STATE TEST RESULTS
LOCAL EVENTS IN FERNDALE
FERNDALE’S SEASON ENDS
School district says there is more to a student’s success.
Day of the Dead, Nordic Festival celebrate culture.
Golden Eagles lose to Mount Tahoma 21-7.
NEWS, A3
NEWS, A6
SPORTS, B1
NOVEMBER 15, 2023
SINCE 1885
General Election 2023
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Caring for everybody in the community
The following are Whatcom County’s contested races. These are the unofficial results as of 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10 Votes
Ferndale Mayor Greg Hansen Jon Mutchler Write-In
2,520 2,122 11
Percent
54.16% 45.6%
Ferndale City Council Pos. 1 Matthew Durkee 1,426 Herb Porter 2,891 Write-In 15
32.92% 66.74%
Ferndale City Council Pos. 4 M. Pinto-Gonzalez 2,296 W. Shedd Stewart 2,072 Write-In 20
52.32% 47.22%
Ferndale School Board Dir. 1 Kevin Erickson 6,700 Beth Perry 4,416 Write-In 24
60.14% 39.64%
Ferndale School Board Dir. 2 Brent Bode 5,433 49.12% Antonio Machado 5,602 50.65% Write-In 25 Ferndale School Board Dir. 3 Nancy Button 6,680 Toni Jefferson 4,427 Write-In 14
60.07% 39.81%
Whatcom County Executive Dan Purdy 33,211 Satpal Sidhu 45,236 Write-In 133
42.26% 57.57%
Whatcom County Sheriff Doug Chadwick 37,295 Donnell Tanksley 40,408 Write-In 134
47.91% 51.91%
Whatcom County Council District 4 Kathy Kershner 7,838 47.12% Mark Stremler 8,710 52.36% Write-In 87 Whatcom County Council District 5 Jackie Dexter 5,711 38.7% Ben Elenbaas 9,016 61.1% Write-In 29 Whatcom County Council At-Large B Hannah Ordos 32,886 42.93% Jon Scanlon 43,601 56.92% Write-In 116
*Official results will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 28
Lorelei Bowers (above) is the outreach program manager for Bridge 2 Services (B2S), one of several programs under the Ferndale Community Services organization, that links local service providers and their resources to people in need. She is pictured helping people living behind the Walmart in Bellingham as part of her Trailhead Market event. (Bottom right) Snacks, clothing and other supplies available to people living in camps behind the Walmart in Bellingham. (Taras McCurdie/Ferndale Record)
Bridge 2 Services is ‘people helping people’ By Taras McCurdie Staff Reporter
FERNDALE — Started in 2007, Ferndale Community Services (FCS) is a nonprofit organization that makes sure everyone has access to a variety of resources yearround. Some of the support programs under the FCS umbrella include Bridge 2 Services (B2S), Connect Ferndale, Ferndale Severe Weather Shelter, Ferndale Community Garden and Holiday Giving Store. B2S started in 2020, led by Lorelei Bowers and her team of volunteers. It merged with FCS this year to extend its services to other rural parts of the county. With the focus on homelessness, the program “locates individuals and families, understands needs, delivers ba-
sic triage supplies and builds relationships to move toward longer term outcomes. Simple actions like providing warm clothing, fresh water, food and listening are the building blocks of a trusting relationship that can change lives.” See Community on A5
Mayor’s seat steady, 2 new faces on school board Greg Hansen ahead of Jon Mutchler’s return; results not official until Nov. 28 By Taras McCurdie Staff Reporter
FERNDALE — By 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 10, the unofficial election results hint that there will be a few new faces for next year’s positions. Former Ferndale Mayor
Jon Mutchler’s efforts to return to the position are not going well as incumbent Mayor Greg Hansen holds a firm lead by 398 votes. For Ferndale City Council Position No. 1, incumbent Herb Porter, who has been a member since January 2019, has a 1,465-vote lead over Matthew Durkee. The race for Position No. 4 includes McKenna PintoGonzalez and Wyatt Shedd Stewart, and this is relatively closer race with Pinto-Gonzalez leading by 224 votes. Position No. 2 and Position No. 3 are uncontested with Ali Hawkinson and Erin Gunter retaining their roles. Going to the Ferndale
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Calendar • A2 Classifieds • B5 Forum • A4
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School Board, incumbent board President Kevin Erickson has 2,284-vote lead over Beth Perry for Director District No. 1. With Melinda Cool leaving her seat, the race between Brent Bode and Antonio Machado for Director District No. 2 is close, with a 169-vote lead in Machado’s favor. For Director District No. 3, it looks like incumbent Toni Jefferson will be ousted as she trails newcomer Nancy Button by 2,253 votes. In the race for county executive, Satpal Sidhu is about 15% ahead of the challenger, Dan Purdy, while the race for county sheriff is closer. With Sher-
iff Bill Elfo not running to keep his seat, his undersheriff, Doug Chadwick, is behind Donnell Tanksley, 40,408 votes to 37,295. By a roughly 2-to-1 margin, Whatcom County voters have supported sales and use tax of two-tenths of one percent (20 cents per $100) to pay for a new county jail, as well as behavioral health, supportive housing, public safety and other criminal justice facilities and services. With results not official until Nov. 28, the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office’s election division still has approximately 250 estiSee Election on A3
Early Thanksgiving deadline: Noon Friday, Nov. 17 for editorial, advertising, obituaries.