YMCA offers before school child care
KENDALL – YMCA now offers before school daycare at Kendall Elementary. The first day of the program was Jan. 25. Afterschool care is already available. The program is DSHS approved and scholarships are available. For more information, contact the YMCA Family Enrichment  Director at 733-8630 or stop by the Kendall Elementary school office.

Knit, crochet workshop on Feb. 6
DEMING – A free knit and crochet workshop will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6 from 2-4 p.m. at the Deming Library. Free patterns and other materials will be available for beginning projects. The workshop is being offered by Louise Granger and Ann Storm. All knitters, crocheters, and needleworkers welcome.

Registration for youth sports under way
DEMING – Mt. Baker Youth Baseball (MBYB) is accepting registrations for children in grades Kindergarten through 6th, as well as any youth interested in the U10, U12, U14, or U16 Fastpitch Division. Forms are available at the Deming Library. You can also register at http://mtbaker.baberuthonline.com. The group’s next meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 2 in Room 205 at the Mt. Baker Junior High School at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Chellie Anderson at 927-3933.
In other news, registration is also under way for the Mt. Baker Girls Softball League, open to 1st through 6th grade girls at Harmony, Acme and Kendall Elementary schools. The spring activity will be kickball. For more information, contact Steve Otten at 483-7102.

Lynden/Everson Subzone to meet
LYNDEN – The Lynden/Everson Subzone will meet on Monday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. at the Northwood Fire Hall, located at the corner of Northwood Road and Badger Road in Lynden. Agenda items include election of officers, role of committee members and levee vegetation maintenance. For more information, contact the Public Works River & Flood Division at 676-6876.

Kendall holds soap drove for Haiti

KENDALL – Kendall Elementary’s 3rd and 4th graders are having an all-school collection for the earthquake victims of Haiti.
Students are collecting unopened bars of soap from now until Feb. 11. Donations can be dropped off at Kendall Elementary at the front desk or any classroom. For more information, call Kendall Elementary at 383-2055.

Homeless Count on March 4; volunteers sought

BELLINGHAM, – The county wide Project Homeless Connect will offer services to the homeless on March 4, 2010 in Bellingham.
Project Homeless Connect’s goal is to help the 1,300 people who are homeless in Whatcom County – a number recorded through  January 2009 Point-in-Time Count, which is counted people who are homeless in Whatcom County.
At the 2009 Bellingham/Whatcom Project Homeless Connect 475 guests received services, helped by more than 500 volunteers and service providers. The number of locations has been doubled for the 2010 event, and guest attendance is expected to be higher.
Confidential services include dental care, medical exams, vision screening, women’s health care, information on veteran benefits, housing assistance, and more.
“This is our community’s way of engaging people with the issue of homelessness,” said Dan Hammill, Program Director at Whatcom Volunteer Center. “When you volunteer at this event, you make a difference in someone’s life.”
Project Homeless Connect is a community effort led by The Opportunity Council, Whatcom Volunteer Center, Whatcom Homeless Service Center, Catholic Community Services, Department of Corrections and Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access. Overall, more than 30 agencies are involved in planning and putting on the event. Local government is also involved, including the Bellingham Police Department and the Whatcom County Health Department. Whatcom Transit Authority has donated two free ride days on March 3 and 4 to help guests and volunteers gain access to Project Homeless Connect.
Project Homeless Connect is seeking more than 300 volunteers from all sectors of the community to provide guest intake, food service and other assistance.
People interested in volunteering should contact Rebecca Rayner at 734-305 or rebeccar@whatcomvolunteer.org to sign up for a session taking place on Feb. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Health Education Center at 3333 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham.

