The Charlevoix Lighthouse Keepers Committee has made great strides creating fundraising ideas for the upcoming lighthouse restoration. It has brought into being the highly popular CVX Lighthouse Bumper Stickers, the Bullfrog Candle Company's shite, light blue, and dark blue Lighthouse Candles (the white edition with the pre-1968 red lighthouse is pulling far ahead of the others in sales), and the small red or white lighthouse lapel pins, with more to come.

Our July program will feature Mr. Richard Moehl of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association talking about, what else?, Great Lakes Lighthouses and their preservation.

When: Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 7:30 p.m., immediately after our annual business meeting and election of officers.
Where: The Depot

Members are encouraged to attend the business meeting and election prior to the talk, to hear of our past year's accomplishments and current situation, and to ask questions of the Board of Directors and museum co-directors.

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SUMMER HOURS

Beginning July 3, the Harsha House Museum will be open Monday through Saturday from 1-4 p.m. Steve Goslee will be there Monday-Wednesday, David Miles Thursday-Saturday.

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A TRIBUTE TO JOHN GASKIN

The Society lost one of its best friends and most loyal and enthusiastic supporters with the untimely death of Past President John Iddings Gaskin in an automobile accident on June 15 in Charlevoix. John's interest in and concern for the Society never wavered. He appeared at the Harsha House almost weekly to check up on what was going on. Always willing to contribute, at age 90, in 2005, he surpassed himself with the sale of around 300 of our historic photos calendars throughout the community. More than once he said it wasn't just the satisfaction of doing this for us for four years and making the town aware of our efforts, but meeting so many people and making a host of new friends.

Extremely handy and clever with restoration techniques, John restored the great key that turned our swing bridges from 1878 to the early 1900s, mounted in Hoffman Park on Park Avenue. He restored the Railroad Express baggage cart that we place under the portico of the Depot in the summer, and on which we spread our buffet suppers in the winter. Several of his historically valuable donations are displayed at the Harsha House. He took great pride in being the grandson of Charlevoix's first mayor, Harvey Lee Iddings, even though he never knew him.

We will miss his smile, his quick wit, his curiosity, his feisty determination, and his mission to spread the word of the Society, in whose purpose he strongly believed, and Charlevoix wherever he went. John Gaskin was one of a kind, a true gentleman and Charlevoixian. His absence will be deeply felt for a long time to come.

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VENETIAN WEEKEND AND JULY INFORMATION

Since the July Board of Directors meeting and annual election of officers falls on the 11th of the month, only ten days before Venetian weekend, the July newsletter will probably not be out by festival time. Therefore, the membership should be advised now of what the Society will be doing during that very full time. As in years past, we will close the Harsha House and move down to the festival tent on Friday and Saturday, July 21 and 22, for our annual, now highly popular Historic Photos in the Park exhibit. This year's themes will be a celebration and recognition of the 125th anniversary of the founding of the Chicago Club, and a pictorial history of our lighthouses now that the south pier light has come under our and the city's jurisdiction. Members of the Lighthouse Keepers Committee will be on hand to disseminate information about the lighthouse's needs and accept contributions to the restoration and preservation fund. Items from the museum store will be on sale, including the new lighthouse pins, candles, and bumper stickers. Original lighthouse art by 5th graders will be on display also.

And, the annual Friday night Venetian spectacular fireworks potluck is on tap once again, hosted by Mona Bergeon and her stalwart crew. All members and their guests are invited. Bring a dish to pass, your own tableware, cutlery, chairs, blankets. We will supply hot dogs, buns, condiments, and lemonade. BYO beverage if you prefer something other than that. 7:00 p.m. at the Depot, July 21. Anyone who would like to help out setting up, grilling, and taking down, call Mona at 547-2742.

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ANNUAL DUES TIME AGAIN, FOR 2006-2007

Enclosed [with the mailed version of the newsletter] is the envelope for ANNUAL members' dues payments for the coming 2006-2007 membership year. As has been explained in previous years, Life Members, Patron Sponsors, Ralph Hamilton Circle Members, business and organizational complimentary mailings - please ignore! unless the latter two wish to join. Postal regulations require uniform weight for all pieces that go our under fourth class bulk mailing permits, which is the reason we have to include one with each newsletter. Those who have already renewed or joined as new members within the past few months, also ignore! But, members who have summer-winter residences and need to update us regarding changed mailing addresses and/or residency periods, please let us know by filling in that information and mailing it in, calling the Harsha House, or notifying us by fax or e-mail. Call the Harsha House if you are unsure of your dues level or status. We can instantly access it on the computer.

And we welcome Shirley Polakowski as our new membership director.

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BIG ROCK POINT EXHIBIT OPENS JUNE 30

After fourteen months of planning, the long-anticipated History of Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant display is scheduled to open at the Depot on Friday, June 30, at 1:00 p.m. The Historical Society is mounting this exhibit in conjunction with the Charlevoix County Community Foundation, Consumers Energy's Big Rock Point Restoration Project, and the Consumers Energy Foundation.

This is the largest and most ambitious exhibit the Society has ever mounted, composed of over two hundred photos, artifacts, documents, maps, charts, hands-on displays, and videos, one of which features Ronald Reagan in his role as spokesman for General Electric speaking of Big Rock Point and Charlevoix. Harsha House Museum chair Karen Lewis and museum co-directors Steve Goslee and David Miles have been working closely with the Plant's staff to co-ordinate the information needed to tell the story of a major industry that made a significant impact on the town, Charlevoix County, and all of northern Lower Michigan. From the time its coming was announced on June 19, 1959 to the moment it was shut down August 29, 1997, Big Rock Point, the fifth commercial nuclear plant in the United States, was a major component of our lives. Now it is almost gone, the site currently being reverted to "greenfield," as close to its natural state as possible. This display will tell its story from beginning to end.

The exhibit will run Tuesday through Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. until September 2, then on Fridays and Saturdays from September 8 through October 14. There is no admission charge. For more information plus photos, log onto our website, www.chxhistory.com ... [or just click here].

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MEMBERS INVITED TO CMU ALUMNI PROGRAM

The College of Science and Technology of Central Michigan University is inviting alumni, friends, Society members, and the public to be its guests on Thursday, July 20 at the Depot from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for a program on CMU's Beaver Island biological station. It will be presented by Jim Gillingham, Director of the station. Refreshments will be served. RSVP Lori Kreiner at (989) 774-1916 or e-mail krein1ll@cmich.edu by Thursday, July 13.

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2006 CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT, 2007 CALENDAR -- BIG ROCK POINT

This year's Christmas ornament and the 2007 Historic Photos calendar are both tied in with our exhibit on the Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant. The ornament has just arrived, a picture of the plant with a candy-striped stack, surrounded by light green in keeping with the return of the plant site to its natural state. Price: $7, or $6 with purchase of three or more of any year's bulbs.

The calendar is on the press and will be available shortly, thirteen excellent photos and texts that detail the plant's history -- construction, installation of major equipment, the information center that hosted close to a million people during the fourteen years it was open, the Strategic Air Command B-52 bombers that used it for target practice from 1963 to 1985, the Big Rock, and more. This is a limited collector's edition -- once sold out, it wil not be reprinted. $14.75.

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The Society welcomes new members: Robert & Teri Walilko (Ralph Hamilton Circle), Douglas S. Peters, Michael & Mary Willis.

Memorials received for John Gaskin: from Alvin & Patsy Ranger, David L. Miles, Jeannine Wallace. The Society regrets the recent passing of Life Member and Society enthusiast Margaret "Peg" Ohle.