Calling on Whatcom County officials to protect those exposed to extreme climate impacts/ Letter to Whatcom County Council and Executive Sidhu

Posted on by
Click the screenshot to access a Facebook post by Community to Community Development displaying a video of Skagit Farmworkers out in the pumpkin fields during smoky conditions in early September 2022

September 18, 2022 Dena Jensen

Many of our friends and neighbors are put in a position to feel they have to work, without critical protections under severely smokey or hot conditions. There are currently no sufficiently protective provisions from our local, state, and federal governments for farmworkers and certain groups of people whom we have left to live or work outside during dangerous weather conditions.

I am including below an email I sent to Whatcom County officials today to call on them to take action locally and use their influence to urge state and federal governments to take action, as well.

Continue reading →

Whatcom mayors press for new jail ahead of services / Noisy Waters Northwest

Posted on by

September 6, 2022 Dena Jensen

September 9, 2022 is the next meeting of the Justice Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee. They need to know the public wants to participate in decisions about mental and behavioral health services for our community and a potential new jail. This is their email address: sac@co.whatcom.wa.us. Here is a link to the Sept. 9 agenda: https://www.whatcomcounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/68996/Agenda—SAC-Group-Discussion—Sept-9-2022

Continue reading →

Oh joy, let’s bring Universal Healthcare to the 2023 Washington State election ballot / Noisy Waters Northwest

Posted on by
People wanting to sign a petition to get Initiative 1471 for Universal Healthcare on the 2023 ballot can head to Mallard Ice Cream on Railroad Ave. in downtown Bellingham. Click the image of a Mallard Ice Cream Facebook post displaying a photo of 4 waffle cones full of scooped ice cream and wrappers with the word “Joy” to access the Mallard Ice Cream website.

August 22, 2022 Dena Jensen

Here’s to the opportunity to allow all Washington voters to enroll in non-profit healthcare coverage! Some of our community members are out taking action and organizing right now to ensure that State Initiative 1471 gets enough petition signatures to make it onto the 2023 election ballot so voters can potentially do just that.

Continue reading →

Transcription of remarks about barriers to homeless sheltering and housing for veterans in Whatcom County / Letter to Whatcom County Council

Posted on by
Click the screenshot of a summary of the HUD VASH program for supportive services for homeless Veterans to access it on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website

August 18, 2022 Dena Jensen

Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2022, 06:32:14 PM PDT

Subject: Transcription of remarks made about barriers to homeless sheltering and housing for veterans in Whatcom County at the August 4, 2022, Whatcom County Coalition To End Homelessness (WCCEH) meeting

Continue reading →

Whatcom County Council Members need more education related to homeless services / Noisy Waters Northwest

Posted on by
Click the still frame of the recorded 8/02/22 virtual meeting of Whatcom County Council meeting as the Health Board to access that recording on the Whatcom County website

August 2, 2022 Dena Jensen

Our Whatcom County Council Members continue to need additional education and oversight on their positions regarding homeless services in Whatcom County. You can contact your Council Members with your input regarding the following information with contact information provided at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading →

Some relevant perspective regarding Whatcom County concerns related to 22 North / Noisy Waters Northwest

Posted on by
To access the full set of slides for the presentation “22 North Stabilization Progress Report,” click the image of a slide from a presentation to Whatcom County Council’s Finance and Administrative Services committee on June 21, 2022, provided by representatives of the Opportunity Council

July 13, 2022. Dena Jensen

I was not able to attend the Whatcom County Council meeting last night in order to give public comment, but I did manage to send off an email I’m including in this post, right before the meeting started.

Continue reading →

Regarding permitted RV encampment parking / Letter to Mayor Seth Fleetwood and Bellingham City Council

Posted on by
Click the screenshot of text from the Fox 13 article, Olympia the first to permit free RV encampment parking on public street.

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.

“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.”

Continue reading →

First responders await training in ‘behavioral health 101,’ due late 2022 / Noisy Waters Northwest

Posted on by
Click screenshot of slide from during the May 17, 2022 Whatcom County Justice Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee meeting to access a recording of the meeting on the County website

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? 

Continue reading →

How can we be confident we won’t just build another Whatcom County Jail? / Letter to the Justice Project Stakeholder Advisory Committee

Posted on by

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 reading →

Get involved in the Whatcom County Justice Project needs assessment / Noisy Waters Northwest

Posted on by
Click the image of white text on a vibrant pink background to access a PDF version

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 reading →