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🐹 Wild Women 👩‍🦰👩‍🦳

🐹 Wild Women 👩‍🦰👩‍🦳

February 24, 2025

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

We didn't make it to the Snow Goose & Birding Festival this weekend but enjoyed counting American Kestrels on a drive down to Samish Island. Two were on the powerlines just as we entered the flats, and another was hovering motionless over the field before we turned towards the tree line at the peninsula's base. It never gets old. 😁

Have fun, and stay safe out there!

~ Val & Evan

Nature, Community, Sasquatch, UAP

Photos From the Hoods

Bear Basking in the Sun - 📷 by Celine Parton

Witch Hazel at Hovander Homestead - 📷 by Michael Neff

Lost Lake Trail - 📷 by Stephen Rose

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

Weather Forecast

Monday: 53°F 🌡️ 44°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 100% | 💨 ESE 6 to 12 mph

Tuesday: 51°F 🌡️ 40°F | 🌧️ Light Rain | 🌧️ 90% | 💨 S 7 to 17 mph

Bellingham Bay Tides

Day	Time	H/L	FT
Mon	4:28 AM	H	8.44
Mon	9:16 AM	L	6.88
Mon	12:19 PM	H	7.59
Mon	8:43 PM	L	-0.67
Tue	4:49 AM	H	8.60
Tue	9:38 AM	L	6.48
Tue	1:32 PM	H	7.74
Tue	9:27 PM	L	-0.96

Moon Phases

Weather & Tides from NOAA. Moon data astronomyapi.

Events, Updates & News Around Town

Get off the Hamster Wheel

Wild Women of Whatcom

Tomorrow kicks of the 7th annual Wild Women Week, a celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8th) that includes outdoor activities, educational and community gatherings, a raffle, and the selection of a Wild Woman of the Year from the local community.

The Wild Woman Week initiative is organized by Shifting Gears which describes its mission as “empower[ing] all women through outdoor recreation and education opportunities to remove barriers and foster belonging.” This week’s activities include biking, climbing, yoga, happy hours, and backcountry education—there’s something for everyone. For the complete list, please check out the calendar here.

Shifting Gears is searching for a Wild Woman who’s broken barriers and inspired others over the past year. The 2025 Wild Woman of the Year Award celebrates women who redefine what it means to live boldly—whether it “be biking 300 miles of the Pacific Coast Highway or completing a 4 mile hike for the first time.” Nominate the Wild Woman that inspires you and join the crowning celebration at the Stones Throw Brewery International Women's Day party on the evening of Saturday, March 8th.

Learn About Middle Housing with the Bham City Council

Middle housing has become a major topic in recent years as Bellingham’s housing options have grown more expensive and few and far between. Middle housing may provide a solution by allowing denser development in residential neighborhoods and repurposing existing structures to house more than a single family.

What is middle housing? The city describes it as “a range of housing forms that fall between detached single family homes on one end of the spectrum to mid- to high-rise multi family buildings on the other end of the spectrum.” This "missing middle" includes duplex, triplex, small lot homes, cottage homes, and garden court developments.

Want to learn more? Today at 1:10 PM the City Council Committee Of The Whole is meeting at the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall to conduct an informational session on Middle Housing and the 5-year Homeless Housing Plan. The Agenda Packet for this meeting is a great way to familiarize yourself on the topics, and I expect the informational session will offer fascinating new details.

In other news…

🎓️ The Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation has selected Western as a 2025 Beckman Scholarship Program Awardee, a $156,000 grant supporting two undergraduate students annually over the next three years, starting in the Summer of 2025.

Each scholar will receive $21,000—covering stipend and travel funding—while engaging in a 15‑month intensive research experience with one of twelve distinguished faculty mentors in chemistry or biology.

🔭 The North Cascades Audubon Society will host speakers Bryony Angell and Erica Blake in the Rotunda Room of Old City Hall tomorrow (Feb 25) for a free presentation about Supporting Wild Birds and Working Landscapes in Skagit Valley and the DNR Aquatic Reserves Program.

Bryony, a respected writer for The Seattle Times, Audubon.org, and Birding Magazine, will share the origin story behind the Be Bird Wise initiative—a media campaign promoting responsible bird viewing in Skagit Valley’s agricultural landscape. Erica, a marine ecologist from the DNR, will introduce the Aquatic Reserves Program with a focus on Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve and its citizen-led bird survey. Together, they provide unique perspectives on wildlife conservation and community stewardship in our region.

