Ferndale girls basketball: Defeats Anacortes pg B3
DECEMBER 15, 2021
SINCE 1885
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Deebach happy ‘behind the scenes’ at Ferndale Schools Assistant superintendent not a candidate to be district’s permanent superintendent By Leora Watson leora@lyndentribune.com
FERNDALE - Once Ferndale School District hires its next permanent superintendent, Mark Deebach will return to his former position of assistant superintendent for business and support services. On Sept. 29, Deebach became the
Lighthouse Mission plans Christmas meal for homeless
district’s interim superintendent. He replaced Linda Quinn, who retired. Deebach took on the position with the understanding that it would not be a permanent role and he would return to his previous position after a new superintendent was hired. “I like my job as the assistant, doing the behind the scenes work and making sure the district is running smoothly,” said Deebach. “That is not a position I have ever aspired to hold or want to serve in permanently.” Deebach was chosen as interim superintendent by the school board because of his familiarity with the district and to create continuity for the future superintenSee Search on A2
Ferndale Interim Superintendent Mark Deebach said recently that he is not a candidate to become the district’s permanent superintendent. (Courtesy photo)
Bright, colorful holiday fun A week ago, students transformed an ordinary Ferndale High School hallway into a corridor of bright, colorful holiday fun. Harnoor Saran, FHS’ senior class secretary, and the school leadership class led the charge on redecorating the hallway. Each grade was tasked with theming a certain part of the corridor. Ninth graders chose “Peppermint Forest,” decorating their section with candy canes and red and white stripes. The sophomores opted for a different holiday treat – gingerbread – for their portion of the hallway. Juniors went with a frosty Winter Wonderland theme, complete with festive raccoons and a scene of penguins, a polar bear and a snowman ice skating. Finally, seniors thought outside the box with a tropical holiday theme – island flowers and palm trees were accompanied with punny sayings like Wishing you ‘Seas & Greetings.’ Although the leadership class led the temporary redecoration, many more students joined in on the holiday fun after the early release day last Wednesday. Erin Gunter, a paraeducator at FHS and a Ferndale City Councilor, said she loves strolling through the festive corridor. “It just makes you happy when you walk down it,” she said. (Photos
Lighthouse Mission Ministries has planned a traditional Christmas dinner with ham and all the trimmings for hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in the Bellingham area. Hans Erchinger-Davis, president and CEO of Lighthouse Mission Ministries, said the special meal is especially important this year. “People who are homeless have often lost connection with their families, which hits even harder during the holidays,” Erchinger-Davis said. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent rains that saturated homeless encampments are compounding their struggles.” During the Christmas season, a meal becomes a bridge to building trust with people who are homeless, Erchinger-Davis said. A warm Christmas dinner with ham, potatoes, corn and plenty of desserts reminds them that they are seen, loved, and not alone, he added. Because of COVID-19 safety protocols, the dinner has to utilize fewer volunteers as in past years. Dinner will be served to hundreds at Base Camp and the Lighthouse Mission’s Old Town Recovery programs, who already have been tested. Also, meals will be brought outside to anyone who comes to Base Camp on Christmas Day, Erchinger-Davis said. Each Christmas dinner costs only $2.17. Anyone wishing to support the Christmas Day meal through prayer, volunteering or financial support may call 360-733-5120 or visit thelighthousemission.org. Lighthouse Mission Ministries has been helping people who are homeless since 1923. It cares for as many as 310 people each day and provides a continuum of services aimed at ending homelessness through street outreach, enhanced shelters, addiction recovery, spiritual support, and aftercare.
courtesy Ferndale Schools Facebook page)
Prepare for unexpected with disaster go bag Don’t think you need an emergency kit? Think again, say families who need one.
Each year, Randy Pen of Ferndale reviews and updates the contents of his go bag.
FERNDALE — Randy Pen checks the contents of a backpack. A radio, a first aid kit, and ready-to-eat meals, among other things, are laid out on the table as he checks items off of a list. This 67-year-old Ferndale resident isn’t going camping. He is preparing for disaster by putting together a go bag. Pen knows that a disaster can strike quickly, and he doesn’t want to leave anything to chance. “You need to be prepared ahead of
(Courtesy of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Public Information)
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time to be able to evacuate and have the items that you need,” he said. Those items could also include important papers and medications. Preparing in advance with a disasterready kit has helped families nationwide through extreme and abnormal weather events, which experts warn are on the rise. “Having a personal preparedness plan increases your chances of staying safe,” according to a training program from Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness. Ferndale residents John and Gretchen Lira were shocked by the severity of the damage to their home after the recent flooding. “We’ve been flooded before, but this was extreme flooding,” John Lira said. See Go Bag on A2
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