Progress 2024

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Table of Contents

C4 — Lynden Service Center celebrates 40 years, says customers are the key

C8 — From courtside to bookshelf:

Longtime newspaperman Jim Carberry writes inspirational novel

C12 — Valley Tap House relocates to Nooksack: Neighborhood pub moves from Everson on Feb. 2

C16 — Bostec helps ensure safety on roadways: Lynden business celebrates three decades of service to truck drivers, companies

C19 — Business attraction part of Nooksack’s growth plan; Nooksack Valley School District looks to improve student experience

Moving forward, keeping vital, making progress

The term service-based business is almost a redundancy, when you boil it down.

The whole objective of business, from the viewpoint of the customer, is to provide a service. A service which you deem valuable enough to compensate with money.

Dinner out tonight? Well, that restaurant is a service-based business. You go out for ambiance, to eat good food, to spend time with people whom you care about, and the restaurant in turn delivers.

Go to a sporting event. That too is a service-based business. You buy your tickets, pay for parking, maybe order some food, buy a hat or a t-shirt, and then you watch the athletes hit, throw, catch, kick or punch the person with the ball.

Progress comes in many forms. It's staying in business for 40 years, such as Lynden Service Center, where Jim Meenk, one of the owners, said customers are key.

“We have the best clientele,” said Meenk, who has been one of Lynden Service Center's owners since 2000. “We couldn’t ask for a better clientele or a better community to serve.”

Longtime newspaperman Jim Carberry recently wrote his first book, a fictional novel called “Champions In God’s Eyes.”

The narrative, Tribune sports editor Joe Kramer writes, "intertwines his love for basketball, sports writing experience and faith with the challenges of personal and on-court adversity."

For Valley Tap House, progress means moving from Everson to Nooksack Ave. across from the city park.

It's been 30 years since Bostec Inc. opened with the goal to serve professional driving companies and other entities by providing drug and alcohol testing and other program management that helps ensure safety on our roadways.

These are some of the many examples of North Whatcom County businesses and individuals whose chief endeavor is to offer quality service while they take steps forward, progressing, keeping relevant and keeping curious about what else they can do. This is Progress, 2024, in North Whatcom County.

-- Bill Helm, editor

Andrew Mouw, left, and Dave Foster, right, help their clients get back on the road. Customers are why Lynden Service Center have been in business the past four decades. (Mitze Kester/Lynden Tribune)

This year, the crew at Lynden Service Center celebrates 40 years in business. Pictured from left are Jim Meenk, Andrew Mouw, Dave Kruse, Dave Foster, Matt Warner and Rob Meyer. (Mitze Kester/Lynden Tribune)

Customers are key to four decades of success

By Bill Helm Editor

It’s been 40 years now since Lynden Service Center first opened on the corner of Grover and 7th streets.

Started in 1984 by Jerry Brann and Ken Van Mersbergen, Lynden Service Center keeps the most advanced diagnostic equipment available in their facility, under the leadership of owners Jim Meenk and Rob Meyer. This advanced equipment is a sure sign of progress since the business first opened.

“We do a lot more with technology, each year we do more and more,” Meenk said. “It’s the challenge of keeping up.”

The Lynden Service Center team is ASE certified and able to work on any problem you may have with your vehicles. Their crew strives for repeat customers with their prompt, friendly service by taking care of all your car needs, large or small. To go one step further, Meenk said recently that it’s the customers who have been key to Lynden Service Center lasting four decades.

“We have the best clientele,” said Meenk, who

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Rob Meyer, left, joined Lynden Service Center in 2018. Later that year, he bought into the business alongside Jim Meenk, right, who has been part-owner of the business since 2000. Meenk said that Meyer’s addition to the business has “been a real blessing. He’s a young guy who is easy to work with,” Meenk said. “And he’s super productive.” (Mitze Kester/Lynden Tribune)

has been one of Lynden Service Center's owners since 2000. “We couldn’t ask for a better clientele or a better community to serve.”

