Northwest Washington Fair Magazine 2018 by Lynden Tribune

2018 Northwest Washington

Fair Magazine

Supplement of Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record | Published Wednesday, August 8, 2018

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

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Ferndale Record

2018 Fair Magazine

Fair Magazine

Grandstand Features: August 14-19, 2018

pg 8. Monday — Demolition Derby pg 12. Tuesday-Wednesday — Lynden PRCA Rodeo pg 16. Thursday — Bret Michaels pg 20. Friday — High Valley pg 22. Saturday — Jeff Foxworthy

Inside Pages:

28. A day of free admission to military and veterans 30. An overview of the 2018 fair 32. Meet Josie Hinman, 2018’s Miss Lynden Rodeo 39. Joye Koetje finally gets her ride on a six-horse hitch 43. A new replica cow debuts at 2018 fair 44. Funtastic Traveling Shows brings the rides 48. The Fair Foundation supports the fair 50. Rascal Rodeo continues in fifth year at the fair 52. A look at who runs the fair behind the scenes 54. An earlier 4-H event led the way for August’s fair 58. Pete and Joyce Groen retire from draft horses 62. Hazel’s Diner brings classic fair food

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Grandstand

Monday

Demolition Derby

August 13

More demo derby cars signed up than ever ‘Mad Dog’ award to be given this year to driver who puts on the best show

The demolition derby returns to the fair this year with more entrants than ever. (Nick Elges/Lynden Tribune)

The demolition derby world has changed a lot since Mike Scholten first became acquainted with it decades ago. “When I was a kid, the derby was only big old cars and logs to hold them in,” he said. “It has evolved a ton in the past 30 years and even has taken big steps in the last 10 years.” Part of that evolution has been the addition of various sizes of cars and trucks to the derby lineup. That doesn’t mean larger cars have gone out of style in Lynden, however. Scholten said that the number of large cars at derbies around the country has gone down, but that isn’t the case in Lynden. “We have a good group of local guys that have been collecting and building cars for years, so I see our large car count staying consistent in the next few years,” he said. Scholten said the evolution of the derby over the years has a lot to do with how the cars are built. It has been five years since he drove a car in the derby, and he participated for years before that. Continued on page 9

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2018 Fair Magazine 9

This year’s demolition derby will feature a “Chain and Go” class allowing contestants to compete without spending a lot on their cars. (Nick Elges/Lynden Tribune) “The cars I built were competitive, and competed with the best of them,” he said. “But if I entered the car I entered five years ago today, I would not stand a chance. The cars are the same, but the engines and components have changed to the point that if you don’t do certain

things, it’s tough to be competitive.” For this reason, Scholten and the Lynden derby have introduced a “Chain and Go” class, which allows people who don’t want to put a lot of money into their cars a chance to compete and have a rewarding experience. It’s also a perfect

class for beginners, Scholten said. This year, the derby will look much like it has in the past, though there are more cars signed up than ever before. Scholten said he and his team are working to fit them all into the allotted timeContinued on page 10

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune Continued from page 9

The demolition derby has grown from just two event classes 10 years ago to five classes in the afternoon and a championship at night. (Nick Elges/Lynden Tribune)

frame for the derby, which runs twice on the Monday of the fair, afternoon and evening. Due to safety concerns, the “Jump Your Junk” competition is taking a break this year, but there will be a “Mad Dog” award given out to the driver who puts on the best show, brings the most aggressive hits and doesn’t hold back in driving. Scholten said he sees the Lynden derby sticking around for years to come because its competition is kept fair. “Some tracks have been hurt by not enforcing the rules and letting people get away with cheating, and that has really killed their events,” Scholten said. “In Lynden, we hold contestants to the rules, and I feel that is one reason we are successful in getting good car turnouts. No one wants to go to a track and not be in a fair fight. The future of this sport is in fair competition and diversification of events, which we have done in Lynden.” Ten years ago, there were only two event classes. Today, the derby runs five events, with big cars in the afternoon as a qualifier and then at night with a championship. All other events, including the trucks and small cars, happen at night without qualifiers. Scholten said he sees trucks dethroning big cars as the most prominent event. In the next five years or so, he sees big cars potentially being run only at night with trucks running both a qualifier and main event. “Big cars are not really made anymore, and trucks are more mass-produced than ever, so we need to adapt to that,” he said. For Scholten, running the derby is very much about the competition. For the past few years, the derby has crowned a Derbyman of the Year. Last year it was Brad Sims, who took the title with a win at the Continued on page 11

Ferndale Record

2018 Fair Magazine

For a few years now, the derby has crowned a Derbyman of the Year, taking into account a competitor’s performance in the fair derby and the one in September. (Nick Elges/Lynden Tribune) main event of the fair and a top-three finish at the September demolition derby. Sims will return to defend his title this year. John Kleman, a derby competitor for 30 years,

has announced that this will be his final year in the derby. To commemorate that, he’ll be entering a car and a truck in each event to go out with a bang.

Scholten said his favorite part of the derby is seeing how many people come out in the grandstand to enjoy and participate in the event. “I remember, as a kid,

my mom and grandma would take me to it, and it was a highlight of my year,” he said. “To be able to be a key part of it is an honor.” — Brent Lindquist

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Grandstand

Tuesday, Wednesday

Lynden PRCA Rodeo

August 14-15

Mike Beers, a national champ and now Hall of Famer, recalls Lynden fondly He was known as ‘Mr. Consistent’ across years of pro rodeo

Mike Beers, a heeler in team roping, was at his peak in national rodeo in the early 1980s with partner header Dee Pickett. (Courtesy photo/Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association)

Mike Beers was getting toward the end of his competitive career when he hit the Lynden PRCA Rodeo several times as it was gearing up in 2005 and 2006. He definitely remembers Lynden as “a great rodeo” with the people running it “doing a great job.” The small-town atmosphere was welcoming, the stock quality was excellent, and Beers praises the mid-week scheduling (Tuesday and Wednesday) for helping to bring in the best of the cowboy lot, too — off the loaded weekend. The appreciation was reciprocal in that Lynden featured Mike Beers and his son Brandon, also in competition, on the poster for the 2012 rodeo. Beers’ event is team roping, which is all about how many seconds, or fractions thereof, it takes two cowboys to completely hobble a racing calf. In Lynden, the record is four seconds flat.

2018 Fair Magazine

Ferndale Record Beers decided way back when he was a kid learning roping in Oregon that he specifically wanted to be the heeler on the team rather than the header. A small point, perhaps, but it was huge for him. He started winning ... and winning ... and winning. He and his partner won the high school rodeo team roping championship of Oregon in 1977, then two years later he won a national championship through Blue Mountain Community College of Pendleton, Oregon. But the success run of “Mr. Consistent,” as he would come to be known, was just beginning. Joining the pro rodeo ranks via the Columbia River Circuit (38 years in all), he started qualifying nearly every year for National Finals Rodeo and would end up qualifying a total of 24 times. Mostly it was in team roping, with some solo tie-down roping thrown in. The team of header Dee Pickett and heeler Mike Beers took 10th in the nation their first time out in 1980, then second place three straight years before breaking through to earn their national championship in 1984. All those years and experiences in rodeo treated him well, says Beers, who now at 60 is running Mike Beers Team Roping Schools based in Kamloops, British Columbia. He takes his horsemanship and roping instruction to host locations across the Canadian West. Of his relationship with Pickett and others who were his partners across the years, he says, “We stay in touch all the time.” As measured in earnings, in 1993 Beers became the 11th cowboy to pass the $1 million earnings mark, and he has topped $2 million in his career, according to his PRCA profile. But it can be a tough and physically demanding way to make a living, so you have to be

The father-son team roping duo of Mike and Brandon Beers, having been in the Lynden PRCA Rodeo earlier, was featured on the 2012 poster. (Image provided by Northwest Washington Fair)

Continued on page 14

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune Continued from page 13

These days, father and son Mike and Brandon Beers may be on the road in the Canadian or U.S. West in rodeos or participating in Mike Beers Team Roping Schools together. (Courtesy photo/Mike Beers)

in it for the love of rodeo and the relationships to be enjoyed in it, he said. Beers continued in PRCA rodeo all the way to 2014, fighting through a broken pelvis and shoulder in the 2007 season. He keeps to Northwest and Canadian opportunities now. “I still compete and feel pretty successful,” he says, noting he has no lasting pains and takes few meds — with son Brandon often as his roping teammate. The crowning honor has been that Mike Beers was inducted into the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2017, of which he said, “This is like winning the world — to be put in a category with those guys is a great honor.” Mike estimates that he is in the saddle 300 days of the year. He and his wife, Barbara, winter in Arizona from November through March, but they are able to continue the Team Roping Schools with a full schedule down there as well. A portion of those who sign up may already be in a ranching type of work, but he gets car dealers and bankers and plenty other types who just want to try their hand at this roping business. It’s easy for him to tell them that it has been a good life for him. — Calvin Bratt

