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News & News Archives
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INDEX 2013: 2012: DNR Trip of June 11, 2013The DNR boat left Leland harbor shortly after 9:00A.M., captained by Conservation Officers Steve Huff and Rebecca Hopkins. FILA staff: Catherine Allchin and John Wells, DNR staff: Keith Lounsbery, Brent Rayle and Ham Hobson. According to John, "The entire day had a common dominator: FOG. It is interesting to be at the proper location - according to GPS and radar - in dense pea soup fog, and land is nowhere even close to being seen. Land must be nearby. Then, slowly a beach appears; looks like a long cloud in fog - and sure enough, there’s the Boathouse! Bingo! There’s Phil’s favorite mooring buoy! Set the anchor. Familiar neighborhood." Quoting Cathy: "Ham had a Youtube moment when he stepped out of the dinghy, got his foot stuck in the line and almost did the splits while trying to get out of the boat. Fortunately no camera was rolling but he IS the first to 'take a dip' out at the station this year!" Again John: "I top coated the Boathouse rails (I know, not an HSR priority item) but I wanted them to look nice. It only took me two years. Hope you all understand. I have a love affair with Rust-oleum paint." Back to Cathy: "John worked the hardest painting the rails and hauling the 'emergency food buckets' up the hill. The rest of us took the grand tour. They were amazed at how dry the basements were! We did not get up the steel tower however; the bolt was cut and will be replaced with a combination lock so we never lose the key and it will be more accessible on future trips." Ham and John laid out the trail to the west beach with wooden stick markers, and a few 'No smoking, No open flame' signs were put up. Cathy: "Measurements were taken for the downspouts on the Assistant Keepers Quarters and the 1867 Lighthouse. After a survey of the lean-to, there was a discussion as to how to proceed. We took detail shots of the roof on the AK building - there is further plaster falling in upstairs rooms and the south side lower single apartment rot from water has not gotten any better. We removed the wooden frames from the Boat House windows and brought them back to be rebuilt on the mainland, then reinstall. Open windows were boarded up. Measurements were taken for the back door of the Boat House. This door will be made by Ham & crew. They are also assembling the big Boat House doors - waiting for a few missing parts. Fog continued to roll in and out during the day. Temperature on the island was perfect! Landfall in Leeland at 5:55 p.m.." Epilogue by Ham Hobson: "The weather was great but foggy, shrouding a mysterious island in even more mystery! The Association ( FILA) has made tremendous progress on the buildings and grounds. Finding ways to overcome the monumental task of logistics, just getting people and materials to the island let alone accomplishing all the work that has been done! Thanks FILA!" Reports by Catherine
Allchin, John Wells and Ham Hobson, First trip of the season
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We carried our supplies up to the fire pit picnic
table and did a walk around the buildings. Phil and
Catherine prepared a list of the day's activities. We
cut grass, trimmed with the weed whacker, swept up clippings,
hauled dead limbs, and cut a path from the fence of
the Fog Signal tower over to the base of the tower.
We put up the large ladder so Catherine could go up
to the top and measure the window for a replacement
window pane. Don blazed open the path through the woods
to the West beach with the whacker.
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The Lighthouse structures wintered well and the crew
was able to complete the grounds keeping tasks by 5:00
pm. About 45 minutes later, we had the Islander
loaded for the trip back home. As we approached the
boat, we noticed that it had turned into a love nest
for tiny black flies. Thousands of tiny flies were over
every part of the boat, dash, cockpit, floor, windows.
What was the attraction for those sex starved insects?
The Islander became the "Love Boat"
for frantic sexual antics and then they died! But
they didn't blow away. The carpet and dash will
have to be vacuumed and cleaned again. We thought the
trip home would blow them off..... but no, they stayed
for the entire Love Boat cruise back to the mainland.
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The Islander ran great and will serve as a back up boat to the donated 25' AMF Slickcraft, which should be in service for the next trip. With two operating boats available, we hope to get more people out to see the island lighthouse project.. Once you visit, you become enthralled with the history, mystique, and lore of the past and the hope of the future.
Don Stauffer
May
29, 2013
Additional photos
Here are four panoramic photos contributed by Heather Landis (click on them to see them in higher resolution and pan around a bit - it's worth it!):
Approaching the Light Station from southeast.
The stone wall along the walkway on the
south side of the Boat House.
Inside the lantern room of the 1934 Skeleton
Tower, starring Cathy Allchin.
Stunning view from the Skeleton
Tower, looking NNW.
Thank you very much Heather!
