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INDEX 2009: 2008: 2007: 2006: 2005: South Fox Lighthouse in the Record-EagleFILA got coverage in the Traverse City Record-Eagle twice in just a few days, a whole article published December 9 and a paragraph in the Cheers section of December 14. Hans Joerg Rothenberger
A rare day in OctoberOn October 28, a rare opening in the weather gave us a chance to return to the Light Station to finish up the season's projects, clean up the camp site, close up the buildings for the season and pack out equipment. On short notice we were able to assemble a crew including Jerry Spears, Chris Young, Steve Craker and 2 of his hunting companions. The latter 3 were critical to the major task of launching the barge off the harbor beach. After completing that, Jerry delivered them to their camp site at the north end of the island. Upon return, Chris and Jerry completed the seeding of the cleared areas around the workshop and the fog signal building. The seeded areas were blanketed with straw secured with mesh to protect it from blowing off. Meantime, I moved the personal equipment, tools and supplies from the buildings, baited them with rodenticide and securely closed them up for the winter. I then hiked around the perimeter of the property and installed 6 more of the DNR "No Hunting" signs in strategic locations. A few more would be good in the future as these signs provide the public with a good delineation of the State land and the restrictions on its use. After cleaning up the materials on the beach and loading the Lightkeeper up, we departed. The moderate easterly breeze that had plagued us in the harbor was now an asset; as the Lightkeeper broke the heading swells, the barge was tucked in between our wakes and drove safely back to the Bay. A rare October day indeed when one can safely navigate a pontoon boat half way across Lake Michigan! This was the 15th and last trip aboard the Ligthkeeper that I have completed without serious incident this season in addition to 3 South Fox missions on my sail boat. Thank you to all who have contributed to the success of these missions. Phil von
Voigtlander Thank you very much Phil for all your hard work! Hans Joerg
Rothenberger Board Meeting of October 13, 2009The FILA Board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Suggestions for membership renewals, file storage at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, details concerning the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant (workshop roof repair bids) and the outcome of the Fall Harvest Festival at the Leelanau State Park were discussed. Cathy Allchin outlined ideas for developing a strategic plan in cooperation with NorthSky. Plans for the Annual Meeting in December were made, including the agenda, renewal of Board terms, possible new Board member candidates etc.. The pending Newsletter was discussed in detail. There was considerable discussion concerning the work on the seawall and boat house ramp that had been done recently by two professional excavation people and the remuneration thereof. Merchandise issues, in particular quantities and prices of hoodies and hats, were discussed too. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Seawall Project – Phase IOn October 1st, Jerry Spears, Chris Young and I returned to the South Fox Light Station with a large load of supplies, gear and equipment. Once ashore, Jerry and Chris went back to work on the excavating and grading of the boat house ramp. I set about mowing the lawn areas: first I used the mower to clear all around the assistant keepers quarters and then mowed the other areas bounded by sidewalks. Later in the afternoon, I completed the base trim of the south corner of the boat house and then departed to Northport. Jerry and Chris, for the next eight days, focused on completing the big dig, i.e. the boat house ramp, and building the retaining wall along the north side of it. They frequently worked into the night under floodlights and at times under the shelter of tarps. During some periods of heavy rain, they cleaned up the front rooms of the Lighthouse in preparation for eventual painting. They also used the excavating equipment to complete the clearing around the fog signal building and along the adjacent sidewalk. This involved pulling all the stumps from the saplings that John McKinney and I had earlier cleared. They finished off their work by grading the areas in preparation for seeding. By the 9th, Jerry and Chris had completed the objectives involving the excavating equipment and, as more bad weather was forecast for the foreseeable future, decided that it was a good time to end this phase of their island adventure. They then commenced moving their equipment to the landing site at the Mirada Ranch. On the morning of the 10th, FILA Advisory Committee member John Wells and I departed Northport prior to sunrise for a fast trip to the island. As we were approaching we noted the the wind shift (to the SW) was already upon us and snow clouds were moving in fast. We got a quick tour of the projects, closed up the buildings and started loading up the boat while Jerry and Chris completed the equipment transit. Due to the deteriorating conditions we then vacated the island briefly after noon. The trip back was, well, terrible but our spirits were high; the work that Jerry and Chris had completed is truly a turning point for FILA and the future of the Light Station. Proceeding carefully through quartering seas and occasionally reduced to surfing off to the East, we navigated despite continual blinding spray and rain back to Northport. It was only at the inner buoy that conditions cleared sufficiently to provide a continual clear view of our objective. We quickly secured the boat and headed for hot showers and dry clothes. I noted that the wind had peaked a 39 mph. Look at the pictures. We think you will be, as we were, very impressed by the quality of work that this hardy team has completed! Phil von
Voigtlander
Photos provided by John Wells. An Epic SeptemberWe have had a lot of activity at the Light Station in the month of September. On September 4 while on vacation, I visited there simultaneously with 2 other sail boats (Dutch and Bonnie - FILA members and Fritz Seegers, with Howard Meyerson on board). While giving them the Lighthouse tour it became clear that Howard is the outdoor editor for the Grand Rapids Press. He took many pictures and, based on our discussions and interviews with John McKinney and Anna Sylvester, wrote an excellent piece for that (click here to read the article) and the other Booth Newspapers. Next, in the evening of September 8th, Jerry Spears landed the first of his excavation implements (the Toro Dingo) from his powered 24 foot barge in the company of Matt Young aboard Not For Hire. Back on shore on the 9th, Jerry and Chris Young assembled the parts for a small (8' x 8') temporary crib dock. The following day, Jerry, Chris and I transported all our equipment to the island. In the course of the day, we constructed the crib and used the Dingo to fill it with stone. That evening Jerry and Chris returned to Northport. On the 11th, I started the construction clean up of the workshop and cleaned up and organized the remaining lumber in the boat house. That evening Jerry, Chris and Matt returned with the Toro Workman and we unloaded it via the crib, secured the barge up on the shore, unloaded their tools, gear and supplies after which Matt returned to Northport aboard his boat. On the 12th and 13th, Jerry and Chris commenced clearing off the seawall with the Dingo and Workman while I completed the workshop clean up. We had many visitors; 10 came ashore on the 12th from various boats and a sea plane for whom I gave tours, and on the 13th Dick Parker and crew showed up aboard The Lake Effect and Matt returned aboard his boat to return Jerry and Chris to Northport. While back on shore, Jerry arranged to have his Kubota excavator transported to the island aboard the Mirada Ranch landing craft while I worked at the station and awaited their return. In the course of the ensuing week, I cut up two downed maples and hauled the wood to the fire circle and removed brush from the lawn areas. I also completed base trim for the workshop and boat house and the primer coats of paint on the south wall of the boat house and all the new wood trim on the workshop. I had a surprise visit from Matt and Cindy Young in the evening of the 19th and set them up to spend the night on the island (nice to have some company after 6 days!). On the 20th, Jerry and Chris returned with John McKinney with their gear and supplies. In the course of the day we moved the excavator from the Ranch to the job site and loaded my stuff onto the Lightkeeper while Matt cleaned out the tower from the top to the bottom and John hauled more wood and raked up the last of the shingles at the shop. That evening John and I returned the boat to Northport in the company of the Youngs aboard their boat while Jerry and Chris remained to continue the excavation with the enhanced help from the excavator. On the 25th, McKinney, Craig Gulseth (DNR), Jim Schiffer and I returned to the island with the Lightkeeper and were amazed and delighted by the fine work the Jerry and Chris had completed. The seawall was not only cleared but the banks were built up with boulder walls and similarly the area behind the boat house was cleared of stone and landscaped with boulder walls. They had also initiated the excavation of the boat house ramp down to the rails and back filled the seawall in areas where it have been undercut by erosion. During that day, they reviewed the progress and plans with Craig and discussed the feasibility and plans for preserving and reconstructing the seawall with Jim Schiffer. Jim is a civil engineer with a special interest in shoreline structures. Craig spent the balance of his time installing the property signs around the borders and tagging the buildings with State Inventory tags. John and I worked on closing down the station after the longest continuous (16 days) occupation of the FILA era. We packed out through the West beach and proceeded slowly into the SE swells and wind back to Northport. Phil von
Voigtlander Third Fall Harvest FestivalSeptember 26th: The weather was just about perfect for the Third Annual Leelanau State Park Fall Harvest Festival and Silent Auction/Pancake Breakfast hosted by Park Manager Al Ammons. Willing volunteers were many and included George "Carp" and Trudy Carpenter, Maxine Gordon (Trudy's Mom), myself, "Greeter Tale Waggers" Laddie Bradshaw and Ms. Cricket Carpenter, John and Ann McKinney, Tom and Kathy Larkin, Phil von Voigtlander, Anne Braise, Bob and Sandy Zwemer and Sally Frye. They all worked hard to make sure the event was a fun one for all. Mouthwatering displays of home-grown vegetables tempted festival goers. Various individuals presented a wide assortment of cottage industry wares and beautiful local floral arrangements. Fun for all children's games and old-fashioned cider making were some of the activities. The event was again a success, reaching our goals, both in attendance, as well as apparel sales (did you get your FILA hat yet?!) and great bidding on the Silent Auction items. Local merchants and others made the auction again a success. We wish to especially thank the Northport Lion's Club for loaning us their grills, and Busby Oil & Propane for providing fuel to keep 'em hot and cooking! After breakfast of pancakes and sausages, John and his crew changed over to grilled Brats, and there was delicious Kilcherman's cider, doughnuts and coffee for all. We certainly hope to see you next year
at the Fourth Annual Fall Festival!
Sandy Bradshaw Board Meeting of September, 8, 2009The meeting took place at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Lacking a quorum at the beginning og the meeting, some items on the agenda were skipped. The treasurer's report, sent to the board member before the meeting, was accepted. Sally Frye reported on plans being made by the Traverse Area Light Chain. Phil von Voigtlander suggested that TALC consider representing all of the lighthouses at the Chicago Maritime Festival in February 2010. George Carpenter reported on the re-shingling of the workshop. According to the Parker Team, the old shingles seemed to have been painted red. The team found a rusty single shot handgun under a soffit. Upcoming public events were discussed, and Phil presented pending projects for the light station. Sally reported on interviews with former inhabitants of the station and on plans for the 2010 meeting of the Michigan Lighthouse Association in Traverse City. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Carpenters On Board!On Friday, August 28th, I delivered the Parker team of carpenters, Dick, Lee, Dennis and Sheldon, and George Carpenter to the Light Station at S Fox along with the construction equipment, gear and supplies for the week end. After unloading and lunch I returned to Northport as bad weather was approaching. George helped the team settle in and handled their care and feeding as well as thoroughly documenting the work as they commenced re-roofing the Workshop. Saturday was an atrocious day weather-wise, but regardless they completed the installation of all the available shingles after having replaced the face boards and many of the roof deck boards. They made repeated attempts (including a sign in the field of the webcam!) to call back to the mainland to request more shingles be sent out. They then set about additional projects including a more permanent provisional repair to the1867 Lighthouse dormer roof. On Monday, when Greg Nickerson and I returned to join them, they requested that we return to Northport ASAP to get 2 more sq of shingles to complete the job. Lee, Dennis and I did so and by 3:50 I returned with the material. Dick and Sheldon worked right up to dinner time completing the job at 7:00. During the day Greg salvaged parts of his boat. We loaded these, the tools, gear and the remainder of the team and returned to Northport at 10:10 pm after a fast, calm and moon-lit voyage. The expertly installed cedar roof assures the protection of this historic structure. Phil von
Voigtlander Team Nickerson, Episode IIIOn Tuesday, August 18th, the Lightkeeper transported Jan Nickerson, Pamela Nickerson, Sally Frye, Audrey and David Markle and Phil von Voigtlander to the Light Station. The Markles served at the Station in 1957 and were returning for the first time. We were accompanied by Greg Nickerson on board Neu-Sense with Zach, Brendan, Kate and Sarah. We had a moderately rough and therefore slow crossing and limited protection from the SW swell as we unloaded the crews and gear. As the wind picked a bit more, Greg helped me shuttle 1000 lb of lumber off the Lightkeeper. While the Nickersons set up camp, Sally
toured the Station with the Markles and collected their
recollections of their season there 52 years ago. In
the course of the afternoon the wind increased from
the SW and we decided to stay at the island with the
Nickersons for the night. Greg and I moved our boats
to the NE anchorage while the Markles benefited from
the camping gear recently donated to FILA by Harvey
Van Dam. In the morning, conditions had moderated, and, after breakfast with the Nickersons, Sally, Audrey, David and I returned to Northport. On August 23rd, I ran the Lightkeeper out to the Light Station with a load of roofing materials and back loaded with the Nickersons and all their gear. They had a rough week of wind, rain and cool temperatures. Despite this, they were able to do a lot of clearing under the tower and along the sidewalks. They came prepared to paint the boat house and got the south side prepped prior to the rain; the wet weather subsequently precluded any painting. Their adventure was also dampened by the swamping and rolling of Greg's boat in the heavy surf conditions that developed Thursday and Friday. I reported this loss to the Coast Guard and arranged for a salvage boat to return it to Northport. The calm day also allowed them to complete this mission today. As the sun was setting, we enjoyed a pizza picnic at the Marina Park and two hours later the tow boat guys finished up the leftovers. Phil von
Voigtlander
Board Meeting of August 11, 2009As usual, the board met at the Great Lakes Children's Musueum. After the presentation of the financial report by Phil von Voigtlander, options for storing FILA's documents were discussed. Secretary George Carpenter reported that a subcontract for re-shingling the workshop was being issued. Reworking the belated newsletter was organized, and membership strategies were discussed. Phil reported on the fairly complex plans for getting several teams to the light station and back in the near future. There was considerable discussion concerning the impact of our activities on the environment. Participation in upcoming events was prepared, particularly the Leelanau State Park Harvest Festival of September 26 at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes DNR and SHPO visitOn August 5th, FILA's Executive Committee, John McKinney, Cathy Allchin, George Carpenter and Phil von Voigtlander, hosted a trip to South Fox for State officials. Guests were Anna Sylvester and Lisa Gamero of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and Bryan Lijewski and Denise Sachau of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). This trip was mandated by the terms of the recently awarded Michigan Lighthouse Fund grant to provide the SHPO administrators an initial inspection of the buildings covered by the grant. It also provided a great opportunity for the Parks Division personnel to assess this remote property that they are responsible for. The NW breeze provided a challenging (and slowed) trip out to the island aboard the Lightkeeper. After landing we had a brief orientation. Then those whose appetites had returned had lunch. The afternoon was spent touring the buildings and property. George focused on the grant-related structures with the SHPO team and Phil reviewed all the progress that FILA has made for the DNR while they inventoried the buildings and site. The afternoon went quickly and soon we had to be back underway into a freshening SW wind. We arrived back in Northport just in time to share a picnic dinner in the Marina Park Pavilion put on by FILA board members and volunteers. Thanks to all those that contributed to this great end to a successful inspection trip! Phil von