In 2018, Rob Meyer started working at Lynden Service Center. That same year, he bought into the business. Meyer said he grew up wanting to work on cars.

“I wanted to own my own auto shop since I was young,” he said. “The challenge and satisfaction of fixing problems is like fixing a puzzle.”

Meenk said that Meyer’s addition to the business has “been a real blessing.”

“He’s a young guy who is easy to work with,” Meenk said. “And he’s super productive.”

At Lynden Service Center, you’ll be more than satisfied when you bring your vehicle for your factory-recommended 30, 60 or 90 thousand mile check-up.

For fast, friendly service and fair prices, think Lynden Service Center.

Lynden Service Center is at 700 Grover St. Hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays. Call 360354-2611 for more information.

“We have the best clientele,” said Jim Meenk, above, one of Lynden Service Center's owners since 2000. “We couldn’t ask for a better clientele or a better community to serve.” (Mitze Kester/Lynden Tribune)

Rob Meyer and Dave Foster, from left, work on a vehicle for one of Lynden Service Center's customers. Meyer said when he was a young man he first decided that he wanted to work on cars. (Mitze Kester/Lynden Tribune)

Matt Warner, pictured, works on a part for a client's vehicle. At Lynden Service Center, you’ll be more than satisfied when you bring your vehicle for your factory-recommended 30, 60 or 90 thousand mile checkup. For fast, friendly service and fair prices, think Lynden Service Center. Lynden Service Center is at 700 Grover St. Hours are 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays. Call 360354-2611 for more information. (Mitze Kester/Lynden Tribune)

Lynden Tribune

Jim Carberry: From courtside to bookshelf

After four decades chronicling the victories and defeats of local teams, Jim Carberry has etched his own name into the literary arena with his debut fictional novel, “Champions In God’s Eyes.” The narrative intertwines his love for basketball, sports writing experience and faith with the challenges of personal and on-court adversity. (Photo courtesy Jim Carberry)

Longtime newspaperman writes inspirational novel

By Joe Kramer Sports Editor

LYNDEN — In the world of sports coverage, Jim Carberry’s byline has been synonymous with Whatcom County’s athletic triumphs and tales.

After four decades chronicling the victories and defeats of local teams, Carberry has now etched his own name into the literary arena with his debut fictional novel, “Champions In God’s Eyes.”

The narrative intertwines his love for basketball, sports writing experience and faith with the challenges of personal and on-court adversity.

Before venturing into the fictional novel business, Carberry spent four-plus decades in the sports writing field in Whatcom County. From 1978 to 1996, he covered sports for the Bellingham Herald, first as a reporter and later as an editor.

During his tenure at the Herald, Carberry covered various sports from high school basketball to professional sports and beyond. He had the opportunity to rub elbows with notable sports legends, such as Arnold Palmer, Jesse Owens, Michael Jor-

dan and Bob Feller, the latter of whom Carberry even faced in the batter’s box at Joe Martin Field during a barnstorming-type event in coordination with the Bellingham Mariners in the mid-1980s.

For anyone who isn’t aware, Bob Feller was one of the greatest pitchers of his time and is often acknowledged as being one of the first pitchers to throw faster than 100 mph.

“He came and said he’d throw a couple pitches to anyone who wanted to face him,” Carberry recalled. “The owner of the team turned to me and said, ‘Hey, would you like to?’ I said, ‘Oh yeah.’”

Carberry, then in his late 20s, had started at shortstop for his state-champion 3A high school team. Feller, then in his late 60s, stood on the mound, far removed from his days of delivering 102 mph fastballs to legends like Jimmy Foxx and Lou Gehrig.

“I talked to him before the game a bit, so he kind of knew me,” Carberry said. “I got up there and I’m thinking I’m gonna rip one off of him.

