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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

If you’re a knitter or crocheter looking for a social outlet that also supports an important cause, this one’s for you!

Reader Christel Bronsema send me a note about a free social circle that meets every Wednesday at Apple Yarns. It’s part of a non-profit called Knitted Knockers at which volunteers knit or crochet prosthetics for women who have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy. Here’s a sweet video about the origin of this group. 👇

Christel described how the need is great. “This past July we celebrated providing over one million knitted knockers to women around the world.” The Knitted Knockers website describes how they are “soft, comfortable, beautiful, adjustable, washable and can even be worn while swimming.”

The group welcomes knitters and crocheters of all skill levels to join in. No registration is required. They meet from 10 am to noon on Wednesdays, with dates, details and updates found on the Apple Yarns website.

Annual Watermain Flushing: The city has announced that its annual watermain flushing program begins today, April 1, and will continue throughout the month, with crews working weekdays from 7 am to 5 pm starting in the northwest part of Bellingham and moving southeast. This routine maintenance clears mineral buildup inside pipes. Water remains safe to drink, though you may notice temporary discoloration or reduced pressure during this work. If that happens, running a cold tap for a few minutes will clear the line.

LOCAL READS

From gallery walls to shop windows, skateboards carve out space in art scene
By Christy Carley · Salish Current
A skateboard deck art show at Make.Shift drew 103 submissions from artists ranging in age from 6 to 60, with pieces arriving from across the region and abroad. Christy reports that the exhibit raised $4,000 for Northwest Skate Collective and highlights how skate decks function as both fine art objects and canvases for skaters themselves. Read more →

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The Stories of Giving and Remembrance Behind Bellingham’s City Park Names
By Anna Diehl · WhatcomTalk
Several Bellingham parks are named for individuals whose land donations, public service, or local impact shaped the city’s development and community spaces. Anna reports that sites like Bloedel Donovan Park and Elizabeth Park reflect early industry and philanthropy, while others honor residents remembered for civic contributions. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Wednesday
Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners Meeting, 6:30 pm, City Hall Council Chambers, agenda

Thursday
Bellingham Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Council Chambers, agenda
Greenways Advisory Committee, 7:00 pm, Pacific Street Operations Center, details
WTA Board, 8:00 am, WTA's offices at 4011 Bakerview Spur

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Friday
Spooner Creek: Help Whatcom Land Trust remove invasive Himalayan blackberry and other invasive species to support young growing native plants. Register to participate.

Saturday
Forest & Cedar Park: Join the city, L.E.A.D., and other Western Washington University student volunteers to combat pesky invasive plants and plant some new native shrubs and trees. Register to participate.
NSEA Nursery: Pot native trees and shrubs to restock the NSEA native plant nursery with plants that will be used in future restoration projects. Register to participate.

Hi Hamster Wheel friends, I’m Dr. Haley from Desert Pine Chiropractic. My passion is helping people of all ages live healthier, more balanced lives through gentle, neurologically based chiropractic care. Whether you’re managing stress, recovering from an injury, or simply looking to feel your best, my goal is to create a calm, caring space where you feel supported on your journey to better health and wellness.

If you’ve been curious about chiropractic care or are ready to take that first step, I’d love to invite you to use our Hamster Wheel New Patient Offer—a special opportunity for newsletter readers. For $63 (regularly $190), you’ll receive a full consultation, nerve and muscle assessment, digital X-rays, and a personalized doctor’s report. Learn more at desertpinechiro.com.

Outsiders Inn Theater Company
Protest (theater) | Wed-Sun

The Claire Theatre
The Play That Goes Wrong (theater) | Thurs-Sun

Bellingham Senior Activity Center
Sherlock Holmes Radio Play Mysteries (theater) | Thurs, Fri

Odd Fellows Temple Room
Golden Hour Variety Show (vaudeville) | Fri

iDiOM Theater
All Our Tragic: Heroics (theater) | Fri

Bellingham Theatre Guild
Kodachrome (theater) | Fri-Sun

New Prospect Theatre
William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar (theater) | Fri-Sat

BAAY
Sweeney Todd (theater) | Fri-Sun

Bellingham Circus Guild
Silver Foxes (circus) | Sat

iDiOM Theater
All Our Tragic: Politics (theater) | Sat

The Shakedown
Love Handles Variety Show (burlesque) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Flow Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Dance Fusion - BSAC - Sat 10:30 am
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:00 pm
Salsa Collective - The Majestic - Sun 5:30 pm
Belly Dance - Karate Church - Sun 1 pm
Open Floor Conscious Dance - Bellingham Fitness - Sunday 10:30 am

Inspired by the original recordings of the great blues masters, Casaundra May and James play at Stones Throw tonight at 6:00 pm. They‘ve condensed the music of the Mississippi Delta to its essence - a powerful vocal presence paired with traditional slide and finger style guitar.

Wild Buffalo hosts Parlor Greens tomorrow, April 2, with Brushpopper opening at 8 pm. The trio formed through a shared interest in vintage organ combo recordings, then recorded their debut together in a single studio session.

Enjoy an evening at Honey Moon Mead & Cider with songwriters Jay Irwin and Pete Keating tomorrow night, April 2, from 8:00 to 10:00 pm. The two former roommates reconnecting after 30 years will provide an evening of original songs, conversation and storytelling as they swap tunes and catch up for the night.

Whatcom Humane Pet Loss Support Group Meeting, Whatcom Humane Society – A 6:00 pm monthly support group offering a facilitated space for those experiencing or anticipating the loss of a pet, with discussion and resources provided by trained volunteers.

April Open Jam, The Blue Room – An open jam session with musician signups starting at 7 pm and live performances from 8 pm, featuring a full backline and gear provided by Bellingham Helps Access Music.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

All Things Baker: A Community Night Focused on the Baker Backcountry, Backcountry Essentials – A 7:00 pm community event featuring spring touring tips, stories from Mount Baker, and a community roundtable on access, snowpack, and sharing the mountains with Cascade Mountain Ascents, NWAC, and others.

Stand Up Comedy, Beach Cat South Paw – An 8:00 pm stand-up show featuring Pacific Northwest comedians including Greg Beachler and Rich Snyder, hosted by Jerry Barnett, with an open mic signup starting at 7:30 pm.

Thursday Music & Trivia →

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