I like Ferndale better than Hawkdale.

The city council, in Ferndale, WA. has voted to temporarily rename that city Hawkdale. It's Hawkdale this week till after the Superbowl due to Seattle Seahawks playing in the Superbowl.

I'm not a sports fan, but today was a nice day. I decided to bike out the 7, or so miles to Ferndale to see if any road signs had been temporarily changed. I found no changes. It still looks like Ferndale to me.

I found no road signs or banners across Main Street saying Hawkdale.

Not even any reader board was changed to Hawkdale, as I could see.

I mostly went for the ride itself. Here along the Nooksack River.

In Hovander Homestead Park now mostly reopened after recent flooding.

Part of my trip was along the Nooksack River Dike Trail.

Whatcom County ride listening to the Punjabi station

Bike ride on a beautiful day with a different twist. Here's a picture of Mount Baker with zoom lens and a radio tower. It's the radio station in Ferndale. 1550 on the AM dial. Broadcasts in Punjabi and plays music from India.

Why in Ferndale? There was a station for sale a few years back in Ferndale and an outfit jumped on the opportunity to have a station in that location, close enough to Surrey, BC. to beam Punjabi programming into Surrey's large Indian audience.

I sometimes listen, here in Bellingham as I like Indian music; for a while at least. Sounds like Bollywood.

Today, I listened as I peddled. Got as far west as Douglas and Lake Terrell Roads before turning back to Bellingham.

A few more of the towers of KRPI pictured below. Located near the east end of Douglas Road.

Easy solution to Ferndale teachers 6 minute request?

Add 6 more minutes to the student's lunch hour?

There must be more to this issue than meets my eye. Teachers in the Ferndale School District, north of Bellingham have postponed the first days of school by being on strike.

The issue - 6 more minutes of time to prepare for the day's lessons. At least according to a recent Bellingham Herald article, it looks like teachers are asking for a bit more time to prepare during the school day.

Seems like there's an easy solution to that problem which is in line with my shorter workweek philosophy. Couldn't they just give the kids a slightly longer recess and/or lunch break? How about letting school out 6 minutes early, or even just starting class 3 minutes later at the start of the day and ending class 3 minutes earlier at the end of the day?

Seems like the students wouldn't mind. No more money would have to be spent if this problem can be solved by just juggling the time differently within the school day.

I do realize that it may turn out to be more than just 6 minutes as some teachers are needed to supervise recess. Still, juggling time within the school day shouldn't be too hard.

"Quality time" for the kids versus just "quantity of time." While the kids play, a little more time for teachers to prepare for the classroom.

Of course I'm probably missing something. There may be state mandates that dictate down to the minute how much time kids must spend in class. Come on, things are getting a bit nit picky.

Maybe there's more to this issue than meets my eye. Today's Herald talked about differences over the health plan and some other issues as well. Money is tight.

Leisurely bicycle pedal to Ferndale River Walk and back

Spring must be on it's way. Last Saturday was great. I biked up to Ferndale and checked out the River Walk. It's new. Nothing spectacular, but pleasant.

Strolling in the slow lane.


Nice view across Nooksack River.


From Ferndale, I rode to Hovander County Park. This is what a lot of outsiders picture Whatcom County being like. Pastoral with Mount Baker in background. More and more of the county is becoming sprawl as people tend to love the country to death. Baker is normally hidden in clouds or haze. Hoovander Homestead is saved because it's actually a park. However there is a growing farmland preservation movement in this area.


One can climb up this tower for more vista, plus the tower's shadow.


Hovander is nice, but more of the county is like this (below Main St. to Axton Way); traffic. Still tolerable if there's a shoulder.

Coming back home, I took a bike trail that follows the dike along Nooksack River. It went from Hovander Park to Slater Road. Path goes on south, but Slater is a better road to come back on since it has a shoulder even though it's full of casino traffic.


My favorite way back into town is down Bennett to Marine and Eldridge. Mountain still visible behind historic smokestack of Oeser Cedar. Some people think, "toxic site." Yes, I've read some things about that cedar mill, but I forget exactly what, except it does have some local history. Did I read that this was the oldest large smokestack in town? Or maybe I'm mixing up two articles.

Anyway, a leisurely Saturday on my bicycle.

Pioneer Plaza

In Ferndale?

Another big center planned for Whatcom County. The above photo is not Pioneer Plaza as it hasn't been built yet. Photo shows a plaza at Western Washington University.

Around the time I graduated from Western, I thought the concept of a campus could be applied to a town for permanent residents. A "plaza city" complete with the gym, campus union building, and central heating system.

Dorms for transient students could be replaced with apartments and condos for permanent residents.

There could be shopping, parks and offices.

The academic program would be replaced with some sort of employer; such as a factory.

During college, I designed a "city in one building" as others were doodling in their class notes. My concept of a "campus city" was mentioned in May 1980 Council-Grams, a journal put out by National Council of Teachers of English.

Anyway, a similar planned unit development has been proposed for Ferndale over the years. Maybe not quite like my idea, but something with more variety than just a shopping center or residential subdivision.

Can something like that survive in this area?

Good question.

Since my college years, I have also marvelled at the amount of retailing in the greater Bellingham area. Seems like more stores than people. Of course I am from a much smaller town with few shopping alternatives. Bellingham seemed to be adding new centers and shopping everywhere.

With local industries laying off folks, I wondered, "where do the customers come from?"

Somehow many of these businesses thrive.

More recently, I concluded that the massive run up in California home prices is having a spill over effect in our local economy. Enough independently wealthy "recent home sellers" are moving into this area to keep up the consumer spending even though there doesn't seem to be much in the way of job producing industry.

Of course a big center like Pioneer Plaza could bring in it's own money generating industry, for instance if something like a Microsoft were to locate in it's office complexes.

Then there are the folks in this area who don't wish to see growth here. That's another commentary.

Anyway, it is interesting to see how this proposal will play out.

Notice, on the picture of that plaza at Western, the sculpture of people lifting a stone.

Can our local economy, region, world hold up to all the new people and things planned?

Of course one big center with the jobs, residents and recreation close by would be better for the environment than having to commute to things; that is if the people are being born and coming anyway.

Main Street improvements, Ferndale, WA.

Main Street Ferndale, Washington. Doesn't look bad on a Saturday (when I biked there), but choked with traffic weekdays according to a February 26 Herald article. Things usually look better from a bicyclist's perspective anyway.

Car and business owners are doing some fuming now that the 5.4 million dollar bridge and street improvements are complete.

It's still just 2 lanes.

To widen this section of Main into 4 lanes would likely require tearing down the businesses who's buildings abut the right of way.

Tear down Main Street businesses to make room for more cars, or try and survive with less cars. Bus service is gradually improving. The sidewalk and bike lane improvements, that were part of the recent work, take up less space than making everything 4 lanes, 6 lanes? 8 lanes?