The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is closing the southbound lanes of Guide Meridian (also known as State Route 539) next week, from 4am on Monday July 31st until approximately 5am on Saturday August 5th. (Yes, we said August 4th on the title – because, let’s be real, most of us won’t be driving Saturday morning before 5am and there’s a fair chance they’ll re-open it earlier). The closure is to complete “concrete leveling work” on the approach to the small bridge just south of the larger Nooksack River bridge.
Southbound lanes of SR539 will close just north of this picture, between Wiser Lake Rd and River Rd.
WSDOT shared on Twitter a video showing the “bump” most of our readers have probably experienced when approaching that bridge at 50 miles per hour:
Lyndenites who travel the Guide (who doesn’t!?) have surely noticed the construction and updates at Lynden Lube & Auto over the past several months. Owner Rob Heerspink and his team are excited to welcome the community to check out their fully revitalized space at their Grand Re-Opening & Open House this weekend (Saturday from 9am to 2pm).
The lobby and waiting area of the newly-remodeled Lynden Lube feels more like a boutique hotel lobby than an auto shop.Free coffee and water bottles are available in the modern-yet-comfortable space while you wait for your vehicle or your ride.
The shop, which opened in 1997, was required by the State to sell a portion of their property closest to the Guide Meridian to make room for planned future lane expansion through Lynden. “What’s funny is now that we’re done with the demolition and remodel, the State doesn’t have the widening on their current schedule anymore,” Rob shared. Nonetheless, with the major remodel behind them, Lynden Lube now has more space than ever to perform everything from basic oil changes to complete automotive and engine repair.
The building was originally a Studebaker dealer in the 1930’s, and then was home to Milt’s Market in the 60’s (Milt’s Pizza was opened behind the current Lynden Lube building).
“Our perspective is to make lemonade on lemons,” explained Rob, who took over the business with his wife Cheryl in 2009. When the State approached them, they could have chosen to simply downsize the highway-facing portion of their building, but instead used the opportunity to expand, having outgrown their previous footprint.
Tractor helps pull a semi from the ditch (photo credit: Berk's Towing)
It was Lynden’s biggest winter storm in decades.
For a week straight, snowfall pounded Lynden area like no other in the state. Freezing rain layered dangerous ice on nearly everything. Strong winds brought bone-chilling cold that piled snow in large drifts and took down ice-laden power lines and trees.
And the Lynden community responded in a big way.
As conditions worsened, residents stayed home when possible. City crews plowed roads around the clock, but it wasn’t enough. But seemingly every tractor in the area — large and small, new and old — was re-purposed to clear snow from roads and driveways.
Nick Snydar worked around the clock in Snydar Farms’ tractor to clear roads and pull drivers from the ditch.
Nick Snydar of Snydar Farms Custom Farming, pictured in the John Deere tractor above, was very active all week volunteering his time and resources. “Just did what I could to help the local farmers and neighbors we serve in the county.”
With his large tractor, Snydar focused mainly on county roads surrounding Lynden. “I know what a struggle it is for milk trucks and feed trucks to get around to the farms and the county snowplow trucks couldn’t keep up!” He even pulled out a stuck snowplow, in addition to Sheriff’s vehicle, other large farming equipment, and around a dozen cars.
An LTI snowplow and John Deere tractor plow as weather improves Thursday afternoon. (photo: Nick Snydar)
Inside city limits and out, farmers could be seen day and night helping their neighbors out. The ourLynden Facebook page was filled with these stories:
The Lynden Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County is holding their inaugural Day for Kids event on Saturday, September 17th starting at 5:00 PM. The event is a gathering for Lynden-area families to have fun, get to know the Boys & Girls Club, and maybe even leave with a sweet raffle prize.
Event tickets are $5 and can be purchased online in advance or at the door. Barbecue lunch is included, as well as a ticket to enter one of several raffles (one additional raffle ticket will be given for each $2 donated to the club at the event). Raffle prizes include an Edaleen Dairy punch card, Dave’s Sports Shop fishing gift basket, a beach house getaway, Nuthouse Grill gift card, E2 Fitness membership, Lynden Skateway $100 gift card, a vehicle detailing basket from S&H Auto parts, and a personalized t-shirt from Bellingham Baby Co.
A young Lynden club member does art during After School club recently.
The Lynden Clubhouse is located at 8800 Bender Road, in the Sonlight Community Church building. The Day for Kids will feature fun games such as tug-of-war, giant jenga, dodgeball, 3-legged race, 4-square and more. Families with kids of all ages are welcome to the event, while the Clubhouse’s regular weekday hours are designed for students in 1st grade and higher.
