Editor,

The topic in the Goose checkout line the other day was that enormous building sprouting up on Bayview road. Speculations included a training facility for that new Seattle hockey team or an Amazon something or other, but the sign out front says fire station.

One shopper thought that part of that enormous building was going to be used as some kind of a desperately needed resource for the homeless, here on the South End. All were delighted with that speculation.

Seems to me that would be a great use of our resources and since fires are few and far between these last decades, what better way to employ our tax dollars. Our fire district does a great job, for which we are all thankful. I would assume their vision is to help people in need when their shelter is destroyed.

So with such a command of financial resources and vision to help the community that supports them, why not branch out a bit and lend a needed hand for those without shelter. Staffing volunteers would readily materialize, I bet.

Over the past 20 years we’ve been building fire stations like crazy and at substantial costs: Saratoga $350,000; Freeland $1 million; Clinton remodel; Langley $1.5 million; and now the new Bayview granddaddy, at around $6 million. Isn’t it time to really use our built resources for a truly pressing community need, homelessness, as we often read about on these pages.

Here’s hoping that speculative shopper was right.

Dean Enell

Langley