353 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/199645c64d6c68bd139cf213152a7f16.mp3 6ea606a2e279e6618e590ade368d4f01 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8ae48e5fe68f3144248883e07f639f87.pdf f72e5d6008d176eee19b2b457b2f9ffc PDF Text Text Travis Randolph- Interview by Ted Reyda Date not mentioned Transcriptionist’s note: TR= Ted Reyda. T= Travis Randolph 0:00 shuffles as mic is set up 0:03 T: It’s going to work in just a second? Where do you see the—ok. Right there. Ok. Cool. 0:09 TR: Uh, this is Ted Reyda, and I’m about to, uh, interview Travis Randolph, uh, and we are at the old school house in Douglas, MI, and, uh, we can start any time you’d like, Travis. 0:25 T: Are you going to ask me questions? 0:28 TR: No. Unless you want 0:30 T: Oh. I thought you were going to be asking these questions 0:32 TR: I, I don’t have to 0:33 T: Oh. 0:34 TR: But, basically, uh, it’s your thoughts on the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Now I know you were here earlier than that. Your family’s been here for quite some time, but 0:43 T: Well, they, you know it was funny, I was thinking about it, obviously. Getting prepared, and there were, I, I really have (pause) three lives here. Something like that, because you know my grand parents, um, on the Randolph side were here. And my grandparent, my grand, I never knew my grandmother. Sylvia’s mother 1:14 TR: Mmhm. The other side 1:15 T: But my grandfather, Sylvia’s father, had the big house at Silver Lake. So I had Sylvia’s father with Silver lake, and my father’s parents were on Holland Street. So when I was young, you know, up until 49 when my parents, my father’s parents died I, we would come. I was born in 43, so I was you know, little. And we’d spend time here, and then time there, and then time here, and then time there. You know, so it was back and forth, and back and forth, um, my, my mother’s father died in 54, five years later, so we really didn’t come from the time I was ten until the time I was, you know, from 54 until 61 we really weren’t here. That sort of thing. Before that we were, and it was just, my memories are just childhood memories um, (pause) we, uh, when we came back, it was essentially when we, my dad was transferred from Walkagon to Joliet, and it, it was so much simpler to get here from Joliet then from Walkagon that we started coming. And that was in 61. And its, how old was I then? Eighteen. Seventeen (throat clear) at that time. And then it was just a two hour and ten-minute drive. You’d jump in the car, and you were here in a couple hours. Um, and, uh, the um, so my memories summer time memories in that time were from 61, until, uh, you know uh, 67 when we moved here full time. And �3:25 TR: And here being where? 3:27 T: Saugatuck 3:28 TR: Yes, what address and 3:29 T: Oh, when we, you mean 3:32 TR: Yeah, the place 3:33 T: The place? We were, you know, the family home we call it the family pyramid, up, up on Holland Street, 996 Holland Street. Which was, which was the Van Lewen (?) House, which are, the two story part came from Singapore and was moved up in 1873, 74 winter. Um, the first three Van Lewen kids were born in Singapore, and the other six were born in Saugatuck. After 1873, 74. It was my grandmother, my grandmother might have been the first one born here. Come to think of it. Anyway, um, the um, so we spent the summers here, but you know, as I said my mother’s father had died, had passed away in 1954. And so, uh, we were here in 61, pretty much full time on the weekends. You know. On and off. Um, and in fact I spent the summer of 61 here, painting the house. Get, because nobody had been here, my, my father’s brother had moved to Los Angeles, with his family. My mother’s sister had moved to Los Angeles with her family. My mother’s sister had moved to San Diego, and we were the only ones left in the Midwest. Everyone else was on the West Coast. And so we really didn’t spend much time here. But it was only two hours away, after we moved to Joliet, IL, then it was, wed come up every weekend. We had the boat here that sort of a thing. 5:26 TR: Yeah, what sort of boat was it? 5:27 T: It was, the old 210 5:28 TR: Ok 5:30 T: 30 ft, one designer. Which we originally kept up in Chessix, but we eventually moved it down and anchored it in the river. 5:37 TR: There, there were 5:38 T: When they retired in 68 5:40 TR: There were a number of structures. Did you own the structures that were round to the river? There was one torn down. 5:45 T: We bought that 5:46 TR: Ok. 5:48 T: And tore that down. �5:49 TR: But you lived in one right on, uh, 5:52 T: On Holland Street. Right. The one on 5:55 TR: Did they, did you rent out the others? 5:57 T: Well, we didn’t own the other ones 5:58 TR: Oh. 5:59 T: Uh, you know, when it was all said and done, yeah, all the people that thought they owned, uh property to the river discovered around, in the early 19, early 1900’s that they didn’t own property to the river, to the water, and, uh, that property was quick claimed away by a Chicago attorney and then sold off as cottages. And that’s how those cottages got in there. 6:30 TR: Ok. Ok. 6:32 T: On the back side of 6:33 TR: What year did you claim those, or buy those 6:35 T: Well let’s see, we, we, we bought the one (pause) must have been near around 65. Somewhere in there, it came up. It was, it was really expensive. I remember that. It was (laugh) $6500 6:50 TR: (laugh) You don’t get a garage for that 6:55 T: On the water! And then we, and then Mom bought the other one 7:01 TR: Yeah 7:01 T: From Marcelle Brook. After Marcelle passed away. 7:08 TR: And this point, from you said 65. You were about to go to college 7:10 T: Well, 61 I went to college 7:12 TR: Yeah. Oh. That’s right. Yeah. 7:14 T: In 61. So what’d I say? 61. Summer of 60 I spent here. 7:18 TR: Ok. Uh, 7:20 T: And then 60 I was, because I transferred high schools when we transferred from Walkgeon to Joliet. I transferred high schools and that was half way through Junior year. �7:28 TR: And you went to college, uh, yeah. 7:29 T: It was over a, the Winter, the Winter Break. Spent the summer here, summer of 1960. Then went to Michigan, in uh, in Ann Arbor, and uh, my folks were transferred in 62. Two, you know, when I was in the middle of my sophomore year. They were transferred to New Jersey. And it was at that point in time where I decided that it was economically and realistically more convenient to stop being an Illinois resident, and that rather than becoming a New Jersey resident I became 8:05 TR: Helps tuition wise 8:06 T: A Michigan resident. Yes. But the tuition was better, all the tuition was $490 8:15 TR: Yeah, different 8:17 T: In state back then. Just 1300 out of state I think 8:20 TR: And you were playing football for a while 8:22 T: Well, momentarily, yeah 8:25 TR: Momentarily 8:25 T: Until I was injured (laugh) 8:27 TR: I don’t know if you want to make a comment. Sylvia did, Travis’ mother about bringing some of the fraternity brothers here, for gatherings 8:35 T: Oh, we had lots of, lots of hoo-ha. You know, some of my memories would, would be from going college which was in September 1961, running through 61 in, and those were, that was the wild years. The, the early to mid 60’s 8:54 TR: The motorcycle gangs 8:56 T: The motorcycle gangs, the, uh, 8:58 TR: Concert time too? 9:00 T: Concert time was at the beginning of that. I think the first jazz concert was 1959 9:05 TR: Did you attend that? 9:06 one T: Or 60. That’s what I wondered. I gave Ken a poster for, I had a poster for the second �9:10 TR: Hopefully 9:12 T: So it’s in the collection somewhere 9:13 TR: Hopefully. Did you attend that concert? 9:16 T: No. But I did watch as my mother described it, it was raining out, um, at Pottawattamie beach and Goshern Lake. And everybody was coming in to catch the bus after it was over. We were having Sunday dinner in the dining room. And we looked out on Holland Street and Mother said “it looks just like the confederates going home after the Civil War” (laugh 9:42 TR: (laugh) oh yeah 9:48 T: But it was, um, you know crazy things that happen. The memories are, um, I’m trying to think of what year it was. Somewhere in there. These are all, these are all fragments. I’m not sure of the chronological order is going to be. Um. there was one summer. I came up after, after classes ended, and it was time to find a job for the summer. And I kind of hung, you know looked around town to see what way going on and of course Tom Johnson had the Crow Bar. Uh, at Coral Gables, and, uh, his manager was Frank Boggart. And I got talking with Frank, and Frank said, “Why don’t you come and bus glasses?” So, and this was, this was before lunch. You know work in the bar. Be a, be a bus boy in the bar. And I said ok. You know. I can do that. And I left after making that date. And somebody said “What are you doing this summer” And I said” “Well I was just talking with Frank” and they said “Why don’t you go and see Harv Buscer? He needs someone to work construction for something they have, some project they have over in Douglas.” So I looked up Harv Buscar, and Harv had just gotten the contract to build the first new building in 20 years probably over at, at that time was Chase manufacturing which is the Hayworth, Hayworth plant. And I believe it was the north building, it was, it was a great big, you know, it was a big building. And it turns out that Chase had just gotten the contract, I think this was 1964 or 65. Somewhere in there. They had just gotten the contract too for the dye cast, uh headlight bezels for this new model they, Ford had introduced called the Mustang. [laugh] 11:46 TR: Oh boy! 11:47 T: And they had, they had to go, to jump quickly and build, uh, a building to put the dye cast machine in that they needed to make the bezels and polish and everything like that, so. Let’s see, I think it was Harv, Harv was there doing masonry. And then he had another mason. And I was the guy who mixed the mortar and pitched the blocks 12:10 TR: By hand? 12:12 T: by hand 12:13 TR: Didn’t work with a machine 12:14 T: Well, they had a, you had a machine to mix the mortar, but you had to shovel everything into it. And then you had to pitch blocks, and so we �12:20 TR: Oh dear. 12:20 T: kept getting gloves from, from Chase. The guys, the folks that did the polishing on the dye cast parts? All wore gloves. And so we’d get gloves to save our skin. And so we’d just pitch blocks and that’s, that’s what the summer was. I ended up taking that job because it paid twice as much as Frank did to bus dishes and glasses 12:40 TR: Did you have a car? 12:42 T: Oh yeah. 12:45 TR: Ok 12:46 T: I had my, uh, my old Volkswagen. And everybody had a Volkswagen then, right? 12:50 TR: Yeah. Well, I didn’t [laugh] 12:54 T: Well, in fact at that point in time I counted them up in our family. I think we had seven. [laugh] 13:01 TR: The, uh, yeah. At what point did your parents come permanently? 13:05 T: They retired, um, in July of 68. 13:10 TR: Ok. 13:13 T: And Sandra and I moved up in June from Ann Arbor 13:15 TR: You didn’t mention that Sandra’s connection 13:16 T: What? 13:18 TR: Uh, you were engaged or married? 13:20 T: Oh. When did we get married? Let’s see. 66. 13:25 TR: Ok. 13:28 T: We got married in the summer of 66. Summer? 13:29 TR: And you brought her a few times to the area so she could see it? 13:30 T: Summer. Yeah. Yeah. She comes to the area and, uh, the, um, let’s see, the folks retired in 60, 68. We bought the Elm Hotel which is what �13:45 TR: Ok. Now being you and Sandra. Uh huh 13:47 T: Sandra and I, Sandra and I. But you know when, when Sandra and I came up in June of 67 when I graduated. And I was working for Herman Miller and commuting from Ann Arbor back and forth three days a week. Um, but what, so we lived in the house in 996 Holland Street. And then the folks retired and they moved in, so all folks of us where in the house in Holland Street. And we got along just fine. And then we ended up buying the Elm’s Hotel. 136 Butler, which is right, it’s no longer the Elm’s Hotel, obviously. It’s, uh, 14:30 TR: Joyce Peder 14:41 T: Joyce Peder bought it, auction, and then they bought it and it became something else and that’s where it ended up, which leaves, you know, that’s another crazy story, of, um, of the summer time. Let’s see. We were there from 69 to 73. And one of those summers. Right in the middle of summer. It was, you know, July, August. Somewhere in there. It was a beautiful night and we were sitting on the front step. Right on the sidewalk, just watching people wander up and down. It must have been 10:30, 11:00, 11:30. Something like that. And there was one fellow and another fellow. One fellow was obviously very drunk. The other fellow was obviously holding him up. They were working their way north on Butler street side walk on our side of the street, the west side. And the, right out in the street there was a Volkswagen bus, mini bus parked with some, you know that was the hippie time 15:45 TR: Yup 15:46 T: And in fact we rented to a head shop down stairs, which was very controversial in the city. The old, with the elders. And in fact, it was, they said, at one time they said “you should not rent to them.” And we said “Are they breaking a law?” They, we, they said “We don’t know.” And I said “Well if you want to arrest them, we’ll stop renting to them.” 16:08 TR: Yeah 16:09 T: [laugh] It’s real simple. And until they, until you can, you know, prove that they’re doing something, you know, it’s not practical or legal for us to not rent to them. So anyway, so the head shop though bus was right out in front of the head shop. The guys were walking along. And all of a sudden the other guy came from the other end. They were right in front of us. And they all turned and went to the bus and grabbed the two or three guys, you know, up against the bus, hand cuffs. 16:40 TR: Woah, what was 16:40 T: It was a drug bust! 16:41 TR: Oh my gosh! 16:42 T: The guy wasn’t drunk at all [laugh] �16:43 TR: Oh he was just pretending 16:45 T: He was just pretending. 16:48 TR: Ah, the um, did you later you 16:51 T: So I think that was probably the summer of 64. Somewhere in there 16:54 TR: And some point you did shop there though 16:55 T: No 16:56 TR: No you didn’t? 16:58 T: Oh yes we did, come to think of it. We, that’s when we the, that’s when we converted the porch on the north side, which I don’t think I’d be able to identify now, what do, what did we call it? Celebrate was the name of the shop. Sandra, Sandra had decided to take a year off from teaching. So she took a year off and after that she decided not to, not to go back, and we opened the shop it was probably 6—[sigh] 17:38 TR: Obviously before you went to Europe. 17:39 T: 69, well, let’s see, we sold the, we sold the building to Joyce in 73, and went to Europe in 73, so uh, that was probably 71. Something like that. And we had Celebrate, and, uh, in fact I was still working with Herman Miller and, uh, I had, we had a source or, supplier down in Columbus, IN. And I would go down to Columbus, and then, on the way back one, one day, I took a tour in Brown County and stopped in, uh, Nashville, IN. And discovered a place called grasshopper flats. These folks were jewelers, and I bought uh, a whole bunch of whole sale jewelry and brought it back for our first inventory. And we just went on from there. And then I became a jeweler 18:35 TR: Did not know that. 18:39 T: Yup. And it was, we had Marsha, Marsha Perry. Had sculptures and jewelry, and then we got some paintings from some folks. And of course Sylvia’s stuff, and then it just sort of took off and went. And we ran that until we sold the building and closed things up, and 18:56 TR: Yeah. I remember one amusing story of a renter upstairs and that always wore a kimono or something like that 19:04 T: Well that was down stairs 19:05 TR: Oh, ok 19:06 T: They were, the fellow that owned the building that we bought it from was Frank Van Analak (?) who had an antique shop across the street. Called Van Analak’s Antiques. And let’s �see what else was across the street. Um. The shop. I can’t think what the name of it is now. Anyway, and we bought the building from Frank. And he had a compatriot. A partner named George. And they lived downstairs and Sandra and I lived upstairs. And what was upstairs was eight hotel rooms which we gutted and turned into a real nice apartment. And George and Frank lived downstairs, and George had this very short kimono, silk kimono with great huge gold, goldfish and a quart goblet of beer and a cigarette holder. [laugh] He was, he was quite a fellow 20:08 TR: Yeah. And at what point did you um, then go to Europe? 20:15 T: Um, that was in 73. And, and that was, we went through the process. We sold the building to Joyce, and um, we had sort of, um, we’d be ready to, uh, because Sandra’s, Sandra’s father is from Denmark. Immigrated from Denmark, and she has lots of family in Denmark, and had gone back and forth a number of times. And so we were going to go and settle in Denmark, and unfortunately we arrived on the day of the Yom Kippur War 20:45 TR: Oh dear. Yeah 20:50 T: Um, which led to the oil embargo 20:55 TR: Became expensive 20:56 T: And not only became expensive, it became impossible to get. 21:00 TR: Yeah 21:01 T: And uh, the Europeans essentially went on a war, you know, World War Two footing as far as no hot water. Things that turned the lights off. That sort of thing. And it was, Sandra’s grandmother, we, we spent time with Sandra’s grandmother in Copenhagen. And she said it was just like World War Two. 21:20 TR: Oh boy 21:22 T: You know no different. No different at all. 21:25 TR: I was just thinking, prior to your sailing experiences on Lake Michigan I remember that when you were much younger that thought about sailing from Kenosha over to 21:35 T: Well we, that was the summer of 1960. The first summer we, no. Yes. It was the summer of 1960, the year we painted the house a friend of mine from Walkagen came and we spent the summer together in Saugatuck painting the house and working on the boat and half way through summer we, you know, a couple of irrational kids [laugh] went out sailing and, uh, said “Let’s go across the lake.” And we essentially went across the lake with a couple of apples and a radio 22:15 TR: And the radio was for what reason? �22:18 T: Direction finder. We could rotate the radio and null in and we knew that when we lost the signal we were aimed right at the tower, and we knew what the tower was. So we sailed across. We were going to go to Walkegon, but the weather changed and we ended up going to Kenosha, and stayed there overnight, and then sailed down from Kenosha to Walkegon and spent a few days in Walkegon and then 22:45 TR: What was your family’s uh, reaction to that 22:49 T: Well they were speechless so to speak. And then we sailed down to uh, Chicago. This was when, back then, they had a Chicago Saugatuck race. And so we sailed down to Chicago and picked my dad up in Chicago. And he brought the compass. It was handy. It wouldn’t, you know, the radio was not dependable enough. 23:10 TR: Batteries and things yeah. 22:13 T: So he brought the compass, and then we sailed back from Chicago to Saugatuck. And had lots of fun 23:20 TR: Oh yes, uh, adventures, adventures of youth, uh. What’s the earliest, age was, do you think that you were ever here? 23:30 T: Well. As I said, I, you know. Came as a baby 23:37 TR: From both sides. That’s what I thought 23:38 T: as a baby. Uh, on both sides. You know, we came a lot. We came fairly. We came for a couple weeks every summer from as early as I can remember until 1949. My grandmother died in, gee, I think it was April of 49. And, uh, she had a series of strokes. And I never saw her out of bed 24:04 TR: Wow. That’s an interesting memory, that’s wow. 24:07 T: Yeah. I never saw her saw her out of bed. She was always in the front room in bed. And, uh, the antiseptic order. 