Voigtlander
Hans Joerg Rothenberger Team Lee cleaning upOn Thursday, July 23, volunteers Carole and Willie Lee and Marcia Billings and board members Sandy Bradshaw and Joerg Rothenberger were transported to the South Fox Island Light Station aboard the Lightkeeper by George Carpenter. After setting up their camp and getting an orientation to the tasks at hand, they got to work. Clean up, painting and surveying the property occupied the volunteers over the next 3 days. Quite a few heavy downpours could not discourage them. Joerg, assisted by Sandy, continued his survey program started last year, this time with recently acquired professional grade equipment. The heaps of slash from the earlier clearing around the Tower and Fog Signal were cut up, hauled to the Nickerson Fire Circle and gradually burned over the next several days.The excavation of the walkways around the Assistant Keepers Quarters was completed and the walks swept clean. Inside, the bachelor apartments got a thorough sweeping and the entrance door was scraped and painted as were the window frames of the workshop. Meantime, survey work was completed, comprising more than 400 carefully recorded measurements that will provide for an even more accurate and detailed map of the property. On Monday morning, the team broke camp, closed up the Station and departed aboard the Lightkeeper with Phil von Voigtlander and George Carpenter for an enjoyable and uneventful trip back to Northport. Phil von
Voigtlander
Photos by Carole, Sandy and Joerg Team Geezer: Sailors do the work!I just returned from supporting the efforts of Team Geezer of Ann Arbor at the Fox Island Light Station. As this is a group of sailors, I joined them on my sail boat. I arrived at the island Thursday evening after a windless crossing under diesel power aboard my sail boat. On Friday, June 19, I transferred supplies ashore. Most of the day was then spent spot spraying the emerging poison ivy. I also inaugurated the emergency radio system with a call to Leelanau County 911 to let them know that we would be at the island for the weekend. The radio worked perfectly. Early Friday evening the other Geezers, Don Duquette, Rob Pasick and Paul Webb, arrived on board Donna Marie. I introduced them to the Light Station and the various tasks at hand. All had a lot of questions about the history of the place and of each building. As we conversed about these, the sun was setting and we retired to our respective boats. Saturday we went ashore early. Paul and Rob put the new pruners, loppers and saw to good use clearing the major walkways of overhanging vegetation and broomed them off. Don discovered a passion for digging rocks off the boathouse walkway. I helped with some of the wheel barrowing and spent some time cleaning up the interior of the Lighthouse. Towards the evening we departed to the northeast anchorage as the southerly wind was building. Sunday offered up a great SW sailing wind on which Donna Marie departed. I spent the morning hiking around the north end of the island to the site of the stranded NOAA buoy that I had discovered on my last trip there and documented it with photos and a GPS reading. In the afternoon, I attempted to return to the Lighthouse but the southern anchorage was too rough for safety and I returned to the NE anchorage for the evening. Monday morning I had a great sail back
to Northport despite the intermittent rain and associated
poor visibility. My thanks to the hard working Geezers
for making this trip a great success!
Phil von
Voigtlander Northport Lighthouse & Maritime Festival (June 22, 2009)A big thank you to Sally Frye, Sandy
Bradshaw, Phil von Voigtlander, Pamela and Jan Nickerson,
John Nelson, Bob Zwemer, Ken Scott, and Karen and John
Wells, who all came to the Festival and worked. The
Nickerson family loaned us their tent and Jan, through
Britten Media, donated the two very nice banners which
set us apart from many of the other booths. We gave
out over 50 brochures, and we got a list of people who
want to volunteer to go to the island.
George Carpenter, with
photos and captions by Sandy Bradshaw Board Meeting of June 9, 2009The FILA Board met at the Great Lakes Children's Musueum. The Treasurer's report was presented by President John McKinney, because Treasurer Phil von Voigtlander was expected to join the meeting later. John McKinney welcomed U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement and Public Affairs Officer Lieutenant Nathan Noyes, who had been invited by Advisory Committee Member John Wells. Lt. Noyes gave a detailed description of the technical and organizational possibilities of the Coast Guard for providing help in an emergency. Procedural details concerning the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant and contract were discussed, as well as creative ways to use money from unscheduled donations and the like. Vice-President Cathy Allchin reported on the pending issue of the newsletter including its e-mail version, and a few suggestions concerning membership renewal were made. Phil reported that the trip to set up the emergency radio at the light station had gone well. He suggested efficient ways to schedule trips to the island. Secretary George Carpenter mentioned several additional trips that might be necessary this year. Sally Frye reported that the Traverse Area Light Chain was talking about a joint history booklet project. Carp handed out copies of a new brochure, asking for comments. Plans were made for FILA's presence at the Northport Lighthouse and Maritime Festival on June 20, including a new banner donated by Britten Media in Traverse City. Carp launched a discussion concerning merchandise (shirts, sweaters, hats). Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes First trip of the seasonWe had a big crew (Harold Carlton, George Carpenter, Sean Mauney, John McKinney, Dick Parker, Ken Scott and Phil von Voigtlander) for our initial trip to the Fox Island Light Station on May 30, 2009. Our approach to and landing on the island was a bit rough due to freshening SW wind and subsequent close encounter with a thunder storm, but we managed to get all the personnel and gear ashore without incident. Through the remainder of the day and the next, we greatly benefited from our many recently donated tools. The most excellent extension ladder was essential for the installation of the new emergency 911 radio and call box by Harold and Dick. It also provided Ken with the opportunity to use the top of the Tower as a vantage point for many of his photographs of the Station and its environment and for Dick to later clear the eaves of the Assistant Keepers Quarters. While up in the Tower, Harold also checked out the web cam power system, camera and transmitter. Meanwhile Sean and Phil made good use of the reconditioned wheel barrow and splitting gear to move, split and stack the remaining logs from the clearing project of 2 years ago. John set about sweeping up the Lighthouse 2nd floor and stairs and just about everyone took a crack at using the new shovels to clear stones from the boat house and adjacent walkways. George kept the crew well fed, completed the window sills on the Work Shop and with John's help did some site measurements. Dick also worked up the design and materials list for the repair of the front end of the Boat House. All the while Ken was taking advantage of the fine weather and clear night sky to create photo artistry of the Station. We found the Station to have overwintered well, with no particular problem other than the continued collapse of the shed addition to the 1867 Lighthouse. We did note that 3 more ridge tiles were missing on the Quarters roof and hope to attend to that on a later trip. We had a leisurely evening trip back to Northport and arrived just prior to the return of significant rain showers. It was a great trip that afforded FILA the various benefits of professionals volunteering their expertise to the project. Phil von
Voigtlander Some photos submitted
by George Carpenter:
