WHATCOM COUNTY BASEBALL
COULD JULY 4 GAS PRICES BE LOWER?
FERNDALE PREP SPORTS
New exhibit to open at Lynden Heritage Museum.
Motorists avoid fireworks at pump on Independence Day.
A photographic year in review.
NEWS, A3
NEWS, A5
SPORTS, B3
JUNE 28, 2023
SINCE 1885
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Unsubdued Theater Collective comes to Ferndale
County Council still mulling new-jail ordinance Member Galloway edits were on the table Monday By Cal Bratt For the Record
Unsubdued Theater Collective will give several free performances at Pioneer Park in Ferndale throughout July. (Photo courtesy UTC)
Free performances throughout July at Pioneer Park’s outdoor stage By Bill Helm Editor
FERNDALE — Bryna Sweeney didn’t grow up doing theater. But her mother did. Hearing those stories, and getting to know the man who would become her husband, showed Sweeney “how fantastic the experience is.” “Growing up I was always inspired by my mom, who always spoke so highly about her time doing theater in school,” the Lynden resident said. “I was always way too shy to think I could try it until Riley came along.” In July, the Unsubdued Theatre Collective will present two free shows to Pioneer Park’s outdoor stage at 2004 Cherry St., Ferndale. Sweeney and her husband Riley are two of the 33 members that make up UTC, a
group composed of actors, directors, playwrights and other artists. “It is such an experience to be able to see live theater, it’s something that I hope everyone gets the opportunity to enjoy,” Sweeney said. “What better than to bring it to a community like Ferndale instead of having to always drive to another town to see it? Ferndale has a great arts community already, so providing another form of the arts for all to enjoy is very exciting.” Also a member of the Ferndale Arts Commission, Sweeney has been active in theater since 2011 when she and her husband Riley performed in a radio drama. “We did a whole season that aired on KMRE (102.3 FM in Bellingham) and hope to create a second season when our kiddos are easier to wrangle,” she said. “Beyond that, I’ve done a sprinkling of other productions through the years, including reenacting ancient Greek mysteries, voicing a dragon, and last year, doing a live radio drama.” See THEATER on A2
Lynden resident Bryna Sweeney is one of the Unsubdued Theater Collective’s 33 performers. UTC will give several free performances at Pioneer Park in Ferndale throughout July. (Photo courtesy Bryna Sweeney)
ARPA money keeps helps youth sports, business recovery Jon Mutchler calls some spending ‘special interests’ By Cal Bratt For the Record
FERNDALE — A bit more money, $125,000 in all, will flow for business assistance and youth sports programs, as a result of Ferndale City Council action June 20. On 6-0 votes, the council approved $75,000 to go to the Ferndale Downtown Association and $50,000 to Ferndale Youth Sports in 2023, all still in distribution of federal American Recovery Plan Act money doled out during COVID-19. Those allocations could be repeated again next year for a last time from the $1.5 million balance of ARPA funding the city retains from its original $4.2 million. A first round allocated $400,000 to boost business recovery. “[T]here are now very few vacant storefronts in the downtown core, and a significant
number of businesses have initiated improvements funded in part through these grants,” the City Council packet stated. Although he was not present -- instead attending an Association of Washington Cities event -- councilor Jon Mutchler voiced his disapproval of the two new disbursements by way of a statement read by councilor Herb Porter. Mutchler, who is running for mayor, wrote that he would rather the money go to benefit the city as a whole rather than for “special interests.” Incumbent Mayor Greg Hansen said he took issue with much of what Mutchler claimed and that the money disbursed is for long-term city investment that multiplies in impact. Councilor Erin Gunter said that she can testify, from working with middle school students, that the community youth sports program is very much needed. In other action: • Council approved a 2024-29 transportation improvement plan that looks ahead to projects sought to be completed, if funding materializes, over the next six years.
The city has been especially occupied with the Thornton Street Overcrossing project and Thornton improvements, but once past those other priorities on the list include Douglas Road (Church to Imhof), Ferndale Terrace, Legoe Avenue, Main Street (Barrett to city limits) and general pavement repair. A new entry on the list, for which engineering could happen in 2024, is a rebuild of the Portal Way northbound I-5 roundabout to fullsize standards. Total costs, although sources of money are not yet determined, come close to $20 million. • Travis Card, with 16 years in with the Ferndale Police Department, was introduced by Police Chief Kevin Turner, as the one to replace Matt Huffman as operations lieutenant upon his retirement this year. “Travis is a devoted husband and father,” said Turner. “Many of his peers will tell you they look up to him and not just physically.” • Mauri Ingram of the Whatcom Community Foundation spoke to the council of that organization’s leadership and partnership toward the goal “for everyone who lives here to thrive.”
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52 pages • Volume LII • Number 19
Thursday 72°/54° Friday 72°/53° Saturday 71°/53° Sunday 73°/53°
Calendar • A6 Classifieds • B6 Forum • A4
Legal Notices • B4 News • A3 Obituaries • A5
Puzzles • B6 Sports • B1
WHATCOM — The Whatcom County Council was still discussing on Monday, June 26, details of putting a new jail proposal on the Nov. 7 general election ballot. The matter was carried over from the June 20 regular meeting. In particular, council was looking at proposed edits by member Kaylee Galloway to the Justice Project Needs Assessment Implementation Plan, which is the blueprint and rationale for how construction of new facilities should proceed. Galloway, in her additions to the 96-page document, sought to give more voice to substance use disorder issues, insuring fair representation on an oversight committee, reducing pretrial detention times and having enough supportive housing in the county. Galloway also wanted to itemize in the plan the host of factors — a three-page list — that went into developing the new-jail concept design. The plan must ultimately get back on the council’s schedule as an ordinance for action, now apparently in July.
WCSO arrests 17-year-old in drive-by shooting Staff Reports
CUSTER — At approximately 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17, deputies with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office responded to a drive-by shooting in the 7600 block of Custer School Road, Custer. According to a June 20 press release from Chief Deputy Rodger Funk with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office’s Investigations and Support Services department, probable cause “was developed for two counts of drive-by shooting with a possible suspect being a 17-year-old juvenile male. A suspect vehicle was developed but the suspect was not located. A bullet was recovered from the scene.” A few hours later, a Bellingham police officer acting on information provided by the WCSO located the suspect vehicle around 12:48 a.m. in an alleyway in the 1800 block of Texas Street. According to Funk’s press release, the vehicle “took off and attempted to elude Bellingham traveling to the dead end of North Shore Road where it crashed into a tree.” See SHOOTING on A2
Early Memorial Day deadline: Noon Friday, June 30 for editorial, advertising, obituaries.