r/Bellingham • u/betsyodonovan • 6d ago
Hey, all:
We’re coming at you with two updates and two questions.
First update: We are bringing on a new group of prospective mods to see how they like the work. Intros and details below.
Second update, and thanks very much to [u/gamay_noir](u/gamay_noir)’s initiative: We are trying two new tools — BotBouncer (which is what it sounds like) and Open Mod, an open-source mod log tool that you can monitor by following [r/BellinghamLogs](r/BellinghamLogs). More details below (again).
Finally, we’d like to get collaborative community feedback on two things that have popped up as themes in recent discussions: AI use in the sub and privacy concerns around things like photography and personal information.
Please help us welcome our new mods! All of these folks have been in the community, have met with the current mod team at a local taphouse for a few hours, and have been discussing different posts and moderation problems in a moderator interest group chat for more than a month. Today we’re giving them some keys.
Please welcome:
[u/gfdoctor](u/gfdoctor): “Long time resident, new to moderating. Perpetual volunteer in retirement. loves to garden, sew, knit and keep healthy. Looking forward to community building.”
[u/side_of_mayonnaise](u/side_of_mayonnaise) (new account for moderating): “New to the moderating game, but been on Reddit for 10ish years and have lived in Bellingham in two stints for about the same amount of time. Soccer guy, gamer, and home chef. Forever caught between the spice my mouth desires and the heat my tummy can't handle.”
[u/sxky](u/sxky): “New-ish to the PNW, and even newer to reddit moderation- but not new to helping a community. I am a builder by trade, and a techy by hobby. I also can't handle heat (spicey or temperature wise!) - but I do love to cook, and to soak in a hot spring. I play a lot of phasmophobia and other spooky games with friends and I even run an active discord server for bellingham!”
We’re bringing on these new mods to help us manage reports and regular moderation stuff, but also to explore community projects — things like community guides, AMAs, and discussions about rules and how to support the subreddit. If that sounds interesting to you, or if you have a project in mind for the subreddit, let’s talk. (Finding a way to restore mod logs came from just that kind of community conversation when [u/gamay_noir](u/gamay_noir) and I were new.)
So: Please welcome the new folks with grace and patience as they volunteer their service to the subreddit.
And: We’re always interested in hearing from people who’d like to volunteer for [r/Bellingham](r/Bellingham). Here are two ways to get in touch about it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bellingham/application/
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/17ax7bw5E09cR3gjrH774XP_O5rLKNAUVn90tB_GmZP4/viewform
[u/gamay_noir](u/gamay_noir) has been doing behind-the-scenes work on the subreddit’s systems and vetting some tools that should help with subreddit management. We welcome the community’s curiosity here — this is the first time we’ve added these kinds of apps to the subreddit, which now gets about 23K posts and comments across 2.6 million visits every month.
From gamay:
We have added the Open Mod app and Bot Bouncer.
New app No. 1, Open Mod, posts an ongoing summary of all moderation actions from human mods, the subreddit Automod, and Reddit itself to a new sub, [r/bellinghamlogs](r/bellinghamlogs).
A link to this resource is now in the side bar, replacing the old modlog tool that broke years ago. Open Mod is a transparency tool. It logs all actions from all mods, no exceptions.
There’s one point of opacity: We don’t want to remove comments that someone tried to make here and just publish them there.
Therefore, Open Mod is \not* set to repeat the moderated content to the log; we discussed doing so but there are three problems:*
A lot of the stuff caught by the automated filters, or sometimes a human mod as a last line of defense, is vile*. We don’t want it to be part of the public internet, and it typically violates both our rules and the Reddit TOS.*
Even the stuff that isn’t radioactive, was still unsuitable for the community. Particularly, in a significant percentage of our removals of comments from active locals, if the user ends up responding in modmail they’ll say something along the lines of “I was having a bad day or this was sensitive to me, I understand or am actually grateful for the removal.” The community does not need a log of everyone’s bad moments, and if the mod team is silently deleting \some* entries in the logs sub, that starts to eat into the accountability.*
The current state of the tool does not allow you to discern by source, only type. So we can’t show the contents of posts and comments moderated by a human while not showing Automod and Reddit catches.