🏙️ The Bellingham City Council meets today (Feb 24) at 9:30 AM, with the Regular Meeting at 7 PM. You can review the agenda online. This public meeting is held in the Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall or watch online. This meeting will include a public hearing “for an Ordinance Relating to the Preservation of Landmark Trees and Extending the Interim Development Regulations with Respect to Landmark Trees Throughout the City,” discussions relating to middle housing options in Bellingham, and the status of the Squalicum Creek Estuary Design.

🚜 The Whatcom County Council meets tomorrow (Feb 25) at 9:50 AM, with the committee of the whole meeting at 6 PM in the Council Chambers at the County Courthouse or watch via Zoom. You can review the agenda online. The agenda for this meeting includes an amendment to the Aquatic Invasive Species code and funding for the Whatcom Public Health, Safety and Justice Facility.

Food & Drinks

Hamsters Gotta Eat

Monday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
El Tapatio @ 4124 Strider Loop Rd
Falafel Feast @ 4370 Meridian St
Luchadora @ Wander Brewing
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St.)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)

Tuesday Food Trucks
A Que Tacos @ Goods Local Brews
Burnt Side Down @ Stemma Brewery
Calcutta by Simmering Tava @ K2
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
Outpost Eats @ Kulshan Brewery (James St. K1)
Tacos El Tule @ West Marine (Meridian St)
Tam Tam Pizza @ Fringe Brewing
The Galley @ Ponderosa Beer + Books

Test Your Knowledge

Bellingham & Whatcom Trivia

Which building is the last Richardsonian Romanesque sandstone structure in Bellingham?

The correct answer to last Wednesday's question: “The claiming of what mine in 1897 set off the Mount Baker gold rush?” was the Lone Jack Mine.

Combination bunkhouse/flotation mill constructed circa 1922 by Brooks-Willis Metals Co.

Lone Jack Mine was discovered in 1897 by prospectors R. Lambert, J. Post, and L. Van Valkenburg, and was originally known as the Post-Lambert Mine. The following year, H. Hahn and L. Friede of Portland, Oregon purchased the property for $50,000 and formed the Mt. Baker Mining Company.

Located on the slopes of Bear Mountain in the Mt. Baker Wilderness Area, Lone Jack Mine produced significant quantities of precious metals. Historical records indicate that from its early operations through 1969, the mine yielded approximately 9,463 ounces of gold and 1,900 ounces of silver, with an additional 900 ounces of gold extracted around 1992.

Learn more about the Lone Jack Mine from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

Notes from Partners

Friends of the Wheel

A note from Cypress Veterinary Hospital:
Hi friends, I’m Dr. Maria Baker 👋, founder of Cypress Veterinary Hospital in Barkely Village. We’re a community-focused clinic dedicated to providing personalized, compassionate care for your pets. You can find information on our services, team and mission here: cypress-vet.com

Dr. Baker + Bernie & Hank

Our practice is small but growing quickly—we welcomed two new doctors recently and may add another veterinarian later this year! With this increase in capacity, we’ll be able to provide the same excellent care to many new feline and canine friends. 😺+🐶

If you are new to our area or looking for a veterinarian who treats your pet like family, we invite you to schedule an appointment with us today.

Advertise in the #1 Newsletter in the Ham
Want to include a note in the Wheel? Let’s Chat.

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

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

Uisce Irish Pub:
Guffawingham | Mon 8:30 PM

Greene's Corner:
Comedy Open Mic | Wed 7 PM

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

Larrabee Lager Co.:
Laughs at Larrabee | Fri 8 PM

PARTICIPATORY DANCE

Bachata : WWU Salsa and Bachata Club @ Viking Union MPR | Mon 7 PM
Tango : Urban Salon Tango @ The Majestic Ballroom | Mon 7 PM
Swing : B’ham Hop @ Hotel Leo Crystal Ballroom | Tues 7 PM
Cuban Salsa : Beginning Cuban Salsa @ Cof& | Tues 6 PM
Cuban Salsa : Intermediate Cuban Salsa @ Cof& | Tues 7:15 PM
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

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Music & Nightlife

Spinning Into The Night

Monday Games & Trivia
Trivia Night @ Ono Kitchen & Bar | 7 PM
Trivia Night @ Paws for a Beer | 6:15 PM
Trivia Night @ Zeeks Pizza & Fountain Brewing | 6 PM
Trivia Night @ Overflow Taps | 6:30 PM

Hakuna matata

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Have a great Monday!!