I Like My Beacon Crisp Newsletter #39 May 2013 450 W. Marr Road, Howell, Michigan 48855 Rick (517) 230-6294 or email: cplhs@sbcglobal.net Website: crisppointlighthouse.org Editor: Margaret Warren crisppoint1904@gmail.com (734) 421-7512 Crisp Point Light Shining Once Again! After being dark for almost 20 years, Crisp Point Light once again has a working light in the tower. The light was turned on May 4, 2013 and will be on for the entire season which ends November 1, 2013. Though a ceremony was planned to celebrate the relighting, it had to be cancelled due to uncertainty about the condition of the roads. The Luce County Road Commission was able to get the road open all the way to the light which was an unexpected surprise. As you can see in the photo below, the roads were still messy and rough, but 20 visitors managed to make it to the light throughout the day. Cameron Lovett and John Raths with the new lens on the day it was turned on. The light is powered by a battery, which was installed near the steps to the lantern room as shown below.
Newsletter # 39 May 2013 Page 2 2013 Annual Conference Make sure to mark your calendar! The 17th Crisp Point Conference will take place on Saturday, July 20, 2013. Last year, we had the highest attendance ever and we d like to see even more of you this year! For those who register by July 13, attendance is FREE. If you prefer to pay at the door, the cost will be $5 per person, or $15 per family. You may register by mailing in the form on page 4, or visit our website to print out the same form. If you have email, save the postage and just send a message with your name, address, phone and number of people attending to Margaret at crisppoint1904@gmail.com. If you ve never attended the conference before, please consider coming this year. It is a fun day and a good way to meet others who love Crisp Point Light. The morning meeting is at the Whitefish Township School in Paradise. While we are at the school, you will have a chance to browse the Crisp Point merchandise for sale, and also to try and win some amazing raffle items. We ll hear all the latest news concerning the light and listen to a guest speaker. After lunch, we head out to the light for a relaxing afternoon. Your admission includes coffee and home baked goodies for breakfast; sloppy joes, salads and cookies for lunch; plus hotdogs and dessert out at the light. This year, our special guest speaker will be Karen Brzys of the Gitche Gumee Museum in Grand Marais, MI. Karen has written a book about agates and will talk about what agates are, how they are formed, and how to find them. If you plan to attend the conference and would like to help out in any way, please contact Terri Brockway by email at tabrockway@yahoo.com or call 517-546- 5283. We are still in need of some food items. You can be reimbursed for the cost. Conference Raffle Last summer, we introduced a new feature at the conference, a raffle, which turned out to be very popular. Each prize had a jar and those attending could buy tickets and drop them into the jars for the prize they hoped to win. This year, we will once again hold a raffle with an opportunity to take home many great prizes. All of the businesses listed below have donated one or more items to our raffle. A huge thank you to all of them for their generous support of Crisp Point Light! Thank you! Bay Mills Resort & Casinos Call of the Wild, Inc. Garlyn Zoological Park Icebreaker Mackinaw Maritime Museum Kewadin Casinos Panera, LLC Pictured Rocks Cruises, Inc. PlantMasters of Suttons Bay Rahilly s IGA Ric Mixter / Airworthy Productions Shepler s Mackinac Island Ferry Tahquamenon Falls Riverboat Tours and Toonerville Trolley United States Lighthouse Society Visitor Center Fundraiser Thanks to all who have supported our fundraiser for the new visitor center. So far we have received a total of $25,500! Recent donors are listed below. Barb & Greg Poel
Newsletter # 39 May 2013 Page 3 Welcome! Thank you to all members who have renewed their memberships! Welcome to those new members listed below. Bob Hess Luther, MI Sheri Manning Paw Paw, MI Myrna & Steven Morr Rochester, MI Thank You! Thank You to Mike Allen and Tom Lander for their help to finish installing the battery box. Thank You to Bruce Multhup for donating several large prints of his prize-winning photo to CPLHS. Solar Panels Two additional panels were added to the existing solar panels in early May. We expect that the new panels will help reduce some of the problems experienced last year during times of heavy power use. When the restrooms are being used frequently, the solar panels will provide enough power to run the pump. This will enable the batteries to be reserved for cloudy days. Join CPLHS on Facebook Search for Crisp Point Light and join the group. Post comments, pictures and questions. Good News! In the last newsletter we mentioned the wooden snow deflectors built by Stan Klein. Their purpose was to keep snow away from the four exterior doors to the visitor center and bathrooms. In the past, we had trouble with melted snow leaking under the doors. We are happy to report that they worked perfectly! There was no sign of any water entering the visitor center during the spring thaw. Thank You to John Stanley for contacting County Commissioner Rita Lemanek about getting the road to the light opened by May 4. Thank you to Rita Lemanek for contacting the County Road Commission. Thank you to the Luce County Road Commission for opening the road all the way to the light. Don Miller, a member of CPLHS, passed away in October. Our condolences to his wife, Jane, and his family and friends. E-Mail Newsletter CPLHS members can get the quarterly Crisp Point newsletter sent directly to their email. The electronic version is in color and any or all of the pages can be easily printed. You can also have it sent to all the email addresses in your household. 215 members have chosen the electronic newsletter, saving CPLHS approximately $900 each year! Your address will be used only for Crisp Point business and will NEVER be shared. It s very easy to switch to e-mail, just email Margaret at crisppoint1904@gmail.com.
