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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Puzzlers: Work continues on the new game section. The easy sudoku puzzle is getting lots of action and y’all are killing it! A few of you have been completing it in astonishing times, which gives me, a newbie, something to strive for. Some of you are tackling the medium puzzle which is also rad. 👍 There’s been feedback that the hard puzzle sometimes strays into impossible territory. I’ll work on striking the right balance there. 😆 Keep playing Sudoku and let me know how it goes.

Also, you’ll find a new game called the Daily Unscramble. 🤘 This one is a race to unscramble five words as fast as you can. The words get harder as you progress… or at least longer. Be sure to take note of the daily theme at the top of the game interface. Give it a try and send me feedback. The leaderboard should be working for this game too.

Or, hit reply to send me photos via email. 📧

Great stories don’t happen by accident. In this immersive two-week workshop, Alison Gallant breaks down the architecture of story through acts, turning points, midpoints, scene anatomy, and more so you can build narratives that truly hold together.

Perfect for screenwriters, novelists, and storytellers of all kinds, this workshop combines professional insight with practical application, including a blueprint workshop designed to pressure test your structure and strengthen your work from the inside out.

A new community project is encouraging hamsters to see Bellingham a little differently, one bike ride at a time. BIKE Bellingham, created by local cyclist Sarah Burch, offers a growing collection of free self-paced GPS-guided bike tours that connect you with the city's culture, heritage, landscapes, and businesses. There are currently four rides to choose from: Quirky Quirks, Treemendous Trees, Gretchen’s Murals, and Cats & Dogs.

The idea for BIKE Bellingham grew out of Sarah's own experience spending more than a decade traveling the world by bicycle before settling in Bellingham in 2024. Rather than treating cycling as the destination, she views it as a way to discover places, meet people, and build a deeper connection to community. That philosophy became the foundation for BIKE Bellingham, a project designed to help folks explore our beautiful city with fresh eyes.

Using the free Ride with GPS app, you can download curated routes featuring turn-by-turn navigation and information about points of interest along the way. Since I know how many fellow pup and feline friend lovers are among you, be sure to check out Sarah’s Cats & Dogs route. So fun! 😺 🚴 🐶

The Downtown Bellingham Partnership has announced the lineup for the 22nd season of Downtown Sounds, which is returning to the Arts District on Wednesday evenings from July 8 through August 5.

This year's lineup includes Bellingham bands Stapletones, AEFECT, and Silent Disco Club, along with a new Bellingham All-Star Super Jam featuring more than 30 local musicians. The YMCA is hosting Parents Night Out childcare services during Downtown Sounds evenings this year so you stir-crazy moms and dads can wiggle on down to the corner of Holly and Bay to catch some tunes.

Bellingham Public Schools has posted a message from Superintendent Greg Baker responding to recommendations from the district’s Facilities Planning Task Force, which has spent the past several months reviewing enrollment trends, school capacity, facility conditions, and long-term funding challenges. The recommendations, which include potential school consolidations and attendance boundary adjustments, will now move into a public feedback phase as district leaders consider next steps. Baker emphasized that all schools will remain open during the 2026-27 school year and encouraged families and community members to review the recommendations, watch a newly released Q&A video, and share feedback with the district.

LOCAL READS

WWU professor Jackie Caplan-Auerbach co-publishes paper on second-largest tsunami ever recorded
By Ava Nicholas · WWU News
A landslide near Alaska’s South Sawyer Glacier triggered a tsunami that surged more than 1,570 feet up a fjord wall, making it the second-largest ever recorded. Ava reports that WWU geologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach helped identify the event through unusual seismic signals and later co-authored a major study examining its causes and risks. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

The last hope for Washington’s mountain goats
By Sam Fletcher · Salish Current
Mountain goat populations in the North Cascades have declined dramatically, with aerial surveys in the Mount Baker wilderness dropping from 345 animals in 2019 to about 63 today. Sam reports that tribal wildlife managers are concerned that warming conditions, predators, disease, and recreation pressures may be pushing some herds toward an irreversible decline. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Ferndale City Council, 5:00 pm, City Hall Annex
Lynden City Council, 7:00 pm, City Hall Annex
Bellingham City Council, 11:00 am w. reg. meeting at 7:00 pm, City Hall
Board of Library Trustees, 3:00 pm, Bellingham Central Library