Board Meeting of May 12, 2009The May meeting of the FILA board took place at the Great lakes Children's Museum, presided by Vice-President Cathy Allchin. Treasurer Phil von Voigtlander stated that an unexpected $10,000 grant had been received from the Ted and Jane von Voigtlander Foundation. Suggestions for a new Volunteer committee were made. Phil reported that the Lightkeeper, FILA's boat, had been launched the previous weekend. Trip scheduling, First Aid box contents, First Aid training and a grant for the emergency communication system were discussed. Cathy suggested a selection of short history stories to be used for displays and the like. Committee reports included the FILA display at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, a new brochure, event planning, merchandising ideas, etc.. The board also discussed strategic planning and board assessment. Carp reported that Stef Staley, director of the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, was resigning from FILA's Advisory Committee. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes The MLAP Grant explainedThe Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) has awarded $19,166 to the Fox Island Lighthouse Association (FILA) to conduct an Historic Structures Report (HSR) and to re-roof the Carpenter’s Shop at the South Fox Island Light Station. MLAP is funded by revenues from the Lighthouse specialty license plates available through the Secretary of State’s Office. The grant program is administered by the State Historic Preservation Office of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries. The HSR will study the original 1867 Lighthouse building at the Station by conducting an historical review, an engineering and physical assessment of the current condition, and developing and prioritizing repair and restoration needs of the structure. A state qualified historical architectural consulting firm will be hired to conduct the HSR study. For the Carpenter’s Shop re-roofing project, a local building construction contractor will be hired to remove the deteriorating cedar shingles, replace roof deck boards, rafters, and face boards as needed, and install new hand cut cedar shingles consistent in type with the deteriorated shingles. FILA will provide transportation and accommodations to the crews while they work at the Station. FILA will also provide $9,584 in matching funds and services and expects to complete both projects during the 2009 Field Season. Requests For Proposal will soon be going out to qualified bidders. George Carpenter Meeting with the DNR, April 15, 2009FILA board members John McKinney, Phil von Voigtlander, Bob Zwemer and avid supporter John Wells met with Craig Gulseth, Lisa Gamero and Anna Sylvester of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to present the work done in 2008 and to discuss the projects for the 2009 season. According to John McKinney, the meeting was a success, and the use permit for 2009 was signed.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger Board Meeting of April 14, 2009The FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Phil von Voigtlander's financial report showed almost no transactions. The board decided to pay $6000.00 to reduce the lien on the Lightkeeper boat. Plans for the meeting with the DNR, scheduled for April 15, were discussed. Based on Anne Brasie's report on the mailing of the annual donations / membership appeal, many aspects of membership renewal and recruiting were discussed. John Wells reported on possible solutions for emergency calls from the island, on First Aid kits for the boat and the Light Station, and on donations he collected. Strategies for gathering and storing historic information and plans for FILA's participation in three major events of the 2009 season were discussed. Wells stated that FILA needs a set of plans and goals to present while soliciting materials or going after larger grants and donations. The board asked him to gather suggestions from board member, to be discussed at the next meeting. Secretary George Carpenter commented on details concerning the MLAP grant, and Sally Frye reported on technical changes concerning the Web cam at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum and on important contacts to lighthouse organizations. The need for an organized set of books for audits was discussed. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Important support from the State!
Thanks to George Carpenter for sending me this, and of course many thanks to all you folks who have been working on it so hard! Hans Joerg Rothenberger Addendum: For the final, updated figures, see Carp's article of April 21! Marie Baumberger — an interesting visitOn February 16, 2009, George Carpenter visited Marie Baumberger in Tucson, Arizona. Marie is Allen Cain’s daughter. Allen Cain was an Assistant Keeper at the South Fox Island Light Station from 1946 to 1948 and Keeper at South Fox from 1948 until he was transferred in 1958. He was the last resident Keeper before the light was automated in 1958. Cain started his career in 1934 as an Assistant at the Chicago Crib. He was transferred to Beaver Island in 1934 and then on to First Assistant at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse from 1938 until 1946. Marie’s mother was Ruth Elizabeth Huyette Cain who made it to the Grand Traverse Lighthouse and briefly to South Fox. Marie said her mom hated the Island because it was so lonely and she didn’t like the boat ride. She was ill and died in Northport. While Cain was an Assistant at South Fox, he married Anna Dolwick Cain and she helped him when he became Keeper in 1948. It turns out that he had not made it past the fourth grade and so was very unsure about his ability to keep the log and do the records. Anna had graduated from high school so she said she would write the log, all he had to do was sign. Quite a team! After leaving South Fox in 1958, the Cains moved to a light at Alpena where he worked until his retirement in 1961. They moved back to Northport where Allen Cain died on December 18, 1966. He and Anna are buried in the Northport Cemetery. Marie never lived at South Fox, having married Noel Baumberger before her father was posted there. She did visit once (a drive by on the way to Beaver Island) with Doug McCormick. According to Robert Harris, an Assistant Keeper at South fox in 1958, Allen Cain’s dog “Leader” is buried in the South Fox Island Light Station graveyard. Marie didn’t remember that Allen had a dog at the Island but did say that her father had been an avid hunter and fisherman. George Carpenter Board Meeting of February 10, 2009The February Board meeting was held at the Great Lakes Children's Museum, again with transatlantic attendance. Phil von Voigtlander's 2009 budget was discussed and accepted, the possibility of on-line membership fee payment was evaluated, projects for the 2009 season including material needs and donations were presented, contacts with two former crew of the Light Station were reported and FILA's participation in various events was discussed. The Web cam at the Light Station keeps acting up in bad weather, and there are technical troubles with the other end of the transmission line too, both issues being taken care of. Future board meetings might be held at the soon to be finished new Grand Traverse Yacht Club building. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Board Meeting of January 13, 2009The first Board Meeting of 2009 was held at the Great Lakes Children's Museum in Traverse City, with Sandy Bradshaw and Joerg Rothenberger attending by conference call from Europe. The minutes of three meetings were approved. Phil von Voigtlander's financial report, briefly put, said that there are funds to see FILA through another year. The expired terms of Sandy Bradshaw, Phil von Voigtlander and George Carpenter were renewed, with a modification in order to guarantee staggered renewals in the future. FILA's new committee structure was discussed and approved. Sally Frye reported on activities of the Traverse Area Light Chain (TALC) incl. their possible participation in the PassBook project by the Northwest Lower Michigan Historical Network. Sally also reported on the state of her work on the documents FILA "inherited" from the former FIEA. Bob Zwemer suggested to make important documents available on the Web site. Before the meeting, Sally had provided all board members with a draft of the Safety Plan. Details were discussed. Carp suggested a slight change to the "traditional" agenda item pattern. He also answered questions concerning the grant application for the Historic Structures Report on the 1867 lighthouse. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Annual Meeting December 13, 2008A potluck lunch was enjoyed by 19 FILA members, guests and board members at the cafe of Britten Banners Inc. in Traverse City. During the formal business session, a new PowerPoint show composed by Cathy Allchin and Phil von Voigtlander was presented, triggering quite a few helpful comments from the floor concerning historical details and the like. Cathy Allchin was elected Vice President; Sandy Bradshaw, Vice President since FILA's formation, had not run for another term. She was presented a Certificate of Appreciation. The other officers were reelected. Anne Brasie and Pamela Nickerson were elected new board members. Phil von Voigtlander presented the 2008 Financial Report, making it clear that FILA is still running on a modest budget and struggling to make ends meet by cutting expenses wherever possible. The 2008 expenses were way below the approved Budget, and the 2009 projected expenses plan reflects this fact. An open discussion involving non-board
members and guests provided lots of very interesting
suggestions from the floor.
Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Special Meeting of November 25, 2008The FILA board plus Stef Staley, director of the GT Lighthouse Museum, FILA advisor and board mentor, met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. The meeting had been called for the purpose of receiving the Officers Nominating Committee report. The slate presented by Phil von Voigtlander, chair of the Committee, comprising John McKinney, President, Sally Frye, Vice President, George Carpenter, Secretary and Phil von Voightlander, Treasurer, was extended by Cathy Allchin nominating herself as a second candidate for Vice President. More details of the Annual Meeting were negotiated, especially concerning the Accomplishments Presentation. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Board Meeting of November 11, 2008The FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Phil von Voigtlander's financial report and the nomination process for new board members and officers were discussed. Detailed plans for the Annual Meeting were made. last-minute changes to the Newsletter were suggested and discussed. John Wells discussed fund raising and capital campaign concepts. He said fund raising for the Historic Structures Report might be more difficult than for a "bricks and mortar" project. Sally Frye reported on the Safety Plan. John Wells reported on the donation of a 36 ft extension ladder by Warner Ladder including freight expenses donated by him and his wife, Karen. Sally Frye informed the board of a meeting of the Traverse Area Lighthouse Chain (TALC), plans for a TALC office in Traverse City and the Annual Meeting of the Michigan Lighthouse Association on December 9 in Gaylord. George Carpenter reported on the Art Show in Northport featuring works by the artist that had gone to the South Fox Light Station on June 24, running through the Christmas / New Year Holidays. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Board Meeting of October 14, 2008The FILA board including Stef Staley of the GT Lighthouse Museum met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Phil von Voigtlander's financial report included the profit from the Harvest Festival, recruiting members and merchandising. Budget issues including procedures for developing the 2009 budget as well the timetable for nominating officers and new candidates for the board were discussed. George Carpenter reported on the application for a Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program grant for a Historic Structures Report including fund-raising problems to match the grant. Plans for the Annual Meeting in December and for the Newsletter were made. Phil reported on technical problems with the Webcam at the light station and plans for a satellite-based emergency phone connection. Other safety aspects were discussed too. Various other topics were discussed, such as FILA and the GTLHM possibly taking part in the "Passport to History Booklet" project by the Northwest Lower Michigan Historical Network. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Last island trip of the seasonOn Sunday, October 12, the Lightkeeper traveled to the Fox Island Light Station with a full crew of volunteers (George Carpenter, Harold Carlton, Jan Nickerson, Phil von Voigtlander, John and Karen Wells and Bob Wright). The main objectives of the trip were to diagnose and treat the webcam (which had ceased picture transmission some weeks ago) and to clean up and secure the station for the coming seasons. The day was cool and relatively calm and the mission was uneventful. Harold determined that the power system and transmitter were fine and that the camera simply needed to be reset. The reason for it shutting down was not immediately apparent. On a future trip we will plan to install a remote reset capability. George and John cleaned up and repainted the top rail of the Light House deck while the rest of us picked up around the site, put away tools and materials, dug out several more feet of the boat house walkway, and rolled logs to the Nickerson Fire Circle. . In the course of the day, we were joined by 2 boats of visitors: Greg, Laura and Brad Nickerson and a friend and later a trio from Empire. From sunrise to sunset, it was a good trip and a good end to a successful season working on the Light Station. Phil von
Voigtlander (with a bit from Carp) Board meeting of September 9, 2008The FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum to discuss various topics. Announcements of events on the Web site, expiring terms of officers, problems with the Web cam at the light station, and membership brochures were covered. Despite certain concerns, the board decided to go on with the application to the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program (MLAP) for a Historic Structures Report. Plans for the 2nd Harvest Festival were presented and amended. Phil von Voigtlander presented the financial report, and an agenda for the last trip of this year to the island was discussed. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Team Nickerson Episode IIOn Saturday, August 16, John McKinney and Phil von Voigtlander transported Team Nickerson (Jan, Pamela, Greg, Laura and Sara) and their guest Bob Lepisto to the South Fox Light Station. On Sunday, John and Phil installed the roof decking on the north side of the boat house while Greg started shingling the south side. Bob helped out with as needed on both sides. Meanwhile, Jan and Laura continued the digging out of the boat house walkway, and Pamela and Sara finished up the priming of the workshop exterior. On Monday, they applied the finish coat to the sides and back of the building while the rest of the crew pitched in to support the roofing project. Greg continued installing shingles with the help of John while Phil and Bob hauled out and staged the materials. In the mid afternoon, John, Bob and Phil loaded up their gear and returned to Northport. On Friday, August 22, Phil von Voigtlander returned to the Light. Despite adverse winds and a consequent rough anchorage, he and Greg Nickerson dinghied 5 bundles of shingles, 124 linear feet of 1 x 6 boards and additional painting supplies ashore. After a rainy and stormy Saturday morning, Greg, Pamela, Laura and Sara completed the shingling of the boat house roof and the installation of the peak flashing. Pamela and Laura completed the painting of the exterior of the Workshop including the window frames. Jan and Sara continued the excavation of the boat house walkway. Meantime, Phil replaced the 3 broken windows in the Work Shop, fashioned patches over its major roof leaks and reset the hinges of the Lighthouse door with epoxy putty. Late that evening the sudden arrival of a 20 knot northern wind required Phil to move the Lightkeeper. In the dark of the midnight, he was guided and his heart warmed by the Nickerson Lighthouse (a bright lantern they held out) as he crossed the South Fox Shoals to the safer west side. Sunday morning was largely spent breaking camp and packing up while Greg installed the new face boards (thoroughly primed by Pamela the previous day) under the edge of the new boat house roof. Additional projects completed by the Team during the week were: cutting up the remaining wood from last year and cutting back the brush along the side walks. After securing the buildings and cleaning up the site, the crew loaded the boat and returned to Northport on a brisk following wind and clear skies. Once more, Team Nickerson has greatly supported the Lighthouse project with their hard work and contributions; we salute them! Phil von
Voigtlander We hope to be able to publish photos soon too. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
FILA Webmaster Mystery section addedThere is a new section at the bottom of the History page, called "Mysteries & Questions." Please click here to have a look at it, and if you can provide a solution or an answer, just let us know. There are quite a few things out there at the light station that still puzzle us! Consequently, the navigation buttons to the History page now read "History & Mystery." Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
FILA Webmaster Board meeting of August 12, 2008As usual, the FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Being absent, Treasurer Phil von Voigtlander had e-mailed his financial report. Due to several open questions the approval of the report was adjourned. Again, the topic of the Historic Structures Report triggered considerable discussion. Eventually, it was decided that a grant application be submitted to the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program and a meeting dedicated to this specific topic be held in two weeks. Details concerning the publication of the first newsletter, the dates of the Art Show displaying (and hopefully selling) the results of the Artists Cruise of June and the Harvest Fest at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum were discussed. Since the Museum's gift shop is pretty much out of South Fox souvenirs, plans for a new series of hats and T-shirts were made. Further topics were: a Traverse City company interested in planning and supplying materials for paint work on the 1867 lighthouse, the addition of a permission to the FILA waiver to use photos of people on the Web site and other promotional material, and the yet to be explored contents of the CD with South Fox documents mentioned at the previous board meeting. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes FILA board members roll up their sleevesOn Wednesday, August 6th, John McKinney, Joerg Rothenberger, Sandy Bradshaw and Phil von Voigtlander traveled to the South Fox Light Station. The main objective of the visit was to transport the final load of oriented strand boards (OSB) for the boat house redecking and to start the re-roofing project. On an earlier trip with the help of Dick Parker and his son, Sheldon, the roof of the boat house had been stripped and the major structural issues corrected. Upon landing our gear and the load of
OSB (no mean feat in the absence of an engine for the
dinghy), John and Phil with assistance from Joerg commenced
the installation of asphalt paper and OSB over the historic
roof decking. In between, Joerg, using a precision compass,
a protractor, a tripod and some grey matter, located
the site of the former well house, on which the official
plans available to us completely disagreed.
