Encore July 2022

ncore E Wednesday, July 27, 2022

What’s Inside....

C3 — Debbie Gwaltney learned just how far she can “Press Her Luck” on ABC C4 — Trey Ballard serves up his philosophy on coaching HS tennis C8 — Owner of Etta’s Attic Antiques & Collectables shares her passion for vintage

A supplement of the Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022 | Ferndale Record

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022| Ferndale Record

Ferndale resident wins big on Press Your Luck

Ferndale resident Debbie Gwaltney, left, on the ABC-TV show Press Your Luck. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Press Your Luck TV 99)

No slowing down for Debbie Gwaltney

By Elisa Claassen For the Tribune

FERNDALE – Debbie Gwaltney is no one-hit wonder when it comes to being on television.

The 58-year-old Gwaltney, an executive assistant for Barron Heating, recently took home a series of hefty prizes from the

ABC-TV show Press Your Luck.

A year ago, Gwaltney, a single parent of two sons, made the news for winning a $25,000 Jeep Cherokee from another game show – and that wasn’t her first stint either.

All in all, Gwaltney has appeared five times on three shows since 1989: The Price is Right, Let’s Make a Deal, and now Press Your Luck. She’s met Bob Barker, Drew

Carey and Elizabeth Banks in the process.

Gwaltney, who used to live in California before she divorced in 1998, once had easy access to the sound stages where the shows are filmed. One of her stints on Let’s Make a Deal was done virtually. This time, ABC paid for her week-long visit which became a nice additional vacation. While Gwaltney knew she won, she couldn’t tell anyone

until it aired publicly which – after a few changes in airing dates – was on July 14.

Becoming a guest involved initially filling out an online questionnaire, Gwaltney said. Later she talked with producers and casting directors.

Press Your Luck was created by Bill See Gwaltney on C6

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022 | Ferndale Record

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More than just a game, set, match Lynden coach explains what he values in high school tennis

By Taras McCurdie For the Tribune

LYNDEN — After growing up in Walla Walla, Trey Ballard has aced it in life.

Ballard played tennis, basketball and soccer at Walla Walla High School, walked onto Walla Walla Community College and Eastern Washington University for tennis and recently concluded his 40th season as coach for both the boys and girls squads.

After graduating college, Ballard worked as a roofer before he became the Lynden tennis coach 30 years ago. Ballard said he doesn’t compete in tennis leagues anymore but rather plays for fun with his friends and high school players.

Ballard and his girls squad finished the 2021-22 season with a Northwest Conference title, the first one in the school's history. He also coached the Newcomb sisters, Adia and Kalanie, who placed fifth at state.

With the successes of the high school season, Ballard has specific reasons for his choice to coach high school versus college or professional players.

“High school [players] don’t really know much about tennis before they come to us,” Ballard said. “By the time my C-team

Lynden Lions head tennis coach Trey Ballard coaches Kalanie Newcomb on July 21 during an open hit session.

Ballard, originally from Walla Walla, just concluded his 40th season coaching tennis and is already preparing for the boys season in the fall. (Photo courtesy Trey Ballard)

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coaches and JV coaches worked with them and then I get them, they know the game of tennis enough, but they still haven’t been playing as much as some of the kids at Bellingham with the clubs there. What I like to see is our improvement where we’re not expected to win a lot of times, (but

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022| Ferndale Record rather) we’re going to be competitive."

Ballard explained that if he gets the “athletic kids out there who are competitive as we did this year, we can win.”

“We proved that,” Ballard said. “But tennis is just not their first sport. I don’t think I have very many players — maybe one or two girls where tennis is their first sport and maybe four boys. Otherwise, [tennis] is like their second or third sport. I know the Newcomb girls who went to state.

Basketball is one of their favorite sports and soccer is the other one’s favorite sport [with] tennis by far their third. (But) they are still athletic and very competitive. So, I like to see people like that succeed when the odds are kind of stacked against them (not having tennis as their number one sport). You can practice all you want, but it’s a matter of playing matches, learning how to calm down during the match, mentally (working) your way through it and (overcoming) some adversity on the court when things aren’t going your way.”

Ballard said his team plays each school twice, and so if they get “spanked” 0-7 the first time and lose 3-4 the second meeting, the team improved.

“We’re always looking at little things like that to measure our program,” Ballard said. “The biggest thing we try to do is have fun. If we can make it fun for the kids, then

they want to be there, (and) they want to put more time into it.”

For Ballard, tennis is fun.

