants you is in jail! You can’t pay them when you’re in jail!

The problem is that most immigrants come from police-state countries where they don’t have English common law as we do in the states, and all English-speaking countries such as Canada. We like government to be afraid of the people, not vice versa.

P.S. One more thing. The federal government allows Canadians to invest between $5,500 and $10,000 each year into a tax-free savings account. I missed three years, so they told me I could invest $17,000 tax free.

If Canada can afford a national medical plan, then most certainly the United States can, if anybody can.

G. Scott

Richmond, B.C.

The Editor:

Re: Advisory vote regarding Canadian purchase of Point Roberts

Thanks to those who have voiced their opinions on this so far. Now that both Whatcom County and Canadian elections are behind us, efforts to have this initiative on the November 2020 ballot are moving ahead.

Suggested title of the ballot initiative: “Do you support commencing serious negotiations between Canada and the United States regarding purchase of Point Roberts by the government of Canada?” (text subject to final review and approval by Whatcom County prosecutor and Whatcom County Council)

Here is a status report:

1. The results of the Whatcom County election will be certified on November 26.

2. The calculations for the total number of voters in the recent county election from the county auditor will be available on December 31.

3. Number of signatures needed on a petition to place initiative measure on ballot is to be determined in early January.

Please continue to submit letters, emails and letters to the editor on this subject. Your early opinions count.

Some additional email addresses for your reference:

Washington Governor Jay Inslee – jay@jayinslee.com

County councilmember-elect, coastal district 5, Ben Elenbaas – council@co.whatcom.wa.us

Whatcom County Executive-elect Satpal Sidhu – council@co.whatcom.wa.us (Satpal takes office in January and will have a new email address at that time. He will succeed Jack Louws.)

John Lesow

North Vancouver, B.C.

The Editor:

We want to express our gratitude to the Point Roberts fire department. Chief Carleton, Deb Shields and Virginia Lester have eased the trauma of losing our husband and father.

So many friends and neighbors have been a great source of help and comfort. There is no way to properly thank everyone.

Linda Dorner and family

Point Roberts

The Editor:

Let me take this opportunity to be thankful for any and all of our dedicated, articulate, hard-working and helpful neighbors who contribute to and account for achievements of the taxpayers, the voters, fire department, its Community Paramedic Cares program, the Point Roberts Community Advisory Committee, Circle of Care, the Point Roberts branch of Whatcom County Library System, the Friends of the Library, the Senior Center programs and lunches, the Food Bank, Point Roberts Emergency Preparedness, the garden club, the Point Roberts parks board, the hospital district, the Point Roberts clinic, the water board, the cemetery district, the historical society, the Wacky Walkers, the Saturday markets, and the July 4th parade and breakfasts, the primary school and the school buses, the marina, the golf course and its luncheons, the chamber of commerce, our All Point Bulletin community newspaper and, finally, assorted all volunteer fund-raising events.

Lest we forget, we thank our dedicated fellow citizens who keep Trinity Church and its variety of entertaining programs including volunteer musicians, singers and writers. The International Marketplace, Best Time RV, Auntie Pam’s, Whidbey Telephone, the gas stations and stores, and the Shell Cafe, the Reef, South Beach House, Breakwaters, the Salt Water Cafe, the hardware store, assorted real estate entities, the transfer station, deputy sheriffs and tireless border personnel at both U.S. and Canadian borders, as well as Stephen’s Hair Design.

Also those not exactly from here, but who are charged in part with our interests: our representatives at Whatcom County, Washington state legislature, Washington state governor and our stalwart friends in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Finally, all the thoughtful full-time and part-time residents who volunteer in so many, often unseen ways, to help welcome newcomers, comfort those with losses, contribute to young scholars and succeed in making plans come to fruition.

Any omissions or oversights not intentional. Happy holidays.

Campbell McClusky

Point Roberts

The Editor:

I would like to thank everyone who voted for me and Hugh Wilson during this past election.

Hugh and I have talked on several occasions and we both recognize how hard it is to be a commissioner on the park board and how difficult it is to get people to serve on one of the few boards where there is no financial compensation.

The main objective of being a park commissioner is to provide good governance over the assets of the park district and the public funds that we are entrusted with. Part of this is trying to provide the best facilities, services and recreational opportunities to the broadest range of groups and residents from Point Roberts.

I can say that Hugh and I had honorable intentions when we ran against each other and I am grateful to have been selected to serve a second term.

Bennett Blaustein, commissioner

Point Roberts

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