New Ferndale Library

On January 21, 2010 Polar Tankers and its parent company, ConocoPhillips announced a $6,000 contribution to the Whatcom Community Foundation (Foundation) for a project to build a new library in Ferndale.  With this gift, Polar Tankers and ConocoPhillips become one of the early corporate donors for the new public library, to be constructed on Main Street, west of Ferndale City Hall.  The check was presented by Jeffrey P. Shaw, Marine Superintendent of Polar Tankers to Mauri Ingram, President and CEO of the Whatcom Community Foundation.

“While Polar’s ships travel up and down the west coast, many of our employees live in the state of Washington,” explains Polar Tankers’ local marine superintendent Jeff Shaw. “Contributing to a new library in Ferndale is a great way to support and invest in a community where we live and work,” adds Shaw.

The Ferndale community’s demand for library services exceeds the existing building’s capacity. The economic downturn continues to result in record numbers of visitors; in some cases, more than 900 people per day visit the branch.

Area residents began working with the City of Ferndale and the Whatcom County Library System in 2006 to plan for a new, larger home for the beloved Ferndale institution. The Foundation is the project fiscal sponsor, handling charitable contributions and grant funds. The library project, including land acquisition, preliminary construction, equipment, furniture and other expenses, is estimated to cost approximately five million dollars. For more information about the new Ferndale Library or to make a contribution online, please visit: www.newferndalelibrary.org.

“Polar Tankers and ConocoPhillips’ contribution is an excellent example of philanthropic leadership,” noted Mauri Ingram, Foundation CEO. “For an international corporation to invest in the Ferndale community at such an early stage in the capital campaign is truly meaningful. It’s an excellent indicator of success.”

About ConocoPhillips and Polar Tankers

ConocoPhillips is an international, integrated energy company with interests around the world. In Whatcom County, ConocoPhillips employs more than 400 people at its Ferndale Refinery. Polar Tankers operates U.S.-flagged crude oil tankers on the West Coast including Washington, Oregon, California, Alaska, Hawaii and Canada. Its five modern, Endeavour Class tankers are specifically designed to carry crude oil in an environmentally safe manner. The double-hulled vessels feature 10 feet of space between the inner and outer hulls, two independent engine rooms, redundant propulsion and twin steering systems, a bow thruster and state-of-the-art navigation systems. For more information, go to www.conocophillips.com.