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Featuring The Mack Home - 4

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden

Major rebuild ‘still feels like our home’

Although Ed and Michele Mack knew they needed more space, they did not want to leave the home in which they’d spent close to 20 years raising their family. So the Mack family decided to remodel their home. (Bill Helm/Lynden Tribune)

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden

Ed and Michele Mack made big changes to their longtime home By Bill Helm Editor

here are more than a few families who have grown out of their homes. For some the need is clear — find another place to live. Although Ed and Michele Mack knew they needed more space, they did not want to leave the home in which they’d spent close to 20 years raising their family. “This property is amazing, it is where we raised our daughters, it is our home and the thought of living anywhere else was really not an option for us,” Michele said recently. So the Macks decided to remodel their home that sits comfortably between Lynden and Bellingham. When work began on June 5, 2025, the Macks moved into their on-site accessory dwelling unit — known more commonly as an ADU. Their goal for the remodel, Michele explained, was extensive. “When we decided to do this, we had people make recommendations to us. We met with two different designers,” she said. “Honestly, one straight up said we need to tear everything down, that a builder wouldn’t want to work with what we wanted to keep like the patio and foundations.” That’s not what Jerry Roetcisoender of JWR Design told the Macks. “When Jerry visited, he was more open to keeping more of the original home,” Michele said. “His enthusiasm was very catching and he asked a lot of questions about what our goals were. I remember him struggling with the front door issue as he walked around our yard.” Although the Macks eventually realized — and accepted — that much of the original home would need to be replaced, JWR “was so professional and so capable.” “Jerry and the entire JWR team knew exactly what they were doing and how to get it done,” she said. “Our goal was to extensively remodel, but as we started getting into the process it became healthier and more cost effective to tear down and start over on most of the home.” What remains is the original patio and the same 1928 foundation, which includes a basement. JWR added an additional 850 square feet to the original single-story footprint of 1,750 square feet.

“This property is amazing. It is where we raised our daughters. It is our home and the thought of living anywhere else was really not an option for us,” Michele Mack said.

See Mack on 6

(Photos courtesy Dan DeWaard)

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden

Mack: Major rebuild ‘still feels like our home’ Continued from 5

Today, the home is still a single story, now 2,592 square feet. Jerry and Lucas Roetcisoender of JWR Design said it is “especially rewarding to be part of the process of thoughtfully adapting a family home so it can continue serving its owners and community.” “Through careful planning, open communication and strong collaboration between the client, contractor and our design team, the project progressed smoothly from design through completion,” JWR Design stated. “The result is a beautiful, functional home that reflects the character of its past while meeting the needs of modern living. It is a blessing to be a part of this home’s story and where the Macks can continue enjoying the home and neighborhood they have called their own for nearly two decades.” Looking forward is something the Macks are good at. They’d done it since their second date. “To be honest, the idea of building/remodeling started in 1992,” Michele said. “Ed showed me a home — actually was more of a cabin — that he would have loved to purchase and totally redo. I knew then that I really wanted to make that dream happen for us.” More than 30 years later, the Macks decided to pull the proverbial trigger on this great rebuild. According to Michele, the house needed a new roof, new exterior paint “and we knew we had mold issues.” “We were not going to put one more penny toward Band-Aids when we knew we needed major surgery on this house,”

Jerry and Lucas Roetcisoender of JWR Design said it is “especially rewarding to be part of the process of thoughtfully adapting a family home so it can continue serving its owners and community.” (Photo courtesy Dan DeWaard)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden she said. “The timing just seemed right.” What she called the magic of working with Jerry Roetcisoender and Wes Wiersma yielded a home Michele thought she saw in her mind’s eye “but even better.” “They somehow were able to see what was important to us and make it happen,” she said. “After 33 years, we had things we really cared about and others we just didn’t care as much about and we let the experts lead the way. We really focused on what we needed and how it would work for our family. Not one decision was based on resale or what is popular now, we did what we loved.” Keeping the family home single-story was still a priority for the Macks, as were windows and natural light.” “Only one large living space with a fireplace was important,” she said. “I really strongly believe that family being squished together is a good thing.” Also important for the Macks was that they wanted to harvest, mill and stain their own beams from their own property. Michele said Ed and their son-in-law Greg DeBruin harvested the trees “and then we spent months milling them on our mill, making the sizes right, drying them in our See Mack on 9

