Volunteers construct Lynden Airport kiosk

The initiative provided “a great experience” for the students, said Lynden Door Program Director John Slagle. He said four students worked on the welcome center project for about six weeks, and he figured the project involved “about 100 hours of labor.”

AOPA Airport Support Network volunteers Bob Weeks and project volunteer Bill Stoelt noted that the green-trimmed, wooden A-frame structure was the first of nine to be completed, and its $2,500 cost was funded by the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) aviation division.

The kiosk is located near the airport pilot's lounge and includes four bicycles that visitors may use, said WSDOT’s Christina Crea. The location was selected to be visible to arriving pilots and their passengers.

Pilots, students, and the local community can all benefit from the small but efficient information booth, said AOPA Northwest Mountain Regional Manager Warren Hendrickson. He noted that the design was chosen through votes cast during the Northwest Aviation Conference and Trade Show.

Pamphlets and information cards were provided to the state’s smallest public-use airport by the local chamber of commerce. They invited visitors to explore the area about five miles south of the U.S.-Canada border, and a few miles north of Bellingham.

Lynden, established in 1874, is near the Nooksak River and is notable for dairy and berry farming. The annual Northwest Washington Fair attracts thousands to sample chariot races, high-wire acts, animal showcases, demolition derbies, and educational exhibits, among other attractions.

The Lynden Tribune reported that the information initiative recently attracted aviation visitors who flew in to play golf and to dine at the nearby Homestead Farms Golf Club.

Airport manager Steve Banham said he was “excited” to have the kiosk, and he predicted the information booth would benefit travelers as well as the airport and community. “Our airport depends on people coming in to buy fuel, so we always encourage people to come in and visit,” he said.