The commissioners and Dr. Berry did not answer yesterday's question about harm reduction. Here is today's email to the commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
What standard determines which constituents or organizations are deemed acceptable hosts for commissioner participation, and how does that standard avoid favoring aligned groups over ordinary residents?
The response below is a modeled response that an individual commissioner could use and is grounded in Clallam County’s Charter, Code, and Administrative Policies, interpreted in accordance with Washington transparency guidance and reinforced by national accountability standards.
Dear Constiuent,
As an individual commissioner, the short answer is that Clallam County does not currently have a written, codified standard that determines which constituents or organizations are acceptable hosts for commissioner participation. The County’s Home Rule Charter, County Code, and Administrative Policies do not authorize viewpoint- or affiliation-based distinctions in public engagement (Clallam County Charter; Clallam County Code; Clallam County Administrative Policies). When discretion is exercised without an articulated, reviewable standard, it creates a governance risk because neutrality and consistency cannot be evaluated, and silence itself shapes outcomes. Washington guidance emphasizes that public trust depends on explainable, content-neutral decision-making when discretion affects access (RCW 42.30.010; MRSC, 2024), a principle reinforced by national public-sector accountability standards requiring clear decision criteria to avoid favoritism (GAO, 2014).
On your behalf as a constituent, I will take three specific steps. First, I will formally request that the Board place a discussion item on a public agenda to clarify whether a neutral, written standard should govern commissioner participation in externally hosted events, so the criteria are visible and reviewable (RCW 42.30.010; MRSC, 2024). Second, I will ask staff to identify where—if anywhere—such standards already exist in County documents, and if none exist, to outline options consistent with the County Charter and Code that avoid viewpoint or affiliation favoritism (Clallam County Charter; Clallam County Code). Third, I will advocate that any adopted practice be content-neutral, consistently applied, and documented, consistent with public-sector accountability standards that require clear decision criteria when discretion affects access and trust (GAO, 2014). I will report back in the public record on the outcome of these steps.
Municipal Research and Services Center. (2024). The Open Public Meetings Act: How it applies to Washington cities, counties, and special purpose districts.
Yes Don and this land acknowledgment has replaced "time immemorial"
with "the indigenous peoples whose presence PERMEATES the the waterways, shoreline, valleys, and mountains of the Olympic region"
permeate
verb
1. spread throughout (something); pervade
Example: the aroma of soup permeated the air
It makes no more sense than time immemorial. How does one permeate waterways? I know the homeless sites along the our waterways and soil are definitely being permeated, but this sound ominous. Oh well.
"Together, we acknowledge, with humility, the indigenous peoples whose presence PERMEATES the waterways, shorelines, valleys, and mountains of the Olympic region. The land where we are is the territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, in particular the Chimacum, Hoh, Makah, S’Klallam, Suquamish, and Quileute tribes on whose sacred land we live, work, and play."
Great points as always...if we can come together in droves via announcements through you and CJ, Strait Shooter, Mimi, Dr. Sarah, we can force the issue on the elected officials. Listen to us and drop your blind party following ways. Karen and I drove the back way from Bremerton to Silverdale the other day. We were amazed on the way the whole area was kept. It was clean, tidy, and all aspects adding to the natural beauty of that area. One ingredient missing, our commissioner influence of disgrace.
Dr. Sarah will have my vote when she is running 👍Jake Seegers is a must to get this rolling!
Great, great potpourri today, Jeff. I can feel and hear the frustration growing from our community. It's the Tell-Tale Heart. Do they hear our heart beat? Is it fueling their insanity? I believe so. I know that's a little macabre, but our leaders' self-absorbed importance can only be explained in such a way.
Excellent ! You opened the door for me.My wife says I am losing it but here goes.We all need a little humor now and then. I have used chewing tobacco for over 50+ years. I would like to cut back some and I believe boofing is the answer as I would be reluctant to drop my drawers in public to add a little more. Could be a win for me.