7 The Mack home was virtually rebuilt. However, the original patio, pictured on page 9, and the same 1928 foundation, which includes a basement, exist as they had before JWR Design's work on the home. (Photos courtesy Dan DeWaard)

Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden

Mack: Ed and Michele made big changes to their home Continued from 7

kiln or the porch for the big ones, then staining them.” “Wes was so gracious to install them and make them perfect,” Michele said. “We have 10 beams in the house and that is a treasure to us.” The patio was another priority. Put together in 2010, Michele wanted it to be part of the new design. “It was the heart of our home for 17 years,” she said. “Jerry designed a way to cover half of it to be more usable and keep it. It is so lovely and the new giant sliding doors opening onto this patio are amazing.” Although a lot has changed for the Mack family home, much remains the same with what Michele called a “very similar floor plan.” “We added an entry way and a main bedroom and swapped our kitchen into what used to be our

bedroom,” she said. “The other thing that is exciting for us is that this house has a very clear front door. The first time Jerry came out, he wasn’t sure where to go. Our 1928 home had a back entrance door that was our main door. It was great but always confusing to everyone. Who knew how exciting it would be to not direct traffic every time someone visits?” One of the Mack daughters lives in Tennessee and according to Michele “was never here during the building process.” “When she came this summer to visit she gave us the best compliment ever,” she said. “She walked out of her childhood bedroom and into the dining room and said, ‘Mom this is really good. It still feels like our home. I love that. We loved our home and just wanted to make it mold free, structurally sound and what we wanted for our next stage of life as our family is growing.”

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden

Lynden yards are an idea in transition

Theresa Craig stands amid the lushness of her backyard garden on E Street. The Craigs moved to Lynden 22 years ago from Seattle, where they had created a Japanese garden that helped sell their property to a California couple. (Cal Bratt for the Tribune)

Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

There are some options to having a lush green lawn By Cal Bratt For the Tribune

he term Lynden Lawn is not as self-defining as it used to be. The idea that every lawn should be kept up to a standard of emerald green, plush, manicured and weed-free — well, that might have been reality once. But it hardly seems true anymore. I feel right in the middle of it. The rolls of sod I had installed as my front yard on South British Columbia Avenue nine years ago have degenerated into a lawn that is scroungy, spotty, struggling, with clover and bare spots aplenty. What happened? Well, I certainly do not have shade there to soften the sharp rays of direct sun. I also did not install an underground sprinkler system, since I did not want to have to mechanically maintain it. I thought I would drag around a hose and oscillating sprinkler, and did for a while, until that seemed like a losing fight. Lynden is on a three-days-per-week schedule of when I may irrigate my yard, something to keep track of. Then, when the summer water bill arrives, it will show me how much more I am paying per month for this privilege. Meanwhile, of course, climate change isn’t doing a lawn any favors. That may be the biggest factor of all. So what are other homeowners doing about the new reality? What can be done for one’s yard? What are some options? I found that I could stroll down a neighboring street, Lynden’s E Street, to get some answers. Within its westernmost three blocks, from 15th Street to Stremler Drive, are some places that give me ideas. Theresa Craig and her husband Thomas moved to Lynden 22 years ago from Seattle, where they had created a Japanese garden that helped sell their property to a California couple. Now they have entirely skipped having a grass lawn and instead have created front and backyard gardens of shrubs, trees, flowers, potted plants, arbors and walkways. The goal is a variety of colors, texture and fragrance. Theresa admits this is a natural passion for her. “I’m an outdoor person. I like to spend time out here,” she said. See Yards on 12

