Letters to the Editor – June

Posted

The Editor:

I read with interest Margot Griffiths’ great account of her family’s history down here, and I’ve found her dam! My name is Tom Crean. My family owned the cabin across from Pat Whalen’s house on Maple Beach, on the corner of Garth and Bayview, from the 1950s until the early 1980s, when a government expropriation of the New Westminster half of our business (and the inherent financial challenges) forced us to have to sell.

Missing that part of my life for my kids, complete with the “bathtub beach,” was one of my life’s greatest heartaches. I am determined to do my best to avoid that mistake for my kids’ kids.

I finally found a piece of property on Maple Beach that I thought I might be able to afford. It has an interesting feature. In the back corner it has a spring, and ‘the dam’, being as Margot explained, Michael Whalen’s original fresh-water supply for what became Maple Beach.

All my time growing up at the Point I was an avid fisherman – still am! Got invited to go on a cruise to Alaska by my outlaw in-laws in 2007, and one day in Juneau, the family all wanted to go see a glacier and a hatchery. As we drove along, we passed a marina chock full of shiny new-looking fish boats, a fleet the likes of which I hadn’t seen in Vancouver since Steveston in the 1950s!

Then we get to the hatchery. The receptionist welcomes us, saying: “This is not a salmon farm, salmon farming is illegal in Alaska. This is a salmon ranch. Each year we release 135,000,000 smelts in the mouth of each river that buys them, as the highest fatality rate for young salmon is always the run from the spawning grounds to the sea.”

Astounded, I have to ask, “Is this the only ‘salmon ranch’ in Alaska?”

She said, “No, there’s seven of us, but they’re all non-profit societies.”

So, given my complete love for both fishing and the Point, might anyone out there have any idea if there could possibly be enough water coming out of that spring to create a salmon ranch?

Tom (Kearney) Crean

Vancouver

The Editor:

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) interest in my “membership” is appreciated despite the fact that I have never viewed my lifelong support for Democrats as a membership.

That is normal, since in a democratic country one has many opportunities to vote in any given general election. There must have been times when any voter may have cast his or her vote for a candidate other than one or another of the Democratic party names on the ballot. I expect at one time or another every voter in this country has experienced this, hence the expression “free country.”

My predominate support over at least six decades of voting for Democratic party candidates was never based on “membership” of course, since the concept of membership is utterly unrelated to political party support, or voting, or feeding party coffers to afford more distorted and exaggerated advertisements, or for the preparation and distribution of such misleading membership renewal notices.

Yes, one recognizes that eliciting renewals of such bogus membership may suggest to some across our great land that they should maybe think about elections, informing themselves about candidates and issues and possibly being part of at least one political party’s efforts to preserve American Democracy before some other political party or foreign influences finishes eroding what feeble fibers of our democracy yet remain. But don’t cheapen this effort by labeling it a “membership,” suggesting it is no different than a membership in a book club, a library, a country club, a hunting or fishing group or a local seniors organization, etc.

Voting, exercising political preference, serving one’s government, whether in uniform or not, is a product of birthright, citizenship and preserving one’s independence of choice and value. Therefore, I respectfully decline what the DCCC has labeled “renewal” in a transparent and insulting effort to solicit bogus renewal fees and contributions.

Campbell McClusky

Point Roberts

The Editor:

Whitney McElroy and I would like to take this opportunity to introduce our newly formed local non-profit society called Point Roberts Community Growth Society. We decided while trying to raise money for the community of Point Roberts for current and future events why not start our own to be able to be used to help so many in so many ways. Our first event we are working on is the July 1 and 4 fireworks celebrations. As well we are in the process of putting on a bingo game night at the Breakwaters Bar and Grill on Sunday, June 30 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. All ages are welcome for this event with more information to follow.

We are asking for support from the community of Point Roberts along with donations outside of Point Roberts. The fireworks shows have been a tradition of our country and locally for many years. There are donations jars at many of the local businesses and if you have not received one and would like to have one at your business, please contact me at 360/945-1690 or via email at beth@pointroberts.net and I will make sure to get one to you right away. Also, donations can be made directly at Banner Bank in Point Roberts payable to Point Roberts Community Growth Society. You can also mail donation checks to PO Box 133 Point Roberts, WA 98281. Please include your email address with mailed donations so a charitable tax receipt can be emailed to you.

We are very hopeful that the community will stand behind our newly formed society which will be able to help so many going forward. Donations will be able to be divided amongst already formed local groups like the Point Roberts Food Bank, Circle of Care and many other groups. We are interested in hearing from people on ways to raise money for our community. We look forward to hearing from anyone who would like to get involved and raise money to help see our local community grow and prosper.

Charitable receipts will be emailed for every donation.

Beth Calder

Community Growth Society

Point Roberts

The Editor:

Re: Stopping Smooth Road Chip Sealing

My concerns are that we have some smooth roads. Chip seal is a rougher ride. Skateboarders, Segways, wheel chairs, roller blades and race bikes don’t like rough roads. This can slow the natural growth of multi-modal transportation and undermine our goal to be a green community with a diverse local economy including low impact tourism.

In our present climate of global warming and a developing green transportation technology industry, it would not be advantageous to cement Point Roberts’ main streets into the fossil fuel age. It can be viewed as beneficial that Point Roberts is behind the times in some ways but not at the expense of our collective futures.

Therefore, I bring forward the following:

Stop the chip-sealing of any now smooth roads and shoulders including: Tyee Drive, Gulf Road, APA Road (between Simundson Drive and Tyee Drive), Simundson Drive, Marina Drive, Winston Drive (between Churchill Drive and Roosevelt Way), Whalen Drive.

Please contact Whatcom County Executive Jack Louws (jlouws@co.whatcom.wa.us) to tell him to leave our smooth roads alone.

Judson Meraw

Point Roberts

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