Tuesday
Bellingham Arts Commission, 5:00 pm, Mayor's Boardroom
Whatcom County Council, 9:00 am, County Courthouse

Wednesday
Lake Whatcom Policy Group, 3:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center

Thursday
WTA Board, 8:00 am, WTA Office
Greenways Advisory Committee, 7:30 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center
Bellingham Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall
Greenways Advisory Committee and Parks & Recreation Advisory Board, 6:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Tuesday
Nooksack River in Downtown Ferndale: Meat the SeaFeast team at the car wash located at 1980 Main Street, then head out to clean up areas around the river where windblown trash and plastics often collect before entering the waterway. Register

Wednesday
Stream Team: Help Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) maintain older sites that need love. Meet at NSEA’s campus by 8 am and your group leader will shuttle everyone to the site. You can expect to be back to NSEA at 12 pm. Register

Friday
Governors Point: Join Whatcom Land Trust for a day of trail clearing and invasive species removal at Governors Point. Register
Oyster Dome: Help WTA restore damaged portions of the trail, including repairing trail structures and tread. Register

Saturday
Lower Padden Creek Trail: Join the city and NSEA in removing invasive species and spread mulch along this cherished trail near Padden Creek. Register
Blanchard Mountain: Join the WTA crew and other Trail Maintenance orgs on National Trails Day to help improve hiking opportunities at Blanchard Mountain. Register
Lake Whatcom Park: Join Whatcom Land Trust, Whatcom County, and the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition (WMBC) improving the trail system through brushing, tread work, and general upkeep to support safe access while protecting surrounding habitat. Register

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham (comedy) | Mon 8:30 pm

Bellingham Waterfront
Shoestring Circus (circus) | Wed, Sun

New Prospect Theatre
Bloom (cabaret) | Fri, Sat

Western’s Performing Arts Center
BFA Dance Capstone Concert (dance) | Fri, Sat

Western’s Performing Arts Center
Into the Woods (theatre) | Fri-Sun

The Claire Theatre
Cinderella (theatre) | Sat, Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
Opus’ Spring Showcase (dance) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon, class 5:30, jam 7 pm
Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 6 pm
B’ham Hop - Crystal Ballroom - Tues 8 pm
Taster Tuesdays (hip hop) - Lost Giants Cider Co - Tues 6 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 8:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Belly Dance - Karate Church - Sun 1 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sunday 10:30 am

Kendall Lujan stops in Bellingham tonight, June 1 at 7 pm, as part of her My Heart Needs Love Tour, at the Odd Fellows Temple Room with support from local singer-songwriter Hannah Wyatt. Lujan’s music blends folk, jazz, bossa nova, and indie rock influences into songs that explore heartbreak, growth, and connection.

Bellingham-based singer-songwriter Phil Paige returns to The FireHouse this afternoon, June 1 at 3:30 pm, to perform a mix of original songs and some of his favorites by others. Phil writes folk rock and alt-country songs in the tradition of his Laurel Canyon influences.

Dogs in a Pile brings a blend of improvisational rock to the Buffalo tonight, June 1, with doors at 7 pm and music at 8 pm. Hailing from Asbury Park, New Jersey, the five-piece band has built a devoted following through relentless touring and a live show that draws from jazz, funk, psychedelia, bluegrass, Americana, and rock.

It’s a quiet night.
Take a fishing pole and some worms to Lake Padden. 🎣

Monday Music & Trivia →

Bingo Fundraiser for Echoes, Zeeks Pizza – Free bingo from 6 to 8 pm with prizes after each round, benefiting Echoes, a Bellingham faith community raising funds to support participation in the 2026 Pride Parade and Celebration.

Uncringe Academy: Sex Ed for Parents, WinkWink Boutique – A workshop from 6 to 8 pm led by educator Jenn Mason exploring age-appropriate conversations about sexuality, practical communication strategies, and ways to support young people without shame, fear, or judgment. Tickets

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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