PROGRESS EDITION 2013 Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record.
den Darigold plant, installed at the Lyn is k tan ing eiv rec nter. A new milk ades made this wi one of many upgr
Tyler Zylstra and Gilbert Saenz repr esent a new gene ration of ownersh at Zylstra Tire Co ip mpany.
People stream into the new PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cancer Center at its public grand opening on Jan. 12.
360-734-1112 | 1526 Slater Rd
We buy all your scrap metals including cars and equipment, we offer site removal, dismantling services, and pick up. Nothing is too large. www.scrapitwa.com
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
Steady progress Table of contents Slowly and steadily we make our way back from the long recession that feels like it stretched a few years beyond its official duration. Locally, we see signs of rebound and recovery in the economy although plenty more challenges certainly remain. Our schools push forward yearly in the education task, also giving students extracurricular opportunity. The medical, retail and industrial sectors must make big decisions about investment in an uncertain future. Our annual Progress Edition aims to give a glimpse into this picture of positive advance by people who are both skilled and visionary and are making the best of their opportunities while benefiting the larger community. These are evidence: a tall new milk drying tower for the Lynden Darigold plant; the creation of a unified Cancer Center at the Bellingham hospital; needed new buildings for Meridian schools; a family business positioning for another generation (correction: Gilbert Silva on cover with Tyler Zylstra); upgrades to the 30-year-old Bender Fields via a Rotary club donation. Enjoy reading. — Calvin Bratt, Tribune editor
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2: Lynden milk drying tower ties into growing exports 4: Zylstra Tire ownership now includes longtime employee 6: Pair motorcycles to Prudhoe Bay and back in 13 days 8: Former LC teacher starting Bellingham-based green laundry 9: Janelle Bruland puts business in regional expansion mode 10: New facility unifies PeaceHealth St. Joseph cancer services 12: 2010 Meridian grad helped spark current construction blitz 14: Nooksack schools win awards despite tough demographics 16: Bender Fields getting facelift, thanks to Rotary Club donation 20: Western Refinery Services diversifies 23: Jordan Vanderveen reflects on big career change that led to teaching
We’re Proud to Celebrate 31 Years of Providing Quality Tax, Estate and Accounting Services to our Business and Individual Clients!
360-354-5545 “Professional Services with Personal Care.”
400 Fifth Street, Lynden, WA 98264 Members WSCPA, Member AICPA
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Dairy exports on upswing in Washington State Lynden plant is a key component in Darigold network; half of its milk powder goes overseas By Mark Leader and Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
SEATTLE — The new Darigold mik drying tower in Lynden offers evidence that the dairy industry is investing — to the tune of $22 million in this case — in a future that looks bright. In Washington State, the prospect definitely focuses on dairy product exports. The Lynden processing plant is a key player in the picture, since milk powder is the United States’ chief dairy export product and Washington is one of the nation’s largest producers of milk powder. The state also exports significant volumes of cheese, whey and butterfat, according to the U.S. Dairy Ex-
Ironworkers do finishing touches at the top edge of the new Lynden Darigold milk drying tower last week. The quickly built facility will go into operation by spring. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
Family Care Network
We Take Care Steve Alexander, MD Hannah Bujak, MD Oliver Bujak, MD Margaret Burden, MD Robin Caldwell, MD Karen Goodman, ARNP John Gunningham, MD Larry Hartwell, MD John Hiemstra, DO Bruce Pederson, MD Teresa Reiger, ARNP Sarah Stewart, ARNP
Lynden Family Medicine and Birch Bay Family Medicine are dedicated to meeting the medical needs of the north Whatcom County community. The Physicians are all Diplomats of the American Board of Family Medicine, and our Nurse Practitioners are nationally certified in the specialty of family medicine. As family physicians and practitioners, they serve people in several areas of expertise, including pregnancy care, women’s health care, health care for children, adult medicine, care of the elderly and minor surgery.
Local clinics, community connections for compassionate and coordinated care. For more information about Family Care Network clinics and locations visit familycarenetwork.com.
Lynden Family Medicine
1610 Grover Street, Suite D-1, Lynden • (360) 354-1333
Birch Bay Family Medicine 8097 Harborview Rd., Blaine • (360) 371-5855
See DAIRY on C17
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
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Also at the Lynden Darigold plant last week, a new milk receiving silo was lifted into place. It replaced an older one. An additional tank replacement will be made by summer. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business Timeless Ferndale School District
Education is Timeless! ferndale.wednet.edu • 383-9207
123 Years Banner Bank
1815 Main St. Ferndale bannerbank.com 384-3300
103 Years Ebenezer
Christian School Lynden 354-2632
129 Years
129 Years
128 Years
3002 W. Illinois • Bellingham 756-6200
1616 Cornwall, Ste. 115 Bellingham 507 Front Ste.115 Lynden 734-7000
2004 Main St. • P.O. Box 38 Ferndale ferndalerecord.com 384-1411
113 6th St. • Lynden 354-4444
122 Years
121 Years
107 Years
105 Years
Morse Steel
Chicago Title Co.
Peace Health St. Joseph Medical Center
Whatcom Family YMCA
102 Years
Bellingham 734-5400
Mills Electric
4430 Pacific Hwy Bellingham 734-0730
Ferndale Record
125 Years
Lynden Tribune “We believe in community news.”
LTI Inc./ Milky Way
Lincoln Mercury
1256 N. State St. Bellingham • 733-8630
Lynden 354-2101
Bellingham 734-2640
95 Years
93 Years
92 Years
Darigold Lynden 354-2151
Snapper Shuler Kenner Insurance Lynden 354-4488
Diehl Ford
WM T. Follis LLC, Realtors 108 Prospect St. Bellingham 734-5850
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Grafted into the family Longtime employee joins with son of owner to purchase Zylstra Tire and plan expansion By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com
Tyler Zylstra and Gilbert Silva teamed up to take over Zylstra Tire, putting a twist on the family-owned business. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)
LYNDEN — In a way, Tyler Zylstra and Gilbert Silva always knew they would someday co-own Zylstra Tire together. “As long as I can remember, Gilbert has been part of the family anyway,” Zylstra said. So, it doesn’t seem at all unusual to the 32-year-old son of the former owner and the 28-year veteran employee that they joined up in 2012, each purchasing exactly half of the business. “We had always talked about it and figured on it,” Zylstra said. “There is so much to do, we wanted to share the load.”