Signs Do Matter —Sorry, not directly related to this article, but … “Sign, sign, everywhere, a sign Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind”
U.S. officials this month ordered national parks to remove dozens of signs and displays related to the mistreatment of Native Americans by settlers, as well as about climate change and environmental protection and interpretive signage.
Energy News updated January 27, 2026 The Interior Department, which oversees National Park Service in a press release, stated that they were implementing Trump's Executive Order on "Restoring Truth to American History".
All federal agencies must review the interpretive material to ensure accuracy, truthfulness, and alignment with national values. The National Park Service has completed the review and is now taking the appropriate actions in accordance with this Order.
Ironically that was a Canadian band... ""Long haired freaky people need not apply" was another line; maybe more appropriate for some homeless persons....
Wow, that picture on page 14 of the newsletter says it all, along with his friends list being a tribal "who's who". It's very clear why Vicki Lowe endorsed him.
I literally laughed out loud. What a joke. Need a permit to put up a sign. Show us your card to prove you got the poke. Pay for drug kits the addicts put up their ars. Ask your kid to walk "around" the violent street person. These people are so insane they cannot see how ridiculous this is. Get screamed at crossing the street in SEQUIM from the no ice idiots. They can't quit, they won't quit. Meanwhile, it is racist and unfair to ask for proof of citizenship to VOTE. It is sickening.
We had the "No Icers" here in PA, too. Wendy Rae Johnson is on the Board of the Clallam County Conservation District which has been discussed in previous CC Watch Dog posts. Close ups of the Peninsula Handmaids show they are all wearing masks while they protest ICE. No irony there whatsoever. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/ice-protest-2/
Here is just a sample of what s going on in Olympia. these bills are being considered tomorrow.
BILL TITLE: Improving statewide coordination in support of anadromous fish recovery.
BILL SUMMARY: House Bill 2598 would create a new Salmon Advisory Commission to improve coordination among state agencies, tribes, and lawmakers on salmon and steelhead recovery efforts and require regular meetings and reports on progress.
6081 BILL TITLE: Protecting Washingtonians from invasion of privacy, including the unauthorized disclosure of sex designation information and historic sex designation changes in official government records.
BILL SUMMARY: SB 6081 would make it much harder for people’s gender identity information — including their sex designation and any history of changes — to be shared in government records like birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and other public files. The bill would keep records of sex designation changes confidential, limit what appears on IDs to a person’s current sex designation, and protect these records even from subpoenas. Supporters say this helps protect privacy and safety, especially for transgender people facing harassment.
5826 BILL TITLE: Concerning access at public postsecondary educational institutions to medication abortion.
BILL SUMMARY: SB 5826 would require public colleges and universities in Washington to provide or arrange access to medication abortion for students on campus.
1974 BILL TITLE: Establishing land banking authorities.
BILL SUMMARY: SHB 1974 is meant to make it easier to set aside land for affordable housing by letting certain groups—like public corporations, housing authorities, or qualified nonprofits—buy, hold, and get land ready for future building. The bill tries to cut costs and reduce red tape by giving these groups property tax and REET breaks, so they can afford to hold land until it’s ready to be developed. Overall, the goal is to keep land prices more stable and create a steady supply of sites that can eventually be used for affordable rental or home ownership housing as communities grow.
2684 BILL TITLE: Establishing guidelines for what constitutes a socially disadvantaged individual for the purpose of business enterprise state certification. BILL SUMMARY: HB2684 creates the first official list of groups the state will automatically consider “socially disadvantaged,” and ensures that only one state agency, the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) is in charge of deciding who qualifies. The goal is to update the rules and allow the agency to adjust the list in the future. People who are labeled “socially disadvantaged get easier access to special business certification programs, helping them compete for government contracts and qualifying for opportunities that are meant to support underrepresented business owners. These individuals do not have to prove their personal history of discrimination.
2555 BILL TITLE: Concerning medicaid coverage for traditional health care practices.
BILL SUMMARY: HB 2555 is intended to let Medicaid cover traditional, culturally based health care practices—especially those used in tribal and Indigenous communities—by formally recognizing these services and allowing qualified traditional healers to be reimbursed.
2685 BILL TITLE: Concerning sharing and protection of tribal data.
BILL SUMMARY: HB 2685’s intent is to strengthen tribal data sovereignty by ensuring tribes receive “equal or better access” to public health data, retain ownership and control over their data, and are fully included in notifiable condition reporting, while shielding tribal data from public disclosure.
I am amazed, over 1,000 bills. Our legislators have come up with bills that they actually take time to discuss, like who is “SOCIALY DISADVANTAGED”? And who gets to designate? They pledge allegiance to One Nation, with Liberty and Justice for All, then decide who is All? What has happened to us? Our Liberty and Justice is in the hands of the insane. Maybe I’m insane for trying to make sense of it all.
A PBH client currently in one of their group homes with a female identity on waiting list for future PBH housing has a prior male identity with associated criminal record in another state including prison time for severe DV assault in front of a child. how convenient to avoid the "no violent offenders in PSH " rule
Al-Hakim is likely a large part of the force behind expanded services at what used to be just a syringe exchange https://adai.uw.edu/virtual-panel-more-than-just-pipes-lessons-from-the-field-about-safer-smoking-supplies-may-16/ May 2022 article, and according to Linkedin she went to work for the county in June 2022. March 14 2023 she presented to the Clallam behavioral health advisory board. Not sure when she left the county but I always wondered if they knew of her self declared anrachist stance when they hired her
Al -Hakim her car stolen just a few months before she went to work for Clallam and convinced our county we needed a brand new van to deliver harm reduction to the west end. How did she work in Clallam while attending Shoreline community college ? https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lisa-alhakim-replace-her-stolen-car
Thank you for sharing the Strait Shooter article! More satirical hilarity ensues in Tuesday’s edition with the introduction of a new Clallam County superhero. I’m glad you enjoyed the interview with Denise; I did too!
Good Governance Daily Proverb
When officials cannot explain the standard they are using,
procedure becomes a shield,
silence becomes a decision,
and trust fills the gap with speculation.
The commissioners and Dr. Berry did not answer yesterday's question about harm reduction. Here is today's email to the commissioners:
Dear Commissioners,
What standard determines which constituents or organizations are deemed acceptable hosts for commissioner participation, and how does that standard avoid favoring aligned groups over ordinary residents?
All three commissioners can be reached by emailing the Clerk of the Board at loni.gores@clallamcountywa.gov.
The response below is a modeled response that an individual commissioner could use and is grounded in Clallam County’s Charter, Code, and Administrative Policies, interpreted in accordance with Washington transparency guidance and reinforced by national accountability standards.
Dear Constiuent,
As an individual commissioner, the short answer is that Clallam County does not currently have a written, codified standard that determines which constituents or organizations are acceptable hosts for commissioner participation. The County’s Home Rule Charter, County Code, and Administrative Policies do not authorize viewpoint- or affiliation-based distinctions in public engagement (Clallam County Charter; Clallam County Code; Clallam County Administrative Policies). When discretion is exercised without an articulated, reviewable standard, it creates a governance risk because neutrality and consistency cannot be evaluated, and silence itself shapes outcomes. Washington guidance emphasizes that public trust depends on explainable, content-neutral decision-making when discretion affects access (RCW 42.30.010; MRSC, 2024), a principle reinforced by national public-sector accountability standards requiring clear decision criteria to avoid favoritism (GAO, 2014).