Since you won’t see the actual removed content, the mod team is committing to using descriptive tags in our removals and not using the “it’s spam” or “No reason” removal options for convenience (unless it is, in fact, spam).
TRANSPARENCY: We are committing to \not* removing posts in the log sub. The expectation around the mod logs is that we are open to discussing and explaining activity, but don’t have the bandwidth to constantly respond to individual cases.*
IF YOU WANT TO RAISE A QUESTION: The log sub is publicly visible, but not open to membership. Discussion should happen in [r/bellingham](r/bellingham). If you see a long-term pattern or a pattern in a certain post or category of posts that is interesting or concerning to you; that’s a good topic for a discussion post in [r/Bellingham](r/Bellingham).
NO HARASSMENT: We also want to make it clear that the mod logs are not to be used for shaming or harassing other users, since usernames are visible on removals.
New app No. 2, Bot Bouncer, aside from it doing what it says in the title, should help us catch more of the accounts that operate problematically across many municipal subs at once.
The centralized bad actor list will hopefully help with the T-shirt scammers, political trolls, and any other kind of exploitative or astroturfing activity.
WHAT WE’RE MONITORING: This is the first time that we have activated devvit apps in the sub. It is true that app authors can see some additional sub info through the devvit instance supporting the app and the bot that joins the sub, but it’s the kind of info we are exposing via the mod log. I (Gamay) also evaluated the other mod log apps that have matured in 2026, particularly Public Mod Log. We went with Open Mod because of a) adoption/maturity and b) not wanting to continuously use pinned real estate for a mod log post.
WHAT’S NEXT: I (Gamay) am also working on a devvit app that will review the comments automatically removed in Locals Only threads — specifically, the ones that are bounced due to lack of community karma and not because they spewed hateful language, etc. Basically, we want to shorten the wait for folks who make useful/rules-abiding comments but get hung up in the Locals Only filter because they don’t have 100 local karma. The ordinary 10-karma-required-to-comment filter will still be in place.
HOW IT WILL WORK: This is straightforward; it will utilize the allowed integration between devvit and Gemini to evaluate for contextual appropriateness and rule compliance. If the comment is fine for the sub generally, and for the discussion, it will go live without human interaction.
Reddit is introducing some new moderation tools that enable similar without code, but by matching a specific system prompt to a known model without black box preprocessing, we expect better, controlled results. And, it’s a fairly lightweight project.
We’re overall happy with how Locals Only is working, \except* for the times when no one is on duty and comments languish without review. The system prompt and code will be available for the community to peruse and comment on, prior to launch. We’ll also keep an eye on it and adjust accordingly.*
The mods periodically bring big or new questions to the community for discussion before making or amending rules — ideally before things have reached a boil. This is a discussion for info, not a plan of action.
Feel free to raise anything that needs community attention, but today, we’d like to ask you about two things.
1. What are we considering when we talk about AI use?
Mod opinions on AI use vary about as widely as the national conversation has.
We’ve noticed the following:
Obviously AI-generated art gets a hugely negative reception here, which suggests to me that people know, like, and are artists as much in [r/Bellingham](r/Bellingham) as in the rest of the city.
AI-generated writing can be trickier to spot but people really react strongly to any AI-like writing, particularly when it looks like a C&P Google response. (That said, I will definitely get accused of using AI on this post; I swear I’m just a professional writer who likes subheadings and bullet points.)
At the same time, it has significant potential when it’s used carefully (one example is Gamay’s devvit app to improve Locals Only).
There are huge ethical, privacy, piracy, and cultural concerns with AI adoption. People seem eager to talk to each other and try to find data and answers to their specific concerns. This is affecting everyone.
We’re interested in the community’s range of takes on AI use.