And now the co-owners are planning changes for Zylstra Tire, located downtown at 501 Grover St. They have already started executing plans to add another bay on the west side of the shop, allowing them to hire another technician and expand the already six-days-a-week business with more customers. A family business Zylstra Tire hasn’t always been in the Zylstra family. In fact, Tyler’s father, Jerry Zylstra, worked into ownership much the same way Gilbert did. The business has roots in the Kredit & DeWaard hardware store of the mid1900s which then changed to DeWaard & Bode, even before appliances entered the mix for that Lynden-originated company. Jerry joined during that era and ran the tire side of the business, hiring Gilbert to help him. “I had three bosses at one point,” Gilbert said about the early days. That was all until Jerry bought the business,
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 92 Years
90 Years
88 Years
88 Years
84 Years
Yeager’s Sporting Goods
Parberry’s NW Recycling
Lynden Meat Co. LLC
Muljat Group North Realtors
Bellingham 733-1080
Oldtown-1419 C St. 1515 Kentucky St. • Bellingham www.nwrecycling.com 733-0100
Lynden 354-2449
Lynden 354-4242
4th Generation Family Owned & Operated Business Lynden - 354-3232 Bellingham - 734-3840
84 Years
84 Years
83 Years
82 Years
80 Years
Sanitary Service Van’s Plumbing Company, Inc & Electric Recycling & Garbage Collection • FoodPlus! Shredding • Jobsite & Event Services
ssc-inc.com • Facebook / sscinc Twitter @sscinctweets
78 Years
Andgar Corp. Whatcom County 366-9900 www.andgar.com
Lehmann’s Appliance
Louis Auto & Residential Glass
Whatcom Veterinary Hospital
Maple Leaf Auto Body
Lynden 354-2171
2001 James St. • Lynden 733-7722
77 Years
77 Years
75 Years
75 Years
5744 3rd St. • Ferndale 384-1101
5659 Barrett Rd. • Ferndale 676-1168
2040 Vista Drive • Ferndale www.willands.com 384-1584
3705 Irongate Rd. • Bellingham www.westernroof.com 734-1830
Whatcom Educational Cargill Credit Union Ferndale Grain
Ferndale 384-0212
Willand’s Tech-Auto
Lynden 354-2104
Western Roofing
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION briefly adding his name to the letterhead before changing it in the mid-1980s to read simply Zylstra. Tyler jokes that three names was simply too many for the sponsorship area on the back of a Little League jersey. Gilbert has been a part of the changes, past and present. But Tyler wasn’t far behind, growing up around the shop — Gilbert remembers Tyler not wanting to go to school — and starting to work for his dad delivering tires at age 16. Tyler’s first big responsibilities at Zylstra included the farm service truck, a portion of the job he still gets to do at least a little bit of every week. “It is dirty, hard work, but I have always enjoyed doing it,” he said. The shift Tyler has known Gilbert for as long as he can remember, noting it is “unusual (for an employee) to stay that long.” Now the two split the duties, but are both active in nearly every aspect of the business. They both run the scheduling and front counter and both still enjoy working in the shop. Tyler, though, handles the farm tires — the division he spent many years learning — and Gilbert takes care of the paperwork.
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Gilbert, who is also fluent in Spanish, has brought in a Hispanic clientele, as they can be comfortable knowing that even if their English isn’t perfect, they can explain their needs and issues to Gilbert. The weight of the business didn’t all fall on their laps suddenly, though, when they bought it last year. It has been a steady process. “We really worked into it as my dad was gone more and giving us more responsibility,” Tyler said. “We had a feel for what our roles would be.” Gilbert said he thinks the Zylstra family wanted to reward him for his service, having run the shop for so many years. “My loyalty paid off,” he said. The future For years both Tyler and Gilbert have operated under and overseen Zylstra Tire the way it was set up. Now the two can go about making any changes they want to see. That will really take shape in 2013 as they plan to open up another bay, expanding from three main bays to four. Already Zylstra employs five fulltime technicians beyond the two coowners and will add another when the new bay opens, simply to keep up with the demand.
A little of Zylstra Tire's history is on display on the company's walls. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)
The shop, which now carries countless varieties of tires, specializes in everything under the car — brakes, tires, suspensions, shocks, alignments and more. But the Zylstra calling card, according to Gilbert, is in the lack of pressure applied on the customer. “We don’t force them to buy anything,” he said. “It
is a relaxed atmosphere and people are always stunned that we aren’t high pressure. It has never been our style.” Tyler joked that the pair would never make it in the used-car business. Fortunately for the two unlikely co-owners, they don’t have to. They just work together to own a tire shop.
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 75 Years
75 Years
73 Years
Price & Visser Millworks Inc.
Vander Giessen Nursery
Lynden Sheet Metal Inc.
Bellingham 734-7700
Lynden 354-3097
837 Evergreen St. • Lynden 354-3991
67 Years
67 Years
67 Years
Everson Auction Market LLC
AmeriCold
64 Years
64 Years
Lynden 354-2138
Everson 966-3271
Ferndale Dental Clinic Dr. Richard V. Tucker, Dr. Ronald D. Dahl, Dr. Anthony A. Gardiner, Dr. Braden G. Miller
100+ years of Experience 384-1271
Larson Gross CPAs & Consultants Lynden • Bellingham Burlington 734-4280
70 Years
Mt. Baker Silo Lynden 354-4940
68 Years
Ferndale Ready Mix & Gravel Inc. Lynden 354-1000
66 Years
65 Years
Chevrolet Cadillac of Bellingham
Northwest Propane LLC
Meridian Equipment
3891 Northwest Ave. •Bellingham www.BellinghamChevy.com 733-7997
8450 Depot Rd. • Lynden 5494 Barrett Rd. • Ferndale www.nwpropane.net 354-4471
Guide Meridian 398-2141
63 Years
61 Years
61 Years
Kulshan Veterinary Lynden 354-5095
Whatcom Electric & Plumbing Lynden 354-2835
Les Schwab Ferndale 1731 LaBounty Dr. • Ferndale 380-4660
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
A trip of a lifetime Lynden residents Rod Visser and Dave Longstreth recall experience of seeing the Arctic Ocean By Braulio Perez sports@lyndentribune.com
Rod Visser and Dave Longstreth stand on a piece of snow upon their arrival at the edge of the Arctic Ocean. (Courtesy photo/Rod
Visser)
LYNDEN — It was a moment they won’t be forgetting anytime soon. After traveling for five straight days and racking up over 2,750 miles on their dual-sport motorcycles, Lynden residents Dave Longstreth and Rod Visser saw something they never in their lives thought they’d see. The Arctic Ocean. Last summer on a sunny June day, the two longtime friends hopped on their motorcycles and set off on a road trip to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, located on the northern Alaska coast of the Arctic Ocean and home
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 60 Years
VanderPol & Maas Inc.