“It’s not like we have to sell the fun part of tennis,” he said. “If (the players) have a competitive bone in their body, they’ll like tennis. You hit a perfect overhead, and now you want to do it again. And then you hit the next one into the net. Now, you’re frustrated. … So, I guess I enjoy the learning curve of just not being very good or expecting much but then seeing the look on (the players’) face(s) like, ‘Wow, I did it. I can do this.’ That’s why I play (and coach) this game.”

But with any sport, it takes time and opportunities to get good at something.

Teams in Bellingham have access to an indoor club during the offseason where schools like Lynden don’t have that luxury.

Ballard said his squad is a little behind other teams because of this issue, but he and his coaching staff will still work with what they get.

“If I have to tell my players, ‘Hey, we’re going to do some winter league. You’re going to have to drive to Bellingham,” he said. “It’s [more than an hour trip] there and back for a 40 minute to an hour lesson.’

It’s a lot of commitment. It’s just not easy.

So, I don’t push that on them. I would love to have them all play in the club.

C5 Obviously, if it becomes no fun and that’s happened, they start traveling so much they don’t want to go to tennis anymore.

I’m not forcing it on them; I just want them to be here. And we’ll work what we have and make them better.”

In the meantime, Ballard is preparing for the boys season, which will begin in a few months. He has been holding open hit at the courts this summer with the last session next week on Tuesday and Thursday from 9-10:30 a.m.

“It’s always exciting to see the kids improve,” he said. “How do we win?’ That’s what we’re always figuring out.”

More about Trey Ballard Favorite tournament: All four major tournaments. U.S. Open because it’s local, on a fast court and its atmosphere. Outside of major tournaments, BNP Paribas (Indian Wells) in California.

Favorite player: Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Pete Sampras’ volleys, Andy Roddick’s serve and Stan Wawrinka’s one-handed backhand.

Favorite brand of tennis equipment: Yonex.

-- Taras McCurdie can be reached at tennissoccer@comcast.net.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022 | Ferndale Record

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Debbie Gwaltney Carruthers and Jan McCormack, and originally aired on CBS daytime from September 1983 to September 1986. A new primetime version, hosted by actor Elizabeth Banks, has aired since June 12, 2019, on ABC. The format consists of three contestants who line up with trivia and spins. The crux of the action is being the first to buzz – to press your luck – to answer. After the correct answer, spinning commences as well as movement on a big board. So the time goes by fast with trivia questions, spins, hitting the buzzer, and prizes, of course. The prizes this time are absolute fabulous for a sports lover who is known around her community for her Seahawkspainted home and Seahawks’-wrapped vehicles.

For friends of Gwaltney, they are used to seeing her take her younger son Adam, a cancer survivor, to many sports events near

and far including the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Storm.

While Adam is physically 26, he appears much younger and is mistaken for a teen but functions similar to a 10- to 12-yearold, Gwaltney said.

Whatever she wins, Gwaltney shares and brings joy to her kids, Nate, 28, and Adam. “He’s (Adam) the sweetest young man.” His cancer, which was discovered when his appendix blew up two and a half years ago, was a rare neuroendocrine form. It is now gone.

Gwaltney made a virtual appearance on the gameshow Let’s Make a Deal last spring, and when the opportunity came to possibly reappear on the show she jumped at the chance. Gwaltney had producers reaching out to her then and it is still happening.

Gwaltney can be a guest on one game show a year, so she was asked what she

At right, Debbie Gwaltney pictured with sons Adam and Nate, and Nate's fiancée Brittney Hargrove, from left. The family is pictured at the public watching party of the show. In photo on opposite page, Gwaltney at the watching party. (Photo courtesy of ABC/Press Your Luck TV 99)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022| Ferndale Record

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wanted to do next and Press Your Luck was a top choice. In addition to having fun, Gwaltney made a connection with Banks and would love to even branch into acting at some point. “I was told she was so moved (by what she shared on the show).”

“Being on Press My Luck is a life changer for sure,” Gwaltney said.

“I still can’t believe I’ll be flying to every away Seahawks game this year and taking my boys to the Super Bowl (Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona). This is a lifelong dream come true.”

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022 | Ferndale Record

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Ins and outs of the antique world

Sharon Quast, owner of Etta’s Attic Antiques and Collectables, holds a photograph of her grandma Etta from 1919, whom the store is named after.

Having passion is essential to be in the antique business, Quast said. (Leora Watson/Lynden Tribune)

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022| Ferndale Record

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Sharon Quast talks about the art of antiques

By Leora Watson Staff Reporter

FERNDALE — You have to have passion to be in the antique business, according to Sharon Quast, owner of Etta’s Attic Antiques and Collectables.

