While you’re in: Delight in donuts, celebrate Groundhog’s Day, board Bernie’s bandwagon

‘Donut’ dynasty

Lingering images of tempting and often colorful pastries are just part of the allure of “The Donut King,” a documentary about Cambodian refugee-turned-fast-food magnate Ted Ngoy. So successful was Ngoy in helping other refugees open donut shops modeled on his that Dunkin Donuts gave up on the state of California. But not all is sweetness and light in the film, streaming for $4.99 through the Olympia Film Society. Another current movie with drool-worthy treats is “Love Sarah,” a multi-generational rom-com about a bakery that produces desserts from many countries. Bonus: It’s set in London’s Notting Hill and might provide a temporary escape from that housebound feeling. It’s streaming for $12 through Tacoma’s Grand Cinema.

’Hogs have their day

Generally speaking, rodents don’t have that many fans, but the groundhog is a notable exception. On Feb. 2, the burrowing cousin to the chipmunk gets plenty of attention as unscientific weather watchers wait to see whether the critter sees its shadow. If it does, it’s said, there’ll be six more weeks of winter; if not, spring will come early. The most famous groundhog is Punxsutawney Phil, some variation of whom attends a press conference each year in his hometown of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. The weather-wise woodchuck is accompanied by men in top hats who purport to be able to interpret the predictions of the what the Farmers’ Almanac once named “pest of the month.” The Groundhog Day festivities in Punxsutawney — which, to be fair, was the first town to celebrate the occasion — are a big enough deal that tens of thousands of people travel there to attend them. In normal times, that is. This year, Phil will be doing his predictions live online. The catch: The festivities begin at 3:30 a.m. Pacific Time.

Bernie bonanza

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has been getting around since Inauguration Day, when he captured the collective imagination with his enormous mittens. Sure, his travels are virtual, courtesy of out-of-control meme makers everywhere, but so is pretty much everything else. A photo of Sanders, bundled against the cold and huddled in a camp chair, has been added to films and paintings. He’s also visited the Olympia Farmers Market, ridden a float in the Procession of the Species and posed with the musicians of the Olympia Symphony Orchestra. “Orchestras love bandwagons,” said symphony executive director Jennifer Hermann, who not only fused Sanders with a pre-COVID group shot of the symphony but also spent the weekend crocheting an adorable doll of the feisty senator. “The whole ‘Bernie’s mittens’ phenomenon makes me so happy,” Hermann said. “I kept thinking I would hit my limit, and then another one would show up and crack me up.”

Freelance writer Molly Gilmore wishes that Seattle’s Mighty O would start making gluten-free doughnuts. For those who can have gluten, she recommends the French toast and chocolate raspberry ones. She discusses arts, entertainment and more with 95.3 KGY-FM’s Michael Stein from 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays.