City of Bellingham and Ellen Murphy Reach Mediated Agreement
Upon request of the parties, the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center is pleased to announce that the City of Bellingham and Ellen Murphy successfully mediated a pending dispute.
Bellingham, WA (PRWEB) June 24, 2009 -- Upon request of the parties, the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center is pleased to announce that the City of Bellingham and Ellen Murphy successfully mediated a pending dispute. This dispute arose after Ellen Murphy was arrested by City of Bellingham Police on the charge of criminal trespassing at the local office of Congressman Rick Larsen, and at the same time was banned for life from the building often known as the "Federal Building". Ellen Murphy, subsequently and through her attorney, Joseph T. Pemberton, lodged a claim for damages against the City of Bellingham.
The City of Bellingham and Ellen Murphy jointly decided to mediate through the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center in an effort to pursue a collaborative outcome to the dispute. The decision to mediate, being successful, avoided even the filing of this claim in Federal Court.
During the mediation process, the two parties quickly saw that there was an opportunity to turn an adversarial situation into a productive one which could have community wide implications. They reached resolution and have chosen to announce their success in an effort to increase awareness of the services the WDRC provides.
A key element of the resolution is the envisioning of an upcoming forum to provide a learning opportunity for stakeholders to share their values, experiences, and perceptions of interactions which take place during the course of political activism. As the parties themselves expressed, "We are absolutely convinced that open communication, along with a desire to listen, is more powerful than forces which would prefer to derail such learning and understanding."
About the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center
The WDRC is a non-profit dedicated to educating and training the public in peaceful conflict resolution skills, and providing trained mediators to empower the community to resolve conflicts in equitable and cooperative ways. More information can be found at www.whatcomdrc.org or by calling 676-0122.
CONTACTS:
Moonwater
Executive Director
(360) 676-0122
Janice Keller
Communications Manager
Mayor's Office, City of Bellingham
Office: 360-778-8100
Cell: 360-201-9500
Joseph T. Pemberton
Attorney
(360) 671-1551
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