(Editor’s Note: This column was previously published in the Foothills Gazette. John McKnight was stuck in D.C. (with no identification on him!) as of press time. He’ll return with a new column in our next issue, and I’m sure he’ll tell us all about it.)

by John McKnight
It was the day after the Superbowl, a day I always take off. A lot of people probably wish they did, and some might have made it out fishing that Monday if they had.  Working just might be easier than fishing the day after the Superbowl.
It was cold and might rain, or might snow, but generally it was perfect fishing weather as long as you have the right gear. I hit the trail and crunched through the winter leftovers wondering why it can’t just go ahead and snow for real someday. Mostly I wondered if there’d be any fish, should be, but you never know.  There is only one decent hole close by to fish at, and it gets pretty shallow at times.  Sometimes that doesn’t matter, sometimes it does.
I had a lot of time today so if it didn’t pan out I could explore up river and see what I could see.  So working the far bank around the rocks and getting no action at all, I wasn’t too disappointed I’d have to go upstream.  It had been years since I’d been up that way and who knows what the river had done since?
Hitting a couple of promising looking spots along the way I did a fair job of catching the bottom.  Kind of what it feels like to hook that big fish for a second, but then it moves, the bottom doesn’t.  And I was lucky; I didn’t lose my lure, that’s something to be happy about.
There was a long stretch of river bank to walk to what looked like the next hole.  And it felt good to cruise unimpeded instead of bushwhacking through the shrubbery and dead debris in the woods.  So I lit a cigar for the stroll.  I’m not a smoker, but I enjoy a good cigar out of doors now and then, or a briar pipe around the campfire.   No sooner did I get it good and going when I slipped on a rock and knocked it out of my mouth with my fishing pole.  I broke it too…the cigar not the pole.
Up around the bend I found what looked to be the deepest hole yet. Above that the river had made a detour through the woods and looked completely out of shape for any fishing.  Or I was just a little too out of shape to think working around all the down trees would be worth finding out what lay around the next corner.  So I’d make this my last corner before heading back.
Weird thing is the hole was slowly filling in with fine gravel and sand.  This gave me good access but I had to think twice before stepping out onto the little sand bar.  Sometimes they look real solid until you’re on them, then quick as a wink you’re up to your ankles and sinking fast.  Not a good feeling. So I tested and prodded then stepped lightly, as lightly as I could step after eating all day at a Superbowl party.  And it was solid, though I never completely trusted it and tried to use the same spots to walk and stand.
Once again I was killing the bottom, but always managed to get my lure unstuck just as I was ready to break the line.  Then the bottom moved, and in that split second that I realized I had a fish, my line went slack and I saw him roll on the surface. He was big that fish that got away, but not nearly as big as the waterlogged stick I caught about 20 minutes later.

John McKnight has been exploring Whatcom and Skagit counties for over 25 years. He can be e-mailed at john@foothillsgazette.com.