Board Meeting of May 13, 2013
Vice President Cathy Allchin presided the meeting at the GT Children's Museum. The April minutes and the treasurer's report were presented, discussed and approved. Details of the Emergency Handbook & Crisis Management Plan were presented by John Wells, and possible ways to handle the DNR grant for the working dock were discussed.
Cathy reported on the donated EZ Dock parts and their future use, including a possible involvement of the manufacturer and the long-running issue of the Safe Harbor project. The Michigan Waterways Commission is meeting in Leelanau County on June 21. Cathy will try to get on the agenda.
After a brief update by Cathy concerning the title transfer of the Lightkeeper and the registration of the new boat, John Wells presented his plans for fundraising including small grants from local foundations. Cathy reported on the schedule of the FILA segment on the UpNorth TV channels and their availability on youtube,com.
According to John Wells, FILA received a grant from the Biederman Foundation to cover the cost of archiving the historical documents. John and Karen Wells and Cathy Allchin, with DNR rep Ham Hobson, attended the DNR Non-Profit Summit held at Higgins Lake.
Island Projects: The pending Boat House door issue was discussed, and John Wells presented a Keeper Program proposal written by his wife and a list of people interested in visiting the station. A June 21st trip is scheduled so the Michigan Waterways Commission representatives can visit the light station with DNR representatives.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
May 19, 2013
Board Meeting of April 15, 2013
This month's meeting at the GT Children's Museum, again presided by Vice President Cathy Allchin, approved the minutes of the March meeting, the Treasurer's report including the submission of Form 990N to the IRS for 2012 and the 2013 budget compiled by Karen and John Wells.
John had sent out a one page recommendation for the updated Emergency Handbook/Crisis Management Plan. Ham Hobson, DNR representative, again kindly attending the meeting, offered to share some documentation that the DNR uses in similar situations. He said the application for the DNR Partnership Grant is on track for completion at the end of April.
Cathy reported on the meeting of FILA representatives with the DNR concerning a 25 year lease. The Board decided to have President John McKinney sign the amended lease contingent upon an inspection of the site by the DNR.
A number of EZ Dock floating dock sections have been donated to FILA. They have to be brought to the DNR office in Grawn, looked over and transported to South Fox Island. Other island projects were presented, including the Boat House doors and windows, the Volunteer Keeper Program and the DNR trip.
Participation in local and regional events was discussed, including also a summer raffle and an interview on Up North Live with the possibility to produce and broadcast a video on local cable and YouTube. John Wells suggested a summer membership drive to be held at Peterson Park south of Cathead Bay.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
April 16, 2013
Board Meeting of March 11, 2013
FILA Vice President, Cathy Allchin presided the Board Meeting, again at the GT Children's Museum. The for the DNR Partnership Grant has been submitted to the DNR. Much appreciation and thanks go to Ham Hobson (who attended the Board Meeting) and Wendy Jo Bazzett from the Michigan DNR for their help in filling out the application. Details of the Light Station Lease draft and insurance coverage for DNR personel in accordance with the Friends Agreement, a proposed three-year contract between the DNR and FILA, were discussed, and the agreement was approved by the Board.
Technical and financial aspects of the planned service dock and the estimate provided by Home Depot concerning the materials needed to repair the lean-to attached to the 1867 Lighthouse were presented.
Archival records have been sent to the Bentley Historical Museum in Ann Arbor and the Leelanau Historical Museum and are now available for the public to view; an index will be available online to aid in research.
By the way, in 2012, 1933 hours were volunteered for our project!
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
March 12, 2013
Board Meeting of February 11, 2013
The Board met at the GT Children's Museum. A draft of the 2013 budget distributed by Cathy Allchin, the volunteer hours sheet and the necessity to update the Board members contact sheet were discussed. Cathy reported on two presentations she gave (International Shipmasters Association and Twilight Rotary Club), and it was mentioned that archival FILA documents were packaged and sent to the University of Michigan and the Leelanau Historical Society Museum.
Cathy also presented a list of projects for the 2013 season at the Light Station. Plans for new and refurbished equipment for work at the station, the construction of a service dock and a possible DNR visit to the island were outlined. Legal aspects of the Light Station Lease draft and insurance based on the current lease were discussed.
Home Depot has agreed to help estimate the materials needed to stabilize the Lean-To attached to the 1867 Lighthouse, knowing that materials will not be purchased at Home Depot as FILA must use materials deemed appropriate in the Historic Structures Report.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
March 11, 2013
SlickCraft Boat Donation!
