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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

Puzzlers: The game section is a work in progress. Play the daily puzzles and let me know how it goes.

Or, hit reply to send me photos via email. 📧

Raven's Roots helps people build a deeper connection with the natural world through hands -on learning, expert instruction, and small group experiences. Whether you're interested in medicinal plants, food forests, wilderness skills, or outdoor adventure, their summer programs offer practical knowledge that stays with you long after class ends.

This summer’s courses include:
• Growing and Using Medicinal Herbs (June 27)
• Wild Womxn 3 Day Backpacking (Aug 14 to 16)
• Wild Womxn 5 Day Backpacking (Aug 26 to 30)
• Ethnobotany & Naturalist immersion (multiple)
• Night Sky Constellation Program (July 11, or Aug 4)

This mixed weather we’re having is a great excuse to spend a wet spring afternoon watching one of the great films The Pickford is showing during their bleak week: cinema of despair festival that runs through Thursday. It’s a curated lineup of films they say “venture into the darkest sides of humanity and the bleakest points in human history.” And, oh… they have some good ones.

This morning, June 8 at 11:00 am, you can catch Werckmeister Harmonies 👆, a parable of societal collapse:

“in an unknown era in an unnamed village, where, one day, a mysterious circus—complete with an enormous stuffed whale and a shadowy, demagogue-like figure known as the Prince—arrives and appears to awaken a kind of madness in the citizens, which builds inexorably toward violence and destruction.” …sounds pretty bleak to me. 😬

Or catch a Tuesday showing of Brazil 👇, a movie I haven’t watched since high school, but one that strikes me as particularly apropos in the current state of our world.

The festival, presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque, includes a lineup of guests: actor Xander Berkeley (Safe, Terminator 2, The Walking Dead) in person for a post-film Q&A, filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe introducing Brazil at both screenings, and American Cinematheque programmer James Branscome making the trip up from L.A. for closing night.

Check out the full schedule for more “films defined by unpleasant truths and raw empathy.”

Summer Watering Schedule: The City of Bellingham is asking us hamsters to limit outdoor watering from June 1 through Sept. 30 to help reduce demand on the city’s water supply. Even-numbered addresses are asked to water only on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while odd-numbered addresses are asked to water only on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Mondays are a no-watering day citywide. The city also notes that letting a lawn go dormant for the summer is fine, since grass will grow back in the fall.

Whoever is running the social media accounts at the Bellingham Fire Department is killing it with these awesome look-back photos. I’m a huge fan. 😁

This one is the Sehome Hose Company No. 1 from 1890. 👇

“Pictured in front of the former Chesnut Fire Hall, these firefighters offer a glimpse into the early days of fire service in our community. Their dedication and service helped lay the foundation for the proud tradition of protecting our community that continues today!”

Southside Development: The Woods at Viewcrest development in Edgemore was cleared to move forward on Friday, when Hearing Examiner Sharon Rice denied an appeal from grassroots group Protect Mud Bay Cliffs and approved the project’s permits with conditions. The 37.7-acre project will create 38 detached single-family lots, open space tracts, roads, utilities, and stormwater infrastructure above Mud Bay.

The appeal challenged the city’s decision that the project did not require a full environmental impact statement, raising concerns about slope stability, stormwater, habitat, traffic, and shoreline impacts. Rice found that Protect Mud Bay Cliffs had not shown the city’s environmental review was erroneous, while also attaching conditions related to construction management, grading, vegetation protection, stormwater, and other site work.

The document outlining this decision is long. Like, REALLY long. But it’s an interesting read and you certainly get a sense for how contested, and long-running this dispute has been. Give it a read if you have time. The Protect Mud Bay Cliffs website is also a great resource for context about this project.

LOCAL READS

My Sense of Place in the Salish Sea
By Caleb Barville · WWU News
Graduating Western student Caleb Barville reflects on years spent kayaking, hiking, and volunteering around the Salish Sea, from Clark’s Point to the San Juan Islands. Caleb explains how those experiences shaped his understanding of ecological connections between mountains, rivers, salmon habitat, and the people who care for these places. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Opinion: Whatcom County Council’s Scanlon - Our county is growing; what’s our plan?
By Jon Scanlon · Cascadia Daily News
Whatcom County is expected to add more than 65,000 residents by 2045, and county leaders are using the Comprehensive Plan process to decide where housing, jobs, transportation, and public services should be located. Jon explains how public feedback has already shaped proposals involving flood-prone land, water planning, and industrial development as the county prepares for final decisions this summer. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Regional Fire Authority Planning Committee, 2:00 pm, City Hall

Tuesday
Everson City Council, 7:00 pm, City Hall
Whatcom County Council, 10:20 am w regular meeting at 6:00 pm, County Courthouse
Bham Historic Preservation Commission, 4:00 pm, City Hall
Bham Transportation Commission, 6:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center

Wednesday
Community Conversations w Whatcom County Councilmembers, 5:00 pm, Van Zandt Community Hall
Port of Bellingham Board of Commission, 4:00 pm, Harbor Center
Bham Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, 7:30 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Friday
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Register

Saturday
Cordata Park: Team up with the city, WCC, and NSEA volunteers to weed and mulch near East Bear Creek, enhancing an important riparian habitat. Register
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Register

Sunday
Northridge Park: Northridge Park is a mature forest crowning Barkley Hill, where English ivy has spread into the park from adjacent yards and is threatening mature trees there. Join Whatcom Million Trees Project to help get the ivy under control before it spreads. Register
Olsen Creek: Help Washington Trails Association implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Register

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

Mount Baker Theatre
Opus Spring Showcase (dance) | Mon

New Prospect Theatre
The Lament of Morin, Mumphries, Halstrom and Rose (theatre) | Wed-Thurs

The Claire Theatre
Cinderella (theatre) | Thurs-Sun

Bellingham Theatre Guild
Next To Normal (theatre) | Fri-Sun

BAAY Theatre
Dance Company Showcase (dance) | Fri, Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Contact Improv - Aikido Peace Education Center - Mon, class 5:30, jam 7 pm
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
Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Contra - Glen Echo Community Club - Sat 7 pm
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 8:00 pm
Beginner Ballet - Karate Church - Sat 10 am
Beginner Contemporary - Karate Church - Sat 11:30 am
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sun 10:30 am
Intercultural Dance Day - Fisherman’s Pavilion - Sun 12:00 pm

The Dry Martini quartet takes the stage at the FireHouse this afternoon, June 8, from 3:30 to 5 pm. Featuring J. Michael Newlight, Mike Knutson, Steve Webber-Plank, and Jack Williams, the group will perform a selection of well-known standards and lesser-known jazz favorites. The event is unticketed, with donations accepted.

Breanna Anderson brings her guitar and songbook to the Admiralty Lounge tomorrow, June 9, for a performance from 7 to 9 pm. Known for writing and performing music centered on bittersweet themes, Anderson balances original material with covers inspired by songwriters including Lucinda Williams, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, and Anaïs Mitchell.

It’s a quiet night
🎵 Twiddle your thumbs and whistle a ditty. 🎵

Monday Music & Trivia →

Training the Next Generation in the Blue Economy, Online (Zoom) – A 4:30 to 5:30 pm presentation exploring Bellingham Technical College’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences program, including partnerships with tribes and employers, a new shellfish and seaweed aquaculture program, and the student-run hatchery. Register via Zoom ​

Daniel Pope: Go Help Yourself, Village Books – Author Daniel Pope discusses his debut novel from 6 to 7 pm, a darkly comic story about a struggling writer, self-help culture, family dynamics, and an unexpected flock of troublesome crows. Reserve a seat

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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