Newsletter # 39 May 2013 Page 4 Relight the Light The response to this fundraiser was astounding! We were able to purchase and install the necessary equipment and still have funds left over for other projects. Please note that this program has now ended. Donations since the last newsletter are listed below. William Stephen Margie & Jim Wicks All donors who contributed before the deadline had their names engraved on a plaque in the shape of a Fresnel lens. The photo to the left shows this beautiful custom plaque which will be placed in the service building. Ink Cartridges Looking for an easy way to help out Crisp Point? Donate your used ink cartridges! They can be turned in for cash, which is used to buy needed supplies. You can mail them to Rick Brockway, or drop them off with the volunteer keepers when you visit the light. MEMBERSHIP AND DONATION FORM Name Phone # Address E-Mail City State Zip Membership New Renewal 1 year Single $20.00 1 year Family $30.00 2 year Single $35.00 2 year Family $50.00 Would you like your quarterly newsletter sent to your Email? (Circle one) Yes No Annual Conference -Saturday, July 20, 2013 Number of people attending: Attendance is free for all who register before July 13, 2013 Donation I would like to make a donation in the amount of $ A lifetime family membership comes with a donation of $500 (may be tax deductible, consult your tax adviser) MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO CPLHS Mail to: CPLHS, Rick Brockway, 450 W. Marr Rd., Howell, MI 48855
Newsletter # 39 May 2013 Page 5 Volunteer Keeper Program Our volunteer keeper program will begin this year on May 10th and once again almost every available day has been filled. There are only a few one or two day openings left for this season. If you would like to fill one of the remaining openings, please check this site: localendar.com/public/crisppointlighthouse to see the calendar. You can also contact Rick Brockway at 517-230-6294 or email cplhs@sbcglobal.net. Fresnel Lens Update Restoration work on the Fourth Order Fresnel Lens we have on long term loan from the Valley Camp Museum is now completed. The lens will be delivered Memorial Day weekend. A new stand is being built to protect it so it can be displayed in the visitor center. The photos below show the lens during restoration and after it was completed. You must be a member of CPLHS to sign up to be a keeper. Only one family at a time is allowed to be keepers, and they must have a minimum of two adults for safety reasons. Keepers are asked to open the visitor center and tower for a minimum number of hours and also do some light maintenance. Keepers may camp on the lighthouse grounds. For all the details, visit the web page and click on Volunteer Keeper Info. A big thank you to all those who have committed to acting as keepers this season. Our wonderful volunteers are the reason this program is so successful! Outdated Forms Before you fill out a form for a fundraiser, donation, membership or merchandise order, please make sure it is from the current newsletter or the website. We update these forms frequently, so forms that are found in old newsletters may be outdated and contain information or prices that are no longer accurate.
History of Crisp Point Light The letter reprinted below was sent to the Light-House Board in Washington D.C. on June 6, 1903. It was written by Major Lansing H. Beach, who was a Light- House Engineer with the Corps of Engineers. Sirs; I have to acknowledge the receipt of the Board s letter of June 3, 1903, stating that the Board had decided that the characteristic of the light at Crisp Point, Mich., would be fixed white with flashing red, and would respectfully invite the Board s attention to my letter of Jan. 12, 1903, transmitting plans and estimate of cost for the construction of the station, in which it was stated that it was proposed to utilize a lantern and lens from stock in hand. This lantern and lens were the ones formerly in use at Devils Island, and the lens is for a fixed light. To provide a light flashing red as stated in the Board s letter, will require at least revolving flash panels, clock-work, new pedestal, and a slight additional cost in the construction of the tower over that proposed. As will be seen by reference to my letter of March 17, 1903, it is impossible with the funds in hand, to build all the necessary or desirable adjuncts to the station, and some are necessarily omitted, to be built with funds later. No definite data are at hand to enable me to state exactly the increase of cost involved in making the light fixed white with flashing red over the fixed light, but it is estimated to be not less than $600 or $700. Crisp Point Light Newsletter # 39 May 2013 Page 6 I would therefore respectfully request instructions as to where the additional funds for this purpose are to be obtained, or if they are to be derived from the appropriation, what structures already authorized by the Board at the station are to be omitted. The following letter was also sent by Major Beach to the Light-House Board on June 30, 1903. Sirs; I have to respectfully request that application be made to the Life Saving Service for permission to employ such members of the life-saving crew at Crisp Point, Mich., as can be spared without interfering with their duties, for the purpose of assisting in the unloading of material for the new light station at that point. Owing to the fact that the site is an open exposed beach, the unloading can be done only in the quietest weather when the lake is almost calm and when there is practically a certainty of no demand upon the lifesavers. As the locality is isolated, no men other than the life-savers reside there, and it would assist greatly in the work and result in a large saving of time if the lifesavers could be employed in this manner. New Hoodie Design Check out the new hoodies shown above! They are available in 3 colors gray, maroon and blue and in all sizes from Small to XXXLarge. Prices are $27-31. Order yours on the website or using the order form on the back page of this newsletter. Download a free code reader for your smart phone to read this code and visit our web site.