Arrow Roofing and Supply of Grand Rapids and Traverse City has donated a 25ft AMF SlickCraft inboard/outboard (sterndrive) boat to FILA. The boat has large open aft area and a 9 ½ ft beam. This will make for a perfect boat for hauling volunteers, camp gear, supplies, construction material and other goods to the island. The boat has a good engine and will serve us well. Now to outfit the boat with required USCG safety items and other necessary equipment.
Thank you Arrow Roofing & Supply for getting
us on the water and to South Fox this season and many
more to come.
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John Wells
February
18, 2013
FILA's historical material available to the public
After several months of planning, organizing, copying, and indexing the records, photos, newspaper articles, oral histories, and other historical material about the Light Station, this material is now available to the public. The Bentley Historical Library on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan and the Leelanau Historical Society Museum in Leland, Michigan now have hundreds of pages of historical data available to the public.
Researchers, historians, educators, writers and the general public are invited to check on line at the respective institution for an index to the material. Please check with each of the two facilities to view policies and procedures to access the material.
John Wells
February
18, 2013
A Presidential Birthday
A milestone was recently celebrated for our President, John McKinney. We won't mention that special age he just reached but all that know him are ever so happy as he is in great health, and an example for many far younger than him!
On January 27, we all (that could make it) met at
Sleder's Tavern in downtown Traverse City, the restaurant
that is famous for it's "Kiss the Moose" logo,
though we could not persuade John to do so!
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Happy Birthday and congratulations! And thanks for all you have done and continue to do for that lighthouse we all love.
Sandy Bradshaw
February
3, 2013
Board Meeting of January 14, 2013
The FILA Board met at the GT Children's Museum. After the Treasurer's financial report, the Board discussed the basics of the 2013 budget. The 2012 year end statement and operating statement by Karen Wells were accepted. The Year End Appeal neatly met its financial goal and even resulted in a few new FILA members. The group now has about 160 members.
The Board discussed the necessity to compile an Emergency Handbook / Crisis Management Plan, i.e. how to handle media and others in the unfortunate event an accident on the light station happens. The handbook will have emergency procedures as well as suggestions on how to respond to crises as they arise.
Plans for how to operate the now three (!) boats that are available for FILA were outlined. The Archival project, managed by John Wells, is moving along. John distributed a required list of data groupings of FILA archival materials. These will be sent to the Bentley Historic Library and the Leland History Museum.
Phil von Voigtlander's Volunteer Keeper Program proposal was approved. Dan Mullen, the DNR district chief, proposed a visit to the light station in 2013. The DNR will supply the boats and organize the trip. FILA may partner with the DNR to do something on DNR property. FILA board members should propose a project that ranges from $5,000 - $20,000 to qualify for DNR grant money. John McKinney will forward the information to the Board for review and suggestions.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
January 27,
2013
Board Meeting of December 2, 2012
The FILA Board had a brief meeting in the course of the Annual Meeting (see separate article below). The Secretary's minutes of the November and the Treasurer's financial report were approved. John Wells reported on the Year End Appeal. FILA thanks everyone who donated throughout the year of 2012.
The officers, President – John McKinney, Vice President – Cathy Allchin, Secretary – Pamela Nickerson, and Treasurer – John McKinney (pro tem), were approved for the 2013 term. Cathy Allchin and John Nelson, whose terms as Board members were expiring, were confirmed for another term. The exiting Board member, Roman Grusz, was thanked for his help.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
January 22,
2013
Annual Meeting of December 2, 2012
On Sunday, December 2 FILA held their Annual Members
Meeting at the Traverse Public Library Main branch.
The early afternoon lunch and other activities were
in the McGuire Room of the Library from 12:00 to 3:00.
A short business meeting of the Board of Trustees
of FILA preceded a “pot luck” lunch and Power Point
presentation by Vice President Catherine Allchin. Accomplishments
of the 2012 season highlighted the presentation. A second
viewing made up of all volunteer photos over the past
years was also shown. Many old friends and island volunteers
of FILA and the Light Station had a chance to see themselves
captured by the camera in years past.
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Thanks to all who attended and made for another great Annual Meeting of the Fox Island Lighthouse Association.
John Wells
December
5, 2012
Board Meeting of November 12, 2012
According to the Treasurer's report, a donation of $1000.00 was received from the William E Slaughter, Jr. Foundation. The meeting with the DNR of Oct. 18 was discussed, including the efforts to get the South Fox Island Light Station on the National Registry.
The possible donation of a boat was announced. Cathy Allchin is in touch with the donor. George "Carp" Carpenter, former FILA Board Member, received certificates to thank him for his work on the Historic Structures Report project.
