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🐹 Rant Of The Hamster 👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️

🐹 Rant Of The Hamster 👩‍⚕️👩‍⚕️

April 25, 2025

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

A NOTE FROM EVAN: The Wheel is a non-political rag. We generally focus on the fun stuff, no endless drumbeat of dark tidings and gloom like the traditional news. That said, we’re unapologetically pro-Bellinghamster.

Peace Health has been a good partner to Bellingham. I’m glad they are here. When my family is sick, I don’t hesitate to take them to Saint Joe’s because I know the best doctors and nurses are there.

Peace Health is currently out of contract with most medical and hospital services staff. This includes everyone from housekeeping to nurses. These are the folks who showed up and cared for the sickest of us during the darkest days of the COVID pandemic.

Peace Health needs to know that alongside our gratitude for the services they provide, comes our expectation that they act as a responsible employer. Just as their caregivers look after us, they must look after the caregiver community that lives among us.

Peace Health nurses are holding an informational picket next Tuesday at the St. Joseph campus. I will be there to show my support. I hope you will consider doing the same. Bring your friends, and forward this email to everyone you know. 👍️

Date: Tuesday, April 29
Time: 6 – 9 am and 11 am – 1 pm
Rally: Noon
Location: Intersection of Squalicum and Ellis Streets

When you mess with Bellingham, you risk awakening THE SLOTH!! 😉

Credit Sinatra314 reddit

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Mason Bees Emerging - 📷 by Gregory A. Green

Red Rhododendron in Bloom - 📷 by Walt Souza

Trillium on Chuckanut Mountain - 📷 by Sylvia Bernstein

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

Weather Forecast

Friday: 70°F 🌡️ 47°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 WSW 1 to 6 mph

Saturday: 65°F 🌡️ 46°F | ☀️ Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 SW 2 to 6 mph

Sunday: 62°F 🌡️ 48°F | 🌤️ Mostly Sunny | 🌧️ 0% | 💨 SSW 7 mph

Moon Phases

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

LinuxFest Northwest Kicks Off At BTC

Do you know what’s radder than trail running and artisanal coffee? It’s my fellow tech brethren (and sistren) gathering to celebrate open source. 🎉

Today marks the start of LinuxFest Northwest, a free annual event that’s been a cornerstone of the open-source community since 2000!! Held at Bellingham Technical College, the event draws tech enthusiasts from novices to professionals to join in presentations, exhibits, and hands-on labs on Linux distributions, open-source applications, InfoSec, and privacy.

This year’s LinuxFest Northwest, includes a Friday Stroll from Stones Throw Brewery to Boulevard Park and a Jeopardy game night hosted by the local Raspberry Pi club. Attendees will explore cutting-edge open-source tools, network at social events, and engage with speakers, including Linux Professional Institute’s Jon “maddog” Hall, all while supporting the festival’s commitment to a low-stress, community-driven celebration of free software. It’s one of the coolest B’ham happenings you didn’t know about. Check it out this year. It’s free!

Chuckanut Slide From Above

WSDOT posted this impressive overhead photo of the Chuckanut Slide yesterday, noting that it spanned 150 feet long with a depth of 30 feet. You can see in the image that the roadway is entirely covered, and the safety rail on the west side is crushed. They pointed out in another post that the rockfall did not impact the railroad below.

Western’s news feed on Wednesday included a short article about the slide with input from Professor of Geology Bob Mitchell. Professor Mitchell was quoted: “As you drive down Chuckanut Drive you will notice broken blocks of sandstone forming steep cliffs. Over time the friction forces holding the rock blocks in place can be made weaker by groundwater pressures, or by forces generated by freeze-thaw events, or by vibrational forces resulting from earthquakes. The friction resisting forces between blocks can weaken to the point where gravity wins. The pressures induced by groundwater usually play a role in weakening the mechanical properties, that is why most landslides occur in the rainy winter months in the Puget Sound region.”

In other news…

⛴️ San Juan County has just launched a pilot project to provide free foot-passenger ferry service leaving Anacortes and reaching Lopez, Orcas, San Juan Islands.

Funded by a $1.5 million grant from the Governor’s Office, this service will be available until June 30 through private operator San Juan Safaris. Hard to pass up on free!! 😉 Book here.

🦀 Remember our deep dive on the Green Crab a few months back? I was left curious about the most recent harvest efforts in our area, and as luck would have it, Grace McCarthy at The Northern Light has just published a lovely article breaking down the 2025 numbers: Scientists begin European green crab trapping season in Drayton Harbor

⛏️ Volunteer Opportunities This Weekend: There are a few outdoor work parties this weekend including a house framing day with Habitat for Humanity.

