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The Center for Whale Research shares unfortunate news about the passing of its founder.

With profound sadness, the Center for Whale Research announces the passing of our beloved founder and longtime leader Kenneth C. Balcomb.

Ken’s family and loved ones surrounded him in his final hours on Dec. 15. He was 82 years old.

Ken was a pioneer and legend in the whale world. But more importantly, he was the North Star, a guiding light. Over half a century of whale research and advocacy, he lit a path for tens of thousands to follow. He was a scientist with a deep-rooted love and connection to the whales and their ocean habitat. He inspired others to appreciate both as much as he did.

Ken spent much of his career detailing and documenting the lives of the Southern Resident orca population in the Pacific Northwest’s Salish Sea. His groundbreaking Orca Survey study determined that the Resident orcas needed more food abundance in a healthy habitat to survive. He continually heralded his message to the world — “No fish, No Blackfish” — no Chinook salmon, no Southern Resident orcas.

The Center for Whale Research’s Southern Residents orca research began in 1976 — it is the longest study of this population. Ken’s goal was always for CWR’s research to continue for 150 years, provided there were whales to study. All of us at CWR share Ken’s vision and mission to preserve and protect the magnificent Southern Resident killer whales. He often said about the critically endangered Southern Residents, “I’m not going to count them to zero, at least not quietly.”

The CWR board of directors and staff are dedicated to continuing Ken Balcomb’s life’s work.

Thank you, Ken. We will carry you in our hearts forever.

A memory board has been created on our website. We respectfully welcome you to share your messages and memories of Ken.

APS-FH shares some kind words about their volunteers of the year for 2022.

The Animal Protection Society—Friday Harbor is pleased to announce Jon and Kris Zerby as its volunteers of the year for 2022.

Jon served as an APS board member from 2016 to 2022, but this husband-wife duo have been volunteering for APS-FH for many years — before Jon served on the board, even before APS-FH had a formal volunteer program. Jon and Kris have volunteered at community gatherings and fundraising events, walked dogs, visited with cats, helped with repairs, run odd errands, and generally have jumped in to do whatever was needed over the years.

Their latest volunteer adventure is running our Pet Food Pantry with their APS alumni dog, June. The Pet Food Pantry provides free pet food and supplies to pet families in need. Program patrons must be low-income, and their pets spayed or neutered. The Zerbys uphold these program requirements with kindness and diplomacy.

Jon and Kris pick up pantry food and supply donations from the shelter and take them to Treasure Hounds. Here they bag the cat and dog kibble, organize and stock the pantry shelves, work at the pantry handing out food and supplies, and provide extensive statistics to help us fundraise for the program. While doing this work, they are constantly seeking avenues and resources to better meet the needs of the people and pets they serve.

In 2020, the Zerbys advocated for the PFP’s hours of operation to be lined up with those of the Friday Harbor Food Bank, making it more accessible for patrons of both services. In 2021, they initiated a collaboration with Meals on Wheels to send Pet Food Pantry food and supplies home to Meals on Wheels patrons with pets. Recently, the availability of pet food has been inconsistent, and the prices have increased dramatically. Jon and Kris regularly go off island on a nearly all-day hunt to numerous stores for pet food for the program.

“It is the best job I never had,” says Kris about the PFP. “Every related hour is a pleasure.”

Thank you Jon, Kris, and June for being the friendly faces and the wagging tail behind the Pet Food Pantry and for all of your service over the years!

APS-FH has numerous volunteering opportunities. If you are interested in helping, visit our website to learn more about our volunteer program.

From May 12 — Paddlers from the San Juan Canoe & Kayak Club return to shore at Shipyard Cove.

Holiday-themed performances on the island continue this week with the opening of a production from Island Stage Left, which sends along details about its latest show — and a look at what’s up next.

Island Stage Left theatre company presents two holiday shows this year, each featuring a single actor. Daniel Mayes performs his ever-popular Christmas Memories, based on the Welsh childhood of Dylan Thomas, on Dec. 17, 19, 20 and 21. Then Broadway actor Allen Fitzpatrick will bring to life Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on Dec. 23 and 24.

“In these one-man shows, Dan and Allen have to create many different characters,” says ISL artistic director Helen Machin-Smith. “They have to make scenes appear in the audience’s imagination, they have to sing, to tell the story, to evoke fear and laughter and nostalgia.” Helen is the stage director for Christmas Memories.

“It’s the essence of theatre,” she adds, “which is that actors are their own instruments, in the way that a harp or a piano is a musician’s instrument.”

Christmas Memories opens this Saturday. In it, Daniel Mayes takes the audience to a small town in Wales, a hundred years ago — the childhood home of the poet Dylan Thomas.

“Come closer,” he says. “You can hear the snow falling, and the hushed town breathing. And you alone can hear the invisible starfall.” The stories are lush with Thomas’s near-magical images, which, as often as not, swerve unexpectedly into a joke. Mayes conjures up the whole town, from young boys snowballing the neighborhood cats, to an old ghost of a man with “a small, dry, eggshell voice” who frightens the boys out of their wits.

Mayes weaves an enchanting story, by turns funny and romantic. This year, Laura Concord, who performed in the show when it first premiered, returns to sing the tunes of the town’s women — from the lonely wife longing for her husband, far away in the World War I trenches, to the tipsy aunt serenading the stars in the dark yard.

Admission to Christmas Memories is free, but donations are gratefully accepted. Masks are strongly encouraged. The shows take place in the Marie Boe Building at the San Juan County Fairgrounds — 849 Argyle Ave. — and start at 7 p.m. Seating is limited and reservations are not available, so arriving early is recommended.

For wheelchair access or other arrangements, or to reserve seats for A Christmas Carol, email Island Stage Left.

