2023 Q2 home prices for Whatcom County
Ferndale football field photos: before and after
Lynden home sales up 1.4% compared to rest of county. — Real Estate, A2
Field just about ready for 2023 season. — Sports, B2
AUGUST 2, 2023
SINCE 1885
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Charyut, Joon Bi, Sijak! (Attention, ready, begin) as soon as possible.
USTA Martial Arts taekwondo instructors teach students respect and bodily health one board at a time By Taras McCurdie Staff Reporter
Master Joshua Ross stands inside his Ferndale studio on July 19. Ross is also the USTA Martial Arts regional director. (Taras McCurdie/Ferndale Record)
WHATCOM — Master Joshua Ross’ first introduction into martial arts was the Chuck Norris movie “Firewalker.” Ross also enjoyed the action-packed Bruce Lee classics while also taking the time to collect dozens of the Wu Tang kung fu and Jet Li movies. When he was 13 years old, Ross participated in taekwondo classes as part of his merit badge in boy scouts. However, he did not pick up the art again until years later when life took him down a different path. While being in the middle of bartending and with aspirations to go back to college for nursing, one trip to work in 2003 at age 26 would soon turn out to be his blessing in disguise. As Ross drove past a grand opening sign for a taekwondo studio in Mt. Vernon, he said it sparked his memory of when he was a kid, participating in the art. So, Ross gave the owner a call and training began
The beginning of a state-wide program In 1996, Grandmaster Uoon Choi founded USTA Martial Arts, which has become the largest string of taekwondo schools in Washington. The nonprofit has been committed to promoting the art by giving everyone an opportunity to keep it alive through participation, whether it’s for one’s recreational fitness or one’s competitive, tournament-driven nature. Starting taekwondo at 8 years old, Choi went on to earn various high school, college and international awards. Choi was also Ross’ instructor in Mt. Vernon for a few years, and Ross trained with Choi until he was a senior blue belt, which is halfway to a black belt. Ross later moved to Bellingham where he continued his training with Choi at the studio there. After Ross earned his black belt, he began his teaching journey by assisting Choi and the other instructors. He eventually quit his original job and went to being a full-time instructor at the Bellingham studio. In October 2009, he took over the Ferndale studio when the previous instructor moved to Everett. According to the USTA Martial Arts website, all instructors “are not only fully qualified black belt[s], they are also successful, active professionals in technology, education and other local industries. See Taekwondo on A7
Jam on the River, Operation Splashmob a success
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS as of 8 p.m. Aug. 1
Primary Election 2023 County Executive Barry Buchanan Misty Flowers Sukhwant Gill Dan Purdy Alicia Rule Satpal Sidhu Write-In
On July 22, another hot Saturday, Ferndale Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Jam on the River festival. Held at Centennial Riverwalk Park, folks enjoyed performances from various singers including Andrew Hansen, JP Falcon, Uncle Doug, The Shannanigans and AntiShock as well as performances from Chicas Reinas and Community Heroes. With more than 30 vendors and a handful of food trucks, there was something for everyone. After touring the festival, families walked next door to Star Park where they cooled down with the City of Ferndale’s Operation Splashmob, which featured a water slide and squirt guns. More upcoming summer events include the Food Truck Friday event on Aug. 4, stargazing at VanderYacht Park on Aug. 12, and a live concert at the Pioneer Village Stage on Aug. 19. (Taras McCurdie/Ferndale Record)
Weather Thursday 77°/54° Friday 78°/57° Saturday 79°/58° Sunday 81°/59°
104 pages • Volume LII • Number 24 Calendar • B8 Classifieds • B5 Forum • A4 Legal Notices • B4
News Briefs • A2 Obituaries • A5 Old Settlers • A8 Puzzles • B6
Real Estate • A2 Sports • B1
Votes
Percent
5,562 1,284 934 11,222 7,064 13,987 61
13.87% 3.2% 2.33% 27.98% 17.61% 34.87%
County Council District 4 Kathy Kershner 3,855 Katherine Orlowski 877 Mark Stremler 4,071 Write-In 24
43.67% 9.94% 46.12%
County Council At-Large B Jerry Burns 3,601 Atul Deshmane 8,549 Hannah Ordos 12,217 Jon Scanlon 14,624 Write-In 131
9.2% 21.85% 31.23% 37.38%
Lynden School Board Dir. 3 Terry Montague 1,037 Jim Verburg 1,458 David Vis 1,852 Write-In 38
23.65% 33.25% 42.23%
Ferndale School Board Dir. 2 Brent Bode 2,270 Antonio Machado 2,539 Adrian Sheridan 800 Write-In 19
40.33% 45.11% 14.21%
Everson City Council Pos. 5 Ashley Brown 110 Gary Locke 80 Hadia Seddiqi 59 Write-In 5
43.31% 31.5% 23.23%
Fire District No 4 Prop. 2023-01 Approved 1,545 69.66% Rejected 673 30.34% *Official results will be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 15.
2023 NWW Fair Magazine: Insert