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Rise and shine, Bellingham! In today’s edition: Radio-controlled sailboat races, candlelight Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Tina Turner musical, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
From kit to competition: Miniature radio-controlled sailboats zip across Lake Padden as Bellingham’s Chris Jerome races a 37-inch T37. Races are held the first and third Sundays each month, with kits sold in Everson — get all the details.
Interactive sculptures and local lore: Whatcom Community College’s campus art walking tour in north Bellingham features water-inspired pieces along Kellogg Road, the beloved Levitating Sphere outside Kulshan Hall, and Gerard Tsutakawa’s orca-themed Gathering — see what’s on the tour.
No tax increase expected: Bellingham City Council approved an ordinance to allow bonds for an emergency dispatch center, with nearly $1 million in state support. No site named, construction could start by year’s end — get all the details.
Are you overpaying? The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. I was paying over $300 for ONE car until I checked out various quotes, switched providers, and ultimately cut my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably losing money too — this free comparison tool makes it easy.
Gold & silver are hot: Gold just had it’s best year since 1979. Silver did even better, climbing nearly 150% in 2025… and analysts expect the momentum to continue. If you’re curious about adding precious metals to your portfolio as a market hedge, American Hartford has a helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free — and definitely worth a read.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
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🫶 We got your back
New relief for affected families: Additional disaster aid is available for Whatcom, Skagit, King, and Snohomish residents hit by the December 17 flooding. Eligible households earning 80% or less of area median income, with proof their primary residence was destroyed or seriously damaged, can receive $375 to $1,125 for temporary housing, small repairs, and food. See eligibility and aid amounts.
Low-maintenance brow glow-up: If your makeup bag keeps losing its brow pencil, Lammergeier Studio offers soft, natural-looking brow tattoos in hybrid, powder, or ombré styles, custom-mapped by Hildi in Bellingham, so you can wake up polished and spend that extra time on coffee.
Give where you live: Bellingham Food Bank turns community support into real groceries for local families, with volunteer shifts that feel useful and zero gatekeeping. If you’ve been meaning to pitch in this week, food donations, volunteer time, or a quick gift all help.
A new haircare solution: My hair’s been thinning and I’ve been quietly ignoring it, hoping it’ll fix itself. Plot twist… it hasn’t. When I finally started looking into what I should do, there were so many options I didn’t know where to start. I stumbled on Keranique, and its simplicity really sold me. One kit, no pills, no choosing products, and no confusion whatsoever. It’s also on sale with a money-back guarantee (although I doubt you’ll need it).
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📆 Around town this week
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All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
💰 Seniors Financial Empowerment Class @ Bellingham Senior Activity Center | Monday (1/12) at 9:30 AM – This free, 8-week series at the Bellingham Senior Center finally translates Medicare, Medicaid, and fixed-income budgeting into plain English. They cover debt, end-of-life planning, and how to make your money behave. Open to the whole community, just register. Because the paperwork isn’t getting any simpler.
🎶 Stories & Songs @ Whatcom Family Village | Monday (1/12) at 10:30 AM – Think classic storytime, but with a built-in sanity saver. You and your littles, birth to five, get 30 minutes of read-alouds, nursery rhymes, and wiggles, then 30 minutes of play, which is code for you chatting with other grownups while they conquer the block bin.
🪴 Macramé Monday @ Northwest Yarns & Mercantile | Monday (1/12) at 4:00 PM – Take a break and learn to macramé a plant hanger, perfect for that pothos still living in a grocery pot. It’s beginner friendly, materials are provided, and it runs Mondays in January, $15 class fee plus $15 materials.
🎤 Tina – The Tina Turner Musical @ Mount Baker Theatre | Tuesday (1/13) at 7:30 PM – TINA – The Tina Turner Musical rolls into town with Proud Mary, big hair, and bigger vocals. Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall steers the comeback saga, set to the hits you’ve blasted in the car, hummed while cooking, and chair-danced to at home.
🧀 Mozzarella, Bocconcini, and Burrata Workshop @ Chuckanut Center | Wednesday (1/14) at 5:30 PM – If your charcuterie board is tired of store-bought, come get hands-on with mozzarella, bocconcini, and burrata. Guided by experts, you’ll stretch curds, taste as you go, and finally learn what stracciatella actually is. Quality time, light arm workout, better cheese.
🖼 Dinner & Curator Tour of “myself inside your story” & “Meander” @ Whatcom Museum | Wednesday (1/14) at 5:30 PM – Craving pasta with a side of culture? Settle into Bar Cicotti at the Lightcatcher for a three-course Northern Italian prix fixe with a glass of wine, then follow curator Amy Chaloupka through myself inside your story and Meander. Only 16 seats, so grab one.
📚 Marian Exall in Conversation with Linda Lambert: Loners @ Village Books in Fairhaven | Friday (1/16) at 6:00 PM – Swap your true-crime podcast for the live version as Bellingham’s Marian Exall joins Linda Lambert to dig into Loners, where a stubborn detective doubts a body double’s suicide, uncovers buried secrets, and stumbles into an international drug mess. Smart talk, local lit cred, no fluff.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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📻 Bellingham report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 54°F – Low: 49°F – Precip: 95%
Rain before 7am, then rain and patchy fog. Cloudy, with a high near 54. South southeast wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. Later: Rain likely and patchy fog before 4am, then patchy fog and a slight chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. South southeast wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch possible.
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Tomorrow – High: 58°F – Low: 43°F – Precip: 15%
Patchy fog and a slight chance of rain before 10am. Partly sunny, with a high near 58. East wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Later: A chance of rain after 4am. Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
This house is wild
Five bedrooms, five baths, and four private decks make a strong first impression in this great location. Two primary suites and generous walk in closets anchor the private spaces, while granite countertops add polish to the kitchen. A practical multi level layout places a bright living room upstairs, with a large family room below for movie nights or game day. A dedicated den, additional flex rooms, and plentiful storage keep everything dialed in without sacrificing style.
A built in sauna brings the spa vibe home, and two laundry rooms keep routines easy. The downstairs mother in law suite or ADU offers true versatility for guests, work, or long term stays. More home than meets the eye.
Take a peek inside →
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