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Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Yards: There are some options to having a lush green lawn Continued from 11

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“The garden is probably more important to me than the house.” Thomas had been a groundskeeper at a cemetery, and it took a combined effort to transform their Lynden lot. Although Theresa is the main gardener now. She asserts that “grass doesn’t do anything” for a healthy ecosystem and just requires a lot of water and fertilizer to look good. Instead, a diverse garden attracts birds that — besides being entertaining themselves — clear the air of bugs and pollutants. A healthy rich foliage super-charges the conversion of carbon dioxide into oxygen that humans need to breathe. Of course, in dry summer it is necessary to water a garden when nature doesn’t. Fall and spring are extrabusy times and Theresa estimates she spends 4-6 hours a day now in the process of winding down a growing season. Right next door is the eye-catching front yard of Reece Holcomb, who bought into the neighborhood just a year ago. He liked the existing white stones, along with lava rock, that a previous owner had put in as the entire front terraced lay-out. No grass to cut here. “It’s pretty nice not having that extra maintenance,” Holcomb said. Across the street the homeowner has created, as his front yard, a curving, round-rock lighted path through a ground cover of long-strip cedar bark, with a birdbath and potted plants as additional features. A mesh mat underneath controls any weed growth. At the corner of 17th and E streets, Dave Timmer’s large yard could be considered an example of what many landowners are dealing with. Although he applies no water to the lawn, it usually revives with a rain, he said, with some parts struggling more than others. Timmer is willing to let grass turn mostly gold and instead devote his time and water to plants in various gardens on the property. Black-eyed Susans, for example, are the daisy-like

Fall Home & Garden flower that is “beautiful and holds color all summer,” Timmer said. He has experimented with nodding onion, spring camas, snowberry and ocean spray, all North American native plants. Chuck Timblin, at E and 15th streets, has had 30 years to fill up his lot with trees, a garden and plantings of all sorts, almost hiding his house. That’s what happens when you have a career in resource conservation and working in plant nurseries. “I like plants, and I’m into birds, and they like a variety of plants,” he said. “I do a lot of experimentation. … I’m not a purist. I have both native and non-native (plants).” Since 1996, Timblin has planted everything that is growing on his property except for an ash tree that towers over E Street. Species include four different types of pine, mountain-ash (actually of the rose family), ornamental crabapple and Korean dogwood. It’s gotten to where he has so much shade that when he wanted to experiment with milkweed this spring, he had to use a far corner.

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record “I’ve kind of run out of sun,” he said. In this neighborhood the ground is notoriously sandy, meaning it doesn’t hold water well and generally needs organic amendment. Experimentation is the watchword. “I planted three different trees in that spot,” Timblin said, pointing. “That’s the third one.” He actually mows grass only beyond the sidewalk near the street, and Timblin is a firm believer in leaving grass long — at least three inches high. Sam Likkel is the right person to be restoring a full-sun front lawn. Likkel works for WRS and is responsible for the maintenance of refinery green areas and he worked as a landscaper earlier. He brings all of that expertise to bear on this his first home, which he said had a “pretty rough” lawn at purchase last spring. He needed to thatch the lawn, aerate it and correct the acidic level in the soil. Likkel brought in a mix of topsoil and sand to even out the surface, fertilized the area and finally overseeded it. He is now carefully keeping the plot moist.