by Anne Baker
MT. BAKER – The Mt. Baker Ski Area’s Legendary Banked Slalom will celebrate its 25th anniversary Feb. 5-7. Hailed as the longest running snowboard competition in the world, the event attracts hundreds of competitors, including children, amateurs, and the sport’s top professionals,
According to Mt. Baker’s Marketing Director Amy Trowbridge, the top snowboarders “come to be competitive, but also to enjoy the barbecue, camaraderie, and the history of the event.”
The first Banked Slalom, held in 1985, had just 15 racers. Humble beginnings, though its origins itself are now legendary. Northwest snowboarding pioneer Bob Barci and early snowboard maker Tom Sims are credited with creating the event.
The late Barci owned the Bike Factory, a shop in Bellevue which encouraged the growth of the then fringe sports of BMX, skateboarding, and snowboarding. A snowboarder himself, riding slopes without lift access and on the earliest gear, Barci’s shop was among the first in the Northwest to sell snowboards. Barci encouraged and supported the first generation of hot riders in the world, a group of friends which called themselves the Mt. Baker Hard Core (MBHC) and included Craig Kelly, Jeff Fulton, Dan Donnelly, Eric Swanson, Carter Turk, Eric Jenko, and later on Mike Ranquet, Mike (Tex) Davenport, and Jaime Lynn.
Wanting to hold a contest for these up and comings, Barci approached Duncan Howat, general manager of the Mt. Baker Ski Area. At the time, Mt. Baker was one of the few areas that allowed snowboarding in-bounds; in fact, it always welcomed snowboarders.
Receiving the green light from Howat, Barci organized the race for Superbowl Sunday, as most skiers would be at home, and set up the 500-foot long course in the upper part of “the Chute” under Chair 1. Barci served as timer and judge. Few spectators showed up.
The competitors included a lineup of some of the most famous names of early snowboarding history. Tom Sims took first place in the contest with a time of 23.86 seconds. Terry Kidwell, a several time world half-pipe champion between the years of 1984-87, came with Sims from California to participate. Mike Olson, founder of the snowboard making company Mervin Manufacturing (better known for its Lib Tech and Gnu brands), was on hand from Seattle. A small group of Canadians showed up, and of course, the MBHC represented the local scene.
Trowbridge, just 13 years old at the time, recalls riding up Chair 1 and watching the event. Thinking it was “the coolest thing I ever saw,” she set down her skis in favor of a Sims snowboard given to her father, Duncan Howat. The two snowboarded together, marking the beginning of a successful snowboarding career for Trowbridge. In between winning world championships in Europe, she placed first in the Women’s category of the Banked Slalom in 1987, the first year that category existed, and again in 1990.
For the remainder of the 1980s, the event grew phenomenally into one of the biggest snowboarding races in the world, with 40-60 racers including top riders like Shaun Palmer and Craig Kelly. In the 90’s, the event tapered off, perhaps due to big events taking place in Europe, though snowboarding superstars like world champion Terje Haakonsen and Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati were still attracted to the event.
Towards the latter part of the 90’s, Trowbridge and her sister Gwyn Howat began running the event, and it grew once again. Trowbridge credits this growth to the support of Mervin Manufacturing, its team riders spreading the word in the European contests, and the event being old enough to generate nostalgia for its origins.
By the early 2000’s, the event started filling up quick, with 275-300 snowboarders participating. Since many folks who wanted to race were not getting in, a lottery was instituted, as well as a local’s qualifier held each Martin Luther King Jr. Day to give area residents a shot at racing in the actual event. Perhaps as a result, for three out of the last four years, the coveted “duct tape trophy” for the Pro Men category went to Mt. Baker local Temple Cummins and Glacier’s own Lucas DeBari.
What seems to make the event legendary is that it is a celebration of the soul and spirit of the sport, which can be traced back to the pioneers of the event and the sport itself. Those pioneers began experimenting with snowboarding not for cash prizes, fame, or tricked out gear, but for a love of flowing downhill, through powder, accompanied by friends. This purity is what seems to attract so many to the event today.

The 25th annual Legendary Banked Slalom will take place at the Mt. Baker Ski Area on Friday, Feb. 5 through Sunday, Feb. 7. Several hundred snowboarders are expected to compete. In addition to division competition, there will be a barbecue, music and awards ceremony.  For more information, visit www.mtbaker.us or watch for updates here at www.foothillsgazette.com.

by Becca Schwarz
KENDALL – The Foothills Subarea Plan Advisory Committee will meet on Wednesday, Feb. 3 to discuss and provide input about items relating to the area.
The Subarea Plan Update was initially scheduled to appear in front of the Whatcom County Planning Commission in February/March 2010, however it is being pushed back again. A ruling in mid-December by the State Supreme Court called for Whatcom County to revise its Rural Element of the County Comprehensive Plan, including Limited Areas of More Intensive Rural Development (LAMIRDs). The county must first adopt and apply criteria for designation of LAMIRDS into the County Comprehensive Plan, before adopting individual LAMIRDS within Whatcom County, including within the Foothills Subarea Plan Update.
According to Whatcom County Senior Planner Matt Aamot, there is not yet a deadline for the LAMIRD ordinance, so there is not a firm timeline for the Subarea Plan either.
“We are waiting until after the County Council adopts the LAMIRD ordinance,” he said of the Foothills Subarea timeline. He noted that the Subarea Plan must be adopted along with all the other comprehensive plan amendments at concurrent review, which takes plan once a year. “Therefore, it is likely that the Subarea Plan will be adopted, concurrently with other comprehensive plan amendments, in the first quarter of 2011.”
During the Feb. 3 meeting, the committee will provide input on Planning Commission recommendations for LAMIRDS. The agenda also includes discussion about the  County Council’s decision regarding the size of the Columbia Valley Urban Growth Area (UGA) and associated capital facility issues, such as water and fire/emergency services. The agenda does not include any official presentations from local districts.
The 11-member committee is  down to nine seats, following the resignation of Alan Seid and the death of Sean Wilson, the shooter in the murder-suicide on Jan. 7 in Peaceful Valley. Both seats represent the Kendall/Columbia Valley.
“There are no plans at this time to appoint new members to the FSPAC,” Aamot said, when asked about the seats. “Although we are continuing to ask for committee feedback on emerging issues, their main task – development of a draft subarea plan – has been completed.”
The meeting takes place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Kendall Elementary School. The public is welcome to comment. Background information about the Subarea Plan Update is available at www.whatcomcounty.us/pds/planning/FoothillsSubareaPlanUpdate.htm. For more information, call the Planning Department at 676-6907.