59 Years
57 Years
57 Years
56 Years
Overhead Door
Jensen’s Ferndale Floral
Wagter’s Automotive Service
Dutch Treat Restaurant Lynden 354-2003
202 Ohio St. • Bellingham Est. 1921 Hartford, IN 734-5960
2071 Vista Dr. • Ferndale 384-1616
Charlie’s Auto Body
54 Years
Westside Building Supply
53 Years Bromley’s Market
53 Years
New York Life Insurance
51 Years
Mt. Baker Fireplace Shop
Lynden 354-2172
8353 Guide Meridian • Lynden 354-5617
Sumas 988-4721
Lynden 354-4433
1273 Sunset Ave. • Bellingham 676-1383
51 Years
51 Years
50 Years
50 Years
49 Years
Lynden 354-3000
55 Years
Fairway Cafe Lynden 318-1302
Lynden 354-2500
Hardware Sales Inc. 2034 James St. • Bellingham 734-6140
Vavra Auto Body Nooksack 966-4444
Western Travel (formerly Wholesale Travel) Lynden 354-4477
Z Recyclers Inc. Guide Meridian • Lynden 734-5986
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION to the largest oilfield in North America. “It’s a trip I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time,” Longstreth said. “Rod and I both like motorcycles and I thought why not go for it.” They both work at the Ferndale-based Andgar Corporation. “I remember I walked in and proposed the idea to Rod and it took about two seconds for him to agree.” Visser acknowledged that as soon as Longstreth mentioned the trip, he was all in. “He asked the question and it sounded like a good idea to me,” Visser said with a laugh. “We did it and it was a trip of a lifetime for us.” That would be an understatement. In traveling from Lynden to Prudhoe Bay and back, Longstreth and Visser covered 5,500 miles in 13 days, averaging 1012 hours and 450 miles of riding per day. They stayed overnight in campgrounds and random fields throughout their trip, but they both agreed it was worth it all to take in Prudhoe Bay’s beauty. At their destination, Longstreth and Visser arrived to a dorm-style hotel where they were able to refuel and get their bodies back to neutral. The resting at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel was short-lived, however, because they had a tour of the oil field arranged shortly after their arrival and Visser said there was
no way they would miss that. “The only way you’re able to see the Arctic Ocean is by going on that tour,” Visser said. “We got on a tour bus and off we were. We got to see the facilities of the oil fields and then the end of the road is the ocean.” “It was a surreal feeling to have traveled that far and then finally get to see it,” Longstreth said of the Arctic Ocean. “I’ve only looked at it on a map and I never thought I’d actually be there. To go all that way, push ourselves and see it in person was fantastic.” Adding to the excitement of the oil fields tour, was meeting several other travelers who had followed plans similar to their own. This included one young man who had ridden in on a bicycle and he stripped down to his biker shorts to jump into the ocean. Did Longstreth and Visser follow suit? “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding,” Visser said. “We touched it, but we didn’t jump in. Just touching it was a good enough plunge for us.” As exciting as the experience was to take in the sights of Prudhoe Bay, Longstreth and Visser were there for less than 12 hours before hitting the open road to return home. “It was more about the ride and that was our destination,” Visser said. “We did our thing and then it was time to go.”
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The friends traveled the full 1,422 miles of the Alaska Highway. (Courtesy photo/Rod Visser) There were still plenty memorable experiences on the ride home, though. While traveling through the Yukon Territory, they took the “Top of the World Highway” before traveling on the Klondike and Cassiar highways on their way back to Whatcom County. During that period of travel, Longstreth and Visser said, they saw countless different kinds of animals including moose, caribou, grizzlies and wood bison.
“Amazing people, scenery and wildlife are the reasons why this trip of a lifetime is one I wouldn’t mind doing again,” Longstreth said. So do the two have any more journeys ahead of them? “I’ve already got about a half-dozen trips planned,” Longstreth said with a smile.
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 48 Years
48 Years
1677 Mt. Baker Hwy • Bellingham www.marrsheating.com • 734-4455
Sumas 988-9631
Marr’s Heating & Air Conditioning
47 Years
Reinke’s Fabrication
Valley Plumbing & Electric
46 Years Tellefsen Trucking
5825 Aldrich Rd. • Bellingham 398-2011
Everson 966-2799
45 Years
44 Years
Schouten Construction LLC Lynden 354-2595
48 Years
Dodsen’s IGA Market Inc.
47 Years
Van Loo’s Auto Service
47 Years
3705 Mt. Baker Hwy • Everson 592-5351
Lynden 354-4277
Lynden 966-4142
46 Years
46 Years
46 Years
Lynden 354-4493
Lynden 354-3239
43 Years
42 Years
Ralph’s Floors Front St. • Lynden 354-4804
43 Years
Zylstra Tire
Pete’s Auto Repair
Al’s Electric & Plumbing
Everybody’s Store
6209 Portal Way, Bldg. 2 • Ferndale www.petesautorepair.net 380-2277
302 Hawley St. • Lynden 354-2187
9 Van Zandt Hwy • Deming 592-2396
Edwards Draperies
NorWest Hydraulic
DeYoung & Roosma Construction Inc. Lynden 354-3374
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Washing green
Former LCHS teacher starting unique laundromat in Bellingham By Brent Lindquist reporter@lyndentribune.com
Colleen Unema stands in front of her Lynden home before heading out to Bellingham to continue preparations to open Q Laundry. (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)
BELLINGHAM — Smart, fast and convenient. Those three words are running through Colleen Unema’s mind constantly these days as she tackles her life’s next big adventure: a Bellingham green laundromat called Q Laundry. Set to open in June at the corner of James and Alabama streets, Q Laundry will put on display a concept that has been in the back of Unema’s mind for a number of years now. “It’s kind of crazy, but we moved to Washington in 1997, and I took a few See Q LAUNDRY on C19
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 42 Years
42 Years Windsor Plywood
Bay Trophies & Engraving Inc.
Lynden 354-3400
Bellingham 676-1025
Bellingham 676-0868
39 Years
38 Years
38 Years
Nooksack Valley Disposal
41 Years
41 Years
40 Years
Tyas & Tyas Backhoe & Sewer Service
M & W Carpet Cleaning
37 Years
37 Years
360-671-2729
Sumas 988-6895
Tiger Construction Ltd.
Boice Raplee & Ross Accounting & Tax Service
Northwest Professional Services
Canyon Industries Deming 592-5552
General Contractor Since 1976 Lynden 354-4395
37 Years
37 Years
37 Years
36 Years
36 Years
Everson 966-7252
Lynden 354-4565
191 Birch Bay-Lynden Rd. Lynden • 354-4145
Multop Financial
Edaleen Dairy
True Log Homes
Bellingham 671-7891
Lynden 354-5342
4208 Mt. Baker Hwy • Everson 592-2322
Salmonson Construction
Meyer’s Keith A. Bode Construction & Attorney at Law Lynden Cabinets 354-5021 Lynden 354-5297
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
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Truly a home-grown business Janelle Bruland and team have built a Ferndale-based regional powerhouse By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
FERNDALE — It continues to be a rise toward excellence and success for the Management Services Northwest company. Consider these milestone achievements: • Janelle Bruland started this business in her Ferndale-area home 18 years ago. Today, she is the CEO and president of one of the fastest growing privately held companies in the state. • The numbers are striking. Revenue jumped 84 percent between 2009 and 2011, from $4.9 million to $9 million, and See MANAGEMENT on C18
In winter Management Services Northwest is clearing roadways of snow for clients. (Courtesy photo)
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 36 Years
36 Years
35 Years
35 Years
Ferndale Mini Market
Colony House Furniture
Marlin’s 76 Service
Lynden Door
2085 Main St. (downtown) Ferndale 384-0497
411 Front St. • Lynden 354-5554
Lynden 354-4976
2077 Main St. • Lynden 354-5676
33 Years
33 Years
33 Years
33 Years
Ferndale Mini Storage
Kid’s Country School
Riverside Cabinet Co.
