IRFFA Announces 2008 Summer Meeting in Rock Harbor

Overhead photo of Rock Harbor 

The Isle Royale Families and Friends Association will hold its summer meeting on July 20^th 2008 in Rock Harbor at the Guest House. We will be having a members meeting at 3pm EDT. This will  be followed by dinner at 6pm EDT along with an evening program put on by the family members, all of which will be open to the public and park staff. More details will follow regarding the evening program. 

IRFFA WINTER MEETING IN DULUTH WAS A BIG SUCCESS

Don Stevens speaking to IRFFA 

The Isle Royale Families and Friends Association met in Duluth on January 19^th at the Inn on Lake Superior.  The meeting was an all day affair which consisted of a morning members meeting and an afternoon public meeting which included Dr. Don Stevens, National Park Service Historian, and Dr. Phil Scarpino, hired by NPS to do a context study on the remaining families on Isle Royale. The meeting was followed by a dinner and program attended by 75 families and friends. 

During the morning meeting IRFFA accepted the resignation of Jim Anderson of Johnson Island, Isle Royale from the board of directors of IRFFA. Many thanks go out to Jim for the wise counsel that he gave during his 4 years on the board. Jim was replaced by Nancy Ousley of Seattle Washington. Nancy has a Masters Degree in Public Administration along with wide range of experience in the area of  planning and preservation. IRFFA is very pleased to welcome her to our board and we feel that she will make a valuable contribution to our organization. She will serve out the remaining two years of Jim Anderson’s term. 

The afternoon meeting was a public event attended by approximately 35 people. Don Stevens and Phil Scarpino were our featured guests. They were joined by Liz Valencia, Chief of Cultural Resources and Interpretation at Isle Royale via conference call. Liz discussed up coming events this summer on the island, which include the 50^th anniversary of the wolf/moose study, and the 50^th birthday of the Ranger III which will be making 5 trips to Windigo. Upcoming projects on the island include completion of the Windigo dorm, dock work in McCargo Cove, and Malone Bay, construction of a new rec hall for Rock Harbor Lodge employees and the awarding of a new contract for the Grand Portage ferry. 

Planned  projects include the stabilization of the Siefert Cabin, transcription and indexing oral history tapes, preparation of a cultural landscape report on Barnum/Washington Island, stabilization of the Johns Hotel and Crystal Cove and the rehab of the Rock Harbor auditorium.

Longer range, NPS is planning on correcting Museum Collection Checklist Deficiencies, rehab the Rock Harbor Visitor Center and develop a Cultural Resources Management Plan (CRMP). Regarding the CRMP, Liz advised that there are no plans to do an ethnography of the families. But she indicated that she felt it might be a good idea. Funding to do the plan is not expected until 2011, but Liz hoped it would be moved up on the priority list.

Following Liz’s update a  discussion with Don Stevens and the group focused on Cultural Landscapes on Isle Royale. Don indicated that IRFFA and the families could possibly be part of the development of the CRMP and the Cultural Landscape plan. IRFFA looks forward to working with NPS on this.

Dr. Scarpino updated us on his context study. He would like to go back to the island to do more research. He indicated that a draft of his report will be out soon. IRFFA asked to review the draft for comment before it comes out officially. Phil agreed to that. Our meeting wrapped up around 4pm.

The IRFFA dinner was attended by 75, the largest attendance in the 6 events we have held. After dinner a video tribute by Dave Stokes of Stokes Media House was given in honor of Enar Strom and John Snell.  Enar  passed away on Barnum Island on August 20^th 2007.  Todd Strom followed up with a wonderfully personal tribute from his family to his dad. We were proud to have Betty Strom, Enar’s wife in attendance along with many others who came to give tribute and honor Enar. John Snell passed away in October of 2007. He was a fixture in Tobin Harbor for the last 84 years. Many of his family members were in attendance at the meeting to honor John. Please see our “In Memoriam” section to see more information on John and Enar.

RE-RELEASE OF ISLAND FOLK

Island Folk, by Peter Oikarinen 

The University of Minnesota press has re-released an updated version of Peter Oikarinen’s beloved “Island Folk”. This classic features 3 new characters, Grant Merritt, Clint Maxwell, and Howard “Buddy” Sivertson. IRFFA plans to invite as many of the living characters and or their relatives to our summer meeting in Rock Harbor on July 20^th. Anyone interested in purchasing a copy to can do so via the below link.

http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/O/oikarinen_island.html#TOC

GRANT MERRITT GIVES GREAT LAKE CRUISING CLUB
TALK ON ISLE ROYALE  FAMILIES

www.glcclub.com

Grant Merritt Speaking to GLCC

Grant Merritt was invited to the Lake Superior, Great Lakes Cruising Club, winter meeting to give the featured presentation on his stories and families history on Isle Royale. Grant’s talk is part of an effort by IRFFA to get the histories and stories of Isle Royale out in the public in order that there be a greater appreciation and understanding of the unique culture that still exists on Isle Royale.

The Great Lake Cruising Club in a boating organization dating back to the 1930’s which is dedicated to passionate Great Lakes boaters. There are approximately 1800 members from all 5 lakes. Members tend to be the most knowledgeable and well travelled boaters on the lakes. Every year the club holds two summer rendezvous’, one wilderness, and the other non-wilderness. In 2007 GLCC held its second non-wilderness rendezvous on Lake Superior in its nearly 80 year history. Many of the members that attended in Duluth made it up to Isle Royale last summer for the first time.

GLCC & IRFFA members

HALCYON II, CRUISER FAMILIAR TO ISLE ROYALE GOES UP IN FLAMES

August 2007