In the course of the second day, the south facing roof was covered. John and Phil look forward to working with Team Nickerson to complete the project. In addition, Joerg commenced a detailed survey of the property including exact elevations of the various buildings and their precise locations relative to one another. In this regard, many of the historic documents are in error and Joerg plans to generate an accurate revised site plan. Meanwhile, Sandy cleaned parts of one
of the apartments in the assistant keepers' quarters
to make it a bit more habitable.
Friday morning, John gave the roof of
the oil house another coat of paint and dug more stones
off the boat house walk. While Phil battled against
poison ivy, John and Joerg inspected the remains of
the well house Joerg had tracked down in the thicket
next to the south beach.
During our visit to the island, we greeted parties from 2 boats and educated them about the history of the Light Station and FILA's work there. Friday evening we returned to Northport. To save fuel the trip was at the slow, relaxing pace of 7 knots. Phil von
Voigtlander, with some additions by Hans Joerg Rothenberger Doug McCormick -- living maritime historyOn July 23, 2008,. FILA board members Sandy Bradshaw and H. Joerg Rothenberger visited USCG-retired Doug McCormick at his home in Traverse City. Kind of a lighthouse icon, he was born at the Poverty Island light in 1914. He lived in the South Fox Island light when his father, James McCormick, was keeper there between 1915 through 1921. “I sure love that S. Fox island,“ he told us. As a youngster he helped care for the Grand Traverse Lighthouse with his father 1923 through 1938. Much later, in 1983, McCormick would again reside at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse as caretaker, until health reasons forced him to retire - and that in his late eighties! The lighthouse was opened to the public in 1986 and now is a museum and nautically oriented gift shop. Saddened to see the light station’s condition while he would often boat out there after the decommissioning of the station in 1959, he filmed the light in 1991. Shortly after that he told me how “it’s is in horrible condition, overgrown with trees, vandalized, but still solid.” Besides fascinating stories from his long life with the Coast Guard, McCormick provided us with important information on many details of the South Fox Island Light Station, such as the location of the dump and the purpose of the mysterious sheet iron hut north of the skeleton tower not appearing in any plan available to us. It was the smoke house, and the black interior confirms that. We would like to thank Doug McCormick
for all his kind help.
Sandy Bradshaw
A great crew on South Fox - July 11 - 14On Friday, July 11, Sally Frye and Phil von Voigtlander navigated the Lightkeeper with a load of building materials to South Fox, where they met the Crew 11 scouts (Aaron, Casey, Christian and Paul) with their boat from Charlevoix. The four scouts and two leaders (Lynda and Scott) and their gear were ferried ashore. Then they helped with the unloading of the Lightkeeper and securing the materials under cover. In the afternoon, all worked together to bag up the remain roofing debris. Phil and Sally reviewed the antenna aligning procedure for the Web cam and checked the performance of the power system. The building SW wind forced Phil to relocate with the Lightkeeper to the NE corner of the island for the night while the campers settled in for a windy and stormy night. Saturday morning Phil and Sally worked with the team at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse to align the antennae for the transmission and reception of the video images and camera control. With the use of 2-way UHF radios, the work went smoothly despite high winds. In less than an hour remote control of the camera and high quality video transmission commenced. Meanwhile the Crew 11 team set about uncovering the side walk down to the boat house. Through the course of the weekend they made amazing progress especially considering that the overburden reached over 2 feet in depth. This work continued on Sunday and the Crew also worked on prepping and priming the workshop while Sally supervised and with Lynda cleaned out the interior. Phil worked on clearing the boat house entrance threshold of rock and renailing the door frame and trim. With more favorable winds the boats could be comfortably loaded Monday morning. The scouts returned to Charlevoix and the Lightkeeper transported a full load of refuse back to Northport for disposal. The Adventure Crew Scouts were great workers and with their leaders made an excellent contribution to our efforts at the Light Station. We look forward to their return in August. Phil von Voigtlander Board Meeting of July 8, 2008The FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Treasurer Phil von Voigtlander presented the 6 month report, a fairly balanced matter. He also reported on the Island Summer Calendar including two trips by the Charlevoix Boy Scouts Crew 11 and the second trip by Team Nickerson. Day trips to the light station still cannot be offered. One trip by the Lightkeeper costs about $300.00 for the fuel alone, which means she cannot be used for mere fun rides. Sally Frye presented a draft of the Newsletter, whose publication after a few modifications was approved. George Carpenter and Phil reported on the new South Fox Island Light Station display at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum and on the artists' trip to the light, which was reported on below. Phil also reported on the state of affairs concerning the Lightkeeper, now sounding pretty encouraging after all the troubles with the engines, and even the expenses could have been much worse. Sandy Bradshaw reported on the work of the Safety Plan Committee, and Phil detailed the schedule for getting the Web cam connection between South Fox and the GT Lighthouse Museum working. E-Mail communication policy and details of the waiver were discussed. Carp reported on issues concerning reroofing the 1867 lighthouse due to limitations imposed by the Department of Natural Resources. Possible ways to get a Historic Structures Report done were discussed, and Sally told the board that she had received a CD-ROM containing lots of South Fox documents from the National Archives. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes The Flag Goes Up – the photosAs mentioned in Phil's report of June 25 (see below), on June 21, 2008, a new flag pole and the American Flag, along with the Fox Island Lighthouse Association (FILA) flag, were raised at the South Fox Island Light Station. The 28 foot flag pole was cut from timber harvested at Phil von Voigtlander's barn and shaped, planed, and painted by him. After raising the flag pole, the in-place
stanchion was scraped and treated with rust preservative.
It will be painted white, consistent with the color
of the remnant paint, on a future work trip. The intent
is to fly the flags when FILA members are working on
the island.