Plans for the Annual Meeting in December were made, including a brief presentation of accomplishments, acknowledgments, invitation postcards and press releases. Board nominations and expiring terms were discussed.
Island: The station is closed for the winter season. Dan Mullins, the regional DNR manager, proposed a DNR sponsored trip to South Fox Island next spring. Stef Staley of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum proposed to include the South Fox Island Light Station in the tour of the Five Lights; the visit would be on July 6th as part of the tour.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
December 2,
2012
Meeting with the DNR
On Oct. 18, Phil von Voigtlander and I met with the DNR staff to share FILA's 2012 boating season efforts. Dan Mullins, Lisa Gamero, Ham Hopson, Tim Schreiner and Troy joined us for this annual exchange of progress and future plans.
Phil gave an item by item description of our island activites which he will detail later. Also particular attention was paid to the 'need' for a lease agreement and the meeting is being set up with Brenda Mikula of DNR's lease program staff to formulate terms suitable to FILA and DNR. Updates were provided on the new Web Cam potential, National Register application status, archival plans with Ann Arbor's Bentley and Leland's County Historical collections.
Dan Mullins, DNR Supervisor for northern Michigan parklands including South Fox, is working on a 2013 boat trip to SF for Lansing staff and others that will have FILA folks as guides. Once again we had a mutually friendly face to face with the Lightstation owners.
John McKinney
Oct.
19, 2012
Board Meeting of October 8, 2012
The FILA Board met on October 8, 2012, sans quorum, and made some considered decisions:
Given the input the Board decided to go with an Annual Meeting Sunday December 2nd, Traverse Area District Library McGuire Room, 1:00-3:00. Potluck has worked so let's do that.
John Wells was appointed to head the Election Committee with Board Member John Nelson as member. They are looking for at least one more. The Johns will be canvasing Officers and Board Members as to their intentions and will be seeking additional candidates as appropriate.
The meeting with the MDNR is scheduled for October 18th. Members may plan to attend and share topics that need to be discussed with the Lightstation owners.
John McKinney
Oct.
10, 2012
6th Leelanau State Park Harvest Festival
September 29, 2012: With a cool & breezey (and with a bit of hail) beginning, FILA participated for the 6th time at the Leelanau State Park Harvest Festival. Pancakes, sausage patties, coffee and other great items were served all morning by the volunteers of FILA. Later, around noon, the fare switched to hot dogs, brats, chips and ice cream and apple pie. The breakfast and lunch was held again this year as a fund raiser for FILA. With the help of some local grocery retailers as well as several donations of popular local food, it was a successful event for both “friend raising” and fund raising.
As part of the Festival, FILA also had on display brochures, photos, newsletters and other great information about the light station on South Fox Island. New friends, long time friends and FILA members stopped by to have a bite to eat and catch up on the latest “happenings” out at the island.
Several other non profits participated in the day long Festival with demonstrations of wood working and cider pressing.
John Wells
Oct. 2,
2012
Leland Heritage Festival
FILA was very pleased to have been invited as one of the preservation groups to attend the Leland Heritage Festival held Saturday, September 15th. We were able to share stories of our efforts at preserving the South Fox Island Lighthouse with many interested persons.
The old port holds a mixture of old and new sites and sights. We were fortunate to set up our display right on the harbor walkway. John Wells, Sandy Bradshaw, and Donald Stauffer manned the booth and did a great job of "friend raising".
Next Saturday, Sept. 29, we will be
in Northport for the Harvest Festival serving our "famous"
pancake breakfast and brat lunch for our last fundraising
/ festival of the year.
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Don Stauffer
Sept. 18, 2012
Board Meeting of September 10, 2012
The board reviewed and approved the minutes of the August meeting and the Treasurer's monthly report. Details of the sale of the Lightkeeper and the trailer were discussed. Due to extremely rare use by the public, the necessity to keep all the meeting minutes available on the Website was questioned and eventually negated by the board. Plans concerning the future handling of accumulated FILA materials were discussed, no action taken yet.
The schedule for promotion activities and the island trips for the rest of the season were outlined, and the purchase of a tent for festivals was approved.
John Wells is resigning as the FILA Board Advisor to focus on other projects but will stay close to our group also in the future. The board wishes him well in his new career direction, in grateful appreciation of all he did for FILA, which was a huge lot.
