Barn Buddies and their families visit Everson
Ferndale baseball opens season on March 15
4-H Club participates in Barnyard Bonanza at Cano Family Farm. — Country Life, A8
Golden Eagles host Squalicum at 4 p.m. — Sports, Baseball Preview, B1
MARCH 13, 2024
SINCE 1885
FERNDALE, WASHINGTON • $1.50
Despite recent snowfall, winter snowpack is low Whatcom remains in state drought declaration from 2023 By Cal Bratt For the Record
WHATCOM — Despite recent snowfall in the mountains, the 2023-24 winter snowpack remains below normal for most of Washington and keeps existing drought dec-
larations in place, the Washington Department of Ecology reported in a March 7 water supply update. There’s “snow such luck” of a big turn-around in status, the agency said. “The snow was helpful for the magnitude of drought impacts, but there is still significant concern for multiple regions of the state,” said Ecology’s statewide drought lead Caroline Mellor. Snowpack overall is at about 71% of normal.
Precipitation for the water year (starting Oct. 1) is at 92% of normal so far. But precipitation is falling more as rain when it has historically been snow, and therefore the reduced snowpack. Washington relies heavily on snowpack melting into streams and aquifers through spring and summer months for water supply. Areas of specific concern right now include the Olympic region, the upper Columbia Basin and the central
Cascade foothills stretching from Okanogan County into Whatcom and Skagit counties. Drought was declared last July for 12 watersheds in parts of 12 counties, including Whatcom. In the Nooksack River basin, three water systems serving 346 people north and west of Ferndale operated on an emergency status. Some wells went dry. One system used an emergency intertie with Ferndale, and another hauled water via truck.
This was the snow remaining on Excelsior Peak in Whatcom County on June 23, 2022, after an exceptionally good snowpack winter. (Cal Bratt for the Record)
Ferndale School Board passes policy revisions By Luke Seymour Staff Reporter
FERNDALE — The Ferndale School Board passed a series of items on Tuesday, Feb. 27, much of it pertaining to the revision of existing school policies. One of the more pressing items on the agenda the board approved was a motion to revise Policy 3418: Response to Student Injury or Illness. The revision adds extra language from the WWSDA to the policy that health support staff should be certified in both first aid, CPR and AED. The revision also stated that joint medical guidance is to be provided by both the Department of Health and the Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction. The board voted unanimously to approve of the revisions. The Ferndale School Board also added Juneteenth to the list of holidays observed by the district. As with other observed national holidays such as President’s Day, Labor Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the school will not be in operation on Juneteenth as a means of observance. Juneteenth is a federal Holiday in the United States that celebrates the abolition of slavery in America. Among some of the other motions that were passed at the meeting was the adoption of a monitoring report which seeks to lay out financial goals and plans for the board in the years to come. The board also moved to accept the retirements, resignations and leave of absence of several Ferndale School District employees. More information on the district’s policies is at ferndalesd.org. The Ferndale School Board meets at 6 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at the Mountain View campus, 5780 Hendrickson Ave. Meeting agendas, which include supporting documentation, are available at the district’s website and at BoardDocs.com, or by request from the superintendent’s office by calling 360-383-9207 or in person at 6041 Vista Drive. Informal and special meetings, as well as study sessions, are held throughout the year as needed. Public notice is given through the district’s website and the news media. The board’s next meeting is scheduled for March 26. -- Contact Luke Seymour at luke@lyndentribune.com.
Ferndale Schools celebrate National FFA Week On Feb. 21, Ferndale FFA was accompanied by Washington FFA State Officers Michael Johnson and Nathan Heay. After a short meeting, a group of 30 individuals consisting of FFA members and advisors toured Drayton Harbor Oyster Company and Twin Sisters Creamery. They learned how Drayton Harbor grows and harvests their oysters for sale and for their restaurant they have in Blaine. At Twin Sisters, they watched a short film about how the creamery started, got to taste test two of their cheeses, and viewed the blue room, where they aged their bleu cheese. They state officers also joined in on this event. On Feb. 22, Ferndale FFA’s Ag Leadership program helped host the staff BBQ. They served hamburgers, chips and drinks during lunch as a way to thank the hard-working staff at FHS. The following day, all FFA members, plus a friend, were invited to a lunch BBQ. -- Amy McKay is Ferndale High School’s FFA president, Melissa Kudsk is the school’s FFA vice president
By Melissa Kudsk and Amy McKay Ferndale School District FFA
FERNDALE — This year, the Ferndale FFA celebrated National FFA Week with a multitude of events throughout the week, Feb. 17-24. On Feb. 20-21, Ferndale FFA hosted kindergarten tours, an event where kindergarten classes from the school district are invited to visit and tour their agriculture program. Ferndale FFA has hosted this event for several years. This year, about 250 kindergarten students came from four elementary schools including Custer, Skyline, Eagleridge, and Central. This consisted of six stations. Each station had a different activity for the students to participate in. Some activities students participated in planting a strawberry plant to bring home, making a paper flower, barrel racecourse on stick horses, small animals experience, and seeing the welding and small engines shop. This was an exciting experience for the kindergarten students.
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14 pages • Volume LIII • Number 3
Thursday 36°/51° Friday 40°/58° Saturday 43°/62° Sunday 43°/62°
Classifieds • B4 Country Life • A6 Forum • A4
Legal Notices • B3 News • A2 Obituaries • A3
Puzzles • B5 Sports • B1 State • A3
Ferndale FFA members celebrated National FFA Week, Feb. 17-24, involved in a great many events. (Photos courtesy Ferndale School District)
Exclusive online content: News throughout the week www.ferndalerecord.com