On your behalf as a constituent, I will take three specific steps. First, I will formally request that the Board place a discussion item on a public agenda to clarify whether a neutral, written standard should govern commissioner participation in externally hosted events, so the criteria are visible and reviewable (RCW 42.30.010; MRSC, 2024). Second, I will ask staff to identify where—if anywhere—such standards already exist in County documents, and if none exist, to outline options consistent with the County Charter and Code that avoid viewpoint or affiliation favoritism (Clallam County Charter; Clallam County Code). Third, I will advocate that any adopted practice be content-neutral, consistently applied, and documented, consistent with public-sector accountability standards that require clear decision criteria when discretion affects access and trust (GAO, 2014). I will report back in the public record on the outcome of these steps.
Sincerely,
Commissioner
Clallam County Board of Commissioners
References
Clallam County. (n.d.). Clallam County Charter.
https://clallam.county.codes/Charter
Clallam County. (n.d.). Clallam County Code.
https://clallam.county.codes
Clallam County. (n.d.). County administrative policies.
https://www.clallamcountywa.gov/207/County-Administrative-Policies
Municipal Research and Services Center. (2024). The Open Public Meetings Act: How it applies to Washington cities, counties, and special purpose districts.
https://mrsc.org/publications
Revised Code of Washington § 42.30.010. Open Public Meetings Act—Legislative intent.
https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=42.30.010
Government Accountability Office. (2014). Standards for internal control in the federal government (GAO-14-704G).
https://www.gao.gov/greenbook
Wow !!! What A fn Bitch
@JeffTozzer, OCH=Olympic Community of Health: https://www.olympicch.org/
Thank you!!!
? A new group? Complete with “land acknowledgment” and “indigenous” BS. Funding?
Yes Don and this land acknowledgment has replaced "time immemorial"
with "the indigenous peoples whose presence PERMEATES the the waterways, shoreline, valleys, and mountains of the Olympic region"
permeate
verb
1. spread throughout (something); pervade
Example: the aroma of soup permeated the air
It makes no more sense than time immemorial. How does one permeate waterways? I know the homeless sites along the our waterways and soil are definitely being permeated, but this sound ominous. Oh well.
"Together, we acknowledge, with humility, the indigenous peoples whose presence PERMEATES the waterways, shorelines, valleys, and mountains of the Olympic region. The land where we are is the territory of the Coast Salish Peoples, in particular the Chimacum, Hoh, Makah, S’Klallam, Suquamish, and Quileute tribes on whose sacred land we live, work, and play."
I usually associate permeate with an odor. This stinks!
Good morning Jeff,
Great points as always...if we can come together in droves via announcements through you and CJ, Strait Shooter, Mimi, Dr. Sarah, we can force the issue on the elected officials. Listen to us and drop your blind party following ways. Karen and I drove the back way from Bremerton to Silverdale the other day. We were amazed on the way the whole area was kept. It was clean, tidy, and all aspects adding to the natural beauty of that area. One ingredient missing, our commissioner influence of disgrace.
Dr. Sarah will have my vote when she is running 👍Jake Seegers is a must to get this rolling!
Thank you all and have a great one!
Yummy, sounds delicious….Glen!
I think county commissioners may not have read the instructions and didn’t keep hold of their base (neck) and are completely in the dark.
Great, great potpourri today, Jeff. I can feel and hear the frustration growing from our community. It's the Tell-Tale Heart. Do they hear our heart beat? Is it fueling their insanity? I believe so. I know that's a little macabre, but our leaders' self-absorbed importance can only be explained in such a way.
If we are going to talk about boofing, nothing is off limits :)
Excellent ! You opened the door for me.My wife says I am losing it but here goes.We all need a little humor now and then. I have used chewing tobacco for over 50+ years. I would like to cut back some and I believe boofing is the answer as I would be reluctant to drop my drawers in public to add a little more. Could be a win for me.
JJW, what do you get when there are 10 boof kits on a table? A booffet. That's a Mom joke ; )
I'm rather fond of Skoal Cherry.
Beautiful downtown Buffinton, coming to a neighborhood near you. By design.
Muddy the water (done) DEMORALIZE, destabilize, (Seattle, Portland), consolidation of power.
