First Paint Samples of Harbour Lights Crisp Point Lighthouse Miniature on Display
At the 2007 Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival in Alpena, some daring C.P.L.H.S. members bid at the auction to have their favorite lighthouse made into miniatures. Harbour Lights will be making Crisp Point Lighthouse Miniatures in their "This Little Light of Mine" series in 2008. Rick Brockway is taking pre-orders now as the first run will be 300 miniatures. Go to our Harbour Lights Crisp Point Miniature page for more info and to see the first paint samples. (http://www.crisppointlighthouse.org/harbourlights.html).
Lighthouse Keepers Needed for 2008
Our ninth year of having Lighthouse Keepers is now behind us. But guess what? We need people for 2008! Sign up early for this season, weekends will go fast! You will get the key to the lighthouse and your job will be to greet visitors and let them climb the tower and answer questions. We are telling people that the lighthouse will be open for sure on Saturdays mid June through September from noon to 5 PM. (You can open it earlier and have it open later if you want, but at the very minimum we want to keep the Saturday hours.) If you or family members want to work that's fine, but it's not required. You may want to walk the beach and search for agates. You can stay in motels close by or tent or RV camp south of the lighthouse. This will be for only one C.P.L.H.S. member family or couple each day. You can sign up for weekdays or weekends. Contact Dee Smith at (906) 492-3496 if you are interested or have questions.
Friend of Crisp Point Lighthouse Passes Away
We have just received word from Paul Warrick on March 6, 2008 that Paul Freedman has passed away. Paul's obituary can be viewed at the Mulder Funeral Home web site at http://www.csmulder.com or on the Soo Evening News web site by clicking on the March 11, 2008 obituaries at http://www.sooeveningnews.com/obituaries. The following are excerpts from Paul Warrick's emails to us:
Hello, I received the sad news today that Paul Freedman has passed away. He was discovered laying in the snow, either going to or coming from his mailbox. A neighbor spotted police cars at Paul's house and he learned of Paul's death.
Paul had two cats and they are in need of a home. If anyone would like to take in these two playful, friendly cats, let me know. A friend of Paul's, Mike LaVictor, is temporarily taking care of the cats, but he will not be able to take them in.
There was a viewing and memorial service on March 12, 2008 at Mulder Funeral Home (http://www.csmulder.com) on M-129 at the corner of 5 Mile Rd, Soo Twp. Internment of ashes will be in the Freedman Family Remembrance Area at the Shallows in July 2008. The family requests remembrances to the American Cancer Society (http://www.cancer.org).
Paul belonged to many organizations, not just the Crisp Lighthouse Historical Society. His talent for auctions and finding guest speakers is well known and appreciated. He subscribed to all the local newspapers and newsletters and stayed informed on all events and happenings. He could recall on the spot the details of everything he read. He will certainly be missed.
Please forward this sad news to all those in the Crisp Lighthouse Historical Society who knew Paul.
Jerry Roach to be Guest Speaker at Summer 2008 Crisp Point Conference
Jerry Roach from Bugs Publishing is set to be one of the guest speakers at the 2008 Crisp Point Lighthouse Summer Conference.
Jerry and his wife have published three books of the Great Lakes lighthouses. The most recent book covers upper Michigan (UP) lighthouses. Crisp Point Lighthouse is the center focal point of their most recent book of the UP.
Jerry shares 10% of the profits from the sales of his books to the lighthouse preservation group of the purchaser's choice (hopefully Crisp Point).
All books purchased (between now and the conference) through his web site for Crisp Point will go to cover his cost of Jerry attending and being our guest speaker.
He normally charges $250.00 to speak but with just a few sales of his book we should not have to pay anything and may actually receive a check from him. It is very important that the purchaser indicate Crisp Point when ordering a book so Crisp Point receives the 10% profit.
To get more information about the books visit his web page at http://www.lighthousecentral.com.
Service Building Update
It has been over 10 years since the service building was washed away by Lake Superior. Towards the end of 2006, the service building started to be rebuilt. In October 2007, the roof and windows were installed. Check it out on Page 4 of our Picture and Video Gallery. Here is a link to Page 4 of our Photo Gallery.
Crisp Point Light in the News
Crisp Point Lighthouse was recently mentioned in an article (October 2007) in many newspapers throughout the state. I am working to get a pdf version of the article on our web site. Thank you to the author, Bryan Laviolette for trying to make this file available to us!
C.P.L.H.S. Gets a Buoy Light
Thanks to Inge and Chuck Spaulding, C.P.L.H.S. was able to secure a loan of a buoy light from the Valley Camp Museum in Sault St. Marie. The buoy light was on display at our Summer Conference on July 21, 2007. The buoy light was in need of a lot of cleaning, so a cleaning session was planned for Friday, July 20, 2007.