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Jim Carberry, sports journalist and newlypublished author, captures the intensity of the matchup between Lynden Christian and Meridian girls basketball teams on Feb. 16 at Lynden High School. Carberry’s passion for basketball continues to shine as he remains involved in the Whatcom County sports community. (Joe Kramer/Lynden Tribune)

“He started me out with a curveball and I just about bailed into the third base dugout. I thought it was gonna hit me and then, whoop, it just dropped in for a strike. I’m thinking, ‘Holy cow. No wonder no one could hit you.’”

With his curveball to pair with a fastball ahead of its time, Feller led the American League in strikeouts seven times. He also struck out Joe DiMaggio more than anyone else, who finished his career with almost as many home runs (361) as strikeouts (369).

Undeterred, Carberry gathered himself for the next Feller offering.

“I smashed the next pitch,” he said. “It took about 50 hops and barely made it to second base.”

While Carberry has an impressive collection of compelling stories that involve notable athletes, his appreciation for basketball in the Whatcom community remains a constant. Though retired for years, he continues to be actively involved in the local basketball scene and still covers games for his website, whatcomhoops. com.

Carberry’s passion for basketball began to flourish during his tenure covering local high school basketball in the late ‘70s for the Herald. It was during this time that he was introduced to the annual rivalry game

Jim Carberry signs copies of his book

“Champions In God’s Eyes,” at the Lynden Heritage Museum on Front Street. Before venturing into the fictional novel business, Carberry spent four-plus decades in the sports writing field in Whatcom County. From 1978 to 1996, he covered sports for the Bellingham Herald, first as a reporter and later as an editor. (Photo courtesy Jim Carberry)

between Lynden Christian and Lynden, where he witnessed firsthand the fervent passion the community brought to the court.

“Whatcom County has a deeprooted love for basketball, and I found myself falling in love with all the teams and the atmosphere,” Carberry said. “I invest myself in the game when I’m covering it, and I enjoy watching how the teams operate and the dynamics at play.”

Drawing from his extensive experience in local sports coverage, Carberry explained the characters and plot of his novel are largely inspired by the stories he encountered over the years, as well as his own life experiences.

“Champions In God’s Eyes” is narrated from the first-person perspective of a high school player, featuring journal entries from his youth interwoven with reflections on his experiences as an adult.

Despite initial setbacks in publishing his book, Carberry never completely closed the door in his pursuit of publishing the novel. After sending the manuscript to five major publishers in the 1990s, all of whom turned him away due to his lack of notoriety, he kept a copy of the book on the back burner.

It wasn’t until a couple of years ago when Carberry’s son expressed interest in reading the manuscript that he revisited the project. With persistence and the support of his family, “Champions In God’s Eyes” is now available for purchase at $20 on whatcomhoops.com.

For fans of Carberry’s work, stay tuned for the upcoming sequel to “Champions In God’s Eyes,” which he said promises to be a gripping murder mystery.

-- Contact Joe Kramer at joe@lyndentribune.com.

Before venturing into fictional novel writing, Jim Carberry spent fourplus decades in the sports writing field in Whatcom County. From 1978 to 1996, he covered sports for the Bellingham Herald, first as a reporter and later as an editor.

Drawing from his extensive experience in local sports coverage, Carberry explained the characters and plot of his novel are largely inspired by the stories he encountered over the years, as well as his own life experiences.

(Photo courtesy Jim Carberry)

Valley Tap House relocates to Nooksack

In 2019, Cindy (Lambert) Morgan and Joan (Hill) Hammer opened Valley Tap House in Everson. Valley Tap House is now solely owned by Morgan, pictured, who moved the business to Nooksack on Feb. 2. (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

Neighborhood pub moves from Everson on Feb. 2

By Elisa Claassen For the Tribune

Valley Tap House opened in the Everson Shopping Mall in 2019, across from the library and near Little Caesars.

Cindy (Lambert) Morgan and Joan (Hill) Hammer introduced the business with a handout “that not only are we here for the Valley, we are from the Valley.”

With a move on Feb. 2, Valley Tap House is still in the Valley but in downtown Nooksack at 605 Nooksack Ave., across from the city park and by a bus stop.

