🐹 Meow On The Catwalk 😸😸

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

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

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

The Whatcom Humane Society is cooking up a new neighborhood event for the fall, and this one is for the cats… or more precisely for us cat-people. On Saturday, October 10, Sunnyland will host the first Kitty City Walking Tour, a free stroll through the neighborhood to admire local felines lounging in windows, perched on porches, and holding court in their catios.

The idea was inspired by Minnesota’s Wedge Cat Tour, which is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Now the Humane Society is putting together a Sunnyland version and looking for neighborhood cats willing to tolerate a little public adoration. 😁

If you live in Sunnyland and have a cat with star potential, the Humane Society is looking for homes to include on the route. Email [email protected] or call 360-733-2080 ext. 3026.

Last week the Bellingham Fire Department Facebook page shared this fun look at the Bellingham Fire Department Station No. 2 on Harris Avenue that’s now the fabulous FireHouse Arts & Events Center and Firehouse Café. 👇

“This 1963 photo features firefighters Del Sturgis, Alton Jepperson, and Leo Nelson standing in front of the station.”

The Academy for Lifelong Learning has organized a four-day excursion this fall that looks outrageously fun. The trip runs September 28 through October 1, beginning with a visit to the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility near Ellensburg, where you can learn how wind and solar power are generated with a look inside a wind turbine before continuing to Lewiston.

The second includes a jet boat trip from Clarkston up the Snake River into Hells Canyon. Along the way, you will visit historic ranch sites, hear about mining and steamboat travel in the canyon, and stop at the Kirkwood Historical Ranch and museum for lunch. From there, the route turns west to Walla Walla, with visits to Whitman Mission and Fort Walla Walla, plus time downtown for lunch and wine tasting before continuing to The Dalles.

The final morning is at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum, with a talk on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Oregon Trail and regional history, followed by time to explore the exhibits and nearby trails overlooking the Columbia River Gorge. Registration is open through Friday, August 28. Full details and pricing.

This week Sustainable Connections is hosting its annual Green Home Tours & Talks, with a different local building project open for tours each afternoon from today, August 17 through Friday, August 21. The week starts with a Green Building Happy Hour, followed by visits to projects including the South Fork Pretty Good Homestead, LaFreniere Court, Parkstone, and a Sixth Street Passive House.

The idea is to give you a closer look at how energy efficiency, healthy homes, and green building practices actually show up in finished homes and works in progress. Each stop is hosted by people involved in the project, so there is a chance to hear how different materials, systems, and design choices work in practice rather than just reading about them on paper.

LOCAL READS

The business cost of cross-border bad blood
By Frank Catalano · Franksplaining Business
Fewer Canadian visitors are putting growing pressure on Whatcom County businesses that have long relied on cross-border tourism and shopping. Frank explains that one-quarter of businesses worried about survival have already made changes such as cutting hours, reducing offerings, raising prices, or laying off workers. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Birding the Neighborhood
By Joe Meche · Whatcom Watch
Great horned owls nesting two blocks away, fledgling flickers learning to use a suet feeder and migrating tanagers passing through show how much wildlife can turn up within a single neighborhood. Joe reports that paying attention locally can complement larger citizen science efforts that track bird populations across seasons. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Ferndale City Council, 5:00 pm, City Hall
Lynden City Council, 7:00 pm, City Hall

Tuesday
Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners, 4:00 pm, Harbor Center
Whatcom County Food Systems Committee, 4:30 pm, 110 Unity Street zoom

Wednesday
City of Bellingham Meet-and-Greet, 5:30 pm, Larrabee Lager Company

Thursday
Bham Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday
King Mountain Victory Garden: Join the City of Bellingham for a work party at the King Mountain Victory Garden, a newer community garden plot dedicated to growing food for donation, with an afternoon of weeding, harvesting, and a little time in the garden. Register
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
Larrabee State Park: Join Washington Trails Association for a day of trail maintenance at Larrabee State Park, working on tread issues along the Lost Lake and Rock Trail. The work party is currently full, but a waitlist is available.

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

Saturday
Euclid Park: Join Whatcom Million Trees Project for a morning of ivy removal at Euclid Park, helping free trees and native vegetation in this mature forest and wetland along Lake Whatcom. Register
Summer Stewards - Litter Pickup: Join NSEA’s Summer Stewards for a morning litter pickup, helping keep trash out of local creeks and rivers that salmon and people rely on. Register

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

Bellis Fair
Paranormal Cirque Voodoo (circus) | Fri-Sun

BAAY
Head Over Heels (theatre) | Fri-Sun

The Blue Room
Clayton English (comedy) | Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Salsa & Bachata - Viking Union - Mon 7 pm
Bellingham Embodiment Collective - Majestic Ballroom - Mon 6:30 pm
Country Line Dancing - Corner Taphouse in Fairhaven - 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
Sunset Silent Disco - Zuanich - Sat 7:30 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

Maggie Hayward performs at The Admiralty Lounge tomorrow, August 18, from 7 to 9 pm. The Bellingham singer-songwriter, visual artist, and fisheries biologist draws on folk-rock, Americana, and bluegrass, with songs shaped by life in the Pacific Northwest and time spent in Southeast Alaska.

Beats on the Bay continues tomorrow, August 18, with Zimbabwean musician Blessing “Bled” Chimanga and his band, bringing a mix of marimba, percussion, vocals, and African rhythms to Bellingham Bay. The music runs from 6 to 7:30 pm, performed from the deck of the Schooner Zodiac. Listening from Taylor Dock and the boardwalk is free, or paddle out in your own kayak or paddleboard at no charge, rent a boat from the Community Boating Center, or book one of the limited spots aboard the Zodiac.

Che Arthur performs at The Shakedown tomorrow, August 18, with Epic Structures opening. Arthur, a member of Chicago band Pink Avalanche and former guitarist for Atombombpocketknife, returned to solo songwriting with his 2024 album For That Which Now Lies Fallow after a decade focused on electronic and instrumental work. Doors open at 7:30 pm and the show begins at 8 pm.

Green Home Tours & Talks: Happy Hour Kickoff, Kulshan Roosevelt Taproom – A 5 to 7 pm gathering opens the weeklong sustainable building series with guest speakers, local green building professionals, and time to connect over energy efficiency, healthy homes, and sustainable design. RSVP

Dance w. Bellingham Embodiment Collective, The Majestic Ballroom – A conscious dance session from 6:30 to 8 pm invites you to move without set steps, with rotating facilitators and practices including Open Floor, Azul, and 5Rhythms.

Monday Music & Trivia →

Rascal Rodeo, Northwest Washington Fair & Event Center – A free adaptive rodeo from 10 to 11 am offers participants of all ages with physical and developmental disabilities activities including horse riding, simulated bull riding, roping, and cow milking. Information and registration.

Trivia on the Patio, Kulshan Brewing Sunnyland Taproom – Summer trivia runs from 7 to 9 pm with a $2 buy-in per person, cash prizes for top teams, and no advance sign-up required.

Tuesday 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. 💘