Everson-Nooksack News
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Why is Ski to Sea receiving fewer entries? In 2016, just 323 teams entered the annual race, the fewest in eight years By Nick Elges sports@lyndentribune.com
WHATCOM — Without a doubt, the Ski to Sea Race is one of the most popular events that Whatcom County has to offer. First run in 1973, the adventure relay generally draws participants and spectators from all over the state, across the country and even around the world. In recent years, however, the number of teams that are registering for Ski to Sea has notably declined. The reasons for this are up for debate. Entry cost seems to be a likely factor. In 2009, the standard team fee for the race, the lowest level of payment, was $299 — averaging out to $37.38 per participant on an eight-person team. In 2016, the cost had risen to $499, $62.38 per person, about a two-thirds increase. This year, the standard team price was $599 if registered before March 1 and $649 from March 2 onward unitl registration remains open. With the increase in price, Ski to Sea, which is run by Whatcom Events, had just 323 teams register in 2016, the lowest figure in eight years. The race caps registration at 500 teams. As of May 22 this year, just 315 teams had signed up and paid for the Memorial Day weekend event. Another factor with ongoing effects, according to race director Anna Rankin, was the low snow year of 2015, which cancelled the cross-country and downhill skiing legs of the race at the Mt. Baker Ski Area that make the event especially unique and popular. Rankin believes the race hasn’t recovered from that very unusual situation.
A canoeing team was at Riverside Memorial Park in Everson on Monday talking about what to expect on their 18.5-mile leg of the Ski to Sea Race this Sunday, May 28. Everson is the exchange point from the road biking leg. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) “Once teams lose that steam, it’s hard to get it back,” Rankin said. In the years prior to 2015, race registration numbers were much closer to the 500-team cap. There were 478 teams competing in 2011, followed by 473 in 2012, 465 in 2013 and 430 in 2014. With
the forced elimination of the skiing legs in 2015, the total dipped to 349 and hasn’t seemed to rebound. “I think it also has to do with the increased cost of the race, but that is unavoidable because we need to cover our expenses,” Rankin said. “There are
so many costs that go into this one-day event and I don’t think the average racer is adequately informed of those costs.” Rankin can go into to detail on just some of the necessary expenses that go into making Ski to Sea what it is — from insurance to the timing system to safety
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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EVERSON-NOOKSACK NEWS
The canoeing leg begins in Everson and goes past good viewing sandbars at Lynden on to Ferndale’s Hovander park.
equipment to traffic control to awards and more. In part due to the low number of entries in 2016, the race lost over $20,000 last year, Rankin said. “Covering the cost is very difficult,” Rankin said. “Registration helps to cover costs, but really we rely on the support of our generous sponsors along with team fees to cover the cost of the race. We’ve seen the price for operations elevate every year and they simply can’t be covered on registration alone.” Back in December 2016, Whatcom Events announced a cancelling of the cross-country skiing leg only to reinstate the leg a day later after receiving public feedback. It’s uncertain whether that has had any effect on the number of registrants in this season’s race. Ski to Sea 2017 is set for Sunday, May 28, and will, as usual, consist of downhill skiing/snowboarding, cross-country skiing, running, road biking, river canoeing, cyclocross biking and sea kayaking legs. One of the exchange points — from road biking to two-person river canoeing — is at Everson's Riverside Memorial Park each year, guaranteeing a throng of people in town on Sunday.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Block Party Friday evening fundraises for big race Event sponsor wants to give to nonprofits, bur fell short last year WHATCOM — Whatcom Events gears up for the big weekend with a Ski to Sea Block Party at Boundary Bay Brewery in downtown Bellingham. The beer garden party runs from 5 to 11 p.m. It’s billed as free and for all ages, leading up to the 45th annual Ski to Sea Race on Sunday, May 28. A dollar of every pint of beer purchased goes toward Whatcom Events. Ski to Sea ESB is the official beer of the race, available on tap at Boundary Bay and togo in growlers and 12-ounce cans. The barbecue will be fired up and
there will be live performances by Jasmine Greene & The Atlantics. Every attendee gets a free raffle ticket for prizes donated by local restaurants, breweries and businesses. The raffle drawings will be at 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. — you must be present to win. Whatcom Events is also bidding two special prizes: 1) a sunset cruise for two with Gato Verde, a suite at the Chrysalis Inn, dinner at Mambo Italiano and two pints at Stones Throw Brewery, valued at $515, with tickets selling for $10 each or three for $25; 2) two entries into the Tour de Whatcom Bicycle Ride July 29 and a night’s stay at the Springhill Suites of Bellingham, valued at $290, with tickets selling for $5 each. You do not need to be present to win these two packages. Whatcom Events is a nonprofit whose
mission is to sustainably manage the Ski to Sea Race and other events showcasing the diverse natural beauty and outdoor recreational opportunities of Whatcom County and to support local nonprofit community organizations. More than 1,000 volunteers are relied on to pull this off, as the executive director, all officers and Race Committee members are uncompensated volunteers. Each year, Whatcom Events hopes that the effort of volunteers and the generosity of sponsors result in net profits to donate to local 501(c)(3) charitable beneficiaries. “Last year did not result in a net profit and we, of course, want to change that this year so we can continue to put on this iconic event," Rankin said. Learn more about the race at skitosea. com.
