What’s happening in Whatcom for Aug. 18

Dedication: Local government officials celebrated the start of major cleanup work along Bellingham’s contaminated waterfront with a ceremonial ribbon cutting last week.

Dredging work by Tacoma-based American Construction Company will start in Whatcom Waterway this summer.

Get-together: Whatcom Transportation Authority is hosting a “Gold Card Gathering” from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Aug. 19, from at Barkley Village, near the gazebo. Gold Cards are for riders who are 75 years old or older; it allows them to ride fixed-route buses for free. You can sign up for a card at the event; those that have theirs can mingle with others and enjoy some cake.

Road work: The county continues chip sealing streets this week including Yew Street Road and Samish Way. Check out the full list of places to watch out for the work.

Fair fun: The Northwest Washington Fair continues today with the PRCA Lynden Rodeo as the main event this evening. Tickets and more information. WTA is offering free bus rides all this week for fair week, except for Route 80x to Mount Vernon. Don’t miss these favorite fair foods.

Summer graduation: Around 360 undergraduates and 45 master’s candidates will receive degrees during Western Washington University’s summer commencement on Saturday, Aug. 22. Julie Larson-Green, chief experience officer for Microsoft’s Applications and Services Group, will be speaking at the commencement.

The ceremony will be held in the Performing Arts Center Mainstage on campus instead of Carver Gymnasium, which is undergoing a $70 million renovation project.

Library help: The Whatcom County Library System is looking for a library-lover to fill a vacancy on its board of trustees. The partial term runs through Jan. 31, 2017.

This story was originally published August 18, 2015 at 11:02 AM with the headline "What’s happening in Whatcom for Aug. 18."