Lynden Paint & Decorating
5480 Nielsen Ave. • Ferndale 384-3022
170 E. Pole Rd. • Lynden 398-2834
Lynden 354-3070
Lynden 354-5858
32 Years
31 Years
31 Years
29 Years
354-2529
Ferndale • Bellingham Meridian High School Lynden 354-8777
Maid For You
Nelson of Whatcom County Driving School
Telgenhoff & Oetgen Lynden 354-5545
Northwest Surveying & GPS Lynden 354-1950
34 Years
Roosendaal Honcoop Construction
Guide Meridian • Bellingham 398-2800
32 Years
Stevenson, McCulloch CPA’s, Inc., P.S. 1951 Main St. • Ferndale www.a1cpa.com • 384-0088
29 Years Stremler Gravel Lynden 354-8585
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
New PeaceHealth Cancer Center consolidates quality care Care previously scattered is now unified and also has ‘nurse navigators’ By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
WHATCOM — From Henry Kuiper’s perspective, a high quality of cancer care already existed in Whatcom County before the shiny new PeaceHealth St. Joseph Cancer Center opened this winter. The Lynden retiree said both he and his late wife, Trudy, experienced that high level of care in their battles with cancer, even at the prior facilities. They had to go to the oncology center located on PeaceHealth’s Cordata campus for their consultations and treatment — which to them was no problem. “We should be thankful for what we have just 10 miles from our doorstep,” Kuiper said. “I have high regard for the physicians we have here and the personnel associated with them. We don’t take second to anyone, including Seattle.” After his 30-40 radiation treatments for prostate cancer, Henry continues in follow-up visits with his doctor. Trudy passed away in 2011 after a six-year fight with multiple myeloma, a cancer of the plasma cells in the bone marrow. So, in view of those cancer journeys, it was a joy for Kuiper to be able to attend, with hundreds of others, the Jan. 12 public opening of the new center on the main PeaceHealth campus off Squalicum Parkway in Bellingham. Representatives of government, medicine, hospital administration and communities of faith praised completion of the $23 million full-service integrated facility occupying 35,000 square feet in one building. Visitors could explore the wings leading to a library, quiet room, infusion treatment, radiation therapy and medical offices, as well as healing gardens. “For the first time, patients are able to see their cancer specialists and receive chemotherapy, radiation therapy and support services in a single facility. The centralized care also provides doc-
The entrance of the new Cancer Center was being completed in December. (Courtesy photo/PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center)
Beach Basket
Yarns & Gifts
Yarn, needles, books & patterns. PLUS! Knit and crochet classes.
Mon - Sat. 10 to 5 Sun 11 to 4 Tues Night Sit and Knit 5 to 7
360-371-0332
7620 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay
Louis Auto & Residential Glass Over 84 Years
of continuous ownership and operation by the Adelstein family.
e Winner of th Bellingham Chamber of rge Commerce La of ss Busine d! the Year Awar
Please support the glass company that proudly gives back to our local community in so many ways!
• Best Price • Free Estimates • Best Service
LYNDEN 354-3232 • BELLINGHAM 734-3840
2013 PROGRESS EDITION tors and other caregivers a common space to collaborate,” said marketing coordinator Amy Cloud. Nearly $10 million of the capital construction cost was raised by philanthropy within the Whatcom community. The center’s medical director is Jennie Crews. Someone who was able to return to Whatcom County to practice her specialty in the new facility is Kim Kredit Moses, in the role of nurse navigator for patients. Nurse navigators coordinate and connect aspects of care, helping patients and families understand the options and steps along their cancer journey. Originally of Lynden, Moses became a nurse navigator in Orange, Calif., in 2006 and came to Bellingham in 2011. She has now been a cancer nurse for 17 years. The work has a very personal human element to it, figuratively and sometime literally of “hand holding,” Moses said, as people deal with a cancer diagnosis. She appreciates a description of nurse navigator that says it is “part consultant, part confessor, part friend, part guide, part expert and part rock.” PeaceHealth St. Joseph has two nurse navigators in the Cancer Center and is on course toward a third. See PEACEHEALTH on C20
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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At the Jan. 12 Opening Celebration of the new Cancer Center, medical director Jenny Crews, second from right, showed around the facility, from left, County Executive Jack Louws, Bellingham Mayor Kelli Linville and Congressman Rick Larsen. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune)
Spring Cleaning Composting: Recycling together with Mother Nature
your yard and garden?
Compost your yard waste, leaves and branches!
Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm Saturday 8am-1pm (March 23-Oct.) 774 Meadowlark Rd., Lynden 354-4936
Let us help you with soil, mulch or gravel material needs when you drop off your yard waste. www.greenearthtechnology.com
Hannegan
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NOW SATU OPEN R 8am DAYS! -1 Start pm Marc ing h 23
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
A return visit to a transformed school 25 Years! Celebrating
Thank you for 25 years! We’re very thankful for our loyal customers...
Joel Wiebe was on hand for the September 2011 groundbreaking for new construction at Meridian High School. — (File photo/Lynden Tribune)
Joel Wiebe, student behind Meridian’s big 2010 construction bond, is still highly active By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com
LAUREL — During a recent break in his busy life as a Seattle Pacific University senior, Joel Wiebe paid a visit back to a former
existence — Meridian High School student. With principal James Everett, he toured the scene of massive construction going on on campus. It was a weird and exciting feeling to see his alma mater being so thoroughly transformed, Wiebe said. Especially since he had a hand in causing it. “It was kind of surreal, I guess, knowing I helped make that happen,” he said last week. Three years ago as a Meridian senior, Wiebe was deep into helping promote a
“Bes
Pharm t” acy
...and honored to be voted Best of Lynden.
Fairway Drug 1758 Front St. #106 • 354-1226 Drive-thru Prescription Pick-up
Proudly Serving Whatcom County Since 1947 “Traditional Service Meeting Modern Needs.”
Lynden
8450 Depot Rd.
Mount Vernon
219 Suzanne Lane
Ferndale
Family owned and operated
5494 Barrett Rd.
354-4471 or Toll Free 800-254-4471
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
$17 million bond to Meridian district voters. He had been recruited by then-Superintendent Tim Yeomans, who was already familiar with the 18-year-old as a student representative to the school board. Yeomans asked Wiebe to help him build a new high school. “I kind of looked at him like he was crazy. Then I said, ‘Sure, let’s go for it.”’ So began a flurry of activity for Wiebe in that winter of 2009-10. With Yeomans and school board member Charlie Crabtree, the energetic youth did newspaper interviews, made TV and radio commercials, created a video, helped organize doorbelling and a Facebook page, and explained the high school’s dire needs at public meetings. “I don’t know how many hundreds of people I called and talked to,” he said. It all succeeded. On Feb. 9, 2010, the bond, which also envisioned major upgrades to Irene Reither Primary School, passed with over two-thirds voter support. With state matching funds added in, Meridian was able to plan a basic rebuild of two school campuses — two projects that are now going strong with Tiger Construction as the general contractor for both. At Meridian High, the move into a new two-story education building will happen during spring break, two and half months ahead of schedule, says Everett in his online principal’s message. The stage-by-stage construction process means Old Main, built in 1922, and the old gymnasium will be torn down next to make way for more new buildings. And what’s going on with Wiebe these days? Answer: He seems as energetic as ever. Taking classes in summer, he has pushed four years of college into three. Along the way, he has juggled three jobs. See WIEBE on C24
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Everyone got into the enthusiasm of Meridian High School construction groundbreaking in 2011. — (File photo/ Lynden Tribune)
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Marked up: NVHS at the top of its class School district’s emphasis on instruction has done wonders for student achievement By Tim Newcomb tim@lyndentribune.com
Students at Nooksack Valley High School have shown continued improvement schoolwide.
(Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)
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EVERSON — The Nooksack Valley School District doesn’t need awards to be assured of achieving success. But that isn’t to say district leaders won’t take awards when they come along. Nooksack Valley High School has received the Pathways to Excellence award, presented by public television station KCTS, as recognition of a school that is closing the achievement gap. Case in point: About eight years ago, Hispanic students at the high school had reading scores hovering in the 15 percent range. Now they run about 80 percent.
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION That’s improvement. “They were looking for schools that have done a better job than most in closing the opportunity gap and having more kids who don’t normally fare well on state evaluations improve,” high school principal Matt Galley said about the award. “In our case, we’ve done a really good job of closing that gap.” Historically, state scores, when broken into demographics, show two groups not performing as well as others: minorities and those with more challenging socioeconomic backgrounds. “Overall, our numbers, we can put them next to just about anybody,” Galley says. And Nooksack’s success comes on the back of some gritty determination. Whereas a school district such as Mercer Island shows well on state assessments, the razor-thin percentage of students in at-risk demographic groups doesn’t impress too many people. “We have gone from overall scores in the upper 60s to the low 90s,” Galley said. “That is all our students. It is tough to talk about in demographics because it basically means that we are doing a good job meeting the needs of all kids.” But still, to talk success you do need to talk demographics. Nooksack has See NOOKSACK on C18
C15
As part of the "Golden Apple" award, television crews spent an entire day filming within Nooksack Valley High School for a special show. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 29 Years
Raspberry Ridge Golf Community Lynden 354-3029
27 Years
29 Years Walls & Windows
29 Years
The Mailbox 1770 Front St. • Lynden 354-5766
Bellingham 676-5223
Motor Weld Inc.
27 Years
Roger Jobs Motors
27 Years
Bellingham 671-8770
2200 Iowa St. • Bellingham 734-5230
Lynden 354-4409
25 Years
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Fairway Drug
Pacific Pumping
Little Caesars of Whatcom County
29 Years
28 Years
Lynden Service Center
Hannegan Seafoods
Lynden 354-2611
6069 Hannegan Rd. • Bellingham 398-0442
27 Years
27 Years
Rose Construction Inc.
Russell’s Window Coverings, Inc.
23 Years
22 Years
Bellingham 398-7000
873 Hinotes Ct. #2 • Lynden 656-6579
Smith Mechanical Inc.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
C16
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Rotary Club's gift saves the day A $50,000 donation will help pay for needed improvements to Lynden’s Bender Fields By Braulio Perez sports@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — For several years now, City of Lynden Parks Director Vern Meenderinck has driven through Bender Fields and hoped for change. The backstops of the ballfields were horrendous, the dugouts were old and the fences needed mending. He received negative feedback and comments from players, coaches and parents. Change was definitely needed. However, with meager funds, the opportunity to make improvements to Lynden’s heavily used fields was not See ROTARY on C19
Workers have plenty of fencing to work with as they install new backstops and dugouts at Lynden's Bender Fields as part of a major overhaul to the property. (Braulio Perez/Lynden Tribune)
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 22 Years
22 Years Excel Electric
Hungry Bear Restaurant
Service Master Clean
Lynden 354-0538
Lynden 354-6873
4965 Mt. Baker Hwy • Deming 592-2396
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21 Years
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Nooksack 966-4664
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Sumas 988-6101
Bellingham 756-0909
City Hair
Whatcom Windshields
Cedarwood Canine School
22 Years
Cruisin Coffee
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U-Haul
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22 Years
Everson’s Service-Pro Inc.
RCI Construction Inc.
21 Years
Moncrieff Construction Inc. Lynden 354-7602
Northwest Electric
Taylor’s Backyard Center
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
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Dairy: Milk production ranks 2nd among Wash. ag commodities Continued from C2 port Council. “Foreign markets are becoming critical to the survival of a domestic dairy industry,” said Janet Leister, general manager of the Washington Dairy Products Commission. Prior to joining the commission, Leister was the international marketing director for the Washington State Department of Agriculture. “U.S. dairy recognizes that its foreign customers are as crucial as its domestic ones and has made a permanent commitment to competing in the world market,” she said. The state department lists milk production as Washington’s second largest agricultural commodity (behind apples), with a 2011 value of $1.28 billion, 34 percent above 2010. Seattle-based Darigold processes and sells over 8 billion pounds of milk annually and is among the top dairy processors in the world. In the region, 550 dairy farms, including about 100 in Whatcom County, supply milk to 12 processing plants. The vast majority of Washington dairies ship their milk to Darigold. While Darigold is the largest exporter of See DAIRY on C21
A 300-ton crane drops into place a piece of the new milk drying equipment in December. (Courtesy photo / Darigold)
2013 Progress Report Celebrating Years in Business 18 Years
16 Years
Twin Sisters Trucking
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Lynden 354-7698
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Windmill Inn & Sorenson Trailer Park Truck Repair & Guide Meridian • Lynden Equipment 354-3424 Lynden 318-1000
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3 Years
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14 Years
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International Graphics & Design
Lynden Family Chiropractic
Keith Cox Autobahn
Lynden 318-0123
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10 Months
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Nooksack: Improving Management: Company instruction a primary focus won 2012 safety award Continued from C9
Students collaborate on an assignment at Nooksack Valley High School. (Tim Newcomb/Lynden Tribune)
Continued from C15 performed well across the board, even with a higher-than-average percentage of students in those traditionally toughto-teach categories, as measured by the number of students on free or reducedprice lunches. With challenges surrounding learning, the district has focused almost primarily on one thing for nearly a decade: improving instruction. “Our teachers throughout the Nooksack Valley School District have committed themselves to the belief that the quality of instruction is the key variable in student learning,” said Mark Johnson, Nooksack Valley superintendent. “Our collective focus on the improvement of instructional practice and instructional leadership, through collaborative and continuous adult learning, has been at
the center of our work for a number of years.” But the success isn’t just at the high school. “Our high school staff and administrators were quick to defer the credit to their K-8 colleagues throughout the system and their dedication to continuous improvement of the instructional core,” Johnson said. Call the high school award a culmination of sorts. Along with the recognition that comes with winning the award, the school received a “pretty cool Golden Apple trophy” and a check for $2,000. Galley said the money will be used to recognize the entire school and provide a reminder to the students of what their hard work has accomplished. For more information, visit KCTS. org/education.