From the start, groups of friends and neighbors found their favorite tables to sit and chat. Now they can continue to do so, but a mile down the road in Nooksack inside of the town’s former post office. Which is ironic since the Nooksack post office United States Postal Service relocated to Everson.

Although Hammer no longer shares ownership of the business, she left during the COVID-19 pandemic, Morgan has con-

tinued on her own, despite a full schedule of her own.

In 2019, she worked full time for Whatcom Electric, and now she works part-time at Coppinger Carter P.S. law firm’s Everson office before pulling a 1-10 p.m. stint at the tap house.

She doesn’t consider it work though, she said. It is a place to bring people together.

“I love my customers,” Morgan said. "I love the connections. We have a great community. I had a couple that had their first blind date here and they just got married a week or so ago. We’ve cried here. We’ve watched games here.”

The same customers have helped her, she said, to make the move. They have shown up to not only help relocate furniture and fixtures but one even painted a Seahawks logo on the wall.

The original location required them to renovate with chosen salvaged materials from local school buildings including the

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The new interior of Valley Tap House looks quite similar to its old location. It still has a welcoming club house feel for a place for friends to meet. (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

door from the demolished former Nooksack Middle School for the menu listing of beer and cider on tap.

The wood tap handles were carved from the trees that once stood in front of the school. Since she grew up in the community she was one of many children who collected pennies to buy the trees.

Morgan enjoys rotating products around. “You’ll never find the same thing in here … well maybe but very rarely.” The basic beers stay available on tap such as Coors Light and Pabst Blue Ribbon and Rainier selections.

In March, the plan is to put in a parking lot to move patrons from the curb and to then establish the food trucks. Morgan did not give names but she said she has been talking to several truck operators to have a good selection of food nearby.

Morgan said there are several reasons she wanted to move Valley Tap House, such as the ability to have a permanent beer garden, as well as to better host food trucks. The shopping center had a noncompete lease hampering offering

food since the location there. Neither location has kitchens either.

While Everson’s space had more than 900 square feet, this location is smaller. However, Morgan’s cooler has moved from inside the space to outside so there’s plenty of room for patrons to enjoy visiting and watching an assortment of games.

“We started the motions (to move) at the end of August but didn’t get it finalized until the first of October,” Morgan said of filling out a myriad of permits and gaining approvals from the Whatcom County Health Department and Nooksack City.

The new location already has the taps in place as well as tables and decor.

“We’ll still be doing public events and games,” Morgan said as her husband Kevin Morgan helped move things into place from furniture to signs. S.O.L. 2 played on Feb. 17.

Valley Tap House is open daily from 1-9 p.m. Visit Valley Tap House’s Facebook page or call 360-366-6148 for more information.

Valley Tap House moved from Everson to Nooksack on Feb. 2 after nearly a year of looking for a location which could provide space for food trucks and a beer garden. The old location’s beer garden was greatly impacted by windstorms. (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

While Everson’s space had more than 900 square feet, this location is smaller. However, Morgan’s cooler has moved from inside the space to outside so there’s plenty of room for patrons to enjoy visiting and watching an assortment of games. (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

Bostec helps ensure safety on roadways

Lynden business celebrates three decades of service to truck drivers, companies

By Merrick Parnell For the Tribune

Bostec Inc. will celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall. The Lynden business exists to serve professional driving companies and other entities by providing drug and alcohol testing and other program management that helps ensure safety on our roadways.

Serving the local community since 1994, Bostec was established by Rich and Linda Bosman out of their home along Birch Bay-Lynden Road.

Rich Bosman started the business after he retired as a state patrolman, where he saw the need for drug and alcohol testing and program management for employers.

Bosman also saw a desire from trucking companies needing help managing their programs and fulfilling their Department of Transportation (DOT) compliance tasks and requirements.

In addition to his home, established a mobile unit and performed on-site collections for companies. In 2009, the company moved into a brick-and-mortar building at 8112 Guide Meridian Road, which still serves the community today.