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2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden PRCA Rodeo Records Lynden arena event winners, year by year Bareback Riding 2005 — Bobby Mote, 68 2006 — Cody DeMers, 76 2007 — Kirk Giovanini and Dave Worsfold, both 78 2008 — Dan Ketter, 78 2009 — Dave Worsfold, 78 2010 — Jason Havens, 83 2011 — Brian Bain, 86 2012 — Justin McDaniel, 91 2013 — Ryan Gray, 89 2014 — Grant Denney, 80 2015 — Steven Peebles, 85 2016 — Nick Gutzwiler and Wyatt Bloom, both 81.5 2017 — Austin Foss, 88 Saddle Bronc Riding 2005 — Chance Millin 2006 — Scott Miller and Johnny Hammack, both 78 2007 — Kayle Gray, 80 2008 — Kaleb Asay, 79 2009 — Ad Bugenig and Jake Wright, both 79 2010 — Billy Etbauer, 80 2011 — Kayle Gray, 85 2012 — Heath DeMoss and Louie Brunson, both 82 2013 — Bryce Miller, 83 2014 — Cole Stremler and Ben Londo, both 82 2015 — Shorty Garret, 89 2016 — Layton Green, 79 2017 — Audy Reed, 87 Bull Riding 2005 — Myron Duarte 2006 — Zeb Lanham, 86 2007 — Clint Craig, 82 2008 — Stormy Wing, 89 2009 — Colin McTaggart, 83 2010 — Shawn Hogg, 86 2011 — Laine Baze, 89 2012 — Dakota Beck, 79 2013 — Parker Breding, 71 2014 — Allen Helmuth and Dallee Mason, both 81 2015 — Corey Maier, 85 2016 — Cody Ford, 85.5 2017 — Dustin Bowen, 88 Tie-Down Roping 2005 — Jeff Coelho and Paul

Riding a buckin’ bronco is an art form all its own, with the horse as a partner in points earned. (File photo) Cope, both 9.1 2006 — Seth Hopper, 9.0 2007 — Doug Pharr, 8.3 2008 — Kody Curry, 7.5 2009 — Justin Maass, 6.6 2010 — Shank Edwards, 8.6 2011 — Luke Jeffries, 8.1 2012 — Trevor Brazile, 6.9 2013 — Blair Burk, 7.6 2014 — Chase Williams, 7.6 2015 — Jake Pratt. 8.0 2016 — Matt Shiozawa, 8.0 2017 — Scott Kormos, 9.4 Steer Wrestling 2005 — Michael Stevens, 4.0 2006 — Joey Bell Jr., 3.7 2007 — Les Shepperson, 3.6 2008 — Beau Franzen and Travis Taruscio, both 4.1 2009 — Trevor Knowles, 3.4 2010 — four-way tie of Travis Carnine, Gabe Ledoux, Dean Gorsuch and Brad Johnson, 4.2 2011 — Dean Gorsuch, 3.9 2012 — Dakota Eldridge and Blake Knowles, 3.9 2013 — Travis Taruscio, 3.3 2014 — Curtis Cassidy, 3.7 2015 — Clayton Hass, 4.0 2016 — Ty Erickson, 3.8 2017 — Kyle Irwin and Nik

Hamm, both 4.0 Team Roping 2005 — Brett Hale/Will Schmidt, 7.4 2006 — Riley Minor/B.J. Campbell, 5.3 2007 — Blaine Linaweaver/ Richard Durham, 6.1 2008 — B.J. Campbell/Russell Cardoza, 6.4 2009 — David Key/Rich Skelton, 4.5 2010 — David Key/Brad Culpepper 2011 — Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 4.5 2012 — Clay Tryan/Travis Graves, 4.7 2013 — Turtle Powell/Dugan Kelly, 4.3 2014 — Chad Masters/Clay O’Brien Cooper, 4.9 2015 — Aaron Tsinigine/ Ryan Motes, 4.0 2016 — Riley Minor/Brady Minor, 4.6 2017 — Brooks Dahozy/Lane Mitchell, 4.3 Barrel Racing 2005 — Barb West, 15.39 2006 — Linzie Walker, 15.90

2007 — Codi Baucom, 16.22 2008 — Brenda Mays, 16.33 2009 — Sherry Cervi, 16.05 2010 — Kelli Tolbert, 16.25 2011 — Sheena Robbins, 15.58 2012 — Brenda Mays, 15.15 2013 — Brenda Mays, 16.29 2014 — Kathy Grimes, 16.27 2015 — Samantha Boone, 16.00 2016 — Kathy Grimes, 16.82 2017 — Amberleigh Moore, 16.69 All-Around (two or more events) 2006 — B.J. Campbell 2007 — Brian Garr 2008 — B.J. Campbell and Russell Cardoza 2009 — Ryan Jarrett 2010 — Jim Ross Cooper 2011 — None 2012 — Trevor Brazile 2013 — Blake Deckard 2014 — Russell Cardoza 2015 — Clayton Hansen 2016 — Russell Cardoza 2017 — Marcus Theriot Boldface indicates overall record-holder in event

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Grandstand

Thursday

Bret Michaels

August 16

Bret Michaels loves the traveling, performing lifestyle Being with a live crowd is ‘nothin’ but a good time’

At a show in Ontario, Canada, this year, Bret Michaels checked his blood sugar with a little girl named Charlotte, a fellow Type 1 diabetic. (Courtesy photo)

You could say Bret Michaels is well traveled. His musical success has led to tours around the world and trips across the country. And in August he’ll be stopping by the Northwest Washington Fair for a grandstand performance. “I love getting out and playing everywhere,” said Michaels, who is on a U.S. tour right now. “Especially these days, it’s harder and harder for fans to get the time to travel to the major markets. So I make it a point to bring the music to the fans.” Michaels is perhaps best known as the lead singersongwriter of the American rock band Poison in the ‘80s and ‘90, with more than 40 million records sold worldwide. The song “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” hit No. 1 on the Billboard music charts on Dec. 24, 1988. And “Unskinny Bop” reached the No. 3 spot on Sept. 1, 1990.

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Ferndale Record Musically, Michaels was inspired by the genres of classic rock, modern rock, traditional and new country. His main influences, he says, were The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith and Lynyrd Skynyrd. “My music is my passion. It’s very simple. It’s part of me. It’s in my soul. It’s who I am,” Michaels said. His lifetime of artistry began as a teenager. His performing career started with a basement band called Laser. This led in 1979 to Spectres, a collaboration with childhood friend Rikki Rockett. This group was later rolled into a band named Paris, and after a move to Los Angeles in 1983 the band name changed to Poison. And Michaels is still rocking the same signature style — a bandana, or cowboy hat, and his long blonde locks — staying true to the musician image he emerged with as part of the band Poison. As a solo artist Michaels has released several recordings and holds more control over his music and performance, but he says some things remain the same. The backing musicians who tour with him have a similar relationship to that of Poison — “we are all brothers,” he said. As an actor he has appeared in various movies and TV shows. Actor Charlie Sheen and Michaels started their own film production company, Sheen/Michaels Entertainment. This collaboration produced “A Letter from Death Row,” released in 1998. Michaels wrote, directed and starred in the film, and he’s starred in a multitude of reality shows as well. “Rock of Love”, a VH1 reality show, documents Michaels’ search for romance. Several women cohabitating together, in a styling similar to that of “The Bachelor,” fight to win the rockstar’s heart. Season one was released on July 15, 2007. The SeptemContinued on page 18

2018 Fair Magazine

This is the signature pose most people have of Bret Michaels, with his bandana, long blond tresses and guitar, ready to produce his brand of music. (Courtesy photo/Mark Mazzanti)

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Whether on airplane or bus or another mode of transportation, Bret Michaels is a well traveled performer. (Courtesy photo)

Continued from page 17

ber season finale of the show had 5.4 million viewers. Several seasons followed the first, including “Rock of Love Bus.” The show was in a styling similar to the first, except contestants traveled along with the rockstar on a tour bus. In 2010 Michaels was a contestant on “The Celebrity Apprentice.” Donald Trump, then host of the business-focused reality show, declared

him the winner against finalist actress Holly Robinson Peete. This victory came even after Michaels had suffered a brain hemorrhage. He won $250,00 for charity. The money went to a cause close to his heart, the American Diabetes Association. Michaels was diagnosed with the illness at the age of 6. Diabetes-related mishaps have happened on tour. In March 1987 Bret Michaels, as part of the band Poison,

was scheduled to headline at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Right before show time, Michaels took his needed insulin injection but neglected to eat. After about six songs, he collapsed on stage due to insulin shock. A result of his Type 1 diabetes diagnosis is the Life Rocks Foundation. The organization’s goal is to give back to children and communities. It works with organizations benefiting veterans, St. Jude

