I would also encourage submitting a formal complaint to Clallam County. This process requires review by both the County Administrator and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), creating accountability at the operational level. It moves concerns beyond public comments and emails into formal documentation that requires a response and tracking.
I won’t be able to attend the BOH meeting today because I am working in Sequim today, but pay close attention to the interview panels recommendations for the vacant position.
The commissioners and Dr. Berry did not respond to questions about the proposed mass spectrometer program or whether the county's stated hiring priorities would have ensured that the most qualified drug-testing technician was selected for the position. Here is today's email to Health Officer Berry and the county commissioners:
Dear Commissioners and Health Officer Berry,
Dr. Berry has accused Clallam County Watchdog of spreading misinformation regarding the county's harm reduction policies. In that email exchange, and in numerous public meetings, concerns have been raised about misinformation, misleading narratives, and public misunderstanding of county programs.
How is the public supposed to separate fact from fiction when their questions go unanswered?
Dr. Berry has declined multiple requests for comment from Clallam County Watchdog. The Board of County Commissioners has ignored hundreds of requests for comment over the years. Some commissioners refuse to participate in town hall Q&A events. At Board of Health meetings, Dr. Berry routinely advises board members not to engage with questions raised during public comment. Meanwhile, residents who attempt to fill in the blanks themselves are often accused of spreading misinformation.
There appears to be a significant disconnect between what public officials say publicly and what is later characterized as misinformation. If citizens cannot obtain answers from the people running these programs, cannot receive responses from elected officials, and cannot get clarification during public meetings, what process are they expected to follow?
More specifically, when public records, county reports, meeting recordings, and official statements appear to conflict with one another, how should residents resolve those discrepancies? If they draw conclusions that county officials disagree with, does that automatically become misinformation?
Residents are not looking for slogans, labels, or accusations. They are looking for answers. If the county believes misinformation is a serious problem, it would seem that the first step toward addressing it is answering questions rather than avoiding them.
I would appreciate a response explaining how members of the public are expected to seek clarification and verify information when the officials responsible for providing that information decline to engage.
When I hear Dr. Barry define her version of harm reduction, I wonder how it is any different than what a Pimp does? Providing safety and protection for people to do illicit things while never helping them get out of the cycle that makes you money. Hmmmm?
Dr. Barry seems to love data, she mentions it several times. But she did say one thing I would love to see the data on. She said that many of the people living in the tents get up and go to work every day. Really? Is there some proof of that? W2's somewhere? Schedule C's? Form 1065's? or is panhandling now considered a profession?
This is an interesting exchange, and kudos to Mr. Rogers for stepping to the plate and respectfully challenging the status quo. Notwithstanding Dr. Berry's proven poor and incorrect handling of the Covid crisis, which has now been proven with data and "the science," here's my bottom line on harm reduction. Are drugs like fentanyl, opioids, et. al., illegal to possess and distribute? Is taking these illegal drugs illegal? If that is true, then how can any governmental agency justify in any way, shape or form any support of helping people take these illegal drugs? The amount of public resources being spent per capita enabling the use of something that is illegal without consequence is truly staggering. It also sends a subtle message to the public that, hey, if taking illegal drugs will not be punished, why should I worry about following other laws? And what about the general public that has to deal with the junkies and their actions in our towns and neighborhoods? It's an Alice in Wonderland world, where up is down and black is white.
It's incredibly disappointing that someone tasked with public health reacts in the manner that Dr. 🫐 does to a citizen who has a brain and brings valid points to her. She suffers from a "God" complex made worse by three commissioners unable to distill her true value to the community who enable her disastrous positions.
The Wedge...
Vote for someone who has actual compassion and wants a well rounded harm reduction approach.
So she still wants the lane for heroin and heavy opioid use because there was money for it. That money is gone just like the tobacco money. To them its a public trough for a job in the blue pages...and they are ok with it even at the expense of Oxford house and the methadone clinics.
Keep in mind that the people in charge of the party promoting the behavioral health Kevorkian lane kick you off their website for posting a slice of pizza emoji, during the harm reduction debate.
They are oblivious to the post card and now oblivious to the people coming out of the Kevorkian blue page mill. Pretty soon they will be pointing swastika signs at each other.
The system is running on autopilot, prioritizing the preservation of comfortable administrative slots over actual human lives and public safety. Meanwhile they sit in cushioned committee seats playing online Hollywood square gatekeepers and policing emojis, while the 6 corner approved frontline defenses like the Oxford Houses and methadone clinics doing the heavy lifting are starved out or marginalized by a dueling banjo of death.