In 2022, Brenda Calvert acquired the business from the Bosmans after Rich was looking to sell the entity and pursue another career as a pastor. Calvert, a resident of Lynden since age 3, has worked with companies that she grew up with.

“Being able to serve companies that I have heard of my whole life has been amazing. I love seeing trucking companies that have an account with us on the road as well as in the Farmers Day Parade,” said Calvert.”

Since its existence in the mid-1990s, Bostec has offered companies Consortium/Third-Party Administrators (C/TPAs) by managing random drug and alcohol testing programs, focusing on providing employers with a DOT-compliant onboarding process for new hires.

The business also works with area law enforcement, healthcare organizations, and corrections facilities.

Bostec also works in professional development by providing the required training for DOT supervisors and certification for breath alcohol testing and urine drug screening for collectors.

Calvert said that one of the most rewarding parts of running Bostec Inc. is the ability to serve businesses by providing some relief to owners due to all the company can handle.

“We do a lot more than drug testing,” said Calvert.

In 2022, Brenda Calvert bought Bostec Inc. from Rich and Linda Bosman. Calvert, a resident of Lynden since age 3, has worked with companies that she grew up with. (Courtesy photos)

“We can help them [businesses] stay current with Federal requirements such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Clearinghouse, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol policies, and random drug testing program management.”

Calvert said she has appreciated the support shown to Bostec since purchasing the business.

“Coming on as a new owner in 2022, I felt completely supported by our existing companies and their choice to stay with Bostec Inc.,” she said.

Bostec employs one full-time and two part-time employees. Calvert said the benefit of having a small business in testing and program management is that Bostec can provide excellent customer survival by having the time and ability to meet with clients.

“Employees come to see us around one time a year, and so it has been fun getting to know new and old friends in the community,” Calvert said. “Just yesterday, an employee walked through the door and said, “I’m back.” We all smiled and were glad they felt at

home at Bostec.”

Running a business like Bostec does have its challenges as it deals with so many laws and testing regulations that they must keep up with.

“Staying in front of those changes requires a lot of research and attention to ensure we fully understand the laws and how they apply to us and the companies we serve,” Calvert said. “We want to present information to our clients before the changes take effect, so they have time to discuss it within their organization and update drug testing policies if needed.”

Bostec Inc. plans to celebrate its 30-year anniversary this September. To mark the occasion, the company will have the original owners in attendance as part of an open house-style event with light refreshments and cake. The date for the anniversary event will be announced later.

Bostec Inc. is at 8112 WA-539, Lynden. Open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more, call 360-354-3325 or visit https:// www.bostec.com.

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It is our 50th anniversary as a Cemetery District and we are celebrating it with an Introductory Price of niches in our new Columbaria Garden of

Offering

• Free inscription of name and dates of birth & death

• Above ground interment of ashes in niches

• All granite (both interior and exterior)

• Veteran’s discount of 25% after

• Substantial savings as there is no cost of a headstone.

Business attraction part of Nooksack’s growth plan

Mayor Kevin Hester said the relocation of Valley Tap House from Everson to Nooksack is a positive result in Nooksack’s business attraction plan for 2024. “We will look for ways to improve our downtown corridor and attract business that our citizens want and need to the area,” the Nooksack mayor said. “We are excited to welcome Valley Tap House to Nooksack.” (Elisa Claassen for the Tribune)

Nooksack Valley School District looks to improve student experience

By Bill Helm Editor

In February, Valley Tap House relocated from Everson to Nooksack Avenue in Nooksack. The move, Nooksack Mayor Kevin Hester said, is part of the city’s focus to “attract more businesses and industry to the city.”

“We will look for ways to improve our downtown corridor and attract business that our citizens want and need to the area,” Hester said. “We are excited to welcome Valley Tap House to Nooksack.”

Although he didn’t offer any names, Mayor Hester said there are “several other businesses that we are talking with that are looking at a move to Nooksack and we hope to be able to provide our citizens with some new opportu-

nities in the coming year.”