24:15 TR: Yes 24:16 T: Was intense. But that was, that was, you know, an unfortunate phenomenon. And, uh, my grandfather, her husband, um, Loring Randolph, um, died I think it was in July of 49. Apparently some folks accused, said it was food poisoning, and others said he just was alone and didn’t have the need to go on. 24:45 TR: Yes. Alone. All that. Oh. When you came with your, some of your fraternity brothers, what, what things did you do? 24:53 T: Well, let’s see �24:54 TR: You had the sailboat here 24:54 T: We had the sailboat here 24:57 TR: That only took so many people 24:58 T: But you know, we didn’t have that many fraternity brothers, um that were a part of the gang. We used to do things like drink. 25:07 TR: Uh huh. Water? [laugh] 25:08 T: [laugh] Um. And we used to have Grand Prix racing. 25:10 TR: With the sailboats or with cars? 25:14 T: No, with my Volkswagen from the front yard into the backyard and the backyard into the front yard. 25:20 TR: Oh my gosh! 25:22 T: [laugh] 25:23 TR: There was a cottage there so you wouldn’t have gone in the river 25:27 T: We wouldn’t have gone into the river. But we, we used to race the Volkswagen out of the front yard and into the front yard. Um, one summer, one night I recall, um, somebody brought fireworks, and we were shooting them off in the house. And the police came to the front door and said “We’ve heard reports of shots” and I stood there at the front door, the screen door, and I said “No, I haven’t, we haven’t heard any shots.” And the wind was out of the west like it typically is. And of course the fire cracker smoke was going out through the screen from around me and around the police officer [laugh] 26:14 TR: And what police officer was it? 26:15 T: Oh, I don’t know. It wasn’t Lyle. 26:16 TR: Ok. It wasn’t Lyle 26:18 T: It wasn’t Lyle. It was, it was, one of the summer fellows. 26:20 TR: Yeah. There was the summer things so they, so you would cook there, or go to restaurants 26:25 T: We’d, we’d cook. Oh! Best hamburgers in the world were at the Redwood. �26:30 TR: Redwood? Where was that located? 26:32 T: The Redwood is, uh, was a drive in that was over in Douglas, um, what was the, the, she just died. The gal who owned it, um, cross, the, it was across the east side of the street from Chase from Hayworth 26:45 TR: Ok. Yeah. Oh yeah 26:47 T: Um, but right in back. Way in back. In fact I was looking at it, at it, at it, uh, a couple of days ago on Google Earth, and you can see in, where the canopy parking spots 27:04 TR: Oh, so it was a drive in type thing? Oh wow 27:06 T: Yeah, but they had they had really, really good hamburgers. I used to eat the hamburgers a lot 27:15 TR: Did you ever go to the Rootbeer, uh 27:17 T: Oh yes. Nicki’s! 27:18 TR: Nicki! 27:19 T: Nicki used to run the food service and Nicki used to work ther 27:20 TR: Yes, and Nicki was an attraction 27:24 T: And we, we, we’d get foot longs and hot dogs. Or foot longs and rootbeer, and had great fun 27:34 TR: What, I, I heard was that she was also the some of the joy was going there because she was very much voluptuous young lady 27:40 T: She was a draw. She was a draw [laugh] 27:42 TR: Yes. Right. Um, the, um, did you go to the beach? Or anything like that? 27:50 T: Oh, sure, we’d go to the beach. What else did we do? 27:53 TR: They, they were, I 27:58 T: We just, we just had endless parties 28:02 TR: Ah, and that 28:04 T: That was ,that was pretty much it was, the when you were here it was an endless party �28:08 TR: Right. Until you got engaged and got married and things changed 28:13 T: Then things changed. Hopefully. They’re supposed to, right? 28:18 TR: Yeah. The, um, the, most of the people that partied with you were from Ann Arbor, not the, you know, did you get to know the local people also your age? 28:25 T: Well Pete, uh, Peter Curtis, who was a bar tender. You know the whole Curtis clan, Pete was a resident, local resident, but he had cousins that were, uh, Curtis’s from St. Louis. Then they all lived by Clear Cove. 28:40 TR: Yeah, did 28:43 T: And so there was there was that bunch and the Collins, Collins’s, and 28:48 TR: The Pavilion was still there 28:52 T: The Pavilion burned down Friday, May 6, 1960. 28:55 TR: Ok. 28:55 T: And we were driving up from Joliet. And we could see the light in the sky, um, just north of South Haven. 29:04 TR: Woah. 29:05 T: And the closer we got the brighter it got. And that was just you know, after sun set 29:14 TR: Wow, what, well 29:15 T: In May, so that was 29:18 TR: Brightest spot on the lake and it went out that way. 29:20 T: And, I, it was, it was an amazing thing. It, there was, you know, the one, it’s a shame we never got the chance to get an oral history from my dad 29:31 TR: Yeah 29:32 T: Because he was, uh, let’s see, the Pavilion was built in what? 1909? 29:38 TR: Yes. I think 29:38 T: Something like that. And he worked, he was born in 1903. Yes. 1903. And he and Dode Wilson used to do the electrical maintenance there when he was a kid. So that would have �been the teens. Somewhere in there. Late teens. And he would talk about about he used to climb up the arches and change the light bulbs [laugh] 30:07 TR: Oh boy. Oh boy. The uh, if you cooked at home, where were the grocery stores? 30:10 T: Oh. Fen, where was it? 30:15 TR: In Douglas or downtown Saugatuck? 30:19 T: In Douglas, in Douglas, it was, um was it Van Harten’s? Or was that, was that Fennville? 30:25 TR: I’ve never heard of it. 30:28 T: It was in Douglas on the north side of the street. Where, where they had the fire. Across from, right across the street from, uh, the ballpark 30:40 TR: So there wasn’t a super valloo or anything like that 30:42 T: Oh no, no, that wasn’t there. There was nothing there then 30:45 TR: But Saugatuck didn’t have any little groceries? Or anything? 30:48 T: At that time? 30:50 TR: Yeah. No? 30:50 T: I don’t recall any. There might of, uh, you know there might have been. I don’t think so, Ted. I don’t think so. That seems hard to believe, but the middle of the block, where Funks was, was Funks. And I think that was a grocery originally. And then on the corner the uh, where Larry is Pumpernickels was a grocery. But that was not a grocery then I don’t think 31:20 TR: I’ll be darned. 31:21 T: I don’t, you know, one of things that was really nice, the bakery in Douglas. There was a Douglas bakery that was on the north side of the street. Um, you know, right across from everyday people and then down a couple of doors. It’s probably right about where Wild Dog is now. Somewhere in there. They used to have 31:42 TR: So it was breads and doughnuts and sweets? 31:45 T: They had an almond coffee cake 31:50 TR: Oh boy �31:51 T: That every Sunday everybody in the township would stop and get an almond coffee cake and go home and have breakfast with the almond coffee cake. It was out of this world 32:03 TR: Ah. The, uh, when your mother moved here, of course she attended the Christian Science church. Did she make you go or anything like that? 32:10 T: No. No 32:11 TR: No? She was fine with it 32:14 T: Not really. It was always uh, you know my father was brought up in the church, Christian Science church 32:22 TR: I did not know that 32:25 T: The well, the Randolph’s. The Fitz Randolph’s had, had a, the ones that came from England in the 1600’s, they, uh, ended up being the first generation ended up, they uh, founding the seventh day Baptist church in North America. Which was just beginning in England. So there was this fairly strong Baptist hook in the family, um, but my father and his parents were Christian Scientists. In fact, my parents met at the Christian Science Church in college. That’s where, that’s where they met, going to the Christian Science Church 33:12 TR: And did, was there one existing in Saugatuck at that time, or was it in Fennville? 33:18 T: No, it was in Saugatuck 33:19 TR: Saugatuck, ok. 33:20 T: It was, it was, I think the church that’s on the village green on the south, uh, I, uh, was built in the 20’s. 33:32 TR: I think yes 33:33 T: Something like that. 33:34 TR: The, uh, whole, you know, uh, gentrifying, I guess term, of making it look more fashionable. Cleaned up the city hall and all that. But do you remember when, next to the Christian Science, the hotel Casa Blanca burned. 33:50 T: mm hm. 33:53 TR: So, I know Slyvia 33:54 T: I was, I was at work in Zealand 33:57 TR: At the bar. Oh. In Zealand, oh! Herman Miller. Ok �33:59 T: Yeah. That was, that was, oh. 34:00 TR: Well I know Sylvia mentioned that 34:09 T: It was 67 or 68. Somewhere, or 66, 66, or 68. Somewhere, somewhere right in there because I got to work and somebody, somebody was, or I was at work and somebody said “Gee there’s a hotel burning in Saugatuck.” And I said, because we had a hotel [laugh] so I quick got on the phone. They said “No, no. It’s not the Elms. It’s the, uh, the Casa Blanca.” [clear throat] 34:34 TR: And Sylvia, as I remember, said they were splashing water on the Christian Science and saying whatever they had to say because the walls were really hot 34:42 T: Yeah the walls were, the walls were hot. Yeah. The, um, the um, that’s in, Saugatuck has been lucky. God! What luck! To go through what this series of fires between, and I’m sure there’s others that I don’t know about because I hadn’t been there that long, but you know there was a hotel down, there was a hotel down, a wooden hotel down where Ship n’ shore is now. I think that burned, and the city didn’t burn 35:10 TR: Quite possibly. Yeah 35:14 T: There was, oh, there was the Pavilion, and the city didn’t burn 35:19 TR: Some cottages did across the river, yeah. I know 35:24 T: There was the Casa Blanca. And the house next door, but the city didn’t go. And there was the house behind the house behind the Elms that we owned that burned. On Halloween. And the city didn’t go 35:42 TR: I guess it’s meant to be. 35:45 T: We’ve had a combination of good firemen and good luck that the city and all of its wooden buildings are still here. 35:53 TR: Do you remember the fruit growers’ bank? 35:56 T: Of course 35:58 TR: They, they tore it down. 35:59 T: They tore it, in fact I got a lot of brick. That’s where all the paving bricks when they, then 36:03 TR: I know those bricks. �36:08 T: When they tore it down I got a whole bunch of bricks and tore all the mortar off them and did all the paving for the Elm’s hotel. Cause it was right there on the corner where the rose, rose garden is. 36:18 TR: Yes. Just across the street more or less 36:20 T: Yeah. Just across the street. So I’d take the wheel barrow over there and pick up bricks and bring them 36:27 TR: The, um, the , what year was the, did the buyer tear down the upper stories of the hotel? 36:32 T: It was early. It was fairly early I want to say it was, maybe, you know, maybe 63, 4 somewhere 36:40 TR: Yeah. Because I have a picture that just shows the side of it and cars around it seemed to be early 60’s yeah. So 36:48 T: Yeah. It was somewhere in there. 36:52 TR: Which, I guess, it just wasn’t economical to 36:55 T: Well, you know my grandmother, my grandfather, Ben Lewen Martinez, who was the one who lived who worked at Singapore was a sawyer in the mill. One of the mills. And they moved the house up on the ice winter of 73, 74, to where it is now on Holland Street 37:15 TR: 18 37:17 T: 1873, yeah. 73, 74. And added on to it within a couple of years because they had this family that was growing like Topsy. He had, he had farms out around the area. In fact, he had one on what’s the street that runs to the Dug way? Or runs to the entrance to the 37:40 TR: Oh it’s the Dugout road? 37:42 T: No, it’s not the Dugout road, but is that 136th that runs by the Pumphouse gym and back towards Dennis’ entry, driveway entry? 37:52 TR: Yeah. 37:53 T: I think it’s 136th. Um, avenue. Avenue. In Allegan County. Um. He had a couple farms out there. 38:08 TR: And growing produce or whatever 38:08 T: I don’t know what he grew, but yeah, he must have grown produce or something. He was kicked by a mule and got blood poisoning. And died at age 50 �38:20 TR: Oh boy 38:21 T: So that left, you know, that left his wife Margaret Boss. Just as an aside, there was, there was a mass wedding in mid December. I think it was December 15th 1868 where there, there were numerous young couples who got married. All Dutch. You know 38:48 TR: More economical maybe? [laugh] 38:50 T: Well, well it was, the Civil War was over. You know. So it was time to get on with everything with life. Etc. etc. Etc. And, uh, they had, there was this mass’ wedding of, and one of one of those couples was Martinez Van Lewuen, who at that time lived at Singapore, and Margaret Boss who was from Zealand. And they got married and moved into a company house in Singapore and started their family, which you know. So they got married in December 68. The house was moved in 74, call it that way, so it’s five years or so. Something like that. And they already had three kids in Singapore, and the house, and he came over in like 1854. Let’s see he came over in 1864, and he was 10 years old or something like that. So he may have been, so anyway, he, he, he, he, he was killed got blood poisoning from the injury with the mule and died and left her with 9 kids and she, Margaret Boss, um, did the laundry in the Butler hotel 40:07 TR: Woah. Yeah? 40:10 T: She was, she that was the job she had because she couldn’t farm 40:14 TR: Support, yeah 40:15 T: And she, and, uh, so she worked, worked all the linens in the Butler 40:20 TR: So all those people. Yeah. 40:21 T: All those people. Stories that are gone 40:26 TR: I don’t know if you want to mention because I don’t know if you were joking or not about the house on Holland Street when you changed walls and things that there seemed to be some of the relatives telling you things 40:40 T: [laugh] No, I clearly remember that, but you know, I suppose you can be crazy. 40:48 TR: No 40:48 T: One day I woke up and was laying there in bed all of a sudden I heard this voice. And I looked out into the into the other room. And there was my grandfather. And he said “I want you to stop using the trapdoor in the kitchen to get into the basement and reopen the outside entrance.” And I immediately got up and opened the outside entrance. And that was the end of it. I’ve never seen him again �41:17 TR: That was, who knows why 41:18 T: Who knows why 41:19 TR: The messenger was there 41:21 T: Yeah the message was there. And apparently he wasn’t comfortable with that. 41:28 TR: So that 41:29 T: entry. He liked the outside entry 41:31 TR: property, the property on Holland Street was empty. You didn’t have to tear anything down to, when you brought the house from Singapore? 41:38 T: Well there was nothing there. It was vacant property 41:39 TR: Oh there was nothing there. But what the cottages on the river behind it 41:44 T: They weren’t built for another 40 years 41:45 TR Oh, it was after when you guys were, ok 41:47 T: They moved the house in the 1870’s and the cottages along the river weren’t built until the 1910’s and 20’s 41:51 TR: That’s what I thought, yeah 41:53 T: So there was nothing there. You know, it was, it was empty, there was, and in fact it was really empty because there were no trees. 42:06 TR: Really? 42:07 T: They cut everything down to ship back and rebuild Chicago 42:10 TR: But that, wasn’t the stable 42:14 T: Chicago, the Chicago fire was October 8 and 9 1871, which happened to be, it wasn’t just Chicago. The Petshigo fire was the same day. Southern Michigan burned from Manistee all the way to the thumb. 42:28 TR: Yeah. Holland. Yeah 42:28 T: All the way across. The Holland fire. If you look at there, I was, there �42:32 TR: We were saved I guess by the water. Surrounded by so much water who knows? 42:38 T: Who knows? 42:39 TR: Fate. Whatever. Lucked out 42:40 T: Just, who knows. We lucked out yeah, but there was there was an incredible there was a huge drought going on for a couple of years. And there was this tremendous low pressure area that developed. It ran from San Diego to, to um, Toronto. 42:58 TR: Yeah. Dry as a grave 43:02 T: Just a great counter clockwise circulation that accelerated and accelerated and accelerated. And the whole thing started out a couple days before that. Before the 8th. It started out as prairie fires. In Kansas. And the prairie fires 43:18 TR: By lightening or something most likely 43:20 T: Probably. Or spontaneous whatever. But it all, everything moved toward Chicago. And of course the prairie ends right there, right there at the western limits, and just went on through. But of course that was the era of building railroads and you know when you got into the woods like we had in Michigan or we had in Wisconsin, they, they were making ties and tressel beams. And all they’d do is cut a tree down, top it off, take the heads off 43:52 TR: Off of, yeah 43:53 T: and leave a stack of trash the log would leave and just turn into 43:57 TR: Yeah. It was just waiting. Tragedy 43:58 T: Just, you know 2500 people died in the Petshigo fire 44:04 TR: I know. Worse than Chicago or anywhere else 44:05 T: Oh yeah. It was crazy 44:07 TR: They rarely talk about that 44:07 T: So that was October of 71. Well the next thing was next, the following spring was, you know, everybody went out and started logging and making shingles and 2X4’s, well, they didn’t have 2X4’s. But shingles and studs. 2X4’s weren’t invented until 1920. [cough] and the shipped them back to Chicago, well by 1973 the white pines were gone in southern Michigan. They closed the mills and the mills, the main mill, that was in Singapore 44:38 TR: went up �44:42 T: Went up to, uh, the Northside of the strait. What is, what is that? 44:44 TR: St. Ignace yeah. 44:45 T: St Ignace! St. Ignace. 44:46 TR: But at some point too they were stripping all the hemlock bark for the tanneries. I understand 44:52 T: Yes. That’s true too. So white pine went to construction and hemlock went to 44:58 TR: It’s no wonder why Mt. Baldhead started moving 45:00 T: Exactly 45:03 TR: And they feared it was going to dam the river and flood the town 45:04 T: yeah. Well, you know the interesting one was the family always used to talk about going and looking for Indian Beads. We called them Indian Beads, because they were Indian Beads but what they were was fish vertebrae. That would show up and you know fish would wash up on the beach and then eventually, well there was a huge sand dune just on the west side of the basin. 45:34 TR: Yes because Sylvia once, your mother once showed me pictures, I said “I do not recognize” 45:38 T: It’s all gone 45:41 TR: Yeah. And it’s, I, I 45:43 T: It blew away. There was a huge sand dune there and, and of course when they put the entry in I think they straightened out instead of going 45:54 TR: Yeah. Turn of the century 45:55 T: to the oxbow and out where the pilings are down at the beach, they uh, I think they put that in in 1907. Somewhere in there 46:04 TR: It was just at the turn of the century. Yeah. And that amazed how that filled in and blocked that, that other channel. Like in a couple of winters 46:15 T: Well, it also depends on what the lake level is. Because I’ve gone in there with outboard from the oxbow in the river. 