Hans Joerg
Rothenberger, based on John McKinney's minutes
September
13, 2012
4th Work Crew Trip of this summer
On Sept. 3rd, the fourth FILA work crew
set out at 9:00 am for South Fox Island Lighthouse in
the Islander. Co-Captains, Phil and Donald, had
the boat ready and in 1 hour and 10 minutes we were
at our favorite little spot on the island. The
weather was good with only a light NW wind. The
work crew of John Mc and John W. helped unload the supplies
into our new dingy and in two trips, we had everything
on the island that we needed for the day, except for
Phil's tea (which has only made it out to the actual
shore one out of the last 4 trips).
We
decided that mowing around all the buildings and the
center area, trimming the blackberry bushes, and scraping
the boat rails in the boat house were to be the day's
main projects. John Mc hoisted the FILA flag and Donald
set up the emergency VHF phone. When he keyed the mike,
he didn't get a response but hopefully the message was
received. Last time we went out, the network responded
to our call in service and when we went out of service. We
will keep an eye on this for the next trip.
Phil started the mowing, John Mc got the Puller Bear
out to attack the small saplings, John W. took on the
boat rail as his project and Donald started trimming
the path to the west beach and trimming the blackberry
bushes. The weather turned out warm with a light breeze
and all the projects were completed by 3:00 pm.
We did a beach swim on the west side and
then secured the buildings and took our supplies to
the beach. John W. did a great job of getting the rails
scraped and undercoated. We left at 4:00 pm and
returned to Northport with a slight NE wind at 5:20. The
Islander completed the fourth trip to the island
without a problem. Gallons of gas used was reduced because
of the faster return time. We are running 21-20
miles mph and fuel consumption was the least expensive
of all 4 trips. Less than $70 at $4.09/gallon.
We hope to make two more trips out to the
island but the weather decides for us!
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Don Stauffer
Sept. 8, 2012
Board Meeting of August 13, 2012
The board met at the GT Children's Museum, with intercontinental attendance (Joerg) and a guest, David Coyne. Joerg presented Website stats and updates on the lighthouse property survey. Cathy showed her Harvest Festival poster, which will go to the Website a.s.a.p..
Sale of the Lightkeeper to said transatlantic board member was approved, payment to be finalized. Participation at recent regional events was reported, upcoming events and the advantages of FILA having their own tent and tables were discussed; no action taken.
Island: The new Boat House doors and hinges will be installed this fall. A lump sum of $5000 for completing the repair of the Assistant Keepers' Quarters' roof, stabilizing the lean-to of the 187 Lighthouse and assisting in installing the Boat House doors was approved.
Hans Joerg
Rothenberger, based on Don Stauffer's minutes
August
15, 2012
FILA at the Port Oneida Fair
Friday, August 10, and Saturday, August
11, saw FILA's booth at the Port Oneida Fair at the
historic farmsteads. The heat of the previous weeks
had been replaced with more comfortable temperatures
just in time, and despite occasional dark clouds, the
attendance was good. As usual, sometimes Don's glass
bead making and Laddie, Sandy's dog, got more attention
than the lighthouse, but the interest in FILA's mission
was great too. The last lighthouse T-shirts and hoodies
got sold.
Friday morning, Joerg (left) and
Don awaiting the first |
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Hans Joerg Rothenberger
August 13, 2012
Classic Boat Show Suttons Bay
The Classic Boat Show in Suttons Bay was held annually for 25 years until 2004. The Inland Seas Education Association plans to revive the show and make it an annual event. "We are pleased to bring the Classic Boat Show back to Suttons Bay," said ISEA's Executive Director Tom Kelly. "This event will bring together a diverse group of sailboats, motorboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats and prams and will give the public a chance to meet the owners and see these boats up close."
Despite the heat and humidity and a short spell of rain, FILA was pleased to be among those participating in the 2nd Annual Classic Boat Show in Suttons Bay. Many persons showed much interest in our efforts with many kind comments noting our dedication in saving the South Fox Island Light Station.
We must make mention too that this year's
Classic Boat Show was dedicated to the memory of Suttons
Bay sailor Mark Pleune, who was one of the long-time
organizers of this event.
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Thanks Tom Kelly and all at ISEA for making this event happen!
Sandy Bradshaw
August
7, 2012
Hon. Brian Calley at the GTLM
The Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, the Honorable Brian Calley, visited the Grand Traverse Lighthouse on Friday, July 6th. In his speech to the small crowd gathered he spoke of the significance of lighthouse preservation, "Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state," he said. "It is important that we preserve these for future generations."
Hon. Calley was both distinct, kind and down to earth and eagerly mingled with the guests. Sandra gave him a short briefing on the South Fox light.
Stef Staley, director of the Grand Traverse
Lighthouse
Museum, Sandy Bradshaw of FILA, and
Hon. Brian Calley.
