Bud Iverson (above) grew up in this home on West Main Street, one of the Everson homes commissioned to be built by his father. “My real name is Earl Iverson, but everyone always called me Bud,” he said. Photo by Brita Adkinson

Bud Iverson’s presentation at the Everson Library will include historic pictures of street scenes from Everson including this photo of the old post office and of the Grell’s Opera House. Historical photos courtesy of Mary Miller, Everson Library

Bud Iverson’s presentation at the Everson Library will include historic pictures of street scenes from Everson including this photo of the old post office and of the Grell’s Opera House. Historical photos courtesy of Mary Miller, Everson Library

by Brita Adkinson
EVERSON – The history of Everson, from its early beginnings in the 1800s, will be told in stories along with a slide show, on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the Everson McBeath Public Library.
Lifelong resident Bud Iverson, 92, will show the slides and share his personal memories. The free show, titled “Our Little Corner of the Valley,” will feature photos of farms, homes, street scenes and local families and individuals who lived in and around Everson, as well as pictures from festivals and other local events.
The slideshow was put together some years ago by a group of senior citizens in Everson. The accompanying tape features stories about the way of life in past years told by Verna Walker, a senior citizen who since passed away, and also stories told by other locals. A discussion will follow the slide show, and Iverson, who has a wealth of unique stories and memories to share, will answer questions about local history.
“My Dad’s uncle, Ever Iverson, left Norway in 1868 and came over here,” Iverson said, adding he “squatted” on 160 acres of land for some years. The general area was home to the Nooksack Tribe.
Around 1871, Ever Iverson obtained the legal rights to the land. He laid out streets and built homes, creating the township that became Everson.
“My Dad [Helmer Iverson] was living in Norway when he was a kid,” Iverson continued. “When he was 10 years old, he also wanted to go to America.” His father went to work on fishing vessels at Lofoten, an archipelago in the arctic north of Norway. At age 16, he had saved enough money, and journeyed on his own to America, joining his uncle in Everson. “I guess, in those days, the kids were tough!” Iverson mused.
From these beginnings, the  Iverson family, along with other pioneers, built farm houses, businesses and churches, as well as a bridge across the Nooksack River.
“My Dad had someone build the home where I grew up,” Iverson shared. “That home is just a few hundred feet from my present home,” he chuckled, adding “I didn’t move very far!” Both homes are located on West Main Street.
On that street, several families, descendants of the first Iverson family, built their homes and lived for many years. Bud Iverson is the youngest of Helmer Iverson’s seven children.
“When I was a kid, there were only 300 people in Everson,” Iverson said, “and whenever something happened, everyone knew about it.” He added, “There were all sorts of characters here!”
In the old days, locals would gather at a popular tavern in town and enjoy a drink together. “We thought it was funny,” Iverson said with a smile, “that the Templars’ Society was located right above the tavern, and they were against drinking!”
At home, the family never spoke Norwegian, Iverson noted, only English, because they said, “We are now Americans.”
Bud Iverson began his career in farming, like many other family members. Later on, he worked for Everson Farm Equipment and was a company salesman for approximately 30 years. Iverson’s wife passed away five years ago, after 61 years of marriage. Of their two daughters, one lives in Everson and the other in Oregon. While many of his friends have passed away, Iverson said he enjoys some good friends and a number of relatives living locally.

Lifelong resident Bud Iverson will share a slide show of early Everson titled “Our Little Corner of the Valley” on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 3 p.m. at the Everson McBeath Community Library, 104 Kirsch Dr. The program includes the taped voices of Everson seniors. All welcome to this free event. Free. Call 966-5100 for more information.

