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🐹 Millworks #2 Design ✔️✔️

🐹 Millworks #2 Design ✔️✔️

February 21, 2025

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

Hey! The Meador Avenue bridge has reopened, and with it our favorite back-route to avoid Lakeway traffic. Not sure if it’s faster, but I’ll take Lincoln over Lakeway any day of the week and pretend that it is 😆.

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Viburnum at Tennent Lake Fragrance Garden - 📷 by Michael Neff

Bellingham Bay Sunset - 📷 by Stephen Rose

Bird Tracks in Snow - 📷 by Susan Grossman

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

Weather Forecast

Friday: 51°F 🌡️ 46°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 90% | 💨 SE 6 to 17 mph

Saturday: 54°F 🌡️ 47°F | 🌧️ Rain | 🌧️ 100% | 💨 SSE 9 to 23 mph

Sunday: 55°F 🌡️ 43°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 100% | 💨 SSE 6 to 9 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Fri	3:08 AM	H	7.19
Fri	4:49 AM	L	6.81
Fri	9:15 AM	H	7.70
Fri	5:58 PM	L	0.58
Sat	3:39 AM	H	7.78
Sat	7:20 AM	L	7.12
Sat	9:45 AM	H	7.57
Sat	6:58 PM	L	0.20
Sun	4:05 AM	H	8.18
Sun	8:58 AM	L	7.08
Sun	10:58 AM	H	7.52
Sun	7:53 PM	L	-0.24

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Port Approves Design for Phase Two of the Millworks Project

On Tuesday, the Port of Bellingham Commissioners approved design documents for the second phase of the Millworks development at the waterfront. The approved plans call for a local food campus with commercial kitchens on the ground floor, a nonprofit hub with office and meeting spaces on the second floor, and five floors of workforce housing above. Here’s a depiction of the building from the approved plans. 👇️

I had difficulty picturing where this new development fit into the larger waterfront property, so I compared the sitemap in the plan with a map online. Below is a screenshot from Google Maps, marked in blue to show where this phase two project is planned. The green rectangle shows roughly where the phase one building now sits.

The phase two project builds on the success of phase one which the commissioners glowingly praised. The first phase included 83 affordable housing units, a child care center operated by the Whatcom Family YMCA, and residential gathering spaces—the second phase will add approximately 109 units of workforce housing.

In other news…

🦢 This looks like fun. 😁 Plus, you could take the scenic route to Stanwood via Chuckanut and Best Road and do tons of bird-watching along the way! The Snow Goose & Birding Festival is this Saturday (Feb 22) at the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center. The event will feature a series of speaker sessions: at 10:00 AM, Brian Zinke of the Pilchuck Audubon Society will present "All About Owls;" at noon, local storyteller Pat Holmes will share bald eagle facts and stories in "The Eagles of Camano Island;" and at 2:00 PM, swan biologist Martha Jordan will discuss the challenges faced by swans and snow geese in "White Birds of Winter."

Great Blue Heron by Yvonne Bowman

For those interested in exploring further, Snow Goose Shuttle Bus Tours and special vans will provide trips to Fir Island and along Florence & Leque Island routes, with details available at check-in. A homemade soup and rolls lunch is also available for purchase from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Details.

⛷️ Registration opens on Saturday for the Mt Baker Ski area’s Branch Out Session, a gathering for female freestylers—and their supporters—at The Sticks, off of C-¾.

This unstructured freestyle meet-up, scheduled for March 1st, promises an afternoon of riding, skiing, and skill-building, perfect for forging new connections. Details and registration.

🏥 PeaceHealth says the ER is slammed “due to rising cases of RSV, flu and many other emergent health needs,” and asks that those with “non-emergency health issues consider other options for care.” The news release notes that three PeaceHealth Priority Care clinics in Whatcom County offer same-day, drop-in care with extended hours. These locations are:

Priority Care at PeaceHealth Cordata Main Clinic @ 4545 Cordata Pkwy, Suite 1A
PeaceHealth Priority Care at Medical Office Plaza @ 3015 Squalicum Pkwy, Suite 140
Priority Care at PeaceHealth Lynden Clinic @ 8840 Benson Road, Suite 3

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Sunday
Jazz Brunch at Hotel Leo

Savor the perfect blend of delicious flavors and live jazz at Hotel Leo’s Sunday Jazz Brunch. Treat yourself to a spread of breakfast and brunch favorites, from classic staples to indulgent treats, all served in the elegant setting of the historic hotel.

Friday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Back East BBQ @ Wander Brewing
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)
Outpost Eats @ Transition Outpost (5090 Samish Way)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Saturday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Back East BBQ @ Wander Brewing
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
Galley 2 Go @ Stones Throw Brewery
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Transition Outpost (5090 Samish Way)
Sammies Vegan @ Bellingham Farmers Mkt.
Tam Tam Pizza @ Bellingham Farmers Mkt.
Tam Tam Pizza @ Dockside Mkt.
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Sunday Food Trucks
Back East BBQ @ Wander Brewing
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)
Greektown @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Nana J’s @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
New Public Vegan @ Evil Bikes (700 Harris Ave)
Outpost Eats @ Transition Outpost (5090 Samish Way)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Lost Giants Cider Co.

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

4186 Rural Avenue (Open Fri 3-5 PM, Sat 11-1 PM)
This amazing little property is on the quiet part of Rural just north of Country Lane. It has a pond, shop, art studio, hot tub, gardens, you name it! And, it has an adorable cottage vibe. Listing.

1333 Oriental Avenue (Open Sat 1-3 PM)
This house sits on a park like half-acre lot on the south end of Oriental Ave. Big cedars, big tree house, very pretty and tastefully finished home. I like it. 😉 Listing.

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Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

Opera Night

THEATRE - DANCE - FILM

iDiOM Theater:
Exit the King | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 PM

New Prospect Theatre:
Calypso | Fri, Sat 6:30 PM; Fri 9:30 PM; Sat 9 PM

Lynden High School:
Hello Dolly | Fri, Sat 7 PM, Sun 3 PM

Unsubdued Theatre Collective @ Wink Wink:
The Time of Cherries | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7 PM

Bellingham High School:
Footloose the Musical | Fri, Sat 7 PM; Sat 2 PM

Ferndale High School:
The Hunchback of Notre Dame | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7 PM

COMEDY

Corner Taphouse:
Southside Comedy Hour | Fri 8 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Contra : Schmoneil + Abigail Golden @ Fairhaven Library | Sat 7 PM
Party : Sleaze Freaks @ The Shakedown | Sat 8:30 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

Friday Games & Trivia
None Scheduled

Saturday Games & Trivia
None Scheduled

Sunday Games & Trivia
Bingo @ Paws For A Beer | 3 PM
Trivia Night @ Stemma Brewing Co. | 5:30 PM

Hakuna matata

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Have a great weekend!!