Sandy Bradshaw
August
7, 2012
Hot Day, Cool Water
Taking advantage of a brief respite from the south winds, Don, Gary and Jane Stauffer and I motored out to the Light Station on Sunday. The light NW wind did little to lower the temps but it was nice to have a little air moving out there.
Despite the heat the Stauffers completed the mowing around the Fog Signal building, the sidewalk edges and the trail to the beach. Both the mower and the brush cutter were kept busy by Gary and Don. Meantime, Jane raked up the cuttings and pulled the weeds from the sidewalk seams. I finally got after the poison ivy and was pleased to note that we are continuing to make headway year by year; I only needed 4 gallons to spot spray this year's crop.
Work done and heat prostration impending, we headed down to the Lake to cool off. The trip back was fast and uneventful and we were happy to have had another good day at the Station.
Phil von Voigtlander
July 15, 2012
Board Meeting of July 9, 2012
The Web cam on the 1934 Skeleton Tower has been reactivated and can be viewed at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum. Streaming connection to the Internet is still not available there, but plans were discussed.
The Lightkeeper has been moved to Suttons Bay, and the board has received a bid from a board member. The board will vote on the sale at the next meeting with a quorum.
Participation in regional events was outlined. John Wells, consultant to the board, presented plans for storing archived FILA material at the Leelanau Historical Museum, where it would be available to the public. A long list of things to do this summer on the island, all projects approved by SHPO, was discussed.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
August 14, 2012
Taming the jungle: Island trip of June 30
Don, his friend Jan, John Nelson and I once more ran the Islander out to the South Fox Light Station on Saturday. It was a bit rough going out as a fresh NW 10-15 was in the process of countering the long term southerly swell of the previous days. It calmed as we approached the island and was well behaved thereafter.
On the island, we had hoped to mow (with
the new mower that we carried out with us) and spray
the poison ivy. However, a quick assessment of the situation
lead to a full team press on reclaiming the previous
years perimeters. Out came the clippers, brush cutter
and the new Puller Bear.
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We kept the mower busy all afternoon while the other three cut back and pulled the larger vegetation that had invaded the lawn edges. We got it pretty well done before the collective need for a swim to prevent heat stroke and remove the residues of poison ivy led us to the cool refreshing water. After closing up, we loaded on the boat for a nice fast run back to Northport.
Next time, the reemerging poison ivy will be dealt with....
Phil von Voigtlander
July 1, 2012
Photos submitted by Don Stauffer
This is the Webmaster speaking....
Many visitors to our Website may have noticed that there were no updates in the last five months, quite the opposite of our normal practice, this Website usually being on the ball almost as much as a newspaper.
The reason: As mentioned already in April 2011, the little company that hosted our Website since 2006 got purchased by a bigger competitor, and the change resulted not only in a raise of the hosting fees but also in a drastic reduction of the features offered to access the servers. Worse still, after some more changes in February 2012, uploading new data became downright impossible. After many complaints, those guys promised to send me instructions for fixing the problems, but they sent them to my Webmaster email account on the same, inaccessible, server, so I did not receive them.
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -- Albert Einstein
Now, after months of nerve-racking waste of time, things seem to be sorted out. I apologize for any inconvenience.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger
June 24, 2012
Board Meeting of June 11, 2012
John McKinney's minutes of the May meeting and the Treasurer's report were presented and approved.
The new FILA display at the GT Lighthouse Museum, a press release concerning the Historic Structures Report and storage space issues were discussed. Don Stauffer will finalize FILA's participation in summer festivals and send out a schedule.
The first trip of this year to the Light Station was covered, featuring the maiden voyage on behalf of FILA of Don's and Phil von Voigtlander's new boat, the Islander, with substantially lower fuel consumption compared to the Lightkeeper. Plans for the next trips were made. Phil offered to sell the Lightkeeper's trailer to FILA in order to facilitate the sale of the old boat.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Don Stauffer's minutes
June 20, 2012
Media Release by MSHDA
Please click here to read the complete media release by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, a very nice summary of FILA's efforts to save the South Fox Island Light Station.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger
June 11, 2012
Lilac Latrine Revival: First island trip of the season
We (Don, his 11 y.o. guest, Drew, from Indianapolis, John Wells, John McKinney and I) finally got it together to visit the Light Station. It was the first trip of the season and for Don's and my new boat. It is smaller (22') than the Lightkeeper and much more economical to operate. It is planned to serve as a personnel carrier rather than a freight hauler. The boat performed well as did the new RIB dingy. We found the station in good order but the grass in need of mowing and got a good part of that done before the old mower needed a rest, i.e. it ran out of oil. We also picked up brush and swept the sidewalks.
