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

Last week’s Monday edition included a description of the new Nocturnal Lanterns recently installed in Lightcatcher Alley, with design credit given to Islando and Heather Sparks. I didn’t realize at the time, but have since learned that others were integral to bringing the lanterns to life. Credit also goes to Nora Hughes and everyone whose contributions helped bring these new lights to our dark alleyways! 🙏 

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Academy for Lifelong Learning

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: An Evidence-Based Workshop

Bellingham Cruise Terminal: Jan 27; Feb 3, 10, 17

If you began 2026 with a desire for focus and grounding, to be more present day-to-day, to meet others with a common interest, then consider investing yourself in learning the mindfulness techniques that can lead to living your life more fully.

Lori Lindgren, who has trained athletes, medical staff, youth suffering from trauma, and seniors, teaches evidence-based mindfulness activities that you will not only come to understand intellectually but also practice physically in class and at home.

The 4-week course will incorporate presentation, discussion, and movement—a perfect instructional blend of the theoretical and practical. Consider investing this time in yourself surrounded by a supportive, like-minded community in a comfortable learning environment.

Whatcom Weather

The Raindrop Report

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Moving, Building, Uniting

Bellingham is marking this Martin Luther King Jr. Day with several events honoring the legacy of the civil rights leader. The celebrations begin with the annual MLK Day Community Celebration, hosted by the Community Consortium for Cultural Recognition at Sehome High School from 10 am to 2 pm. Themed Mission Possible: Moving, Building, Uniting, the gathering begins with a free community breakfast, followed by speakers, workshops, and hands-on activities, with service projects at noon. If you can make it, you’re encouraged to bring non-perishable food or hygiene donations to benefit local college food pantries. Complimentary childcare will be provided by the Whatcom YMCA.

This evening, the Community Food Co-op is hosting its 26th Annual MLK Jr. Day Event at 7 pm at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship. The program centers on Dr. King’s vision of a “Beloved Community,” with an evening of songs of freedom, harmony, and justice led by choir conductor and soul musician Checo Tohomaso. You are invited to rehearse with Tohomaso an hour before the event, joining in classic songs such as A Change Is Gonna Come and Lean on Me. The program will also feature reflections from guest speakers Skip Williams, DeVante Blow, and Sunny Joy McMillan, connecting Dr. King’s message to local efforts toward equity and compassion.

For younger audiences, Village Books in Fairhaven is hosting Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Stories and Art from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Kiddos are invited to hear stories about the civil rights movement, tolerance, and diversity, followed by a themed craft activity and treats.

Reader Paul Anka, tagged me in a post this weekend introducing their current foster pup Sugarcube. 😍🥰 Holy moly smush-face huggable LOVE! 👇️ 

Paul describes how “she is a cuddle machine. ~25lb and very athletic, this ~1yr old sweetie would make an excellent companion and epic hiker, as she is wonderful on a leash.”

That underbite. So freaking cute! I’ve been obsessed with pugs and pug mixes ever since Juniper and I had near daily run-in with a quirky sweater-clad pug at Boulevard Park a few years back. Named Baxter I think… someone will remember him.

Want to give Sugarcube a forever home? Apply for her on the Church of Pug website.

Expect slowdowns on the Mount Baker Highway east of Glacier this week as emergency repairs on two flood-damaged sections begin today. Granite Construction, working with the Washington State Department of Transportation, will alternate one-way traffic between mileposts 41 and 44 while rebuilding an eroded 110-foot embankment near Wells Creek Road.

A separate 70-foot section near O’Keefe Creek will require a full five-day closure in early February, with those dates yet to be announced. Construction is expected to continue into early 2026, with some work dependent on drier weather.

Not working this holiday Monday? Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group has posted an urgent call for volunteers to help our flood-impacted neighbors in North County Communities.

Teams will be working from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The work includes house clean-outs and removing damaged insulation from crawl spaces to prevent mold and support rebuilding.