Yesterday I went to the Mullis Center for my regularly scheduled foot care appointment. It’s a pleasure if not a genuine necessity to have my feet well cared for. It was a Tuesday and the center was fairly quiet. Still, it was good to see the Christmas trees and lights creating a festive atmosphere.

The Mullis Center’s regular hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. or by appointment — call 360-370-7520 — on Tuesday and Thursday.

Like the center’s nutrition program — consisting of both Meals on Wheels and community lunches — the center’s foot care program has quietly grown this year, nearly doubling pre-pandemic numbers.

Community lunches are being served Monday and Wednesday between noon and 1 p.m. Salads and deserts are pre-plated and folks are encouraged to spread out arrival times and limit tables to five or six people so as to maintain social distancing. Masks at community lunch are optional and COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters are recommended. Menus are posted on the Mullis Center website.

Another one of the Mullis Center’s programs that has quietly become a valued part of my life is Chair Yoga with Katerina Wen. Both Chair Yoga and Balance and Stretch classes continue to be offered via Zoom. Chair Yoga Zoom is at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays. Balance and Stretch Zoom is at 9:30 a.m. on Thursdays. If you are like me and may not be ready for exercise at 9:30 in the morning, you can get a link to use the class as many times as you would like to throughout the week. For more information about these classes, call 360-370-7520.

A host of other activities bring folks into the center, including afternoon socials on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1-3 p.m. All are welcome to join the games, puzzles, visiting and laughter. There is a painting group from 9:30-11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays, a quilting group on Wednesdays from 3-4:30 p.m., and a knitters group on Thursdays from 7-9 p.m.

A new project in the works is the creation of a caregiving directory and resource website called Caregiving Connections San Juan. Any family who has experienced the sudden need of care for a loved one can understand how helpful this will be.

Meanwhile, Senior Services Council has been busy working to change the three senior centers on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan into three distinct non-profits. These changes will allow each center to operate more efficiently serving seniors in each community.

The Mullis Community Senior Center mission statement says, “The mission of the Mullis Community Senior Center is to meet the recreational, intellectual, social, physical, and mental needs of seniors and disabled adults through advocacy, programs, and services so that people can live and age well on San Juan Island.” The Mullis Center Team is working hard to fulfill this mission. Please consider the Mullis Center when planning your year’s end charitable contributions. Help us continue working to fulfill this worthy mission.

Donations can be made online or by a check made payable to the Mullis Center — PO Box 684, or hand-delivered to the Center.

Mullis Center will be closed Dec. 24-26 and Jan. 2.

From March 3 — Sunset reflected in a flooded field along Douglas Road.

The elves at the Friends of the Library are offering up their holiday gift wrapping expertise to the community over the next two weeks.

If you’re looking for corners folded just right, a glisten of bow, and a jangle of delight, head to the Library from noon to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow, or this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. They’ll also be around next Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.

All proceeds from the gift wrapping service benefit programs and services at the San Juan Island Library.

The Episcopal Church shares news about this Saturday’s holiday performance.

An English Village Christmas — a concert of choral and instrumental carols, hymns, and anthems from England — will take place at St. David’s Episcopal Church on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 3 p.m.

The concert will feature an unaccompanied choir directed by Richard Lind. Instrumental performances by Sue Collado (clarinet), Hanneke Klein-Robbenhaar (violin and viola), and Richard Lind (piano) will round out the program.

There is no charge for admission, but donations to the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center and the Friday Harbor Food Bank will be gratefully accepted.

Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is accepting applications for two educational and training awards available to women living in San Juan County.

The $2,000 Educational Opportunity Award was established for women enrolled in, or accepted into, an undergraduate degree or career training program. Its purpose is to help women overcome personal difficulties and improve their lives through education and training. The recipient may use the cash award to offset education or training costs, such as tuition, books, childcare, or transportation. Applicants must be able to show their financial need.

The $3,000 Fellowship Award is awarded to a woman returning to school for postgraduate study at an accredited college or university leading to an advanced degree.

Applications for either award must be postmarked by Friday, Jan. 27.

Soroptimist members, their immediate family members, and past Soroptimist award winners are not eligible.

Application and reference forms are available on the Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor website.

From March 6 — Reflections in the water of Quarry No. 9 at Roche Harbor.

Liberty Miller and Tony Thompson

Friday Harbor’s newest coffee shop, 13 Ravens Coffee, opened yesterday morning in the space formerly occupied by The Bean. 13 Ravens is owned by Liberty Miller, who worked at The Bean in years past, and who for the last several years has operated a coffee house located inside a retired Alaska train car in Seward, Alaska.

Liberty says that 13 Ravens will be open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. six days per week, although the day of the week that the shop will be closed is still to be determined. For now she’s running the business with Tony Thompson, who also just moved to the island from Seward.

“After the first of the year we have more staff coming on and will then have a food menu and extended hours,” she says.

13 Ravens Coffee is located at 150 First St. N., next to Golden Triangle and Pelindaba Lavender.

The organizers of the Floating Ukulele Jam share news about their holiday musical event, which takes place this week.

The Floating Ukulele Jam Holiday Jammie Jam is on. Grab your uke, your pajamas, your voice, a song to share — holiday or otherwise — and bring your friends and relations and join us on the interisland ferry on Thursday, Dec. 15. The boat departs Friday Harbor at 5:45 p.m., Orcas at 6:45 p.m., and Shaw at 7 p.m.

No uke? Just come and sing, or listen in. No songs to share? Just come and play and sing — we’ll teach you some. No friends and relations? Come and make some. No pajamas? Find some!

Masks welcome. For questions, more info, and fashion advice, email [email protected].

From July 4 — Fire engines pass by during the Fourth of July parade.