TOGETHER WITH

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

This weekend, I wiggled my fingers over the keyboard, and out popped a Bellingham Weather page where you can find current, hourly, and daily forecasts along with an air quality reference. A few of you have asked about historical vs. current rainfall and temperatures, so that’s on my roadmap for another coding session. 👍️ 

I also made some improvements to the Music and Food Truck pages to make them more useful and easier to navigate. More updates to come.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ 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.

Live at the Mount Baker Theatre

Murder by Death

Wednesday, October 22

For more than two decades, Murder by Death has thrived in the quiet corners of the music world, building a fiercely loyal following. With relentless touring, storytelling, and connection Murder by Death found strength in its audience, a community that believed in them long before the industry ever did.

Now, as they prepare to release a new album and wind down full-time touring, Murder by Death returns to the road one last time. This final tour is both a celebration and a thank-you—to the fans, friends, and collaborators who helped turn years of hard work into a life of art. Expect songs that span their catalog, stories from the road, and a night steeped in gratitude from one of indie rock’s most steadfast bands.

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

German Military Chaplains During the Holocaust

Okay, I know that’s not the tone of headline you expect to read on The Wheel. But hear me out… tucked in Western’s news feed was mention of an upcoming lecture by Professor Doris Bergen, the Chancellor Rose and Ray Wolfe Professor of Holocaust Studies at the University of Toronto, called Between God and Hitler: German Military Chaplains and the Holocaust. If you’re a fellow history buff, or a student of the human condition, I can’t imagine a more fascinating subject. The lecture is on November 7, but I’m not sure when registration closes so I decided to post this one early.

Dr. Bergen 👇️ will “focus on the 1,000 or so Christian chaplains who served the German military during World War II. Drawing on a wide array of sources, including chaplain’s letters, military reports, Jewish testimonies, photographs and popular culture.”

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Bergen is the author of several works on religion in Nazi Germany, including Twisted Cross: The German Christian Movement in the Third Reich, and War and Genocide: A Concise History of the Holocaust. Her research combines social history, theology, and archival documentation to illuminate how ordinary individuals participated in extraordinary crimes.

The lecture is part of the Noémi Ban Lecture Series, hosted by Western’s Ray Wolpow Institute which was formed in 2016 to advance the study of the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity through education and interdisciplinary research.

In other news…

💗 Was that a pink police cruiser that just drove past? Yes it was. This week, the Bellingham Police Department unveiled a bright pink and purple patrol car designed in recognition of both Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The fourth edition of the department’s annual awareness car features a Salish Sea theme created by Signs Plus Inc., with imagery of mountains, orcas, rivers, and a guest appearance by Slothy.

New this year, the design also includes the logo of Lummi Victims of Crime and the words “Kwenkwem-otel” in Xwlemi Chosen, meaning “stronger together.” "The patrol car will be seen throughout our city as a moving tribute to strength, resilience, and community,” said BPD Chief Rebecca Mertzig “it reminds us that public safety is not just about response, it is about connection, prevention, and care.”

🦆 Fellow bird nerds: There are three fun bird classes or outings, accepting registrants right now. The first is a class this Wednesday, October 22, at the Community Boating Center where Pam Borso and the North Cascades Audubon Society (NCAS) will teach seabird identification, including the most commonly seen Salish Sea diving birds. Expect to learn about loons, grebes, cormorants, scoters, alcids, some gulls and others with slides of these species in breeding and non-breeding plumage.

Looking out to the weekend and beyond, there are two NCAS birding outings. This Saturday, October 25, explore Whatcom Falls Park, moving from forest to wetlands to open water in search of waterfowl, woodpeckers, and late migrants. Then, on Saturday, November 1, the group heads north for Birding at Semiahmoo Spit, one of Whatcom County’s most productive wintering spots and its only designated Important Bird Area. Expect brant, goldeneyes, long-tailed ducks, and the occasional eagle or heron.

👩‍🦰 This one was sent in by Hamster Wheel reader Jodi Broughton. Thank you Jodi! And, it looks amazing. Twice per year, a group of Whatcom ladies gather for a 100+ Women of Whatcom meeting where they each contribute $100 to a collective donation to a local non profit. Jodi mentioned that their “last recipient was Ferndale Food Bank, which received $17,000!”

100+ Women of Whatcom is celebrating its 10th year at a meeting tomorrow, October 21 at the YWCA, with trivia questions and gift baskets/certificates for prizes in addition to the normal meeting activities. Get all the details and register to participate.

