Dear Editor: I was unable to thank the participants and staff of this latest WhaleFest Grind. My apologies to all. Thank you goes out to the Daily Sitka Sentinel, Raven Radio and KIFW, and all the Sitka shops that allowed us to put up flyers.
Thank you to the Jesuit Volunteers for all their great work plating and making sure there were enough plates to go around to the 350 or so audience members, as well as judging the dessert contest. Our stage crew, Ryan Cotter, Jim Clare and Rich Fleishman. Peter Apathy, our sound and makes-sure-all-things-work person. Charlie Morgan on the lights. Grace Brooks at the door getting Haikus – well done. Outer Coast folks who helped in a variety of ways. The Sitka Sound Science Center’s Brooke Rivera at the door. Tiffany Pearson who partnered with the Monthly Grind folks to put this show together – thank you. AC Lakeside Grocery and Sea Mart grocery for the wonderful donation of cookies. To the best audience in the whole universe, with great appreciation. Old Harbor Books for ticket sales. Ahhh ... the Centennial Hall staff who are magic workers in putting the place together, taking it apart, and then doing it all over again – you are The Best! All the folks who wrote Haikus. Raven’s Brew Coffee for 31 years of donations. Also all those who did a tribute to Kitty LaBounty, who was one of the original members of the Science Center to get the WhaleFest going. She is missed.
Last, but not least, the glue for the show, the outstanding collection of musicians who treated us to an extraordinary show: Andrew and Molly Hames, Los Castaways, Zak Kirkpatrick, Hanks Dy’Nasty, Wyatt Matyas, Ted Howard and Rick Fleishman - Fret and Fretless.
Thank you! My apologies to those who I left out.
Jeff Budd, Sitka Monthly Grind
