The Editor and All Point Bulletin staff:
While it is a small amount to support local journalism, we so appreciate that you provide a paper publication.
For those of us who are not computer savvy and those of us who like holding a newspaper (or book) in our hands, a big thank you.
We have had Drewhenge since 1992 and love this community. Cheers!
Jay and Janet Drew
Point Roberts
The Editor:
Thank you for your participation in the electoral process during the February special election.
The latest voting results show voters are approving Blaine school district’s replacement EP&O levy with a 58 percent “yes” vote. We are humbled and very grateful for our community’s local commitment to education and for helping us to ensure educational excellence for all learners.
The four-year educational programs and operations (EP&O) levy will continue to fund programs, services, and staff that are unfunded or underfunded by the state, including staff compensation, expanded curriculum, extracurricular activities, transportation, food service, utilities, technology updates and more.
Although our capital bond measure will not meet the “supermajority” needed to pass, we appreciate the support shown by a majority of local voters, with a 54.8 percent approval vote. We will begin work to reevaluate the bond proposal in hopes of increasing voter support and reaching supermajority in the near future. If you are interested in being involved in this or any of our other projects, please email me at cgranger@blainesd.org.
Our school district will continue to be excellent stewards of our community’s funds now and in the future. On behalf of all of us at Blaine school district, we thank you for your trust in our school system.
It is a pleasure to serve as your superintendent, and there is a lot to be happy and proud about in the Blaine school district. We have a tremendous staff who care deeply for the students and families of our community. We will continue to work hard every day to provide the best for everyone. I hope you will join me in appreciation of our students, staff, families and community.
Thank you Blaine, Point Roberts and Birch Bay for your continued support in making our community a great place to live, go to school and work. It is a great night to be a Borderite, and, as always, a great night to be your superintendent.
Christopher Granger
Blaine
The Editor:
Recently, I became yet another victim of a very clever, sophisticated scam operation. It ended in the unretrievable loss of a sizable sum of money from my bank account.
It all began when I went on my iPad to look up a business profile. Very shockingly, an urgent message from Apple Support, complete with siren like sounds, filled my screen with a very large “High Security Alert” message. It said repeatedly, “Do not turn off Your iPad, do not ignore or attempt to delete this message. Call Apple Support immediately for help”
My first fatal error was to call the number supplied on the alert message.
A very comforting voice, Jenny (ID number supplied) from Apple “fraud protection team,” answered. She informed me that indeed my phone had been hacked and that the hackers had been in my phone listening to my calls for two days!
Most egregious of all was that she noted two pending payments to a child pornography site in China that the hackers had authorized through my phone at 4:30 a.m., while I was asleep and on silent mode.
She comforted my now extreme state of alarm and assured me that she would help me, “Get rid of the hackers.” She then said she needed to see what personal financial information might have been “compromised.” She asked for a list of my banks and credit cards — note, at this point she hadn’t asked for any ID numbers. I gave her my bank’s name. She connected with their security department. Identified herself and informed “Ethan” (ID number supplied) about was going on.
He assured me that he would lead me through a process that would ensure that these payments for the disgusting business of child pornography would not go through but said, “We have to work fast as the payments are scheduled to complete at 3:20 p.m.” I am now on a rant about the tragic evil of using children to make the pornographers wealthy. “They are not getting my money for their evil work.”
Ethan and Jenny kept me on the line to “guide” me, comfort and reassure me for hours.
The afternoon was spent driving back and forth across borders, to banks, currency exchange places (Money needed to be converted to CD) and ultimately to a Bitcoin machine in White Rock, where I deposited my cash to buy Bitcoin/, ostensibly to create a payment authorization directed to my bank, where I could choose to say no to this transaction. (Just press 3) thereby negating the previous payment for the porn site as well.
This sad stupid saga goes on for a bit, but the down and dirty is that I was well and truly scammed and the money is gone for good. Such a waste.
Some of you reading this article, will notice the many mistakes I made and wonder how I could have been so thoroughly duped.
Some of you will think it couldn’t happen to you. You are too alert and knowledgeable.
Some of you will sympathize, realizing it could have been you.
Some of you will tell of known “others” and their scam close calls or worse hits.
Some of you will come out of your scam victim closet to tell of your own embarrassment and shame at being considered stupid, ignorant, careless etc.
I choose to share this in the hopes that others can learn from my experience.
Isobel Brophy
Point Roberts
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