Volume 31 • Issue 09 • September 2006

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Oak Harbor community builds playground
Thanks to hundreds of hours of volunteer time, a children’s playground is now part of Fort Nugent Park, a 40-acre park in Oak Harbor.
The playground project began in November of 2005 with the formation of a 12-member volunteer steering committee to spearhead the design, financing and construction of the playground. The Fort Nugent Park Steering Committee, made up of members of the community in partnership with City of Oak Harbor staff, planned the construction of the playground with Leathers and Associates, a nationally recognized playground builder.
In January 2006 a Design Day was held with all of the elementary school children within Oak Harbor, and they all participated in creating the design of the playground. Organization Day with Leathers and Associates and steering committee members took place in May. More than 800 volunteers participated in the construction of the park between July 12 and 16, and the grand opening celebration took place on Sunday, July 16.
The cost of the project is estimated at $200,000. Fundraising was one of the tasks of the steering committee and contributions and donations of labor, money and materials were received from individual community members, local businesses, developers, service clubs and organizations, military groups, as well as funding from the City of Oak Harbor and Island County.

Donate a little … Save a lot!
GaPac Community Federal Credit Union’s auto loan special “Donate a Little…Save a lot” raised $3,300 for local charities.
Members received a .50% APR lower auto loan rate by donating $50 to the charity of their choice during the months of April and May. This year, GaPac’s featured charity was Blue Skies for Children, which received $2,375. Other charities that received donations with the special rate were: Whatcom County Search & Rescue, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, American Cancer Society, Hospice and Gatekeepers.
This is the second time the Donate a Little … Save a Lot auto loan special has raised money for local charities. GaPac credit union is open to Whatcom County residents, and is located at James and Alabama.

Whatcom family pledges $1 million to Ferndale library
An anonymous Whatcom County family pledged $1 million to the Whatcom Community Foundation to support the development and construction of a new Ferndale library. The foundation will work with the city of Ferndale and the Whatcom County Library Board to use the gift for the acquisition of property, planning, design and construction.
“With the year 2007 being our Centennial Year, we see this as a fantastic opportunity to expand our city’s vision and a wonderful way for our community to enter into our second hundred years as a city,” Ferndale Mayor Jerry Landcastle said.
He added that the Ferndale Friends of the Library and other interested citizens will be encouraged to come together with city officials to create matching funds for constructing a new facility. Landcastle added the city council might be asked to support the creation of a bond proposal to go before the voters to create an additional million dollars in support of this project. This possible new bond issue will serve to replace the existing $1 million voter-approved library bond that is scheduled to be retired in 2007.
Landcastle said the recently completed visioning process in Ferndale included the need for a new and expanded library.
“With the community visioning process, our citizens have been asked what they would like the city to look like in 20 years,” Landcastle said. “They have responded by saying that a new and expanded library is essential to the future of the city and I agree.”
Joan Airoldi, director of Whatcom County Library System, said the donation fits beautifully with Whatcom County Library System’s goals.
“Our facilities must be welcoming community spaces that keep pace with both population growth and information needs,” Airoldi said. “This donation is going to help us move toward our dreams for an ideal Ferndale branch.”

March of Dimes awards grant to health department
The Washington chapter of the March of Dimes awarded a grant to the Whatcom County Health Department to support the Genetics Outreach Clinic.
The clinic is held quarterly and provides genetics services to families, improves coordination of specialty and primary care services within the community, and increases access to service to county residents. Approximately 25 to 30 children and their families receive genetics evaluations and counseling every year through this clinic.
This grant is one of many that the March of Dimes awards in pursuit of its mission to prevent birth defects and infant mortality.
The health department works with families and community-service providers to promote early identification of children with special health care needs and conditions, coordinate optimum health care of children with chronic conditions and ensure that all children with special needs have access to necessary health care and other resources.

Mount Baker Youth Baseball receives $5,000 grant
The Mount Baker Youth Baseball spring league was awarded a $5,000 grant from the Seattle Mariners, $1,000 of which was from the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW).
Dan Williamson and Bill Quehrn of the BIAW recommended the league apply for a grant that would provide league uniforms and gear for the 22 Mount Baker Youth Baseball teams.
League president and head coach Jerry Smoot, a long-time baseball coach and youth advocate, was thrilled to have uniforms made for the entire group, a first in league history.
The uniforms are provided by Bergen & Co. and the gear is provided by Prostock.
The Mount Baker Youth Baseball league provides baseball training for boys and girls ages 5-12 with T-ball for children 5-8, fastpitch for girls 9-12 and hardball for boys 9-12. During the league’s season, March through the first week in June, junior high school and high school students umpire the games for 330 youths and 66 adult coaches.
The spring league practices at the Deming Log Show Grounds, with Wayne’s Autobody providing the concession stand.