Felicity Elizabeth Boonstra

Sean Wilson

On Wednesday, Jan. 13, more than 100 residents and friends attended a candlelight vigil at Kendall Elementary in memory of Boonstra, an eighth grade student at Mount Baker Junior High. The meeting and event was organized by several community members, and participants remembered Boonstra for her spirit, enthusiasm and kindness. Staff from Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services presented information about domestic violence and advocates were available to talk with anyone seeking information or wanting to meet privately. Materials and contact information were handed out to anyone seeking resources.
A memorial service for Felicity was held the following evening at Moles Funeral Home in Bellingham. Friends and family told stories, recited poetry and played music in her memory, as those paying their respects listened and viewed photographs of her life. She was laid to rest in a burial service in Maple Falls on Friday, Jan. 15.
Boonstra was killed around 3:15 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7 in the 600 block of Sprague Valley Drive. She was in the home with her mother, Rebecca Boonstra, and her mother’s boyfriend, Sean Wilson, the owner of the home. The couple was reportedly fighting when Wilson shot and injured the mother, fatally shot Felicity and then turned the gun on himself.
The mother was able to run to a neighbor’s house for help. She was transported to St. Joseph Hospital, and has since been released and is recovering from her physical injuries.
Local sheriff’s deputies arrived to the scene minutes after receiving the 911 call. Felicity and Wilson were pronounced dead.
Boonstra and Wilson are known in the community and have served with various organizations. Boonstra currently serves as the Visitors Center Coordinator for the Mount Baker Chamber of Commerce, and has previously worked with the former Mt. Baker Economic Development Association and Kendall PTA, and ran as a write-in candidate for District 14 fire commissioner in the last election.
Wilson, most recently appointed to the Whatcom County Planning Commission, was one of four representatives of the Kendall/Columbia Valley area on the committee to update the Foothills Subarea Plan. He previously sat on the board of the Mt. Baker Chamber of Commerce, Peaceful Valley Homeowners Association, was a participant of Leadership Whatcom, and helped organize the former Citizens of Columbia Valley group, an organization in support of growth in the area. He ran unsuccessfully in 2007 for a Water District 13 commissioner position, serving Peaceful Valley.
During the press conference held by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 7, authorities said sheriff’s deputies had been to the house once before, in March 2008, for a domestic incident.
The department is seeing a rising increase in domestic-related crime and murders. In 2008, there were no murders in Whatcom County; in 2009, there were nine murders.
“We’re seeing a dramatic escalation in violence in Whatcom County and across western Washington for that matter,” Sheriff Bill Elfo said.

Resources offered in Whatcom County include the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services 715-1563/www.dvsas.org), Womencare Shelter (734-3438/www.womencareshelter.org) and the Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence (www.dvcommission.org).

by the Foothills Gazette
ACME – Local residents are voicing concerns over a proposal to expand mining in the Acme area and are asking Whatcom County Planning to consider the proposal’s cumulative impacts.
Concrete Nor’West, based in Burlington, had filed an application asking for a rezone of 280 acres near Doran Road from Commercial Forestry to a Mineral Resource Lands (MRL) designation. It is the company’s  intention, if the change was to be approved, to proceed with mining in the area. Company representatives have said the property contains high level sand and gravel deposits, materials that are in short supply in Whatcom County.
Initially, in the environmental review, referred to as SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act), Whatcom County Planning issued a Determination of Non Significance (DNS), stating “no probable significant adverse environmental impacts are likely.” The Planning Department then opened the decision up to public comments through Dec. 15, 2009, and received approximately 120, according to Current Planning Supervisor Tyler Schroeder. In response to those comments, Whatcom County Planning withdrew its DNS finding on Dec. 28 and reissued a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS). Upon this determination, Planning Director Stalheim wrote in an open letter that a “phased review of this application is appropriate” under SEPA.
Simply put, the decision basically states the rezone would not be implemented until after the company had applied for mining operation permits, and county staff could determine the level of environmental impacts. “This is an appropriate path for this non-project action that acknowledges the need for new locations for mineral resources supported by the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan, while also recognizing the public’s interest in protecting the environment and surrounding land uses from potential significant adverse impacts.”
In response to the department’s findings, the latest round of commenting ended on Jan. 12, resulting in 96 comments, Schroeder said. The content of the comments could not be confirmed as of press time, but it appears most of the comments requested the department issue a Determination of Significance (DS) and complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Many asked the department to view the rezone application and mining under the same environmental review. “These two actions are derived from a single proposal; without Concrete Northwest’s desire to place a quarry in that location, there would be no reason to rezone the land,” one comment stated.
“If the larger project is considered in phases, as you suggest, the proposal to rezone these 280 acres has profound and lasting impacts,” wrote Anna Martin, of Osprey Hill Farm in Acme. “The decision to rezone is directly tied to the intent to mine and a phased review is not appropriate in this case because it would merely divide the project up into exempted fragments in order to avoid proper environmental considerations.”
Many comments stated the cumulative impacts of the entire project are not being considered through the MDNS finding. Concerns include water and air quality, impacts on salmon in local rivers, negative effects on the small, sustainable farms in the South Fork Valley, noise, and disturbance of acquifers, among others.
Several farmers have acknowledged large-scale farms would not likely be impacted by a mining operation as much as small, sustainable farms would be. “Our livelihood as organic farmers and seed producers depends on the integrity of our farm environment… At a time when there is a huge amount of public support for preserving farmland and establishing regional food security, such a proposal which would threaten working farmland seems backward and counter to public opinion,” wrote Brian Campbell and Crystine Goldberg of Uprising Organic Farms.
A public hearing tentatively scheduled for Jan. 28 in front of the Whatcom County Planning Commission will not be held, according Planning Director David Stalheim. “The hearing will be pushed back, likely to next year,” Stalheim said via e-mail. “We anticipate an appeal of the SEPA decision, and until that is resolved, we cannot move forward to a hearing.”
Applications to appeal the findings must be submitted by Jan. 22.
“Comprehensive plan amendments can take place no more frequently than once per year,” Stalheim added, “so the next opportunity will have to come after the SEPA appeal, and Council action could not take place until March-April 2011,” Stalheim said.
Concrete Nor’West could not be reached as of press time.
Updates will be posted online at www.foothillsgazette.com.