He realizes he may be repeating some of those steps to bring this lawn into full compliance. But all of the work feels rewarding. “It’s one of my favorite parts of owning the house,” Likkel said. David Vos, manager at Vander Giessen Nursery of Lynden, advises that you “don’t have to keep your lawn green to keep it alive.” Grass can go into dormancy. What matters is that the roots stay alive. According to Vos, an inch of water per month to the roots can keep a lawn alive. If rain is absent, it may take the homeowners’ own sousing two or more times per month to do the trick. It will be cheaper to pay for that water than to replace a lawn, Vos also said. Overseeding in spring or in September can be a remedy for strengthening a lawn, and Vander Giessen’s has a special blend of rye and fescue that David’s dad, Alvin, developed for the Lynden climate. Vander Giessen’s no longer is in the lawn installation business. That leaves all the options up to us, the creative homeowners.

These are some peeks into the nature preserve Chuck Timblin has created in 30 years at 15th and E streets. (Cal Bratt for the Tribune)

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Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Homeowner had ‘clear vision for what she wanted’ Casali Construction and Remodeling worked with Katy Merwin on kitchen, bathrooms By Bill Helm Editor

Katy Merwin hired Casali Construction and Remodeling to remodel her kitchen and bathrooms. “When my family is together, everyone likes to be in the kitchen and now it’s possible with room to spare,” she said. (Bill Helm/Lynden Tribune)

fter a near-lifetime spent in California, Katy Merwin decided to retire in Whatcom County. With family in the area, she said a move north “felt like a natural fit.” Merwin began to look at houses in 2024 — she sort-of began to look — although she essentially thought she’d first sell her San Francisco Bay-area home in early 2025, move to Bellingham and live in a rental as she looked for the right home. Things don’t always work out as planned. “I was visiting family and we decided to go to a couple of open houses,” she said. “My brother, sister-in-law and I walked into this one and had a collective sigh. I put in an offer that day, although it was a back-up offer. About three weeks later, the original buyer dropped out and the house was mine.” Although she said her new home was the right one, Merwin saw a few changes she wanted to make to the kitchen, as well as to the primary and guest bathrooms. “The kitchen was small with minimal counter space and a huge, interesting brick structure that housed a stove top and some storage,” she said. Despite the storage, Merwin said that space was “super inflexible.” “After a lot of deliberation, I elected to remove the brick to really open up the space,” she said. As for the primary bathroom, Merwin explained it included a “decades-old, jetted tub that I was never going to use — plus I wanted a walk-in shower.” Merwin checked with several people about who they used for renovation projects. She also did her own homework. That's when she found Casali Construction and Remodeling. “After looking at their online reviews and checking their license and insurance coverage, I sent in an inquiry,” Merwin said. “Chris reached out and set up a meeting. We had a walk through and a good discussion. He provided a preliminary estimate based on the walk through, which was super helpful. We had some good discussions about the contract and the schedule and I was satisfied this was the company I wanted to work with.” The husband-and-wife team of Chris and Alexa Casali work together to transform homes across Whatcom County. With Chris in charge of construction projects and Alexa taking lead on interior design, Casali works to ensure every project is both functional and beautifully styled. Alexa Casali said Merwin was “great to collaborate with because she had a clear vision for what she wanted.” “When we went to showrooms together to select maSee Merwin on 16

Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Merwin: Homeowner had ‘clear vision for what she wanted’ Continued from 14

In the kitchen, Casali Construction and Remodeling removed the large brick arched wall around the range and repaired the drywall to install cabinetry for storage. “We used hickory cabinets, white quartz countertops and an emerald green tile backsplash,” Alexa Casali said. “We added a bit of interest with a white and blue painted tile accent behind the range. The kitchen was extended into the previous dining room. We added a buffet with a wine fridge and a cabinet with roll-out wine racks in that area. We opened up the wall above the buffet to install a linear window to allow for more natural light.” (Photo courtesy Casali Construction and