ConocoPhillips contributes to Real Heroes Celebration
ConocoPhillips has contributed $6,000 to the Mount Baker chapter of the American Red Cross in support of the 2006 Real Heroes Celebration.
The Real Heroes Celebration is an annual event that honors ordinary people with extraordinary courage. Through public nominations, winners will be selected to be honored at the ninth annual Real Heroes Celebration dinner in Novermber. Nominations are currently being accpected.
Ten award category winners are featured at the celebration event – Humanitarian Youth & Adult, Animal Rescue, Military Hero, Education and Workplace Safety Heroes, Law Enforcement or Fire Safety Hero, Medical Rescue, Community or Organization Heroes and Spirit of the Red Cross.
Through the corporate donations from ConocoPhillips and others, the American Red Cross will continue to honor these people in our community.

Head Start receives grant to support natural playground
Skagit/Islands Head Start received a grant of $3,800 from the Skagit Community Foundation that will support the completion of the natural playground at Skagit Valley College’s Child and Family Learning Center.
The Child and Family Learning Center provides inclusive child development and parenting skill education from prenatal birth to age 5 for low-income families through Head Start home visiting and classroom experiences in collaboration with the Skagit Preschool Resource Center.
Approximately 30 percent of the children enrolled at the center have identified specials needs and 40 percent speak a primary language other than English. A SVC Parent-Child Co-op group also meets at the center.
The natural playground is being developed based on a design by Rusty Keeler of Planet Earth Playscapes.
While program funds paid for landscaping the playground last year and children are using the space, additional funds are being sought to help purchase and plant trees and shrubs, build tables, benches, a gazebo, and a deck and create an outdoor mural.
In addition to the $3,800 from the Skagit Community Foundation, the Glaser Foundation in Bellevue has promised $12,700. Funds are also being sought for similar improvements at the North Whidbey Center in Oak Harbor and other centers in Skagit County.
Skagit/Islands Head Start is an early childhood and family support program and is free to qualifying low-income families in Skagit, Island and San Juan counties.

WECU donates $9,430 to nonprofits in second quarter
In the second quarter of 2006,Whatcom Educational Credit Union (WECU) donated $500 to ALS Association, $500 to Bellingham Storytellers Guild, $500 to Cascade Christian Services, $1,000 to Catholic Community Services NW, $1,000 to Christian Hope Association, $680 to Computers for Kids in Need, $1,000 to Friends of the Deming Library, $500 to Girl Scouts-Totem Council, $500 to Power of Hope, $750 to Project Santa Claus, $500 to RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, $1,000 to Whatcom Family & Community Network and $1,000 to Womencare Shelter.
The Social Responsibility Committee oversees WECU’s monetary donations and participation in sweat equity projects. WECU is Whatcom County’s largest member-owned, nonprofit financial cooperative, now serving all Whatcom County residents.

Lakeway Inn supports dog festival
The Lakeway Inn & Conference Center provided a booth as one of the sponsors at the Whatcom Humane Society’s annual Dog Days of Summer Fun Run and Festival Sept. 3 at Lake Padden.
Festivities began with a marathon and fun run in the morning followed by games, prizes and contests. The Lakeway Inn gave away dog biscuits at its booth, prepared by their in-house chef, along with drawings for prize items.
Proceeds generated at the affair go toward WHS’s new shelter being built in Ferndale.

Tangled Threads donates quilt to museum for raffle
Tangled Threads quilt shop donated a Debbie Mumm pattern quilt to the Lynden Pioneer Museum for its Spring Raffle on July 15.
Mary Downing and Sharon Coots sewed the quilt over the course of 2005. This is one of many quilts the pair has produced for donation to local nonprofits for raffles, auctions or outright sale. This is the first they have done for the museum. The retail value of the quilt is $500.
“Quilt raffles really fit a museum whether it is art or history,” curator Troy Luginbill said.
The museum maintains a collection of more than 100 handcrafted quilts, rugs and blankets, only a quarter of which are on display at any one time.