Importantly, we determined that the power system is operating by testing the radio 911 call box. The latter was almost left behind by the gents of a certain age, but luckily Don's young guest, Drew, reminded us as we were loading up for departure that it had been left at the Tower station. Oh, and the compost treatment of the latrine had been successful so it is once more open for business.
A good first trip on a beautiful day. The next trip should include the new lawn mower and some oil for the old one.
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Phil von Voigtlander
June 5, 2012
Photos submitted by Don Stauffer and
John Wells
New hinges for the Boat House doors
We are getting closer to completed doors for the Boat House on that little island.
Lots of “mill scale”, welds splatter, sharp corners of steel and fine black dust to clean before even thinking about priming and top coating. I’ve learned over the years:”Painting is 80% preparation and 20% application.”
So on to priming and top coating with Rust-Oleum enamel paint. Final top coat color will be flat black. Then - delivery to our carpenter, Andy Batteiger. Holes must still be drilled in the 3/8” thick hinges to match up with the hemlock lumber spacing. We can work this out with Andy.
Many thanks to Dan Nickels, owner of Black Rock Forge. Could not have done this without you!
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John Wells
June 1,
2012
Historic Structures Report completed
FILA is pleased to announce we have received the coveted Historic Structures Report (HSR). It was completed this spring under the careful guidance of Project Manager George "Carp" Carpenter, former FILA board member. George worked hard to see this accomplished and we all thank him!
FILA and George worked closely with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE). SHPO approved the report in late February of this year. The 200-page report, which cost approximately $34,000, was meticulously conducted over many months by Ken Czapski of the U.P. Engineers & Architects, Inc (UPEA) in Marquette, MI. Much of the cost was funded by the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP). The remaining funds were raised by FILA.
"The South Fox Island complex is a rare intact collection of buildings, including both a lighthouse tower and a skeletal tower," said SHPO architect Bryan Lijewski. As the architect assigned to work with lighthouses, Lijewski works with lighthouses both on land and off shore. "South Fox is remote. The fact that it lacks a docking facility makes the transportation of materials and equipment a greater challenge than usual, but I know the committed volunteers will make it happen."
Happening it is!
Sandy Bradshaw
June
4, 2012
To see the Proposed Site Plan from the Historic Structures Report, an outline of possible projects for the future, please click here.
Board Meeting of May 16, 2012
The board accepted the 2012 budget. The Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum has again offered space for a South Fox display. Plans were made for retrieving the old student panels stored at Sally Frie's, for simplifying storage of FILA materials in general, and for the future of the stained glass artwork.
This year's use permit has been signed by the DNR. Lots of minor topics were discussed, such as questions to ask the DNR (privy, Waterways Commission agenda), boat trips to the island, what to do there, what to do with the Lightkeeper, how to handle the new root puller contraption (PullerBear), Web Cam status including possible directional beam connection to Fisherman's Island (still pending). The Visitor Book was shown and discussed. According to John Wells, the metalwork for the Boat House doors is done, the carpentry part coming next.
John McKinney
May
2012
Board Meeting of April 9, 2012
An important Board Meeting today for FILA. Several key items came to pass for this small non profit with a big heart.
First….approval from the State Historic Preservation Office for the 2012 work season projects on the island. Second….reimbursement for over $23,000 of Historic Structures Report monies. Third….a 2012 budget with numbers all attending Board members agreed on. Fourth…. a much clearer definition for the first time ever of specific projects the State of Michigan and FILA conferred on and came to a positive conclusion for all parties. Fifth….money back in the bank that we have been patiently waiting to receive….much of this money had been raised by FILA in the summer of 2010. Sixth….reassurance from our ‘landlord’ we are doing the right thing and moving ahead on a difficult and long term project….on a remote island. Seventh….a small group of dedicated volunteers who stick to a mission and vision better than most groups its size (or bigger) could ever do.
Nice Job FILA. Some non profits with far larger budgets and full time staff in our area wish they had their HSR fully funded and completed. Well….FILA has theirs done and paid for. Some older, more established non profits wish they could pull off what FILA does. Believe me, I watch them closely and know what to look for in their weak links.
Nice job Executive Committee. Nice job Board members. Good job on all fronts. Pat yourselves on the back. You just hit a major milestone.
John Wells
April
9, 2012
Board Meeting of March 12, 2012
The January and February meeting minutes and the Treasurer's report were discussed and approved. Cathy Allchin reported on the branding project with the NMC.
