The Gristle
THIRD TIME’S A CHARM: Washington made history last week after the state Senate in Olympia narrowly passed a Clean Fuel Standard. This marks the first time the Senate has voted on the policy, after a majority of the state House of Representatives passed an earlier version of the…
Alan Rhodes
I probably spent too many years teaching English and as a result my brain is stuffed with poetry—lines, stanzas, entire poems. At times these swim up to the conscious level and bounce around like higher quality earworms. But it certainly seems preferable to have a Shakespearian sonnet on…
Rumor Has It
All in all, when it comes to the pandemic, I have little about which to complain. I remained healthy, am now vaccinated (go get poked, people!) and am still able to write about such things and have you read them. In a year marked by so much loss, simply treading water feels like…
Letters
A heartfelt thank you to Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Representatives Rick Larsen and Suzan Delbene for voting to pass the important supplemental package with $10.8 billion…
I realize there are people in our community who are concerned by technological change and don’t necessarily understand the reasons why some technological changes are beneficial and others…
In response to the letter “5G Malarkey,” I would propose that the author re-read my original letter on 5G more carefully, and read the massive number of peer-reviewed studies available on…
Today's Events
Art in a Pickle Barn
10:00am
As part of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Skagit Art Association presents its annual “Art in a Pickle Barn” exhibit and sale April 1-30 from 10am-5pm Wednesdays through Fridays, and…
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
10:00am
After taking a year off because of the pandemic, the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival will return to local fields, art galleries, restaurants and more through April—with COVID-19 modifications in…
Essence of Bellingham Photo Competition
10:00am
Amateur and pro photographers of all ages are invited to submit photos that capture the heart of living, working or playing in Bellingham as part of the 16th annual “Essence of Bellingham”…
Skagit Valley Tulip Fest Photo Contest
10:00am
Putting the world in focus is the goal of the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Photo Contest taking place through April. Thousands of petal-powered images are captured by attendees each…
Art in the Schoolhouse
10:00am
View works by Camano/Stanwood Arts Guild members at the annual “Art in the Schoolhouse” exhibit and sale from 10am-4pm daily through May 2 in Mount Vernon at the Meadow Schoolhouse at…
Skagit Farm to Pint FEST Roadshow
11:00am
Visit 13 breweries throughout Skagit County as part of the Skagit Farm to Pint FEST Roadshow taking place throughout the month of April. Tickets are $55 and will include a FEST guide, a…
An Artist's Universe at Hotel Bellwether
9:00am
Starting April 9, view painter and mixed-media master David Syre’s latest installation, “An Artist’s Universe,” hanging throughout the corridors, lobby and dining room of Hotel Bellwether and…
PNW Artisan Marketplace
10:00am
As part of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, find fiber arts, local photography, watercolors, pottery, jewelry, glass and yard art, raw local honey, gourmet foods and more at a PNW Artisan…
Minor Differences
10:00am
The Pickford Cinema and Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival present free virtual showings of Minor Differences through April. The documentary by Orcas Island filmmaker Heather Oaksen…
Deception Pass Cracked Crab Cruise
11:00am
San Juan Cruises will host Deception Pass Cracked Crab Cruises from 11am-1:30pm daily from April 10-25 leaving from La Conner’s Channel Lodge, 205 N. First St. The cruises feature…
Art-iversary Exhibit
10:00am
From 10am-5:30pm Mondays through Saturdays through April 30, celebrate 20 years of ownership for Sheri Wright of Fourth Corner Frames, 311 W. Holly St. A wide variety of works are for sale as…
Sip & Savor Skagit
10:00am
In lieu of its annual Spring Wine Festival, Anacortes Chamber of Commerce will offer “Sip & Savor Skagit.” The “gift box event” is unique to Skagit County, and will feature curated boxes with…
Art-iversary Exhibit
10:00am
From 10am-5:30pm Mondays through Saturdays through April 30, celebrate 20 years of ownership for Sheri Wright of Fourth Corner Frames, 311 W. Holly St. A wide variety of works are for sale as…
Recycled Art & Resource Expo
11:00am
A “Recycled Art & Resource Expo” can be visited from 11am-4pm Tuesdays through Saturdays through April 30 at Allied Arts, 1418 Cornwall Ave. In addition to providing a platform for…
Origins and Evolutions Exhibit
11:00am
“Origins and Evolutions: Five Generations” can be seen from 11am-4pm Tues.-Thurs., and by appointment, at least through May 22 at Gallery Syre, 465 Stuart Rd. The show gathers together…
Whatcom Art Market
11:00am
Works by as many as 45 Whatcom Art Guild members can be viewed from 11am-5pm Tuesdays through Sundays at Whatcom Art Market, 1103 11th St.
Laugh Your Tail Off
10:00am
From April 11-17, the NOAH Center—the Stanwood-based animal adoption and spay and neuter center dedicated to stopping the euthanasia of healthy, adoptable and treatable homeless cats and…
Art-iversary Exhibit
10:00am
From 10am-5:30pm Mondays through Saturdays through April 30, celebrate 20 years of ownership for Sheri Wright of Fourth Corner Frames, 311 W. Holly St. A wide variety of works are for sale as…
An Artist's Universe
10:00am
View painter and mixed-media master David Syre’s latest installation, “An Artist’s Universe,” hanging throughout the corridors, lobby and dining room of Hotel Bellwether and the Lighthouse…
Origins and Evolutions Exhibit
11:00am
“Origins and Evolutions: Five Generations” can be seen from 11am-4pm Tues.-Thurs., and by appointment, at least through May 22 at Gallery Syre, 465 Stuart Rd. The show gathers together…
Recycled Art & Resource Expo
11:00am
A “Recycled Art & Resource Expo” can be visited from 11am-4pm Tuesdays through Saturdays through April 30 at Allied Arts, 1418 Cornwall Ave. In addition to providing a platform for…
Briggs Shore at Good Earth
11:00am
Vases, planters and drinking vessels by Briggs Shore will be on display and for sale from 11am-5pm Mondays through Saturdays (closed Tuesdays) and 12pm-5pm Sundays through April 30 at Good…
Scatter Sunshine
11:00am
From 11am-5pm Wednesday through Sunday, visit La Conner’s Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, 703 S. Second St. Currently on display are “Scatter Sunshine: La Conner in Bloom…
Spring Into Art
11:00am
View works by Stanwood-Camano Arts Guild members from 11am-5pm Wed.-Sat. in Stanwood at A Guilded Gallery, 8700 271st St. NW. A “Spring Into Art” regional juried art show can be seen through…
A Courtship of Place
11:00am
“Beloved: A Courtship of Place,” a solo exhibit by Skagit painter Maggie Wilder, can be seen from from 11am-6pm daily through April 30 (closed Tuesdays) in Mount Vernon at Perry and Carlson…
Whatcom Art Market
11:00am
Works by as many as 45 Whatcom Art Guild members can be viewed from 11am-5pm Tuesdays through Sundays at Whatcom Art Market, 1103 11th St.