by Brita Adkinson
MAPLE FALLS – Local resident and artist Susan Lafferty creates delicate sketch-like art work on cloth, using batik technology, at her studio called Meadowkeep near Silver Lake.
“I spent three years learning many art techniques at Marin Community College near San Francisco,” Lafferty said. She learned different methods of making pottery, such as burning raku pots in sand on a beach, and creating sculptures, learning how to pour melting brass or aluminum into a casting. She also tried various kinds of painting techniques. Eventually, Lafferty began focusing on batik art, and developed her own unique style.
“No one had explained how it worked, so, instead of doing what most people do, I found a different way to do it,” she shared.
Traditionally, the artist puts wax over areas that are not to be dyed, then applies the dye to the cloth. Instead, Lafferty used the wax dispenser, called a tjanting tool, as a pen, filling it with the dye and applied the dye onto the cloth. She added further colors using the regular batik method. The method is complex and requires many steps including placing the artwork in the refrigerator in order for the wax to crack open so it can be removed.
“Each piece of art takes a long time to make,” Lafferty said. The tools she uses come from Java. The end result is a piece of art that resembles a water color painting, but with the delicate crack patterns that characterize batik art. Lafferty takes great delight in making pictures of old homes and barns, and also of animals and nature scenes.
An Idaho native, Lafferty traveled across the country, settling in Vermont, Virginia and California, all the while pursuing her art. She has started and operated small businesses, including an art store and a nursery. Moving north to Washington State, Lafferty took up studies in occupational therapy in Seattle, and spent several years assisting people with various handicaps. “My building and design skills came to good use in designing and building ramps for people.”
Lafferty arrived in the Silver Lake area eight years ago, and believes she has found her long-term home. She enjoys restoring and extending her art studio, a small old barn which she arranged to move from its original place by Lake Samish to its new home next to her home on Bear Ridge Way.
Lafferty’s art is displayed at Glacier Creations next to Graham’s Store in Glacier, and Mountainside Gardens at 6900 Mount Baker Highway. Both locations are open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

compiled by Brent Cole
The following items were compiled through reports filed with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO):

Assault
• Jan. 25: A female was arrested for assault in the 900 block of Ruby Valley Court, Columbia Valley. She was arrested for fourth degree assault booked into the Whatcom County Jail.

Burglary
• Jan. 17: Unknown person(s) entered a property on Rock Road, Sumas, and stole items.

Drug Activity
• Jan. 5: Nooksack Tribal police responded to a suspicious circumstance in the 5000 block of Mt. Baker Highway. Upon arrival, Nooksack Police Officers were made aware of a possible drug transaction that occurred in a parking lot.

DUI
• Jan. 15: A Nooksack woman was taken into custody for DUI at the corner of Kendall Highway and Peaceful Valley. She was booked into Whatcom County Jail.

Identity Theft
• Jan. 26: A resident of Everson-Goshen Road reported unknown suspects used personal information to order a product. Information for an indentity theft report was taken.

Making false statements
• Jan. 11: A WCSO deputy received a report of a vehicle theft in the 4000 block of Eagle Rock Lane, Everson. The investigation showed that a man made a false statement to the deputy about the vehicle being stolen. He was arrested for making a false statement and was released with a criminal citation and a court date.

