Photos with Santa at Ferndale Tractor Supply
Jon Mutchler at Dec. 20 Schimmel Showcase
From 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7. — Whatcom News, A2
Longtime community servant to play piano at Jansen Art Center. — Calendar, A6
DECEMBER 4, 2024
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FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Artist explains process behind new Ferndale sculptures By Luke Seymour Staff Reporter
FERNDALE — On Nov. 15, the City of Ferndale installed two new sculptures on the Thornton Overpass. The two sculptures, both titled Ferndale Ferns, are public art installations funded by the Ferndale Arts Commission. The pieces were created by Everson artist Don Anderson and are shaped to look like two multicolored Fiddlehead Fern sprigs. A native plant to Washington State, the Fiddlehead Fern is usually harvested for its taste and nutritional proper-
Don Anderson stands with his two sculptures now at the Thornton Overpass in Ferndale. (Luke Seymour/Ferndale Record)
Community warmth at tree lighting
ties. However, according to Anderson, the Fiddlehead can also be seen as a harbinger of spring and a symbol of youth and vitality. Anderson said he believed the youthfulness of the unique plant is the exact reason he chose it to represent the city of Ferndale. “Fiddleheads eventually grow into ferns, which, at first I thought would be too elaborate for an 18-foot sculpture,” Anderson said. “So I simplified the image. One of the sculptures represents a younger, less developed plant. That one I painted red because it’s an action color and the color mixed with the Fiddlehead sym-
bolizes this youth and impetuousness. The other one is blue, which is a much cooler color. It’s more creative and intuitive, a wiser color. I think the two represent Ferndale as a city. On one hand it’s growing and has much more room to grow. But it also has been around for a long time, so it has a kind of wisdom that maybe not all small towns possess.” For many years, Anderson has been one of the most prolific and reliable artists in Whatcom County since he retired from his job as a welding instructor at Bellingham Technical College, a posiSee Anderson on A5
Ferndale School Board approves progress report By Luke Seymour Staff Reporter
On Dec. 6, the Ferndale Downtown Association will host the annual Community Christmas Tree Lighting at 5 p.m. at Centennial Riverwalk Park. This year’s event is a partnership with the Ferndale Chamber and Whatcom County Fire District No. 7. See story on A2. (Photo courtesy Ferndale Chamber of Commerce)
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FERNDALE — On Nov. 26, the Ferndale School Board approved a monitoring report that measured student academic progress in the past year. This was the second monitoring report that school board heard in the past few meetings. This month’s report concerned student progress in fields such as English language arts (ELA), math and science. Before the report was approved, Bobby Olsen gave a report that provided context for the data provided by the report. Olsen is the district’s data assessment coordinator. The assessment at the heart of the report was conducted in the spring of 2024 between April and June according to Olsen. In English, 44% of Ferndale students were consistently performing at grade level standards, falling below the state average of 50%. A similar number was seen in the math field where the Ferndale average was 36% and the state average was 40%. Science saw the best results with the Ferndale student average being 45%, just hovering above the state average at 44%. During the presentation, School Board President Kevin Erickson asked questions about Ferndale’s standing in academic progress. “When I looked at the report and looked at the state averages, they were not very impressive,” Erickson said. “In some cases we were above, in other cases we were below. Is there anybody in the state or in the district that is getting 100% or anywhere close to that?” Olsen answered that no, there were no district’s that approach 100% status. Olsen alter said that there were many aspects of the report that stood out to him as an assessment coordinator. “I am always excited to present the data and see the questions it sparks from the board, community, and district leaders,” Olsen said. “Accessible information allows us to ask more insightful questions. In this report, I’ve particularly appreciated the discussions around student attendance. The data highlights a strong connection between regular attendance and assessment performance, reaffirming the importance of our district-wide focus on attendance strategies.” Later in the meeting, the board talked about what could be garnered from the data that had been presented to the board and how further progress could be made in the coming year. “How long should we give a curriculum See Progress on A2
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