The Hamster Wheel
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🐹 Cold Snap Continues ☃️☃️

🐹 Cold Snap Continues ☃️☃️

February 05, 2025

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

I've had a few reports of the newsletter arriving delayed, and after some investigation, it seems that Comcast email accounts are the most impacted. I wish I could talk some sense into Comcast (I’m sure we all do 😆), but they are a tough nut to crack. If you’re not receiving the newsletter on time (or at all), I recommend switching to a Gmail account—no issues have been reported from Gmail users.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Chuckanut Radio Hour
Granite Construction Lease
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Bunny Tracks in B’ham - 📷 by Cathy Miller

Lummi Island Sunrise - 📷 by Phyllis Chaloupka

Cordata Park Post Snowstorm - 📷 by Pamela Jull

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

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 35°F 🌡️ 26°F | ❄️ Chance of Snow | 🌧️ 50% | 💨 NE 6 to 10 mph

Thursday: 38°F 🌡️ 23°F | ❄️ Chance of Snow then 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 20% | 💨 NNE 5 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Wed	3:14 AM	L	4.94
Wed	9:23 AM	H	9.13
Wed	5:14 PM	L	-0.05
Thu	1:33 AM	H	6.78
Thu	4:14 AM	L	6.23
Thu	9:57 AM	H	8.87
Thu	6:15 PM	L	-0.62

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Cold Snap Continues

Our first snow of the year arrived!! …with differing levels of accumulation depending on where you call home in the county. For a glimpse at how the north county fared, I suggest following the Whatcom County Weather Facebook page run by Randy Small. Randy posts daily weather updates and beautiful photos from across the county.

While our home received only a light dusting of snow, Mt Baker and the higher-elevation highways were hammered by heavy snowfall. The Mt Baker Ski Area’s latest Snow Report reported an astonishing 41 inches of fresh snow accumulating in just the past four days.

WSDOT

I stumbled upon this fantastic photo posted by WSDOT that shows a plow truck clearing SR 20 east of Newhalem with massive icicles overhead. 👆️ While the perspective might be deceiving, some of those icicles look taller than the truck!! 😲

We will see nighttime temperatures in the mid-twenties and daytime temps near forty degrees for the rest of the week. These freeze-and-thaw cycles are hard on plumbing in exterior walls, so take precautions!

Port Approves Granite Construction Lease

Last night, the Port of Bellingham commissioners approved a lease agreement with Granite Construction to use the portion of the Bellingham Shipping Terminal previously home to ABC Recycling. Granite will lease the 5 acres of land and 4,650 square feet of warehouse space to import, export, and stockpile washed crushed aggregate for local civil construction projects.

The operation is expected to generate $300,000 to $500,000 in annual revenue for the port and create an estimated 200+ Longshoremen’s shifts per year, along with 13 new full-time jobs at Granite Construction.

The Chuckanut Radio Hour w. Kira Jane Buxton

The next installment of the Chuckanut Radio Hour, a recipient of Bellingham's prestigious Mayor’s Arts Award, will be recorded tomorrow at the Historic Hotel Leo. The Radio Hour, produced by Village Books, blends guest authors, musicians, performance poetry, and comedic sketches. This unique (and very Bellingham) radio variety show will host author Kira Jane Buxton.

Buxton’s debut novel, Hollow Kingdom, was an Indie Next pick and a finalist for multiple awards, and her latest work, Tartufo, is a humorous tale about a crumbling Italian village and a colossal truffle with the potential to change everything. Kira has been featured in The New York Times, New Yorker, and McSweeney’s.

The event will take place at 7 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM at Hotel Leo. Space to attend in-person is limited so registration is required.

In other news…

🎻 There are two opportunities to catch Bellingham Music Club’s Music and Stories from Scandinavia performance showcasing violinist Grant Donnellan and pianist Judith Widrig. Look forward to “a selection of beloved works by major Scandinavian composers, as well as ‘discoveries’ you may not have heard before.”

The first opportunity is a free program preview at 10:30 AM today at Trinity Lutheran Church, or enjoy the full performance on Friday at the First Congregational Church beginning at 7:30 PM. Details.

🏙️ 2025 promises to be an interesting year for the Bellingham Planning Commission. Mayor Kim Lund closed out 2024 with an executive order requiring a range of steps to increase housing opportunities. This week’s meeting will include “an update on the Bellingham Plan process and an overview of the draft material. This meeting will serve as an introduction to the process that will follow, which will include discussions on individual chapters.” The Commission meets tomorrow (Feb 6) in City Council Chambers, located on the 2nd floor of Bellingham City Hall at 6 PM. Watch the meeting in person or via Zoom.

🌲 The Greenways Advisory Committee meets tomorrow (Feb 6), in the Mayor’s Board Room at City Hall or watch via Zoom.

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

‘79 CHB 34’ Trawler
This is the one!! My absolute dream boat - and a fixer-upper. 😍 It couldn't get any more perfect. 😁 …if only. I hope someone scoops up this beautiful trawler and makes it spiffy. This gem deserves another long run on the water. Listing.

1957 Red Fish Shark
This vintage beauty sent me down a rabbit hole learning about the Redfish Boat Company. It turns out Redfish was a small boat manufacturer from Clarksville, Texas, that was founded in the 50s. They still make boats, but nothing as rad as this mid-century speedboat. 👆️ Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

LIVE THEATRE & DANCE

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

Bellingham TheatreWorks:
Deep Blue Sound | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sun 1&5 PM

Bellingham Theatre Guild:
Home, I’m Darling | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sun 2 PM

New Prospect Theatre:
36 Questions | Fri, Sat 7:30 PM; Sat, Sun 2 PM

Western - College of F&PA:
The Storyteller | Fri, Sat 7:30; Sat 2 PM

Mount Baker High School:
Little Woman | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sun 2 PM

Lynden Christian High School:
High School Musical | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sat 2 PM

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

COMEDY

The Blue Room:
Tanael Joachim | Thurs 8 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
Rave : Clown Rave @ Shakedown | Thurs 8:30 PM
Social Partner Dance : Flow Fusion @ Karate Church | Thurs 7 PM
Latine : Baila Con Amor @ Blue Room | Fri 9 PM
Party : Crank That @ Wild Buffalo | Fri 9 PM
Party : The Bad Bunny Party @ Wild Buffalo | Sat 8 PM
Contra : Geneva Convention + Bob Rentz @ Fairhaven Library | Sat 7 PM
Salsa : The Salsa Collective @ The Majestic Ballroom | Sun 5:30 PM

Help Spread The Word

Refer three Bellingham friends to join our newsletter community, and we’ll include a birthday callout to one person you specify on their B’day 🎂. Get your referral link here. Your current referral count is: 0. You’re so close!.

Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

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Have a great Wednesday!!