Donations may be made to the Nick Spoelstra Family Benefit Fund at any branch of Peoples Bank or Bank of America, or to Lynden Christian Schools, 417 Lyncs Dr., Lynden, WA 98264.

Program focuses on North Cascades
COUNTY – KCTS 9 will show this week the premier of “North Cascades: People, Places and Stories,” a special program showcasing the North Cascades national park through the words and actions of Washingtonians of all ages. The show will air Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 31 at 4:30 p.m. Included is the program is a profile of legendary mountaineer Fred Beckey, 86, who has been climbing in the North Cascades for nearly seven decades, and is the author of the Beckey Guides for climbers and hikers exploring the backcountry. In addition, stories about the return of wolves to the region, as well as the Mountain School, the North Cascade Institute’s nationally recognized education program, will also be included. The full-length program will be available online at KCTS9.org/video after the premiere.

New time to pick up free bread
MAPLE FALLS – The Mt. Baker Baptist Church in Maple Falls will continue to give away free bread on Saturdays donated by Avenue Bread in Bellingham, however the time has changed. Residents can now pick up bread from 1-3 p.m. at the Church, located behind Crossroads Grocery on Silver Lake Road in Maple Falls.

Four Mount Baker juniors qualify for Aerospace Scholars program
DEMING – Four junior students at Mount Baker High School have been accepted into the first phase of the 2009-10 Washington Aerospace Scholars program, an educational program at The Museum of Flight in Seattle. The program is open to high school juniors from across the state, some of whom will be named as recipients of the museum’s summer residency program. The Mount Baker juniors are Andrea Ferrell, Albert Howard, Realyn Stratton and Alyssa Zender. A total of 14 students from Whatcom County qualified for the program.

Maple Falls resident earns scholarship
BELLINGHAM – Corey Windnagel, son of Susan Windnagel of Maple Falls, and student at Western Washington University received a $5,000 Kaiser-Borsari Educational Foundation Scholarship for Diversity for the 2009-2010 academic year. The Kaiser-Borsari Educational Foundation Scholarship is given to an Engineering Technology major who demonstrates high academic potential, creativity and leadership qualities. Windnagel, a junior at WWU, is majoring in Industrial Design with a specialization in CAD/CAM and is planning to graduate in 2012. He was on the Dean’s List and received scholastic honors from Phi Theta Kappa while attending Whatcom Community College. Windnagel is also a freelance designer of athletic equipment.

DeBari joins North Face team
GLACIER – Lucas DeBari, a Glacier native and winner of the 2007 Legendary Banked Slalom, has joined the North Face snowboard Athlete Team. DeBari has been snowboarding since he was four years old. He has been featured in films by Peoples Creative, Transworld, Think Thank, Funner and is currently filming with Absinthe. In 2008 DeBari won the Rookie of the Year in the Transworld Rider Poll. In his second year of pro competition, DeBari won the Mount Baker Legendary Banked Slalom. “There is so much more potential in snowboarding that I am driven to explore,” DeBari said via press release. “My goal for the next few years is to snowboard as much as possible while pushing the limits of possibility, and I am psyched to be aligned with The North Face as I take the next steps in my career.” The North Face Athlete team is comprised of 60 professional athletes from around the world who work closely with the company’s Research, Design & Development department to create outdoor apparel and equipment.