Children’s Research Hospital and other groups. “My mom started the first diabetic youth camp in our town,” Michaels said. “From that moment, I understood what it meant to help and that’s what it’s all about. I’m fortunate enough to be able to give back and do all I can.” Michaels sends diabetic children to a special summer camp each year, focused on learning to manage their dis-

2018 Fair Magazine

Ferndale Record ease and develop new friendships. “Diabetes is the reason I fought so hard to win ‘The Celebrity Apprentice,’” Michaels says in an online statement about the foundation. Even after being hospitalized a time or two, plus years of travel, Michaels, 55, says he can’t see his touring career coming to a halt in the near future. “I plan to go until I have to stop, for whatever reason that may be,” Michaels said. “I live to perform and party with the fans. Stopping has never crossed my mind. Even when I had my brain hemorrhage, people thought I should slow down, but to me it was more like that Tim McGraw song ‘Live Like You Were Dying.’ It made me want to get out and play right away, embrace life more and do what I love.” Michaels will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 16. Grandstand seats are $5, and preferred seats available for $30. — Ashley Hiruko

Bret Michaels comes to the Lynden grandstand the evening of Aug. 16. (Courtesy photo)

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2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Grandstand

Friday

High Valley

August 17

No pop culture access where Rempel pair grew up But Canadian brother duo High Valley is on ‘Ones to Watch’ lists now Country fans are no strangers to the uncanny musical connection of a family band, but they’ve never heard anything like the duo High Valley. And that’s simply because brothers Brad and Curtis Rempel never knew how country was “supposed” to sound. Growing up in La Crete, Alberta — far north of Edmonton and more than 2,500 miles from where they now live in Music City — Brad and Curtis were completely cut off from the world of pop culture throughout their early lives. “It’s not that we weren’t allowed to have a radio,” explains lead singer and songwriter Brad. “We had radios, but you turned them on and heard a lot of static from an AM station 300 miles away. When it was cold enough, you

High Valley, consisting of brothers Curtis, left, and Brad Rempel, broke onto the country/bluegrass scene in 2007 winning two awards, and they have now have added eight more for their songs and albums. (Courtesy photo) could hear the farm report, the price of grain and the occasional old-school country

song. We finally got FM in our town when I was in 10th grade.”

While their upbringing didn’t exactly acquaint them with the Billboard 100, it’s that

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Ferndale Record insulation that helped cement the brothers’ musical ideals and love of simple, classic country, allowing High Valley’s music to feel simultaneously fresh and timeless. “Dear Life,” their recently released major label debut on Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville, is an album that fuses tradition with wide-eyed musical exploration, stays true to their family-first value system and celebrates resilient positivity. The Rempel brothers have already scored six Top 10s and three Gold certifications, played to 15,000-seat arenas opening for Shania Twain, and earned multiple awards show wins — including Canadian CMA Group of the Year. And now with their major label debut, a fall tour with Martina McBride and a headlining U.K. trek coming up, it’s true that Brad and Curtis inhabit a much different world than the one they were raised in. But some things re-

main the same, and that is the central theme of one of the album’s most powerful tracks, the hard-charging backroad rocker, “I Ain’t Changin’.” The brothers learned to become skilled digital citizens, building an avid fan base that is actively involved in selecting the duo’s songs through the High Valley app and connecting with each other via social media. As a result, they have amassed more than 43 million song streams worldwide — including 22 million for first single “Make You Mine.” Likewise, they are the first country act to broadcast live on Twitch.TV in the United States and their song “Young Forever” scored placement on EA Sports’ Madden NFL 17 Soundtrack. The band has been selected for “Ones to Watch” recognition by Rolling Stone Country, Spotify, Pandora, CMT and Taste of Country. “You could say it’s weird that we come from the upbringing we do and make this

kind of music,” Curtis said, “but if you analyze ‘Dear Life’ and the messages on it, you can almost tell that we were brought up the way we were.” “That’s why the record was called ‘Dear Life,’” says Brad. “Because that song for me was trying to write a journal entry to God and my life and say, ‘I really have loved every mile of this road.’” “Families are a tough thing in today’s world,” Curtis said. “They fall apart all the time, and if we could leave our mark by doing our little part and trying to bring families together, I think that’s great.” The brothers were interviewed by CBS This Morning in December 2016. Their Christian family upbringing was Mennonite in a remote farming community. The nearest major airport was eight hours away, and the closest McDonald’s just five hours. “It wasn’t till I came to Nashville in ‘07 that I discovered how left behind we’d

21 been,” Brad Rempel told CBS. For a while after they first came into the bigtime music orbit, the brothers moved away from the style they grew up with and were “chasing what was on the radio,” they realize. No longer. “Eventually, Brad and I sat down and decided, ‘Hey, let’s quit doing what other people want or what we think other people want and just, let’s just make music that we love,’” Curtis said. “And what we grew up on,” Brad adds. They started writing “Make You Mine,” with the feeling that this was their kind of music, and the enthusiastic response of listeners confirmed to them that this is who they are and what they are meant to create. The brothers say that their family members back home — especially their mom and sisters — are always watching to make sure they don’t get too far from how they were raised.

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2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Grandstand

Saturday

Jeff Foxworthy

August 18

Jeff Foxworthy brings more standup to grandstands Playing final Lynden night, Foxworthy looks to find common threads with the audience

Jeff Foxworthy will bring his blue-collar comedy styling to the fair’s grandstand stage on Saturday, Aug. 18. (Courtesy photo)

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Ferndale Record own shoes than a lot of people,” he said. “They’re usually people who are really big on family, which is right in my wheelhouse. I breathe a sigh of relief whenever I have a fair crowd.” Foxworthy is no stranger to touring and standup, having performed since the 1980s. His first recording, “You Might Be a Redneck If…”, was wildly popular, selling more than two million copies. His second comedy recording, “Games Rednecks Play,” was even more popular. In 2014, Billboard published a story detailing the 20 bestselling comedy albums as indicated by Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks actual retail sales and began tracking data in 1991, and Foxworthy holds the number-two and numberthree spots with “Games Rednecks Play” and “You Might Be a Redneck If…”, respectively. His music album “Crank It Up” and greatest-hits album “Greatest Bits” also held spots in the top-20. It’s hard to talk about Foxworthy without mentioning Bill Engvall, Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy, who together formed the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. They began touring in early 2000 in Omaha before finishing out the tour in Washington, D.C., in 2006. They recorded a live album in 2001 and released a DVD special in 2003, both of which were wildly popular. They would release a second live DVD, also wildly successful, and then a third, as well as a television show on the WB network. Through it all, Foxworthy has stuck to his comic sensibilities, which leads him to talk about his life in a variety of ways. “If you go back and listen to an album or watch a special, it was always kind of a snapshot of where I was in life,” Foxworthy said. “Dating, being a newlywed, then a new dad, and now I’m kind of at the point in life now that my Continued on page 24

2018 Fair Magazine

Jeff Foxworthy has many wildly successful comedy albums and DVDs under his belt, including several of the top-selling of all time. (Courtesy photo)

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune kids have now grown up, and they’re in their mid-20s, and I kind of always thought because of those financial planning commercials that once your kids grew up you were on that sailboat on that smooth lake, but what I found out is that when you quit taking care of your kids, you start taking care of your parents. They pass each other in the driveway.” Ever since he began doing standup comedy, Foxworthy had been told by comics in big cities like New York and Los Angeles that he wasn’t hip or on the cutting edge, at least in part because he has spent his career doing comedy his own way. Foxworthy said he has found that his fans tend to live their lives the same way, which is a big part of why he has been successful. “Through comedy, I’ve been to all 50 states,” he said. “I’ve seen the country and what I realized is that most people weren’t hip and most people weren’t on the cutting edge. I always just kind of did it my way.” Foxworthy said people around the United States seem to have forgotten how to laugh at themselves in some cases. “As a comedian, what you’re always looking for is what we have in common,” he said. “Even with the most politically polarized people, you’ll agree with them on 80 percent of stuff in life, but it’s the 20 percent that we end up fighting about. If people would just walk into every day assuming, ‘I’m wrong about something,’ it would open up a lot more conversation. It’s probably as big a time in terms of a need for comedy as there’s every been.” Foxworthy said he often speaks to people at shows who tell him that they can’t remember the last time they laughed at themselves in the way he makes them do so. “Comedy is the release valve that keeps the boiler from exploding,” he said. “The laughter doesn’t make the

