🐹 Henry Brown 📷📷

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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

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Whatcom Weather

The Raindrop Report

Events, Updates & News Around Town

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Photographer Henry Brown

Last week, the Whatcom Museum shared an image from the Photo Archive’s Henry Brown Collection showing the Nooksack River flooding in 1909, with a reminder “that flooding has long been part of life along the Nooksack.” The photo 👇️ shows high water in the river channel near Ferndale, an impacted home, and interestingly, a piano standing upright in the rubble.

A quick search for Mr. Brown turned up the museum’s Virtual Exhibit for this photographer, who homesteaded near Drayton Harbor in the late 19th century, and later moved to Custer. The online collection includes around 30 images including photos of early Ferndale and Custer settlements. The black watermarks are a little distracting, but the photos are engrossing.

A commenter on the original post noted that 1909 predates the construction of most levees on the Nooksack and that flooding would have been an annual occurrence at this time. This got me curious about the path and condition of the river in the early 20th century, which led me a fascinating document produced for the Nooksack Indian Tribe in 2003 by UW’s Department of Earth & Space Sciences. The report uses archival maps, field notes, and photographs to describe and contrast the condition of the river in 1890 vs its current condition. It’s worth reading in full, but skip to page 40 if you’re short on time. The prior sections are focused on methodology.

Local Read: The Northern Light has published Part II of its investigative series, Port of Bellingham: Behind Closed Doors, expanding on earlier reporting into how the Port conducts public business. In this installment, Pat Grubb analyzes years of contract data, uncovering patterns of pricing just below procurement thresholds, multimillion-dollar amendments, and a small circle of firms receiving contract amendments. This is exceptional watchdog journalism.

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Bellingham City Council, 7:00 pm, Council Chambers, agenda, watch online

Tuesday
Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners, 4:00 pm, Harbor Center, agenda, watch online
Bellingham Public Library Board of Trustees, 3:30 pm, Central Library Lecture Room

Wednesday
Birch Bay Incorporation Study Info Session, 6:00 pm, Register for virtual event

Thursday
Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Council Chambers, watch online

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.

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

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham | Mon

Mount Baker Theatre
Nativity (dance) | Mon, Tues

iDiOM Theater
48 Hour Theater Festival | Fri, Sat

BAAY
Esme’s Adventures in Another World | Fri-Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
The Nutcracker (dance) | Sat, Sun

Blaine Performing Arts Center
A Winter's Tale (dance) | Sat, Sun

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
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 4:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Movement - Presence Studio - Sun 10:30 am

Events & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

FEATURED

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 tonight, December 15! Tickets.

The Bellingham Snow Ball returns to the Hotel Leo’s Crystal Ballroom tomorrow, December 16, with an evening of live swing music, dancing, and performances. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., followed by a beginner-friendly lesson from 7 to 8 p.m. before the band takes the stage until 10 p.m. Admission is $15–$25, with tickets available at the door.

The Bayshore Symphony presents its annual Holiday Concert, A Christmas Celebration, at First United Methodist Church tonight, and Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church on December 18. Both at 7:30 pm. The evenings feature a full orchestra alongside bell choirs, a guest tenor from Skagit Valley College, and small ensembles performing seasonal favorites.

MONDAY

Holiday Hoobie Whatty Trivia, Kulshan Brewing (Sunnyland Taproom) – A quirky holiday trivia night exploring offbeat winter traditions, obscure movie moments, and festive oddities. Teams of up to four can compete for a cash prize with a $2 buy-in per person. Starts at 7:00 p.m.

Monday Music & Trivia →

TUESDAY

Island Improv, The Gathering Place (Lummi Island) – A community improv night inviting participants of all experience levels to laugh, play, and connect through spontaneous performance. Sessions run every other Tuesday at 6:00 pm. Register

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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