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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

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Whatcom Weather

The Raindrop Report

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Decked Out for a Cause 🛹

Make.Shift Art Space and the Northwest Skate Collective are teaming up for a community skateboard art show to help fund the new Bellingham Skatepark. You, my arty-farty friends (the best kind of farty to be 😉), are invited to transform old skateboard decks into original works of art—2D or 3D, sculptural or painted, abstract or literal. Submissions are due by February 28 at 6 pm, with drop-offs accepted Thursday through Saturday, 1–6 pm, throughout February at Make.Shift.

The exhibition opens First Friday, March 7, and runs all month at Make.Shift. Each piece will be sold for $100, with proceeds going directly toward building the new waterfront skatepark. Need a board to get started? Unknown Skate Shop has a stash of used decks available while supplies last.

Local Read: The shipping terminal at Cherry Point has been a frequent topic at County Council meetings over the last few years and to be honest, I really didn’t understand the backstory that was fueling the debate on either side. Reading reporter Libby Williams’ feature in the Salish Current this week, I have a much better handle on the subject. It’s a great article that delves into the current conflict around a requested state environmental review, and traces the site’s history, from its origins in the 1970s to its expansion under Petrogas and now AltaGas.

On Monday, the Sumas Police Department released two drone videos filmed on the morning of December 11 that show flooding as it impacted the Everson and Nooksack communities.

Both videos are difficult to watch, showing the vast extent of damage across neighborhoods and rural homes in north Whatcom County. But they offer a sense of the scale of what these communities endured, and of the sheer force of the floodwaters as they poured over roads and fields, seen from just a few hundred feet above.

CIVIC CORNER

Wednesday
Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (Bham), 7:30 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center
Civil Service Commission Meeting (Bham), 2:00 pm, City Council Chambers

Thursday
Keep Washington Working Act Work Group, 5:30 pm, Mayor's Boardroom (City Hall)
Mount Baker School District Community Listening Session, 6:00 pm, District Office Boardroom

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

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.

Saturday
Squalicum Creek: Join the City and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) as well as other community partners for their annual Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service Community Work Party at Willow Spring in Squalicum Creek Park. They will plant native trees and shrubs to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality to benefit salmon and other native species. Register to attend.

JJ's Tree Care

Schedule Your Spring Pruning Now for Healthier Fruit Trees

Start the year by investing in your trees, your harvest, and your local ecosystem. Mid January through late March is the ideal time to prune fruit trees. During winter dormancy, trees store energy in their roots, making early spring pruning one of the most beneficial steps you can take for long term tree health.

Pruning just before the growing season encourages strong growth, helps pruning cuts heal faster, and increases flower and fruit production. More blooms mean better harvests and vital food sources for native pollinators. Learn more 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

Mount Baker Theatre
Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival (film) | Thurs

Blue Room
Tanael Joachim (comedy) | Thurs

iDiOM Theater
The Illusion (theatre) | Thurs-Fri

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham (circus) | Thurs

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

New Prospect Theatre
You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (theatre) | Fri-Sun

Corner Taphouse
Southside Comedy Hour (comedy) | Fri

iDiOM Theater
Serial Killers (theatre) | Sat

Mount Baker Theatre
Stop Making Sense (film) | Sat

Pickford Film Center
Desert Angel (film) | Sat

Odd Fellows Temple Room
Bang Bang Burlesque x Cabaret Atelier (cabaret) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Country Night - Stemma West - Wed 6 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Line Dancing - Bar 211 - Fri 8 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

FEATURED

The Kareem Kandi World Orchestra brings its rich blend of jazz, blues, and funk to the FireHouse Arts & Events Center tonight, January 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Led by acclaimed saxophonist and educator Kareem Kandi, the trio—featuring Greg Feingold on bass and Jacques Willis on drums—delivers a dynamic performance rooted in classic jazz traditions and modern improvisation.

Vaudevillingham is a community open-stage variety show that’s unexpected, uncurated, unapologetic, and UNBELIEVABLE! Will you see axe juggling? Aerial silks on roller skates? A symphony made purely from conch shells? Find out tomorrow, January 15! Tickets.

Test your medical drama knowledge at Grey’s Anatomy Trivia tomorrow, January 15, from 6 to 8 pm at Aslan Depot. Prove you know your McDreamys from your McSteamys. Admission is free, with teams of up to four players and a prize for first place.

WEDNESDAY

Bellingham Backcountry Meetup (Women’s Meetup), Kulshan Sunnyland Taproom – An evening for women interested in backcountry adventure, featuring Megan Jackson of Barking Dogs Bootfitting. The meetup begins with a 20–30 minute educational talk, followed by casual conversation, trip planning, and gear discussion. Runs from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Sitcom Trivia, Lost Giants Cider Company – Test your sitcom savvy with a night of laughs and friendly competition at Lost Giants’ taproom. Teams of up to six can play, with a $2 per-person buy-in and prizes for winners, plus raffle giveaways. Starts at 6:00 pm.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

THURSDAY

Nick O’Connell, Village Books in Fairhaven – Author and winemaker Nicholas O’Connell discusses his new memoir Crush: My Year as an Apprentice Winemaker, “a behind-the-scenes look at the daily operations of some of the world's most prestigious wineries on the West Coast.” The event begins at 6:00 pm. Tickets.

Thursday Music & Trivia →

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