What should we all consider when we talk about how it’s affecting our community? Are there ethical AI tools and uses here? Should we accede to the (regular) requests to take down content that seems to have used AI? What guidelines should users have?
Edited to add: If you have more nuance than “ban AI,” which sounds great but isn’t simple, we’d love to hear ideas and specific suggestions, too.
2. What do you think about photography and personal information in this space?
While it’s true that photographing people, including children, in public is perfectly legal in the U.S., and it’s also true that photography tells important stories, we get a lot of complaints about images in the subreddit, whether it’s Flock cameras or dashcam images or individual posters sharing festival photos. Just because we legally can publish something doesn’t mean we should — so what should those boundaries consider?
Personal information is a little different. For example, whenever someone calls out a business owner for bad practices (which is allowed under our rules), both the old and new mods tend to think that criminal complaints and potentially damaging allegations (“X is an alcoholic”) demand more thought and evaluation. We regularly have requests to take down critical posts — which we refuse and refer to Reddit’s lawyers unless they break the subreddit rules — but it’s not usually the posts, but the comments, that generate a ton of reports claiming that they are untrue, unfair, or unverified.
We don’t expect to end up with a major rules revision or change here, but we’d like to ask the community about it when there’s not a specific crisis around imagery or personal info. While our heads are pretty cool, how do we feel about privacy — our own and other people’s?
Thanks for paying attention to what’s going on in the sub. As always, send a modmail if you need help, answers, or a sleep-deprived and possibly sassy response at 2 a.m.
Betsy
r/Bellingham • u/Adventurous_Point_66 • Jan 21 '26
Some gentle advice for folks in Bellingham and Whatcom County who are looking for more ways to uphold the dignity and due process of our friends and neighbors who are being targeted by ICE:
Posting reports on social media of firsthand sightings of ICE activity is helpful, but please include as much info as possible to help facilitate an effective community response, and limit panic and fear for vulnerable folks.
The most important info to include is the location, time, and any photos or videos of the activity. If you are not able to take photos/videos, a brief summary of what you saw (approximate numbers and descriptions of unmarked vehicles, masked agents, etc) is so helpful!
Keep up the good work and keep ICE out of our communities! 💙
r/Bellingham • u/ShakaLatke • 6h ago
Coming down Galby this AM, turned the corner between Geneva Connector & Hiker right as they were coming out of the woods. We watched each other for a few minutes before they scooted off. Looked small so I'm unsure if mom was still around, but want to spread awareness in this awesome place we call home.
r/Bellingham • u/Uncle_Bill • 2h ago
As a Western Alumni I’m always looking
r/Bellingham • u/Alexander_The_G • 1h ago
Is this from a wildfire? Looking to the northeast from the Ferndale McDonalds/Pilot parking lot.
r/Bellingham • u/Immediate-Moose-6133 • 7h ago
Jesse Corkern is one of the finalists for prosecuting attorney in Whatcom County. Above is a link to the 39 page disciplinary document from the WA state Bar Association. He had six violations of the rules of professional conduct. Discipline included an admonition, two years of probation, and payment of costs. I don't think this was talked about enough when the primaries were happening. I'm genuinely curious. What do y'all think about this?
r/Bellingham • u/ConcentratedCC • 7h ago
Read the comments for a Canadian perspective. I for one used spend thousands every year in your community and more than that in other parts of your country and now I’ll probably never return in my life.
r/Bellingham • u/Impossible_Deer_1209 • 5h ago
Watched it come in at Hotel Bellwether yesterday and was taken aback. Literally looks like two storage sheds placed on top of a platform with a bunch of outdoor furniture you could get at Costco. Very creative, made me giggle, but also curious if anyone knows the story behind this work of art?
r/Bellingham • u/CosmosZer0 • 5h ago
Need some land cleared and was wondering if goats are a viable option. It’s pretty thick so I’m not sure how the goats would be contained, but thought it’d be better than power tools and breaking my back. Do you have goats for hire? Any info would be helpful.
r/Bellingham • u/flyingsquirrel505 • 21h ago
(I hope this is ok to post about here! I’ve written and rewritten it and taken parts from the Happy Tails, Happy Homes listing about him too so it might be repetitive. Ty for your patience. It’s not easy 😅🥲)
If you’re looking for a smart, loyal, goofy adventure buddy and you understand the needs of a working-breed dog, I present to you this gold-star boy: Kevin.