terials, she had an idea in mind,” Alexa Casali said. “She ultimately ended up with something different than what she envisioned when she saw the options in person. That is pretty common. She was decisive and made decisions quickly. Every item she selected she loved, and that is what we strive for.” Alexa Casali explained that Merwin charged the Casali team with making her home more functional for hosting, as well as adding natural light. “We remodeled both bathrooms with rift white oak vanities and a white Quartz countertop and backsplash,” Alexa Casali said. “A tub/shower unit was removed from the primary bathroom and replaced with a curbless shower. We replaced the alcove tub in the guest bathroom and installed a tile surround with a double stacked niche for convenience while bathing or showering.” As the guest bathroom is in the center of the house, it had no access to natural light. So Casali added a solar tube to allow natural light into the bathroom. In the kitchen, Casali removed the large brick arched wall around the range and repaired the drywall to install cabinetry for storage. “We used hickory cabinets, white quartz countertops and an emerald green tile backsplash,” she said. “We added a bit of interest with a white and blue painted tile accent behind the range. The kitchen was extended into the previous dining room. We added a buffet with a wine fridge and a cabinet with roll-out wine racks in that area. We opened up the wall above the buffet to install a linear window to allow for more natural light.” Chris Casali added that working on Merwin’s project went smoothly. “A delay on a door, a revision needed by the

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Fall Home & Garden

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

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Fall Home & Garden

Merwin: Casali Construction and Remodeling worked on project Continued from 16

city on the engineering, and we got things ordered and revised and kept the project moving,” he said. “We hit her timeline two weeks early so she could move back in.” Back in her home since mid-June, Merwin has entertained family and friends since the first weekend she returned home. “I am still waiting on a new dining room table, which should arrive before dinners on the deck are no longer an option,” she said. “The counter space, the openness and updated appliances have exceeded all expectation.” Merwin explained that although she enjoys cooking “it just wasn’t much fun in the old space.” “I have even done some canning this summer,” she said. “When my family is together, everyone likes to be in the kitchen and now it’s possible with room to spare. There is also now connection to the living room. As for the bathrooms, the new shower in my primary is wonderful and I love the finishes in the guest bath.”

The husbandand-wife team of Chris and Alexa Casali work together to transform homes across Whatcom County. With Chris in charge of construction projects and Alexa taking lead in interior design, Casali Construction and Remodeling works to ensure every project is both functional and beautifully styled. (Photos courtesy Casali Construction and Remodeling)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Premier Landscape Co. puts in patio for Geller family A getaway right at home

Matt and Libera Geller enjoy their new patio put in by Premier Landscape Co. Around 2024, the Gellers met Andrew Ziegenfus, owner of Premier Landscape Co., when the company put in irrigation to keep their yard nice and green. Matt Geller was impressed with the level of integrity and quality workmanship Ziegenfus and his team exhibited.

By Racquel Muncy Staff Reporter

magine taking a dip in the hot tub before drying off around the fire pit with peace of the woods right at your back. Stepping out of the sauna to a view of Mt. Baker on a clear, summer morning. A getaway in sight of the house. That is what the Geller family created with the help of Premier Landscape Co. Around 2024, Matt and Libera Geller met Andrew Ziegenfus, owner of Premier Landscape Co., when the company put in irrigation to keep the yard nice and green. Matt Geller was impressed with the level of integrity and quality workmanship Ziegenfus and his team exhibited. “They’re the right type of people to do this work,” he said, adding that Premier does the work right and ensures everything works appropriately long after the job is done. “You’re absolutely going to get top

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level work, but you’re going to get equally good people.” After the irrigation project, Geller began tossing out the idea of a patio. “It just turned out very organically,” he said. “It evolved.” Initially they began looking at a different area of the property where there was an old firepit, but it was overgrown with weeds and not in an ideal spot. “It wasn’t going to cut it,” Geller said. So, Ziegenfus got creative and together they picked out a new spot. The spot with the best view and the perfect amount of shade. A spot big enough to not feel crowded, but small enough to not take anything away from the surrounding

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Fall Home & Garden nature. “This made the most sense,” Geller said of the spot. “It’s magical.” Ziegenfus said a priority for him is to always find out what the space will be used for to make sure it will be a perfect fit. The functionality of the space is important. “We try to intentionally design for the space,” he said. Without understanding the space would need to fit a sauna, hot tub, firepit and have space to host guests, the patio could have ended up looking very differently. The space has the fire pit, sauna and hot tub on the patio while still feeling spacious. Against the patio is a naturescape that Geller planted with native species to bring the feel of the woods closer.

“It’s an opportunity to slow down away from the house, like a retreat,” Geller said. “Each section has its purpose.” Ziegenfus said he loved how the space turned out. “They really took ownership of the space and made it their own,” he said. While the back and forth deciding where to put the patio and what exactly they wanted took a while, the project itself only took about one week. Ziegenfus said they could have finished sooner, but were fighting the weather at the time. The project was also far away from the driveway, so Premier had to lay down plywood to preserve the lawn. This is a standard practice for the com-

pany. “When we leave they’re always surprised with how little of a footprint we leave,” Ziegenfus said of his clients. Everything is woodfired, so there is no electricity needed. This lends a hand to the off grid feel Geller was looking for in order to create a getaway only feet away from the home. Throughout the process, Geller said he appreciated the patience Ziegenfus had while they decided exactly what they wanted. “We can be pretty particular,” he said. More about Premier Landscape Co. at premierlandscapecompany.com. -- Contact Racquel Muncy at racquel@lyndentribune.com

Stepping out of the sauna to a view of Mt. Baker on a clear, summer morning. A getaway in sight of the house. That is what the Geller family created with the help of Premier Landscape Co. (Racquel Muncy/Lynden Tribune)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, September 30, 2026 | Ferndale Record

Everson family has golden fields of splendor First sunflower festival for Sealund Farm By Elisa Claassen For the Tribune

Sealund Farm hosted its inaugural Sunflower Festival early in September this year. The plan is to have this continue to grow and have more blooms and activities in coming years. (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

he last sunrays of summer have been hitting the sunflowers on the Sealund Farm located outside of Everson. The popularity of this small roadway off South Pass Road is usually due to its location as the entrance to the Gold Mine Trail. Now it has a new attraction: a sunflower festival in early September and soon to also host a farm store in a small building being completed along the road by Oct. 1. In addition to what is grown on Sealund Farm, the family is also looking for other small farmers and artisans to be involved with their offerings. While sitting at an entrance tent to a field of sunflowers atop Sumas Mountain in early September, Mattie Wedekind said the sunflowers this year were her husband’s idea. Gary, her husband, has been fixing up their farm home, doing construction and developing ideas for future operations on the farm and at the new farm store. Mattie, who studied economics/finance and business intelligence analytics, has her own business consulting firm. The Wedekinds relocated to the West Coast after Mattie’s college years on the eastern side of the country. In looking for land, the couple initially considered Snohomish County where they grew up. Since the cost has increased there, the couple said they expanded their search and managed to find the parcel with 22 acres in a beautiful place with a fixer-upper home that had not been occupied for several years and needed some tender loving care. The refurbishing has occurred from updated to-do project lists including lots of fencing as the property had none at the purchase time and they are adding more animals and livestock. “We just liked this small town,” Mattie said. “We’ve fall-

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category. When asked about tips for raising sunflowers, planting is done over Memorial Day weekend. Linda said to look for sunflower branching varieties. She held up an example of one from her daughter’s field that would have multiple blooms. “With some you only get one flower,” Linda said. “The branching varieties will keep throwing out blooms non-stop. That will extend the bloom time.” Linda also encouraged growers to not stick with one variety but to get many types and colors and to be aware of height. When looking at seed packets, be aware of the days from germination to flower and those with the shorter time are preferred. According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, sunflower seeds should be planted about 1.5 inches deep and about six inches apart after the soil has thoroughly warmed. The flowers need full sun and some varieties can grow even six-to-10 feet in height. Additionally, the Almanac says some of the larger varieties can even grow more than 16 feet. Many flower lovers may think of the traditional sunflower being yellow, but they can also be grown in many other colors — red, orange, maroon and brown. In addition to attracting happy gardeners, they also attract bees, birds and butterflies. Once the flowers have been enjoyed in the field and visitors have taken bouquets home, Linda then uses the flowers to become feed for her livestock.

