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. 📧

Over recent months, a series of large ship-to-shore cranes have perched at the Southwest edge of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal. Two arrived in December of last year. They were transported by barge from Tacoma, where the Port of Tacoma is undertaking a multi-year terminal modernization effort. These cranes had reached the end of their lifespan and were brought to Bellingham to be dismantled with the parts trucked south to be recycled.

In a recent social media post, the port describes how these projects are possible because Bellingham offers “the space and capacity to dismantle large equipment,” and note that improvements made to the Heavy Lift Area make similar projects likely in the future.

To get an idea of just how enormous these cranes are, check out this timelapse video from The Northwest Seaport Alliance capturing the process of moving and loading one of these circa 1980s behemoths onto a barge in the port of Tacoma. 👆

If the Port of Bellingham recorded the offload I hope they will post that video as well. I’m very curious how they managed this process with the shifting of tides. It seems like they would be working with a very short effective window.

In late May, three additional cranes arrived, this time decommissioned after decades of service on the Seattle Waterfront. 👆 Thank you to reader Judy for sharing the great action photo with us. 🙏

Madison Mayfield, the ornithology collections manager at the Burke Museum of Natural History, is offering an Introduction to Scientific Illustration class at the The Lightcatcher Studio this Saturday. I was planning to post about this one on Friday as it’s a weekend event, but spots are filling, and it’s such a cool looking opportunity.

“In this workshop, you'll receive a hands-on introduction to scientific illustration skills, practice observational drawing, and explore the topic of visual science communication. Learn to use graphite, pen and ink, and watercolor to sketch natural specimens.”

Snag tickets now if you want to attend this one.

This Friday is the annual Molt Blitz run by WA Sea Grant and WSU Extension. It’s a community science effort that helps protect beaches from invasive European green crab and gathers valuable data on Dungeness populations. Anyone can participate so long as you have legal access to a Puget Sound beach.

If you are new to Molt Search, there are two opportunities to learn about identifying common crabs of Washington. There’s an online training today, June 24, from noon to 1:30 pm, or an in-person training and beach search at Semiahmoo Park on Friday, June 26, from 10:00 am to noon.

LOCAL READS

Culverts to Corridors
By Serena Herschleb · The Planet
Recent culvert replacements on Padden Creek have reopened historic salmon habitat, allowing species including chum, coho, Chinook, steelhead, pink salmon, and cutthroat trout to move farther upstream. Serena reports that the city has identified 126 crossings that block fish passage and is prioritizing future projects to reconnect waterways. Read more →

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Bellingham Festival of Music creates community from around the world
By Richard Arlin Walker · Salish Current
The Bellingham Festival of Music returns July 3–25, bringing about 70 professional musicians from across North America and Europe to perform at Western Washington University and venues around town. Richard reports that many visiting artists stay with local host families, creating relationships that often continue long after the concerts end. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Thursday
Lake Whatcom Watershed Advisory Board, 6:30 pm, Zoom
Whatcom County Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, County Office Portable Building

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday / Friday
Olsen Creek: Join the Washington Trails Association as they implement a multi-use recreation opportunity just outside of Bellingham. Register / Register

Saturday
Cornwall Rose Garden: Help the city weed and mulch (and stop to smell the roses!) during peak bloom at the Cornwall Rose Garden. Register
Chanterelle Trailhead, Wickersham Truck Trail: Join the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition for a trail maintenance day. Register

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Bellingham TheatreWorks
@ FireHouse Arts & Events Center
Fairview (theatre) | Tues, Fri
Brighton Beach Memoirs (theatre) | Wed, Sat
Appropriate (theatre) | Thurs, Sun

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

Mount Baker Theatre
The Dance Studio - Greatest Show (dance) | Sat, Sun

The Upfront Theatre
Various performances

Tango Practica - The Majestic - Wed 6:30 pm
Revolution Fusion - Karate Church - Thurs 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

The Bellingham Music Club hosts saxophonist Jeff Crompton and cellist Benjamin Shirley tomorrow, June 25, from 7:30 to 8:30 pm in the Old City Hall Museum Rotunda. The Atlanta-based musicians combine composition and improvisation in a performance that moves between contemporary chamber music and jazz. Suggested donation $20.

Jay Thomas and Oliver Groenewald play the Odd Fellows Temple Room tomorrow, June 25. Thomas is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most respected jazz musicians, known for his work on saxophone, trumpet, and flute, while Groenewald is a composer, arranger, and trumpeter whose projects have connected musicians across the Northwest jazz scene.

There’s Classical on Tap at Stemma West tonight, June 24, at 6 pm. Presented by the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, the event features the BSO Youth Chamber Players performing a program of small-ensemble classical works in Stemma West’s outdoor beer garden.

Jeffrey Slough performs at Honey Moon Mead tomorrow, June 25, from 8 to 10 pm. A longtime Northwest musician and songwriter, Slough draws from Americana, folk-rock, soul, and roots traditions, blending original songs with stories gathered from years on the road.

Friends of South Whatcom Library Book Sale, Glenhaven Clubhouse – Browse a wide selection of used fiction, nonfiction, mysteries, thrillers, and children's books from 10 am to 4 pm, with proceeds supporting programs and services at the South Whatcom Library.

Ready, Set, Explore! Backpacking 101, Backcountry Essentials – A 7 to 8:30 pm introductory backpacking workshop covering gear selection, packing, trip planning, trail choice, and backcountry safety, presented by Backcountry Essentials and North Cascades Institute as part of a three-part outdoor education series. Reserve a seat

Hillary Behrman in Conversation with Maria McLeod: Lake Effect, Village Books in Fairhaven – At 6 pm, Pacific Northwest author Hillary Behrman discusses her award-winning debut story collection Lake Effect, a book of interconnected stories exploring intimacy, isolation, family, and belonging across settings that range from Seattle to Istanbul. Reserve a seat

Whatcom Dream Pint Night, Kulshan Trackside Beer Garden – From 4 to 7 pm, gather for community games, giveaways, and fundraising activities while supporting Whatcom Dream, a local nonprofit that provides free financial empowerment and literacy programs.

Wednesday Music & Trivia →

The Sweet Goodbyes, Elizabeth Park – Music starts at 6 pm at this weeks’ Elizabeth Park Summer Concert featuring The Sweet Goodbyes, a local harmony-based indie folk band.

Free Palestine Fundraiser, Goat Mountain Pizza – From 6:30 to 8:30 pm, this monthly community fundraiser features bingo, raffle prizes, and a small market, with proceeds supporting Palestinians in Gaza.

Thursday Music & Trivia →

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