46:24 TR: I’ve we’ve went in with a canoe one time when it was high �46:25 T: Canoe. Canoe. I went in with an outboard once. 46:30 TR: Did you always have stairs down to the river, well, you didn’t own the property 46:32 T: of some sort. We didn’t own the property but 46:36 TR: They let you repairing rights or whatever 46:38 T: Well people are always claimed they had a, a, you know, and easement, but when it was all said and done there was no easement. But, uh we always used to go down there and come and go. 46:52 TR: Of, of the families now, how many of them can you say some relatives still live in the area? Obviously 46:59 T: Of, uh, what families? My family? 47:03 TR: Your, your, your family no. But of that of that area of the 50’s and the 60’s, how many families are still here do you think? Of some relatives that have stayed? The Randolph’s have obviously stayed over yeah. 47:16 T: The Randolph’s are around, yeah. 47:20 TR: Because I’m a new comer 47:22 T: You’re a new comer. Ted, you know a lot of people, there are a lot of people that are next generation. That, that, that continue and beyond next generation 47:30 TR: Yeah. You look at the cemetery. Yeah. Like the Divines that built my house 47:30 T: And into the third generation. 47:38 TR: You go to the cemeteries and you see all these names and oh wow. I’ve heard that name. And I wonder if those are still relatives or what. That type of thing. 47:45 T: Mmhm. No that, there are, there are a lot of them here. 47:50 TR: yeah. The uh 47:52 T: Unfortunately, the, you know, some families just came to a halt, of course, but not that many people moved away. This is an awfully nice place to live [laugh] 48:02 TR: Well, geographically I know. RJ always complained, you know the Kalamazoo lake is going to silt up and you’re not going to be able to use it. We still have that beautiful lake out �there, and I don’t know how much you can destroy Lake Michigan. You know. Some people try. Geographically, it’s a gorgeous area with the parks that we have. Wow. I can’t 48:20 T: The parks the cultural attributes. Terrific 48:28 TR: I’m just amazed at all the buildings in Douglas going on and the con, you know the condos. Just you know, in Douglas. Just continuous. You know, wow. They, I don’t know how desirable it is to live in Holland, but we’re so close. You commuted 48:47 T: Oh yeah. It’s only ten minutes away 48:48 TR: You commuted to Herman Miller, and uh, it’s a lot nicer than place in Holland for sure [laugh] 48:56 T: [laugh] 48:57 TR: And, uh, I, uh, can you think of any other little incidents or whatever 49:08 T: The um, I’m sure it’ll come, it’ll come, there’ll be things that I 49:13 TR: Yeah. Later. What was Sandra’s, your wife’s, uh, your future wife’s uh, impression of Saugatuck. 49:23 T: Oh she loved it. It was, yeah, you know 49:27 TR: Yeah. You didn’t have to really talk it up or anything like that 49:30 T: Well, she’s a Detroit gal. You know 49:31 TR: Yeah. Suburbs and 49:34 T: And it was 49:35 TR: A bit rural 49:36 T: huh? It was a bit rural. And you know amazingly, what’s incredible now, it’s over. My daughter was here with her family 49:43 TR: From New York City 49:44 T: From New York. Uh. Just over the fourth. And she said “you know, you forget about how for a town, or for a community like Douglas and Saugatuck that is technically a very small community” You know we’re two thousand people 50:07 TR: yes. It’s getting less and less population �50:09 T: There is an amazing amount of culture here. And there, you just can’t run out of stuff to do. It’s very difficult. You know. It is a very desirable place to live. 50:25 TR: You’re on the board now of the SCA 50:28 T: Center for the arts. Yeah. 50:30 TR: Yeah. And, uh, I remember I though, how are they going to justify all that. But they have. Just like the historical society which now is called the history center. How it’s grown. And it just amazes me. The willingness of people to, to give back to the community, you know. In some way 50:48 T: Well, you know, and we have this, this, uh. It’s like Chris. Chris, Chris lives here. Chris is not a resident. Right? 50:55 TR: Mmhmm. That’s the majority of the people 50:58 T: He’s a resident of Palm Springs. I saw the California plate. And there’s so many people that have this attitude that this is an incredibly nice place to be between May and October. And it’s so true. 51:20 TR: Yeah. But winters can be interesting if you’re not commuting and things that. The cross country skiing we’ve done and all that. That stuff, but uh 51:28 T: We just, we just need to get some more young people. More young people and that’s all. But then of course then the cost of real estate’s that they’re not going to be inside the city. They’re going to be outside the cities 51:38 TR: Yes. In the township or yes. Prices, just 51:45 T: [laugh] 51:48 TR: Just amazing. Yeah. Uh, do you think that Barret, your son, will stay in the area? 51:52 T: Yeah. Yeah 51:54 TR: He, he’s happy working for Herman Miller like you did, and, you think there’s any chance he’ll, what do you think he’ll do with the properties. Have there been conversations about that or will Barret continue on with something, or you don’t know or just? 52:12 T: I, I, I dare say that, well the problem is we’ve got Holland Street, we’ve got River side Drive, and we’ve got Mason Street. Mason Street is commercial, and Sandra has to decide what she wants to do with that. Holland Street is the family pyramid and that’s place for anybody that wants to come and stay, and 52:32 TR: Yeah, but �52:34 T: I don’t see us selling Riverside Drive and moving to Holland Street. I don’t see that happening, but I don’t see us selling Holland Street. 52:40 TR: No. No. But what about the works 52:42 T: Oh the works 52:43 TR: and all of that 52:44 T: Oh that’ll get bulldozed someday, and we’ll put up a new place. A studio for an artist and sell that. Something like that 52:52 TR: Ok. Yeah. Around your 52:54 T: But that’s priceless too because now it’s, now it’s surrounded by conserved land. 52:59 TR: yes. I was going to bring that up. We’ve all hiked through there. That, that’s a wonderful gift back to the community is that. And that’s why Riverside Drive people are tearing down houses and building bigger, and I guess better for them. Yeah 53:16 T: [laugh] And of course we’ve got to protect because we bought the most, you know. We own the, the, what. That chunk and that chunk and that chunk and that chunk. 53:28 TR: Yeah. 53:30 T: And the orchard 53:31 TR: And your neighbors have chunks 53:32 T: And the Mowers have two chunks. So all the orchard and all the way over to Holland Street is protected now 53:40 TR: When you moved back to, uh, Saugatuck after Europe you had, you bought the cottage? On Riverside Drive? 53:48 T: Yeah. 53:50 TR: And your plans were to to convert it in somewhere or to build it 53:55 T: Well you know we were looking, we were looking. It was between the house were we are on Riverside Drive and one over on Lake shore Drive in Douglas. 54:03 TR: Did not know that. Ah �54:08 T: Yeah. We were trying on the beach. We were trying to decide did we want to be on the river or on the beach. And we made the big mistake 54:15 TR: Oh. 54:15 T: We didn’t buy both of them [laugh] 54:16 TR: Yes. I can see the river because of the sailboat. 54:20 T: We should have bought both of them. 54:22 TR: Yeah I guess that’s sort of my understanding 54:23 T: Spend the winter on the river and the summer on the beach 54:26 TR: yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, so you, it was a choice of modifying the cottage on Riverside Drive or tearing it down 54:37 T: Well it, well it was remodel. You know. Addition. Addition. Addition. Addition. And then you know, it just got to the point where it was just time to. It was officially a remodeling. A remodeling with a bulldozer. Because we kept a piece of wall and a piece of floor. So it was officially a remodeling 54:55 TR: Yeah. And until about the, the situation though. Like we had that lunch. Why we could be that close to the river, and those neighbors saying 55:04 T: Because it needed, you know, it was an existing non-conforming, so the existing footprint. We had to stay in the footprint, or match the footprint. Which we did 55:15 TR: And so, somebody now could not build that close to the river, so it’s unique 55:19 T: no, because they put it back, you know from before. The setback now from the water is 75 feet. The previous setback was unstated. It’s just like next to Sylvia, um, in the house, that, that was a waterfront lot. They hadn’t gotten around to determining what a waterfront lot was in the zoning. So that lot had a rear set back of ten feet. And the rear line was the water. So that’s why that house is ten feet from the water. Then they changed it to 25 inside the city of Saugatuck. So you can’t build closer than 25 feet. 56:00 TR: So you got the unique situation, which is wonderful. The, uh, through the years have you seen a difference between, uh, the ownership of boat type things being the opposite of sailboats to powerboats. Have it always been about equal or, or, or what? 56:20 T: Well no, you know before there were powerboats there were nothing but sailboats. Obviously �56:28 TR: So there’s fewer and fewer 56:29 T: So there’s fewer sailboats and more you know, but now when the price of gas when through the roof, everybody bought a hard bottom inflatable. And they learned how to run little tiny hard bottom inflatables, and now they do that. Of course the personal water craft have gone through a, through. What, what’s this year? This year we went out, Loring and Aaron, my daughter and son in law 56:55 TR: The river queen? 56:56 T: No 56:56 TR: No 56:57 T: They went on to the retro, to the retro electric boat guys. Last year they rented one of the retro electric boats. This year they went down and rented a new boat which they have a series of doughnut boats [laugh] 57:10 TR: Yes. Oh we were talking about that 57:11 T: And we went out on a doughnut boat one afternoon. What a laugh 57:14 TR: How things have changed [laugh] 57:17 T: How things have changed. The one thing I will say is, and it goes along with the comments about real estate and real estate values is the slips are half the size they should be 57:28 TR: Really? 57:30 T: If the slips were twice as big 57:32 TR: You’d have bigger boats 57:33 T: You’d have bigger boats. And real estate would be worth more 57:34 TR: Maybe that’s a blessing in disguise. Uh, because I often thought about 57:37 T: That’s one of the biggest prob, right now that’s one of the biggest constraints on property values. Is size, is the size of a slip. 57:50 TR: Is that why your neighbor bought a one, to keep a boat? Because they were on Lake Michigan? Didn’t they own something on Lake Michigan? 57:55 T: Yeah. Yeah. That’s right. They did. They had a pool on the Lake shore drive, south of the washout. Patrick �57:58 TR: So it’s an advantage obviously to have a home on the river because you can keep a boat, and, uh, and the size, some big boats 58:06 T: Right, and uh. You can keep some big boats. And Dick Hayworth’s got the A’ frame, and Dick’s Eagle Feather’s 70 feet. 58:18 TR: Yeah, I, people talk about it. I haven’t see it. He obviously hasn’t invited me, so that’s all right. 58:25 T: No. And Lucy Penguin’s down there now. They had, they bought Kelly’s, and, uh, Lucy Penguin’s got to be in the same class. 58:34 TR: Yeah. Well now we see helicopters buzzing over, and people commuting, and geez. That’s 58:40 T: But something it’s just like you know, if, if, if, if the Dennison property goes through and they build what 58:50 TR: Well, it has gone through. Yes. 58:51 T: Well, who knows. Um. But if that, if they build big slips, there’s going to be big boats, and that’s going to change the whole well 59:00 TR: I can imagine because people shop. Do they shop or do they go to restaurants? Do they support the arts? 59:08 T: Oh, I think you’ll find they do. 59:10 TR: I hope so 59:12 T: They do, do, uh, do, and they’re also 8 minutes away from a jet port. [laugh] 59:15 TR: yup, yup, yeah, oh boy. So. We, uh, there is a future. Your property might be pretty good 59:18 T: Things, things, things, things could change rapidly 59:28 TR: Yeah, I’m surprised at some of the sizes I see now. And I never thought about this. Size of the slips, and yeah. What, what do you feel about Douglas buying the Tower marine? Just just does that seem feasible or right? 59:38 T: well, you know the fiscal, fiscal, reality of a city, of the city having a municipal marina 59:48 TR: There are some in Michigan �59:50 T: Yes. You cannot get government grants to improve your waterfront 59:57 TR: Unless you own 59:59 T: Unless you own a municipal marina. And Douglas now has a municipal marina in fact, between 1:00:08 TR: That one on the bayou 1:00:10 T: on the bayou side, between Bud Max’s place and Notten’s between the two, they are now officially, they’re now in they now qualify to get grants. To get federal grants. Saugatuck does not have a municipal marina. So it doesn’t qualify. It doesn’t get municipal grants. Federal grants 1:00:30 TR: Interesting 1:00:31 T: To move their water front. And if they did, which would be Saugatuck yacht service. If they did do something like purchase that then they’d qualify and both of the cities could combine their grantage and get enough money to dredge Kalamazoo Lake. So there, there is logic 1:00:45 TR: Ah. That’s the point that is being made 1:00:53 T: to it. There is logic to it. It would take the property off the tax rolls, but it would replace it with grant money coming from the federal government. So. 1:01:04 of the area TR: Ah. Yeah and that was one of the questions there: what do you see the future 1:01:12 T: [pause] it’s not going to go downhill. 1:01:15 TR: Not going to go downhill? 1:01:16 T: uh uh 1:01:17 TR: Yeah we do have 1:01:18 T: We’ve got one of the best school systems in the state 1:01:20 TR: We do 1:01:21 T: We’ve got, you know and an incredible community full of with you know. One of the great strengths of Saugatuck Douglas is diversity. And you can just see it. This place just reeks of quality, skilled talented people 1:01:40 TR: [laugh] I would agree �1:01:42 T: And it is amazing. It’s just wonderful. And that’s not going to change. 1:01:45 TR: I remember when 1:01:46 T: They may go away in the winter. They may go to Palm Springs, or they may go to Miami, but in the summer they’re all going to be here 1:01:55 TR: Yeah. You want to be here. Yeah. I remember when your wife Sandra sold me my house you know, on Butler Street. Then I was thinking of buying something in Holland and you said you do not want to be in Holland. You do not want to be in, and Holland was very different. Holland then. I’m glad I took your advice there 1:02:14 T: Yes. It was a very different Holland then [laugh] 1:02: 20 TR: The, uh, any other thoughts or comments or, I know that you said later on that things might occur to you they could follow up. It would be nice to get Sandra to you know do a little oral history 1:02:30 T: Well she can tell you the story of being a retailer 1:02:35 TR: Retail! Yes. Very important. Yes, still is in there. Retail 1:02:40 T: mm hm, and she, now she was on the school board for 18 years. 1:02:45 TR: Yup, and she knows that—oh! With your uh, company Sipeto (?) up in Zealand. I assume it’s Zealand? 1:02:50 T: yup 1:02:51 TR: yeah. Did you ever think about it, having a manufacturing plant here? 1:03:03 T: The, um, the Hayworth plant sings a siren’s song [laugh] 1:03:05 TR: ok. Ok 1:03:08 T: The problem is that they, you know, who was it? Scot Gearlings, the developer went through went through a lot of, I was part of the package trying to get the remediation done for the contamination. It has just gone on and on and on and on 1:03:25 TR: And will 1:03:30 T: and hasn’t happened. And if that would happen, then it would go. 1:03:32 TR: Isn’t that interesting �1:03:34 T: The other side of that is, is uh, I mean there’s a 7-acre plant there. 7 acre piece of property that has a 150,000 square of building sprinkled 1:03:45 TR: Ready 1:03:48 T: Ready to go with the powder coat line in place. You know. It’s just sitting there. If they’d just remediate the place so that you could turn it into something. 1:03:58 TR: Isn’t it interesting that I found out that you helped build part of that. The connection. What comes around is truly amazing 1:04:08 T: Yeah. What comes around comes around. You can’t escape it. 1:04:10 TR: Right. I, um, yeah. In our lifetime, we obviously have seen a lot of changes and, uh, I don’t know how long we’re going to live, but it seems the pace is even faster. The building and all those things and all that. 1:04:28 T: How long we’ll live. I’m on my third life time now [laugh] 1:04:29 TR: We don’t know. I know. I know. That’s what we call you. A born again vegetarian. Yeah. Twice over 1:04:40 T: [laugh]. Yeah. 1:04:42 TR: Well if we can’t think of too much more I think we can wrap it up, but I’ve, I’ve learned a little bit more of, of, uh. I’ve heard some of these stories over and over, and loved hearing them again 1:04:52 T: You never heard about my folks, my grandparents being Christian Scientists though, did you? 1:04:55 TR: No. no. I thought that was just your mother side 1:04:58 Erbana. T: No, no. They were in the Christian Science Church. And then they met in 1:05:06 TR: That’s interesting yeah. And there were some real characters. Um, Burt Tilstrom, um, 1:05:10 T: oh yeah 1:05:12 TR: Some significant people and my contribution was the stone wall from the lower garden. That was my gift back to Sylvia as a remembrance type of thing so. That hopefully will out live me. Yeah. Type of thing. I guess that’s a wrap you can 1:05:28 T: Ok. �1:05:29 TR: All right. 1:05:29 T: Thank you 1:05:30 TR: Thank you recording ends 1:05:34 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-RandolphT-20180721 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Randolph, Travis Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-21 Title A name given to the resource Travis Randolph (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Travis shares memories of Saugatuck from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Reyda, Ted (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f5ceb5544737274ad0354aed8dbe3e81.mp3 938739238408867d8ab6517f3b439088 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b5da0b5d332168fcb4707391a86c00ca.pdf 3acf8258def39fae93587d76f6897712 PDF Text Text Jane Osman- Interview by Margaret Mason July 21, 2018 0:02 JO: Push it. Oh. Now it’s, it should be working now 0:03 MM: All right. 0:04 JO: Because it the solid thing 0:05 MM: Ok. So 0:07 JO: So then we should probably start with that right over there 0:08 MM: Yeah. All right. Thank you for coming, Jane 0:10 JO: You are welcome. Very welcome 0:13 MM: You just finished doing an interview yourself, so I appreciate that. Um, so. I should, your name is Jane 0:18 JO: Jane Osman 0:20 MM: Jane Osman. Thank you. O-S- 0:26 JO: M-A-N 0:27 MM: M-A-N Thank you. All right. And I’m Margaret Mason. 