In addition to what is grown on Sealund Farm, the family is also looking for other small farmers and artisans to be involved with their offerings. (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

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Family builds Birch Bay Drive legacy home With family and friends, Stacey and Anthony Gollner enjoy summer home facing the water By Bill Helm Editor

tacey Gollner spent the summers of her youth vacationing with her family in a trailer park along Birch Bay Drive. When she married her husband Anthony 33 years ago, they continued to summer in that same community. Eventually, the Gollners decided to build their own summer home. A short distance from that trailer park. “We were really wanting to stay down in the bay, but we weren’t sure where that was going to be,” Stacey said. “When the cabin that was previously on this lot went up for sale, we gave it some serious thought and determined that we could make an offer. My husband humoured me and we had an inspection done on the two structures. There was a smaller cabin at the rear of the lot. He already knew from walking around the cabins that there was far too much that needed fixing and it wasn’t going to be possible to keep the original cabins. He was right — and I was sad. I always loved the original cabin. It was very cute from the outside. Although even if we were able to keep the cabins, it wouldn’t have provided the room we would need for all of our kids and my mom.” Stacey and Anthony have four children: 31-year-old Chris, 27-year-old Laura, 20-year-old Matthew and 17-year-old Kimberley. Chris and his wife Lucy had their first child, Charlotte, in August 2025. The Gollners all live in North Vancouver. The Gollners have spent those 30-plus summers in what Stacey called a “onebedroom park model trailer” with two sofa beds in the living room that accommodated the couple’s four children. “My mom’s vacation home was in the same park across from us,” she said. “It was perfect. She could spend summers with us and her grandchildren. It also

Stacey and Anthony Gollner home stand in the backyard of their summer home on Birch Bay Drive in Blaine. (Photos courtesy Legend Homes)

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Legacy: Gollner family enjoys summer home facing the water Continued from 24

came in handy for any overflow when our kids had their friends down.” Although it's not on a very big piece of land, the Gollners’ new summer home is much larger, with space for their family and friends. “As our children got older, it was difficult to have them all down together because the space in the two trailers was tight for four grown children,” Stacey said. “Because the park was being sold, we were also thinking about my mom and where she’d go. Most of her friends were down here. So at the time we really wanted a home that could accommodate three generations. I always looked at this project as a place where multi-generations would spend time together. It’s a legacy home. Our wish is that our children spend time down here together and with their families and friends. We hope this continues for generations to come.” Sadly, Stacey’s mother, Grace, passed away in 2019. Jake Evans is the design lead for Powerhouse Designs, partnering firm to Legend Homes. Evans explained that the Gollner lot is only 30 feet wide and that code in that zone requires 10-foot side-yard

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setbacks at the second floor and at least 5-foot setbacks at the first floor. “So the house would have been 20 feet wide at the first floor and 10 feet wide at second floor, which would have made an unusable and strange looking house,” Evans said. “So we applied for a side yard variance, which turned into a major variance and the case went in front of the hearings examiner over two days before we were successfully approved for five-feet sideyard setbacks at second floor.” The end result is a 3,000-square-foot two-story home with seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms — built an additional 4’ off the ground because it is within the Tsunami zone. According to Evans, the home was designed to see the view of Birch Bay “yet ensure privacy from the close neighbors.” “The living room and front deck look at the bay and there’s a first-floor future primary suite so when Stacey’s knees are too creaky and painful the owners can live on the first floor,” he said. “The second floor is designed with the current primary facing the ocean, with many guest rooms for Stacey and Anthony’s kids and grandkids. The upstairs corridor was located to the south to make a bright, high-energy corridor for kids to tear around and play in/on — and admit great daylight.” Legend Homes Project Manager Nicole Miller said that in terms of sustainability the Gollners “wanted a home that was more environmental-