Vendor spaces available for 2010 Bellingham Farmers Market
BELLINGHAM – The Bellingham Farmers Market has several vendor spaces available for the 2010 season. “In order to keep the market well-balanced, we are especially looking for specialty farmers — those with eggs, meat, dairy products, or specialty crops; crafters -– although bath and beauty products, pottery, and jewelry are areas that are already well-represented; and food processors and/or concessionaires,” Bellingham Farmers Market director Caprice Teske said. Vendor applications, jury forms, detailed information, and guidelines are available online at www.bellinghamfarmers.org. Interested processors/concessionaires must complete a Processor Jury Form and participate in the Processor Tasting on Feb. 6. Crafters must complete a Craft Jury Form and participate in the Feb. 6 Craft Jury.

Items sought for Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center’s auction
BELLINGHAM – The Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is seeking items for its auction portion of the annual fundraiser, slated this year for Saturday, March 6. Located in Nugents Corner, the Center cares for more than 800 animals each year. Anyone interested in donating items, should contact Jennifer Hayden at 348-2544. The March 6 event will feature a silent, live and dessert auction, as well as a buffet dinner and jazz music by the Mark Kelly quartet, from 6-10 p.m. at the Northwood Hall, located at 3240 Northwest Ave., Bellingham. Tickets are available for $50 per person and can be purchased by contacting Jan Stamey at 647-1415 or e-mail at nwwildlife@netzero.net. For more information visit northwestwildlife.org/events.html.

Show highlights Scurlock’s photos
BELLINGHAM – North Cascades aerial photographer and pilot John Scurlock will show a collection of his photography covering the Cascades, as well as the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, during a free event on Jan. 20. The show will be held at the Bellingham REI, 400 36th St. Bellingham. For more information, call 647-8955.

Project updates on Subzone agenda
ACME – The Acme/VanZandt Subzone committee will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Acme Elementary. Agenda items include elections, an update from Lummi Natural Resources on the Saxon Project, and the Acme Phase II Flood Works Agreement. For more information, contact Subzone Chair Chris Hatch at 595-0953.

—compiled by the Foothills Gazette

Arson to vehicle
• Dec. 30: Whatcom County Fire District 14 responded to the 8600 block of Golden Valley Drive, Paradise Lakes, for a reported structure fire and put it out. The fire appears to have been intentionally set. There were no suspects at the time of the report.

Assault
• Jan. 8: A victim reported she was assaulted in the 8500 block of Golden Valley Drive, Paradise Lakes. The suspect was arrested and released with a criminal citation for assault 4th degree.
• Jan. 1: Victim reported he was assaulted by several subjects at the corner of Cimarron Way and Golden Valley Drive, Paradise Lakes. Victim received minor injuries. There were no suspects at the time of the report.
• Dec. 31: Victim reported he was assaulted on Oregon Trail, Paradise Lakes.

Burglary
• Jan. 2: WCSO responded to a reported residential burglary in the 8500 block of Golden Valley Drive, Paradise Lakes. The burglary occurred at an unknown time during the previous two weeks. There was no suspect information at the time of the report

DUI
• Jan. 11: WCSO responded to the  8000 block of Goodwin Road for a one-vehicle non-injury collision. A Sumas-area man was arrested for DUI.

Felony drugs
• Jan. 2: WCSO received a report of a marijuana grow-op in the 8300 block Dolphin Way,  Paradise Lakes. The initial report was substantiated and a search warrant was secured. A total of 25 marijuana plants were confiscated along with other evidence. The suspect was not present for the warrant service. The report was forwarded to the Prosecutor’s Office for charging.

Identity theft
• Dec. 30: A Columbia Valley-area resident reported personal information had been fraudulently used by several people in other states.

License suspended
• Dec. 31: A Bellingham man was stopped in the 4800 block of Mount Baker Highway and found to be driving with a suspended driver’s license. He was booked into the Whatcom County Jail.
• Dec. 28: A Kendall man was stopped in the 8100 block of Kendall Highway for multiple traffic infractions. The driver and sole occupant of the car had a suspended/revoked driver’s license in the 1st degree. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail.
• Jan. 10: WCSO stopped a Bellingham man in the 4700 block of Mount Baker Highway. Probable cause was established to arrest the man for driving with a suspended license 1st degree. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail.

Malicious Mischief
• Dec. 30: A person reported damage to a property in the 1600 block of Peaceful Valley Drive. There was no suspect information at the time of the report.

