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🐹 Alevin At The Central Library 🐟️🐟️

🐹 Alevin At The Central Library 🐟️🐟️

January 29, 2025

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

Over the next ten days, we’re forecast to have sunny and rainy days, but most exciting to me is the predicted snow this weekend!! It’s hard to imagine we’ll see much accumulation. The temperature will rise into the low 40s during the daytime hours. But hey, snow is snow! ❄️

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Salmon Cam
Adored Boutique
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Lummi Island - 📷 by Jodi Broughton

Squalicum Harbor - 📷 by Dolores Ortega

Historic Boardmill Building - 📷 by Duffy Brook

Tag @bellinghamsterwheel on Instagram or reply to this email to get your photos in The Hamster Wheel.

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 45°F 🌡️ 33°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 20% | 💨 S 3 mph

Thursday: 45°F 🌡️ 38°F | 🌧️ Light Rain Likely | 🌧️ 100% | 💨 SSE 6 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Wed	6:23 AM	H	9.13
Wed	11:09 AM	L	6.63
Wed	3:26 PM	H	8.23
Wed	11:11 PM	L	-1.88
Thu	6:45 AM	H	9.18
Thu	11:50 AM	L	5.96
Thu	4:25 PM	H	8.04
Thu	11:50 PM	L	-1.53

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Salmon Cam Live at Bellingham Public Library

Where has this been my whole life!! 🐟️ Working from home, I’m constantly looking for something to play on one of my three screens to keep me company without distracting me from my work. Segway to… the Salmon Cam on YouTube. 😁

A collaboration between the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) and BTV results in a livestream of salmon eggs transforming into alevin and fry in a 55-gallon aquarium at the Central Library. My favorite part is when families huddle around the tank, and you can watch fascination lighting up the faces of the kiddos. But even the quiet moments provide a sweet bubbling noise and slow movements within the eggs.

The soon-to-be fry will be released into Whatcom Creek at Maritime Heritage Park on Saturday, March 29 at 4 pm. By then, they will feel like part of the family, and I'll be there rooting for them. 🎉🐟️ 🎉

City Acquires Largest Ever Parcel to Safeguard Lake Whatcom

The City of Bellingham announced the acquisition of 754 acres of forestland within the Lake Whatcom watershed, marking it the largest purchase to date through the Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program. Bellingham City Council approved this purchase during the January 27 council meeting.

The land, on the southeast end of Lake Whatcom, will be purchased from local timber company Nielsen Brothers, Inc. for $3.65 million. Funded by watershed fees collected through utility bills specifically for protecting Bellingham’s drinking water, the sale is expected to close on February 14th.

Mayor Kim Lund emphasized the importance of this purchase, stating, “this purchase is a major step forward in protecting one of our community’s most valuable assets, strengthening our ability to continue providing clean, safe drinking water,” it also “supports our goals to sustain a healthy environment for people, native flora and fauna, and increases our community’s resilience to wildfires and other effects of a changing climate.” The City will actively manage the property to improve forest health, enhance wildlife habitats, and maintain high water quality standards.

In other news…

🚢 If you drove past the waterfront over the last couple of days and glanced out at the shipping terminal, you will have noticed an enormous vessel docked near the end of the Whatcom Creek Waterway. This impressive Bulk Carrier, built in 2023, is the CL HENGYANG which sails under the flag of Hong Kong.

The CL HENGYANG arrived at Bellingham’s waterfront on Monday for “layberthing”, where its cargo holds will be cleaned and certified for food-grade exports to ports in Canada and elsewhere. Layberting (I had to look it up) is when a ship is temporarily moored at a berth. The port notes that because of the “terminal’s modernization, including its 32-foot depth alongside the dock,” Bellingham Shipping Terminal “can once again accommodate larger vessels, boosting its role in regional shipping and supporting maritime commerce.”

🚨 The WHAT-COMM Administrative Board meets tomorrow (Jan 30) at 1PM. The public may attend in person at 625 Halleck St, or attend online via Zoom. The Board is authorized to establish policy guidelines, approve financial contributions and new agencies, resolve disputes, and lease facilities for the What-Comm and Prospect 911 Dispatch Communication Centers.