Ferndale Record struggle go away, but it kind of recharges you.” In addition to his standup, Foxworthy is well-known for his work as a television host. He hosted “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader” for years, as well as hosting “The American Bible Challenge” for three seasons and “The American Baking Competition” on CBS. He has also narrated and produced numerous other television shows across his years in the comedy business. In 2011, Foxworthy started his own outdoor equipment company, Foxworthy Outdoors. The company sells many different kinds of outdoor equipment, drawing on Foxworthy’s own appreciation of the outdoors. “When I’m not working, I’m outdoors,” he said. “I fish, I bow hunt, I farm; I’m usually on a bulldozer or a tractor if I’m not working.” He said there are people out there who have good ideas Continued on page 26

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From left, Larry the Cable Guy, Bill Engvall, Jeff Foxworthy and Ron White comprised the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, which ran in the early 2000s and found great success in a variety of media. (Courtesy photo) but have no means to get them to market. Foxworthy Outdoors helps people do that by putting their items related to hunting, fishing, farming and the outdoors in general on the market.” Foxworthy will perform at the fair on Saturday, Aug. 18. He said he is never sure before a show if he’ll pull out

any “You Might be a Redneck” jokes, but it’s always a possibility. “Thankfully, it’s not like Chubby Checker singing the twist, where the lyrics never change,” he said. “I’ve got 8,000 of them, and I’m not opposed to doing them, but I’ve got other things to talk about. I didn’t even realize this at the

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beginning, but they’re one-liners. That’s why they’ve always been popular with people. Sometimes I throw something in at the end. It’s a fun premise, but I’m not married to it.” For Foxworthy, it all comes back to finding something in common with the audience, and each audience is certainly different.

“It’s about figuring each other out. You could have more couples, more single people, older, younger; what we talk about is kind of geared towards each audience. What do we have in common? What can we talk about that we have in common? That’s kind of the fun challenge.” — Brent Lindquist

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New this year: A day of free admission to active-duty military and veterans Armed Forces Day is Wednesday Active-duty, retired and veteran military personnel, as well as their spouses and children who are with them, may enter the 108th Northwest Washington Fair for free on Wednesday, Aug. 15, during Armed Forces Day. All Veterans of Foreign Wars members are included. In addition to complimentary gate admission, the new Armed Forces Day at the Lynden fair will allow attendance at the free grandstand horse shows at noon and 5 p.m. Also, some surprise attractions are planned at the horse shows and a tribute to the armed forces will precede the Lynden PRCA Rodeo competition at 7:30 p.m. “The Northwest Washington Fair Board, our staff and I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who have served in the armed forces for our country,” said fair manager Jim Baron. “Free gate admission on Aug. 15 for them and their families is one way we can express our gratitude.” The Northwest Washington Fair, which draws close to 200,000 attendees each year,

The entering royalty at the 2016 Lynden PRCA Rodeo carry flags of the divisions of the U.S. military. (File photo) will open gates at 9 a.m. and close them at 10 p.m. each day Aug. 13-18. The carnival is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Carnival wristbands are accepted only until 10 p.m. After that, fair attendees can use carnival tickets to ride until closing.

Other highlights of this year’s Northwest Washington Fair that all fairgoers can enjoy are: • The region’s largest provider of carnival rides and games, Funtastic Traveling Shows, coming to Lynden for the first time.

• The Banner Bank Festival Stage, offering entertainment daily from late morning through the evening. One act is B2wins, a high-energy Brazilian group that incorporates break dancing and colorful costuming into their routine.

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Fair presents wide spectrum of all-ages fun Exhibits of local agriculture still the base, while grandstand is entertainment draw A new carnival, plenty of fair food favorites and grandstand entertainers led by nationally popular comedian Jeff Foxworthy highlight the 108th Northwest Washington Fair set for Monday through Saturday, Aug. 13-18, in Lynden. This year’s fair also features the Lynden PRCA Rodeo, the always-popular demolition derby, the classic country sounds of brother duo High Valley and Bret Michaels, former front man for iconic rock band Poison. But the roots of

the Northwest Washington Fair still are in agriculture, according to manager Jim Baron. “Thanks to all the farmers, FFA and 4-H members who bring us draft horses, cows, goats, pigs and more, thousands of people gain a better understanding and appreciation of agriculture in Whatcom County,” Baron said. “And children love seeing all the different animals!” The Northwest Washington Fair, which draws close to 200,000 visitors each year, opens its gates at 9 a.m. and closes them at 10 p.m. each day. The carnival runs from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Gate admission is $13 for adults, $11 for seniors 62 and older and $8 for youth ages 6-12. Children 5 and younger get in for free. Discounted admission tickets (adults $11, seniors $9, youth $7) are available through

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Aug. 12 at Haggen Northwest Fresh stores in Whatcom and Skagit counties and Peoples Bank branches in Whatcom County. Family value packs of two adult admission tickets, two youth admission tickets and two one-day carnival wristbands are offered for $95 — a savings of $23 — also through Aug. 12 exclusively at Little Caesars Pizza stores in the two counties. All-day carnival wristbands for $29 (regularly $38) also are available at Little Caesars Pizza. The Bank of the Pacific Grandstand Entertainment

Series starts with the demolition derby on Monday, with shows at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m. The Lynden PRCA Rodeo then draws some of the top professional cowboys in the world for competition in bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling and team roping at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. The rodeo is followed by three top-flight entertainment acts, all at 7:30 p.m.: Bret Michaels on Thursday, High Valley on Friday, and Jeff Foxworthy on Saturday. Tickets for all of the grandstand entertainment can be purchased at www.nwwafair.com and the fair office, 1775 Front St., Lynden, and by phone at 877-699-FAIR. VIP packages also are available for each performance. Grandstand tickets don’t include fair gate admission, which is re-

Ferndale Record quired. While everyone is having plenty of fun, the fair also will be emphasizing healthy practices, such as washing hands and drinking plenty of fluids. “Whether at the fair or anywhere else, an excellent preventive measure is washing hands thoroughly and frequently,” Baron said. “We’ll have 24 hand-washing stations throughout the fairgrounds in addition to public restrooms.” Other highlights of the 2018 Northwest Washington Fair include: • The region’s largest provider of carnival rides and games, Funtastic Traveling Shows, will be in Lynden. More than 3 million people, including attendees of the Washington State Fair in Puyallup and the Oregon State Fair, enjoy Funtastic Traveling Shows each year. • Children 10 and younger can get free tickets to the Lynden PRCA Rodeo by going to the fair office or a CHS

2018 Fair Magazine Northwest retail store in Lynden, Ferndale, Bellingham or Nooksack by Aug. 12. • The trick-roping, whipcracking antics and comedy of Karen Quest will be on display on the Banner Bank Festival Stage and while she is walking around the fairgrounds. Magician Louie Foxx also will be performing throughout the fairgrounds when he isn’t on the Banner Bank Festival Stage, which offers entertainment daily from late morning through the evening. • The Wenatchee Youth Circus, “The Biggest Little Circus in the World,” returns with its high-wire and flying trapeze artists, fire acts and aerial feats. • Characters Elsa and Anna from “Frozen” will be meeting fairgoers the last three days of the fair. • Hundreds of cows, horses, pigs, sheep and more will be exhibited by local farmers and 4-H and FFA youth. These are full details of the grandstand performances:

• Monday, Aug. 13 — Demolition Derby. Reserved grandstand tickets are $10 for the 12:30 p.m. show and $18 for the 7:30 p.m. show. • Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 15 — Lynden PRCA Rodeo, 7:30 p.m.; $15 for ages 11 and older ($12 tickets available while supplies last at all Whatcom County CHS Northwest retail stores). • Thursday, Aug. 16 — Bret Michaels, 7:30 p.m.; preferred seats, $30; reserved seats only $5 courtesy of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 191, offered on a limited firstcome, first-served basis with gate admission. • Friday, Aug. 17 — High Valley, 7:30 p.m.; preferred seats, $20; general admission, free festival seating courtesy of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 191, offered on a limited first-come, first-served basis. • Saturday, Aug. 18 — Jeff Foxworthy, 7:30 p.m.; reserved

seats, $35; preferred seats are sold out. For more information, visit www.nwwafair.com or call 360-354-4111.

