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🐹 Pinto Abalone 🐌🐌

🐹 Pinto Abalone 🐌🐌

February 26, 2025

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

Happy International Pistachio Day! We stumbled into this obscure fact yesterday while researching topics for today's newsletter. Naturally, we ended up eating pistachio gelato for dinner. 🤷‍♂️

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

State St Sunset - 📷 by Molly Bressers

Little Squalicum Beach - 📷 by Jesse Williamson

Hummingbird Keeping Warm - 📷 by Tim Surratt

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

Weather Forecast

Wednesday: 57°F 🌡️ 42°F | ⛅ Partly Sunny | 🌧️ 70% | 💨 NE 3 mph

Thursday: 55°F 🌡️ 41°F | 🌧️ Rain Showers Likely | 🌧️ 70% | 💨 S 5 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Wed	5:08 AM	H	8.70
Wed	10:08 AM	L	5.84
Wed	2:40 PM	H	7.89
Wed	10:08 PM	L	-0.98
Thu	5:27 AM	H	8.79
Thu	10:44 AM	L	4.95
Thu	3:44 PM	H	7.96
Thu	10:48 PM	L	-0.64

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Abalone at the Marine Center

The Marine Life Center posted a fun video on Instagram this week introducing the Pinto Abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) that have found a home in their touch tank. These abalone are retired from the Puget Sound Restoration Fund’s captive breeding program which aims to reestablish Pinto Abalone colonies in the Salish Sea.

Pinto abalone are herbivorous marine snails that can grow up to 6.5 inches long and live 15 to 20 years. They have distinctive, irregularly textured shells with a mottled, colorful appearance, and they play an important role in coastal ecosystems by grazing on algae and diatoms.

Surprisingly, the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife describes Samish, Chuckanut, and Bellingham Bays as within the typical habitat range for this species. I've never been lucky enough to spot one along our coastline, but I would be very interested to hear if others have. How wonderful if efforts to reintroduce this species extended to Chuckanut! 😁

Despite protective measures, Pinto abalone populations in Washington have declined dramatically due to overharvesting, habitat degradation, and other environmental pressures. In 2019, Washington designated the Pinto Abalone a State Endangered Species.

The abalone in the MLC touch tank offers a unique opportunity for kids (and kid-at-heart adults) to interact with these rare mollusks, and learn about the ongoing restoration efforts to boost their recovery in the Salish Sea. MLC is open daily from 10-4 except Wednesday when they're closed.

Puppy Overflow

A litter of nine mixed-breed puppies arrived at the Whatcom Humane Society over the weekend after they were found on a north county property without their mother. These pups are now receiving lots of snuggles from the WHS staff while they await the opportunity to find loving homes. They bring the total number of puppies surrendered to nearly 50 since the first of the year. That's just the pups under 12 weeks old!

WHS stresses that “unplanned litters of puppies or kittens is 100% preventable in Whatcom County” and notes, “Whatcom Humane Society and Alternative Humane Society both have spay-neuter vouchers available to help cover costs at Spay Neuter Northwest.” The puppies are currently in medical quarantine to ensure they are healthy and ready for adoption. Visit the Whatcom Humane Society website for information about presently adoptable animals.

In other news…

⭐️ Early evening on Thursday will bring the new moon and the current weather forecast leaves open the chance for a clear’ish sky. If the clouds do part, bundle up and haul a telescope out to view a Parade of Planets that will include Mars, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn.

These events occur because planets always appear along a line or arc across the sky, reflecting their shared orbital plane around the sun. Planetary alignment is normal, but the opportunity to see four or more at once is a special occurrence.

⛵️ The Birch Bay Community Advisory Committee is holding its inaugural meeting tomorrow (Feb 27), 6 PM at Birch Bay Bible Church. The public meeting will focus on establishing how the committee can best represent the community’s voice in Birch Bay. Appointed by Whatcom County, the committee includes Doralee Booth, Daniel Mead Smith, Sheila Wood, Stephen Nelson, Danielle Gaughen, Bruce Ansell, and David Wilbrecht, with Roland Middleton of the Whatcom County Public Works providing a report on local public works and serving as interim chair until the committee elects a permanent leader.

🏡 The Whatcom County Charter Review Commission is meeting in the Deming Library tomorrow (Feb 27) at 6 PM.

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

Test Your Knowledge

Bellingham & Whatcom Trivia

What was the name of Bellingham's first professionally organized baseball team?

The correct answer to last Wednesday's question: “Which building is the last Richardsonian Romanesque sandstone structure in Bellingham?” was the Lottie B. Roth Block.

The Lottie Roth Block was constructed in 1890 in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, reflecting the design influence of Henry Hobson Richardson and the work of architect Elmer H. Fisher in Seattle’s Pioneer Square.

Charles I. Roth, co-owner of the Bellingham Bay Quarry and son-in-law to local pioneer Henry Roeder, commissioned the building to showcase Chuckanut sandstone—a material that was key in rebuilding Seattle after the 1889 fire.

Named for Charles Roth’s wife, Lottie, the building features southwest and southeast walls clad in Chuckanut sandstone, while its northern walls are brick. Originally serving as an office and retail space with a bank on the first floor and offices above, it later became the Chuckanut Hotel before being converted into apartments in 1918. Today, it is the only remaining example of Richardsonian Romanesque sandstone architecture in Bellingham.

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Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

THEATRE - DANCE - FILM

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

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

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

Squalicum High School:
Gretel! The Musical | Thurs, Fri 7 PM

Unsubdued Theatre Collective @ Lairmont Manor:
Seven Senses: A Feast | Sat 5:30 & 7:30 PM

Unsubdued Theatre Collective @ Wink Wink:
The Time of Cherries | Thurs, Fri, Sat 7:30 PM

WWU Performing Arts Center Concert Hall:
No Man’s Land Film Festival | Fri 5:30 & 9 PM

COMEDY

FireHouse Arts & Events Center:
Aaron Foster | Thurs 8 PM

Nacho Problems:
Nacho Average Comedy Open Mic | Thurs 8:30 PM

Larrabee Lager Co.:
Laughs at Larrabee | Fri 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
Social Partner Dance : Flow Fusion @ Karate Church | Thurs 7 PM
Line Dancing : Country Night @ Bar 211 | Fri 8 PM
Party : Promiscuous @ Wild Buffalo | Sat 9 PM
Line Dancing : Wild Woman Week @ Kulshan Brewing | Sat 5 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!!