Ferndale says thank you to Norine Amend
Ferndale girls basketball to play Squalicum, Thursday
Her leadership, tenacity, resilience helped bring current library to city. — News, A2
Lady Golden Eagles lose 62-55 to Jackson in season opener. — Sports, B3
DECEMBER 6, 2023
SINCE 1885
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Ferndale votes 6-to-1 to build skate park Roomful of speakers, both young and old, helps convince council By Cal Bratt For the Record
FERNDALE — Moved by what they
heard from a procession of speakers at the microphone, city councilors voted 6-1 Monday to build the Metalworks Skate Park even though the price has soared far above earlier estimates. Jon Mutchler and Erin Gunter appeared to decide at the last minute, while Herb Porter argued that “sometime we need to look beyond the dollars” to the human benefits of doing something that may
Ferndale School Board welcomes Button, Machado
be especially for one segment of the community. After about an hour, it was only councilor Ryan O’Larey who said he could not spend what is now more than $2 million for Janicki General Contracting to build the skate park near the Phillips 66 baseball fields off Second Avenue. Only two bids for construction came back in October, both well above designer New Line Skate Parks’
estimate of $1.6 million. Staff attributes general ongoing inflation. O’Larey said his factors were the cost escalation — three or four times what was thought a few years ago — plus his own polling that most Ferndale residents have turned against the skate park idea. He said he could not justify $1.6M of city money on this. Countering, Porter said he has talked to people, many older,
who want a skate park for Ferndale, providing something for youth. “We can’t just think about today,” he said. “We can’t be shortsighted. We need to look forward.” About 16 people, both youth and adult, took the opportunity to address the council. Some were parents of teenagers who claimed they themselves asked the city for a skate park in Ferndale a generation ago, and it still hasn’t happened.
Some noted that Bellingham, Blaine, Lummi and even Maple Falls have built skateboarder facilities, and a 19-year-old said he will walk to the Bellingham and Lummi ones just to be able to use them. This is a way for teens to be physically active, take on challenges, build social bonds, and feel empowered and affirmed, and avoid worse behavior, said speakers in different ways. And
youth need a place, since skaters are generally forbidden everywhere else, was a refrain. “I get yelled at a lot,” said one kid. Facilities like a library or senior center, even emergency services, are used more by one sector of the community than others, speakers said. Costs will continue to rise, and if Ferndale doesn’t step up and make it happen now, See Skate Park on A5
Ferndale opens Thornton Street overpass
Members urged to put students first, to stand up to ‘toxicity in your staff’ By Cal Bratt For the Record
FERNDALE — Two new board members from the November general election were seated, and also reelected member Kevin Erickson will continue as president of the Ferndale School Board for another year. With many guests in attendance at the Nov. 28 board meeting, Nancy Button spoke the oath of office to be in Director District 3 position, and Antonio “Tony” Machado Catano did the same for the District 2 spot. The new board members replace, respectively, Toni Jefferson and Melinda Cool. In position No. 1, Erickson begins his fourth term. The board took a break after the swearings-in to allow photos and mingling to take place. The new members also signed their affirmation of the oath. Speaking during public comment, Cool told school board members to always follow the law, especially in regard to protecting and empowering students. “Direct your focus to the students first, always,” she said. Cool also urged the board to pay highest attention to school district administrators and staff rather than to the volume of public input that will come. “Do not think that any community member has more expertise than the true experts of the Ferndale School District.” “Do not be fooled that the loud and persistent community members know what is best for the students of Ferndale,” Cool said. “Do not waste the time of the experts in the Ferndale School District by choosing to valSee School Board on A5
With Superintendent Kristi Dominguez, new Ferndale School Board member Antonio Machado signs his agreement to the oath of office at the Nov. 28 board meeting. (Cal Bratt for the Record)
Project funded by federal grant, state funding, city utility funds By Bill Helm Editor
FERNDALE — In April, the City of Ferndale closed Thornton Street between Malloy Avenue and Vista Drive to build an overpass. Thanks to a $4.4M federal grant, approximately $22M in state funding and nearly countless hours of construction, Ferndale celebrated the opening of the Thornton Street Overpass on Dec. 2. This project is one of the largest public works projects in Ferndale’s history, Ferndale Mayor Greg Hansen said during the grand opening event held atop the overpass. “Arguably the most significant since we built a bridge across the Nooksack River nearly 75 years ago,” Hansen said. “This has been in the works for a very long time. I’m told that the Ferndale City Council began discussing this project in 1980 when our population was just over 3,700 people. That was less than a decade after I-5 split the city in
two, creating in some ways an east Ferndale and a west Ferndale.” The overpass, which goes from east then south from Malloy Avenue to just northwest of the Portal Way Roundabout, has two travel lanes with a new roadway surface that includes shoulders, curb and gutter. According to the City of Ferndale website, cityofferndale.org, the overpass greatly improves pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle safety. Shoulders will provide a safe route for bicyclists and ADAcompliant sidewalks provide a safe route for pedestrians, particularly school-aged children that walk to and from Skyline Elementary, the website states. Also part of the project, upgrades were made to the existing utilities, including storm, water and sanitary sewer systems. This overpass, said Chris Damitio, assistant regional administrator for Washington State See Overpass on A2
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More than 100 Ferndale residents attended the Dec. 2 grand opening of the city’s Thornton Street Overpass. Speakers included Mayor Greg Hansen, center. (Bill Helm/ Ferndale Record)
Puzzles • B5 Sports • B1
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