Legend Homes Project Manager Nicole Miller said that in terms of sustainability the Gollners “wanted a home that was more environmentally friendly than traditional homes and constructed well and with intention.” (Photo courtesy Legend Homes)

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Legacy: With family and friends, Gollner family enjoys summer home ly friendly than traditional homes and constructed well and with intention.” “The house has 10.32kW solar array with Tesla Powerwall 3 backup battery, making it net zero energy with backup power in case of power outages,” Miller said. “This was especially important to them since this is a vacation home and they may not know when the power goes out.” Miller also said Legend Homes worked with the Gollners on their finishes “to make sure everything was EnergyStar or Water Sense certified, low VOC, good quality.” “The home achieved Built Green 5 Star certification which is the highest level you can achieve,” she said. There can be lot of jargon,

technical or otherwise, when it comes to building homes. However, it’s how the home feels that matters to Stacey and Anthony Gollner. “Our home has surpassed our expectations,” Stacey said. “We were quite concerned about the space we would end up with since our lot is very narrow. We figured the house would feel small, but we were OK with that because this is where we wanted to be. Once it was complete, we were very surprised at how spacious it turned out. It was important for us as a family to have a single shared space where we would spend time together, so the living room and kitchen were very important in the design. Jake knocked it out of the park. We gave him a very

“Our home has surpassed our expectations,” Stacey Gollner said. “We were quite concerned about the space we would end up with since our lot is very narrow. We figured the house would feel small, but we were OK with that because this is where we wanted to be. Once it was complete, we were very surprised at how spacious it turned out." (Bill

Helm/Lynden Tribune)

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Thank you and congratulations Stacey & Anthony

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Legacy: BC family builds Birch Bay Drive summer home Continued from 28

unique list, and he managed to give us everything we wanted. The crew at Legend Homes is incredible. They are very professional and do great work.” Anthony said everyone’s “expertise and excellent communication really helped bring our ideas and their recommendations to life.” “Combined with the choice of materials we were offered, this really brought together both the look and feel we wanted throughout the house,” Anthony said. “Even though it’s long and thin, it doesn’t feel small or confining because of a taller first floor, vaulted ceilings throughout the second floor and all the natural light coming in through strategically placed windows. Natural wood throughout brought an aesthetic warmth to the home. We wanted the same cozy feel of our trailer, just larger, incorporating sustainable energy through solar panels, radiant infloor heating, efficient heating and cooling systems that effectively filter outside pollutants, as well as the amazing insulating, strengthening, and time saving properties that structurally insulated panels construction provides.” Throughout the build, checking in with Miller and Evans and the folks at Legend and Powerhouse “was always something to look forward to,” Stacey said.

“We felt we were working with friends,” she said. “Nicole was our project manager and she was awesome at keeping us on track or nudging us to stay on track with our selections. She took us to different vendors and helped us choose our green and sustainable materials and she made suggestions on some selected items with an alternative that could save us money. We were very pleased when our build came in on budget. Legend Homes does a wonderful job of keeping you in check.” And the Gollners are able to continue vacationing just a short distance from where they vacationed when Stacey was a child. “My father died when I was very young and my mom had to go to work to support us, so our time together was limited,” she said. “Birch Bay was a place that my mom would bring me as a kid to spend time together. We’d rent one of the original cabins along the beach. My mom decided to buy a trailer down here when my husband and I were pregnant with our first child. It was a place my mom loved to come and spend time, and it was a special place for me as a kid growing up, so she was hoping that my husband and I would spend time down here with our kids and continue the tradition.” Which they have. -- Contact Bill Helm at bill@lyndentribune.com

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