Fair’s guiding values, mission The five core values of the Northwest Washington Fair, considered to be true across its history and guiding its future, are: • Youth • Community • Agriculture • Education • Entertainment The fuller mission statement of the Northwest Washington Fair is to provide: • education regarding agriculture — past, present and future • experiences with positive competition • enjoyment of wholesome entertainment, social interactions and lasting memories

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Getting to know Miss Lynden Rodeo Josie Hinman is the ninth chosen to wear the crown Some children dream of being superheroes and fighting crime. Others dream of riding. For Josie Hinman, Mount Vernon High School junior and avid horse enthusiast, applying to be Miss Lynden Rodeo was a no-brainer. She had grown up looking to other rodeo queens in admiration. For her, they set an example. And she hoped to one day be the same in the eyes of other young fairgoers. “I wanted to be that role model for kids,” she said. This childhood experience, coupled with her longtime love of horses and involvement with the Lynden PRCA Rodeo, pushed her to apply last year. Hinman is the ninth to be crowned Miss Lynden Rodeo. The first to hold the title was Hilary Zender in 2009. And like the others, Hinman has her fair share of rodeo experience. She has ran barrels and poles with her horse, which currently is an American Quarter horse named Sierra, in 4-H and on the Washington High School Equestrian Team. She plans to continue competing throughout high school, including in high school rodeo. When she’s not in school, Hinman is a camp counselor at Lang’s Horse and Pony Farm, of Mount Vernon, where she teaches younger youth how to ride. And as the 16-year-old enters her Josie Hinman poses with her horse Sierra. (Courtesy photo)

Continued on page 34

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Rodeo royalty wait at attention on their horses to participate in the opening ceremonies. (File photo) Continued from page 32

second to last year of high school, she already has plans of sticking to her riding ways. “I want to continue with horses. I don’t think I could manage not being involved with horses in some way,” Hinman said. She even hopes to attend college locally, potentially at Western Washington University, so she could stay nearby and not have to leave Sierra. But for now, she will live out her longtime dream of being a rodeo queen. The first step she took was a paper application in which the prospec-

tive queens were encouraged to speak about themselves, including what they planned for their future and why they wanted to be Miss Lynden Rodeo. Then was a personal interview where candidates were questioned about their rodeo knowledge. The final piece of the entry package was a horsemanship video, put together prior to the interview and played for the board of judges. Their final decision was made in fall 2017 and Hinman was crowned in January. As rodeo queen, Hinman will do the grand entry and be involved in the grandstand show in the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds arena. During

the day at the fair, she will walk around the grounds to promote the rodeo. Other appearances are also planned during other events of the fair. And during the two days of the Lynden Rodeo itself, Hinman anticipates a lot of community members will attend in support of her and watch as she enters with an American flag and gallops across the arena — done in true rodeo queen fashion. The PRCA Rodeo will take place during the Northwest Washington Fair on Tuesday, Aug. 14, and Wednesday, Aug. 15. The event will start at 7:30 p.m. on both days. — Ashley Hiruko

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Joye finally gets her ride on a six-horse hitch

Joye Koetje Crabtree gets close to the Shagren family Belgians. (Calvin Bratt/ Lynden Tribune)

It was too dangerous to do with her dad and grandpa 60 years ago Joye Koetje never got to ride with her dad driving his hitch of six Percherons furiously around on the old fairgrounds racetrack. She wanted to, but she understood how it was too dangerous. “So I am getting my chance to ride now,” she says triumphantly, “and to

donate to a worthy cause.” Joye Koetje Crabtree, at age 69, won the live bid at the Northwest Washington Fair Benefit Auction June 15 to ride during the 2018 fair on the wagon of the Shagren family. Her $1,600 will help the foundation causes. This will be very much reminiscent of how it was for her father Neal Koetje and her grandpa Clarence Koetje driving their big draft horses in the years from about 1947 to 1963. The gray Percherons were first at grandpa’s farm near Custer and then after he died in 1957 at her dad’s place

at Line and Hammer roads north of Lynden. Clarence Koetje won Lynden’s draft horse International Plowing Match five times. “They did the plowing match, but mostly my dad and my grandpa drove the six-horse hitch at the fair,” remembers Joye. The Koetjes carried the Darigold name on their wagon, but that sponsorship didn’t really cover the costs of “an expensive hobby,” as she tells it. Her dad had to use up his alloted two weeks of vacation per year from Darigold — he worked 50 years in all at the Lynden plant! — to participate with his horses in the Lynden and Puyallup fairs. After a while, that didn’t sit so well with the rest of the family, and the horses and gear were sold to be the start of Valley View Percherons of the Wilder family of Custer — and the Koetjes took an overdue trip to Disneyland. As a girl with her aunts, Joye did have a role of getting the Koetje horses ready for public display: “You polished the harness leather and you shined the brass with stuff called Brasso, and all it did was make your hands black,” she says with a laugh. Joye feels a connection to the Shagren family and its Belgian horses today, and also to the sponsor company Northwest Propane, as owner Steve Vander Yacht is a cousin. Also, nephew Matt Koetje is a member of the Northwest Washington Fair board of directors. Joye recently came out to the Shagrens’ Stein Road farm to compare memory notes with Bill and Craig, who are Continued on page 40

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Lynden Tribune Continued from page 39

Joye’s dad Neal Koetje drives his Percherons. (Courtesy photos/Joye Crabree)

already giving way to a fifth generation of family horsemen. Bill Shagren says that Lynden’s draft horse handlers “broke a few bones” while breaking in many horses, and so it is understandable that Joye’s dad wanted to protect her from any danger around horses. The guys were sort of like a fraternity that appreciated each other, and could cooperate at times of transition or need. Bill believes he put together a six hitch from teams of two horses from others, as he built up his team of Belgians in the late ‘60s, at that point living and dairy farming on Benson Road near Lynden. After all, the horses in a six hitch all have their designated spots that they are trained for and stay in, as in “left wheel” and “right swing” and “left leader.” This rough-and-ready “free drive” of six-horse hitches — probably eight entrants this year — happens during the free horse show at 5 p.m. in the grandstand all days of the fair except Monday. (The exact day of Joye’s riding hadn’t been set yet.)

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Today, the grandstand set-up allows more room for the big horses and wagons to maneuver around each other in the free-for-all time. Years ago, there was still a fairgrounds racetrack within which the horses had to tightly stay — or if they lost control, to go entirely around the track. Joye remembers four other owners of horses beside her family: Verduins, Weidkamps, Korthuises and Polinders. She doesn’t remember anyone but the driver himself on the wagon during the hard driving, “and that’s why I never got to ride,” she said. But this year she will. — Calvin Bratt

The foundation The Northwest Washington Fair Foundation, established in 2012, is a 501c3 nonprofit whose overall goal is “to financially support agricultural education, and the enhancement and preservation of the Northwest Washington Fair.” The foundation raises funds for agriculture scholarships each year, for free gate admission to disadvantaged groups, and for a future agriculture education center and museum.

Joye’s grandpa Clarence Koetje is in a fair “free drive” in the 1950s.

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New replica cow debuts at 2018 fair She needs a name, though Twister is retired, and maybe this new cow can be named at the 2018 fair. The plastic replica cow of no name — yet — arrived just in time to be put on display at the Northwest Washington Fair Benefit Auction event in June. Different from woodframed Twister, introduced in 2003, this smooth fiberglass bovine is more in the style of a real Holstein you would see out on Whatcom County farms. Cheryl DeHaan is involved each year in the fair’s Ag Adventure Center, and that big-tent exhibit of the Northwest Washington Fair will be the main place for showing off the new cow, for now. Of course, when a new Agriculture Education Center

Cheryl DeHaan led acquisition of the cow. (Calvin Bratt/ Lynden Tribune)

building is erected at the front of the fairgrounds, possibly by 2019, then this cow will be part of the permanent showcase there. DeHaan lined up most of the sponsorship money for this attraction from the Dairy Farmers of Washington and the Whatcom County Dairy

Women. But it belongs to the fair. We all know cows moo. This one also “talks.” By internal digital programming, don’t be surprised if “Daisy” or “Elsie” blurts out some facts about how much milk she produces or how much grass she needs to eat

each day. And it also “milks,” as Twister did. Children, or anyone, can try their hand at squeezing out this cow’s udder production by hand, the way grandpa did. It’s all part of being educational, as well as entertaining, at the Lynden fair. DeHaan heard about The Incredible Milking Cow being available from its New Hampshire manufacturer through her involvement with Ag in the Classroom for Washington State. With others, she will work out any details of the moving and operation of it at the 2018 fair, she said. Here’s some reasonable advance advice to all: No climbing on this cow. As for that name... there will at least be a jar to collect your suggestions. — Calvin Bratt

