🐹 40 Yrs On Agate Pond 🐸🐸

Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Monday update from The Hamster Wheel.

Those long lists of live music in each newsletter were getting too listy… So, this weekend, we took the initiative and moved all the music onto a dedicated page! It has some bells and whistles like filtering, so let us know if it starts acting buggy. We'll try to get it dialed in this week.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.

Weather Forecast

Monday: 66°F 🌡️ 47°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 NNW 1 to 6 mph

Tuesday: 72°F 🌡️ 52°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 20% | 💨 WSW 3 mph

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

An Evening of Poetry

Two accomplished Bellingham poets, Dion O'Reilly and Kami Westhoff, will be at Village Books tomorrow to read from their poetry collections. As of my writing this, there are seats available to reserve.

Kami Westhoff 👆️ is a Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Western and author of a story collection, The Criteria, and four books of poetry, including her most recent, Sacral, which won the 2023 John Pierce Chapbook competition. Village Books’ post with a photo of Kami caught my eye because I had just read an interview with her on the WWU news feed. It's worth a read. 👍️ 

Dion O'Reilly 👆️ is the author of three poetry collections: Limerence, a finalist for the John Pierce Chapbook Competition from Floating Bridge Press. Sadness of the Apex Predator, a finalist for the Steel Toe Book Prize and the Ex Ophidia Prize; Ghost Dogs, winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award, The Independent Press Award for Poetry, and shortlisted for the Eric Hoffer Poetry Award and The Catamaran Prize.

In other news…

🌲 Late last week, Whatcom Land Trust posted a video about Patricia Otto, who recently signed a Conservation Easement with Whatcom Land Trust to protect her Agate Pond Preserve property in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The video is beautifully done (hat tip to the WLT team), and Patricia is lovely to listen to as she talks about the forty years she’s spent re-wilding the property.

I love a moment in the video when she describes having to choose between fighting against a beaver population or working with them, and then all the wonderful ways they impacted the Agate Creek waterway once established.

🏙️ Bellingham City Council meets today, May 5th, at 9 am, with the Regular Meeting at 7 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held at Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall or watch online.

🚢 The Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners meets tomorrow, May 6th, at 4 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held at the Harbor Center or watch via the port’s YouTube channel. Tucked away at the very end of the agenda is an action item that reads “Motion to approve the Settlement Agreement […] with Harcourt Developments Residential Bellingham LLC […].” The motion is worth a read. It details how Harcourt and the Port got into the kerfuffle that has led to the commissioners likely terminating Harcourt’s role in developing the waterfront.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Coffee Crawl: Visit Local Cafes, Earn Rewards

The third annual Coffee Crawl, which invites community members to explore new local coffee shops and cafes while enjoying their daily cup of joe, kicked off this weekend and runs through June.

To take part, sign up for a free digital Coffee Crawl passport, then check in at participating cafes with your phone to earn points every time you order. Points can be used to redeem prizes like local coffee, a Think Local First travel mug, or a $20 gift card redeemable at over 250 local businesses around Whatcom County. It’s like a treasure hunt… but with coffee!! 😉☕️ 

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

Uisce Irish Pub: 
Guffawingham | Mon 8:30 pm

Nooksack Valley High School
Into The Woods | Mon-Sat 7 pm

New Prospect Theatre:
The Catastrophist | Thurs 9:30 pm; Sun 4 pm

FireHouse A&E Center:
A Trio of American Opera | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 pm; Sat, Sun 2 pm

Mount Baker Theatre:
David Cross | Fri 7:30 pm

Blaine Community Theater:
Let's Bump Up the Lights | Sat 3 & 7 pm

Blaine Performing Arts Center:
Mother Earth Danzas | Sat 6 pm; Sun 1 pm

The Upfront Theatre
Canadian Steam | Thurs 7:30 pm
Space Trek | Fri 7:30 pm
Movie Mayhem | Fri 9:30 pm
Space Trek | Sat 7:30 pm
Punch Line | Sat 9:30 pm

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

 Salsa & Bachata 
Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Beginning Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
Int. Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 7:15 pm
Bachata - ‘ONO Kitchen & Bar - Thurs 7:30 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

 Tango  
Urban Salon Tango - The Majestic - Mon 7 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm

 Other  
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 7 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:30 pm
Belly Dance - Bham Senior C. - Sat 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Feature an Event. Reach out. 
Tell us about an event. Use this link.

Tonight at the Shakedown: Blood Capsules, Thimastr, and Biff Got Killed. Tickets.

MONDAY 5TH

May Mondays at Maritime - Stroll through Maritime Park (3:30 pm to 6:30 pm), grab a bite from local vendors, relax on a blanket, and enjoy live music from a talented local busker. Get the deets.

Cinco De Mayo Music Fundraiser, Boundary Bay - Listen to live music from Cory Vincent & The Electric Band, Cats Like Us, Nobody's Peach, Mild Mallard, and the J.P. Falcon Band. Runs all afternoon from 3 to 10 pm. Support the cause.

Monday Music & Trivia→

TUESDAY 6TH

Brassapalooza, Performing Arts Center - A free evening of chamber ensembles, solo works, and an amassing of four brass studios to create an epic large brass ensemble. Kicks off at 7:30 pm. Get brassed.

Kian Dye & Friends, Ramble Tamble - Throwdown some stompin' and hollerin' as Kian Dye and a rotating cast of musicians get down on bluegrass classics. Mountain dancing time.

Island Japanese Story Theater, Lummi Isl Library - Experience Kamishibai, traditional Japanese story theater, and make a set of your own Kamishibai cards. Day trip to the Island.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

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Have a great Monday!!