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. There is a search page to search all information on this blog site. All posts note their categories of commentary or news related content. Continue reading
Senator Sefzik Proposes Riches for Oil Companies; Democrats Reject It
June 24, 2022 Glenn Stewart
A recent Wharton School study of gas-tax holidays in Maryland, Connecticut, and Georgia found that on average about 70 percent of the tax cuts got passed along to consumers—Refiners and gas-station owners pocketed the biggest chunk of the “savings.”
Continue readingACTION ALERT AND UPDATE CONCERNING NONCOMPETE CLAUSES PREVENTING GROCERY ACCESS IN BIRCHWOOD / Tina McKim
June 17, 2022 Tina McKim
OUTRAGEOUS!!!!
In an absolutely infuriating and heartbreaking twist, we just learned today that the new deed on the former Albertsons/ current Big Lots space STILL has extensive non-compete clauses preventing a grocery store from going into the Park Manor Shopping Center.
Continue readingNo, We Should Not Name the Ferndale Thornton Overpass Project for the Late Senator Doug Ericksen / Glenn Stewart
June 10, 2022 Glenn Stewart
Any ‘opinion piece’ about the late senator Ericksen must begin with an acknowledgment of the tragedy of his death. “Every man’s death diminishes me…” His friends, allies and opponents alike both sympathize and empathize with his loved ones; he was father and husband and more. He died far too young.
Continue readingRegarding permitted RV encampment parking / Letter to Mayor Seth Fleetwood and Bellingham City Council
May 27, 2022 Dena Jensen
Here are a couple quotes from the Fox 13 article, Olympia the first to permit free RV encampment parking on public street.
Continue reading“Olympia law says if an RV stays in one spot for more than 24 hours, it can be ticketed and towed. A requirement of the Ensign Road permit is for its occupants not to move—unless they plan to leave the area permanently.”
First responders await training in ‘behavioral health 101,’ due late 2022 / Noisy Waters Northwest
May 19, 2022 Dena Jensen
Ever think, here in the year 2022 in Bellingham and Whatcom County, folks have got to be off-base who are claiming that law enforcement officers, paramedics, EMT’s (emergency medical technicians) or firefighters don’t have sufficient knowledge of behavioral health concepts and approaches to properly serve the needs of community members?
How can we be confident we won’t just build another Whatcom County Jail? / Letter to the Justice Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee
May 11, 2022 Dena Jensen
Next week, on Monday, May 16, 2022, City of Bellingham is hosting their town hall meeting on Public Safety. Here is the link to attend that town hall: https://cob.org/event/cctownhall-05162022
In advance of that forum the Bellingham City Council received some presentations yesterday from the Whatcom County Prosecutor and from Bellingham Police Department’s Deputy Chief related to crime.
Based on material I heard in those presentations I sent the email below to the Whatcom County Justice Project’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee. This is the email address people can use to contact them: SAC@co.whatcom.wa.us
Continue readingPolicies within Whatcom County that contribute to homelessness / Letter to County Executive Satpal Sidhu and Mayor Seth Fleetwood
May 9, 2022 Dena Jensen
At a recent Bellingham City Club event, Whatcom County Executive Satpal Sidhu asserted that our local county and city policies do not cause homelessness. Last night I wrote to highlight some of the local policies that came to my mind that seem to be obvious contributors to homelessness and to continue to prompt the Executive and Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood, who also appeared at the event, to take action to address those policies.
Dear County Executive Sidhu and Mayor Fleetwood:
I recently was able to watch Bellingham City Club’s event, “April 27, 2022: The Midpoint with Satpal Sidhu and Seth Fleetwood.”
I wanted to point out a few things regarding some of your comments about homelessness in Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham.
Continue readingGet involved in the Whatcom County Justice Project needs assessment / Noisy Waters Northwest
May 2, 2022 Dena Jensen
As people are becoming more and more aware, Whatcom County is moving forward in various government meetings towards a needs assessment for what they are calling a “public health, safety and justice facility.” In general, that facility is acknowledged to be a new jail in combination with mental and behavioral health services.
Continue readingPart One – The race to displace: reviewing parking enforcement videos for obstacles to services for those in crisis
April 22, 2022 Dena Jensen
Preface
On March 14, 2022, a presentation was given on RV parking code enforcement by Bellingham Police Department’s Public Information Officer, Lieutenant Claudia Murphy to Bellingham City Council’s Committee of the Whole. This presentation was given about three and a half months after City of Bellingham had initiated rigorous parking code enforcement following the lifting of the statewide ban on evictions.
Continue readingWeeks, and weeks, and weeks of parking and sheltering predicaments / Letter to Bellingham and Whatcom County officials
April 10, 2022 Dena Jensen
Sent: Sunday, April 10, 2022, 06:06:37 PM PDT
Dear Bellingham City Council, Mayor Fleetwood, Whatcom County Council, and County Executive Sidhu:
Over the last week or two, I have been reviewing body worn camera recordings of Bellingham Police Department’s Public Information Officer, Lt. Claudia Murphy related to City of Bellingham’s increase in parking enforcement during the current pandemic.
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