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2018 Fair Magazine

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Funtastic has wanted to be at Lynden fair — and now is Expect more of a big-time feel of new carnival and rides For Funtastic Traveling Shows, there’s always been a desire to host a carnival in Lynden. It was just a matter of figuring out how to make it work logistically. “We’ve always wanted to come up there. It’s a beautiful area… it just fit into our schedule, finally,” said company vice president Rob Rhew. “Fairs that open on Mondays are just sometimes hard to fit into the schedule, so we took a look at it and then decided this is something we can actually do.” This will be the first year Portland-based Funtastic will run the carnival at the Northwest Washington Fair, replacing Davis Amusement Cascadia, which had been doing it

The Enterprise (above) and Circus Jumbo (below) are two of the rides Funtastic offers. (Courtesy photos/Funtastic Traveling Shows) going back years. Don’t be surprised if you notice more a of big-time feel

to this year’s proceedings. Funtastic also puts on the Washington State Fair in Puy-

allup as well as a collection of others around the Northwest, including the Cowlitz County Fair in Longview and the Lane County Fair in Eugene, Oregon. The company also used to put on the Oregon State Fair. What can Northwest Washington Fair-goers expect? All the usual fun that comes with rides, games and food, for sure. Rhew specifically touts The Enterprise, a quick-spinning, tilting attraction that is best experienced before gorging yourself on Elephant Ears. Oh, and those typical carnival games that seem impossible to win? That’s not part of Funtastic’s carnival experience, Rhew hinted. “What we do is sell some teddy bears at a very good price. ... What built our company was our games,” he said, Continued on page 46

2018 Fair Magazine

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It’s possible to buy a wristband for unlimited rides with Funtastic in a day. (Courtesy photo)

adding that Funtastic hires local clerks to run them. It’s no small feat to run a carnival. Hauling thousands of pounds of equipment hundreds of miles on the interstate is costly, especially for a company that operates two or three carnivals per week during peak season from April to October. Trucks hauling the equipment typically get just 4 miles per gallon, Rhew said, leaving the company’s margins fairly slim. In addition, Funtastic will hire some 100 seasonal workers to help run operations. Since this is Funtastic’s inaugural trip to north Whatcom County, the crew will be arriving a little extra early to get the lay of the land. “We’re going to be there early because we want to make sure everything’s right,” Rhew said. “It’s the first time in Lynden for us, so we’re going to take a little extra time just to make sure we get it right. We want to come in and provide a

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Ferndale Record wonderful carnival for the fairgoers there.” If it sounds like Funtastic is taking pains to be cautious, that’s not a coincidence. Last year, a family of three fell some 15 feet onto a metal platform when a Ferris Wheel bucket operated at a Funtastic-run carnival in Port Townsend flipped over. All three survived. Funtastic has maintained that the riders stood up, which is against ride rules, causing the bucket to flip. “The biggest part of our company is (ensuring) safety,” Rhew said. “Whenever you’re dealing with equipment — now that’s a farming town up there — anything can happen when you deal with equipment. We’re very conscientious of that.” Meanwhile, wristbands for unlimited rides with Funtastic at Lynden can already be purchased online for $33 per day. Go to the fair’s website and choose Tickets and Merchandise.

2018 Fair Magazine

Kids can ride on most Funtastic rides if they are 36 inches tall. (Courtesy photo)

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Fair Foundation supports fair in various ways Board president Ed Roddy is also active in community

Ed Roddy and the Northwest Washington Fair Foundation hope old buildings at the front of the fairgrounds can be replaced with a new Agriculture Education Center. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)

Created to keep the Lynden fair sustainable into the future, the Northwest Washington Fair Foundation and its nine-member board are integral to the annual six-day event, now in its 108th year. According to board president Ed Roddy, the foundation focuses on three things to support and enhance the fair. First, the foundation funds scholarships to Whatcom County students pursuing careers in agriculture. Since 2013, more than $25,000 has been awarded. “We’re kind of unique as an organization because we interview applicants face-toface to ask about their pas-

sions and fair experience,” said Roddy. This year’s high school scholarship winners are: Elsa Ericksen and Meghan Harting of Ferndale, Lacey Biemold and Luke Wolfisberg of Lynden, Ellie Steensma and Elea Van Weerdhuizen of Lynden Christian, and Hayden Linderman of Mount Baker. The fair foundation also provides free admission to the fair for disadvantaged groups. In 2017, for instance, tickets were supplied to women and children of New Way Ministries and Lydia Place and to a local domestic violence safe house. “The goal is to help people who are in tough places take their minds off of (their situation) and enjoy a day at the fair,” Roddy said. Lastly, the fair foundation board works on capital projects ongoing. A year ago, money was raised, with the

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Ferndale Record Mt. Baker Rotary Club, to replace the fairgrounds clock tower. Now an even bigger project is front and center — a new Agricultural Education Center building. Roddy said this “vision” has been in the works for more than four years, with a fundraising goal of $5 million. It is hoped that following the 2018 fair, groundbreaking can begin on the new facility. The center will include a commercial kitchen, a yearround showcase of farming life and interactive exhibits for kids. Roddy said the central goal is to “provide people here in Whatcom and the Pacific Northwest the opportunity to understand where their food comes from.” An integral person on this project is Brad Rader, of local Rader Farms, Roddy said. Also on the foundation board are: vice president Rose DeGroot, treasurer Billy VanZanten, secretary Tresie Wiersma, Herm Fransen, Nate Kleindel, Will Johnson, Marv

2018 Fair Magazine Tjoelker and Josh Summers. The group generally meets once a month at the fair office to work on projects, lately mainly the Agricultural Education Center. The foundation’s only fundraiser is an auction dinner, held at the fairgrounds each of the past five years. More than 250 people attended this year’s event and raised over $50,000. Roddy’s fair connection Roddy has deep roots in Whatcom County. His grandparents settled here in 1906, and while Roddy grew up in Seattle he came to visit his family roots as often as he could. “I loved hanging out with my cousins, playing in streams and helping put up hay in the summers,” Roddy said. After graduating from Lincoln High School of Seattle, Roddy came north to attend Western Washington University, majoring in busi-

ness and getting his degree in 1984. He began working as a banker soon after, and today works as a business loan officer with WECU. Roddy got involved with the fair foundation board in 2014. He said he fondly remembers going to the Northwest Washington Fair as a child with his aunt to drop off her pickled beans and other canned goods for judging. For many years when his own daughters were younger, he would arrange his vacation time around fair week. His girls enjoyed entering collections for exhibits and showing animals through FFA. Role as a mentor Roddy also finds time to mentor athletes at Western Washington University and in Lynden, something he has done for 30 years. When he attended the university, Roddy said, he began to understand the importance of mentorship in school. After graduating, he asked to

join the athletic committee at WWU and started looking for ways he could help athletes. “As I started meeting different athletes, I was able to help them figure out what they can do next (after college) and how they can pursue a career and make networking connections,” Roddy said. For the past 15 years, he has helped Western athletes find internships and job shadows while providing other advice. “It’s great,” Roddy said of his mentorship role. “I would say, ‘be the kind of person you needed when you were younger.’ I think that’s something we all should subscribe to.” Roddy also mentors Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Lynden and supports athletes at Lynden High School in several ways, including hosting a “Fifth Quarter” for high school students after football games to provide a safe place where students can socialize. — Nick Elges

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2018 Fair Magazine

Rascal Rodeo proves to be ‘miraculous’ Rodeo event for disabled has been held at Lynden fair since 2014

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Robert had gone his entire life not saying a word. His care provider for 14 years was close by as the 30-year-old man, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was lifted onto the back of a horse at a Rascal Rodeo. His smile was one that “she had never seen before.” And hours later after returning home, Robert said his first word — “horse.” It’s stories like these that emerge from the annual Rascal Rodeo events that take place throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho, said founder and executive director AnnErica Whitemarsh.