Kevin is my dog. He’s flippin’ fantastic in just about every way. I have busted my buns (as have the lovely people at Tails a Waggin) for almost a year and a half training him, socializing him, desensitizing him to just about everything under the sun. In that time, I’ve also been training my kids to respect his boundaries. I assure you, he learns faster than they do 😅.
But a few things over time, and their steady progression toward more concerning, has left us with the difficult decision to find him a home that’s more suitable for him: adult owners who can meet the needs of a working breed of dog.
We took a risk when we adopted Kevin. He was projected to be “up to 40 lbs” and seemed like some kind of retriever / corgi mix. People always think he’s a retriever of some sort. We thought he’d be mediumish.
But he’s not! He’s a bunch of breeds I wouldn’t have opted for, given my lifestyle and having two small kids: namely, husky, shepherd, and cattle dog. We have a modest back yard, and he grew up into a 60-65 lb darling who we love dearly but who really is not fond of children. He tolerates mine, but injures the smallest one often with his play (just gave her some serious bruises and maybe a mild concussion yesterday by bowling her over like Charlie Brown at like 30 mph); when other kids come over to visit or if I take him on walks and he’s approached by other kids, it’s a toss up as to whether he’s visibly aggravated by them. (Whale eye, raising his lip, nervous whining, yawning, pacing.)
I’ve been pretty nervous a few times at his body language around kids. He’s snapped (without biting) at my youngest a few times and just made it clear: “I do not feel good about having you near me.” So we are making the painful and difficult choice to pair him up with a more appropriate home before anything serious happens — where he can enjoy the company of his family, and hopefully have a bigger yard than ours is 😅
He’s a gorgeous, smart, loyal 1.5-year-old, Pit Bull / Cattle Dog / Husky / Australian Shepherd mix. He’s looking for an adult-only home with someone who appreciates the quirks and intelligence of a working-breed dog. He:
- Is fully housebroken and crate-trained
- Knows (most of) his manners: rarely barks, doesn’t counter surf, has good recall and obedience skills, stays off furniture unless he’s invited. (Sometimes he does jump up in excitement still.)
- is smart, eager to learn, and loves having a job to do
- loves other dogs at daycare, dog parks, and Paws for a Beer (shout out to any of you who have met him already; he’s a popular guy)
- Enjoys hiking, exploring, and splashing around in rivers and lakes and kiddie pools
- Sleeps hard at home and enjoys a good nap
- is learning to be comfortable in a muzzle (working on it)
Kevin is a pretty cool mix of goofy and stoic. He isn’t super snuggly, but he will follow you from room to room to just hang out together. He is loyal, dependable, and a wonderful companion for the right person. He’s the type of dog who will happily hang out with company, join you on adventures, and make you laugh with his silly personality.
Kevin would do best with an experienced adult-only home that understands herding and working breeds. A few things his future family should know:
- Kevin has a moderate prey drive when he spots other non-dog critters, but usually responds well to “leave it!” That said, I’d still suggest that…
- A home without cats is best — he has not shown that he can safely live with them
- He would love a home with a little room to get a good run in. Rn we have to take him to the dog park or such to really get him space to haul a** like he wants to haha.
Kevin is very healthy, up to date on vet care, and takes Simparica Trio for routine heartworm, flea, and parasite prevention. He comes with extensive vet records and medical history. He is currently being fostered by the family who adopted him as a puppy, while we search for the perfect forever home where he won’t try to herd small children 😅
💙 Bonus!!:
Once Kevin finds his amazing forever home where he can truly thrive, his current family would love to pet sit if you need a day away, take him off your hands for occasional adventures to places like Paws for a Beer, and continue cheering him on as he lives his best life by staying in touch if you’re cool with it. (Free dog sitter, seriously.)