the company added 77 employees — in a recession. The workforce now is between 250 and 280, depending on season. • Three years ago, Bruland was chosen the Washington Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Bruland had used an SBA loan to buy property and double operational space. She was praised for her company’s work ethic and integrity in carrying out the motto “We’ll Take Care of It.” • In 2011, Bruland was named the Nellie Cashman Woman Business Owner of the Year by a Puget Sound organization for women entrepreneurs. • Last year, Management Services Northwest Inc. won the safety award among medium-sized companies in Building Services Contractors Association International. • And now the Ferndale-based company is one of only 12 employers invited to take part in the Blueprint for Safety pilot program of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. It’s a chance to model advanced workplace safety practices. Bruland would be the first to say that she has a great team helping her make de- and Spokane position MSNW to reach cisions. into the five states in which it is licensed “It’s certainly not just my venture. As to operate. “We want to be the primary faour company has grown, I’ve surrounded cility management company in the Northmyself with people complementing my west region,” she said. style. I have an amazing The growth curve can team right now that takes be very challenging, the care of clients’ facilities as CEO said. She often finds if they were our own,” she herself learning from what said. happens and then devising Bruland praised all new strategies. In spite of these on her team: Terell inevitable ups and downs, Weg, Wayne Galloway, Karshe said, it’s necessary “to en Turner, Meg Greenfield, have a vision for what you Byron Cooper, Buzz Tiecan do and have a tenacity man, Chris Holeman and to carry on.” Shanan Hoekstra. The whole area of Management Services safety is one in which BruNorthwest does its thing land wants her company for hundreds of clients to continue to improve in the medical, financial, until there’s “a culture of commercial and grocery safety.” Janelle Bruland sectors, offering complete She gives back to her facilities management, industry by serving on the janitorial, landscaping, maintenance and board of directors of Building Services specialty services — right down to snow Contractors Association at the national removal in winter. level. She gives back to her community by The home address is 2257 Northgate being on the board of directors of PeaceSpur, Ferndale, and even through all the Health St. Joseph Medical Center of Bellgrowth Bruland expects to remain What- ingham and the founding board of the com County-based. Branches in Portland Whatcom Business Alliance.
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
C19
Rotary: Club has put $50,000 Q Laundry: Billed as 'the toward renovating ballfields laundromat for busy people' Continued from C8
Continued from C16 likely. That all changed in early January. The Lynden Mt. Baker Rotary Club has committed a mind-boggling $50,000 to allow the Parks Department to move forward with the renovation of the baseball/softball fields. Meenderinck was left speechless. “It’s the only way possible that we could have moved forward with this project,” Meenderinck said. “To have them donate that much was incredible. In the past, they’ve made donations of $25,000 or even $30,000, but $50,000 was a whole lot more than what we expected. I was thankful more than anything.” With the promised donation the Parks Department was able to go for bids on the Bender Field project. After receiving five bids from local companies, Meenderinck decided to go with Up-Rite Fence & Construction out of Deming, which came in with an offer right around $100,000. “They’ve done other work for us in the past and they’ve done a good job,” Meenderinck said. “They do good work and they get it done on time. I wasn’t concerned about them coming in at all.” The Lynden Regional Park and Recreation District is providing $22,000, while the City of Lynden is paying the balance, with money coming from a parks reserve fund. Up-Rite Fence began work two weeks ago and has been logging in long hours to get the project done as soon as possible, Meenderinck said. “They have to have two of the fields finished by the second week of March because of girls fastpitch,” Meenderinck said with a laugh. “We think that by the first week of April, everything else
should be finished as well.” After hoping to see the improvements for the past four years, Meenderinck is excited to finally see the process coming to fruition. “I’m very excited for this,” he said. “Those backstops were in pretty bad shape. We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and the fact that Rotary came in to help with the project was just great. They really saved the day for us.” Meenderinck added that the feedback from community members has been nothing short of positive. “They’re really excited about it,” Meenderinck said. “We’ve also gotten a lot of comments from different teams who are excited about everything coming together as well.” Nate Kleindel is president of Mt. Baker Rotary for 2013, and the Bender improvements were definitely on his “wish list” of projects presented to the club to take on. First the board of directors and then the full club bought into this idea. Kleindel played baseball and soccer in earlier years at Bender Fields and he is now in a men’s softball league, so he has seen the heavy use of the Lynden complex and its accumulated wear and tear. A gap in a fence, for instance, can be both a foul-ball and a safety issue, he noted. “It’s just something that needs to be done,” Kleindel said. Nearly 200,000 people use Bender each year, not counting practices, and that includes lots of school kids. “There’s not a lot of places for the young people in the community to go,” he said. As for the 50 percent expansion and covering of the dugouts, that will be appreciated especially in the Northwest’s frequent rainy weather, he said. The dugouts will get concrete floors and new benches, and the backstops will be taller.
years off of teaching and sold ValPak coupons. That’s where I first learned about the industry,” she said. “I don’t know if it stuck or what, but it always looked intriguing to me for a couple of reasons. It’s an old industry, so there are lots of stats and data, so you can build your business smart.” Unema graduated from Lynden Christian High School in 1979, and went on to graduate from Calvin College. She earned a m a s t e r ’s degree at Grand Va l l e y State University, and did postgraduate work at Michigan State University. She taught both high school and college-level classes before moving to Lynden in 1997. After her break from teaching, Unema went to work as a biology teacher at Lynden Christian High School. She has taught the importance of resource conservation and environmental safety in her classes for a long time. Eventually, her passion for conservation and her knowledge of the green laundry industry met in the middle. “I don’t know how to say it, but they merged,” she said. “I turned 50, and I thought, ‘There’s not that many working years left, and it’d be kind of fun to try something different.’ I want to get out there and be in that world where I have to be in that world and use these resources.” Unema and her husband, Barry, spent much of 2012 conceptualizing the laundry. “We said, ‘Let’s push until there’s a no-go,” she said. “I was just going to keep pushing and looking and talking and asking until I had enough no-gos, and I just kept coming up with gos.” Unema envisions a laundromat built with a sensitivity to and a mindfulness of the resources available while putting the needs of customers at the
forefront as well. That’s where the “smart, fast and convenient” tenets come into play. In the “smart” category, Q Laundry will use washing machines that lock securely and send texts to users 10 minutes before their cycles complete, allowing customers to safely leave the laundromat during the wash cycle. All the machines take credit, debit and QCards (prepaid laundry cards). The machines have the “faster” part in the bag already, with some able to finish their wash cycles in 40 minutes, and with such fast spin cycles that clothes are dry in just 15 minutes. Q Laundry will be conveniently located at the corner of James and Alabama, near Trader Joe’s, Sportsman’s Chalet and the new Labels store. She’s gotten help from these people: SCORE adviser Jack Kimmes (former owner of Kulshan Cycle), mentors Laura Bostrom and Diane Kamionka of the Northwest Innovation Resource Center and Wade Springfield of the Small Business Development Center. With their aid Unema has Q Laundry on track for a planned June grand opening. She has some big plans for the building’s aesthetic, too. “Most laundries don’t employ an architect and an interior designer,” she said. “It’s beautiful, and it’s going to be very well thought out for the customer. We’re still in the bidding process, so I can’t even tell you who’s going to do the building yet. We don’t know. Because there’s so much infrastructure inside the tenant space, it’ll take us a good four months. We don’t anticipate opening until June. It’s a long haul to get everything done right.” And why the name? “In Scrabble, (Q is) worth 10 points,” Unema said. “And in almost every word that comes up with q, it’s a good, positive word.”