Tahquamenon Scenic Heritage Route 2007 Management Plan
The Eastern Upper Peninsula Regional Planning and Development Commission is currently working on a new Management Plan for the Tahquamenon Scenic Heritage Route. This document includes maps, history, land use data, census info, and places of interest along the route. The first draft of this document is available in pdf format at their web site at http://www.eup-planning.org. To go directly to the plan click the following link: http://www.eup-planning.org/TSHR%20Draft1.pdf. See the EUP web site for more details.
GasBuddy.com Links
I have added some GasBuddy.com links around our website to help everyone get to Crisp Point with a little more money in their pockets. Please help everyone else out by reporting gas prices at their web site. Below are the two links that you will now find around our site:
Valley Camp Museum Loans Lens
After nearly five years of negotiating, the Crisp Point Light Historical Society has secured a multi year loan of a fourth order Fresnel lens. Special thanks go to Inge & Chuck Spaulding for all their time and hard work to make this happen for us. Once a proper location is ready, it will be on display to the public. Members can find out more about the lens in Newsletter #19.
C.P.L.H.S. Web Site Address
Our web site can now be accessed at www.crisppointlighthouse.org. It can also still be reached at www.crisppointlight.org. The old address (www.geocities.com/crisppointlths) will not work anymore as the site has been moved. We hope that this new address will be easier for people to remember and easier to use.
PayPal Donations Now Accepted
We now have the capability to receive secure online donations to the Crisp Point Lighthouse Fund through PayPal. Donations can be made via Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Bank transfers, and PayPal balance. PayPal charges us a small fee for each transaction. Simply click the button below to start the process through PayPal. You will receive a receipt from PayPal via your email account.
Ruth Ann Mersino Lithograph Prints
Talented artist Ruth Ann Mersino has donated lithograph prints of her rendition of the lighthouse. These prints are signed and numbered by Ruth Ann and are available on our Fundraiser Items page.
New Silhouettes Available
Thanks to CPLHS Member John Raths, new silhouettes of the lighthouse are now available. John designed and laser cut the silhouettes, which have the date of 1904 at the bottom. To order one call Don Ross or check our Fundraiser Items page to fill out an order form that can be mailed in.
New Windows in the Tower
The 2006 Memorial Day Weekend brought volunteers to the lighthouse again, this year to install eight new windows in the tower. The new windows were built and painted by Chuck Ross over the winter. They were installed with the help of Chuck Ross, Don Ross, Rick Brockway, Chris Brockway, Kalei White, and Virble Ross.
Contact Info for Dorothy Hull
We are trying to get in touch with Dorothy Hull. She has let us use some pictures from her collection. If anyone has her contact info please email Cameron. Thanks!
November Storms Strike Again in 2005
We had a fierce storm this month on November 13. Winds were reported to be as high as 85 mph. Don Ross reports that even some of the large stones were moved by the huge waves. Also the ramp going down to the beach on the east end of the boardwalk was damaged. Don says he spent a couple of hours just clearing branches and trees from the road to Little Lake.
New Crisp Point Light Brochure
We now have a new and improved Crisp Point Lighthouse brochure. It is printed on glossy paper, includes an updated facts list, and an improved map. Thank you Doug and Stacy Crouch, Chuck Ross, and Don Ross for the new brochures! Visit our Request a Brochure page to have Crisp Point Light, Newberry, and Paradise Area brochures mailed to you. The new brochure can also be downloaded from the Request a Brochure page.
Help Find Abducted Girl from Washington State
Her name is Shania Joan Supanich, she was abducted by her non-custodial father on 4/2/04 and she is listed on the operation lookout website as case number 4533. She was at one time spotted in L’Anse MI, just following her abduction. Her abductor (Mark Supanich) has family in that area and his truck was spotted within days after she was taken from Washington. Most unfortunately, law enforcement in WA did not react quickly, and by the time a warrant was issued, she was nowhere to be found. She may still be in the Upper Peninsula of MI, and may have been moved about between campgrounds or lodges throughout the summer. Her father, who abducted her, may also have found work in the area of construction, or as a handyman. She was born in May of 1997 and she has red hair.
Northern Michigan University Public Radio 90 Program Guides
A painting of Crisp Point Light is being featured in the February and March 2004 Preview program guides for NMU Public Radio 90. Upper Peninsula artist Bill Hamilton has created paintings of many beautiful lighthouse scenes in his Lighthouse Collection. Copies of many of the paintings are available online at WNMU-FM's web site at http://www.nmu.edu/wnmufm. In addition to being a painter, Bill was also a pilot for the U.S. Air Force and earned a Master's degree in Education from NMU.
Benches and More Stone For 2003
Crisp Point member Rick Brockway informs me that he and Don Ross installed five new benches along the boardwalk at Crisp Point on May 10, 2003. Six more will be installed at a later date for your sitting pleasure. More stone will be placed around the lighthouse this year as well to protect it from Superior's savage storms. As you can see in one of the pictures below, the stones are much larger than what we've gotten before and almost make Don look short!