George "Carp"
Carpenter Artists' Cruise to South Fox, June 24On June 24, 2008, five artists bravely rode on “Lightkeeper” to South Fox Island for a day of exploration and creation. The concept, to create unique art to benefit the Fox Island Lighthouse Association and saving the South Fox Island Light Station was developed by well-known painter David Grath. He recruited local painters Gene Rantz and Woody Palmer to spend the day capturing scenes for an art show to be held in August, 2008, at the Painted Horse Gallery in Northport. Accompanying the painters were local photographer Sharon V. Kalchik and writer Becky Reynolds. Kalchik’s job was to capture her own images for the show as well as document the event. Reynolds was working on an article commissioned by the magazine Michigan Blue. The artists went their own ways for the entire day while Phil von Voigtlander worked with the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum contractor to set up the webcam equipment in the 1934 skeletal tower (see Phil's report below). John McKinney and George Carpenter, who had been at the Island since June 21, completed tasks on the workshop and paths while providing support to the artists. The wind’s force built from the south during the day and the trip home was a bit rough with waves in the throat of the Manitou Passage running five feet. It was quite an adventure. FILA thanks the brave artists and looks
forward to seeing their work. Watch for further
information about the reception and show at the Painted
Horse Gallery.
George "Carp"
Carpenter A great weekend on South FoxOn Saturday, June 21, John McKinney, George Carpenter and Phil von Voigtlander traveled to the South Fox island Light Station, where they raised the 28' flag pole Phil had fashioned and sent up the flag and the FILA banner -- probably the first time in almost 5 decades that the flag has flown at the Station. Phil even put his shirt on out of respect for Old Glory. Over the weekend, the roofing debris from the boat house was bagged and loaded, and several repairs to the external trim of the workshop were done. Phil departed Sunday afternoon, taking the debris back to the mainland. Monday saw John clearing walkways, while George completed his carpentry work on the workshop. On Tuesday, Phil returned with three local artist, a photographer and a writer, briefly after the contractors for the Web cam project had arrived aboard their own boat. While the artists set up their easels and started recording their interpretations of the beauty of the Light Station environment, the Web cam system and tools were hauled to the top of the 132' tower. The Web cam is now ready for the alignment of the antennae. George hosted the artist group. Their artistic interpretations will be on display in Northport (more on that later). As is generally the case, the trip needed to have an element of drama. After 5 days of calm, the wind from the SW suddenly kicked up in the late afternoon and hastened the departure as the waves started building. Both teams arrived back at their respective ports in time for (albeit a late) dinner. Phil von Voigtlander MLA Conference in Traverse City June 11 - 13From June 11 through 13, the Michigan Lighthouse Association (MLA) held its annual meeting and conference at the Park Place Hotel in Traverse City, Michigan. MLA couldn’t have chosen a better location from the Fox Island Lighthouse Association’s (FILA) perspective because all of its Board Members live within a one-hour drive of the conference location. Furthermore, the lead member of the MLA Conference Committee and the "mover and shaker" for the conference was FILA Board Member, Sally Frye. Wednesday (6/11) was dedicated to various private meetings, and FILA President John McKinney helped in much of the setup for the conference on that day. The Thursday and Friday meeting sessions covered a variety of topics including Historic Structures Reports, painting, liability, history research, and lightning protection, to name a few. Frye had arranged for the Traverse Area Lighthouse Circle (TALC) to sponsor a luncheon on Friday (6/13), and TALC provided the luncheon presentation. John Nelson, FILA Board Member and Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center Baykeeper, gave the FILA portion of the presentation. He talked in a very human and personal way about the Fox Island Light Station from the perspective of his ancestor, Nels Nelson, who had been an assistant keeper at the station. Phil von Voigtlander and George Carpenter attended the work sessions and helped with registration and other matters. TALC had a display table and FILA was able to set up its own table with display boards, a picture/history notebook, and membership forms. Stef Staley, Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum and FILA mentor/advisor also attended.
George "Carp"
Carpenter Board meeting of June 10, 2008The FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Treasurer Phil von Voigtlander reported on the financial situation and on the "Builder's Trip" of May 31 - June 1 with various repairs on roof and walls of the boat house by Dick Parker and his son, Sheldon. Secretary George Carpenter suggested that future vegetation clearing on the station property be done with more careful planning. He also informed on the plans for a special cruise to the light station with three painters, a photographer and a screenplay / magazine writer, the artistic result of which will be part of the Northport Art Show in August. Phil reported on the continuing problems with the engines of FILA's boat, the Lightkeeper, and ways to pay the company that rebuilt one of the engines. Sally Frye reported on the schedule of the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance conference of June 11 - 13, and details of FILA's involvement were discussed. A revised schedule for the setup of the Web cam on the skeleton tower was presented, and Carp reported that the insert in the Traverse City Record-Eagle covering the Traverse Area Light Chain was not going to happen due to lack of enough advertisers. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes News page completely revampedPeople with broadband Internet access won't care, but those who still have to use a steam modem (dial-up) will notice that our News page underwent a thorough change. The former News page had grown huge, and downloading it through an analog modem took ages. In its new form, older News articles can be viewed on separate Archives pages, still accessible through the Index at the top of the News page, just as before, but stored and downloaded one by one, which makes the main News page much slimmer and faster. It was a hard piece of work, involving the conversion of one page into 76 pages (!) including updating all links and internal cross-references. I hope I haven't missed anything important. In case you find a dead link or the like, please let me know -- -- your help is greatly appreciated. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
FILA Webmaster First work weekend of the 2008 seasonWe just returned from a very productive weekend at the Fox Island Light Station. Our group included Dick Parker and his son Sheldon as well as FILA officers John McKinney, George Carpenter and me. The primary objective was to initiate the reroofing of the boat house and to complete the necessary structural repairs to the building. After stripping the old roof, we lifted the sagging SE side of the building, sistered in several new rafters, installed a new section of header, rebuilt the SE corner, installed three supporting posts and replaced the siding. The building is shaping up well and is now ready to continue with the roofing installation. None of this would have been possible without the expert conceptual and practical work of Mr. Parker. FILA continues to benefit from his direction of this boat house stabilization project. We also off-loaded a portion of the cedar shingles and back-loaded a significant portion the asphalt shingle debris. Future trips will continue this transfer until complete. In addition, George documented much of the work (when not working on the roof and keeping the gang fed), and Phil cleaned up after our guest vulture who left the lantern room a white-washed mess! Phil von Voigtlander
Board meeting of May 13, 2008The FILA board meeting of May 13 took place at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Phil von Voigtlander's financial report was approved: Phil mentioned major expenses to be expected in May. Stephanie Staley, Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum delegate and FILA advisor, has been doing the books for FILA so far but is going to turn them over to Phil. Stef reported on the current plans for the Web cam project and some issues with PR work. The board thanked her for doing the accounts and for all the help she has given to FILA. A committee was formed to prepare a boat safety plan based on the materials given to FILA by Captain Jack Klang during his boat safety update lesson of May 10. Various issues concerning the conference of the Michigan Lighthouse Association, the Newsletter and FILA's participation in several public events were discussed. John McKinney reported on how to conduct a Historic Structures Report (HSR) without hiring expensive contractors, stuff he had learned at a meeting on Old Mission Peninsula. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Promising youth: a 4th-grader's model of the S. Fox lighthouseIn April, I got an e-mail from Rebecca Ver Hoef in Grand Rapids asking for information on the Sout Fox Island light station. The forth grade at Legacy Christian School in G.R. was doing a project on Michigan lighthouses, and her son, Luke, had chosen South Fox for his project, which meant he had to build a model. Since I had no plans with accurate dimensions (except one of the assistant keepers' dwelling), I sent them a few photos not available on our Web site, especially some of the west side of the 1867 lighthouse, suggesting to build a model of that building only, with dimensions based on proportions visible in the pictures. Kudos to Luke! He did an absolutely
great job. His model features an amazing lot of details,
such as the carefully crafted cream-white brick walls,
the original chimney cap, and even a neatly constructed
electric lighting system.
