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🐹 Mabel Apprehended 🐄🐄

🐹 Mabel Apprehended 🐄🐄

October 21, 2024

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

What a wet, windy weekend it was. We mostly hibernated, but got out Saturday night and had a wonderful visit with the proprietor at El Capitan's on Cornwall Ave. There aren’t many venues left in town with that old-Bellingham laid-back, funky vibe, but El Capitan’s would feel right at home to a time-traveling hamster from the 90s. We loved it! Great atmosphere, lots of cacti, tasty bevvies. 🍻

~ Val & Evan

In today’s Hamster Wheel:

Mabel Apprehended
Whatcom County Biennium Budget
Food & Drink
Music & Nightlife

Weather Forecast

Monday: 57°F 🌡️ 46°F | 🌧️ Rain Showers | 🌧️ 80% | 💨 WSW 5 mph

Tuesday: 56°F 🌡️ 40°F | 🌧️ Chance Light Rain then 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 30% | 💨 SW 5 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Mon	2:07 AM	L	-2.12
Mon	10:04 AM	H	8.95
Mon	2:53 PM	L	6.57
Mon	7:06 M	H	8.04
Tue	2:58 AM	L	-1.65
Tue	11:15 AM	H	8.89
Tue	4:28 PM	L	6.75
Tue	7:44 PM	H	7.44

Moon Phases

Weather and Tides data from NOAA.gov. Moon phase data from astronomyapi.com.

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Purse seiner returning to Bellingham Harbor - 📸 Photo by Finn Banks

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

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Mabel Apprehended

According to the Whatcom Humane Society (WHS), Mabel, Bellingham’s celebrity bovine, was caught on Friday. After months on the lam around the Barkley neighborhood, a trip wire enclosure was used to secure her.

Local farmers, veterinarians, and neighbors all contributed to her rescue. Mabel is now settling in at the WHS farm, where she will be monitored before being placed as a companion animal. As Gandhi said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated,” and in Bellingham, Mabel proves just that.

Lynden Transport to Deliver Capitol Christmas Tree

Nearly a decade after Lynden Transport first carried a Capitol Christmas Tree from Alaska's Tongass National Forest to Washington, D.C., the company has been selected to do so again.

Drivers John Schank (left) and Fred Austin (right)

This year, John Schank (driver from the 2015 voyage) will make the delivery alongside veteran driver Fred Austin. In collaboration with the Society of American Foresters, Lynden Transport will ensure its freight arrives safely at the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

Ed Austin in the 1920's - from the Lynden Transport website.

Lynden Transport (then Lynden Transfer) was founded in 1906 by Ed Austin. At age 23, Ed started hauling goods from the railroad station in Lynden to local businesses with a wagon and a team of horses. In the 1920s, the company transitioned to hauling using Mac Trucks and later grew to the aggregate of trucking, shipping, and aviation transport that it offers today.

In other news…

Birder Alert!! 🦉🦉 Learn about the Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) with North Cascades Audubon Society and field ornithologist Hannah Toutonghi.

Meet at the Rotunda Room of Old City Hall at 6:30 PM on Tuesday (Oct 22). Hannah will discuss her research using innovative telemetry methods to track the elusive and charismatic Northern Hawk Owls in the northern boreal forests. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5.

Discussions begin about the Whatcom County biennium budget. On October 18th, County Executive Satpal Sidhu presented the Whatcom County Council with a proposed 2025-2026 biennium budget. The 126-page document outlines how county revenues are distributed across expenditure funds. The Whatcom County Council will begin deliberating over this budget on Tuesday at 1:45 PM. Get details or join remotely.

🐟️ ⛵️ Help guide priorities for public access to waterways in Whatcom County. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) invites Whatcom County residents to a virtual workshop this Tuesday (Oct 22) from 5:30 to 7 PM. This session is part of a series to develop a 10-year management plan for WDFW-managed water access in North Puget Sound, including over 100 boat launches and numerous fishing spots. This workshop is an opportunity to share your experiences and provide feedback to help shape future management and investment priorities. Pre-registration is required—sign up online to receive more details.

Looking ahead this week, Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services of Whatcom County (DVSAS) is hosting its Victory Over Violence event on Wednesday from 4-6 PM at Aslan Depot. DVSAS invites the public to join them in “recognizing [..] client, partner, and agency successes”, with light hors d’oeuvres. A $25 donation is suggested. Registration.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

Sweet Bay Café Opens Today ☕️

Another restaurant has opened at 1323 N State! 🤯 Sweet Bay Café will serve breakfast and brunch until 2 PM. The café shares this location with Red Star Taco Bar, whose opening we wrote about last week. The online menu lists breakfast classics alongside fun twists like Chicken and Pancakes. We’re always excited to try a new breakfast spot!

Hilltop Restaurant Closed, Pending New Ownership

We were saddened to learn that the Hilltop Restaurant (a favorite weekend breakfast haunt of OG Hamsters and our county brethren) closed over the summer. A sign on the door thanks patrons for choosing Hilltop since 1959 and mentions that new ownership may announce reopening at a future date.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Monday Food Trucks
Ah! Chihuahua @ Trackside Portal Village
Big Stick Barbecue @ Closed
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Dumpling Girls @ Closed
El Pollo Feo @ Closed
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Greektown @ Closed
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
New Public Vegan @ Closed
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St.)
Rain or Shine Riviera Club @ Closed
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Closed
The Galley @ Closed

Tuesday Food Trucks
Ah! Chihuahua @ Trackside Portal Village
Big Stick Barbecue @ Closed
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Dumpling Girls @ Closed
El Pollo Feo @ Kulshan Brewery (Roosevelt K2)
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Greektown @ Closed
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
New Public Vegan @ Closed
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Rain or Shine Riviera Club @ Closed
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Fringe Brewing
The Galley @ 6069 Hannegan Rd

Mow the lawn? Nah.

Killer Condos & Apartments

2 Marigold Dr. Unit 40
This Sudden Valley condo is adorable. The exposed beams and natural light give an open yet cozy vibe. We love the pendant light and fun backsplash! Listing.

1600 D St Unit 201
You can’t get closer to the heart of Bellingham than this unit, which overlooks the Maritime Heritage fish hatchery and Whatcom Creek. Listing.

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Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Monday Games & Trivia
Trivia Night @ Ono Kitchen & Bar | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Zeeks Pizza & Fountain Brewing | 6 PM

Tuesday Games & Trivia
Bingo @ CHeBA Hut | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Corner Taphouse | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Uisce Irish Pub | 7 PM

Hakuna matata

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Have a great Monday!!