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.
The City Council meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, May 3, 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.
Members of the public who wish to submit comments on items not on the agenda are encouraged to submit written comments to City Clerk Susan Duncan by emailing susanduncan@cityofferndale.org. Comments received prior to 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 3, 2021 will be read during the public comment period of the meeting and included in the meeting record. For more details on submitting public comments for a remote meeting click here.
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.
The regularly scheduled Council Committee meetings on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 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.
These are still open public meetings as defined by the Open Public Meetings Act. The City will be using Microsoft Teams to livestream the meeting. Members of the public do not need to download anything to view the proceedings. To join the live events, click on the following links:
The Public Works & Utilities Committee meeting begins at 8:00 a.m.
The Finance & Administration Committee meeting begins at 9:00 a.m.
The Planning & Land Use Committee meeting begins at 10:00 a.m.
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.
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.