Although Quast has operated her business from its current location in Ferndale for eight years, the shop first began in Bellingham in 2009.

From there, she would mostly sell vintage jewelry from the small shop located near the intersection of West Holly Street and Bay Street.

“I’m really into vintage jewelry, that’s one of my favorite things,” said Quast. “I like to wear something that nobody else has seen. I rarely see the same thing twice come through here, especially with jewelry.”

Quast started in the antique business and learned the trade when she worked at an antique store in Snohomish when she lived in Snohomish County. From there, she learned about different kinds of vintage items, how to assess how much items were worth, and pricing.

Quast has always liked antiques and said

she became passionate about them when she was 22 and purchased a vintage dresser.

“I like things one of a kind,” said Quast, who to this day still owns the dresser.

Quast has been in the antique world for more than 10 years and has witnessed it change throughout the years, with the biggest change being antiques being sold online.

“There’s a lot of online stuff now,” said Quast. “Personally, I don’t like that. I like the thrill of the hunt. If I go shopping, you have to touch and feel [the item] first.”

With owning an antique store, Quast is on the front line of seeing items coming back into trend from years ago, like brass decor and bolo necklaces.

“In the last year or so I’ve noticed a lot of brass is coming back, like brass candle holders,” said Quast. “And I remember them in the ‘70s.”

With nearly a dozen vendors in her store along with her own stuff, Quast has seen many interesting items come and go. Some she said are “stranger than others.”

One of the strangest being taxidermy brought in by one of her sellers, such as stuffed peacocks, skunks, pigs, badgers, goats, fish and squirrels.

“I would say one of the coolest things we had was a [taxidermy] bat,” said Quast. “[The seller] has brought in a few bats and you can’t tell their taxidermy.”

For Quast, her favorite decades for vintage items are the ‘30s and ‘40s and thinks that an item needs to go back to the ‘50s or ‘60s to be truly vintage.

“Believe it or not, vintage now is only 20 years back, so we’re talking 2000,” said Quast.

“That’s not vintage. In fact, I don’t even like the ‘90s or the ‘80s. I think that’s too new.”

When you own an antique store you never get a typical customer, Quast said. Some come in to just browse and others looking for very particular items.

“Today a lady wanted a chamber pot,” said Quast. “I have four or five of them in here, so you never know.”

Quast is always learning from her customers about all different kinds of vintage items, such as pipes or old toy cars, and will call her customers when an item comes in she knows they will like or collect.

So, where does the name Etta’s Attic Antiques come from?

“Etta’s Attic Antiques is actually named after my grandmother,” said Quast. “I kind

of went through a lot of names, deciding on what I wanted, and I just kept coming back to Etta’s Attic.”

Etta’s Attic Antiques and Collectibles is at 2009 Main St., Ferndale. Call 360-734-1900 for more information.

-- Leora Watson can be reached at leora@lyndentribune.com.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022 | Ferndale Record

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A love for the game Jim Culp, Ted Postma cultivate a friendship through basketball officiating Together, Ted Postma (left) and Jim Culp have been officiating high school basketball games around the area for more than 15 years.

(Connor J. Benintendi/ Lynden Tribune)

By Connor J. Benintendi Sports Editor

LYNDEN — During a Whatcom County high school basketball game, your eyes are likely fixated on the player with the ball or possibly the coach as they yell out to their players.

Amid all the chaos there are always two or three individuals working in the background to uphold the integrity of the game, who may not always capture your eyes or ears: the officials.

Two veteran referees in the county, Jim Culp and Ted Postma, say that’s exactly how it should be. If the game ends and

nobody remembers who called the game, they have done their job.

“What I find is that if you do a really good job, virtually you don’t get yelled at very often,” Culp said.

So that’s what they do. To have been officiating for decades upon decades, you have to be doing something right.

“Jim and I both start with the idea that, let the game come to you,” Postma said.

“Make your first call a good one, and just take it from there.”

Postma, now 72 years old, is a former teacher and coach who began officiating in the late 1980s when there was a need for slow-break rec league officials. He also has

a background in baseball, softball and softball officiating.

The 68-year-old Culp has been doing it nearly that long when he fell into it by way of being involved in his son’s basketball life as a coach. He has also reffed football.

The pair have now been sharing high school basketball courts as each other’s preferred partner for more than 15 years.

They were assigned together once back in 2006, realized how similar they were in officiating style, and have been at it ever since.