Lynden Clubhouse members pause from active play to enjoy a moment of friendship.
Boys & Girls Club throughout the year
As another school year begins, it’s a great time to learn a bit about the Lynden Boys & Girls Club. The club hosts weekday ‘Early Bird’ hours from 7:00 A.M. until schools open (bus transportation is provided), and After School hours from 2:30 to 6:30 P.M. The goal is to provide a positive environment, quality programs and lifelong learning skills for school-age youth — a safe environment for kids to have fun and be themselves.
Here are the photos from HOEK Photography (for best viewing and to read captions: on a desktop browser, click a photo to enlarge then scroll through them using your keyboard mouse):
For more than seven decades a community market has been at the corner of Northwood Road and the Badger. In recent years, many have noticed that the market wasn’t kept up as well, but now under new ownership it’ll soon be a new day for Northwood Market.
An “Under Renovation” sign hangs in front of the Northwood Market.Layne and Lori Brennick are the new owners of the Northwood Market, and work is already well underway to update the building inside and out. The Brennicks lived in Lynden until about 12 years ago, when their work in education brought them across the country. “We decided we wanted to move back to this great area, and then we found this diamond in the rough for sale, and decided to go for it,” Layne shared.
Artist’s rendering of new Northwood Market frontage on Badger Rd.
Editor’s Note: Bailee Mulder is a Lynden native and journalism student at the University of Oregon. You’ll see posts from her throughout the summer on ourLynden, and we’ll soon post an article to fully introduce our readers to Bailee. Welcome, Bailee!
The Fourth of July is a holiday loved by Lyndenites, where we celebrate America’s independence and our freedoms with family and friends in our community. Some go on camping trips, others enjoy backyard barbeques, many do fireworks, but however you decide to celebrate, a holiday spent with the ones we love on a beautiful day is always something special.
Wondering where to buy fireworks, the regulations on fireworks or where to celebrate on the Fourth of July holiday? Here’s your full guide to Independence Day in Lynden.
Fireworks: Where to buy
Lynden has four fireworks stands that will be open through the Fourth of July holiday, all on the west side of town.
The first stand can be found just past Safeway heading south on the Guide Meridian. Another stand is set up next to O’Reilly’s on Kok Road – a fundraiser for the Lynden Pioneer Museum that’s been going for about 15 years.
Lynden Pioneer Museum fundraiser fireworks stand on Kok Road
On Saturday June 4th, after the annual Farmer’s Day Parade, people from all around Lynden area came together to create a delicious 1,250 foot long (that’s 4 blocks!) strawberry shortcake.
Enjoy the videos above with footage from the ground, the nearby rooftops and even the air to give some perspective on the World’s Longest Strawberry Shortcake!
photo by Everlasting Photography
Check out some more great photos from the parade in Everlasting Photography’s Facebook album:
Downtown Lynden during last year's Farmers Day Parade.
We did it!
Thanks to votes from all around the country, Lynden has been named the 1st Place winner in the “America’s Main Streets” competition. Thousands of ourLynden followers voted through the ourLynden Facebook page, and countless others voted all around the area.
$25,000 will be awarded to the Downtown Business Association (DBA), which plans to use the money for further improvements and investments around downtown Lynden. Ken Stap, president of the Lynden DBA, shared that the funds will be used in a few different ways.
The first funds will be used to update the watering equipment for Lynden’s famous hanging flower baskets, and then additional funding will help improve ‘wayfinding’ — signage to help visitors and locals alike find what they’re looking for in and around Lynden. Remaining money will likely be used to begin exploring options to increase and improve parking downtown — a great problem to have.
The 2015 Farmers Day Parade on Front Street in Lynden.
“We’re just so jazzed and honored for this award,” Stap said. “The organizers of the contest are planning to fly out a crew to throw a celebration ceremony in Lynden on the 4th of July, and will even be sending a film crew to the Farmer’s Day Parade this weekend.” Details about the July 4th ceremony will be shared on ourLynden as soon as they are available.
Opening night at CubanoCubano (photo by @ticklishchicken)
An authentic taste of Cuba may not be as distant as you think.
Havana? Miami? Nope — right here in Lynden!
You read that right. Last week CubanoCubano debuted their tasty Cuban grub in Lynden to an overflow crowd outside of Overflow Taps. The food truck is the first Cuban food on wheels in Whatcom County, and one of only a couple food trucks that roll into Lynden.
Lynden-native Sean Beanblossom is the face behind the grill, acting as chef and owner, to crank out some delicious eats. Beanblossom recently returned to the area after serving as an executive chef in Portland, Oregon.