0:30 JO: Mmhm. Margaret 0:31 MM: Thank you. Um, and today is July 21, 2018. And we’re collecting these stories as part of the Stories of Summer Project, which is supported by a grant by the National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Program. Thank you for coming. I appreciate it very much. So, do, let me, tell me where you grew up? 0:52 JO: Well, actually I was born in, uh Grayling. I spent my very early years in Kalkaska, MI, because my father was superintendent there. Then we moved to Utica. That’s where I began my schooling. Which was over near Detroit. And we were there until second grade. And then in second grade we move to Fennville, and my father was the superintendent there. And I graduated with Fennville High School, and that’s where I came into contact with Saugatuck. And I was always a cheerleader there. Um, Fennville was much larger than Saugatuck. I would say 5 times or larger as far as the school, the graduating class. Everything like this. We had football, we had basketball. We had baseball. Um. We had a tennis court, well, we didn’t have a tennis team or anything, but we had no girls’ sports. No girls’ PE or anything, and it wasn’t until I went to college that “Gee. I have to take PE?” I didn’t even know what PE was �1:56 MM: Right. Wow. 1:57 JO: Physical Education. When we were at Fennville, we were the Fennville Blackhawks, and we were always the rivals of Saugatuck and the Saugatuck Indians. And I can remember when, and Cynthia just told me a short time ago that it was in the late 50’s I guess, um, er, er no. I guess it was the early 50’s that the high school in Saugatuck burned. And I remember my dad getting a phone call because, oh what was his first name? Mr. Waugh. Dr. Waugh. Um, W-A-UG-H. Was the superintendent here, and he called my dad, and the high school was burning. And I know that they had to go to different churches and then different buildings to have classes until they kind of remodeled it in the gym and put classrooms in there. But that was when it burned. But we were always the biggest rivals. So Fennville played Saugatuck, and Saugatuck only had a basketball team. 2:52 MM: Oh my gosh. 2:55 JO: They didn’t have football. They didn’t have any of the others. And Cynthia told me that her graduating class, I think she said they were 10. 3:00 MM: Oh my goodness. 3:01 JO: And 3:01 MM: How big was your graduating class 3:03 JO: Ah. In our graduating class I think we probably had maybe 55 3:07 MM: yeah 3:08 JO: but that’s still pretty small 3:08 MM: Considerably bigger. Yeah but, but much bigger than Saugatuck for sure. 3:10 JO: But much bigger than Saugatuck. But, uh, it was always fun to come over and the Fennville girls would always, whether it was good or bad, we liked to date the Saugatuck boys because it was exciting because this was kind of like, um, the bad place over here [laugh] 3:27 MM: Oh that’s funny. Be, be with the bad boys 3:32 JO: Yes. That’s right. We called the basketball team the Nicotine 5 3:35 MM: oh! [laugh] 3:36 JO: Isn’t that terrible? 3:37 MM: No. It’s probably true �3:28 JO: And Cynthia’s cousin Frank Lamb, Frank Lovejoy, Will Hedgeland, um, Bob Frankenridge, Ralph Burcoss, um, I think Rex Francis for a while and, well, he was, I think he had an altercation or something over here and then he went to school in Fennville. But anyway, we always were rivals. It was always very, very exciting to come to a game. I was always a cheerleader for Fennville, and, um, I can remember some of the cheerleaders from Saugatuck too. Um. Kerry Wicks, I think was one, um, oh my word. The names escape me right now. But anyway, what I did over here was I put myself through Hope College working for Joe and Cathy Hetacheck. 4:25 MM: What did Joe and Cathy Hetacheck do? 4:27 JO: Well, Joe and Cathy had, when I was first working there, the Frost Mug. And the Frost Mug was where the old Tara (?) was, and then there, I guess it was Center Street? Is that the one that goes right through? The Old School House 4:37 MM: Yeah. Uh huh. Uh huh. Center Street. Yeah. And then Terra was right over here 4:41 JO: Over here. Behind it. And that was there. Then you cross Center Street, and there was this bar, whatever. I never went in it 4:50 MM: Because you were a young innocent young girl 4:51 JO: Oh, yes, and I would never be around to go in that. But I was not the kind who “Oh gee, if it’s bad I’m going to do it” 4:55 MM: Yeah. Right. 4:59 JO: It was called the Woodshed. And then, um, there was the Frost, there, there was the, I think they called it the Dairy Queen, or the Tasty Freeze. It was the Tasty Freeze. And then Joe and Cathy had a square building that was probably maybe, maybe 30X30 or maybe 20X20 5:15 MM: Oh. Small. 5:17 JO: And it, very small, and it had shelves around the outside. And it was called the Frost Mug. And they called it the Frost Mug because we had the Root Beer Mugs, and we kept them in, we put them in chest freezers 5:30 MM: Sure 5:31 JO: And they were all frosty 5:31 MM: They were frosty, yeah. 5:35 JO: And, my first year that I worked there, I had just graduated from High School, and so I worked at the fruit canners in the morning from 7 o clock until 5 o clock I guess. Or maybe it was 7 to 3. And picked rotten cherries off the belt �5:50 MM: Oh gosh 5:51 JO: And that was in Fennville. And I don’t know how much I got paid per hour, but that was just for cherry season. And cherry season lasted only for maybe, oh, middle of June to end of July. But before that summer was over, so it probably had to have been about the first part of, or the end of June, I got a job with Joe and Cathy, and 6:10 MM: How did you get that job? How did you find that job? 6:13 JO: Probably somebody told me 6:14 MM: Uh huh. 6:15 JO: That they were hiring. They wanted waitresses. And this was not the kind of waitress where you put out silverware or anything like this. It was, I was a car hop. And I can remember that we all wore dresses. You didn’t wear pants. And I would wear, uh, I made, what would you call them, like pantaloons? 6:34 MM: Yeah sure. 6:35 JO: So that when you bend over, because you had to bend over to get in the freezer, nobody could see your underwear, you would wear these. But 10 cents, oh we were paid 50 cents an hour if you worked outside, but it was a dollar an hour that you made if you worked inside 6:52 MM: Oo 6:53 JO: So that was a lot of money 6:54 MM: Yeah. Yeah. Actually that, that really was 6:55 JO: Well it was back, probably about 1959 when I started. I worked there for four years, until 1963. And the first year I worked there it was this small building called the Frost Mug. And it was the busiest, I could only work from 5 until 3 in the morning because I had this other job uh picking rotten cherries off 7:16 MM: the cherries 7:17 JO: So I would come, and I would serve at 5 o clock. And then we would have the supper hour. Then it would get really, really slow until about 9 or 10. And then we would get a little bit of a rush before 11. And then we would stand around, and we would tell jokes, and Joe would tell and they were probably very dirty jokes. Um, the only one I can remember right now is “Get off the table, Myrtle. This here quarter is, is for beer.” 7:42 MM: [laugh] �7:43 JO: isn’t that terrible? And we would all stand around and we’d laugh. So it was dumb, because we had this dull time from about 11 until 1, and then the bars close at 2. And then we would just have a rush of people coming after the bars closed because they were going to sober up before they went home. We were open until 3 o clock in the morning. So we just put out lots and lots of pots of coffee. And we would sell all kinds of coffee. And coffee was 10 cents 8:13 MM: wow. Not root beer though, at that time of day, typically 8:15 JO: And, oh well, they didn’t need the root beer to sober up 8:20 MM: Yeah. Right. I’m sure. I guess not. 8:22 JO: But I just remember that we would, uh, put the tray on the, the car window. They’d have to roll it up, so that there was this ledge that you could put it on. And coffee was 10 cents, so they would often throw out their whole pocket full of change, and that’s when you made your money and your tips 8:38 MM: Right. Sure. 8:40 JO: And I’m sure sometimes I would make as many as, oh $20 a night. And that was really, really big bucks 8:45 MM: Yeah sure 8:46 JO: I cannot believe that I was able to put myself through Hope College for four years doing that 8:51 MM: That is really incredible. And you paid your tuition and 8:56 JO: Yup. Yup. And board 8:59 MM: Wow 9:00 JO: and 9:01 MM: Do, working, so you work there 12 months of the year, or just in the summer? 9:02 JO: Nope, because it was only open 9:04 MM: Ok. Yeah 9:04 JO: It was only open in summer. And so he probably opened a little bit before Memorial Day, and then he would close, you know, I can’t really remember, but I can remember working after Labor Day, and then coming home and working the weekends, uh, afterwards. Um, but he would close during the winter time. And Joe and Cathy lived on Pleasant Street. So you’d go up the hill, and the house is still there. And Joe and winter clothes and summer clothes. Because in �the summer time he’d work so hard that he would lose all this weight in, and then in winter time, when I would see him, when I would come back in May, I’d say “Oh my word! It’s like Santa Clause is here” 9:44 MM: That’s funny. And then he would lose it all again. 9:48 JO: All again in the summer. Yeah 9:49 MM: Summer. Well that’s an impressive story, that you could put yourself through college. Room and board and books and everything. 9:56 JO: But that was 50 years ago, you’ve got to remember 9:58 MM: I know, but I’m still, that’s still very, very impressive. That’s incredible 10:00 JO: And of course you would get uh loans. And because I was a teacher, then we got, what were they called? Some kind of a loan. And you only had to pay half of it back 10:08 MM: Yes. Because you were going to teach yeah 10:12 JO: You were going to teach. Yeah. I can’t remember what it was called right now. I don’t remember. But Joe and Cathy had no children, but they were just really, really a nice, nice couple 10:20 MM: Did they seem like kind of aunt and uncle like to you or parents or? 10:23 JO: Oh they were, they were parents to us, because uh, when we would have the Venetian nights. Or not Venetian night. It was called, um, oh, uh, Jazz Festivals. And the Jazz Festivals I think that’s what was last year at the Pump House event there this year, and I think it’s kind of a continuation of that. They were out at, they were supposedly out at the race track out here. South of town. But this is where you would have all these kids coming, college kids, I can remember it was always in July during they called it Jazz Festival Week. It was kind of like Venetian Festival Week. And it would be so crowded that we, that, uh, they closed off the whole town. And I can remember that Joe would have us stay with him at their house. And he had permission for us. And we’d all just pile in two cars, and then drive to his house and sleep at his house because we had to be at work here at 11 o clock the next morning. 11:22 MM: Right 11:23 JO: and so we would sleep there. Cathy was the organist at St. Peter’s 11:25 MM: Oh gosh. Yeah. 11:29 JO: Very talented. Just a really, really neat couple �11:34 MM: What a wonderful memory to have, to have the comradery of the people you worked with. Is there anybody in particular who you worked with that you can think of 11:42 JO: I remember I worked with Franny Benkin. And there was a large Benkin family in Saugatuck. I worked with Kay Schretigas (?). And she was older than I, and she was teaching already when I was in school, so therefore, after school started, Joe would let me go early because I was still in school 12:02 MM: Yeah 12:03 JO: And Kay was out of school, so she was smart. She didn’t have to do any homework or think. And that was probably very unfair. And I worked with Kerry Wicks. And I think her father was Frank Wicks of the Wickwood Inn 12:11 MM: Oh yeah, yeah. Yeah. 12:12 JO: And Jerry Muehlenbeck. Her older sister Joy is still in, in uh Saugatuck. Jerry, um, lives around here someplace. I think she lives around the Fennville area. And Joy still sells popcorn and such. She’s a popcorn lady. 12:28 MM: Yes. Right Sure. 12:29 JO: And I, so those are four that I do remember working with. And I can remember on the menu it was, uh a hamburger was 35 cents. And a cheeseburger was 40 cents. You paid you paid five more cents for that piece of cheese 12:42 MM: [laugh] for the cheese 12:44 JO: Canadian Bacon was 55 cents. A hot dog was a quarter. I remember for Mother’s Day; it was always kind of embarrassing because we would always get lots. So we had to open early in May then for Mother’s Day 12:55 MM: Sure. Yeah. Yeah. 12:57 JO: For Mother’s Day we would order three times as many hot dogs because that’s what everybody, when they, the father would bring the mother and all the kids in for Mother’s Day 13:05 MM: Oh. And all the kids for a hot, yeah 13:05 JO: So she didn’t have to cook. Hot dog 13:08 MM: She, the kids would get a hotdog. 13:12 JO: Root beer was a dime. Coffee was a dime. Doughnuts were a dime. Um, we had two dinners. We had a shrimp dinner and a chicken dinner. And they were a dollar and a quarter. And �it was a shrimp dinner, uh, I think there were 9 pieces of shrimp, salad, and then French fries. How much were French fries? Maybe, were French fries were, 20 cents? I don’t really remember 13:30 MM: But if you got the dinner the French fries came 13:33 JO: Fries go with it. Yeah. But we also sold fries separately. And you could get whatever you wanted on your hamburger. And I know sometimes we would grill and then we, then we would have somebody else standing on the counter, but this after, the first year I worked there it was called the Frost Mug. And then the next year, he had, I think it was the next year he had built what he called the Red Wood. It had red sides, redwood sides on it. Much larger. And then he had this big cement out in front with parking on both sides. And it was that way. And parking in the back too. It also had tables inside. I think there were about maybe 6 tables inside. It was much, it was probably four times bigger than it was before. But the prices were still the same. Joe and Cathy worked there all day long. Every single day we were open, 7 days a week. It was amazing 14:28 MM: And so and you, when you were able to work inside you got more money. 14:30 JO: Right. 14:35 MM: And, but there were only 6 tables inside? Or something like that? 14:37 JO: When, when you worked inside that meant you, you were the garbarger, and you put all the stuff on the hamburgers or 14:38 MM: oh. Right. Yeah. Right 14:42 JO: Whatever. Or you washed dishes and you ended up with 14:45 MM: chapped 14:46 JO: Uh, hands that looked like all wrinkles. Or you worked down in the basement, and, oh now I remember two others who worked with us. Two, Anne Hutchinson and Sharon Fleming. And Sharon Fleming would work downstairs because she had contacts. Because when you peel the onions, otherwise we would all be crying 15:00 MM: Everyone’s weeping. Yeah. 15:03 JO: Just because she had contacts she didn’t cry and 15:07 MM: Contacts were new in those days 15:09 JO: Oh they were new. That’s right. And we also had to peel potatoes. So we had great big, this is probably a terrible thing to say, but this great big pile of potato peelings down in the basement. And every night we’d have to scoop them and put them in garbage bags. Because if you didn’t do it, you got maggots. �15:24 MM: Oh yeah. 15:24 JO: It was terrible. And we would peel all the potatoes you had to be careful because you didn’t want to take your thumbnail off. And then when you put these slippery potatoes in water and carry them up in buckets. And we had this potato thing. And you put it in, and you pulled the thing down and made them all. Then so we made our own potatoes. 15:40 MM: Oh you, the lever pulled them to turn them into French fries’ size 15:42 JO: You pulled on this lever and they went into this container. And then you had all your French fries. And if you worked inside you could also work the fryers. I never liked to do that because you always burned your toes because when you pulled the, the baskets out of the hot grease, then it would drip before you got it over onto the counter to put it into the little containers. And so the tops of your tennis shoes were always all stained 16:10 MM: Covered. Oh really? 16:12 JO: Burn. Burned up too. It was, it was interesting. Um, the best kind of a, we never sold this, but we would drink it ourselves because we could have one thing to eat and one thing to drink and it was free. So because we worked there the seven 16:20 MM: Yeah. Should be. Yes right 16:27 JO: You would take, we sold chocolate milk too. So I don’t know if that was a dime. So you take a frost mug and you would fill it half full with chocolate milk and put root beer in the top 16:37 MM: Oo 16:38 JO: And was that ever good. It was great 16:40 MM: oh. Like a root beer float 16:41 JO: float. Yes. Except there was no ice cream 16:42 MM: Except it was milk and wow 16:44 JO: And in the front of it, facing 31, I guess the blue star high way, we had 1, 2, we had 4 big chest freezers full of layers of frost mugs of the, um, of the glasses 16:58 MM: Right to serve the root beer 17:02 JO: To serve it �17:03 MM: Mm hm, so he, so they changed the name of the place and expanded it in between one season and another as far as you remember 17:08 JO: They must have just, they must have done it very, very quickly. I don’t I remember working first when it was the frost mug 17:17 MM: Right 17:18 JO: And then it was called the Red Wood 17:19 MM: Right, but it was bigger and had more inside seating 17:23 JO: That’s right were, um I think it’s called the Tasty Freeze I think is now called Way Point. Because it’s still, it’s still the same building 17:30 MM: Yeah, sure. I know that. Yeah 17:34 JO: And there’s a building behind it, and that, that was, uh, Red Wood 17:37 MM: I see 17:37 JO: And I think it’s kind of reddish wood, or is it red brick? 17:40 MM: My, yeah. So Way Point is sort of back and it’s the M&M’s on the left 17:48 JO: On the left hand side 17:51 MM: M&M’s or what is now called the Blue Star Cafe is the one right facing, uh, 31. And then Way Point is kind of behind it, I think 18:01 JO: Ok. Way Point. Ok. See, I, and they have really good ice cream sodas in there now. But that’s where the Tasty Freeze was because it was in the front, so if you had 31 here, then the Tasty Freeze was here, Terra was over there, uh, what did I say it was called? The Wood Shed was over here, uh, 18:14 MM: Right. Right. Right. Yeah. Right. The Red Barn. The Red Wood 18:22 JO: Joe’s Red Wood was right over here, or the Frost Mug was right over here and the, um, kind of like um, uh, what would you call it. A [pause] you can rent rooms. Like 18:37 MM: Oh, like a little Bed and Breakfast or motel ish thing. Yeah 18:39 JO: It’s a little motel thing. It’s over farther south on that same side 18:42 MM: And now Douglas elementary school is sort of back there, back �18:47 JO: But it’s much farther back behind, but it’s much further back on 18:49 MM: Correct 18:51 JO: Center Street. So that was not there then. At all. We just had a parking lot behind. Hm. That’s interesting. I can’t remember. It must have been just, I think it was only one year that I worked there that it was the Frost Mug. It was that small square building 19:10 MM: And, and then it grew and the number of people you worked with increased? 19:13 JO: Oh yes. It grew, yeah. But I usually worked the 5-3 shift 19:20 MM: That is a long day! My goodness. If you’re getting up in the morning to do the cherries 19:23 JO: Oh I, so I only did that one year. Much more profitable to be at the Red Wood working with Joe and Cathy but go ahead 19:26 MM: Oh, yeah. Sure. Right. So when you graduated from Hope College did you continue to work there in the summer? 19:38 JO: I think I worked there just one summer before I started teaching. And then after that, of course, I had to go to school in summer sometimes to keep up my certification. 19:45 MM: Right. 