🏙️ The Bellingham City Council meets today, October 20, at 10:30 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 can be watched online.

🚜 The Whatcom County Council meets tomorrow, October 21 at 11 am, with the Regular Meeting at 6 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers at the County Courthouse or can be watched via Zoom.

🚢 The Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners meets tomorrow, October 21 at 4 pm. The agenda is available online. This public meeting is held at the Harbor Center or can be watched via the port’s YouTube channel.

🌾 The Lynden City Council meets today, October 20, in the City Annex Building at 7 pm.

JJ's Tree Care

Wind Season is Around the Corner

Consulting services in Whatcom County

Hi Hamster Wheel readers, I’m JJ, founder of JJ’s Tree Care, ready to help keep your property safe this fall.

With November’s windy days approaching, I offer ISA-certified tree risk assessments to spot weak branches, structural issues, or struggling trees, preventing costly damage from winter windstorms. Let me ensure your trees are secure and thriving—contact me at jjstreecare.com.

Call or text me at 360-319-0482 

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

Uisce Irish Pub
Guffawingham (comedy) | Mon 9:00 pm

WWU, College of Fine and Performing Arts
Tartuffe | Wed-Sat

Mt Baker Theatre
Mt. Baker Film Fest (film) | Thurs

iDiOM Theater
DRACÜL | Thu-Sat

Bellingham Circus Guild
Circus of Doom | Fri-Sun

BAAY Theatre
 Noises Off | Fri-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
Comedy Show (comedy) | Fri, Sat

The Shakedown
ALL HAIL: Neo Noir (film) | Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances
Hellingham

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Line Dancing - Corner Taphouse - Mon 6:30 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Beginning 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
Int. Cuban Salsa - Cof& - Tues 7:15 pm
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Dance Fusion - Senior Activity Center - Sat 10:30 am
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 6 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Feature an Event. Reach out.

FEATURED

An evening of rhythm, story, and connection comes to Sehome High School Theater tonight, October 20, as Whatcom Hills Waldorf School hosts Baba the Storyteller, an internationally acclaimed griot and educator. One of the few U.S.-born practitioners of Jaliyaa, the ancient West African art of storytelling. Accompanied by the kora, Baba will blend music and narrative at 6 pm. Seats are limited and admission is by donation at the door.

Two Bellingham musicians who first met at a local open mic, Kathy Bastow and Cathy Taylor, take to the stage as Wild Hearts today, October 20, at the FireHouse Arts and Events Center. The duo’s sound flows through folk, country, bluegrass, and rock, with a mix of originals and reimagined covers. This free event begins at 3:30 pm.

The WWU Outdoor Center and Shifting Gears present an evening of storytelling and global connection with Kat Schaumberg, a mountain guide and WWU alum whose path has taken her from Mt. Baker’s glaciers to the base of Everest. Kat shares the remarkable story of reconnecting with Monika, a young woman she met during a 2019 Girls on Ice expedition, and how that meeting inspired her work with Atoot, a Nepal-based nonprofit empowering girls through sports and education. This event includes a raffle benefiting Atoot, with free admission and parking in Lot C. Tonight, October 20, in the Academic Instructional Center West (Room 204), at 5:30 pm. 

MONDAY

Monday Night Dance, The Majestic Ballroom – The Bellingham Embodiment Collective’s weekly movement series featuring rotating facilitators, including 5Rhythms with Scotty Lewis, Azul with Denise Skinner, and Open Floor Movement Practice with Kelsey Maloney. No choreography or experience required—just music, curiosity, and freeform expression. 6:30–8:00 pm, $15–$25 sliding scale.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

Daniel Sobel, Admiralty Lounge - Daniel Sobel is a singer-songwriter local to Bellingham. This show covers ground from his initial round of songs from the early 2000s, to songs from the past year, to new collaborations. Music starts at 7 pm.

Tuesday Night Jazz, Aslan Depot - A weekly showcase of live jazz featuring talented local musicians performing everything from timeless standards to contemporary favorites. The vibe is relaxed, the music soulful, and the entry free for guests 21 and over. Music runs 8 to 11 pm.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

Advertise in the #1 Newsletter in the Ham 
Want to include a note in the Wheel? Learn more.

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend and encourage them to click here to subscribe. 🙏

Reply to this email if you have news to share, or if you’d like to send me a love note. 💘 

Have a great Monday!!