On 7/17/21, Ferndale Police responded to a report regarding Mr. Bleil being a missing person. According to family members, Mr. Bleil was last seen on 7/16/21 at about 8:00 am as he left his residence. He suffers with mental health issues, left without his medication and has been behaving abnormally recently.
He was last seen wearing a dark colored T-shirt, shorts and was carrying a backpack. Any information regarding Mr. Bleil’s whereabouts can be reported to the Ferndale Police Department at 360-384-3390 or the Washington State Patrol’s Missing Persons Unit at 1-800-543-5678.
Ferndale Terrace Closed Morning of Thursday July 22, 2021 for Paving
Drivers should seek alternate routes as Ferndale Terrace will be closed to through traffic between Legoe Avenue and Vista Drive, on Thursday, July 22, 2021, from 7am to noon. Local traffic to/from homes within closure area will be permitted.
The closure is necessary for City of Ferndale Public Works crew to complete paving work associated with a recent utility repair.
Please see the above map of traffic impact area.
For more information about this closure, please contact Ferndale Public Works at (360) 384-4006.
Here is Clue #6 – the final clue in the Great Ferndale Frontier Folly! You still have time to find all the cow banners, solve the word scrambles and win prizes. Just make sure to turn in your scorecard by July 27th at City Hall. More details at www.cityofferndale.org/folly
The City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 19, 2021 (note the time change from the regular start time of 6:00 p.m.) will be held remotely via Microsoft Teams, with staff and Councilmembers accessing the meeting from individual locations. This complies with Governor Jay Inslee’s Proclamation 20-28, as extended until further notice.
This is still an open public meeting as defined by the Open Public Meetings Act. The City will be using Microsoft Teams to livestream the council meeting. Members of the public do not need to download anything to view the proceedings. To join the meeting,click here.
Included in Monday’s meeting are two public hearings. Members of the public who wish to provide comment for either of the public hearings may do so by one of the following methods:
Email City Administrator/Acting Community Development Director Jori Burnett (joriburnett@cityofferndale.org) prior to the meeting.
Phone in when the Mayor announces the opening of the public hearing. 360-685-2373
In person at the City Hall Main Conference Room, 2095 Main Street. There is limited capacity for in-person attendance. Those wishing to offer a comment in person will be required to wear a face mask and observe social distancing requirements.
One of Ferndale’s more colorful settlers, Blanket Bill Jarman is credited as the first permanent white settler in the area when he first put down roots in Whatcom County in 1852. Jarman caused quite a stir earlier when he was kidnapped by tribal members from Vancouver Island and had to be ransomed with a pile of blankets as tall as he stood, earning him his nickname.
In the 1850s, he officially delivered mail by canoe for Fort Bellingham by canoe, and unofficially served as a smuggler. In the 1860s, he staked out a homestead in the county and worked as a bartender for a saloon in Bellingham. In 1871, a saloon patron insulted Jarman’s sister. A fight broke out and Jarman shot and killed the surly patron. Jarman was jailed for a short time before returning to England for a decade.
He returned to Whatcom and moved to Ferndale to stay with his niece and her husband, William Manning on their farm. In 1904, the Old Settlers Association recognized Jarman as the oldest living settler and described him as, “Sailor, deserter, trader, hunter and fisherman, fur dealer, Indian slave, tribesman, squawman, homesteader, ship master, telegraph linesman, army courier and mail carrier, interpreter, bar tender, accused murderer, gold digger; there was little he did not find interesting and zestful”. You can find out more about Blanket Bill from the Ferndale Heritage Society at Pioneer Park.
Here’s Clue #5 for The Great Ferndale Frontier Folly. We’ve got one more clue on Tuesday and then make sure you get your scorecard in by July 27th. That’s plenty of time to find all the missing cows and score lots of points. More details and all the released clues so far at www.cityofferndale.org/folly
The city has a number of Boards and Commissions that work to advise the council on a broad array of subjects. These are volunteer positions but absolutely essential to providing quality input to the city decision-making process.
There are currently vacancies on the Arts Commission. The Arts Commission is charged with enhancing the community by advising on public art and community aesthetic enhancement. Examples of the Arts Commission’s recent events include: Star Park Revitalization, Yarn Art at Griffintown Park, the Downtown Mural Project, Zoom Painting Class, Zoom Murder Mystery, and many more! To apply for one of the vacancies, please fill out this application and email it to City Clerk Susan Duncan at susanduncan@cityofferndale.org. You don’t need to be an artist to be a part of this commission!
Mayor Greg Hansen invites the public to come to the 125th Old Settlers Weekend in Pioneer Park July 23rd-24th. More details available at www.facebook.com/whatcomoldsettlers
