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

I’ve had some reports from readers on Comcast emails that the newsletter is not arriving or is arriving late. If that’s you, please consider setting up a Gmail email and resubscribing. Of all the email clients, Gmail seems to handle newsletters the most gracefully.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

For art enthusiasts, age 8-14, an unplugged summer art experience led by a Whatcom County mother-daughter teaching team. With two instructors guiding every project, students receive expert demonstrations and personalized support as they build, paint, sculpt, stitch, and create.

Choose from creative adventures like Create a Creature & Habitat, Build a Stool, Wood Mosaic, Buzz & Bloom, and Mushroom Magic. Each workshop is designed to send students home with new skills, lasting memories, and artwork they'll be proud to show off.

This press release from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife caught my eye since sightings of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) have grown increasingly common throughout the Salish Sea, with a handful of sightings here in Bellingham Bay.

These whales are an amazing recovery story that reminds me a little of our bald eagle boom of recent years. The WDFW website describes how the North Pacific humpback population prior to commercial harvest was estimated to be around 15,000, but was driven as low as 1,200 individuals by the time the species received global protection in 1966. Today there are estimated to be as many as 21,000 individuals. That’s a heck of a recovery.

Despite the growing numbers, humpback whales remain classified as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in Washington State, with two of three Distinct Population Segments designated as federally threatened or endangered.

If you’re out on the water this summer and spot one of these 40-ton visitors, the WDFW asks that you report the sighting to help them better understand the species’ population size, age, and structure.

On Monday, Mayor Kim Lund’s office announced the issuance of another executive order, this time focused on making Bellingham more attractive to new and expanding businesses. Lund is quoted saying “To be a prosperous community now and in the future, we need more job opportunities supporting the people who make Bellingham home.”

Reading through the document left me wishing there was more immediate action proposed. Instead, there’s a lot of affirming, and reaffirming, of commitments. The order does propose a “7-year Business and Occupation Tax exemption for businesses that start a new location in the downtown pedestrian core.” That’s not nothing… but the mayor’s office doesn’t have the power to enact it. It would require action from the city council. 🤦

Mayor Lund is doing a great job, and I admire her for taking on a demanding role at a complicated time for Bellingham. I just think it’s going to take more than roundtables and affirmations of commitment to draw businesses back to our lovely downtown.

Cyclists: Shifting Gears’ Bike Swap is this Sunday. They are looking for nearly 100 volunteers to help with everything from bike check-in and sales support, to event setup and customer assistance. Lending a hand at an event like this is always rad, but as an added bonus, all volunteers receive early access to the Bike Swap from noon to 1:00 pm before the event opens to the public. Register here if you’d like to pitch in.

LOCAL READS

Mt. Baker’s 1975 Steam Blast: The Volcanic Scare That Worried Whatcom County
By Matt Benoit · WhatcomTalk
In 1975, Mount Baker began venting large plumes of steam and sulfur gas, prompting scientific monitoring, recreation closures around Baker Lake, and fears that the volcano might erupt. Matt reports that while no eruption followed, the activity disrupted tourism and left researchers debating what was happening beneath the mountain’s surface. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

State, county should set up ‘Office of the Nooksack’ to guide efforts for river
By Fred Likkel and Eric Hirst · Cascadia Daily News
As the Nooksack water adjudication process advances toward a 2027 claims deadline, CDN guest columnists call for a new framework that emphasizes collaboration alongside legal proceedings. Fred and Eric report that an Office of the Nooksack could help align funding, planning, and restoration efforts while providing a forum for negotiating long-term agreements. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Thursday
Bellingham Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall
WTA Board, 8:00 am, WTA office

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

Thursday
Galbraith Mountain: The only thing better than being on a beautiful trail is knowing you helped build and maintain it. Register to work on the Blue Steel trail. Register

Saturday
Squalicum Beach: Join RE-Sources at Little Squalicum Beach to help clean up the shoreline and keep pollution out of Bellingham Bay. Register
Beach Sweep Paddle: Join the Community Boating Center’s monthly Beach Sweep paddle while they kayak to nearby shoreline areas to collect debris and help keep the coastline clean. Register

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

The Claire Theatre
Cinderella (theatre) | Wed-Sun

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

Aslan Depot
Afterglow Comedy Hour (comedy) | Thurs

South Whatcom Library
Secret Mind of Slime (film) | Thurs

BSAC North
The Golden Players Theatre Troupe FabFifties Variety Show (theatre) | Thurs

The Pier, Pt. Roberts
Comedy Night (comedy) | Fri

DUG Theatre
Problematic Word Play (reading) | Fri

Lux Radio Theatre & Midnight Mystery Players
@ Unity Spiritual Center
My Man Godfrey (theatre) | Fri, Sat

Bellingham Theatre Guild
LUYE- Exit, Pursued by a Bear (reading) | Sat

Pickford on Grand
Respect the Rez: Inside the Lummi Blackhawks’ Title-or-Bust Season (film) | Sat

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 7 pm
Ballroom, Swing, Latin - The Majestic - Fri 6:30 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

Catch Cat Valley, Biff Got Killed, and Gunnysack at The Shakedown on Thursday, June 18, as part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 2379’s Worker’s Night. The three-band lineup spans punk, alternative rock, and thrash. Tickets

The Jazz Center of Bellingham presents Jazz Explosion tonight, June 17, at the FireHouse from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Led by jazz drummer Jerry Steinhilber, the ensemble gathers a rotating group of accomplished Pacific Northwest musicians for a performance built around improvisation and collaboration. Tickets

The Elizabeth Park Concert Series opens its 2026 season tomorrow, June 18, with a performance by local rock group 4Tens Band. Now in its 31st year, the long-running neighborhood concert series is free, family-friendly, and runs throughout the summer. 4Tens Band kicks things off with an evening of rock music from 6 to 8 pm at the park’s historic gazebo.

Drop-in Studio: Printed Poster Making with Mandy Turner, The Lightcatcher Studio – A free drop-in printmaking workshop from 2 to 4 pm where you’ll learn linocut poster-making techniques, carve original designs, and create reusable printing blocks with guidance from artist and production printmaker Mandy Turner.

Born Again Queer Author Talk, First Congregational Church – Dr. William Stell will discuss his book Born Again Queer at 6 pm, examining the history of evangelical attitudes toward LGBTQ people and exploring how anti-gay beliefs developed within modern American Christianity through historical research and analysis.

Bellingham Farmers Market Pop-up, Cordata Co-op Patio – A 3 to 6 pm market featuring local farmers and makers offering produce, mushrooms, baked goods, jams, preserves, hot sauces, handmade clothing, photography, bath products, and frozen treats.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

Singles Bingo Night, Kulshan Roosevelt Taproom (K2) – A hosted singles bingo event from 6 to 8 pm designed to help singles meet other singles IRL.

Typewriters 101: An Intro to Operation and Maintenance, Bellingham Library SkillShare Space – A hands-on workshop from 1:30 to 4:30 pm exploring the history, operation, cleaning, and maintenance of typewriters, with demonstrations, free-writing opportunities, and guidance from local typewriter enthusiast Jennifer Dunn.

Thursday Music & Trivia →

Advertise in Bham’s #1 Newsletter
Email me to include a note in The Wheel

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please share it with a friend and encourage them to click here to subscribe. 🙏

Reply to this email if you have news to share, an event you’d like me to know about, or to send me a love note. 💘