Possession
• Jan. 7: Two men were contacted by WCSO during a traffic stop in the 5300 block of Rutsatz Road, Deming. They were both determined to have warrants and were arrested. A small amount of methadone tablets was found on one of the suspects. A search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of a container of marijuana and additional methadone tablets. The suspects were booked into Whatcom County Jail.
• Jan. 4: A WCSO deputy stopped a vehicle on a traffic stop in the 8100 block of Kendall Highway. The driver, of Bluebell Court, was arrested for suspended license and possession of marijuana. Felony drugs were locate. The suspect was booked into Whatcom County Jail.

Taking a motor vehicle
• Dec. 28: A WCSO deputy stopped a Sedan in the 6200 block of Limerick Way, Paradise Lakes, and arrested the driver for driving with a suspended license. The vehicle was impounded. The sedan was later reported as stolen. A taking a motor vehicle without permission report was taken and routed to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office.

Vehicle Prowl
• Dec. 28: WCSO was contacted about a vehicle prowl in the Nugents Corner Wildlife Area. Items were stolen from a vehicle while the owner was fishing. There was no suspect information at the time of the report

Theft
• Jan. 9: WCSO discovered a theft of road signs at the corner of Azure Way/Cimarron Way, Paradise Lakes.
• Jan. 6: WCSO took a report of a theft in the Glacier area. A stainless steel barbecue grill was stolen. There was no suspect information at the time of the report.

Rick Read examines headstones at Mount Hope Cemetery in Deming.

Welcome Cemetery, one of the locations included in the record collection. Courtesy photo

by Brita Adkinson
COUNTY – A project is under way to compile records of local cemeteries, including  Mount Hope Cemetery (Deming), Welcome Valley, Van Zandt, Clipper (Van Zandt), Kendall and Hopewell (Everson).
Rick Read, a research aide with the Whatcom Genealogy Society, is working on tracing the history of past residents buried in cemeteries.  Through newspaper archives and other research, Read has collected obituaries of people buried in Mount Hope, Welcome Valley, and Clipper and is currently collecting obituaries relating to the Van Zandt cemetery.
The goal of Read’s project is to compile all the information he can find about people buried at these cemeteries and create CDs that will be offered for sale. Proceeds will benefit the Whatcom Genealogical Society, and be used for further research and documentation.
“I am also collecting photos and stories about the people buried at these cemeteries,” Read said, encouraging residents to provide available photos and stories. Photos will be scanned and returned to the owners, and courtesy credits will be given to all who submit information. So far, Read has recorded approximately 6,200 obituaries.
In 2001, Read, who has been a television producer at KVOS TV in Bellingham for 24 years, embarked on a journey to find out-of-state records and information about his own family. His efforts led others to ask him for help with geneaology research. Read joined the Whatcom Genealogy Society as a research aide in 2005, after meeting one of the members while collecting information at the Bellingham Public Library. He now serves as the group’s vice president as well.
Read said he enjoys helping people learn about their ancestry. When a family has lived several generations in Whatcom County, the research may be fairly straightforward, Read explained, as people may find records in local libraries, churches and schools. However, if the family lived elsewhere, the research becomes more complex.
“People often believe you can find everything on the Internet, but you can’t,” Read said.
Although Rootsweb, a website for genealogy research, provides valuable information, a researcher will need to contact libraries and other institutions in order to obtain a more detailed account of one’s life, Read informed. Cemetery indexes, state archives, and photographic records are sometimes necessary, he added.
Discovering facts about one’s own roots and background can lead to unexpected outcomes, Read said. When he himself found details about his grandfather who died in Edmonton, Alberta, in the 1960s, he discovered that his grandfather had left behind around $5,000, which was kept in a government account for around 40 years, because no one could trace the survivors. Read was able to arrange for the funds to be released and forwarded to the nearest surviving relatives of his grandfather.

For more information: Residents interested in participating in the project by forwarding obituaries, photographs or other materials can contact Rick Read by phone at 733-1227 or e-mail rmr-wgs@comcast.net. The Whatcom Genealogy Society meets at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2117 Walnut Street, Bellingham, on the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The group’s website is http://wagenweb.org/whatcom/WGS/wgs.htm.

Mount Baker
The Mount Baker High School drama department will present “Babes in Arms,” a 1937 musical and book by Richard Rodgers and Lorenzo Hart about a teenage boy who puts on a show with his friends to avoid being sent to a work farm.
Performances will take place in the Mount Baker High School Auditorium on Thursday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb. 7. Evening times are  7:30 p.m. and the Sunday showing is at 2 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information, contact Director Pam Mueller via e-mail at pmueller@mtbaker.wednet.edu or call 383-2015.