Tulip Poster Artists, Past and Present
11:00am
The fifth annual “Tulip Poster Artists, Past and Present” exhibit can be seen from 11am-5pm Wednesday through Sunday through May 2 in Anacortes at the Scott Milo Gallery, 420 Commercial Ave.…
Legacy of Hope Gala and Auction
12:00pm
Animals as Natural Therapy will host its annual “Legacy of Hope Gala and Auction” fundraiser at a virtual event taking place at 7pm Sat., April 17. Expect stories from the barnyard, surprise…
Teen Events with WCLS
3:00pm
Students in grades 6 to 12 can sign up for a variety of virtual events through Whatcom County Library System, including “Teen Reads” from 3pm-4pm Wednesdays, “Whatcom Teen Writers” from…
An Artist's Universe
10:00am
View painter and mixed-media master David Syre’s latest installation, “An Artist’s Universe,” hanging throughout the corridors, lobby and dining room of Hotel Bellwether and the Lighthouse…
Art-iversary Exhibit
10:00am
From 10am-5:30pm Mondays through Saturdays through April 30, celebrate 20 years of ownership for Sheri Wright of Fourth Corner Frames, 311 W. Holly St. A wide variety of works are for sale as…
Briggs Shore at Good Earth
11:00am
Vases, planters and drinking vessels by Briggs Shore will be on display and for sale from 11am-5pm Mondays through Saturdays (closed Tuesdays) and 12pm-5pm Sundays through April 30 at Good…
Origins and Evolutions Exhibit
11:00am
“Origins and Evolutions: Five Generations” can be seen from 11am-4pm Tues.-Thurs., and by appointment, at least through May 22 at Gallery Syre, 465 Stuart Rd. The show gathers together…
Spring Into Art
11:00am
View works by Stanwood-Camano Arts Guild members from 11am-5pm Wed.-Sat. in Stanwood at A Guilded Gallery, 8700 271st St. NW. A “Spring Into Art” regional juried art show can be seen through…
Recycled Art & Resource Expo
11:00am
A “Recycled Art & Resource Expo” can be visited from 11am-4pm Tuesdays through Saturdays through April 30 at Allied Arts, 1418 Cornwall Ave. In addition to providing a platform for…
Tulip Poster Artists, Past and Present
11:00am
The fifth annual “Tulip Poster Artists, Past and Present” exhibit can be seen from 11am-5pm Wednesday through Sunday through May 2 in Anacortes at the Scott Milo Gallery, 420 Commercial Ave.…
Scatter Sunshine
11:00am
From 11am-5pm Wednesday through Sunday, visit La Conner’s Pacific Northwest Quilt & Fiber Arts Museum, 703 S. Second St. Currently on display are “Scatter Sunshine: La Conner in Bloom…
Whatcom Art Market
11:00am
Works by as many as 45 Whatcom Art Guild members can be viewed from 11am-5pm Tuesdays through Sundays at Whatcom Art Market, 1103 11th St.
A Road Well Traveled
12:00pm
“Max Benjamin: A Road Well Traveled” can be seen from 12pm-4pm Thursdays through Sundays at La Conner’s Museum of Northwest Art, 121 First St. The solo exhibit featuring the work of the…
Seeds of Culture at Whatcom Museum
12:00pm
View “Seeds of Culture: The Portraits and Voices of Native American Women,” “Fluid Formations: The Legacy of Glass in the Pacific Northwest,” “Jac Trautman: The Specter of the Indigenous,”…
Spring Juried Exhibit and More
12:00pm
A “Spring Juried Exhibit,” “Winter Textile Explorations,” Lisa McShane’s “A Decade of Landscapes,” and Ron Pattern’s “The Seasonal Forest” can be viewed from 12pm-4:30pm Thursdays through…
Great Skagit Scavenger Hunt
12:00pm
Individuals and teams can participate in COVID-safe activities and challenges during the Great Skagit Scavenger Hunt taking place April 16-18. Participants will have the opportunity to earn…
Food Bank Distribution
1:00pm
Bellingham Food Bank distributes pre-packed food boxes from 1pm-4pm Thursdays at 1175 Jersey St. People can join a car queue and, when it’s their turn, volunteers will offer food boxes…
What We're Reading Book Club
4:00pm
From 4pm-5pm, Deming Library staff member Erin Suda will host a virtual What We’re Reading Book Club meeting on Zoom. The club is for folks who love to share books they’ve enjoyed and hear…
Finding Humanity During the Global Poaching Crisis
7:00pm
At 7pm, author and wildlife photographer Rick Wood will join Whatcom County Library System to discuss global poaching and wildlife trafficking and how it affects us all during a “Finding…
Quarantrivia with Aireekah
7:30pm
Sign up a socially distant team to take part in virtual Quarantrivia with Aireekah from 7:30pm-9:30pm Thursdays. Teams can be one to six players, and whoever signs up will be the team…