Many thanks to Luke and his Mom for sharing these photos. Hans Joerg Rothenberger
Boat safety update for FILA CaptainsPhil von Voigtlander, George "Carp" Carpenter and Sandy Bradshaw met Saturday, May 10th with Captain Jack Klang at the Silvertree Deli in Suttons Bay. An avid sailor, yachtsman and national safety instructor, Captain Jack gave much sage advice to the trio cultivated through his 52 years on the water. "I quit logging my miles after the first 25,000 miles," he said with a laugh, "And that was twenty-five years ago!" Klang teaches cruising courses to around 20,000 persons per year and logs in 20,000 air travel miles. Captain Klang went over many aspects of safety which included prudent procedures while fueling, handling of the lines, helicopter rescue procedures, all the way to safety on the island. "A sailor must be prepared for the worst, but in the hopes the worst never happens," Klang said.
All of us from the Fox Island Lighthouse Association thank Captain Klang both for sharing his many years of experience with FILA and for his time. He gave the trio two safety manuals, Safety At Sea and Cruising With Quantum, both written by himself. The booklets will be passed on among board members, as will the wonderful advice he shared. Please visit his web site at www.captainjacksailing.com Sandy Bradshaw Lightkeeper launchedThe Lightkeeper, FILA's boat,
was launched on April 25, 2008. After lots of maintenance
work over winter in Phil von Voigtlander's boat shed
in Northport, Andy Thomas, very helpful as always, towed
her to the Northport Marina, where Phil, George Carpenter
and Sandy Bradshaw assisted him to get her into the
water. A first test run out onto Grand Traverse Bay
showed no problems. Both engines ran as smooth as can
be. The crew berthed her just before a thunderstorm
hit the area.
Sandy Bradshaw Meeting with DNR, April 11, 2008FILA board members Cathy Allchin, George Carpenter, John McKinney, Phil von Voigtlander, Bob Zwemer, and Stephanie Staley, Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum delegate and FILA advisor, met with Lisa Gamero, Craig Gulseth, Ham Hobson, Anna Sylvester, and Brenda Mikula of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Phil presented Before / After photos to show the progress made. Solutions for the collapsing lean-to shed on the north side of the 1867 lighthouse and technical details such as replacing Portland cement repair patches with historic mortar were discussed. Possible ways to repair the lighthouse roof were scrutinized. FILA presented the Web cam project being realized in cooperation with the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, including some urgent repairs to be done on the 1934 steel skeleton light tower, where the camera is going to be installed. The DNR was very interested in the project. The 2008 work permit was discussed, as well as the various aspects of a future lease, including insurance issues and easier access to grants. Various other possibilities for campaigning and getting grants were listed. Anna Sylvester stated that the Federal Lands to Parks Program was excited to hear about FILA's work. It was also stated that the Office of History, Arts and Libraries has identified the South Fox Island Lighthouse as one of the most endangered sites in the state. FILA appreciated the opportunity for the meeting and the partnership spirit of the discussion. For Carp's complete notes of the meeting please click here. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's notes Board meeting of April 8, 2008The April board meeting was held at the Grand Traverse Bay Watershed Center. Phil von Voigtlander's financial report on a rather quiet month didn't make big waves. The 2008 Task List and other items for the impending meeting with the MI Department of Natural Resources were discussed, including another Team Nickerson work trip in August and plans for a work trip of Boy Scout Crew 11 from Charlevoix. Phil reported on the overhaul of FILA's Lightkeeper boat and the schedule for launching her with the help of Andy Thomas of Thomas & Milliken in Northport. Details of the work schedule for the season were discussed, including the involvement of Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum Lightkeepers. George Carpenter described the layout of the new South Fox Island Lighthouse display at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, and details of the display were discussed. Sally Frye reported on the registration for the meeting of the Michigan Lighthouse Association to be held in Traverse City in June. A subcommittee for the meeting was formed. Items for the FILA Newsletter were discussed, including the recruitment of volunteers and financial aspects. The list of potential joint events FILA / GTLM was revised and pruned. A new solution for a FILA phone line, especially for people interested in island trips, the necessity of a P.O. Box for FILA, some details of the Webcam project, and a new Traverse Area Lighthouse Chain (TALC) T-shirt including South Fox were covered too. Sally mentioned a new TALC brochure, and the payment of a modest amount for funding the brochure was approved. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes New P.O. BoxFILA now has its own PO Box. The address is PO Box 452, Northport, MI 49670. Please include this new address in your correspondence. Thanks! Phil von Voigtlander
Board meeting of March 11, 2008The FILA board met at the Great Lakes Children's Museum. Phil von Voigtlander reported on the finacial situation including a substantial installment paid against the lien on the Lightkeeper boat. He also informed the board of plans for a meeting with the Department of Natural Resources in April in order to obtain DNR approval of FILA's plans for the 2008 season. Various aspects of taking a lease from the DNR and the consequences thereof (insurance, improved grant opportunities etc.) were discussed. Sally Frye reported on the plans for the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance meeting in Traverse City in June (click here for details) and the involvement and presentation of the Traverse Area Lighthouse Coalition including FILA. Sally also suggested a newsletter for members. A biannual newsletter was approved by the board. Details of membership categories were discussed, and FILA's Mission Statement was pruned down to the essentials. George Carpenter and Stef Staley talked about plans for events to be jointly organized by FILA and the grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum. Stef also reported on the state of affairs of the South Fox Web Cam project, hopefully to be accomplished in spring. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes
Board meeting of January 8, 2008The first board meeting of 2008 was held on January 8 at the Great Lakes Children's Museum in Traverse City. Treasurer Phil von Voigtlander presented the financial report. Details for filing a Form 990 with the IRS as well as the 2008 budget were discussed, the latter especially in view of the treasurer's substantial out-of-pocket expenses for FILA's Lightkeeper boat. A Membership Committee report, a PR report, proposals for tautening FILA's Mission Statement, possible solutions for a thoroughly reworked South Fox display at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Museum, and the state of the Web cam project were presented and discussed. The donation of a life ring labeled "South Fox Island" was reported, presumably an item that formerly belonged to the SF light station. Plans for its presentation as a part of the SF display at the GTLHM were presented. Updates for the Board Books, possibilities concerning future cooperation with the MI Department of Natural Resources (lease vs. use permit), plans for the insert to the Record-Eagle, and some impending events to be attended were discussed. Hans Joerg Rothenberger,
based on George Carpenter's minutes Earlier News articles are available in the Archives section. |
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Latest update December 14, 2009
Left to right: Don Duquette, 
The stranded NOAA buoy. 
Xanadu, Phil's boat, under the FILA
flag. 
The FILA booth was busy all day long with
many people interested in learning more
about S. Fox and FILA. The most frequently
asked question of the day to us was, "Where
exactly is S. Fox?"