Crisp Point in Stained Glass
Paul Burns is making 24" octagon stained glass of Crisp Point Lighthouse. They fit into an exterior 24" window from Lowe's. If you're interested in this or any other stained glass of the lighthouse, contact Don Ross at (906) 492-3206.
Crisp Point Featured in Midwest Living Magazine for Second Year
Be sure to pick up a copy of Midwest Living Magazine's May-June 2002 issue, as a beautiful picture of Crisp Point Light is on the front cover. Crisp Point was also featured in the July-August 2001 issue. For more info on the magazine, you can check out their web site at http://www.midwestliving.com.
Contestant Wins Monthly Art Contest Using Crisp Point Light As Subject
Be sure to check out the Fall 2001 Edition (Volume 10 Number 2) of Michigan Magazine. Crisp Point Light is on the cover! Past issues of the magazine are available for $5.00 on the Michigan Magazine web site (as of Feb. 2002). There was also a segment about Crisp Point Light on their TV show in the Fall of 2001 (Show #1237). Michigan Magazine first aired a Crisp Point segment on their TV show in 1997 with Show #852. Individual shows are available on VHS tape from Michigan Magazine for $22.95 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. For more info, go to www.michiganmagazine.com.
Grant Info
In February 2001 it was announced by the Michigan Secretary of State that C.P.L.H.S. received a Michigan Lighthouse Restoration grant in the amount of $10,000. This is a 50% grant, so we have to supply the other 50%. This grant will go towards repairing or replacing the windows and shutters in the lighthouse. In all $115,000 was awarded to restore Michigan lighthouses this year by the State.
To see a Detroit Free Press article about this news online, go here: http://www.freepress.com/news/mich/lite19_20010219.htm
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In 1998 and 1999 we applied for a National Maritime Heritage Grant and we were denied both times. According to the NMHG web site, of the 342 applications received in 1998 that totaled about $10.3 million, only 39 projects were funded at a cost of $652,616. Due to a problem with the way the grants are funded, no projects were approved in 1999 and future for these grants is uncertain. Still, we need to keep an eye on this program in case they ever get more funds. To find out more information on this program, go to http://www.cr.nps.gov/maritime/grants.htm.
C.P.L.H.S. Received Achievement Award
The Crisp Point Light Historical Society was pleased to learn that it received the Lake Superior Magazine's 2000 Achievement Award. We were very surprised and appreciative. It means a lot when people notice all that the members and friends of Crisp Point Lighthouse have done. Go to their web site at http://www.lakesuperior.com/news/00achieve.html to see the online version.
Relighting Possibilities Being Researched
We are currently looking into the possibility of relighting the lighthouse. The cost would be around $2425 (or less) for a new marine lantern, solar panel, and battery. The Coast Guard says that the light must flash white. The Coast Guard would prefer a flash characteristic of F1 W 6s (a one second flash followed by a five-second eclipse, for a total of 10 flashes per minute). We are also sending in a letter to be put on a list for a Coast Guard owned Fresnel lens. To get permission to relight the lighthouse, all we have to do is get a Coast Guard permit by sending in a CG-2554 application (Private Aids to Navigation Application). It is interesting to note that about half of the aids to navigation (ATON) on the Great Lakes are currently operated and maintained by private interests. The U.S. Coast Guard Ninth District is responsible for about 2,679 federal ATON and regulates about 3,016 private ATON (information was obtained from the 2000 U.S. Coast Guard Ninth District Special Notice to Mariners publication).
Climbing the Tower
The lighthouse is open most weekends. If you are traveling to Crisp Point and would like to climb the tower, please call ahead to check if it will be open. Contact Don Ross at (906) 492-3206 or Dee Smith at (906) 492-3496. Thank you!
Area Sun/Moon Information
Thank You!
A sincere thank you to all those in the media who have kept the public informed on the status of Crisp Point Light. Also, thanks to all you web surfers who have added an entry to our Guestbook and to all the members of C.P.L.H.S. for your individual contributions to the effort. Together we are making great progress!
Questions or Comments?
If you have any questions or comments about our non-profit organization or Crisp Point, please write to us or call us at Crisp Point Light Historical Society, P.O. Box 229, Paradise, MI 49768,
(906) 492-3206. Don Ross can be emailed at donross@jamadots.com. If you cannot reach Don, try contacting Dee Smith at (906) 492-3496.
Note: If you email the Webmaster about questions he cannot answer, such as those relating to membership, financial, or other matters, the email will be forwarded to Don Ross. This may delay a response to your question(s). To avoid this delay, please use the mailing address, email address, and/or phone numbers above.
Crisp Point Light Historical Society Webmaster: Cameron Lovett
