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News

Mayoral Proclamation for National Public Works Week

Mayoral Proclamation For May 17th, 2021

National Public Works Week

WHEREAS, public works professionals focus on infrastructure, facilities and services that are of vital importance to sustainable and resilient communities and to the public health, high quality of life and well-being of the people of the City of Ferndale; and,

WHEREAS, these infrastructure, facilities and services could not be provided without the dedicated efforts of public works professionals, who are responsible for rebuilding, improving and protecting our nation’s transportation, water supply, water treatment and solid waste systems, parks, public buildings, and other structures and facilities essential for our citizens; and,

WHEREAS, it is in the public interest for the citizens, civic leaders and children of Ferndale to gain an understanding of the importance of public works and public works programs in their respective communities;

Now, therefore, I, Greg Hansen, Mayor of Ferndale, Washington do hereby proclaim May 16th-22nd, 2021 as National Public Works Week. I urge all community members to participate in activities, events and ceremonies designed to pay tribute to our public works professionals, managers and employees and to recognize the substantial contributions they make to protecting our national health, safety, and quality of life.

IN WITNESS  HEREFOF I have set my hand to this seventeenth day of May, 2021.

May 18, 2021

Find the #PublicWorksRocks in Ferndale!

We all know that Ferndale ROCKS! But did you know that you could find those rocks? In honor of National Public Works Week, our incredible Public Works Department created these avaunt-garde aggregate art pieces and scattered them throughout the city. If you find one, post a picture on social media with #PublicWorksRocks, because here in Ferndale, we leave no stone unturned and never take you for granite.

May 17, 2021

North County Vaccination Party Pop-Up Clinic May 19th, 3PM-8PM

In response to the Whatcom County Health Department and the Whatcom Together Campaign’s urging of increasing the vaccination rates for the northern part of the county, the Ferndale Chamber of Commerce will host the North County Vaccination Party Pop-Up Clinic on Wednesday, May 19, the at the Pioneer Pavilion from 3-8 pm.

To pre-register for an appointment:
 https://prepmod.doh.wa.gov/appointment/en/reg/8061605092

Walk-Ins are welcome!

Vaccine: Johnson & Johnson (one and done!) Please note this vaccine is only available for ages 18 and older.

This event is made possible because of the important community collaboration with Lhaq’temish Foundation, Lummi Tribal Health, Washington National Guard, Washington State Department of Health, Whatcom County Health Department, and the City of Ferndale.

The underwriting for the incentivization for a FREE beverage at several local North County establishments was made possible by Chamber Members: Plain English Technology Services, BPOC Services, and community members Victor and Dorine Boulos. The hope is by incentivizing vaccination, we are also helping drive business to local establishments that need support.

Ferndale Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, Anya Milton states, “The Ferndale Chamber supports businesses opening up as soon as humanly possible, and according to the health experts in the field, such as the Whatcom County Health Department and Washington State Department of Health, vaccinating our community is key for fast-tracking that aim.”

North County community members are encouraged to pre-register to speed up the check-in process, however walk-ins are welcome. Information on this process will be on the Facebook Event page. In addition to the beverage voucher, raffle items and music will be present at the event to create a fun and positive environment.

Questions can be directed to info@ferndale-chamber.com or call 360-384-3042.

May 13, 2021

Ferndale Receives 2021 Program Excellence Award for Old Settlers Variety Show

The City of Ferndale received the 2021 Spotlight Program Excellence Award for the Old Settlers Variety Show from the Washington State Recreation and Parks Association (WRPA) at their annual conference.

The Washington Recreation & Park Association celebrates people, parks, and programs with an annual awards program honoring individuals and organizations for their contributions to the field of parks and recreation in Washington State. Spotlight Program Excellence Awards honor achievements in the delivery of parks and recreation programs and services.

The City of Ferndale, in partnership with the Whatcom Old Settlers Association, produced the Old Settlers Variety Show, a unique celebration of Ferndale’s history and culture. The streaming video program was produced as a substitute for the 125th anniversary of the Old Settlers Weekend during the pandemic and included a documentary from the Lummi Nation, an original radio drama set in 1930s Ferndale featuring local actors and written for the occasion, interviews with community leaders about Pioneer Days of years gone by and concerts. It is available for streaming for free at www.cityofferndale.org/varietyshow

“A community that does not tell their own stories loses a bit of their soul. I’m grateful for all who shared their stories and helped us turn this challenge into an opportunity to create a piece of Ferndale history,” said Recreation Coordinator Riley Sweeney.

