Welcome to Noisy Waters Northwest! Many facts, figures, stories, and perspectives are, sadly, often unheralded in our local media in Whatcom County, Washington. Click on the title of items on our picturesque story board for a refreshing splash of information that won’t be held back. If you prefer a list format click on the All Info Lists, here or the tab listed under Menu or next to our header. There is a search field on the list pages to search all information on this blog site. All posts note their categories of commentary or news related content. Continue reading
Tell the County Council to Send the CAO Back For Revision / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris
August 16, 2017 Wendy Harris Action
The [Whatcom] county staff and council are not including the proper legal standard for CAO [Critical Areas Ordinance] protection. We must protect critical areas and the ecosystems in which they are located against a net loss of ecological function and value. Instead, the county limits review to critical areas to the development site, and maybe a short distance beyond (I am not sure if this has been changed.)
Tell the county to follow the law. Continue reading
Bellingham City Council, 8/14/17 Committee of the Whole discussion regarding renaming the Pickett Bridge / Noisy Waters Northwest
Click the graphic to access the 8/14/2017 Bellingham City Council Committee of the Whole meeting. Discussion regarding the Pickett Bridge starts at about 2:02:00 on the video.
August 15, 2017 Dena Jensen
At last night’s August 14, 2017 Bellingham City Council meeting, there was a brief discussion which touched on a bit longer discussion held earlier that day at Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting regarding renaming Bellingham’s Pickett Bridge. Council Member April Barker said the issue is being raised due to constituent’s concerns that the name of the bridge “is celebrating a man who has a legacy of pro-slavery and had a strong alliance with the Confederate Army.” In the summer 2015 The Bellingham Herald ran a story saying discussion of renaming of the bridge came forward when Community to Community Development and the Racial Justice Coalition, held a protest of crime-mapping software being considered by the Bellingham Police Department. Pickett Bridge was the site of their protest.
Gerald Baron’s incorrect characterization and marginalization of Community to Community and FUJ’s efforts / Facebook post, Sj Robson
August 13, 2017 Sandy Robson
The August 12, Seattle Times article provided a good report on the recent events surrounding Sarbanand Farms and the tragic death of H-2A farm worker Honesto Silva Ibarra. However, in the article, local public relations guru Gerald Baron took an opportunity to defend Sarbanand Farms, and to hurl accusations at two local organizations which are trying to help the fired and displaced H-2A farm workers. Continue reading
Tort Claim Filed against County Officials for Damages Caused by Unlawful Mailer / Press Release, Maru Mora Villalpando
August 11, 2017 Press Release Maru Mora Villalpando
For Immediate Release
August 10 2017
Jail Mailer Promoted a Tax Increase and Construction of a New Jail
Response on RCW and County Charter Law on Sheriff’s Office / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris
Last night I wrote a letter to the [Whatcom County] council, sheriff and executive regarding the issue of legal requirements for the sheriff’s office as follows: Continue reading
After Fellow Worker Dies, Guest Workers Take Action / Press Release, Community to Community Development
August 7, 2017 Community to Community Development
Bellingham, WA- After learning of the death of fellow worker Ernesto Silva Ibarra, who requested medical care from his employer Sarbanand Farms and not receiving it, guest workers recently fired for trying to organize, will march tomorrow [Tuesday, August 8, 2017] to the company’s management office in Sumas to demand accountability for Ernesto’s death, as well as to demand pay of their owed wages, and renewal of their expired visas for which the company is responsible. Continue reading
2016 Racial discrimination charges received no apology from Taylor Shellfish; Lawsuit is now settled / Noisy Waters Northwest
August 5, 2016 Dena Jensen
It’s time we get the apology that Taylor Shellfish failed to offer when charges were originally brought against their company in September of 2016 for racial discrimination.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) found that former Taylor Shellfish employee Jeremy Daniels was called various racial slurs (noted in the EEOC press release linked to in the post) by his supervisor at Taylor Shellfish (based in Shelton and one of the largest producers of shellfish in the country) and was directed by management to ignore this discrimination. Continue reading