"Commissioner Mike French now says evenings are family time." So, what is he doing during working hours? Is he playing online role-playing games, too?
Signs Do Matter —Sorry, not directly related to this article, but … “Sign, sign, everywhere, a sign Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind”
U.S. officials this month ordered national parks to remove dozens of signs and displays related to the mistreatment of Native Americans by settlers, as well as about climate change and environmental protection and interpretive signage.
https://energynews.oedigital.com/climate-change/2026/01/27/wash-post-reports-that-us-national-parks-are-being-asked-to-remove-signs-about-climate-change-and-mistreatment-of-native-americans
Energy News updated January 27, 2026 The Interior Department, which oversees National Park Service in a press release, stated that they were implementing Trump's Executive Order on "Restoring Truth to American History".
All federal agencies must review the interpretive material to ensure accuracy, truthfulness, and alignment with national values. The National Park Service has completed the review and is now taking the appropriate actions in accordance with this Order.
Ironically that was a Canadian band... ""Long haired freaky people need not apply" was another line; maybe more appropriate for some homeless persons....
"Since Time Immemorial" too??
ABeetle, don't get me started! LOL ; )
Oh Jennifer, another day, another song stuck in my head. LOL
Does anyone know who Arnold "Pete" Tjemsland is?
From today's work session packet:
A vacancy exists on the Clallam County Board of Health for the City Council Member
A notice of vacancy was issued to the press in December 2025 to solicit applications
The City of Sequim identified Arnold "Pete" Tjemsland as the City Council Member representative.
City of Poft Angeles, City of Forks and City of Sequim unanimously support the appointment.
New City of Sequim councilmember. He ran for and replaced Vicky Lowe's position.
He also worked for the city for many years, now retired.
He is also married to a half Indian.
Tribal connection https://jamestowntribe.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/July-2019-Tribal-Newsletter.pdf
Hard to deny .His Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pete.tjemsland/friends
Wow, that picture on page 14 of the newsletter says it all, along with his friends list being a tribal "who's who". It's very clear why Vicki Lowe endorsed him.
Yes. Sequimite. Served our country and was a city employee. Sequim Graduate.
I literally laughed out loud. What a joke. Need a permit to put up a sign. Show us your card to prove you got the poke. Pay for drug kits the addicts put up their ars. Ask your kid to walk "around" the violent street person. These people are so insane they cannot see how ridiculous this is. Get screamed at crossing the street in SEQUIM from the no ice idiots. They can't quit, they won't quit. Meanwhile, it is racist and unfair to ask for proof of citizenship to VOTE. It is sickening.
We had the "No Icers" here in PA, too. Wendy Rae Johnson is on the Board of the Clallam County Conservation District which has been discussed in previous CC Watch Dog posts. Close ups of the Peninsula Handmaids show they are all wearing masks while they protest ICE. No irony there whatsoever. https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/ice-protest-2/
Are the Peninsula Handmaids celebrating their virginity or advertising on a street corner?
Here is just a sample of what s going on in Olympia. these bills are being considered tomorrow.
BILL TITLE: Improving statewide coordination in support of anadromous fish recovery.
BILL SUMMARY: House Bill 2598 would create a new Salmon Advisory Commission to improve coordination among state agencies, tribes, and lawmakers on salmon and steelhead recovery efforts and require regular meetings and reports on progress.
6081 BILL TITLE: Protecting Washingtonians from invasion of privacy, including the unauthorized disclosure of sex designation information and historic sex designation changes in official government records.
BILL SUMMARY: SB 6081 would make it much harder for people’s gender identity information — including their sex designation and any history of changes — to be shared in government records like birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and other public files. The bill would keep records of sex designation changes confidential, limit what appears on IDs to a person’s current sex designation, and protect these records even from subpoenas. Supporters say this helps protect privacy and safety, especially for transgender people facing harassment.