April 29, 2021

Email Fraud Cases Impact Ferndale Residents

Email Fraud Cases Impact Ferndale Residents

Two separate fraud cases were recently reported to the Ferndale Police Department. Both frauds originated with emails sent to the victims.   The suspects falsely identified themselves as representatives of legitimate businesses and asked for phone calls to address a problem with an account. The combined loss for both victims was over $50,000. 

Both victims phoned the provided telephone number and reported speaking with a person with a heavy accent.  The suspects then solicited personal information from the victims and convinced them it was necessary to complete a wire transfer to correct a problem.  One victim was instructed to purchase gift cards and then provide the card numbers to the suspects.  Both wire transfers were to a bank in Thailand. 

Both victims were elderly, and it is possible the suspects already had some of their personal information which was used to gain their trust.

While credit card payments offer some fraud protection, wire transfers and gift cards do not. 

That is why these are not typical payment options for legitimate business transactions. Any suspicious request from a business can be verified by contacting the business with proper contact information. Do not use internet links or phone numbers from the suspicious email, text, or phone call.  Simply look up the business contact information and verify the issue with the company. 

The following are fraud-related resources where residents can report suspicious activity:

General Fraud

Contact the FBI at (202) 324-3000 or online at www.fbi.gov or tips.fbi.gov.

Health Care, Medicare/Medicaid Fraud

Contact the Dept. Health & Human Services at 1-800-HHS-TIPS or online at www.oig.hhs.gov.

Internet Fraud & Lottery/Sweepstakes Fraud by Internet

Contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) online at www.ic3.gov.

State and Local Fraud

Contact the Ferndale Police Department at 911 or online at contact@ferndalepd.org.

April 27, 2021

New Online Utility Billing Portal Coming June 1st

New Online Utility Billing Portal Coming June 1st

The City of Ferndale is bringing you a brand new utility billing portal, coming live June 1st from InvoiceCloud. The new interface will be free to use and will allow utility customers to receive their bill through email, set up Autopay, access their payment history, pay online with credit/debit card or e-check, set up bill reminders, update contact info, pay by text, Apple or Google Pay, and review up to 24 months of past bills as they become available.

This new system will provide better transparency for the public ensuring that all have access to their account information.

This does not mean that customers must give up their paper bill. For customers who prefer paper bills and check payments, the City will gladly continue to process their payments. They may even receive the paper bill and then go pay online.

Utility customers will receive information on how to sign up for the portal through the mail, separate from their bill, in the coming month.

April 22, 2021

City Seeks Volunteers for Star Park Renewal Day May 29th

City Seeks Volunteers for Star Park Renewal Day May 29th

After five years of fun, Star Park in Ferndale is ready for a fresh coat of paint. The City is seeking volunteers for a community renewal day for Ferndale’s most popular playground on Saturday, May 29th from 10:00 a.m. to Noon. Volunteers will be adding new artistic designs to the playground, including fresh artwork on the large tree, ferry boat and other features in Star Park. Volunteers will also be touching up current designs and doing minor repairs.

“Whether you are handy with a paint brush or not, the only requirement is that you love Star Park and want to help,” said Riley Sweeney, Communication Officer with the City of Ferndale. “We built this playground with all volunteers, so it’s time to invite everyone back to help make it even more beautiful.” Those interested in volunteering can simply show up on the day of the event. Masks and social distancing measures required on the part of all volunteers.

The park will be closed on Friday May 28th and all day Saturday May 29th to prepare for the event and to let the new paint dry.

This project is made possible thanks to a Project Neighborly Grant from the Whatcom Community Foundation. Star Park was constructed in 2016 by over 2,000 volunteers over the course of six days, making it the largest volunteer event in the history of Ferndale. Displays will be set up on site with pictures and video from the original build.

For more information or questions, please contact Riley Sweeney, Communication Officer at 360-685-2353 or RileySweeney@cityofferndale.org.

April 21, 2021

Drug Take Back Day Sat. April 24th at Ferndale Police Station

On Saturday, April 24th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Ferndale Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will give the public an opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your pills for disposal to Ferndale Police Department at 2220 Main Street. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows year after year that the majority of misused and abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including someone else’s medication being stolen from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 24 Take Back Day event, go to www.DEATakeBack.com

April 20, 2021