Alcoa Foundation supports use of biodiesel in Washington
Alcoa Foundation announced today that it is partnering with Northwest Chinook Recovery, the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) and Washington State University (WSU) to host a series of seminars throughout the state that will promote the benefits of producing and using biodiesel within the agricultural community in Washington.
Representatives from Alcoa’s Intalco Works in Ferndale presented a $50,000 Alcoa Foundation grant to Northwest Chinook Recovery to fund four seminars that the organization will host throughout Washington. Additional support materials will be available on the Internet in cooperation with the WSDA and WSU.
“Alcoa has become a leader in the use of alternative fuel sources and several of our plants are now using biodiesel fuel following a successful pilot project,” said Mike Rousseau, Alcoa plant manager at its Intalco facility. “The use of biodiesel has numerous benefits as it reduces emissions, reduces dependence on oil, increases cost effectiveness and supports agricultural-based employment because the fuel is manufactured from canola – a renewable source.”
“We look forward to complementing the efforts being undertaken in the state for the promotion of biodiesel fuel, which can benefit both our economy and our environment,” said John Sayre, executive director of Northwest Chinook Recovery.
Alcoa has had a presence in Washington for more than 65 years and employs 875 people in the state ate four locations. The total economic impact of Alcoa facilities in 2005 amounted to $210 million.

Par Tee golf tournament raises more than $34,000
The third annual Par Tee Golf Classic, held July 14 at Eaglemont Golf Course in Mount Vernon, raised a record $34,985, which will directly benefit the new Regional Cancer Care Center currently under construction next to Skagit Valley Hospital.
Sponsored by Fisher Companies, Inc., 144 golfers were treated to 18 holes of golf, lunch, dinner, use of a golf cart and activities at each hole. Other features included a putting contest, hole-in-one prizes, a raffle and give-aways.
This annual event was organized by the Skagit Valley Hospital Foundation, which was formed in 1988 to raise, manage and distribute finds to ensure quality health care services and programs at Skagit Valley Hospital.

McIntyre Hall receives grant to support operations, programming
McIntyre Hall, a performing arts venue in Skagit County, has received a grant of $19,120.96 from the Skagit Performing Arts Council (SPAC) in support of operations and programming. The funds were raised at SPAC’s Rick Epting Memorial auction, Arts After Dark, which was held in May to support McIntyre Hall and performing arts advocacy in Skagit County.
The annual event also raised $11,000 – including a $5,000 matching grant from the Skagit Community Foundation – to provide busing to performing arts events for Skagit County youth.
McIntyre Hall, owned by the Skagit Regional Public Facilities District and operated by Skagit Valley College, is a state-of-the-art performing arts and conference facility providing the area with arts and entertainment, banquet and meeting facilities, and support services. The mission of SPAC is to support, to coordinate, and to advocate for the performing arts in Skagit County.

Shell Puget Sound Refinery hosts open house
Shell Puget Sound Refinery hosted its community open house Aug. 26. The event was free and open to the public. Members of the community were invited to come to the refinery, which is located on South Texas Road in Anacortes, at March’s Point. The event featured free food and entertainment for all ages, refinery tours, information booths from several local businesses, as well as treats and games for children.
“This is a way for us to open our doors to the community so that they can learn more about what we do here,” said Sue Krienen, general manager of Shell Puget Sound Refinery. “This event is one opportunity we have to thank the community for its continued support.”

Ferndale Cost Cutter named school district business of the year
For the second time, Ferndale Cost Cutter has been selected as the Ferndale School District Business of the Year.
The award, for the 2005-06 school year, was presented at the school board’s meeting on June 29 to store manager Norm Mack. The store was chosen for the award in 2002 as well.
According to the district, a business that is recognized has made significant contributions to the students of Ferndale Schools. Among the contributions cited in the award were the store’s yearlong support of Ferndale High ASB, leadership kids and the football team’s successful state title.
Company representatives met with parent-teacher organizations throughout the district to raise funds through Box Tops for Education, as well as providing refreshments to events including the Math Olympiad, culminating graduation projects and administration meetings.
The store donated coupons and support for youth recognition on a regular basis, and provided support for the school bond/levy in the past year.
Ferndale Cost Cutter’s parent organization, Brown & Cole Stores, received the award in 1986.


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