They have turned a literal life-or-death crisis into a self-serving bureaucratic industry, entirely blind to the wreckage their 'solutions' leave behind." Thanks Mr. Rogers. Good luck and continued success.
ITS ALL IN INTERPRETATIONS! WHOSE FIGURES DO WE TRUST? Dr. Berry's Response? “Similarly, on the subject of metrics, we have shared many and continue to. I gave a 50 minute presentation on why we practice harm reduction and shared quite a few metrics there”
Gathering and presenting data is subject to who you reference to and how the data is gathered. Some jurisdictions do not report all arrests and offenses, some report partial years, and some withhold certain categories of arrests or offenses. Reporting is voluntary for arrests and offenses. Below is one source:
CLALLAM COUNTY IS WAY AHEAD IN ADOLESCENCE DRUG LAW VIOLATIONS AND SUBSTANCE USE
Risk and Protection Profile for Substance Abuse Prevention in Clallam County January 2026
PAGE 58 Notes: The arrests of adolescents (age 10-17) for drug law violations, per 1,000 adolescents. Drug law violations include all crimes involving sale, manufacturing, and possession of drugs
Problem Outcomes: Substance Use - Arrests, Drug Law Violation
Data Last Updated: 09/16/2025
State 0.6
Counties Like Us 1.20
Clallam County 2.13
PAGE 59 Notes: The adolescents (age 10-17) receiving state-funded alcohol or drug services, per 1,000 adolescents 10-17
Problem Outcomes: Substance Use- Clients Of State-Funded Alcohol or Drug Services
Data Last Updated: 09/16/2025
State 3.38
Counties Like Us 8.53
Clallam County 13.72
PAGE 64 Non-Reporting Police Jurisdictions in Uniform Crime Reports and National Incident-Based Reporting System
Most law enforcement agencies report arrest and offense data to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), which in turn provides data to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). This is the source of our data. Some jurisdictions do not report all arrests and offenses, some report partial years, and some withhold certain categories of arrests or offenses. Reporting is voluntary for arrests and offenses.
Good morning,
I would also encourage submitting a formal complaint to Clallam County. This process requires review by both the County Administrator and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC), creating accountability at the operational level. It moves concerns beyond public comments and emails into formal documentation that requires a response and tracking.
You can submit a complaint here:
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/FormCenter/Contact-Forms-4/Submit-a-Complaint-or-Request-Informatio-88
I won’t be able to attend the BOH meeting today because I am working in Sequim today, but pay close attention to the interview panels recommendations for the vacant position.
The commissioners and Dr. Berry did not respond to questions about the proposed mass spectrometer program or whether the county's stated hiring priorities would have ensured that the most qualified drug-testing technician was selected for the position. Here is today's email to Health Officer Berry and the county commissioners:
Dear Commissioners and Health Officer Berry,
Dr. Berry has accused Clallam County Watchdog of spreading misinformation regarding the county's harm reduction policies. In that email exchange, and in numerous public meetings, concerns have been raised about misinformation, misleading narratives, and public misunderstanding of county programs.
How is the public supposed to separate fact from fiction when their questions go unanswered?
Dr. Berry has declined multiple requests for comment from Clallam County Watchdog. The Board of County Commissioners has ignored hundreds of requests for comment over the years. Some commissioners refuse to participate in town hall Q&A events. At Board of Health meetings, Dr. Berry routinely advises board members not to engage with questions raised during public comment. Meanwhile, residents who attempt to fill in the blanks themselves are often accused of spreading misinformation.
There appears to be a significant disconnect between what public officials say publicly and what is later characterized as misinformation. If citizens cannot obtain answers from the people running these programs, cannot receive responses from elected officials, and cannot get clarification during public meetings, what process are they expected to follow?
More specifically, when public records, county reports, meeting recordings, and official statements appear to conflict with one another, how should residents resolve those discrepancies? If they draw conclusions that county officials disagree with, does that automatically become misinformation?
Residents are not looking for slogans, labels, or accusations. They are looking for answers. If the county believes misinformation is a serious problem, it would seem that the first step toward addressing it is answering questions rather than avoiding them.
I would appreciate a response explaining how members of the public are expected to seek clarification and verify information when the officials responsible for providing that information decline to engage.
When I hear Dr. Barry define her version of harm reduction, I wonder how it is any different than what a Pimp does? Providing safety and protection for people to do illicit things while never helping them get out of the cycle that makes you money. Hmmmm?
Dr. Barry seems to love data, she mentions it several times. But she did say one thing I would love to see the data on. She said that many of the people living in the tents get up and go to work every day. Really? Is there some proof of that? W2's somewhere? Schedule C's? Form 1065's? or is panhandling now considered a profession?
Which restaurant should I get tested for hepatitis b after I eat.
This is an interesting exchange, and kudos to Mr. Rogers for stepping to the plate and respectfully challenging the status quo. Notwithstanding Dr. Berry's proven poor and incorrect handling of the Covid crisis, which has now been proven with data and "the science," here's my bottom line on harm reduction. Are drugs like fentanyl, opioids, et. al., illegal to possess and distribute? Is taking these illegal drugs illegal? If that is true, then how can any governmental agency justify in any way, shape or form any support of helping people take these illegal drugs? The amount of public resources being spent per capita enabling the use of something that is illegal without consequence is truly staggering. It also sends a subtle message to the public that, hey, if taking illegal drugs will not be punished, why should I worry about following other laws? And what about the general public that has to deal with the junkies and their actions in our towns and neighborhoods? It's an Alice in Wonderland world, where up is down and black is white.
The Kervorkian's got more assistance than the smokers. They just got a 1-800 number out of the tobacco settlement...
It's incredibly disappointing that someone tasked with public health reacts in the manner that Dr. 🫐 does to a citizen who has a brain and brings valid points to her. She suffers from a "God" complex made worse by three commissioners unable to distill her true value to the community who enable her disastrous positions.
The Wedge...
Vote for someone who has actual compassion and wants a well rounded harm reduction approach.
Vote for Jake Seegers.
So she still wants the lane for heroin and heavy opioid use because there was money for it. That money is gone just like the tobacco money. To them its a public trough for a job in the blue pages...and they are ok with it even at the expense of Oxford house and the methadone clinics.
Keep in mind that the people in charge of the party promoting the behavioral health Kevorkian lane kick you off their website for posting a slice of pizza emoji, during the harm reduction debate.
They are oblivious to the post card and now oblivious to the people coming out of the Kevorkian blue page mill. Pretty soon they will be pointing swastika signs at each other.
The system is running on autopilot, prioritizing the preservation of comfortable administrative slots over actual human lives and public safety. Meanwhile they sit in cushioned committee seats playing online Hollywood square gatekeepers and policing emojis, while the 6 corner approved frontline defenses like the Oxford Houses and methadone clinics doing the heavy lifting are starved out or marginalized by a dueling banjo of death.
They have turned a literal life-or-death crisis into a self-serving bureaucratic industry, entirely blind to the wreckage their 'solutions' leave behind." Thanks Mr. Rogers. Good luck and continued success.
Two hundred and sixty four thousand a year plus benefits please Alex..
ITS ALL IN INTERPRETATIONS! WHOSE FIGURES DO WE TRUST? Dr. Berry's Response? “Similarly, on the subject of metrics, we have shared many and continue to. I gave a 50 minute presentation on why we practice harm reduction and shared quite a few metrics there”
Gathering and presenting data is subject to who you reference to and how the data is gathered. Some jurisdictions do not report all arrests and offenses, some report partial years, and some withhold certain categories of arrests or offenses. Reporting is voluntary for arrests and offenses. Below is one source:
CLALLAM COUNTY IS WAY AHEAD IN ADOLESCENCE DRUG LAW VIOLATIONS AND SUBSTANCE USE
https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/rda/riskprofiles/research-4.47-clallam.pdf
Risk and Protection Profile for Substance Abuse Prevention in Clallam County January 2026
PAGE 58 Notes: The arrests of adolescents (age 10-17) for drug law violations, per 1,000 adolescents. Drug law violations include all crimes involving sale, manufacturing, and possession of drugs
Problem Outcomes: Substance Use - Arrests, Drug Law Violation
Data Last Updated: 09/16/2025
State 0.6
Counties Like Us 1.20
Clallam County 2.13
PAGE 59 Notes: The adolescents (age 10-17) receiving state-funded alcohol or drug services, per 1,000 adolescents 10-17
Problem Outcomes: Substance Use- Clients Of State-Funded Alcohol or Drug Services
Data Last Updated: 09/16/2025
State 3.38
Counties Like Us 8.53
Clallam County 13.72
PAGE 64 Non-Reporting Police Jurisdictions in Uniform Crime Reports and National Incident-Based Reporting System
Most law enforcement agencies report arrest and offense data to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC), which in turn provides data to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program and National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). This is the source of our data. Some jurisdictions do not report all arrests and offenses, some report partial years, and some withhold certain categories of arrests or offenses. Reporting is voluntary for arrests and offenses.