The Rascal Rodeo events are for people of all ages with mental and physical disabilities. “We are showing them that they are loved, cared for and accepted while helping them discover unknown abilities,” Whitemarsh said. The special rodeo was first held in Lynden in 2014. About 40 to 50 volunteers assisted 110 participants in last year’s Lynden Rascal Rodeo, making it one of the biggest to happen in the region. Another of the large events happened in Molalla, Oregon, this year, with 119 participants. “That’s why we need lots of volunteers and horses to come help participants out,” Whitemarsh said. Participants are partnered up with a volunteer and taken to different rodeo stations, each modified to be easily achievable. The stations include cow milking, in which

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a plywood-fashioned animal with calf bottle teats is filled with white tempera paint water. There’s a calf roping station and 55-gallon barrels made to look like a bull, bronc and unicorn to mimic a bucking horse. “One of my favorite things is when parents call and say ‘I don’t think my child can do that,’” Whitemarsh said. “They bring them and then are in tears because they can’t believe what their child has accomplished.” But among the various stops, the horse rides have become the biggest hit. Volunteers make the activity possible by walking alongside each rider, ensuring safety. “Everybody that gets to go on a horse ride, disabled and not — it does something for your soul and heart and kind of makes you happy,” Whitemarsh said. The Rascal Rodeo began as Whitemarsh’s high school senior project in 2001, with 20 Continued on page 64

Milking a cow is another Rascal Rodeo activity station. (Courtesy photo/Rascal Rodeo)

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2018 Fair Magazine

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The ‘heart and soul’ of the NWWF Lynda Revak one of 38 supers who lead fair planning

Lynda Revak has been involved as a fair division superintendent for many decades now. (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)

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They’re generally not very visible, once the fair starts. They’re likely rushing around to make sure that all the preparations — a year in the making — go off without a hitch. Unless there’s a horse connected to it, of course. The superintendents of the Northwest Washington Fair are in charge of arranging for judges, assigning stall space and completing all necessary paperwork. This year, there will be 38 in a superintendent position, covering diverse areas such as poultry, hobbies and collections, and light horse.

Ferndale Record Fair manager Jim Baron calls the superintendents “the heart and soul of the fair.” And for some in the positions it has been a decadeslong commitment. Lynda Revak has been a superintendent for the fair in three different areas. She began her involvement by lending a hand in the 4-H horse area. From there she moved to helping with draft horses and now, even yet, she works in the open horse division. “I was really lucky that my dad had horses and it was a family thing,” Revak said. “I liked them and just kept on working and doing things that way.” Revak grew up involved with horses in 4-H, and during her last couple of years her dad also was involved. “And then I was out of 4-H and still helping him,” Revak said. “That just kind of morphed into the 4-H horses superintendent job.” At that time 4-H horses

2018 Fair Magazine were housed in what has today become the maintenance building, Revak said, making mention of many things that have changed through the years. Now the base of operations is the newly renamed Salish Wealth Management Horse Barn. It was in 1968 that she estimates she embarked on her first fair horse area organizing. Her involvement with horses was inspired by the Percherons that would plow her father’s fields. At age 4 she was riding on the back of the family draft horses, Revak recalls. “I actually remember the last team of Percheron horses that dad worked before he got a tractor,” Revak said. “He liked working with horses and it wasn’t too long before we got a saddle horse.” After time volunteering as the 4-H superintendent, Revak added the draft horse superintendent role to her plate for a couple of years, too. And in the

Horses are a big aspect of the Lynden fair. (file photo) late 1980s, she switched over to light horse. For this year’s fair, people started to call Revak in June. Some who call are club representatives interested in attending. Other superintendent duties include locating and organizing where horse stalls will

be and hiring a horse judge early in the year. “There’s not a lot of time and hours put in until the fair actually starts,” Revak said. “And then we’re there running the classes … doing the paperwork, at least my part of it.” Continued on page 61

Good Clean Fun. The fair and rodeo are great places for summer fun. Keep it clean this year with PeaceHealth’s hand-washing stations conveniently located throughout the fairgrounds. If you need a break for your little ones, visit the Mothers’ Room. The whole family will enjoy this private place for nursing and diaper changing.

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Lynden Tribune

2018 Fair Magazine

Earlier 4-H event was primer for August fair Rome Grange gathering was meant to draw community together The wet weather was unexpected at the 4-H Fun Fair on June 30. The rain began to pour before the animal showing competition, and people hid beneath canopies in order to keep dry. But that didn’t stop all the kids from showing off their sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits and cavies. For most of those entered, the event put on by the Country Partners 4-H Club acted as a preface to the Northwest Continued on page 56

4-H youth member Tory Powell plays with her suffolk sheep Cosmo at the Fun Fair. (Ashley Hiruko/Lynden Tribune)

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2018 Fair Magazine

Jackson McCoy prepares his nubian goat for the fair show ring. (Ashley Hiruko/Lynden Tribune)

Continued from page 54

Washington Fair in August. If the big fair is the main event, the Saturday gathering at the Rome Grange was an opening act. “It’s been a lot of work, but the kids usually need a little bit of practice before the fair and this is a great opportunity for them to have that practice,” said club leader and event organizer Helen Zylstra. 4-H youth member Tory Powell brought along her suffolk sheep Cosmo. Powell had been showing poultry at the Northwest Washington Fair for several years, but decided to make the switch to sheep two years ago. Her siblings earned more money in that division. For a little more work, Powell said, she could earn more money than what her chickens were bringing in. The 15-year-old girl hopes the extra money will help toward buying her own car. And the practice the Fun Fair gave her just puts her closer to that goal. Jackson McCoy said his reason for being at the Fun Fair was also to get needed

practice showing his nubian goat. This was a first-time event. A Project Neighborly grant of almost $2,000 from the Whatcom Community Foundation paid for the multigenerational affair. Those from the 4-H clubs and members of the Rome Grange, a commu-

nity hub and advocacy group for rural citizens, intermingled during the event. Grange members held their monthly pancake breakfast that morning and helped with judging a pie contest. Bringing the different age groups together was the main goal of the effort, Zylstra said.

Lynden Tribune Students from the veterinary program of the Bellingham Technical College were also present, doing vet checks with instructor Lisa Dzyban. Using procedures that will be followed at the Northwest Washington Fair, they checked to make sure all animals present were in good health. “The grant brought us all together, when normally we wouldn’t all be brought together in this way,” Zylstra said, making note that everyone remained in high spirits despite the rain. Similar Project Neighborly grants awarded by WCF have funded comparable projects in the county, with a target of creating community connections. Some of these have been Ferndale Summer of Fun activities, and sharing get-togethers in the South Fork Valley area. Indoors, Larry Helm and William Salas were busy tastetesting desserts — and not without a fair amount of experience, Helm jokingly added. They too were very happy to be a part of what may become an annual happening, with or without the rain. — Ashley Hiruko

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2018 Fair Magazine

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2018 Fair Magazine

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‘Getting out while the getting’s good’ Pete and Joyce Groen of Border Belgians retire from raising draft horses Draft horses have been in Pete and Joyce Groen’s lives since before they were married. Joyce’s father used Belgian draft horses on his farm, and he and his horses were part of the effort to create what is now Badger Road. “(Pete) has always had light horses,” Joyce said. “When he married me, he started getting into drafts.” Now, almost 50 years later, the Groens have decided to retire from the world of draft horses, simply because it’s the right time for them to do so. They have sold off much of their tack and equipment, but

After many decades raising and showing draft horses, Pete and Joyce Groen of Border Belgians have retired. (Courtesy photos/Amber Weinmann) they look forward to retaining the friends they have made over their many years working with draft horses.

Pete was helping Joyce’s dad, Robert Van Mersbergen Sr., around the farm with his Belgian horses before they

were married in 1965, but when her father passed away Continued on page 60

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2018 Fair Magazine

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Continued from page 58

a few years later, he left the horses to them in his will. At the time, it was just two horses, but colts were born and their numbers grew to four. The following year two more colts arrived, and their stock continued to grow. Initially, the Groens combined their hitches with other teams of horses, including those of Bill Shagren and John Korthuis. “Bill and I hooked together for a few years, but then he got enough horses to do his own,” Pete said. Eventually, the Groens had enough horses for a sixhorse hitch of their own. For many years, their wagon could be seen pulled by six Belgians at a wide variety of events annually. Over the years they have had a great deal of help from their son Randy Groen and longtime friend Amber Weinmann. “(Amber) did all the finetuning that we didn’t feel like doing,” Joyce said. “We had great help. Randy drove the six all the time. We had wonderful help or we wouldn’t have stayed in it as long as we did.” For a long time, the Groens tackled about five events per year: three parades and two fairs. They became mainstays at the Northwest Washington Fair and the Washington State Fair in Puyallup, and they could be seen in the Ferndale Old Settlers Parade, the Lynden Farmers Day Parade and the EversonNooksack Summer Festival Parade. The “Border Belgians” wagon, most recently sponsored by Green Earth Technology, became a common and familiar sight at events. Other sponsors over the years included Jensen’s Landscaping, the Everson Auction Barn, the PNE and more. With much of their tack sold off, son Randy asked that they keep the wagon itself, either to be used in the future or simply as a memory of the

Amber Weinmann, seated left, has been a major part of Border Belgians for years. (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)

time spent working with the horses. The time commitment was a contributing factor to their getting out of the drafthorse game, but in the end it just felt like the right time to finish up. At one point years ago, the Groens went to seven parades in just one year. That was enough of that, Joyce

said. “We knew we were going to quit before we started last year,” Pete said. “We just knew it was time,” Joyce said. When they did decide to stop, the Groens had Weinmann post their tack and equipment for sale online, and they were floored by the response. They had calls from