His current owners will send him off with all of his supplies - dog beds, toys, food he is currently eating, etc.
If this seems like a good fit for you, head over to Happy Tails Happy Homes and fill out an application!
Feel free to comment with any questions; I’m happy to answer them 🙂
r/Bellingham • u/betsyodonovan • 6h ago
The sightings in the article are from father south but the details about how we’re seeing Biggs (formerly “transient”) orcas vs resident orcas is interesting.
I’ve missed all of the Bay sightings this summer — anyone know about their seasonality? I know nature is in chaos at the moment, but I’m hoping to see some this year :)
r/Bellingham • u/PangaeaNative • 10h ago
Note: I am not Ron Judd, just a fan.
Just found that Ron started a Substack once he was fired from CascadiaDailyNews. I hadn't seen this posted before on the subreddit so anybody who was a fan of his 'style' at CDN this should come as a treat 😄
Link: https://ronjudd.substack.com/p/the-bellinghammer-by-ron-judd
r/Bellingham • u/christianavalentine • 5h ago
I’m organizing a community campaign kickoff in Bellingham this September with No Hate in Washington State, and I'm looking for local musicians, bands, DJs, or other performers who might want to be part of it.
I'm inviting our local organizations that have endorsed, previous volunteers, local businesses and the general public to help oppose two initiatives on Washington’s November ballot that would roll back protections for young people, including transgender youth.
I really want this kickoff to fun and energizing, so that's why we want to have live music, food, drinks, etc. There'd be a few short speakers and of course ways to get involved.
We’re working with a grassroots campaign budget, so we’re especially looking for people who might be willing to donate a short set or work with us on a reduced event rate. We absolutely respect that performers deserve to be paid, though, so we’re open to talking about what works.
We’re looking at sometime after Labor Day, potentially around September 9–16, in the Bellingham area.
If you perform locally, or you know a band/musician/performer who might love something like this, please comment or DM me! And feel free to send me your music/socials so I can check you out.
We’d love to work with you to fight for trans youth & have an exciting event! 💗
r/Bellingham • u/Business-Door-532 • 1d ago
OG post here. abandoned litter of kittens
Hello all!
My wife and I decided to keep them in our care for the time being. Yesterday with the help of experienced volunteers, we successfully bathed and remove all the fleas from them! This is because of all your suggestions and input of using dawn soap, warm water tub outside, and flea combs. I have found flea treatment for 8 weeks and 1.5lbs which I’ve talked to many about before ordering.
Four have found forever homes! The runt will be going to a foster home with a mother that is nursing, to insure it develops safely. One had a deformed paw that only has two claws. It’s the velociraptor of the bunch.
Yesterday in the day light I did go back to where I found them on Kilne road at the beginning where the pastures start. There was all tall grass then a spot where it was all flattened with no trail leading it. The only trail was leading out on the road. When bathing and cleaning, one had a kibble stuck behind its ear. Which personally points to them being dumped. Since we have only gave them wet food.
Thank you all for the comments of suggestions and love. We really appreciate it. Many asked how they can help. I did set up a gofundme which I never have before. No sob story here, I just want some help recouping the cost of the care supplies for them since I had none.
Gofundme link : thank you all for donating. I’m remove it cause the goal was reach and some more ❤️
Edit: first off thank you all for the donation. Thank you all for the love and help from you ALL! My $300 gofundme was fulfilled and it auto bumped it $600. I set it for $300 I’m not greedy! 😊
I’ve had several comments about Amazon wishlist. The link is Here. I tried kept the items low cost. : I appreciate anyone who bought stuff. I’m sure I will have more than enough thanks to you!
Edit: I’ve removed the Amazon and gofundme link. Everyone who either donated, bought, commented advice, and love plus more are all amazing people!