Maple Creek Reach: The Whatcom Land Trust, the Nooksack Tribe, and the Whatcom Conservation District are teaming up for a work party on Saturday, from 9 am to noon, to remove invasive Scotch broom and restore a beautiful landscape. Details & registration.
Lake Padden: The City is holding a community work party on Saturday, from 9 am to noon, to remove invasive species and spread mulch. Details & registration.
Habitat: Mateo Meadows Framing: Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County is looking for volunteers to help frame the Mateo Meadows Community in Everson. Details & registration.

Local Business Updates

Haggling With Local Folk

During our tour of the Whatcom Home Show, we met a lovely young man, Dr. Dakota Turgeon, who’s opening a chiropractic clinic in town this weekend and holding a Grand Opening from 2-6 pm on Saturday.

The clinic is called Envision Chiropractic. Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen the location coming together at 15 Prospect St. It’s across from the triangular Flatiron Building and just up the hill from Seifert & Jones Wine.

It’s an awesome spot and a great-looking renovation!! Plus, we love seeing entrepreneurs opening businesses downtown. 🙏

If you’re out and about on Saturday, swing by for tacos, music, raffles, and, most of all, to say hello to Dr. Dakota and welcome a new business into our community.

Garage & Estate Sales

Your Source For Vintage Can Openers

Queen Street (Fri, Sat, Sun 10 am)
Check out the treasure trove at this spectacular sale. Listed as a multi-generational home collection. Look for vintage Tupperware collection, MCM furniture, vintage jewelry, housewares, and some lovely mid-century furniture. There’s something for every collector. map

6565 Everson Goshen Rd, Fri, Sat 10 am, map
6742 La Monte Drive, Sat, Sun 10 am, map
3249 Robertson Road, Fri, Sat 8 am, map
Alabama Street, Sat 9 am, map

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Because it’s fun to be a lookie-loo

Crash an Open House

1705 Fairhaven Avenue (Open Fri 4-6 pm, Sat 12-2 pm)
This darling little home is in one of my favorite neighborhoods in Bellingham. Officially, it’s called Chuckanut Village, but I grew up calling it Mud Bay after the shallow inlet it’s nestled alongside. This house is just feet from the shoreline!! Listing.

5553 Maple Way, Blaine (Open Fri 11-2 pm)
I don’t always gravitate towards modern-style homes, but I would leap at the opportunity to live in this gorgeous steel-clad rambler. The colors are amazing, and the contrast between vertical steel and warm horizontal wood is lovely. Check the other photos for the views from the back. Listing.

Performance Arts This Week

Dance of The Hamsters

THEATRE - DANCE - FILM

BAAY Theatre:
Out of the Woods | Fri, Sat 7 pm; Sat, Sun 2 pm

FireHouse Arts & Events Center:
Bellingham Repertory Dance: If Not Now | Fri 7:30 pm; Sat 5:30 pm

iDiOM Theater:
Heroes of the Fourth Turning | Fri, Sat, Sun 7:30 pm

Mount Baker Theater:
Cascadia Women’s Film Fest - VIVA VERDI! | Fri 9 pm

New Prospect Theatre:
Bellingham Story Hour – Hot to Trot 18+ Event | Fri 8 pm

WWU: College of Fine and Performing Arts:
Untitled Tempest Project | Fri 7:30 pm; Sat 2 pm

WWU: Old Main Old Main Theater:
Bill Bowers - It Goes Without Saying | Sat 7:30 pm

COMEDY

The Blue Room:
Fun & Flirty w. Zahnae Aquino | Thurs 8 pm

The Upfront Theatre:
D&D | Fri 7:30 pm
D&D After Dark | Fri 9:30 pm
D&D | Sat 7:30 pm
Punch Line | Sat 9:30 pm

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Line Dancing : Country Night @ Bar 211 | Fri 8 pm
Belly Dance : Belly Dance Fusion @ Bellingham Senior Center | Sat 10:30 am
Contra : Dan Carollo, Brandon Vance, Eliot Grasso + Laura Mé Smith @ 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

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

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Hakuna matata

To All Our Readers

Thanks for reading today’s edition. If you found something helpful, please forward it to a friend 🙏.

You can reply to this email if you have something we should know about or want to send us a love note.

Have a great weekend!!