Newsletter # 39 May 2013 Page 7 New Trees CPLHS received a donation of ten small pine trees. These were planted the weekend of May 4, on both sides of the newest viewing platform. When they get larger, the new trees will help block some of the wind, and stabilize the sand to prevent erosion. Camping Weekend There is still time to sign up to attend the annual CPLHS Members Camping weekend. This year it will be on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27. This is the only time when open camping by members is allowed on the lighthouse grounds. All current CPLHS members are welcome! Enjoy a relaxing weekend, or work on some active maintenance projects. If you plan to attend, you must let Rick know by emailing cplhs@sbcglobal.net or calling 517-230-6294. Safety Reminders If you use a GPS to help you find your way to the lighthouse, please do not start it until you are already on County Road 500. This way, you will be assured of following the standard route. Otherwise, you may find yourself taking an unpleasant drive down logging roads or snowmobile trails. Harbour Lights Replicas There are still replicas remaining of Crisp Point Light with autumn colors. These were made by Harbour Lights and are not numbered, but are stamped CPLHS on the bottom. Once our stock is gone, there will be no more available. Harbour Lights has gone out of business. Order yours today with the order form on the back page of this newsletter, or use PayPal on the website. The price is $24.95. Riding a road motorcycle to the lighthouse is NOT recommended. There are sand pits on CR- 500 and CR-412 that can throw a motorcycle out of control in a second. Please don t try it! The nearest hospital is 40 miles away. Visit the web site: crisppointlighthouse.org Membership Matters You will receive a reminder on your paper newsletter when your membership is about to expire. If you receive the electronic newsletter, you ll get an email message. Memberships that have already expired will receive another reminder before being dropped from the list. If you have any questions about your membership or expiration date, please contact Margaret by email: crisppoint1904@gmail.com or phone (734) 421-7512.
Name Phone # Address CPLHS MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM MAY 2013 E-Mail City State Zip Item Size Color Quantity Price Ea. Total Crisp Point T-Shirt "I Like My Beacon Crisp" on back, silk-screen lighthouse artwork on front Youth S-M gray-denim blue-gold $10.50 S-M-L-XL gray-denim blue-dk orange-sage-gold $12.00 XXL gray-denim blue-dk orange-sage-gold $15.50 XXXL gray-orange $17.50 Crisp Point Sweatshirt Heavy duty 50/50 Lee top quality, embroidered letters plus silkscreened artwork of lighthouse S-M-L-XL navy $38.00 XXL navy $40.00 XXXL navy $43.00 Crisp Point Long Sleeve T-Shirt Heavy duty, silk screen of lighthouse, with embroidered lettering S-M-L-XL dark red-gray-dark green $29.00 XXL dark red-gray-dark green $32.50 Crisp Point Denim Long Sleeve Shirt Top quality, embroidery at front pocket S-M-L-XL denim $35.50 XXL denim $37.50 XXXL denim $40.50 CPLHS Jacket Crisp Point Light and lighthouse logo embroidered on front *SPECIAL ORDER* S-M-L-XL-XXL red-green-black-khaki-royal blue-navy blue $75.00 Tall L-XL red-forest green-black-khaki-royal blue-navy blue $75.00 Crisp Point Hoodie Screen print CRISP POINT on front in white S-M-L-XL gray - maroon - navy blue $27.00 XXL gray - maroon - navy blue $29.00 XXXL gray - maroon - navy blue $31.00 Crisp Point Embroidered Bucket Hat S/M or L/XL khaki $12.00 Crisp Point Denim Cap embroidered, made of stonewashed denim one size blue- green- burgundy $10.00 Harbour Lights Miniature - Fall at Crisp Point $24.95 MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO CPLHS LED Flashlight & Keychain Crisp Point Lighthouse Ink Pen (black ink) Napkin Holder $3.00 $0.94 $9.00 MAIL TO: CPLHS Rick Brockway 450 W. Marr Rd Howell, MI 48855 Crisp Point Light Hat Pin Coffee Mug 14 oz. Black Metal Silhouette 15" x 20" Black Metal Silhouette 21" x 28.5" 2013 Lighthouse Calendar $3.00 $8.00 $25.00 $35.00 $10.00 Shipping/Handling to U.S. MERCHANDISE TOTAL Merchandise Shipping SHIPPING (SEE CHART AT LEFT) 0-$5.00 $2.95 SUBTOTAL $5.01-$25.00 $7.95 MI RESIDENTS, ADD 6% SALES TAX (X.06) $25.01-$50.00 $10.95 Questions? TOTAL $50.01-$75.00 $14.95 email: cplhs@sbcglobal.net $75.01 and up $17.95 call: 517-230-6294 or 517-546-5283