19:47 JO: So I, I think I only worked there from 59 to about 63. I think that’s it 19:52 MM: Yeah 19:53 JO: But it, but those were good experiences. But another thing you had to do was clean, well, you had to take, well, clean off all the trays and then, but you also had to clean the latrines, and there was a guys’ and a girls’. And this was in the new building. It was awful and we hated to do that. But that was one of our jobs 20:10 MM: ooh. Yeah. Right. 20:13 JO: Clean the latrine [groan] 20:15 MM: And washing the dishes. No dishwasher? 20:17 JO: [laugh] No. no really. No 20:20 MM: Hmm. Dishwasher hands 20:22 JO: Well see the only thing we had to wash though �20:23 MM: The mugs 20:23 JO: Were the glasses. Everything else was paper 20:24 MM: Because it, paper. Ok. Gotcha 20:25 JO: And, uh, I imagine there were plastic forks or something to eat your chicken 20:30 MM: The, go back to the chicken dinner and the shrimp dinner. What, what was included? 20:34 JO: Oh. It was, a, probably like a, uh, school tray like what you would use to go through the cafeteria. 20:40 MM: Right. 20:41 JO: And, uh, they were both a dollar and a quarter. And it was probably a, uh, three pieces of chicken I guess. Like a small thigh, a leg, and uh, I don’t know. But anyway three pieces of chicken. They were 20:53 MM: Fried? 20:55 JO: yes. Fried. It was all deep fried. 20:58 MM: And who had to fry, you had to? 20:59 JO: No, Kathy was in charge of the fryers, and she did that usually. But sometimes, uh when she would have to do something else, or she would go play the organ for a funeral or something then we would have to do that. And we didn’t like to do it. But the, the fryers were all on the opposite side. So they were on the south side. On the north side was the grille. And actually Joe and two or three grilles there, and then a big long table. And that’s where we did all the garbaging took it all. And then we had another big table at this end. At that’s where you picked up your orders because you had to right everyting down. 21:28 MM: Right. 21:29 JO: And then you had to abbreviate it. And you could have whatever you wanted on your, on your hamburger or your cheeseburger or Canadian Bacon. But you had to write down if they wanted no onions or everything, or everything but, and there were all, 1, 2, 3, about 6 fryers there. With the, with the baskets just like you see if you look in the window at McDonald’s. 21:52 MM: Right. Sure. �21:53 JO: where they fry the stuff? And but we had a tossed salad. So she must have, I can remember chopping tomatoes. And she must have purchased lettuce and the chopped that all up. I know that Cathy often had bandages on her hands 22:07 MM: Oh dear. Chopping. Yeah. 22:08 JO: From her fingers. But she would also wear the plastic gloves 22:12 MM: Yeah. 22:13 JO: That are, but I’m sure we didn’t know at the time when we were. But that was back then too. 22:18 MM: Yeah. Right. Well. That was back then. You didn’t yeah. And people 22:20 JO: Did you wash your hands? Yeah. So we would 22:22 MM: were probably smoking in the restaurant and everything. 22:24 JO: I’m sure. Yes 22:26 MM: So, I’m sorry, you had, she, the fried chicken that Cathy made 22:30 JO: Mm hm. She did everything over on that side 22:30 MM: Ok. All by, from, from scratch 22:34 JO: Yep 22:34 MM: It wasn’t by, and then French Fries, and a salad. And then the shrimp was fried 22:40 JO: There was, I think there were 9 pieces of shrimp. And they were small shrimp. They had little tails on them. And they were in, so it was this, I don’t know, about 8 by 11, or something like. Kind of about the size of a piece of paper. And then divided into three sections. So you had your fries and salad. And then the larger section held your chicken or your shrimp 23:00 MM: yeah. And you would serve that to people, but you didn’t have to actually prepare it 23:05 JO: No 23:06 MM: But you did have to get the potatoes ready to be fried 23:08 JO: Right 23:10 MM: And take them out of the oil �23:11 JO: But, see, that was all done, you only did that if you were inside. The inside people did the potatoes, did the onions, did everything else. And those of us who were outside we just simply took orders. And would write it down on our little pad. You had to wear an apron. And we had to handle the money because handling the money was. You know, where did we put the money? 23:32 MM: Did you have little pockets in 23:34 JO: we must have had a till. Oh we had, I had several aprons with pockets in them, but we must have had a till where put the, I don’t remember that. We didn’t have a cash register. We must have had a till that we put the money in someplace. There was 23:47 MM: At the end of the day, or 23:48 JO: Oh. We had to turn it in all the time because we had to taking. I don’t know how 23:52 MM: More money and yeah. 23:55 JO: We did that. I bet somebody else, maybe Jerry would remember. I don’t remember how we did it. With the money 24:00 MM: And obviously they just trusted you so much to be honest with the money. You never felt they were questioning you 24:08 JO: No 24:09 MM: And would never have thought of helping yourself to the money. 24:10 JO: No. We just didn’t, you didn’t do those sort of things back then 24:16 MM: No. Because there was a whole system of trust. And I love, love the idea of back to, well, you stay at our house at this time when we’re going to have a lot of business. And we’ll look after you and what a wonderful memory. That is great 24:30 JO: It was, and Cathy died, oh I think maybe 3 years ago now. Maybe it was 2 years ago. And it was really, really sad. Uh, her funeral. Joe had died earlier. And I went to her funeral. It was at St. Peter’s. And I don’t know which funeral home did it. But they had somebody else’s picture 24:54 MM: [gasp] 24:54 JO: It was, I said “This is not Cathy!” They said, “No. We know. We mixed this up.” 25:00 MM: Oh my gosh 25:01 JO: It. That was really, really sad, and �25:04 MM: disturbing 25:04 JO: There were very few people there. There was nobody else that I knew from working there. But that was from 50 years ago too. But I would have thought that some people who still were around would have come. 25:15 MM: Because the people you mentioned, who you did work with, many of them are still here. 25:19 JO: I assume so. I haven’t seen Franny probably in 50 years. I don’t know if Kay Schretigas (?) is still living or not. Kerry I assume is still around. I don’t know. Jerry Muehlenbeck I do know is around. I see her every once in a while. I see her older sister Joy more often. But it was really sad because I couldn’t believe. I said “This is not Cathy.” And they said “no no.” And afterwards, um, I guess nieces, nephews, because they had no children, um, had everybody go down to the Mermaid. And they, you could order hamburgers, French Fries, or whatever you wanted reminisce of the days, and I thought that 25:58 MM: Oh. That’s sweet. Yes 25:58 JO: That was really, really special 26:01 MM: I think that is too. Do you know how long the, this place was in operation? 26:05 JO: Well, when I first started working there, they had been there at least 4 or 5 years I’m guessing. I’m sure if we would look in the records it would say. And I know it was there, oh probably into to the 70’s even. I’m guessing 26:20 MM: Yeah. Yeah. Good long 26:22 JO: I don’t, I really don’t know. When we, you move away, and then we were in the Detroit area, you don’t, don’t pay any attention 26:28 MM: Right. Right so. You then left, uh, Saugatuck. You left this area? What, you, when you graduated and you were teaching, did you not stay around in the area 26:39 JO: No, I was in the Detroit area then. I spent one year in Grand Haven, and then I was in the Detroit area until the late 60’s. Til 70’s. So 26:48 MM: Mmhm. And then did you come back here? 26:50 JO: And now we live in Holland. We have lived in Holland since 1960, actually. No. I told a lie. We came back in 68. Just before our son was born. So. And he was born in August, so we came in July of 68. �27:02 MM: Right. But really, Holland, in terms of being part of the Saugatuck Douglas community, you’re not that far away in terms of, of having your memories, of this wonderful community of this 27:14 JO: Mmhm. That’s why I like it so much. And that’s why I belong to the Saugatuck, um Historical Center now it’s called. Rather than Holland’s I belong to that. But this is so much more organized. Starts on time, um, has, is so much more vibrant, um, I hate to put down my own city, but this one has much more life. And that’s why I participate here. 27:32 MM: Well, that’s wonderful. We’re very lucky that you do. 27:38 JO: Well, I think I’m lucky because it’s available 27:40 MM: And I, we’re brand new in town. We’ve only lived here 27:42 JO: Oh, I didn’t know that 27:44 MM: Yeah, we just have lived here for a year. So, um, I love hearing these stories and these memories and trying to picture where things are, and your descriptions were so picture perfect. You know, I can picture you in your pantaloons and the lower apron with the change 27:58 JO: Ooh you wore a dress over it though 28:00 MM: Oh yeah. Of course. Of course. Yes 28:02 JO: And they looked like then they had ruffles on the bottom. Oh my word. And we would all wore tennis shoes. I remember somebody asking me “Did you wear, were you roller skating?” Oh Heavens no. That was cement. But I remember it was Thelma Naughton who had the, um, the Tasty Freeze. And she had a daughter, Corky. And I think they had a boat, boats or fishing or something. Maybe you’ve heard of that. I don’t know. 28:27 MM: No, No, I haven’t 28:29 JO: Naughton N-A-U-G-H-T-O-N. Thelma and Corky Naughton. And they had that Tasty Freeze. It was there for a long time 28:39 MM: Right. So all I can picture now is what locals call M&M’s and really is now called the Blue Star Cafe, but they still have that window where you can soft or hard ice cream or something 28:52 JO: Ok. Ok. That must be it. 28:54 MM: Like that. But there was a picture of a cone. You know if you look at the Blue Star Cafe it looks like it’s just a drive in for ice cream. But it’s really the little restaurant beside it that has, uh, Greek food �29:00 JO: Oh, Greek food, even 29:04 MM: Yeah. Hm. I mean, it’s kind of 29:07 JO: I’ll have to go there 29:08 MM: Oh it’s fun. It’s a nice little, again, local, family run place. Um, and then behind that is the Way Point. Where they have big breakfasts, uh, uh 29:20 JO: That must be the, I, I guess I should drive over there and just look because I’ll bet that’s the old Red Wood 29:26 MM: I bet. It seems from your description 29:26 JO: A big building. It’s, it’s 29:29 MM: Long. Yeah. 29:30 JO: Longer the way of the road. 29:32 MM: Yes. Exactly. 29:34 JO: And, cause we would, we had swinging doors you’d always boop your way because you had two trays. So strong we could, I could carry, it sounds like bragging, but I could carry a tray with 6 root beers in on hand 29:46 MM: oh, a, a mug 29:48 JO: Yes. 6 mugs in one hand, and then burgers and whatever else in the other. So you went out, and so there were no handles on it. You just booped your way out. And then you had an out and an in. And you never went out the in or you’d have a 30:01 MM: Right, and Jane, just because the recording won’t show this, you are not a large woman, so 30:05 JO: [laugh] 30:07 MM: So being able to do that must have been so 30:08 JO: Oh we were strong 30:10 MM: Yeah. Obviously 30:12 JO: But, but your thumb, you just hooked on the, and I remember now too. One thing I did not like, when the cars came out with automatic and they pushed the button. And so then �they’d accidentally hit it with their elbow. And everything would fall off. And all these things would smash. But Joe and Cathy never made us pay for 30:26 MM: Oh no. 30:27 JO: The smashed 30:30 MM: It wasn’t your fault 30:30 JO: Well no, but I mean otherwise it could have been “Oh sorry. You didn’t tell them” We never liked that because back then it was all the hand cranks 30:40 MM: yeah sure. 30:41 JO: And we’d say “now, don’t touch that.” But every once in a while somebody would accidentally hit it with an elbow. And then the thing would go down and dinner’s all smashed 30:48 MM: Oh now. Right. And then you’d have to start all over again and clean up the glass and. I wonder how many mugs they had in there. Your description is chest freezer 30:58 JO: Well. You know how big a chest freezer is? 31:00 MM: Yeah. Sure. 31:03 JO: And we had several layers in there. Oh we must have had, a thousand, or more. I mean 31:09 MM: I remember those mugs. Those glass, and then the handle on it, and then 31:12 JO: Glass handle. Big glass handle. It was all froze, and then it had the, a bottom on it that was kind of up on the inside. It was a false 31:20 MM: Yeah. Sure. Indented. Yeah. 31:22 JO: Bottom, but they were, that was a bigger mug then you get. And ten cents, but that’s what it was 31:28 MM: And what kind of root beer was it? What was the brand? Do you know? 31:32 JO: I have no idea because it came in, he would get a, that’s what you would do. You as the waitress or the car hop got your own drinks. Everything else would come out and then you got your drinks. Unless they were really busy, and then they got someone else doing drinks. Cause drinks were on the side. I don’t know what it was, but I know it came in big things. And we didn’t have to fill it because Joe, Joe would always do that. 31:54 MM: Right. Right �31:55 JO: He was strong enough, and he could get it up there. And I know you have to put the stuff in something else 31:57 MM: You have to put the syrup and the whatever 32:00 JO: And I couldn’t tell you what kind of chocolate milk we had either. I think we had, we must have had white milk too. Why would he just have had chocolate milk? 32:08 MM: Well because chocolate milk is a big treat and root beer is a big treat and 32:10 JO: Yeah I guess that’s it. But we didn’t have Coke. We didn’t have 7-up or any of that 32:15 MM: Right. No. No. No. No. It’s clearly, and you think of those mugs as root beer 32:20 JO: as a root beer mug 32:21 MM: when you think of them. Yeah 32:22 JO: Just like the root beer barrel that’s over there 32:24 MM: Sure. Yeah, and it, it wasn’t there at the time. It was there at the time? 32:28 JO: It was there. It was still 32:30 MM: It was still open and selling root beer also? 32:32 JO: It must have been 32:33 MM: Seems like 32:37 JO: I remember going there in high school. But see, that was over in Douglas 32:38 MM: yeah 32:39 JO: and that was a much smaller operation. I think they just did hotdogs and root beer. But I could be wrong too. I don’t know. 32:38 MM: so small you can’t imagine that it would 32:50 JO: and ours was much larger. I can remember that. Oh my word. Sometimes we were just really, really, really busy there. And all the trays would be piled up and you just couldn’t keep up. 32:58 MM: Right �32:59 JO: But that was good and time went fast, so 33:00 MM: yeah. Yeah. You’re right. You weren’t bored. And no time for jokes when it was really busy 33:03 JO: Well not always. It was usually the dead time from about mid night till quarter after one and then that was time for. Oh! That’s when Joe’d call “OK. Gather round. It’s time for the dirty 30.” 33:14 MM: [laugh] 33:15 JO: and I mean it was really stupid, but you 33:18 MM: but you loved it 33:21 JO: to have something to keep you entertained 33:23 MM: Were you tired? Do you remember thinking “Oh my gosh. I’d like to go home” or 33:27 JO: Oh probably. And at that time, um, I was staying north of Holland where my parents had had, well, it’s still in our family. It was my great-great-great grandfather’s cottage. And we lived out there. And so it was a good 35 40-minute drive for me to get there 33:45 MM: Yeah. 33:45 JO: And, so I’d get home probably 4:30 in the morning 33:50 MM: Oh my goodness 33:50 JO: See I didn’t start again until 5 o clock in the afternoon. So I would sleep probably until noon. Then go to the beach 33:55 MM: Yeah. Right. [laugh] 33:58 JO: And just go down our steps to the beach and then I was at work by 10 to 5 or so. 34:00 MM: Right. That’s a love, sounds like an idyllic life. 34:04 JO: It was, it was fun 34:05 MM: being a, being a teenager and early 20’s, um, that you had, and, uh, and I don’t mean to exaggerate when I call it meaningful, but it is meaningful when you’re serving people and you know, it’s not like you’re reading to the blind or something. But you are providing a service and people �34:22 JO: And we got to know people too. Some of them would come in all the time. We had a couple that would come in from Saugatuck. And we called them Salt and Norma. And sometimes Salt and Pepper. They would come in about 10 o clock at night, and we could never do this now. I mean it’d be illegal. They wanted their hamburgers, and these were big quarter pound hamburgers. Joe would make them himself. And they wanted them just on the grille, so they were raw really. Just, and with just onions. And that was it. And so it would be just an order for Salt, we’d say “S & P order” and they knew what it was 34:54 MM: when they, yeah. 34:57 JO: and they put them on and just 35:00 MM: barely warmed up 35:01 JO: barely warmed them up 35:03 MM: they’re eating raw meat basically yeah 35:03 JO: yeah 35:04 MM: Steak tartare only 35:05 JO: oh that would be! 35:07 MM: you wouldn’t. No. And, well nothing you’re talking about would be allowed now. You would have all had to be wearing gloves, you couldn’t handle the money and handle the food 35:10 JO: gloves. That’s right. food 35:16 MM: And they would never let kids do the stuff with the potatoes and the basement, and work the fryer and all that. Is interesting. And yet you thrived, and people had good food and they weren’t dropping dead of food poisoning. 35:30 JO: [laugh] not that we knew of anyway 35:33 MM: That you knew of, yeah. 35:35 JO: And Joe and Cathy were just such nice people. And hard workers. Oh 35:40 MM: and that sounds like it, it was their, uh, imprimatur (?), their, their symbol of, you know getting you all in and getting this place for regulars and. Did you have some regulars from the bar at when people came in at? 35:54 JO: Oh sure, and you just knew you’re just like, oh 3 coffee and, oh gee, I hope you get home on time �35:54 MM: At when people came in after drinking and you just knew like, oh. Yeah. Right 36:04 JO: And, in fact, I can still remember, and that’s why I’m a tee totaller to this this day. Because I would have friends come in and upchuck. It was just awful. I thought I don’t need that in my life 36:10 MM: Right. Why would anybody want to do that? 36:17 JO: And it was, it was an eye opener. But I’m sure we were extremely naive to everything else that was going on. And, do bars still close at 2 o clock now 36:27 MM: No idea. 36:28 JO: I don’t know either 36:29 MM: I don’t go to bars 36:30 JO: Maybe. I know in England everything is at 10 o clock or 11 the pubs close 36:32 MM: They call hours yeah. That’s right 36:34 JO: But I don’t know now. But that’s when we would get this influx 36:38 MM: Right. It might be earlier than that, but of course, you know. When you think about it the restaurants here in Douglas and Saugatuck mostly close, you know 11 at the most 36:48 JO: at the most 36:50 MM: they’re closed. So they’re not, and I don’t really know of an actual just place that’s just a bar. The places I know in the limited time we’ve lived here are all restaurants. And they have, they typically close at 10 or maybe 11 on weekend, weekend. But they’re certainly not just drinking establishments. But it was a wilder time too. You talked about the jazz festivals 37:14 JO: that’s right. Sure. And that’s when all those kids were there and all the riots 37:18 MM: yeah. Do you remember the violence, the motorcycles? 