A great letter from John Evans:

There is a small but loud group of individuals on San Juan Island, calling themselves “the Alliance?” who are opposed to the US Customs and Border Protection Agency renting the former Windermere offices in Friday Harbor. Some things just don’t change.

I am old enough to remember when self appointed groups objected to people of color or different ethnic background moving into the neighborhood. In their small minds, “those people” were bad for businesses and lowered property values.

I am old enough to remember when self-appointed groups made an issue of candidate John Kennedy’s religion in the presidential election. He was Catholic. Small minds speculated the United States would be ruled from the Vatican. Continued

From the The Shift:
Administration Officials Mislead Public

Less than a year ago, Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn tore the anterior cruciate
ligament and medial collateral ligament in her right knee and fractured her
tibia during a harrowing ski accident in Schlamding, Austria.



Vonn was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in Schladming.



Concerned she wouldn’t be ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics, The U.S. Olympic Committee announced today her spot on the U.S. Olympic Team would be filled by Barack Obama.



U.S. Olympic officials said Obama deserved the spot on the team
because no one has ever taken a country downhill faster than he has.

*Don’t forget the Community Dinner at the Friday Harbor Grange on Thanksgiving Day. Everyone is invited and it is free!Go sit with someone you haven’t met before. It is a great experience and of course there is great food.See page listed above.

Submitted by Cindy Carter:

Thanksgiving Proclamation
President George Washington

City of New York, October 3, 1789

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Yesterday’s meeting was informative in many ways. Concerns of our community were addressed professionally and adequately if you were listening. I am a bit embarrassed that some of our community seemed to come with such hostile attitudes. Yes we have our First Amendment right to speak freely. I just wish we would all come to table with an attitude of working things out, not interrupting and speaking out of turn.Many rumors prior to the meeting sure didn’t help the opposition. I feel that if I truly believed we would have drones at our airport I would have been upset too. But I did not believe the drone rumor, nor the heavily armed soldier rumor,nor the camera spot light rumor.It was obvious many did.Maybe those that believed those rumors should check their sources.Our town and county leaders are there for you and your questions. Be responsible and please ask them before you spread a rumor.It is obvious that some folks get rather stressed over them.

Below is a response to a question posed to me about the larger picture of Homeland Security:

  I as SJCRP Chair do share your concerns. These are my thoughts as our central committee does not have a policy statement on HS.

  I worry that the additional needs of a federal police force have control consequences I don’t like. I do hope we will be kept safer in this new world of terrorism and technology crime but the added forces come with a big federal price tag and issues of control I don’t like.

  So why do I support the local office for HS? It was going to come whether we liked it or not. It provides a stable 10 year lease to a property owner allowing other businesses in the building to have a more stable lease. Think about how small business in malls are designed around the big Targets, Macy’s etc. The questions asked about outside appearances were addressed at yesterday’s meeting and I believe most were satisfied with the answers. The location works well for the services they will provide to our local and tourist community.

  The location that the Port mentioned yesterday would have required much excavation, building, etc and would not have provided our local businessman revenue from a lease. GSA indicated there were other reasons that proposal did not work.Otherwise I might have preferred the Port’s suggestion.One has to have sympathy for those submitting proposals as the time and paperwork is beyond exhausting and expensive.

  Please let me know if I can discuss any other matters as I want our community to thrive by working together through issues and problems.

  I am glad to meet for coffee or just email.

Sincerely,

Michelle Loftus