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
C20
Adapting skills, not standards
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
PeaceHealth: First three Relays for Life raised $500,000 in Lynden
Even a street sweeper is in the WRS arsenal. (Courtesy photo)
WRS has grown into key refinery labor force By Mark Reimers news@ferndalerecord.com
FERNDALE — Western Refinery Services isn’t exactly a misnomer — after all, the majority of the company work is done behind the fences of four Northwest Washington refineries. Still, it’s easy to forget that the company that began as a dairy service company in Lynden could retool at any point and enter still another market. Back when the company started as Western Services two decades ago, its refinery division wasn’t even thought of. It was only later that the Western Refinery Services
division became the primary name of the company. The changes to the company since Ryan Likkel started working there in 1990 demonstrate what a good business philosophy and work ethic can do. By Likkel’s first year, the Mobil Refinery (now Phillips 66) was already a major client. However, that job was always just a product of the refinery needing a job accomplished outside of its regular work force capability. Most of the time, WRS was able to adapt quickly and fill the need. Likkel, who now works as WRS’s Chief Operations Officer, said each of those requests precipitated a small bit of growth. Slowly, the company that was five or six people in 1990 grew to its current 100-plus labor force of today. See WRS on C22
Henry Kuiper, of Lynden, chats with Kim Moses, patient navigator in the Cancer Center. (Calvin Bratt/Lynden Tribune) Continued from C11 For Kuiper, the family’s encounter with cancer has another dimension. In 2005 daughter Chris Kenner helped launch the annual Relay For Life event in Lynden, tying into the now worldwide fundraising effort for cancer research through the American Cancer Society. In the first three years in Lynden, about $500,000 was raised. As Trudy and then Henry received
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their cancer diagnoses, a team broadly encompassing their family of nine children and many grandchildren got the name Marching for Mom and Dad. The team continues to make a strong showing among the top entrants each year, and it will be in the Lynden relay again in 2013. This is money for “the guys behind the microscopes,” as Henry likes to put it, who are working each day to try to stop this difficult disease.
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
C21
Dairy: Wide array of improvements being made at Lynden Darigold Continued from C17 U.S. cheese to Japan, China prefers to make its own cheese and yogurt but wants U.S. milk powder. On American soil strawberry yogurt is a favorite, while in China green aloe yogurt is preferred. At the same time, South Korea has become the fastest growing cheese market in the world, thanks largely to the popularity of pizza. Southeast Asia countries are building new dairy plants but don’t have enough milk to fill them, so they import U.S. dairy products. Also, cheese for the Southeast Asian market is repackaged into smaller portions to be more affordable. “Meeting the global demand for dairy products is far more than just shipping milk powder, whey, cheese and butter overseas,” said Kima Simonson, a U.S. Dairy Export Council board member. “Our global customers want a consistent product, consistent suppliers and products that are designed for their specific market and culture.” Simonson is a second-generation dairy farmer in Deer Park, north of Spokane. “The challenge is developing products other countries want and can afford,” added Dermot Carey, senior vice president of Darigold’s ingredients division. “Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East and Northern Africa are growth areas and each has their own requirements.” Carey noted that continued export growth for Darigold is largely dependent on two factors. First, there’s the possibility of taking additional market share from New Zealand and Europe. One distinct advantage is geography. Seattle is ideally located for access to Asia. Another factor driving increased exports is population growth in emerging countries, especially those that can’t produce dairy products for themselves due to climate or infrastructure weakness. The good news is the market for dairy products worldwide is growing.
Exports have allowed the U.S. dairy industry to grow. The Dairy Export Council reports that U.S. milk production is up 17 percent — nearly 30 billion pounds — since 2003. More than 60 percent of the increased milk production has gone to export. “In Washington, milk production exceeds our state’s consumption,” said Simonson, who has been a dairy farmer for 30 years. Darigold reports that half of its milk powder production and three-quarters of its whey products are exported. That is reflective of the national average for milk powder and whey exports. According to recent USDEC figures, 13.6 percent of all U.S. dairy production is exported. “With sustained dairy exports, Washington’s dairy producers have a buffer from the roller-coaster ride that is domestic demand for dairy,” observed Leister. “The weather, the dollar, trade agreements, tariffs and taxes are some of the variables in dairy exports,” explained Simonson. “Darigold gets it. We understand the importance of customer service. We have spent years developing relationships and listening to global customers.”
New Lynden dryer will produce 46% more milk powder than before LYNDEN — The 130-foot-tall enclosed milk drying tower nearing completion will produce 46 percent more milk powder per year than the unit it replaces, said Michelle Carter, Darigold spokesperson. The new dryer will be able to dry 33,704 pounds per hour of 48 percent skim condensed milk to produce 16,800 pounds of powder at 4.0 percent moisture, she said. One of the additional benefits of the new dryer design is that it will be able to produce whole milk powder for some of Darigold’s
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customers as well as for export markets in Asia and China. A fire in February 2012 destroyed the previous main drying tower at Lynden, although an older one has continued in operation through the transition. Darigold wants the new dryer in operation this spring.
Milk tanks being replaced, truck bay being enclosed LYNDEN — Across Depot Road from the main construction, a different type of tower, a milk storage tank, was elevated skyward on Feb. 20. The 60,000-gallon silo is replacement for one removed earlier, so this is really a routine upgrade and not expansion, said plant manager Ethan Buckmier. The process will be repeated by July, as another milk receiving tank at least 30 years old is retired for a new one. In all, there are nine such 100-foot-tall vessels on the premises, allowing the Lynden Darigold plant to hold all the raw milk it can process in a day, about 4.2 million pounds. “We can process all the milk that Whatcom County can produce in a day, and then some,” Buckmier said. He said that, upon completion of the new dryer, the plant will be constrained more by how much milk can be condensed before being dried. Currently, Lynden makes condensed milk powder. But it will become able to make some whole milk powder, entering a market that is emerging. “We’ll see how the world’s demand is,” Buckmier said. Decisions will hinge on what’s needed in the Darigold product mix, such as higher seasonal demand for butter. Also Pearson Construction is covering one of two milk truck unloading bays that has been open to the weather. Both concrete floors and some drainage will also be redone.
