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. 📧

You’ve seen him blow minds on screen, now see it happen live. Michael Carbonaro brings his wildly popular blend of magic and comedy to the Mount Baker Theatre this Saturday, May 16.

Part magician, part comedian, all mischief-maker — WONDERBOY is where magic is the superpower, laughter is the sidekick, and reality doesn’t stand a chance. America’s favorite trickster is conjuring up unbelievable magic and wonder for all ages.

Here’s a fun one if you’ve been looking for an opportunity to meet a community with a passion for song, but without a long-term commitment. The Mount Baker Toppers will be gathering on Tuesday nights beginning tomorrow, May 12, in preparation for a Night of A Cappella performance on June 20th.

This is an open invitation to form an ALL VOICES chorus. If you’d like to participate, you’ll want to swagger on down to the Fairhaven Library Auditorium at 7:00 pm tomorrow. You can learn more about The Toppers here.

The city is looking for suggestions to name the new park off E. Bakerview Road. The park includes a total of 29 acres of undeveloped land with a mix of hayfields and mature forest. You can read about the city’s plans here.

Now… the city ran a similar poll for the pier previously known as “the Squalicum Pier” and settled on… “Little Squalicum Pier,” 🤨 despite a deluge of creative and hilarious suggestions. So… I’m not sure seriously these naming polls are taken.

LOCAL READS

First Salmon Ceremony — a South Fork success story
By Sam Fletcher · Salish Current
Tribal leaders and fisheries biologists are celebrating recent Chinook returns to the South Fork while warning that flooding, sediment, and warming river conditions still threaten long-term recovery. Sam explains that restoration efforts since the mid-2000s have helped increase salmon runs, though naturally produced juvenile numbers remain low. Read more →

· · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Aloha
By Joe Meche · Whatcom Watch
Traveling across the Big Island, Joe Meche traces volcanic landscapes, coastal parks, and tropical forests while documenting birds ranging from wandering tattlers to Hawaii’s state bird, the nene. Joe details how introduced species now dominate many habitats once occupied by native birds found nowhere else in the world. Read more →

CIVIC CORNER

Monday
Blaine City Council, 6:00 pm, Council Chambers
Bellingham City Council, 1:00 pm with regular meeting at 7:00 pm, Council Chambers

Tuesday
Ferndale Terrace Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, 11:00 am, Ferndale Terrrace
Ferndale Planning Commission, 6:00 pm, City Hall
Port of Bellingham Board of Commissioners, 4:00 pm, Harbor Center
Whatcom County Council, 8:45 am with regular meeting at 6:00 pm, Council Chambers

Wednesday
Whatcom County Ranch Quarry EIS Scoping - Public Meeting, 6:00 pm, Zoom

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Wednesday
King Mountain Community Garden: Join the city in tending to community spaces at King Mountain Garden. Register

Saturday
Rock Hill Park: Join the City and the York Neighborhood Association in removing Himalayan Blackberry and sprucing up the Butterfly Garden. Register
Schell Creek: Join NSEA and the Whatcom Conservation District in stewarding Schell Creek by picking up pet waste and litter and removing some invasive species in the riparian zone and surrounding greenspace. Register
Miyawaki Mini-Forest at WWU: Join Whatcom Million Trees Project, L.E.A.D, WWU Students for Ecological Restoration, City of Bellingham, and Washington Trails Association to help with the next stage of development of Bellingham’s first Miyawaki mini-forest. Register
Natural Delights Trail: Join the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition for a trail day at Natural Delights Trail. Register

Sunday
Cougar Ridge Trail: Join the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition for a trail day at Cougar Ridge. Register

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

Nooksack Valley High School
Footloose (theatre) | Thurs, Fri

Bellingham Circus Guild
Vaudevillingham (circus) | Fri

Sehome High School
Anything Goes (theatre) | Fri, Sat

Squalicum High School
One Act Play Festival (theatre) | Fri-Sun

BAAY
Honk! JR. (theatre) | Fri-Sun

Mount Baker Theatre
Michael Carbonaro (magic) | Sat

iDiOM Theatre
All Our Tragic (theatre) | Sat, Sun

Blaine Performing Arts Center
World Wildlife Dances (dance) | Sat, Sun

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
Foundations: Hip Hop, House, Shuffle - Lost Giants Cider Co. - Fri 6 pm
Potluck & Square Dance - Fairhaven Library - Sat 6:00 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

This afternoon brings local band High Tide to the FireHouse Arts & Events Center from 3:30 to 5 pm with original music, singalongs, and familiar classics. The group blends singer-songwriter material with songs by artists including Van Morrison, Jimmy Buffett, Wilson Pickett, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones, and the Beatles, along with selections from the Great American Songbook.

Honey Ruckus performs at The Admiralty Lounge tomorrow, May 12 from 7 to 9 pm with a set steeped in bluegrass, Americana, and folk. The group combines vocal harmonies, mandola, with a mix of original songs and reworked covers.

It’s Karaoke Night at the Schweinhaus Biergarten tomorrow, and every Tuesday from 8:30 to 11 pm with host Paige. Perform, or just cheer on your friends, it’s a high energy night in the beer garden with big TVs, big tables, and even bigger vibes.

It’s a quiet night
The birds are singing. It’s a tea on the back stoop kind of night.

Monday Music & Trivia →

Heidi Across America, Village Books – Author Heidi Beierle discusses her memoir from 6 to 7 pm. During summer 2010, Heidi pedaled solo from Eugene, OR, to Washington, DC to a historic roads conference. Navigating mountains, prairies, and intense heat, she met kind strangers who changed the way she saw America and herself. Reserve a seat

Open Mic Night, Zeeks Pizza – An open mic from 6:30 to 9 pm with local musicians sharing original songs and covers. Look for an acoustic set by the Sharon Mayson Trio performing Sharon Mayson originals alongside atmospheric melodic covers.

Pint Night @ Structures Brewing, Structures Brewing Old Town – A community fundraiser from 3 to 9 pm brings together Youthnet staff, friends, snacks, and drinks, with Structures donating $1 from every pint sold during the evening to support Youthnet programs.

Tuesday Music & Trivia →

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