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🐹 Butterflies & Ice ⛸️⛸️
Good morning, Bellingham. This is your Friday update from The Hamster Wheel.
Over 1,000 operational student employees at Western went on strike this Wednesday. They are demanding recognition by the university for their membership in Western Academic Workers United. According to reporting by Cascadia Daily, their demands are straightforward and fair. We strongly urge Western to recognize their union membership and negotiate a fair contract. Western, like PeaceHealth, is a major employer in Whatcom County and, as such, must be held to the highest standards.
On a lighter note, have fun, and stay safe out there! 😉
~ Val & Evan
Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP
Photos From the Hoods
Eagle at Whatcom Creek Hatchery - 📷 by Kyle Bickel
Kites at Zuanich Point Park - 📷 by Richard Shelmerdine
Rhododendron at Big Rock Garden- 📷 by Jodi Broughton
Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.
Weather Forecast
Friday: 74°F 🌡️ 53°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 18% | 💨 E 0 to 5 mph
Saturday: 68°F 🌡️ 50°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 52% | 💨 SW 1 to 8 mph
Sunday: 66°F 🌡️ 48°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 15% | 💨 WSW 2 to 7 mph
Moon Phases
Events, Updates & News Around Town
Get off the Hamster Wheel
Curtain Up! With Whatcom Chorale
Tonight at 7 pm, join Whatcom Chorale for an evening of grand opera choruses, including choral masterworks from Bizet, Leoncavalla, Mascagni, Mozart, Purcell, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, and Wagner.
The Whatcom Chorale has graced Bellingham with song since 1972, when David Clarke arrived in town toting a suitcase full of madrigal sheet music and an infectious desire to sing. The original Chorale members soon recognized a need for professional leadership and, in 1975, recruited Dr. Robert Scandrett, professor of music at Western Washington University, to direct what was then called the New Whatcom Choral Society. 👇️
From the informal group of twenty friends David gathered, Whatcom Chorale has grown to an accomplished ensemble of more than eighty voices, with a repertoire ranging from Bach to Britten.
Vikings on Ice
Join the Western Washington University Figure Skating Team this weekend for their Spring Showcase performance, plus an open skate at the Sportsplex. The show will feature songs by Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, and Chappell Roan.
Tickets are $15 to watch the show, and $5 to join in the open skate.
In other news…
🐓 Meet Duke Featherstone. 👇️ The Whatcom Humane Society posted on Wednesday that this “big, bold, handsome” rooster is now available to meet at the Division Street shelter, and it looking for a flock to look after.
They mention that “Duke is quite vocal and loves attention - but can be a bit stand-of-ish when meeting strangers.” If you’re a backyard chicken parent (and have noise-tolerant neighbors), consider whether there’s space for this picturesque fellow in your flock.
⛏️ Volunteer Opportunities This Weekend: There are a few outdoor work parties this weekend.
📸 COB
Rock Hill Park: Join the City and the York Neighborhood Association in removing Himalayan Blackberry and sprucing up the Butterfly Garden. Saturday from 9-noon. Details & registration.
Squalicum Beach: Join SeaFeast for a beach cleanup at Squalicum Beach on Saturday, May 31! Meet at 11am and spend the morning caring for our shoreline and protecting local marine life. Details & registration.
Sehome Hill Arboretum: Help restore the riparian ecosystem in and around the Outback Farm by removing invasive plants. This work party is part of a larger Arboretum Day event being held by the WWU Ecological Restoration Club. Between noon and 5 pm on Saturday, there will be Geology, Ecology, and Birdwatching hikes, a block printing workshop, and live music and snacks. Find all the details and times.
Garage & Estate Sales
Your Source For Vintage Can Openers
8 Wisteria Lane, Sudden Valley (Sat 9 am)
This one looks like a trinket flippers paradise. An extensive vintage collection of glassware, crystal, bone china, porcelain items, salt and pepper shakers, vintage toys, vintage kids and adult books, a few Beanie Babies, and dolls. map
Food & Drink
Hamsters Gotta Eat
Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo
Crash an Open House
208 Carolina Street (Open Fri 5-7 pm, Sat 11-1 pm)
Oh boy, I love a fixer-upper. 😻 This cute Sunnyland bungalow has nothing but potential. Grossest carpets in the universe? Yes indeed. But imagine the fir floors hiding below! If you’re hankering for a fun project, this might just be it. Listing.
2778 N. Nugent Road N, Lummi Island (Open Sat & Sun 1-4 pm)
If fixer-uppers aren't your jam, this one may tickle your fancy. It's gorgeous. It's perched over the water. It's beautifully finished. And it's located at the north end of Lummi Island. It's hard to beat that. 😉 Listing.
Performance Arts This Week
Dance of The Hamsters
LIVE ARTS & FILM
iDiOM Theater
The Cherry Orchard | Fri-Sun 7:30 pm
New Prospect Theatre:
Bloom | Fri, Sat 6:30 & 9 pm
Outsiders Inn @ Explorations Academy:
deathvariations | Thurs-Sun 7 pm
The Upfront Theatre
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 Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Other
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am
Help Spread The Word
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Events & Nightlife
Spinning Into The Night
Feature an Event. Reach out.
Tell us about an event. Use this link.
FEATURED
View many of the 75,000 specimens that make up the largest public insect collection in Western Washington! WWU Department of Biology and WWU Entomology Club are hosting an Insect Collection Open House on Saturday from 1-4 pm. This event is free, family-friendly, and open to the public. Murder Hornets included!
Stomp, clap, sing, and shout... Be a part of the show as "Queen Mother" pays tribute to Queen's music in the space where it belongs, live on stage at the Wild Buffalo. Doors open at 8 pm.
FRIDAY
Beach Bingo, Pioneer Pavilion Community Center - Get ready to daub to support Ferndale Community Services! Exciting Bingo action, great prizes, and a really fun time. Daub for a cause.
Fish Fry Fryday, Boundary Bay - A Brother Ray’s Benefit fish fry featuring live music featuring the Bellinghome School of Music band, Purple Thunder, Bellingham High School Jazz Band, Bellingham Youth Jazz Band, and the Atlantics, to help support local band kids! Kicks off at 4 pm.
SATURDAY
Rosé Garden Pop Up, Aslan Depot - A relaxing afternoon filled with crisp rosé and great company. Plus, Babygreens, a beloved local plant shop from Fairhaven, is bringing a lush selection of greenery to the Depot patio. Sippin’ and plant pickn’ starts at noon.
Whatcom Youth PRIDE Parade and Festival - an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ youth and youth allies to walk together through a short parade route while the community stands along the sidelines and cheers them on. All the deets.
SUNDAY
Whatcom Disc Golf Club Memorial Round, Cornwall Park - A special gathering to honor and celebrate the lives of disc golfers from our community who have passed away. Tee off at 3 pm.
Not Creepy Gathering, Wink Wink - A structured event that is all about connection. It's fun. And surprising. And weird! And real. Be open and curious and kind. Grab a spot.
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