1 hr July 2, 2015  Walter Haugen

February 2011 – Sam Taylor, former Bellingham reporter, starts his job as Gary Jensen’s City Clerk and “Information Officer.” Why did Ferndale need an “Information Officer” you ask?

March 2011 – SSA Marine files for permits for the GPT at Cherry Point.

April 1, 2011 – Peabody Coal (stock symbol BTU) reaches a 5-year maximum price of $72.71 per share. The all-time high was $84.05 on June 27, 2008, right before the financial collapse. At that time oil had reached $147 per barrel and energy prices had spiked. It is not surprising that Peabody’s stock had risen. What IS surprising is the maximum of $72.71 in 2011. It is likely investors were counting on the Cherry Point Terminal.

Sept. 30, 2011 – Peabody Coal’s share price sank to $33.88. Significant local citizen opposition to the coal terminal had already started.

Bottom line – Peabody Coal’s share price went up to an inflated high on April 1, 2011 because of Gary Jensen’s and Craig Cole’s work to bring the coal terminal to Cherry Point. The price quickly collapsed because of public opposition. Gary Jensen hired a reporter as a city clerk and “information officer” to help with public relations. Gary later had to hire a deputy city clerk to actually do Sam Taylor’s clerk duties, since he was spending so much time trolling the Web and trying to burnish Gary’s image.

Now Gary Jensen is running for Port Commissioner. Why? To bring the coal trains to Cherry Point. It is imperative to vote AGAINST Gary Jensen. The other two candidates are Bobby Briscoe and Lloyd Zimmerman. My vote is going to Lloyd, simply because he is the best candidate of the three.

Update 2:50 p.m., 7/2/2015, via Walter Haugen (also noted in the comment section below):

Two additions thanks to Sandy Robson:

On February 28, 2011, a Peabody Energy press release announced an agreement with SSA Marine to initially export up to 24 million metric tons of coal per year through GPT.

On April 4, 2011, the Ferndale City Council (except Lloyd Zimmerman who was absent), voted to approved a resolution in support of SSA Marine and its GPT project.

Read Walter Haugen’s post on his Facebook page here.