Culp said his favorite part of working a game with Postma is the camaraderie the two share, as well as their mutual respect

for the game.

“Ted and I just got together years ago, and we just became such good friends,” Culp said. “In two-man [crews], for me, it’s really hard to officiate with another guy now, with other people, because we officiate exactly as the book says.”

The pride that the duo takes in their work helps them leave the court with their head high after each matchup.

“For Jim and me, it’s a matter of pride, and yet we don’t get big heads over it,” Postma said. “We kind of like the accolades, I mean we’re still human. But, if we know we did a good job in that game, that’s for us the most satisfying.”

ENCORE At the height of their workload, they can do between 200 to 300 games per year.

“We hydrate a lot, so you don’t cramp and all that,” Culp said. “We do so many games, and we do it year-round, that we stay in pretty good basketball shape.”

That can also mean enduring days of three to four games each, and in the summers, could be as high as seven or eight games in a day.

Staying focused on the game that long is not an easy task. But Culp and Postma have their strategies.

“We have other officials always tell us, ‘I would never do more than two games a night, or three at the most. I can’t focus that long,’” Postma said. “For myself, I’ve driven semi [trucks] for years, and I have found that the similarities between staying focused in basketball and staying focused behind the wheel are very similar.”

This last season, Culp worked two games a night the entire year. He could work another four on Saturdays and still did youth officiating on the side.

Much of that workload intensity was due to a drop in available referees due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Again, they don’t slow down in the summertime.

“There were weeks we were doing 40 games a week, just recently, since the first of June,” Culp said.

On top of all that, the pair work some of the most intense games of the season.

Surprisingly, though, packed gyms and big games are the most fun for them.

The larger the crowd, the more locked in to the action they become.

“It energizes you,” Culp said. “You’re out there, you know it’s a big game, the crowd’s there and you can just feel the energy on the floor. You’re just jacked up.”

Whereas in a quieter gym you can hear the lone fan hurling insults, a packed gym allows them to block out all the noise as it blends together.

“Especially in a big game, when the gym is packed, basically you don’t hear anything from the sidelines,” Postma said. “You’re so concentrated on the players and your partners that everything just kind of falls away.

It is a really unusual experience, it’s a weird experience. You’re just doing the game.”

Throughout his career, Culp has officiated two state championship games—the highest level of high school basketball.

Even still, the most difficult level to officiate is youth basketball.

“That can be the toughest officiating,” Postma said. “You’ve got the fans right there close to you. You hear their comments, or they’re yelling.”

The parents at those games generally haven’t yet learned that their shouting

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022| Ferndale Record won’t affect the outcome of the game, they said.

“The problem is that’s where the parents still think their kid’s going to be the NBA superstar,” Culp said with a laugh.

Since younger officials usually start at the youth level, it can be discouraging.

Many promising referees end up quitting because they don’t enjoy being yelled at from the sidelines.

Culp and Postma, however, have some advice for those looking to enter the field.

In particular, if you have ever thought about wanting to give it a shot, try it at least once.

“We both watch for those prospects that are really young now, and really try and encourage them,” Postma said. “Those kids that are really good, they have to find a mentor. I would say that’s really important that they go to somebody.”

It can often boil down to how much someone can take from the sidelines while on the court.

“I think to be a good basketball official you’ve got to have the love for the game,” Culp said. “You’ve got to enjoy the kids, the people, the coaches. A lot of people don’t have thick enough skin.”

Neither of them is shy to admit they have made some bad calls during their long journeys as basketball officials.

“You know when you make a bad call.

Sometimes, for some reason, you just made this call, and you think about it. It goes through your mind and through your mind,” Culp said. “You’ve got to get rid of that when you’re going up and down the floor. But, sometimes at night, I go to bed and I can’t get that call out of my head. I’ll lay there forever.”

It’s important to keep a mental log of those bad calls so you know how to avoid them in the future, Postma said.

With all the work they do, and how long they have been doing it, Postma and Culp are unsure how much longer they will be running up and down the floor.

They understand how much it has impacted those closest to them because of how frequently they are gone.

“We have a couple of very outstanding partners,” Postma said. “Our wives have gone through so much. They let us do this.

That’s the other part of the blessing—they let us do this. We spend Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays away, and they’re still there.”

For now, the game of basketball keeps them around.

“It’s kind of my hobby I get paid for,” Culp said. “I just get really jacked up for certain games. You just can hardly wait to get to the game.”

-- Connor J. Benintendi can be reached at connor@lyndentribune.com.

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 27, 2022 | Ferndale Record

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