FLOODING: STAY HOME!
Squalicum Parkway is closed due to flooding, and so is Meridian Street north of I-5, with water from Baker Creek flowing down the roadway. Lots of side streets are closed as well. There were 2.78 inches of rain yesterday (previous one-day record was .88) and much more rain and heavy winds are arriving today. Please, please stay home. Find your flashlights and refresh your batteries, then dig out extra winter bedding in case we loose power in the high winds coming. Maybe bake dinner now to warm up the house and use up some of what’s in your freezer. And check in on your neighbors, too.
Squalicum Parkway:
https://www.facebook.com/chargelife/videos/4833728250005263
https://www.facebook.com/groups/67147065165
https://www.facebook.com/540495228/videos/pcb.10160176747415229/1570924803262401
Iowa Street: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdIvdT8Ucrk
STORM WITH NO SHELTER
Think of what it’s like when you go camping and the weather turns bad and the tent is flooded, so you all get in the car to try to sleep for the night. Folks are out in the middle of that bad camping trip right now and don’t have a car or other place to get dry. They are soaked. Please call and write your government leaders and the folks at the Health Department and City Staff who say there won’t be any government-run warming shelters offered this winter, no matter how bad or cold the weather. (You can hear that said at the November 8, 2021 Bellingham City Council Committee of the Whole meeting in answer to questions from Council Member Anderson.)
Mayor email: Seth Fleetwood <mayorsoffice@cob.org> (360) 778-8100
Entire Council (for the record): <ccmail@cob.org>
Satpal Sidhu <ssidhu@co.whatcom.wa.us>;
Phone: 360-778-5200
Whatcom County Council:
Entire Council (for the record) <council@co.whatcom.wa.us>
SHELTER VOLUNTEERS?
I haven’t been able to track down where to call to volunteer, but it sounds like over 100 volunteers are needed to get another shelter open. Before Covid, most volunteers were retired folks. We need younger help these days. Check with me. I’ll keep looking for contact info. And if you have that info, please let me know. The Ferndale shelter is also scrambling to get open, and needs volunteers as well.
SUPPLIES NEEDED
Outreachers have been out since 6 am taking dry gear, sleeping bags, and hats gloves scarfs, hot water bottles. Please donate any clean dry clothing: Coats hats gloves hand-warmers, foot-warmers, boots size 10 & up. Also sleeping bags, warm blankets, tarps and tents are needed. We can receive donations here at 2518 Cherry Street. Please come masked.
MORE HEALTH CARE WORKERS
Hi Flip, I’m one of your neighbors over on Lynn street and I’m also a family doctor at one of our community health centers in town, Sea Mar. I’ve been so appreciative of all of the efforts you’ve made for staff at the hospital, especially as the pandemic grinds on and on. I did want to let you know that outpatient staff are feeling the grind as well, especially with these surges of activity associated with testing, vaccination, etc, and they may be a good target for pick-me-ups and support. As an example, our medical assistants usually do about 20 non-doctor visits daily – for a patient who is coming in for a wound check, flu shot, or suture removal, for example. Today they did 84!! And our phone are also ringing off the hook so our receptionists are really fried. I know this is true at other clinics as well including Peace Health. I believe the health dept has a complete list of where vaccinations are being given on their website. In any case, if there is an option to recognize outpatient staff as well that may be very welcomed!
[I have beautiful cards you can pick up if you’d like some to write on. I’ll find addresses. Maybe some of you can help with that. Love/Fl!p]
LONG HAUL COVID?
Interesting new relationships between conditions.
LOST GLASSES
Prescription eyeglasses. Probably lost in the vicinity of a bench in the northwest area of Elizabeth Park. ~ Mary Stone marywstone@gmail.com Williams Street
LANGUAGE TUTORING?
I am looking for someone to tutor me in either Norwegian, Swedish or Icelandic. I am willing to pay. I do speak some Icelandic but I am wanting to improve plus hopefully learn other Scandinavian languages. Thank you so much 360-815-1190 ~ Brigget LeClair
CONTACT CORRECTION
Private tutoring available from Columbia neighborhood teacher. I teach reading, writing, and math (up to Algebra). Please contact me for more information. Thank you! ~ Ruth Olsen 360-318-5380 www.bellinghamtutoring.com
ABOUT LEAKING ROOFS
From Jason Ellsworth: Good Morning. So many people here have hired me for jobs, that I thought I’d share some of my knowledge about roof leaks… I’ve gotten a couple calls and driven out to see some folks over the weekend too. If your roof is leaking call your home owners insurance company or landlord right away. That should be your first step. Use the phrase “sudden and unexpected”. Those are the magic words that will spring an insurance company into action. They have a certain amount of time they need to be out to your property… which may be extended a bit with the storm. So a little patience will need to be exercised (and that’s hard to do when water is dripping down from your ceiling). Usually they will send someone like Service Master or Serv Pro out to do an assessment and help you cover the leak.
The tricky part about getting up there and doing it yourself is not just saftey, but also warranties and guarantees. If you go up there and nail a tarp on your shingles, that may void the warranty. Because roof companies and insurance companies contract with companies like Service Master it’s best to wait for them. After you call them and get an idea of what’s going on, then you’ll have a better idea of what you can tell a roofer. And you’ll want to call a roofing company or someone licensed and bonded.
I just figured I’d give you my thoughts. None of this is a great situation for anyone. I hope you all are staying dry and safe. If you have questions send me a text. I’m gonna be staying in today and off the roofs as well. Take care Neighbors.
RADIO FREE FL!P
WASN’T THAT A MIGHTY STORM?
Sin-Killer GriffinThis song sung by Griffin’s song-leader in the Darrington Prison, April 1934. Lyrics are in the comments, along with a lot of history. Seems like a song for today’s weather.
Love/Fl!p