5826 BILL TITLE: Concerning access at public postsecondary educational institutions to medication abortion.
BILL SUMMARY: SB 5826 would require public colleges and universities in Washington to provide or arrange access to medication abortion for students on campus.
1974 BILL TITLE: Establishing land banking authorities.
BILL SUMMARY: SHB 1974 is meant to make it easier to set aside land for affordable housing by letting certain groups—like public corporations, housing authorities, or qualified nonprofits—buy, hold, and get land ready for future building. The bill tries to cut costs and reduce red tape by giving these groups property tax and REET breaks, so they can afford to hold land until it’s ready to be developed. Overall, the goal is to keep land prices more stable and create a steady supply of sites that can eventually be used for affordable rental or home ownership housing as communities grow.
2684 BILL TITLE: Establishing guidelines for what constitutes a socially disadvantaged individual for the purpose of business enterprise state certification. BILL SUMMARY: HB2684 creates the first official list of groups the state will automatically consider “socially disadvantaged,” and ensures that only one state agency, the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) is in charge of deciding who qualifies. The goal is to update the rules and allow the agency to adjust the list in the future. People who are labeled “socially disadvantaged get easier access to special business certification programs, helping them compete for government contracts and qualifying for opportunities that are meant to support underrepresented business owners. These individuals do not have to prove their personal history of discrimination.
2555 BILL TITLE: Concerning medicaid coverage for traditional health care practices.
BILL SUMMARY: HB 2555 is intended to let Medicaid cover traditional, culturally based health care practices—especially those used in tribal and Indigenous communities—by formally recognizing these services and allowing qualified traditional healers to be reimbursed.
2685 BILL TITLE: Concerning sharing and protection of tribal data.
BILL SUMMARY: HB 2685’s intent is to strengthen tribal data sovereignty by ensuring tribes receive “equal or better access” to public health data, retain ownership and control over their data, and are fully included in notifiable condition reporting, while shielding tribal data from public disclosure.
I already sent in my opposing comments. Nothing good is coming out of Olympia, especially with over 1,000 Bills to process.
I am amazed, over 1,000 bills. Our legislators have come up with bills that they actually take time to discuss, like who is “SOCIALY DISADVANTAGED”? And who gets to designate? They pledge allegiance to One Nation, with Liberty and Justice for All, then decide who is All? What has happened to us? Our Liberty and Justice is in the hands of the insane. Maybe I’m insane for trying to make sense of it all.
Well if you are insane , so am I!
A PBH client currently in one of their group homes with a female identity on waiting list for future PBH housing has a prior male identity with associated criminal record in another state including prison time for severe DV assault in front of a child. how convenient to avoid the "no violent offenders in PSH " rule
HB 2684 IS THE MOST TROUBLING TO ME.
How many of these bills can you spot that will benefit and serve tribes? Too many.
Was Lisa Al-Hakim on the payroll of pro drug use NGOs while collecting a salary in Clallam county? https://theorg.com/org/clallam-county/org-chart/lisa-al-hakim
Al-Hakim is likely a large part of the force behind expanded services at what used to be just a syringe exchange https://adai.uw.edu/virtual-panel-more-than-just-pipes-lessons-from-the-field-about-safer-smoking-supplies-may-16/ May 2022 article, and according to Linkedin she went to work for the county in June 2022. March 14 2023 she presented to the Clallam behavioral health advisory board. Not sure when she left the county but I always wondered if they knew of her self declared anrachist stance when they hired her
Al -Hakim her car stolen just a few months before she went to work for Clallam and convinced our county we needed a brand new van to deliver harm reduction to the west end. How did she work in Clallam while attending Shoreline community college ? https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-lisa-alhakim-replace-her-stolen-car
Thank you for sharing the Strait Shooter article! More satirical hilarity ensues in Tuesday’s edition with the introduction of a new Clallam County superhero. I’m glad you enjoyed the interview with Denise; I did too!
The HHS should add another H for hypocrisy.