Looking back at 2023, Hester pointed to four highlights to celebrate. Some bigger than others, each was a necessary component to Nooksack’s growth and progress in north Whatcom County:

• Nooksack installed a lighted pedestrian crosswalk at the intersection of Madison Street and Nooksack Avenue (SR 9). Hester said the intersection “has been an ongoing concern for many of our citizens over the years as it is a very busy intersection that is our most heavily used by pedestrians.”

“It connects the west side of our town with the east side and provides access to Nooksack Park,” Hester said. “We were able to install rapid flashing beacons and new high visibility signs to improve pedestrian safety.”

• Nooksack also continues to grow with several developments in progress of being built or nearing completion. Hester said that the new developments will add approximately 200 new homes to the city over the course of the next 2-3 years.

Also, the City of Nooksack was able to annex in a 33-acre parcel of land north of Tom Road and west of Nooksack Avenue which is zoned light industrial. The goal, Hester said, is to focus on bringing more industry and business into the city over the next several years.

• With a grant from Whatcom Transportation Authority, the City of Nooksack recently started a bus stop improvement project. This project will improve and widen the WTA bus stop in front of Nooksack City Park. It will also provide a sidewalk from Madison Street north, along Nooksack Avenue to the entrance to the park, as well as lighting and a covered area for bus riders to wait for the bus.

“This project is being built by Raw Land Construction and is the first step in making improvements to and around our city park,” Hester said.

• Also, Hester said that Nooksack has also being working through 2023 to update “many of our older ordinances and city codes.”

“This work will also continue into 2024 as we continue to modernize and become more current on our city infrastructure,” he said.

Amplifying student voice

In the Nooksack Valley School District, Superintendent Matt Galley has cited three areas of work the district is feeling excited about. In no particular order, they are amplifying student voice, parent/teacher conferences, and teacher learning labs/studio days. Although there is work to be done in each, Galley said the district sees them “helping us in our system improvement efforts.”

“Our schools continue to meet regularly with students who are not experiencing success and ask them questions about their experience,” Galley said about the program to amplify student voice. “What is working? What isn’t working? What should we as a school (system) know to improve your experience? The data

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In the Nooksack Valley School District, Superintendent Matt Galley has cited three areas of work the district is feeling excited about. In no particular order, they are amplifying student voice, parent/teacher conferences, and teacher learning labs/studio days. (Photo courtesy Nooksack Valley School District)

Jared Navarro, is one of several Nooksack Valley High School students involved in the school's Esports program. Nooksack Valley School District Superintendent Matt Galley has cited three areas of work the district is feeling excited about.

we gather has allowed us to rethink our vision for student experience and learning, specifically how we can improve student agency, status, and belonging. Ultimately, we are learning how to support individual students better and hoping to see increased engagement and success.”

In early October, the district met with more than 96% of its families and received “ great deal of feedback.”

“We tried something new this year and held district wide conferences earlier in the year, Oct. 2-5, in the hopes of strengthening partnerships with all of our families,” Galley said. “While this format did not work great for everyone, we have plans to adjust next year to keep the good and improve the challenges.”

Nooksack Valley Schools will also hold districtwide conferences March 11-14 “to check on progress toward goals and plan for a strong finish to the year.”

In addition, Galley said that Nooksack Valley also works with its TOSAs (teachers on special assignment) as “just about every teacher in the district will meet between 2-5 times this year, as grade level or content teams, focusing on improving math and/or literacy teaching practice.”

“These focused sessions allow for teachers to drill down and collaborate around specific strands of their work and implement that learning immediately,” he said.

-- Contact Bill Helm at bill@lyndentribune.com.

(Photo courtesy Nooksack Valley School District)

At Phillips 66, supporting our people, our environment and our communities guides everything we do.

That’s why we’re proud to support the Ferndale community.

From left: Julian, Sol and Bill Lewis look over a fresh edition of the paper. (Circa 1950)

Michael D. Lewis, current publisher, presschecks a copy of the paper.