West Virginia, Idaho, Texas, Canada, all over the place. It was a reminder of how big the draft horse community is, and also a reminder of the friendships they developed while raising and showing horses. “It’s all about the people, and the relationships you build,” Joyce said. — Brent Lindquist

The horses frollicking in newfallen snow is one memory the Groens take with them. (Courtesy photos/Amber Weinmann)

Ferndale Record

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynda Revak Continued from page 53

But she doesn’t mind doing the work, she said. It is toward the larger cause of the success of the fair and of agriculture advocacy. “I appreciate the people who continue to support the fair and those that come and show at the fair,” Revak said. “Agriculture is disappearing more and more and not a lot of adults have the wherewithal with all of that to keep on. It’s happening in the dairy and beef industries. I’d like to see that carry on.” And she is pleased to say that the Northwest Washington Fair is one of few around to still have open horse classes. Revak is committed to the thriving of local agriculture as well as of the fair. (Brent Lindquist/ — Ashley Hiruko

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2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Hazel’s Diner brings classic fair food From Yakima, Hazel’s was at the fair many years ago

While Hazel’s Diner usually operates out of a mobile food trailer, at the Lynden fair the business will be located in the Haggen Expo Building. (Courtesy photos/Penny Nelson)

There’s a new food option coming to the Haggen Expo Building this year, and it offers a dose of classic fair food. Hazel’s Diner is named for owner Penny Nelson’s mother, who loved fair food. “I think she ate more than anybody I ever knew, and she was a small woman,” Nelson said. It was Hazel’s dream to have a business providing classic fair food. Her dream

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Ferndale Record became a reality 40 years ago, and though she died eight years ago, Nelson has carried it forward. “I just kept going,” Nelson said. Hazel’s Diner brings fair food such as deep-fried peaches, gourmet burgers, a variety of hot dogs, deepfried macaroni and cheese, and more. This isn’t Nelson’s first time at the fair. Hazel’s Diner came to the Lynden fair years ago, and Nelson said she’s ready for her business to make its return. While she usually operates Hazel’s Diner out of a mobile food trailer, the business will be set up in the Haggen Expo Building. Nelson said her favorite part of operating Hazel’s Diner is her interaction with customers. “I think my favorite part is meeting the people,” she said. “I get to meet lots of wonderful people.” — Brent Lindquist

2018 Fair Magazine

Hot dogs are just one of the many fair-food options available at Hazel’s Diner. (Courtesy photos/Penny Nelson)

2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

Rascal Rodeo

Those with impairments find that they too can feel like a cowboy or cowgirl for a day. (Courtesy photo/Rascal Rodeo) Continued from page 51

volunteers. It wasn’t until 2010, when a family friend brought forward the idea of doing one in Moses Lake, that the event would become an annual occurrence — and a huge success. “It affected a lot of people in a positive way,” she said. “After that second one, I said ‘OK, I’ve got to start this nonprofit and get it going.’” At the time 27-year-old Whitemarsh lived at home with her parents and was unemployed without a vehicle, but decided she was going to start the nonprofit. “I was someone who didn’t have anything to their name except student loans,” Whitemarsh said. “But I just thought this is what I need to do. Soon after that, things fell into place.” Sponsors jumped on

board and Toyota awarded the nonprofit a 2014 Toyota Tundra as part of the nationwide contest 100 Cars for Good, which gave away 100 brandnew vehicles to deserving nonprofits. “That was kind of one of the many things that just happened to reaffirm that I was doing what I was supposed to be doing,” Whitemarsh said. “When someone hands you the keys to a truck with six miles on it, that just came from production, it’s pretty incredible.” The event, free for those to attend, is sponsored by Coppinger Carter law firm of Bellingam and has been for the past five years. Carrie Coppinger Carter, local attorney, decided to sponsor the event after the Rascal Rodeo was brought up in conversation. The event hit close to home for her — the

youngest of her four children has Downs Syndrome. Dylan, she thought, would never be able to safely muttonbust as his older brothers had done, she said. After hearing word of the rodeo, she was flooded with visions of Dylan and others “having a moment all their own — in the height of their glory as a real cowboy, or cowgirl,” she said. “As a parent, it is gutwrenching when you see others put limitations on your children, yet you have to make peace with the real limitations that can be a practical part of their condition,” Coppinger Carter said. “Every parent wants to see their child filled with confidence, joy and a sense of belonging. Rascal Rodeo provides for this one moment memories for the participant and the parents to build on. Each year I see par-

ents with tears of joy, watching their child being not just accepted but honored, cherished and empowered. “ Returning fairgoers can expect an added riding station, in order to handle the demand the horse ride has brought in past years. And free donated belt buckles will be given out. An ongoing belt buckle drive has brought in over 600 belt buckles, but Whitemarsh said she will need another 500 to have enough to give out during the remaining Rascal Rodeos this year. And at the remaining events, including Lynden’s on Aug. 15 from 2 to 3 p.m. on a pro rodeo day, Whitemarsh expects more stories, like Robert’s, to emerge. “The things that happen at rodeos are nothing short of miraculous — the outcomes and stories that come out of them,” she said. — Ashley Hiruko

Ferndale Record

2018 Fair Magazine

Advertising Index: Agricultural Sponsors .................... 39 Alvord-Richardson Construction Co. Inc. .................................................43 Ascending Tree Service ................ 30 Bob’s Burgers & Brew ................... 72 Bode’s Precast Inc......................... 12 Business Directory......................... 66 Cascade Natural Gas Co............... 63 Chad Chambers Auto Sales .......... 48 Community Pages ............. 55, 57, 59 Country Financial, Len Corneto ..... 41 Cruisin Coffee ................................ 32 Diehl Ford ...................................... 59 Downtown Lynden Page................ 42 Elenbaas Company ....................... 61 EPL Feed LLC ............................... 21 Espresso Directory ........................ 45 Farmers Equipment Co. ................ 25 Ferndale Ready Mix & Gravel Inc. 54 First Federal .................................. 19 Grandview Golf Course ................. 26 Green Earth Technology ............... 70 High Society .................................. 52 Hinton ............................................14 Haggen ..........................................71 Heston Hauling .............................. 40 Homestead Farms Golf Club ......... 14

Kelley Insurance & Financial Services. ........................................ 32 Lakeside Industries........................ 20 Lairmont Manor. ............................ 30 Les Schwab Wallgren Tire Center . 69 Louis Auto & Residential Glass ..... 52 LTI Inc............................................68 Lynden Door .................................. 37 Lynden Human Life ....................... 50 Lynden Performing Arts Guild ....... 13 Lynden Pioneer Museum............... 49 Lynden Tribune & Print Co.............54 Lynden’s Fairway Center ................. 3 Maple Leaf Autobody..................... 22 Mark K. Bratt, Architect.................. 34 Mt. Baker Roofing, Inc. .................. 65 Mt. Baker Vision Clinic................... 51 New York Life Insurance ................. 8 Nooksack Valley Disposal & Recycling Inc. ................................ 28 Northwest Farm Credit Services.... 50 Overhead Door .............................. 28 PeaceHealth .................................. 53 Peak Financial Group .................... 62 Preferred Freezer Services ........... 63 Rairdon’s of Bellingham................. 38

Ralph’s Floors................................ 16 RE/MAX Whatcom County Inc. ..... 57 Roger Jobs Volkswagen Inc. ........... 6 S&S Equipment and Repair........... 35 Scholten’s Equipment Inc. ............. 67 Silver Reef Casino ......................... 33 Skagit Bank ..................................... 2 Smith Kia ....................................... 43 State Farm Insurance, Amy Warenski ............................... 46 Star Outlet ..................................... 46 The Mill Inn & Bistro ...................... 68 The Oostema Farmstead Inn......... 40 The Skagit Casino & Resort .......... 36 Tupper Dentistry ............................ 43 Van Loo’s Auto Service ................. 41 Van’s Plumbing and Electric Inc. ... 54 Vision Plus Lynden ........................ 31 Walls & Windows Inc. ...................... 5 Western Travel Sales .................... 40 Westside Building Supply .............. 34 Whatcom Dairy Council ................. 29 Whatcom Conservation District ..... 47 Windermere, Karen Timmer .......... 62 WRS Asphalt Paving ....................... 4 WTA...............................................69

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Ferndale Record

2018 Fair Magazine

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2018 Fair Magazine

Lynden Tribune

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2018 Fair Magazine

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Lynden Tribune

2018 Fair Magazine

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Ferndale Record

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