Very good food is to be had at the Southport Town Hall on Monday, Jan. 16, when the Southport Memorial Library Aides will host their annual Souper Bowl Luncheon. Soup will be hot at 11:30 a.m. and remain so until 1 p.m. The meal is free but monetary donations to support the work of the aides are welcome. If you are donating soup, bread, or dessert, please also bring the recipe for what you have made so the aides may include it in their cookbook.

We received word this morning, Tuesday, Jan. 10, that Jan Havinga, age 96, died this morning. He and Mimi were living at Thorton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick, for the last several years after they sold their winter home Mount Vernon, New Hampshire. Summers past found them at their home on Dogfish Head. Recently Jan had been cared for at Horizon Nursing Home where he was beloved by the staff and could be visited daily by Mimi. Daughters Ann and Catherine were in loving attendance during his last days.

Both Jan and Mimi were originally from Holland, leaving ahead of the Nazi occupation. Both had adventurous war time experiences, Jan with the Dutch navy in exile and Mimi as secretary to Queen Wilhelmina in exile and later as a member of the Dutch army. Originally from the Dutch town of Arnhem, Jan was on hand to enter the town in May 1945, shortly after it was liberated. He found it totally destroyed, but after a month’s search was able to locate his parents who had escaped on bicycles to the northern town of Groningen. His sister was also alive and living in Amsterdam. Thanks to Sarah Sherman you can read more about Jan’s and Mimi’s wartime experiences in her first book, “Southport, the War Years.”

We remember Jan for his gentle demeanor and loving smile. I trust that his many years looking across the Sheepscot River helped erase the memories of devastation and war.

The red hibiscus tree blooming in the Southport Memorial Library reminds us both in the midst of sadness and in the midst of winter that life goes on. And fun goes on with the parrot settled into the center of the tree speaking back to you. Fun goes on too as the Singers continue to share their Newfoundland and Labrador puppies with us at the library on Tuesday morning. Being dogless I sit on the floor to play with them. Soon they will be topple me over with their exuberance.

Also to bring a smile to your face, look at the Alpaca calendars for sale at our library. The pictures of these gentle animals are adorable.

St Andrews Village is filling up with Southporters. Not only are Mike and Anne Grimes living there this winter, but also Liz and Ed Furber, Mary Ann Blycher, and now Merry Knowlton and her husband have moved to the Village for the winter. How great to have this facility available to house us when life in our more demanding homes becomes a bit too much, especially in the winter.

Thanks to Oliver Cusano who has agreed to fill a position on the Town Planning Board, his arm perhaps twisted a bit by Chairman, Skip Simonds. As I said last week, we are so grateful for those who agree to commit time to running our town.

The town road crew has been busy salting and sanding during our freezing cold weather this