Ski to Sea is a humdinger of a one-day event WHATCOM — The annual Ski to Sea Race is a 92-mile, eight-person relay encompassing seven different sports. The amazing span of action is from the snowfields of Mount Baker down Highway 542 to Whatcom’s flatlands, on the Nooksack River and eventually across Bellingham Bay. The legs are downhill skiing, crosscountry skiing, running, canoeing, cyclocross and kayaking. The race starts at 7 a.m. sharp Sunday, May 28, at the Mt. Baker Ski Area and concludes at Marine Park in Fairhaven amidst food vendors and plenty of celebration. The upper portion of the Mt. Baker Highway will be closed off. Motorists should beware of extra traffic throughout Whatcom County. First run in 1973, the Ski to Sea Race goes through the towns of Glacier, Maple Falls, Kendall, Everson, Lynden and Ferndale. Together with the finishing festival, Ski to Sea is the largest one-day event in Whatcom County each year. Go to the Ski to Sea website at http:// skitosea.com/ for full details.
WELCOME 2017 Hope to see you there!
Participants & Spectators!
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
EVERSON-NOOKSACK NEWS
District may order another new fire truck 1984 and 1990s models due to be retired, chief Mel Blankers says By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
Three fire trucks parked in front of the Everson fire station Monday represent a span of history and also change now happening. From left are a 1996 Darley built on a Freightliner chassis, the 2015 Pierce that Fire District 1 put into service earlier this year, and a 1984 Grumman built on a Kodiak chassis. The Grumman will soon be surplused, and the district intends to order another new engine like the Pierce to serve Nugent’s Corner, said fire chief Mel Blankers. In front of the center engine, from left, are Joe LaChaussee, Jesse Hanson, Blankers and Seth Bass. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
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EVERSON — Some changes are in the works for Fire District 1. The comings and goings include a move of the district administrative offices from the station itself just a few steps east to the building at 107 E. Main St. in Unit C. It makes more room for training at 101 E. Main, which “we’ve started to outgrow,” said chief Mel Blankers. Also, a familiar name for Fire District 1, assistant chief Randy Vander Heiden, has signed up to move into the role of fire commissioner in Position 2. Vander Heiden was the only person to file at the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office last week for the spot that commissioner Bill Brouwer is vacating. There may be some restructuring of staff as that change happens, Blankers added. Then there is the big new Pierce pumper truck, the first significant addition to the station in 21 years, that came on service in March. It has 750 gallons of water tank capacity and can pump1,500 gallons per minute. It means that some older units can be retired. First on that list will be a 1984 Grumman truck that really has earned its right to be an exhibition piece somewhere. It will be surplused soon, Blankers said. After that, there might be a contest between two similar Darley trucks — one a 1996 model and one a 1998 — which should be mothballed first. It was intended that one of those Dar-
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
EVERSON-NOOKSACK NEWS leys would become the front-line engine at Nugent’s Corner, but with some reliability questions arising just within the past week, it appears it’s time for District 1 to take the step of ordering another new engine and it will be very similar to the Pierce already in the garage. “Our equipment is getting old,” Blankers said. The new rig — which can take up to a year to be ordered, built and delivered — would be placed at Nugent’s Corner. For all of this updating the district has voters to thank, who in November 2015 gave a long-term financing measure a 55.2 percent affirmation. Specifically, it raised the levy rate from $.76 per $1,000 of property value to $1.40. On a $300,000 house now the annual tax for the fire district is $420. The district is collecting almost $1.3 million per year, the county Assessor’s Office tax tables show. That was a jump from about $479,000 in tax year 2015. • Fire District 1 is getting out of the water rescue business after about 30 years in it. The cost of keeping volunteers trained for river rescue — when usually a person in trouble on the Nooksack River only needed a ride to shore — wasn’t worth it, Blankers said. Primary response will shift to Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue personnel, and Everson will get rid of its two boats. • Fire District 1 has also received CPR mannequins as a donation from the Everson Lions Club and plans to start offering quarterly free first aid/CPR classes in June. And an AED (automatic external defibrillator) trainer unit
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Family members joined Randy VanderHeiden, Fire District 1 assistant chief, in the cab of the new Pierce fire engine at an open house for the big rig in the Everson station on March 12. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) has been acquired that will help toward better citizen emergency medical response. “Anybody who gets trained
in CPR makes our jobs as first responders easier,” said Jesse Hanson, Everson captain. The date of a first class will
be set and announced on the district’s website. • For the Ski to Sea Race, Fire District 1 places an aid car at Riv-
erside park where all the team action is focused, with another crew available for any calls elsewhere in the district.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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EVERSON-NOOKSACK NEWS
Memorial Day services at four cemeteries
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Helper Todd Andrew scratches the noses of mules Rosco and Bosco during a break from plowing at the International Plowing Match held at Berthusen Park on Saturday. The plowman was Andy Hanson. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
WHATCOM — American Legion Post 212 of Sumas and its auxiliary again conduct services on Memorial Day successively at four rural cemeteries, said post finance officer Lorren Coleman. The schedule is: 9 a.m. at St. Peter’s Cemetery on Heady Road (off South Pass Road), 10 a.m. at Lakeside on Pangborn Road, 11 a.m. at Nooksack Cemetery on Breckenridge just east of Nooksack and at noon at Sumas Cemetery on Sumas Road. At each, there will be a color guard, laying of wreaths, readings of the names of veterans interred in that cemetery, and a gun salute. The group also wraps up with a visit to the 911 memorial at the Sumas border crossing, and then coffee is served at the Legion post hall at 134 Harrison Ave., Coleman said.
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EVERSON-NOOKSACK NEWS
Kirsch Drive rebuild begins Monday, June 5 EVERSON — About 500 feet of Kirsch Drive will be rebuilt this summer to set up a future connection of Lincoln Street all the way from Washington to Blair Drive. City Public Works Director Dave Schoonover reports Len Honcoop Gravel Inc. won the Kirsch job at $543,354.80 and will begin work on Monday, June 5. This project includes reconstruction and upgrading of roadway, installation of sidewalks and stormwater facilities, and replacement and upgrading of affected utilities. It involves approximately 3,000 cubic yards of roadway and utility base material and finished surfaces, including asphalt paving. Some sewer work may impact traffic on Main Street/State Route 544 a bit, perhaps causing some alternating single-lane flow, Schoonover said. The drive-through of the Whatcom Educational Credit Union at the corner will be lost in the reconfiguration to state standards.
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
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Next NookChat talk at library is June 11 with Steve Nolte's memories EVERSON — These are a few of the June programs set for the Everson Library of the Whatcom County Library System: • On Saturday, June 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. feel free to drop in and help local artist Debra Goldman create a collaborative net from recycled and donated fabrics. The net will be knotted by community members throughout Whatcom County with the end result being a beautiful piece of community-generated artwork that may be exhibited to the public somewhere in Whatcom County. • On Sunday, June 11, at 3 p.m. participate in NookChat Community Storytelling with host Jim Berg. Steve Nolte will share entertaining stories from his family’s extensive knowledge of local history. The Nolte family has been here for four generations dating back to the 1870s. “Explore the Past; Enrich the Present” is the theme of this informal, interactive gathering sponsored by the Nooksack Valley Heritage Center Committee. • On Wednesday, June 14, at 3:30 p.m.
beginners are welcome to join this friendly mix of adults, teens and kids who enjoy getting together to play chess. Staff member Cynthia Rogers leads various chess activities and pairs the players for games. More skilled players are handicapped for further challenge, and beginners are given assistance. • On Monday, June 26, at 6:30 p.m. all
ages are welcome to join in the monthly board meeting of the Friends of the Everson Library that provides much-appreciated support for the library and community. The Everson McBeath Community Library is at 104 Kirsch Dr. It opens at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday; closing is at 8 p.m. weekdays, 6 p.m. Friday, 5 p.m. Saturday. Call the library staff at 966-5100.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, May 24, 2017
EVERSON-NOOKSACK NEWS