Possession/Manufacturing
• Jan. 23: A resident of Green Valley Drive, Columbia Valley, was contacted on a traffic stop on the Guide Meridian. Driver was found to be driving with a suspended license 3rd degree and in possession of controlled substances. He was booked into the Whatcom County Jail.
• Jan. 22: A Deming man was contacted in the 4420 block of Meridian and arrested for possession of marijuana. He was booked into the Whatcom County Jail. He was also involved in a possession of stolen property case at the time of his arrest.
• Jan. 19: WCSO deputies responded to the above location for a neighborhood dispute in the 6300 block of Sante Fe Trail, Paradise Lakes. Deputies detected a strong and obvious odor of marijuana emanating from a residence. Consent was provided by the tenant and a search recovered multiple marijuana plants and items used to cultivate and sell marijuana. Case forwarded to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office.
• Jan. 16: A Maple Falls-area man and an Everson man were stopped for a traffic infraction on I-5. All of the vehicle’s occupants were arrested for possession of controlled substances (methamphetamine). All were booked into Whatcom County Jail.
• Jan. 14: Deputies responded to the 2600 block of Clear Valley Drive, Peaceful Valley, in regards to a juvenile runaway inside a vacant/abandoned home. An adult male and two juveniles were contacted at the property. All subjects had outstanding warrants for their arrest and were taken into custody. After contacting the owner of the property, the subjects were all arrested for Possession of Marijuana/Possession and use of drug paraphernalia/trespass 1st degree.

Rape of a child
• Jan. 13: A man was arrested in the 8500 block of Bluebell Court, Paradise Lakes, for rape of a child 1st degree. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail.

Suspended license
• Jan. 19: A Bellingham resident was arrested in the 2400 block of Mt. Baker Highway for driving with a revoked drivers license. Person was booked into Whatcom County Jail for driving with license suspended 2nd degree.
• Jan. 16: An Everson man was stopped in the 4700 block of Mount Baker Highway. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail for driving with license suspended 2nd degree.

Theft
• Jan. 21: A person reported their skis were stolen from the upper lodge area at the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
• Jan. 19: A person reported their snowboard was stolen from the ski rack at the Mt. Baker Ski Area.
• Jan. 11: Nooksack Tribal Police took a theft complaint at the Nooksack Casino. Victim reported a personal item was stolen in September. Suspect was identified.
• Jan. 8: Unknown suspect(s) entered a property and stole items on Weidkamp Road.

Trespass
• Jan. 22: Two female residents of Shamrock Road, Paradise Lakes, were arrested for criminal trespass 2nd degree in the 4400 block of Meridian Street. Suspects were also involved in a possession of stolen property case at the time of their arrest. They were booked into the Whatcom County Jail.

by Chuck McClung

Perhaps you’ve just bought a new home with no landscaping, or perhaps you’re just unhappy with your existing landscape. Since it seems we’re going to have an early Spring this year, jump on it! A nice, long Spring means more time for new plantings to get established before our dryish summers set in. You say “We’re clueless and we need help.” So how do you find good assistance with your new landscape?
Before you even think about hiring someone, think about what you want from your landscape. You say, “Well, I don’t know, that’s why I need help.” If you’re unhappy with some aspect of your landscape, then you know something, and that’s a start.
Get a piece of paper and literally write down exactly what you don’t like. For example: I don’t like our entryway; I don’t like the view from the street; it’s too crowded; I don’t like Rhododendrons; I don’t like orange (what?!?); I don’t like the shrubs scraping up against the house.
Also write down anything you want: a veggie garden; a path; a pond; low maintenance (I prefer the word commitment); no lawn; some shade; lots of light; etc. If you’re still stuck, just write down words that feel right, even if they don’t seem to make sense in a gardening or landscaping context, e.g. colorful, soft, flowing, easy, open, full, up and down, side to side, bright, whatever. A good landscaper/consultant will find those words immensely helpful.
Word of mouth is the rule of thumb when it comes to landscaping and gardening help. Often, but not always, the best landscapers, gardeners and consultants are like the best plumbers, electricians, builders, and handy people – they don’t advertise much, because they don’t need to. Their work speaks for itself, and word of mouth travels quickly.
Ask around. Ask your friends and coworkers if they have suggestions for landscaping assistance. Do you have a friend whose landscape really speaks to you?  Ask them about it. Do you see a house in your neighborhood whose landscape layout and planting combinations really excite you? Go knock on their door, and ask. Really, try it. Good luck this year, and keep the veggie garden close to the house!
Chuck McClung is the owner of Fantastic Gardens and helps others solve their outdoor and indoor gardening dilemmas. He can be contacted at orchidfruit@hotmail.com.