37:22 JO: I, I just heard about it. That’s all. Um, because we weren’t involved. We were outside of town. And I know that, I shouldn’t say I know, I heard that the problems were not out there with the jazz festival because they were just doing their thing there. But the problems were in town. And there are a lot of other people who can tell lots more about that. But I’ve heard stories about how they were come in, and they had their paddy wagons, and they’d take them off to Allegan or whatever because there’s not a jail here. 37:48 MM: right. Right, right. �37:50 JO: And I don’t know. I 37:53 MM: But they didn’t find their way up to where, they didn’t come to, to where you were working and get anything to eat. Because it was off the beaten path where you were 38:02 JO: It was. I assume so, because they were doing their 38:02 MM: from their perspective because 38:07 JO: And by 2 o clock in the morning they were all [laugh] 38:08 MM: Lying down in the dirt somewhere. Yeah. Wow. What wonderful memory. That is great 38:10 JO: It was fun. It was fun 38:15 MM: Well 38:16 JO: So we enjoyed it. And I did, I’ve given you what I can remember, most as far as my, my time working there. And I think just right here at is where we should do our 38:28 MM: Any, any advice for any young person listening to this tape? 38:33 JO: Oh. Do your thing 38:35 MM: [laugh] 38:36 JO: Do your thing. It’s, get as much of an experience as you possibly can. Um. Life is wonderful, and you meet so many people doing things that you never would think you could do 38:47 MM: Right 38:48 JO: And so what if, I learned that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life being a waitress 38:54 MM: Right. Or to become an alcoholic. At least with that 38:57 JO: Uh, that’s for sure, for sure 39:00 MM: And with that, that the warmth that was offered to you and your fellow workers by this couple who were childless, but you were their children, and 39:08 JO: we were their children. That’s right. Joe and Cathy �39:10 MM: And you felt that you were Joe and Cathy’s children. I mean you felt obviously you loved your parents and your family, but this was uh, 39:18 JO: Actually spent much more time with them then you did with your own family 39:20 MM: Of course 39:20 JO: And I can remember Cathy’s birthday in the summer time. And so we pulled our money and there was a beautiful dress that she liked that was next door because, oh there was kind of a little shop in amongst these hotel rooms. And she’d seen this dress, so we bought this dress for her. And I don’t know where or when she could have ever worn it because she was always working. She always had this apron all full of grease, and she, uh, poor Cathy. But we bought the dress for here, and she was just absolutely thrilled. 39:50 MM: What a sweet thing that you did that. Because you loved her 39:52 JO: We loved her 39:54 MM: you totally loved her. And Joe 39:55 JO: yes 39:56 MM: And it’s nice, I think, as a, as a psychologist, which I am 39:59 JO: Oh, I didn’t know that. 40:02 MM: I am a retired, um, anyway, to have another set of parents. Because we love our own parents, but part of the job of growing up, as you know, teaching 40:10 JO: It’s a little tough 40:13 MM: is to, well, you need to have another perspective and you need to have other people who love you. Who love you for you are, not because you’re their child, but because they love who you are 40:25 JO: you are 40:26 MM: And that’s just a blessing. You are very, very lucky. It’s a very sweet story. Anything else I didn’t think to ask you or 40:35 JO: No. I think not. So 40:36 MM: I was, one teeny other thing. The ketchup and stuff. Did you put it on? Did you have little packets and, I mean were you able to just �40:42 JO: No, nothing was, we didn’t have packets at all. We had the big containers of ketchup and mustard and relish 40:45 MM: So if they asked for ketchup you’d put it all on 40:50 JO: Yeah. It was already on the hamburger on the, or on the, um, no. That’s right. We did have little packets. And we would put a thing of ketchup with the French Fries. That’s right. A little just like they do that, so they could dip 41:03 MM: oh so they could dip it in 41:04 JO: That’s right, I had forgotten, but that was over on the, with the French Fries 41:07 MM: So when you got the French Fry order you had to fill the little 41:10 JO: They already filled them. It was filled up to the top, and so we put it on their tray. That’s, oh I’m glad you asked that question because I’d forgotten that 41:18 MM: I’m just picturing the whole process. It just sound 41:20 JO: That’s right 41:22 MM: Those little, uh, cardboard boats that French Fries and those things would be in those 41:30 JO: Yeah. Same thing that they are served in today. And hamburgers wrapped up just as it is wrapped up today. 41:35 MM: Yup. Well that is a wonderful memory. And thank you so much 41:37 JO: Oh, thank you very much, Margaret. And I’m glad to meet you 41:37 MM: I’m really. I’m glad to meet you too. And we’ll see you here at the History Center 41:42 JO: Oh yes. Definitely. Come to Tuesday Talks, oops. I guess we 41:44 MM: I do recording ends 41:46 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-OsmanJ-20180721 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Osman, Jane Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-21 Title A name given to the resource Jane Osman (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Jane discusses working as a waitress in the Saugatuck Douglas area at the Frosted Mug and, later, the Red Wood. She discusses her relationship with the restaurants' owners and the atmosphere of working as a server at that time Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mason, Margaret (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Waitresses Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/13f5370d651dfb43e66c78982656dd1b.mp3 5413f74b61aad5bf7a64e1650b58a1e4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4c3b8a4dbe6e5d1a674194aebbe6c453.pdf 363a61718e1fc61ef0b5048ab56a64f8 PDF Text Text Duane Newmeyer- Interview by Ted Reyda October 10, 2018 0:03 TR: It’s October 10th 2018 and I’m Ted Reyda. That’s R-e-y-d-a. Here at the old school house in Douglas, MI, conducting an oral history of Duane Newmeyer N-e-u-m-e-y-e-r. No. Well 0:20 DN: N-E 0:19 TR: spell it 0:21 DN: N-e-w 0:22 TR: N-e-w oh 0:23 DN: m-e-y-e-r Newmeyer 0:25 TR: Ok Um. Duane, just tell us about how and when you came to the area, or anything. Yep. How early did you did you first come? 0:35 DN: Oh 0:36 TR: and yeah 0:37 DN: Yeah um fifty—well it was about the late forties 0:41 TR: Late forties— 0:42 DN: Some friends of ours would come, and then we go to the beach. 0:45 TR: You were coming from where? 0:46 DN: Kalamazoo 0:47 TR: Kalamazoo 0:47 DN: yeah 0:48 TR: yeah 0:48 DN so we’d spend the day here and then go to beach and in downs uh town they had a uh barber shop on the main street, and at that time you could take a shower for a dollar. [laugh] 1:02 TR: Ah, so �1:02 DN: So they 1:03 TR: So there were no facilities then at Oval Beach then for fresh water then? 1:06 DN: Oh they did. You could rinse off, but that’s nothing 1:09 TR: Ah. 1:10 DN: like taking a shower you know. 1:10 TR: Oh. Ok. 1:11 DN: And so we did that and then changed our clothes and went to eat and headed back to Kalamazoo. 1:17 TR: Yeah. When you said “we” who’s--? 1:19 DN: Whoever’s about. Sometimes there was just two of us. Sometimes there was four of us. 1:23 TR: Friends or family? 1:24 DN: Friends. Yeah 1:25 TR: Oh, friends ok 1:26 DN Yeah. Friends. 1:27 TR: The, uh. At what point did--did you have family here? 1:33 DN: Oh. In the uh, (pause) I think it was in the fifties. 1:42 TR: The fifties. 1:43 DN: Mm My mother and my dad would come 1:45 TR: Ah 1:46 DN: With another couple sometime, and they’d go shopping and then go to Terra for dinner and 1: 51 TR: Ah 1:51 DN: then go back to Kalamazoo again. 1:54 TR: Ah yeah. �1:54 DN: And they like Saugatuck too, and they’d come and sometime my mother, my aunt, and mother’s cousins they would come for the day and uh, go shopping 2:05 TR: Wow 2:06 DN: And then just take a ride to the beach and then go home because we didn’t— 2:11 TR: yeah. At what point did they buy a house 2:15 DN: We bought the house in se- in nineteen sixty-five. 2:18 TR: Nineteen sixty-five 2:19 DN: yeah. 2: 20 TR: That—that was your aunt or your family? 2:22 DN: No, no it was just, we just bought it from uh, um. Well, the Smecks owned it and then, er, uh their daughter got snot grass. I think, and their daughter got it, and they kept it for a year, but it kind of bothered her to come to be there. So then she put a sign up for sale. 2:44 TR: Ah 2:45 DN: And I was going, mother and I were staying downtown at a motel and then I - I said I was going to see Jim Webster. I don’t know if you remember him. 2:53 TR: No. 2:54 DN: He was the head of the Red Barn Theater. 2:56 TR: Ah! Yes, 2:57 DN: And he lived on 2:57 TR: I heard the name. 2:59 DN: He lived on the end of our street. The Red Barn 3:02 TR: uh huh 3:03 DN: So, uh, so I did. I visited him. I told him the house was for sale, and he said “Yeah, the people that owned it were killed in an automobile accident” 3:13 TR: Oh. �3:13 DN: and, uh, so the daughter got it, but she wants to sell it. So I wrote down the number and then I said he said “Why don’t you call and see?”, and I said, “Well I’ll go home where we’re staying and talk to mother and see what she wants to do.” 3:27 TR: Uh huh 3:27 DN: So I did later. Mother said “Well, call see what she wants” so we called, she said yeah, she’d just as soon sell it. She said “give me $8,000. You can have it” 3:37 TR: [laugh] Oh really? In Sixty-five? 3:40 DN: sixty-five 3:41 TR: Uh, describe the house, how old it was or... 3:46 DN: Well, it was uh 3:50 TR: Well, first tell us the address, yeah. 3:51 DN: The address? 3:52 TR: yeah. 3:53 DN: 545 Spear Street. Upper Spear 3:55 TR: Upper Spear? Yes. 3:55 DN: Yeah 3:56 TR: Yes yeah 3:57 DN: and uh so, um, yeah, we bought it in, well we bought it in sixty-five. 4:05 TR: mmhm 4:06 DN: and uh 4:09 TR: Did you, was it in good repair? 4:11 DN: Pardon? 4:11 TR: Was it in good repair? 4:13 DN: Oh yeah, everything was in good repair. �4:14 TR: Oh. That’s good. 4:16 DN: yeah. We didn’t have to do anything. Just had it inspected you know. You call for that and also for termites or anything like that, and it was all ok. 4:24 TR: Right. 4:25 DN: And then my uncle come to look at it too from Kalamazoo. And uh see if it was all right. So everything was ok, so we signed the papers and went to our lawyer and bought it. 4:37 TR: Uh huh. Did you did you have to get a mortgage? 4:39 DN: No. We paid 4:41 TR: Cash? 4:41 DN: Mother paid cash. 4:42 TR: Ah 4:43 DN: Yeah. So 4:44 TR: They--you were doing painting at that time? 4:45 DN: Oh yeah. Yeah. 4:47 TR: So you had some ready cash 4:49 DN: Yeah. 4:49 TR: [laugh] 4:50 DN: But she paid for it [laugh] and uh 4:53 TR: So how many years did she come up? 4:56 DN: Oh that was sixty-five, and she passed away in seventy-five. 5:00 TR: Ah, so ten years 5:01 DN: Yeah. Ten years 5:03 TR: Then you took possession of it then? 5:05 DN: Yeah. It was an either and or, you know �5:07 TR: Ah. 5:07 DN: So then after she passed away, but she would come up weekends, and we’d come up week sometimes stay a week like Christmas time. And, uh, just be here at the cottage it was kind of nice. And also Thanksgiving we’d come, and it was my mother had a sister and a brother and it was our turn to have Christmas, er, to have Thanksgiving. 5:29 TR: uh huh 5:29 DN: So we said let’s have it here in Saugatuck if the weather’s nice. 5:33 TR: mm hm 5:33 DN: Well, it turned out to be real nice, so they came. 5:36 TR: Ah 5:37 DN: For the afternoon and stayed till about seven o’clock and then went back home. 5:40 TR: Was the house furnished, or you had to furnish it? 5:43 DN: It- we had to furnish it. It had some in there. It had a like a—a couch in there. 5:50 TR: Ah 5:51 DN: Some chairs. And by then we had to furnish it, the rest of it ourselves. The stove and refrigerator stayed. 5:57 TR: Ah 5:57 DN: And 5:59 TR: And course, was any of this, when did you meet Erwin? 6:02 DN: In sixty-five also. 6:04 TR: Ah 6:05 DN: Yeah 6:07 TR: You met him in Chicago or? 6:08 DN: Ah. Yes. Yeah. 6:11 TR: Ah �6:12 DN: Yeah I met him— 6:13 TR: Did you used to do work in Chicago? Or just 6:15 DN: Me? 6:16 TR: Yeah. 6:17 DN: Well later on, when I moved there after, em, uh, that was, yeah. Yeah, I don’t know I forget what year it was. 6:28 TR: Ah. The, uh 6:30 DN: In the eighties I think some place 6:32 TR: So Erwin got to meet your mother then? Did Erwin get to meet your mother? 6:37 DN: Oh yes. 6:37 TR: Ok. 6:38 DN: Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. He met her and uh, so, oh yeah, we got along good, cause the three of us we had good times you know. So 6:46 TR: Well, what point did you go to the, uh, Blue Tempo? (pause) Before your mother died or? 6:57 DN: Oh, yeah, before she passed away we had to go sometime 7:00 TR: Did she know you were going there? 7:02 DN: No. 7:02 TR: Did she go there? 7:03 DN: No [laugh] 7:04 TR: Oh. Ok. All right. 7:05 DN: She, I don’t think she knew, but if she did she never said anything. 7:08 TR: Yeah. Ok. 7:09 DN: But then Erwin and I would go, you know, go there sometime and then uh �7:13 TR: Yeah. What was it like? The- the Blue Tempo? 7:16 DN: Oh, it was kind of nice. It was uh, a nice bar, you know. And uh 7:20 TR: It was down below or 7:22 DN: Down yeah, downstairs site. And then Ted, Toad, ran it, you know 7:26 TR: That’s why sometime people called it Toad’s 7:29 DN: Yeah. There’s Toad, there’s Toad. His last name was Davis. 7:33 TR: Ah 7:34 DN: And then his wife was Nancy. 7:36 TR: Ah 7:37 DN: and [laugh] and they would both work in the bar you know, and that was kind of nice just to go over and visit with people. 7:43 TR: I hear sometimes it was high water and they had 7:45 DN: yeah [laugh] 7:46 TR: to put planks 7:48 DN: [laugh] 7:48 TR: Yeah. 7:49 DN: Yeah, the water would come up almost to the, uh, to the bar there 7:52 TR: Yeah 7:53 DN: almost to the bar there. 7:54 TR: Did they have music there? 7:55 DN: Have what? 7:56 TR: Did they have music or-- 7:58 DN: Oh yeah 7:58 TR: --any kind of entertainment �7:59 DN: They had music too 7:59 TR: Ah 8:00 DN: Well, mostly records you know 8:01 TR: Records. Ok 8:02 DN: Yeah 8:02 TR: Did people dance? 8:03 DN: Yeah, they would dance a bit 8:05 TR: Ok 8:05 DN: too, but but 8:07 TR: What percentage of the clientele were men? As opposed, were there 8:11 DN: Most all all men 8:12 TR: All men? 8:13 DN: Yeah. Not too many gals at that time. 8:15 TR: Ah 8:15 DN: It was almost all men. 8:16 TR: Ah. 8:17 DN: And then 8:18 TR: Did you, were you ever raided or anything like that 8:21 DN: Get what? 8:21 TR: Raided by the police 8:23 DN: Not that I know of 8:24 TR: Because I think at that point it was illegal to serve homosexuals liquor from like what I understood. �8:32 DN: Oh. Could be. I don’t think it—I don’t remember if it was, but I don’t think it was ever raided 8:37 TR: Ok 8:38 DN: Yeah. 8:39 TR: And they, did they did serve liquor then? 8:41 DN: Oh yeah. Yeah. 8:42 TR: Beer and mixed drinks? 8:43 DN: Yeah. Mixed drinks yeah. Oh yeah, and then they had sandwiches you know and pretzels. 8:47 TR: Oh, they did 8:47 DN: All that, yeah. 8:48 TR: Sandwiches 8:48 DN: Yeah 8:49 TR: What was your favorite drink? 8:51 DN: A vodka tonic with a wedge of lime 8:54 TR: Ah. Ok. 8:56 DN: So. Uh. 8:57 TR: When’s the last time, did you, were, did you know, I mean, when it closed I mean did you go to the closing or anything like that? 9:05 DN: No, cause it burned-- 9:06 TR: It burned 9:07 DN: --it burned down 9:07 TR: Ok. 9:09 DN: One morning, yeah. Had the news on we did, and it said that the Blue Temple burned down. �9:16 TR: Ah 9:16 DN: So then I went, and I think that was in seventy-five too. 9:19 TR: Seventy-five 9:19 DN: The year that my mother passed away, but later, you know. I think it was 9:24 TR: Boy I just 9:24 DN: --seventy-five. 9:25 TR: missed it then because I moved here in seventy-six. 9:27 DN: Oh. Yeah. And uh, it burned and, um, so then we went to look at it, you know and see it, but most burned 9:34 TR: It was burned to the ground 9:35 DN: Almost yeah. Yeah. 9:37 TR: So is that where that blank lot is right now? No. That’s, isn’t that where the Quonset hut is? That that building that, the rounded roof building? I forget exactly where it was. 9:49 DN: Yeah. It could be it was at where Quonset hut was. I think 9:53 TR: That’s where they rebuilt 9:54 DN: Yeah. I think that 9:55 TR: Ok. 9:56 DN: That’s where it was. Along there anyway. 9:57 TR: yeah. 9:59 DN: And uh, 10:00 TR: yeah 10:01 DN: so and later on the bar was at, uh, on Butler Street. 10:06 TR: Really? 10:07 DN: Yeah, uh (pause) �10:11 TR: The Elbow or no? 10:13 DN: Uh, (pause) well it’s in the first block , you know, where, um, is where Pumpernickel’s is. 10:23 TR: Oh! 10:23 DN: Butler Street, where you come out and the whole street there to your left, you know, go right to the end, the building is painted bright yellow. 10:31 TR: Ok. 10:33 DN: The Log Cabin 10:34 TR: The Log Cabin 10:34 DN: Yeah Yeah it was 10:35 TR: OK the Log Cabin 10:35 DN: Yeah that’s what it was called. The Log Cabin and then 10:37 TR: So then that 10:38 DN: And that went gay for a while. 10:40 TR: Yeah, East of the Sun was there 10:42 DN: Yeah. 10:43 TR: Ok. 10:45 DN: Later on yeah 10:45 TR: Now it’s something else. Yeah, no. It’s bright yellow 10:47 DN: Yeah. 10:49 TR: I’ll be darned, that’s been a lot of things because I heard at one time that was a meat market. Way back 10:56 DN: that could be 10:58 TR: yeah all these buildings 10:59 DN: Yeah, uh, Pumpernickel’s used to be a meat market and grocery store �11:01 TR: I, yes, I knew that. 11:02 DN I remember that 11:05 TR: Yeah. Did you ever go, well certainly you must, you and uh, Duane must have gone over. Erwin I mean, used to go over to the beach, I would imagine. 11:13 DN: Oh yeah. We went to the beach. Yeah. 11:16 TR: Did you ever wander up into the dunes? 11:18 DN: Once a while, yeah, we go there and walk around. Sometime we’d set up there. Then again, we’d just stay in the bottom. 11:24 TR: Were there nudists back then? 11:26 DN: Oh yeah. 11:26 TR: Oh yeah. 11:27 DN: Yep. Oh yeah. 11:28 TR: Strangely enough, last week it was warm. I hadn’t been over there for a long time, and there are still nudists there. 11:33 DN: Yeah. 11:33 TR: I, now, that the city owns north of the Oval to the uh, outlet, uh, you know, I thought, well they’re not going to do that anymore, but there were nude men so. 11:43 DN: Oh. Really? 11:45 TR: And they said in the summer you watch out for tour—as they call tourists—but they’re still out there. 11:49 DN: Oh. 11:49 TR: And that’s nice to hear because of 11:53 DN: Yeah. 11:53 TR: It’s a very nice thing to enjoy in the summer 11:54 DN: yeah. It was nice years ago you know �11:57 TR: yeah 11:57 DN: going up there and then, yeah, there’d be about six or seven of us sometime. You know we’d just, where the parking lot is, just walk in the sand a little bit. Like Bob Birch, and Bob Harris, and Bill D. Young 12:07 TR: Yes 12:08 DN: We’d all be in the circle, then we play cards 12:11 TR: Yes! You’re part of that group 12:13 DN: Yeah. 12:14 TR: And I, we used to get really sunburned, not sun burned, but sun tanned there 12:17 DN: Yeah. 12:18 TR: because they were always playing cards 12:20 DN: Cards, we, uh, played cards and it was kind of fun and then course then, later on, I got an umbrella. 