Historic Structures Report: Final approval from the State Historical Preservation Office was received, and FILA was asked to send a copy to RAM Construction Services in Livonia. Cathy Allchin and John Wells submitted the application for the Governor’s Service Award with photos of approximately 60 volunteers.
Dave Markel will go to the Chicago Archives and get copies of all documents that pertain to the South Fox Island Light Station to pass on to FILA. Cathy reported on her correspondence with Ginna Bourisseau, great-granddaughter of Louis Bourrisseau, South Fox Lighkeeper.
Cathy also reported on the meeting with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of the very same day, which covered important topics such as the Assistant Keepers' Quarters roof, the Boat House doors, the collapsing lean-to on back of the 1867 Lighthouse, installation of a privy to replace our famous Lilac Garden Throne, the Camper Keeper Program, the Safe Harbor Project and a possible long-term lease for FILA.
Participation in local and regional festival was discussed.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
April 4, 2012
Board Meeting of February 16, 2012
The FILA Board met at the Horizon Book Store in Traverse City. The December minutes were approved. The minutes of the January meeting, where there was no quorum, will be published later. The financial state of affairs, the 2011 Operating Statement and the 2011 Year End Statement, both prepared by Karen Wells, were discussed and approved.
Blake Harrigan and Jason Helbig, two visual communications/graphic design students, members of a team at NMC under the tutelage of Professor Caroline Schaefer-Hills, attended the Board meeting. They are working on project initiated by Cathy Allchin to create a brand for FILA, including a video for presentation and educational use, a new look for the website including more interactive features, and redesigning the FILA logo.
The current state of the Historic Structures Report and the funding thereof was reported and discussed. The Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum has informed FILA that they cannot host FILA's Webcam service and store our historical materials any longer. Plans for moving the stuff were made.
Visitor statistics of FILA's website and several articles in magazines were presented by Sandy Bradshaw. Cathy will report to the DNRE on March 12. The possibility of moving the mainland antenna for the South Fox webcam to Fisherman's Island in order to get a high speed connection to the Internet from there with the help of the DNRE was presented. Cathy suggested the repair of the roof of the Assistant Keepers' Quarters as one of the priorities of 2012. The procedure for the new Boat House door and some details of the Camper Keeper Program with participants from schools in Michigan were discussed too.
John Wells recommended that FILA apply for the Governor’s Service Award as a means of raising awareness of FILA’s mission on a statewide basis. He and Cathy will work on the application, which is due for submittal on March 1st, 2012.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on Pamela Nickerson's minutes
February 22,
2012
Board Meeting of January 16, 2012
The meeting at the TG Children's Museum took place without a quorum. The treasurer's monthly report, the 2011 Operating Statement and Income Statement and the 2012 budget template were presented and discussed. Reimbursement request documents for the Historic Structures Report (100% draft relayed to the board) submitted by George Carpenter were circulated.
FILA is on the GuideStar charity website, and John Wells is our monitor. Cathy Allchin talked through her new PowerPoint presentation and suggested a branding initiative with a student team at the Northern Michigan College. For more details see the February Board Meeting.
Our presentation at the meeting with the MI Department of Natural Resources and Environment on March 12 was outlined, and the idea of a Camper Keeper Program was presented. A Brad Boese Award for outstanding service was proposed.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on John McKinney's minutes
March 23, 2012
January Presentations
Cathy Allchin, FILA's vice president, gave two presentations in Traverse City this month, each a great way to help us off to a New Start for 2012. The first one, on January 5th, was given to the Traverse City Power Squadron. Sixty members were on hand to hear about updates on South Fox Island. This included a slide presentation, a briefing on the Historic Structures Report, as well as the marine survey arranged by Lisa Gamero from the DNRE last summer. "We had a good response from the audience," Cathy reported.
On January 10th, Cathy gave a slide presentation and talk addressed to the Traverse City Rotary Club to approximately 175 members. "I shared our recent appeal for monies at the rotary for a new dingy and was called within an hour from a gentleman offering us a Porta- Bote!" she stated. FILA has received this new addition to our growing little fleet! It is twelve feet in length, folds to a convenient four inch depth, and weighs approximately fifty pounds. It has a beam (width) of 50 inches and has three seats. "It's about forty years old, a little dirty around the edges, but still sound. It is in need of oars and some hardware. Our intent is to clean it up and have it on the island for our volunteer camper keepers program to be newly inaugurated this coming Summer 2012."
John Olsen of Traverse City kindly donated the little craft. Thank you from all of us at FILA Mr. Olsen!
Sandy Bradshaw
January
13, 2012
Earlier News articles are available in the Archives section.
Latest update June 16, 2013