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.
Lighthouse Keepers Needed for 2010
Our eleventh year of having Lighthouse Keepers is now behind us. But guess what? We need people for 2010! Sign up has already begun and dates are going 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 would like the lighthouse to be open 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. Check out our Lighthouse Keepers Calendar at the following link to see what dates are available: http://www.localendar.com/public/crisppointlighthouse. Contact Rick Brockway at 517-230-6294 (cell), at 517-546-5283 (home), or via email cplhs@sbcglobal.net to sign up or if you have questions. If you cannot reach Rick, you can also call Dee Smith at (906) 492-3496.
Thank You from Don's Family
Don Ross, 1942 - 2009
We are very sorry to have to inform you of the passing of Don Ross (president of the Crisp Point Lighthouse Historical Society).
Don fought a very hard battle with cancer but lost the fight on Wednesday, October 21, 2009. Our thoughts and prayers are with Don and his family. Don and Nellie Ross started Crisp Point Light Historical Society in 1991. After Nellie passed away in 2003, Don continued to lead the effort to restore and preserve Crisp Point. Here is a link to Don's obituary: http://morningjournal.com/articles/2009/10/23/obituaries/doc4ae1066ae15d2928617276.txt.
CPLHS Facebook Page
CPLHS now has a Facebook page. We have been trying to think of an easy way for people to share their photos and videos of Crisp Point and thought this might be a good way to do it. You can also post messages on the wall and in the discussion group. Check it out by clicking on the following:
Has Your Contact Info Changed?
We are currently trying to update our membership contact info to make sure that everyone receives a Newsletter. With our last newsletter mailing, we had quite a few newsletters come back to us where people's addresses have changed and we didn't know about it. If you have any changes to your contact info, please let Margaret Warren know at crisppoint1904@yahoo.com.
Crisp Point Lighthouse Hat Pin Now Available
After many requests from our visitors to Crisp Point for a hat pin we now have one. Inge Spaulding and her daughter Karen worked for a few weeks getting the project underway. The pins are approx. one inch in diameter with a military style retaining clip. These USA MADE hat pins are currently only available through CPLHS for $3.50 each. There will be an additional package and postage fee of $2.00 for the first pin and $0.50 for each additional pin if you would like them shipped. Go to our Hat Pin ordering page for more info: http://www.crisppointlighthouse.org/hatpin.html.
Donations Needed to Finish Visitor's Center
May 16, 2009 marked the start of the construction on the Visitor's Center Building. We are in need of financial assistance to finish this project, so if you think you could spare a little (or a lot), please consider making a donation to this project. We have a few different opportunities for those who are able to provide financial assistance. Boards on the boardwalk can be engraved with your name or given as a gift, or a memorial to a loved one. Anyone who donates $100 or $50 will be listed on a plaque to be placed inside the visitor center. If you are interested, please fill out the following form, and indicate which donation you prefer: 2010fundraiser.pdf. Below are pictures from 2009 and 2010. Thank you to Rick Brockway and Bill Lane for the pictures!
We have recently updated the Crisp Point Light Area Lodging Information page on our web site. (http://www.crisppointlighthouse.org/lodging.html) In addition to new descriptions, many establishments now have links to their web sites where you can view pictures of their facilities. Lodging establishments offering discounts for 2009 for CPLHS Members so far are Del-Les Resort, Mile Creek Cabins, the Newberry Comfort Inn, Saunders Sunrise Cabins, The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, and Freighters View.
Stoney Acres Winery Limited Edition Crisp Point Lighthouse Wine Bottle
As part of the 2008 Great Lakes Lighthouse Festival celebration, the Stoney Acres Winery in Alpena is offering
a limited edition wine bottle with the featured lighthouse of the year on the label.
As you may know, Crisp Point Lighthouse was this year's featured lighthouse at the Festival. This is a limited edition as only 200 bottles were made. The selected wine is their Silver City White, Semi-Dry Table Wine (750 ml), which is made from Riesling grapes.
If you are interested in getting one or more of these limited edition bottles, we suggest you visit or contact their winery soon in Alpena. They can even ship the wine to you. Please support this Michigan winery as a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this limited edition wine will be going to the lighthouses that were represented at the 2008 GLLF. As of November 25, 2008, they had about 90 bottles left. This would make a great holiday gift for friends, family, or yourself!
The Stoney Acres Winery is located at 4268 Truckey Road, Alpena, MI 49707. Driving directions are available on their web site. Their web site URL is http://stoneyacreswinery.net/.
Other contact info:
Email: info@stoneyacreswinery.net
Phone: 989-356-1041
Fax: 989-356-3005
Crisp Point Lighthouse on Magazine Cover
We recently learned that Crisp Point Lighthouse is on the cover of the May/June 2008 edition of Michigan History magazine. The lighthouse image is used for an article entitled "12 Great Summer Destinations". You can check out their web site at http://www.michiganhistorymagazine.com. The magazine can be found in almost any Michigan bookstore or call them at (800) 366-3703 for ordering information. Orders over 5 copies will receive 50% off the cover price and they will take credit card orders over the phone. A big thank you to CPLHS Member Stan Klein for alerting us that Crisp was on the cover of the magazine.
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.
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 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 contact us at Crisp Point Light Historical Society, Rick Brockway, 450 W Marr Rd, Howell, MI 48855-8343. Rick's cell is 517-230-6294 and his home number is 517-546-5283. His email address is cplhs@sbcglobal.net.
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 Rick Brockway. 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