🦆 The North Cascades Audubon Society is hosting a two-hour class about Marine Birds of the Salish Sea today (Jan 29), from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Community Boating Center in Fairhaven.

This session will focus on seabird identification in the Puget Sound, covering species such as loons, grebes, cormorants, scoters, alcids, and gulls. Instructor Pam Borso will present slides featuring birds in both breeding and non-breeding plumage and discuss their feeding, nesting, and wintering habits around the Salish Sea. Details and registration.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Adored Boutique is now under new ownership, with Melissa Hatcher 👇️ serving as the sole owner as of the first of the year. Melissa has managed the boutique since its opening in August 2020 and will continue operations at the 913 Harris Avenue location in Fairhaven.

The building housing Adored Boutique holds historical significance for Melissa. Her grandfather, who owned Wright Boat Company in the 1950s, once operated the boat-building business from the very same location where the boutique now stands. “It was a serendipitous coincidence when we selected this location, not realizing it was where my family’s legacy once thrived,” she added it’s a “fascinating connection to my family’s history.”

A photograph of the original Wright Boat Company operation, held by Hatcher in the image above, is included below. Further details about the boat company’s history are available in the Fairhaven History archive.

Adored Boutique is hosting a Valentine’s Shopping Party on February 6, from 6–8 PM. The event celebrates Hatcher’s ownership transition. Melissa hopes you’ll attend so she can “share the next chapter with you— one filled with even more thoughtfully curated pieces, exciting events, and opportunities to connect!” The boutique’s inventory showcases a neutral, muted color palette, soft and comfy clothing brands, and carefully selected accessories. Adored Boutique opens daily at 11 AM.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Wednesday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Mobile Mouth Hole @ Lowes Parking Lot
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Sammies Vegan @ Wander Brewing
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Thursday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Big Stick Barbecue @ Stemma Brewery
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
Dumpling Girls @ Goods Local Brews
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Mobile Mouth Hole @ Lowes Parking Lot
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Sammies Vegan @ Wander Brewing
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Harbor & Maritime

Whatever Floats Your Boat

1972 Autocoast Marauder 24
This is seriously too great. 😆 This bright yellow rocket ship of a boat, is called The Screaming Banana. It was built in 1974, looks totally restored, and contains two very clean Volvo Penta outdrives. Available just up the road in Ferndale. 🍌🍌 Listing.

1999 ACB 26 LOA
Ever dream of owning an unsinkable boat? This is it! This 26-foot aluminum chambered boat is rated as ‘unsinkable’ by the USCG and is rated to handle 6+ foot waves. Typically, these boats are built for government agencies like the Coast Guard, but this one is in Squalicum Harbor and waiting for a new owner. 🌊 Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE THEATRE & DANCE

iDiOM Theater:
Tower of Air | Wed 7 PM; Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun 7:30 PM

Bellingham TheatreWorks:
Deep Blue Sound | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 PM

Bellingham Theatre Guild:
Home, I’m Darling | Fri, Sat 7 PM

Mount Baker High School:
Little Woman | Fri, Sat 7 PM

Lynden Christian High School:
High School Musical | Thurs, Fri 7 PM

Nooksack Valley High School:
Frankenstein | Fri, Sat 7 PM

Student Theatre Productions:
The Great Gatsby | Fri, Sat, Sun 7:30 PM; Sun 2 PM

Mt Baker Theatre:
Winter Dance Showcase | Sat 6 PM

COMEDY

Larrabee Lager Company:
Laughs at Larrabee | Fri 8 PM

Greene's Corner:
Comedy Open Mic | Wed 7 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Scottish Country : Scottish Dancing Workshops @ Fairhaven Library | Wed 7 PM
Tango : Tango Practica @ The Majestic Ballroom | Wed 6:30 PM.
Bachata : Bham Bachata @ ‘ONO Kitchen & Bar | Thurs 7:30 PM
Social Partner Dance : Flow Fusion @ Karate Church | Thurs 7 PM
Party : The Bad Bunny Party @ Wild Buffalo | Sat 8 PM
Salsa : The Salsa Collective @ The Majestic Ballroom | Sun 5:30 PM

Help Spread The Word

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Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

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Have a great Wednesday!!