Lynden launches drive for win in environmental contest
Volunteers from business community organizations at work daily

 

 

Lynden is out to win the America in Bloom national competition under way in 40 cities.

Businesses and professionals, business and social organizations, garden club members, schoolchildren, retirees and more are at work to beautify the city of Lynden and accept the first place award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Led by volunteer chairperson Carolyn Wynstra and supported by the Lynden Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Merchants Assoc., residents are cleaning, repairing, painting and planting just about everywhere in the city in an effort which runs daily through mid-July to claim the first competition involving U.S. cities for outstanding community achievement in beautifying their home grounds.

America in Bloom is a national beautification project that began in 2001 as part of Canada’s national beautification contest, Communities in Bloom. Last year, four experienced Canadian cities mentored four U.S. cities in the contest without prizes as an experiment.

This is the first year for official competition in the United States.

Horticulturists sponsor the competition. In Lynden, Mike and Dave Wingerden entered Lynden by the March 31 deadline and then went to the chamber of commerce to ask if they would get involved. The response from the chamber, merchants association, garden club, businesses and community groups was enthusiastic.

Lynden is in competition with 13 other communities with populations of under 10,000. Only one other Washington city, Sequim, is entered.

In early April, Lynden had a 15 member working committee in place.

“We felt that we were already well underway, based on the fine way we take care of our community,” said chairperson Wynstra in an interview. “But, the more we thought and got the community involved, the more we found that we could do.”

A committee of professional horticulturists will visit Lynden, July 17-19, with July 18 as the formal presentation day by the committee.

Lynden and other participating communities will be judged on eight
categories, including: tidiness, environmental awareness, community involvement, heritage, urban forestry, landscaped areas, floral displays and turf and ground cover areas.

“We believe we already score well in several categories, but we are working every day to improve in every category,” Wynstra said.

The committee issued a call to action and businesses and people have responded.

“We wanted the wall of the old Tribune building painted with a mural. A professional sandblaster voluntarily offered his services and equipment, paint was donated, and the Kiwanis Club raised the money for the painting

“We asked for paver stones to put around the base of trees, and Westside Building and Supply provided all we needed, a $1,200 value.

“We noticed that the shutters on city hall needed repair. A local business made new shutters and hung them in place before we could even think about how to get it done.

“Thousands of plants have been contributed by the nurseries, and children from Lynden Christian and Isom elementary schools arrived by the hundreds to do the planting;

“On June 1 we are holding a Pot Party to install two planters, one on either side of the door, at every business. Community members each “adopt” two of the pots, planting their own selection of flowers, which will be designated with markers while providing an array of colors everywhere,” added the chairperson.

A new fountain has been added downtown, trees are trimmed, and paint brushes are being wielded by pros and amateurs alike.

For the competition presentation, the committee is preparing two large scrapbooks, one which documents its report and progress in each of the eight categories, the other for hundreds of photographs, also taken by volunteers, so that the judges can experience the enormity of the project and the participation by most of the community members.

Lynden’s America in Bloom committee includes: retired banker Tony Van Rooyan, chamber of commerce director Renee Reimer, city parks director Vern Meenderinck, Peg Moseid, Alyce Werkema and Marianne Brands of the Lynden Garden Club, Sharon Vander Zee, whose husband is employed by Homestead Northwest, city council representative Nick Laninga, Carol Preston, owner of Carol’s Hallmark in Lynden and president of the Downtown Merchants Association, involved citizen Annette Maberry, retiree Clarice Blankers, Calvin Den Hartog, an employee of Nooksack Valley Disposal, Troy Luginbill, curator of the Lynden Pioneer Museum, former businesswoman Joanne Vander Yacht, and Carolyn Wynstra.

“We are running to win, and I think we can,” said chairperson Wynstra. “But, win or come in second, our community will have gained greatly for ourselves and for the thousands of people to visit Lynden through the year.

“This is the most comprehensive, most widespread and best timed community event in years in Lynden,” said Renee Reimer, executive director of the Lynden Chamber of Commerce.

“Our local theme is Planting new pride in Lynden, and people are responding to make everything happen.”

New flowers are in bloom for residents of and visitors to Lynden.