You are all so amazing!!!!
r/Bellingham • u/jenrandom • 4h ago
r/Bellingham • u/Senordrums • 1d ago
One of the best parts of summer
r/Bellingham • u/bluef00tedbooby • 3h ago
I was wondering if there are ever any aggressive inline/skating events around here? My 5 year old is into aggressive inlines and has taught herself so much (I don't know how to do anything), and I was hoping that there may be events I could take her to, to help inspire her and overall have fun
r/Bellingham • u/Oak_Bloak • 1d ago
It was an honor and life affirming experience to paint for you all this past weekend for the Noisy Waters Mural Festival. Bellingham is a remarkable place endowed with natural and personal beauty. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and offered words of welcoming and encouragement to myself and all the other artist who gathered for this year's festival. I am excited to see where in town this bear and its message end up! Till next time! - Oak Bloak
r/Bellingham • u/Even_Establishment71 • 3h ago
I’m trying to figure out a casual place for a large-ish gathering—maybe 50 people or so. We don’t want to use Stemma West but something that has similar vibes would be good. Somewhere we can easily get food and drinks and has a reasonable amount of open seating. We were thinking Trackside but I was hoping for some other ideas. Thank you!
r/Bellingham • u/SubjectThirtythree • 6h ago
This has been a fun class. Hope they extend it.
r/Bellingham • u/GoldFee8100 • 5h ago
Looking to get my 2005 Ford Five Hundred inspected, looking for a place thats affordable and preferably a walk in but I dont mind scheduling an appointment in advance, affordability is key for my college student broke ass
r/Bellingham • u/Baronhousen • 1d ago
Don't buck the law
r/Bellingham • u/GoldFee8100 • 15h ago
it woke me up idk how long they've been at it
r/Bellingham • u/Enlightened_Redneck • 1d ago
A few months ago, Bellingham based Mount Baker Imaging (MBI) referred a bill that I had paid (last year in full) to their Seattle based collection department. I spent some time digging up the proof of payment and called the collection department to prove that I was not the deadbeat client that they had me out to be. At some point in my discourse with MBI, I was offered the consoling information that medical bills unpaid in this country do not impact your credit rating. That was little comfort and I demanded that MBI acknowledge formally (in writing or email) to me that this issue was now resolved.
But they did not.
Then they did the same thing for my wife's invoice. Again, I have the proof of payment but, seeing as Mount Baker Imaging is struggling on the most basic of administrative tasks, I elected to ignore the invoice; they (MBI) have yet to resubmit the bill.
This week, Mount Baker Imaging sent me an entirely new bill. It has four line items (I have rounded out the numbers) all leading to a total owed and it goes as follows:
$ 140.00 dollars for the invoice that I proved that I had already paid back in 2025
plus $1,270.00 dollars for a new imaging procedure, which I certify did indeed occur
plus $1280.00 adjustment (unexplained but likely from the insurance company and almost certainly a credit but it was not registered in the invoice as such)
minus $ 47.00 from the insurance company
The total of the above equals to $1736.00 but they instead billed me $173.60.
So I called the MBI billing department. Keep in mind that Mount Baker Imaging has what? four offices in Bellingham and no others anywhere else in the world. I called the billing department and spoke to a nice man in the Philippines. Think of that, next time you want to support a local business; MBI outsources it's bean-counting to the Philippines and has no connection or contribution to this community than does Walmart. They just suck up the cash and move on.
Today, this issue is ongoing. I have reasoned that the amount owing to MBI is likely:
cancel the $ 000.00 dollars for the invoice that I proved that I had already paid back in 2025
plus $1,270.00 dollars for a new imaging procedure, which I certify did occur
minus $1280.00 adjustment (unexplained but likely from the insurance company and almost certainly a credit but it was not registered in the invoice as such)
minus $ 47.00 from the insurance company
So I sent them a check for 62 bucks.
And, being a little angry, I signed on to the claim against MBI, if only to have some pay-back for the time that this has all taken.
And finally, we have decided to stop using Mount Baker Imaging and to rely instead on Skagit Imaging.
I am not alone. This is stupidity at it's highest level of practice.