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
C22
2013 PROGRESS EDITION
WRS: Company serves four separate refineries; employee training helps outside of work, too Continued from C20 The company’s current visibility is also augmented by its extensive fleet of vehicles and equipment that reflect its diverse capabilities. Still, Likkel said, far and away, the company’s most important assets are its employees, and while WRS prides itself on the excellent representation provided by its employees, the real trick is ensuring they stay through a caring culture that treats everyone like family. “The more of a family atmosphere that you maintain — as you foster that within the company — it takes care of itself. (We) take care of each other in challenging times,” Likkel said. It’s not uncommon, Likkel said, for employees to reach out and help each other when tough times come. In the process, the company tries to come alongside and match
donations. The four refineries currently served by WRS are Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery, BP Cherry Point, the Anacortes Tesoro Refinery and the Shell Puget Sound Refinery, also in Anacortes. Services provided for the petroleum industry, Likkel said, are dependent on WRS employees gaining many hours of safety and orientation training — most of which mirrors the training given to full-time refinery workers. That level of investment makes the need for employee retention that much more important. Since beginning work at the Ferndale Refinery, the percentage of work directly related to refining has risen and fallen. It’s been important over the years, as a result, to diversify the type of jobs the company is able to do. Back in 1990, that was one of the concerns Likkel first encountered with the com-
pany. As a result, expanding the base of jobs and clients within the refining world became a priority. Then over time, the company began to leverage the accumulated skills and equipment to sign on to jobs that existed outside the refinery compounds. One of the biggest parts of that work, Likkel said, has been paving. Last year alone, WRS did 300 asphalt paving jobs outside of the refineries. Since the recession, the company has tempered its pursuit of outside work, partly because of the increased competition for it, Likkel said. It didn’t always make sense to expand in to those kinds of projects when others were so desperate for that work. However, the possibilities still remain, Likkel said, even though the entire bulk of refinery work currently takes up 70 percent of the company workload. No matter what they are doing, Likkel said, employees of WRS take with them the refinery culture of safety.
“Quality with Integrity — It’s not just a slogan on a business card. It’s something we want to practice from top to bottom,” Likkel said. Likkel said that what separates the refining safety culture from many other industries is its permanent effect. He’s been told, he said, by employees that the training they get here is so different and intense, it changes the way they live their lives at home. A big part of safety is the personal commitment each employee makes. “They are expected to live up to that,” Likkel said. "It helps them think about it more. Once you write something down and sign your name to it, it means more.” Whatcom Refinery Services is located at 2380 Grandview Rd., where the company has been since moving from Lynden in 2003. For more information, visit www. wrsweb.com.
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
From lawyer to teacher
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Jordan Vanderveen didn’t expect to be back teaching at his alma mater. (Brent Lindquist/ Lynden Tribune)
LHS teacher Jordan Vanderveen reflects on his big career change By Brent Lindquist reporter@lyndentribune.com
LYNDEN — It’s a question asked to so many students by so many guidance counselors: “If money wasn’t in the equation, what would you want to do with your life?” That’s exactly the question Jordan Vanderveen asked himself right before deciding to become a high school teacher. “I was working as a lawyer, and I thought to myself, ‘If I took money out of the equation, and just thought about what I actually want to do with my life, then if money didn’t matter, I would want to be working in schools,” he said. “So that’s what I did, and it really became that simple in terms of a career path.” Vanderveen grew up on the outskirts of Lynden, living on Assink Road until he was 9 years old and his family moved to Pole Road. He attended school in the Lynden School District, graduating from Lynden High School in 2002. He had already started on higher education during high school, however, taking classes at Whatcom Community College as a fresh-
man and sophomore. He started school at Western Washington University as a junior at Lynden, and graduated from WWU just a year after graduating high school in 2003 with degrees in math and computer science. He took off for Cornell Law School in New York after WWU, and graduated in 2006 from Cornell with a law degree. Vanderveen got a job as a corporate lawyer in Manhattan, and that occupied his time for about two years, until he decided that law was not his cup of tea. “It wasn’t fun. It’s not my thing. I’m not a mercenary,” he said. There was a little more to his career change, however. “I wanted to come back and be near family and friends around here, and be back in Lynden. There’s a cultural difference that’s insane. Just a huge cultural difference. I appreciate the culture around here a lot better and the community, and the fact that we see other people as actually existing, which wasn’t something I experienced in Manhattan,” Vanderveen said. He now enjoys working for people rather than corporations. Vanderveen said that, prior to the career change, his primary job was shifting money between large corporations. “I just don’t really care about that. It See VANDERVEEN on C24
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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, February 27, 2013 | Ferndale Record
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2013 PROGRESS EDITION
Wiebe: Meridian 2010 grad
Vanderveen: Has helped champion
now a world traveler
LHS tutoring program
Continued from C11
Continued from C23
He plans to graduate from SPU in June with a major in finance and international business. Last fall quarter, he was living in Chengdu, China and taking classes that are good for credit at SPU. His learning included basic Mandarin, contemporary Chinese culture, and multi-national enterprises. “I realized what I didn’t know about China,” he said, trying to summarize the experience. During spring break in March, Wiebe will travel with a church group from Ballard to the Philippines on a mission trip. Eight guys will help build the foundations of two orphanage buildings outside Manila. But if you want to know where his real passion lies right now, it’s on the ski slopes. “I am a huge skier, so I’m always traveling around to find the snow,” he said. (He was contacted for this interview heading back to SPU for an exam after getting in a few quick
ski runs on fresh snow at Stevens Pass in the morning.) He has a job as a custom boot fitter with Evo, the Seattle-based ski and snowboard retailer. Weibe would love to “pair my passion with work” and stay in Evo’s employment past graduation, perferably in a financial role. He is applying for several jobs. Meanwhile, back in Whatcom County, Joel’s parents have moved into Bellingham although younger brother Marcus is still enrolled at Meridian and in Running Start, as Joel himself also was. Wiebe was on hand for the ceremonial ground-breaking to start the Meridian High School construction in September 2011. And as he looks back on the push to make it all happen back in 2010, he knows “it wasn’t just me. “It’s amazing what can happen with a little bit of conviction and perseverance and the support of the community behind it,” he said.
doesn’t really affect me too much whether one corporation has more money than another, but whether a student learns and whether a student has a better experience and finds themselves challenged and enjoys themselves in school, that actually matters to me, and I want to do what matters to me, not what makes money or shifts money around,” he said. Another two years at WWU, and Vanderveen had earned his teaching degree and certificate. His primary endorsement is in social studies, though he is certified in mathematics, qualified in English and intends to be qualified in science by the end of the year. He spent last year splitting his time between LHS social studies and math classes last year, and this year is about a 60/40 split between the roundabout program and Calculus classes. His work with the roundabout pro-
gram, for kids with adverse childhood experiences, ties in heavily with one of Vanderveen’s favorite parts of teaching: the helping aspect. He strives to help students analyze and think about the big picture, broadening their minds past rote memorization. Vanderveen offers tutoring for an hour and a half each day, and has helped to champion the after-school tutoring program, making it more consistent as a program for students to utilize. He has also helped to put in place an algebra lab program, featuring one-to-one computing and curriculum designed with fellow teacher Jeff Seely. Vanderveen said none of this curriculum would be possible without the flexibility offered by the Lynden School District. He said he never expected to end up back at the school from which he graduated, but he appreciates the full-circle nature of his career change. “I find this much more fulfilling,” he said.
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