Volunteers will meet at Sumas Advent Christian Church (125 Front St, Sumas) to receive safety gear, tools, training, and meals for the day. No experience is required, just sturdy clothes, boots, and a willingness to lend a hand.

Every hour spent helps families still recovering from flood damage. WLTRG has a signup form, but I’m guessing no one will be turned away.

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Mission Possible: Moving, Building, Uniting, 10:00 am, Details

Tuesday
Lynden City Council, 7:00 pm, City Hall Annex, 205 4th Street
Bellingham Design Review Board, 3:00 pm, City Hall
Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees, 3:30 pm, Central Library Lecture Room
Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners, 4:00 pm, Harbor Center (YouTube channel)

Wednesday
Mayor’s Neighborhood Advisory Commission, 6:30 pm, Mayor’s Board Room at City Hall

Thursday
WTA Board Meeting, 5:00 pm, WTA's office at 4011 Bakerview Spur
Whatcom County Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, Northwest Annex Conference Room, 5280 Northwest Drive

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Monday
Dittrich Park: Join Whatcom Million Trees Project in removing invasive English ivy from the ground and tree trunks, extending the lives of trees, and clearing the way for native undergrowth to return. Register to attend.
Sumas Area: Join Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group in house clean-outs and water damage remediation of homes impacted by last month’s flooding. Details.

Friday
Whatcom Land Trust Office: Join Whatcom Land Trust for a special Field Friday on a different kind of land trust land, their downtown Bellingham office. Register to attend.

Saturday
Fairhaven Park: Spend your Saturday helping Bham Parks & Rec steward the Outdoor Classroom and Native Plant Garden! They'll remove pesky weeds, plant native plants, and spread mulch. Register to attend.
Kenney Creek: Join NSEA in the continued planting of Kenney Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Nooksack River that provides spawning habitat for Chinook, chum, coho, and pink salmon, among other salmonids (steelhead, bull trout, cutthroat trout). Register to attend.

Food & Drink

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE ARTS & FILM

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

New Prospect Theatre
The Rage of Achilles (theatre) | Thurs

Lynden Christian High School
Frozen (theatre) | Thurs, Sat

iDiOM Theater
The Illusion (theatre) | Thurs, Fri

FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Biosphere (theatre) | Fri-Sun

WWU Old Main Theater
Hip Hop Theatre (theatre) | Fri-Sun

iDiOM Theater
Serial Killers (theatre) | Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon 7 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
Honky-Tonk - Odd Fellows - Thurs 7:30 pm
Dance Fusion - BSAC - Sat 10:30 am
Honky-Tonk - Majestic - Sat 1 pm
Honky-Tonk - Cof& - Sat 7 pm
Contra - Fairhaven Library - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Belly Dance - Karate Church - 1 pm

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

FEATURED

Poet and novelist Robert Lashley will read from his acclaimed debut novel, I Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer, at Comics Place in downtown Bellingham at 6:00 pm tonight, January 19. His previous poetry collections include Green River Valley and The Homeboy Songs. Robert was a 2016 Jack Straw Fellow, Artist Trust Fellow and a nominee for a Stranger Genius Award.

Singer-songwriters Louis Ledford and Norah McLaughlin bring their harmonies to the Admiralty Lounge tomorrow, January 20, from 7 to 9 pm. Blending originals and select covers, their sound evokes the spirit of classic duos like the Everlys and Simon & Garfunkel, with the intimacy of a front-porch session.

MONDAY

Whatcom Art Guild Broommaker Presentation, Whatcom Art Center – Textile artist Becka Viets demonstrates the craft of broommaking, sharing insights into her creative process and techniques involving natural dyes and textile arts. The evening offers an engaging look at traditional craftsmanship from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

Alger Senior Social, Alger Community Hall – A welcoming monthly gathering featuring puzzles, games, crafts, snacks, and drinks, along with free blood pressure checks and tech help. Open to all ages from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, it offers a relaxed space for conversation, connection, and a few good laughs.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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