12:26 TR: Yeah 12:27 DN: Because I couldn’t take the sun-12:28 TR: Oh I -12:28 DN:-- too long I’d just burn to a crisp. That or I’d have to go up to the concession stand and set there for about half hour. 12:34 TR: Yeah. 12:34 DN: And then come back to the beach. 12:36 TR: Yeah. It’s funny. I used to go swimming around three o’clock, you know, during the summer, and no longer a, uh, group there. 12:45 DN: No. No. 12:46 TR: Most of them moved away or died or something like that 12:47 DN: Yeah. Oh yeah. 12:49 TR: So they were an, an institution. They would always observe who was walking down. �12:54 DN: Yeah. 12:56 TR: to the private area-12:57 DN: Yeah, yeah we could see it 12:57 TR: --of beaches 12:59 DN: we weren’t too far from there and, 12:59 TR: Yeah. 13:01 DN: at that time uh, well the other owners, they would charge to go down there. 13:05 TR: Yes. 13:06 DN: In the other end 13:07 TR: And that’s why people then felt safer, because 13:09 DN: Yeah. Yeah. 13:10 TR: Nobody would bother them. 13:11 DN: Yeah. 13:12 TR: But, I, yeah, I moved here in seventy-six, and I was walking along the beach towards the outlet and, uh, said “Why are those men looking at me from up in the dunes?” And I said, “Oh. Oh dear” 13:26 DN: [laugh] Yeah. 13:26 TR: [laugh] Now I know! 13:27 DN: No. Yeah. [laugh] 13:30 TR: And, uh, at, you know, uh, I guess oxbow they used to have all kinds of parties and things 13:36 DN: Yeah. Down there. The oxbow. Yeah. 13:37 TR: The far end 13:38 DN: yeah. Yeah. �13:39 TR: Type of thing. 13:40 DN: yeah. 13:40 TR: Where did you meet Duane? 13:41 DN: What do you mean? 13:42 TR: Erwin! I’m sorry 13:43 DN: Yeah. 13:44 TR: I’m switching the names. 13:45 DN: In Chicago. 13:46 TR: In Chicago. 13:37 DN: It was a friend of mine. He was staying with a friend of mine. 13:49 TR: Ah. 13:50 DN: And, uh, I had, uh, I would talk to him on the phone because I would call my friend 13:55 TR: Ah. 13:55 DN: But he’d be gone sometime and Erwin would answer. So I would talk with him. And then, I’d just say, “Come up some time to Saugatuck.” He says “Yeah, maybe eventually.” And then, uh, 14:06 TR: Erwin, uh, Erwin had never been to Saugatuck? 14:10 DN: Oh yeah! 14:11 TR: Oh? 14:11 DN: He used to come up, yeah. 14:12 TR: So he knew of it. 14:13 DN: Oh yeah. 14:13 TR: Ok. 14:14 DN: He would come up with other friends before I even knew it. �14:16 TR: Ah. Ok. 14:17 DN: And then, uh, maybe I showed you pictures of it. He had a red corvette? 14:21 TR: Yeah. 14:21 DN: And that was parked in, uh, pictures of, uh ship and shore 14:26 TR: Yeah. 14:27 DN: and uh 14:30 TR: Yeah. 14:30 DN: But then one, oh, one, during the week, my friend would call me and say that his boss had tickets for Hello, Dolly. 14:40 TR: Oo 14:40 DN: Two of them, but he had to go out of town him and his wife, so, he gave them to Wes. So we called me, would I want to come in to Hello, Dolly ? I said sure, so I came 14:50 TR: Sure 14:51 DN: I come in Friday night and the, um, mm, ah, musical was Saturday. 14:56 TR: Ah. 14:56 DN: So then I met Erwin after that. Come home. 14:59 TR: Was their place in Chicago downtown or Northside? Where were they living in Chicago? 15:05 DN: Uh, yeah, I can’t remember the name of it. Yeah. Uh. 15:10 TR: But it was convenient to-15:11 DN: Oh yeah down there 15:12 TR: -- The theater district? 15:13 DN: yeah. Downtown some place 15:15 TR: So you used to go in to Chicago before the four lane. How long did it take you to get there without the express way? �15:22 DN: Yeah the expressway. Oh, about two and half hours, three hours. 15:28 TR: Really? 15:28 DN: Yeah. If there wasn’t too much traffic. 15:29 TR: Oh. Oh yeah. 15:30 DN: Because he lived on North Avenue, so that was nice. Cause I would just stay on the expressway until I got to North Avenue and then get off, in two blocks I was by the house. 15:37 TR: Ok. 15:38 DN: Yeah. 15:41 TR: The, and when did you move back here permanently? From Chicago? 15:44 DN: Back here? Uh, to Saugatuck, (pause) uh, 15:52 TR: Well, we’ll think of it, yeah. 15:54 DN: Yeah, maybe 15:54 TR: The uh 15:55 DN: in the nineties? 15:56 TR: Erwin stayed in Chicago working then? 15:58 DN: Oh yeah. He was there, and then I was working in Kalamazoo, and then my mother was living. 16:01 TR: Ah. 16:03 DN: And we had the apartment house next door with twelve apartments, so I couldn’t live, leave there. You know. 16:07 TR: Ah. 16:08 DN: Because it was busy keeping those up, you know? So then after she passed away it was seventy-five, and then, I think in the eighties someplace, then I moved to Chicago. 16:18 TR: Ah. 16:19 DN: And I was there almost eight years. �16:21 TR: Ah. 16:22 DN: And he sold the house there, and we moved to Saugatuck. 16:24 TR: Ok. That. That’s when it happened. 16:26 DN: Yeah. And so we’d been here and 16:30 TR: And congratulations. I understand, uh, the two of you married not too long ago. 16:37 DN: Yeah. Yeah. And yeah. In, um, January. 16:43 TR: January of 16:45 DN: 20 16:46 TR: 2018. 16:47 DN: Yeah. 16:48 TR: Yeah. Well. Congratulations. 16:49 DN: Yeah. 16:50 TR: It’s unfortunate that Erwin is no longer with us. 16:53 DN: Yeah. 16:54 TR: I enjoyed meeting him, and, uh, yeah. 16:58 DN: Yeah. Yeah, I really miss him. You know? He passed away the fifth of February. 17:03 TR: Yeah. 17:03 DN: Almost eight months. Nine months. Eight months already. 17:06 TR: Well, you always will miss him. There’s no doubt about it. 17:07 DN: Yeah. Yeah. 17:10 TR: That’s, uh. 17:11 DN: Yeah. And things come up, you know 17:12 TR: Exactly. �17:13 DN: That we did and think about it. Oh yeah. It’s just a different life all together. 17:17 TR: Oh. 17:17 DN: You know. 17:19 TR: But, what age are you right now? 17:21 DN: (pause). I’m, uh, eighty-six 17:24 TR: Eighty-six? And you’re still working painting? 17:26 DN: [laugh] 17:28TR: I I can’t believe it. Because 17:29 DN: Little bit. 17:30 TR: I’m seventy-five, and I want to give up. 17:32 DN: Yeah. 17:33 TR: gardening yeah. 17:34 DN: Oh yeah. Well, that’s harder work too. 17:35 TR: Well painting, to me, also 17:38 DN: Oh yeah. If it was a lot of hard work, I wouldn’t do it. 17:41 TR: Yeah. 17:42 DN: But this is just touch up spots. 17:43 TR: Ah. 17:44 DN: For Larry on the wood work, and 17:45 TR: The Pumpernickel. Yeah. 17:47 DN: Yeah. At his house. 17:49 TR: Oh yeah. At his house 17:49 DN: I’m working at his house. �17:50 TR: He’s still live Upper Spear? 17:51 DN: Yeah. 17:52 TR: Uh yeah. 17:53 DN: Just down the other end of us. Yeah. 17:54 TR: Ok. 17:55 DN: And uh, 17:56 TR: Oh, I see. 17:56 DN: Yeah. And because he wants eventually, I think the end of this month he’s done at the restaurant. 18:01 TR: They close for the winter? 18:03 DN: Oh no. He sold it. 18:04 TR: He- I did not know that. 18:06 DN: Yeah. He sold the business, and he sold the building. 18:09 TR: I’ll be damned. 18:10 DN: Last year already. But he agreed to with the new owners to help them out and 18:14 TR: Yeah. 18:15 DN: and all this and that 18:16 TR: Will they do you think they’ll keep the same food? 18:20 DN: I don’t know. 18:21 TR: and menu? 18:21 DN: Yeah. They want to, I guess, have a restaurant, and eventually they want to have dinners at night. 18:26 TR: Oh 18:27 DN: What I understand, so how true that is I don’t know. �18:29 TR: With more and more people staying in the B and B’s, they’re looking for places 18:34 DN: Yeah. 18:35 TR: Course Hercules closed, but the. 18:37 DN: Yeah. 18:38 TR: Was sold and they are going to, and somebody else is taking over that. So. 18:42 DN: Yeah and well for a while, um, maybe three, four years ago, Larry had started for breakfast or for dinners at night. But that only lasted one season. And he didn’t do it again. I don’t know 18:53 TR: Yeah. 18:54 DN: It didn’t pay out or what 18:56 TR: Getting help consistently and 19:00 DN: Yeah 19:01 TR: All that, boy, it 19:01 DN: It’s hard. 19:02 TR: Tough business. 19:03 DN: yeah. 19L93 TR: Uh. 19:04 DN: So he said too, he wanted the house to look nice too, and he put in new carpeting in the dining room 19:09 TR: Will he sell the house, also do you think? 19:11 DN: He wants to sell, excuse me. He wants to sell it 19:14 TR: And move away? 19:15 DN: Yeah. They’ll move to, I think it’s somewhat close to Detroit some places. He has a sister and relatives there. 19:21 TR: Ah �19:22 DN: And they said he could go there, and Jenny, she doesn’t have many. She only has a brother, and he’s a priest in New Orleans. 19:31 TR: Wow 19:32 DN: So, but he says, something happens to him well then at least there’ll be some family around for Jenny. 19:38 TR: Yeah 19:38 DN: And, uh, so, but, then all last week he said, well after they, he’s done with it he said I think they’re just going to stay for a while, relax, and he said, I said, “Well how long you had the restaurant?” He said “thirty years.” 19:53 TR: Yes. 19:54 DN: That’s a long time. So. He said, “Just relax” and, maybe they’ll wait till spring then to put the house up for sale. 20:00 TR: The. You must be, one of the original, or, person who has lived in Upper Spear area the longest, I would imagine. 20:11 DN: Um. Now I am, yes. 20:12 TR: Now. 20:13 DN: Yeah 20:14 TR: Well, one of your neighbors was Burr Tillstrom 20:16 DN: Yeah. 20:18 TR: And uh, 20:19 DN: Yeah he was 20:20 TR: Interesting character 20:21 DN: Yeah 20:21 TR: Somebody listening to the tape who don’t know who that is, he created uh, the whole Kukla, Fran, and Ollie thing in Chicago 20:28 DN: Yeah �20:29 TR: And I remember from my childhood, and we have a memorial to him in our downtown Saugatuck park, but yeah, describe his structure up there. 20:40 DN: The house? 20:41 TR: Yeah. 20:42 DN: It was all, it was a nice old house. It was all barn wood inside. He, uh, had to fix it up. 20:46 TR: Was it originally a barn, do you think? 20:47 DN: I think so, yeah 20:49 TR: Yeah. 20:50 DN: And then there was barn wood limber, and then he put more in. Well, Jim Webster did a lot of that first. 20:55 TR: Ah. They got the man from the theater 20:56 DN: Yeah, he did most of it. And that burst after Jim died, and they had it for sale and, uh, 21:04 TR: Burr 21:05 DN: Burr Tillstrom bought it 21:07 TR: Yeah 21:07 DN: He lived in Chicago, and when I moved to Chicago, and I did painting for him in his condo 21:13 TR: Yes 21:13 DN: Over there too. And uh 21:17 TR: Describe what we had a conversation about all the little crevices in his house. What were in, in these crevices then? 21:23 DN: Well they found a lot of different things in there I guess. I uh, papers and pictures and 21:30 TR: Well, from what I, when I was up there, all, when he needed a new Kuklapolitan character, Ollie or what was, I’m forgetting some of the characters. He couldn’t throw them away. He, he would put them in little cubbyholes in the walls. �21:48 DN: Oh, that that could be yeah. 21:49 TR: He still had all the characters 21:50 DN: Yeah 21:51 TR: that he 21:53 DN: I think 21:53 TR: refurbished it 21:54 DN: Yeah. Because later on, after Burr died, and then Jim and David bought the house. 22:00 TR: Yeah. 22:01 DN: For uh 22:03 TR: Yeah 22:04 DN: For uh 22:04 TR: Yes 22:05 DN: to rent out. Then they found a lot of stuff in there I guess of Burr’s, you know? 22:08 TR: Yes. 22:09 DN: So 22:10 TR: The, uh, from what I understand he was Christian Science 22:13 DN: Yeah 22:13 TR: and he didn’t want to mow his lawn or anything because of insects and frogs and things he might kill them so, you know. It probably looked a little disheveled, yeah. 22:23 DN: Yeah 22:24 TR: [laugh] 22:24 DN: but he would cut it sometime 22:25 TR: Oh, ok. �22:26 DN: Cause sometime I’d come up weekend just, or Saturday, and then have to go back to Kalamazoo if we were going to do something. And then I’d cut the grass and so, like that, and he’d be there cutting his grass, and he’d come. He’d wave like this, “Come on over here. I just made a pie.” 22:40 TR: Oh 22:40 DN: So then I’d come over, he had a deck in the back. 22:43 TR: Yeah. 22:43 DN: On the back side there. So then we’d sit and have pie, then I’d go back cutting grass, and he did too. 22:47 TR: Oh yeah. When I stopped by he was baking bread and said “Oh you’ve got to stay for some fresh baked bread” 22:53 DN: Yeah. 22:54 TR: It was very good 22:55 DN: Yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. He was kind of nice. And then he had a dog, Emily 22:58 TR: Yeah. The hound dog 22:59 DN: Yeah (laugh) 23:00 TR: Yes. Cause I was over there where he was just as disturbed as I’ve ever seen him because he took him over to Oval Beach, and let him loose. And the dog just chased something, and he was calling and calling. And we all went out trying to find the dog. 23:16 DN: Yeah. 23:18 TR: And then he just waited, and it finally came back. I guess it got hungry, but he was so disturbed over that dog. 23:24 DN: Yeah. I suppose. 23:25 TR: Wouldn’t listen to him 23:26 DN: Yeah. Yeah. He was quite a pet for him, you know. 23:29 TR: I know it’s interesting when they, uh, I think it was the Saugatuck Douglas Women’s Club got together that money to build that little, uh, to make that bronze sculpture of that. �23:29 DN: Yeah 23:32 TR: Young girl with a puppet. He said he never wanted any memorial 23:46 DN: Oh. 23:46 TR: And, and uh, I remember him saying that. I guess that the people of the town thought that he needed to be remembered. 23:52 DN: Remembered yeah. But 23:54 TR: And you think about my nieces and nephews and grand nieces and nephew, they hardly even know about him, so 24:00 DN: No. yeah. It’s true 24:02 TR: It needs documentation 24:03 DN: Yeah 24:04 TR: and the, uh, Historical Society has a lot of things from it 24:09 DN: from- from- yeah. 24:10 TR: I got one of his old—he did a couple little performances here in town 24:15 DN: Oh 24:17 TR: And, uh, very enjoyable 24:18 DN: Yeah. 24:19 TR: And, uh, he left some of the stage work and 24:21 DN: Yeah 24:21 TR: And there’s two other guys that live in Douglas, uh, I gave it to them. Because they were going to refurbish it and all that, but they said they’d loan it back to the, what we now call the History Center. Any time we wanted to, to do a show, so. One of the amazing character, that’s for sure. 24:39 DN: Yeah, he was nice and one oh, that one weekend Fran was up and some of the other guys and then, it was kind of nice too. 24:47 TR: Oh yeah. �24:48 DN: And then mother and I had him up for dinner. 24:50 TR: Oh, really? 24:51 DN: All of them, and then for dessert we went to his house and showed pictures of Kuklu, Fran, and Ollie. 24:56 TR: Oh good 24:58 DN: When he first started and all this, so that was kind of interesting 25:01 TR: Yeah 25:02 DN: Yeah, so. 25:03 TR: I wonder when he first started coming to Saugatuck. Uh. Don’t know. Yeah. 25:09 DN: Yeah, well, no. I, um, no and I can’t even remember the year he bought the house either. 25:15 TR: He didn’t have it when you, when your family bought it 25:18 DN: No 25:19 TR: No it was after that. 25:20 DN: No. No. Jim Webster owned it at that time. 25:21 TR: Ok and 25:23 DN: When we bought it, yeah. Yeah. We bought our house. And later, Jim, uh, I don’t know was around four or five years, and then he passed away. 25:31 TR: Ah 25:32 DN: had cancer I think 25:32 TR: Yeah. 25:33 DN: And then he worked at the Red Barn and um 25:36 TR: had a lot of interesting, a lot of local people that performed there. 25:42 DN: Yeah 25:44 TR: At the Red Barn and for our summer theater �25:45 DN: Oh yeah. Red Barn Theater there yeah 25:47 TR: Yeah 25:47 DN: That was kind of nice a place, you know? 25:50 TR: Oh exactly, especially when you knew the people and 25:51 DN: Yeah 25:52 TR: Playing characters that, wow, I didn’t think they were that good and 25:55 DN: Yeah it was kind of nice 25:56 TR: There was a couple of them now, I’m forgetting the names, their children did a little bit of the open stock and went on to do television and various things. 26:05 DN: Yeah. 26:05 TR: I can’t remember the name now, but I’m sure it’s been documented somewhere. But, I , yeah. 26:12 DN: Yeah it was nice. 26:13 TR: Glad to see it, it went on, well I guess it’s folded now. Isn’t it? Are they going to use that? 26:19 DN: What’s that? The-26:21 TR: They were going to do a brewery 26:22 DN: Yeah they’re going to make a brewery out of the Red Barn. That’s a shame 26:25 TR: So 26:25 DN: That’s a shame. Too bad. 26:27 TR: So they’re not having summer stock there 26:28 DN: No 26:28 TR: Then we have the, you know, SCA, 26:30 DN: Yeah �26:31 TR: the Saugatuck Center for the Arts, so 26:32 DN: Yeah. 26:33 TR: Theater continues, but 26:35 DN: Oh yeah. It’s not like the old-26:37 TR: No 26:37 DN: Red Barn 26:37 TR: They—they get professionals 26:40 DN: Yeah. 26:40 TR: coming in 26:41 DN: Yeah 26:41 TR: Oh, I’m sure the Red Barn had some professionals. 26:44 DN: Yeah, but not all, no no. But it was interesting 26:47 TR: Oh, absolutely. 26:48 DN: We enjoyed it. 26:48 TR: A lot of the summer resort communities 26:50 DN: Yeah 26:51 TR: had theater 26:52 DN: Theater, like then Augusta too. Remember? Augusta had a theater too 26:56 TR: yeah. 26:57 DN: And that was nice too, but, oh, like the one here in the summer was awful hot and muggy. It was hot in there. That fan 27:03 TR: Oh 27:04 DN: Spin, but oh. It was hot �27:07 TR: Yeah. I don’t know if you, I’ve been trying to get information, um, Tower Marine, there used to be a tower. And that’s why they called it Tower Marine. Do you remember that? 27:19 DN: No. I don’t remember that. 27:19 TR: No. You don’t? 27:20 DN: No. 27:20 TR: Do you remember that big Quonset hut type of building where they now have the big pole barn where they store the boats? I saw pictures, and the, um, Petersons told me they bought it. And, uh, it used to have, they used to have dances and entertainment there, and they had that little rooms that you could rent. Little rooms. But you didn’t, you don’t remember anything about it then? 27:50 DN: I don’t remember that no. 27:51 TR: Ok (pause) What restaurants did your family go to? Did you cook at home, or did you go out? 27:56 DN: Oh we cooked and we went out to eat. They had different ones um, well the Butler was always there. 28:04 TR: Ah ha. 28:05 DN: And um, I don’t remember the upstairs. They had an upstairs to the Butler years ago. 28:11 TR: Yep. 28:12 DN: And 28:12 TR: And they, unfortunately tore it down. 28:13 DN: That down, yeah. It got bad, so they tore that down and 28:17 TR: Yeah 28:17 DN: And oh there was-28:18 TR: Changed it quite a bit, yeah. 28:20 DN: Yeah. 28:21 TR: And there was Terra. Did you ever go to Terra? �28:22 DN: And Terra, we’d go to Terra, and there was a restaurant, well, there still is a restaurant right next to the drug store? On that side (pause) 28:34 TR: Ah. The Embassy? Or 28:37 DN: Embassy is now. I guess. It was called something else 28:39 TR: Oh. Of course 28:40 DN: And a couple ran that then. They had good food. 28:42 TR: Ah 28:42 DN: They had homemade dressings. 28:44 TR: Oh. 28:44 DN: And then, but I can’t remember the name of it. 28:48 TR: Yeah. Did your family ever have a boat? 28:51 DN: No. No. 28:52 TR: Oh. 28:53 DN: No No 28:54 TR: Not boating people 28:55 DN: No [laugh]. No they didn’t. See my dad never got, um, I mean lived in the house in Saugatuck. 28:01 TR: No? 28:03 DN: He passed away before 28:03 TR: Ah. 28:04 DN: He died in, ah (pause) fifty, fifty-eight. I think it was. 29:10 TR: uh huh. 29:11 DN: fifty-seven, fifty-eight. So. 29:13 TR: Do you think he would have approved of you guys having a place here? �29:20 DN: Oh, I think he would have. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. But they would come here, Mother and Dad, and go just for the day. Couple of times they stayed overnight in a place too. Then they’d shop a little bit and. 29:35 TR: ah. 29:35 DN: Um 29:36 TR: What did your father do? 29:37 DN: He was a barber 29:38 TR: Ah. 29:39 DN: On Michigan Avenue there in Kalamazoo. He had two, uh, people working with him. 29:42 TR: Ah. But you mentioned that you’d come up here and get a haircut up here? (pause). I thought you said that. No? 29:50 DN: No. No. 29:50 TR: Oh, I’m sorry 29:51 DN: No. There was a barber shop here on the main street 29:53 TR: Yes! 29:54 DN: We would go there to take a shower 29:56 TR: Ok. That’s what you meant. 29:58 DN: Yeah. And it cost a dollar 29:59 TR: Ah. 30:01 DN: At that time to take a shower 30:02 TR: I remember they had the barber pole 30:05 DN: Yeah 30:05 TR: I moved here in seventy-six, they 30:07 DN: Oh. Yeah. �30:07 TR: Then they built, I think, that’s where those clothing stores are now. 30:10 DN: Yeah. mm 30:11 TR: There was a news stand near by 30:12 DN: Yeah and then, Don Poll- Polder, remember him 30:17 TR: Yes 30:18 DN: He had a real nice store there too 30:20 TR: Yep 30:22 DN: Real nice store, couple doors down there. 30:22 TR: With the architect John Hurst, I helped redo some of those buildings. 30:26 DN: OK. 30:26 TR: When I, I decided I didn’t want to design 30:29 DN: Yeah 30:30 TR: Office furniture anymore 30:31 DN: Yeah. Yeah Don was a nice person too. And I did a lot of work at his cottage. 30:35 TR: I would imagine 30:36 DN: Painting and 30:38 TR: Yeah. Yeah. 30:39 DN: And also in Chicago 30:40 TR: Ah, ah. 30:42 DN: The, um, his friend (pause) Lauderdale was his last name. But I think he got the building. Kind of right across the street. 30:58 TR: Yes. 30:58 DN: From Don Poller’s place. 31:00 TR: Yes. �31:00 DN: That building right next to um 31:02 TR: Kilwins? 31:02 DN: That fudge place 31:04 TR: Yes! Yes! That’s the building I helped work on. 31:06 DN: Ok. 31:07 TR: With John Hurst, yes. 31:08 DN: Yeah. And I think he, oh, Don left to him that building 31:12 TR: Yes. Yes. And uh, 31:15 DN: Rick Lauderdale I think his name was. 31:18 TR: It’s interesting that when they tore into that building, a lot of those buildings along there interconnected with door ways. 31:25 DN: Yeah. 31:25 TR: You know. I guess because people owned all the buildings, and they wanted access to the and all that. There was all these inner workings and walls and really crazy stuff. Yeah. 31:36 DN: Yeah. I guess so. 31:37 TR: I found a board in there that said the Saugatuck Lumber Company. And they’ve been trying to research, where was the Saugatuck Lumber Company? It was printed on a board. 31:47 DN: Oh 31:47 TR: And so, at the point there must have been a company 31:52 DN: Yeah. Yeah. 31:53 TR: selling lumber, and don’t know if they made it here. 31:57 DN: Yeah. I don’t either. 31:58 TR: A lot of changes that’s for sure. 32:00 DN: Yeah. �32:02 TR: What’s some of the biggest changes do you think you’ve seen in the area? Over the period of time? 32:08 DN: Oh. Oh, the town and the people 32:11 TR: Yeah oh of course. New people 32:13 DN: Yeah. 32:14 TR: But how about, well, of course shops. 32:16 DN: Yeah, the shops have changed a lot too. 32:20 TR: I- I was just I guess I’m getting at the condos. Condos became a new thing 32:25 DN: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah condos 32:26 TR: Yeah Forrest Morris was one of the first to buy into the that, uh, I’ve forgotten now what it was called. The one on Francis Street. That old building, the yellow condos. It was the first condo conversion. 32:39 DN: Oh 32:39 TR: That building was abandoned, yeah. 32:43 DN: Oh. 32:43 TR: It was redone, and they went trying to sell it, and they made the condo association. So, you know. So, it was one of the first. 32:50 DN: Yeah. 32:50 TR: It was only four units 32:52 DN: On Francis Street up the hill 32:55 TR: Yes 32:55 DN: Yeah, yeah. Um, there’s still condos there 32:58 TR: Yes. They, it seems like every three years they’re resold [laughs] 33:02 DN: Oh yeah. 33:03 TR: The turnover is just amazing �33:04 DN: Yeah. 33:05 TR: The real estate people made it. They have such a prob- a problem with water. You said you have a Michigan basement, but they kept, there’s clay up there, and it would hold in the water. And actually there’s a stream up there that went down that went down the hill. So they just filled the basement in. Yeah. 33:21 DN: Oh. 33:21 TR: [laugh] 33:22 DN: Wow. 33:24 TR: Just decided it was too hard to keep it. 33:24 DN: Hard to keep it. 33:25 TR: dry type of thing 33:28 DN: yeah. I’m surprised they didn’t have, uh, 33:32 TR: termites and rot 33:33 DN: No. Basement, what do you call that? 33:35 TR: Michigan basement. 33:36 DN: Yeah, but, I, uh, Jim and David next to us too. They’ve got a basement too, but they got uh, to keep their water out. What do you call it? 33:48TR: Sump pump 33:49 DN: A sump pump 33:49 TR: Yeah 33:50 DN: They had that in there 33:50 TR: I think they had those. The, the problem, well, your neighbors have a newer house and it’s poured concrete. 33:58 DN: Yeah. 33:59 TR: That was cinderblock I think, no it was stone. Old stone. 34:04 DN: Oh. �34:05 TR: Just, just to the east of it, and the society has pictures of it, there was a Victorian house. A two story Victorian house 34:12 DN: Oh 34:13 TR: And I forgot what year it, it was torn down. Uh, but that’s where their lawn is. There was actually a house there. 34:20 DN: Oh well. 34:21 TR: And then, yeah. And when they were doing some renovation Forest said they found in there uh, because they rented the rooms when the big steam ships would come in, to dance, to dance at the Pavilion. 34:34 DN: Yeah. 34:35 TR: They would rent the rooms because the people would stay the night or the weekend or something like that. 34:40 DN: Yeah. 34:40 TR: And he found postcards that people were writing about how much they, well, that they they had to get their wardrobe together to come to Saugatuck to go dancing and to meet somebody and 34:54 DN: yeah 34:54 TR: all that type of that. So. 34:56 DN: Yeah, then in the Pavilion later they had the restaurant down stairs 34:58 TR: mhm. 34:59 DN: Remember that 35:00 TR: So you actually were in the Pavilion? 35:03 DN: Oh yes, uh. Yeah they used to have roller skating and dancing 35:06 TR: Really? 35:08 DN: And roller skating 35:09 TR: Ah �35:09 DN: And then uh, later on downstairs they had a restaurant. And that was good food down there. 35:15 TR: ah 35:16 DN: Lot of big boats would come a cruising down there, go eat 35:18 TR: Yes, they would raft off 35:20 DN: And uh, yeah. 35:22 TR: Do you ever remember the um, outdoor theater that they had, open air? That might have been after, uh, before your time 35:31 DN: No 35:33 TR: Yeah, but just down from there, they showed pictures without a building. 35:38 DN: Oh. 35:38 TR: Just a screen and chairs. Yeah. 35:40 DN: Close to the Pavilion there? 35:41 TR: Yeah, it’s close to the Pavilion. 35:45 DN: Well they could have that I forgot it too, because 35:46 TR: Yeah. 35:47 DN: Because at that time too, we weren’t living here. I just come weekends. 35:51 TR: Weekends. 35:52 DN: Sometime, and sometime just for the day, you know. 35:54 TR: Yeah 35:54 DN: And then we didn’t move here til, uh, 35:57 TR: Did they charge at Oval Beach? Back 36:01 DN: No. No then. 36:01 TR: No? �36:02 DN: I don’t think so. 36:03 TR: Ah 36:03 DN: We didn’t have to pay. I don’t think. I don’t remember, but I don’t think so. 36:06 TR: The high way was there to go there. 36:09 DN: The what? 36:10 TR: Uh, they had the uh 36:23 DN: Road to go to the beach? 36:14 TR: Yeah 36:14 DN: Oh yeah. That was there 36:15 TR: Because that, at some point you had to take a boat to go all the way around to it. And then I forget what year they actually built that 36:22 DN: Oh 36:22 TR: That road. That windy road that 36:24 DN: Yeah. I just remember the road going up there. And the road was on both sides. I mean you go and it was on either side 36:31 TR: It was Oval 36:31 DN: But now it’s closed off 36:32 TR: Yeah 36:33 DN: If you remember that part of the road. 36:35 TR: Yeah 36:35 DN: And then uh, yeah. That’s um 36:38 TR: Well, let’s talk about the changes. It’s sort of sad to see the um Presbyterian Camp, there’s now houses. 36:44 DN: Yeah. �36:45 TR: Gated community and north of the channel, that’s going to be houses they’re building, so. 36:49 DN: Yeah. That’s all changed. Yeah. 36:52 TR: The beauty was that you could go to Oval Beach and look North and south and not see a house. 36:56 DN: Yeah 36:57 TR: and you thought, boy this is just as wild as you want. 37:01 DN: And that was nice then. 37:03 TR: Yes 37:DN: And now you get houses and 37:06 TR: I know. And gated communities meaning yeah. You got to come by invitation and 37:11 DN: yeah 37:12 TR: all that. 37:13 DN: yeah 37:14 TR: Which is, unfortunate 37:15 DN: yeah and Gilkamy Gated community is nice now, but it was 37:20 TR: Yes 37:21 DN: More years ago 37:23 TR: Because I’d go out there. Chat with somebody. Lay in the sun 37:27 DN: Yeah. 37:27 TR: You know. And they got to be friends. 37:30 DN: Yeah 37:30 TR: We didn’t go to, I didn’t go to bars, you know, but you eventually got to know people and 37:36 DN: Yeah �37:38 TR: Yeah. And you’d have them for dinners and things like that. 37:41 DN: Yeah. There was more people around then, gay people now. 37:45 TR: As I say, they’re still up there. 37:49 DN: Oh yeah. 37:50 TR: And nude in the dunes 37:51 DN: Oh yeah. 37:51 TR: So that’s pretty good 37:53 DN: Oh there’s still a lot of them here you know. In the bar, you know 37:55 TR: Well that was a fear, you know, if they stop, if they bought Oval Beach and stopped nudity there, which I guess the city would, technically has said that, uh, because if you read the signs, that gay people wouldn’t come here, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. 38:14 DN: No, no. 38:15 TR: Of course we have the, you know in Douglas now, the Dunes 38:19 DN: Yeah, 38:20 TR: uh, Bar. But I’m too old to go to bars, so 38:23 DN: Yeah, me too. I don’t go anymore, you know. 38:26 TR: They say “What’s that old man doing here” and [laughs] 38:28 DN: yeah [laughs]. No. I haven’t been there for a long time. We used to go sometime, and I guess I told just for the Halloween party 38:36 TR: Yes 38:37 DN: To see the costumes and that was kind of nice 38:40 TR: Well Douglas has an amazing parade. 38:42 DN: Yeah 38:44 TR: You know, Halloween �38:44 DN: Halloween too 38:47 TR: Yeah it was nice for a while, and this is now the seventies. Is that, I forget what night. People would bring some kind of food to pass. 38:57 DN: Oh 38:57 TR: And you would buy a drink, and there was all kinds of snacks at the Dunes. 39:00 DN: Oh 39:01 TR: And this is when Carl and Larry owned it. 39:02 DN: Yeah. 39:03 TR: And, um, much more friendly. 39:05 DN: Yeah. 39:06 TR: And of course Carl and Larry already had a restaurant there for a while 39:10 DN: Well, yeah, 39:11 TR: And then yeah. 39:11 DN: Yeah, they had good food at the restaurant. 39:13 TR: And then the tea dances 39:14 DN: Yeah. 39:15 TR: Oh my gosh. [laugh] 39:16 DN: That was kind of fun 39:18 TR: Woah, bumper to bumper people 39:18 DN: We used to go to them 39:20 TR: And I 39:21 DN: yeah 39:21 TR: I was there when Eartha Kitt came. 39:22 DN: Oh �39:24 TR: You know actually Eartha Kitt. The singer. 39:26 DN: Yeah. 39:27 TR: And, uh, she was really fantastic but uh, and I guess, I would imagine they would still have tea dances, but then, you know. 39:33 DN: Yeah, 39:34 TR: Again, I don’t go over there. Yeah. 39:37 DN: Yeah. We used to go once in a while to the tea dance too. That was a big crowd for that 39:43 TR: Yeah. 39:43 DN: mm 39:44 TR: The, um, so, did you ever, did you go away for your sum—for your winters? 39:52 DN: We used to 39:54 TR: go down 39:54 DN: Mother and I before I met Erwin we used to go to, well my folks always went 39:59 TR: Ah. 40:00 DN: In the winter for maybe a month or two. 40:02 TR: Ah 40:02 DN: Sarasota? And then later on 40:05 TR: That’s where we have friends, out of Siesta Key. 40:08 DN: Yeah. That’s nice. Uh, 40:09 TR: Yeah 40:10 DN: And then after she passed away, then course then Erwin and I would go, um, for two, three, four weeks. And later when we retired we would spend almost the whole winter there. 40:20 TR: Ah. �40:21 DN: We’d go and, um, right after Thanksgiving and come back in, uh, April 40:26 TR: Yeah. For 40:28 DN: Marco Island 40:29 TR: For, for everybody describe the cars you—you drive 40:34 DN: [laughs] 40:35 TR: Because everybody who knows you can see you coming. 40:39 DN: Yeah 40:39 TR: And the reason is the, the type of car you have 40:43DN: Yeah 40:44 TR: What year 40:45 DN: Yeah, I don’t, I, um, did I ever show you those pictures of the convertible? 40:50 TR: You did. 40:52 DN: That white one? 40:53 TR: Yeah 40:53 DN: Yeah. Then the hard top Buick, and I think that was in the sixties 40:57 TR: But what year on your Cadillac now? 40:58 DN: This Cadillac 40:59 TR: Yeah 41:01 DN: is a eighty-seven. 41:01 TR: Eighty-seven 41:02 DN: Yeah 41:02 TR: And that’s the one with a fin and really long. 41:04 DN: Yeah. �41:05 TR: Real long 41:06 DN: Yeah. 41:06 TR: You told me you had to convert your garage, an extension in order to get it in. 41:10 DN: Yeah, yeah. What they call (?) garage 41:11 TR: [laugh] the uh, 41:16 DN: Well, I had a Cadillac before that. A couple of them. One brown one. That was a big four door. And then I, that’s when we had the carpenter come in and put the 41:24 TR: Yeah 41:25 DN: Extended the garage, because it wouldn’t fit otherwise. So then this Cadillac too, it makes it perfect, you know. So 41:34 TR: Yeah. Is it beside your property where they had that passage way, so the kids could go to school? They wouldn’t have to walk around the block? 41:44 DN: Yeah. They put a walk through there. 41:46 TR: Little walk way 41:47 DN: Yeah. Just a walkway. And then, uh later on, the city give-- give us and also David and Jim so many feet on the of the lot there. And um, you can’t build on it. 42:07 TR: No 42:08 DN: But we can use it and then the city the kids could use it too. 42:11 TR: ok. 42:12 DN: And then for long time they put a those uh, for the walk way they had, uh, I can’t think of the name of it now. That they put down every year. Then, uh, 42:25 TR: Mulch, I would imagine 42:26 DN: Mulch, yeah. That’s uh, but then it got higher and higher and when the rain, when the water would get there 42:32 TR: Yeah 42:32 DN: it would sit there and collect, you know, and we said once we could cement it, but that wouldn’t be so good. And then David and Jim and I talked to some of the city. We said �“why don’t you just level it all and put in grass? Dirt and grass seed.” That’s fine. Well they agreed to that. And that’s a lot better. 42:51 TR: So there was a lot there? Actually a lot? 42:54 DN: Yeah, a lot. Yeah. 42:54 TR: Oh 42:55 DN: I forget how many feet. Between David and Jim. 42:59 TR: Ok. 42:59 DN: But uh, 43:00 TR: It wasn’t buildable. 43:02 DN: No. When we got it they said you can’t build on it. 43:03 TR: Ok. 43:04 DN: because I think there’s a water pipe that now goes underneath it. 43:06 TR: Oh. Ok. 43:07 DN: Cause we had a lot of water too, you know. Cause of the house in back of David and Jim. They raised the house they raised the house so high. And also the people in back of us. 43:16 TR: Yes 43:17 DN: So when it rained it come right down on us, and our back yard half of it was full of water. 43:22 TR: That’s happening in ours. 43:23 DN: Yeah. 43:24 TR: Where they built the miniature golf thing where Ida Red’s is and 43:26 DN: Yeah. 43:27 TR: it killed all the trees because there’s no natural drainage type of thing. 43:30 DN: Yeah, and I said “I don’t know why the city allowed that” to have them build a house so high, much higher you know �43:37 TR: Yeah 43:37 DN: Than ground level, and, uh, so finally they put in a pipe and sewer 43:42 TR: Yeah. 43:42 DN: On Francis Street. So that helped a lot 43:46 TR: uh huh. 43:47 DN: So we don’t get as much water as before. 43:51 TR: Well your neighborhood has really changed. Houses, 43:54 DN: Oh yeah. 43:54 TR: So many of them torn down 43:55 DN: Torn and rebuilt, yeah. 43:56 TR: and big ones put up, yeah. 43:58 DN: Yeah, it’s quite a change there since when we bought it, you know. 44:03 TR: Yeah. 44:03 DN: Cause at the end, when we bought our house, there was no houses down there. 44:07 TR: Yeah 44:07 DN: At the end, 44:09 TR: Well, from what I understand the very end of your road was an active working farm at one time. You know with a barn, and where, uh, they dammed and there’s that little lake at the bottom of the hill 44:25 DN: Yeah. 44:26 TR: That was a pasture, and the cows would go down there and 44:29 DN: Yeah. 44:30 TR: And, uh, graze and uh come back up to the barn. 44:35 DN: Yeah. Then later onwards they built one, two, three, three houses. �44:43 TR: Yeah. 44:43 DN: Three or four more houses down there. And then 44:47 TR: So you probably remember before the high school then, don’t you, and middle school were built? 44:51 DN: Yeah. 44:51 TR: Up on the hill. 44:52 DN: yeah 44:52 TR: Was that just the farmland or something? 44:56 DN: I think so. It’s all wooded area 44:58 TR: It was wooded 44:58 DN: And uh, and there was a reason I can’t think, they like the road wouldn’t go through either. 45:04 TR: Yeah 45:05 DN: I forgot why 45:07 TR: Well there seems to be a ditch or something 45:08 DN: There’s a- a ditch there, so, but we were glad about that, you know 45:13 TR: Yeah 45:14 DN: They never make a road out of it. 45:15 TR: Yeah you’ve got nice, private road 45:16 DN: Yeah. And uh, the two guys that were carpenters, Doug was one of the guy’s name, they built a couple of those homes 45:26 TR: Yeah 45:26 DN: On the end of our street there. 45:27 TR: Oh yes 45:29 DN: Yeah �45:29 TR: Weirenga (?) yes 45:30 DN: And uh 45:32 TR: Do you ever remember when Upper Spear connected down to, uh, Holland Street? When you actually could drive down to Holland Street, before they closed it off? (pause) Ok. 45:45 DN: No 45:45 TR: I understand at one time you could go down 45:47 DN: Oh yeah. 45:47 TR: to Holland Street straight down Spear 45:51 DN: Oh. No. 45:53 TR: Cause that’s really a steep steep hill. 45:54 DN: Yeah 45:55 TR: Cause I cut down there, once in a while, I go “Woah” [laugh] 45:58 DN: [laugh] No. I don’t remember that. 46:01 TR: Sort of dangerous. Yeah. 46:02 DN: It’s all woods and the stream down back there, you know. And um 46:07 TR: Yeah 46:08 DN: So yeah there’s quite the change on our street. And the people too [laugh] 46:14 TR: Yup, uh, every change, it’s nice to see that people are keeping the quality you know, uh, you know, it’s I- I think. There’s so many people that are renting their houses now. They’re buying in on speculation that they’ll make enough money renting it out in the summer to justify it. So there’s less permanent residents here in Saugatuck. 46:38 DN: Not a lot of them, yeah. 46:40 TR: Which is unfortunate, because you know when it’s a private ownership you tend to take care of it better than 46:45 DN: Yeah �46:45 TR: a rental site 46:46 DN: yeah. I don’t like that idea either. Rental 46:50 TR: Yeah, but you know 46:51 DN: yeah 46:52 TR: That’s I think some of the real estate people really pushed that. 46:55 DN: yeah 46:55 TR: Cause they’ll oversee the renting of it 46:58 DN: yeah and then 46:58 TR: and take a percentage 46:59 DN: And they get so much for that 47:00 TR: But like last weekend, somebody comes up. It’s a weekend. They want to party, and, you know, 47:04 DN: Yeah 47:05 TR: they have the noise and the music and all that, and it’s like—and you know another thing is that, so many of us are retired, I mean their children, if they had children they’re grown. 47:17 DN: Yeah. 47:18 TR: And they’re not here. We still have one of the best school districts, but its fed by more the township 47:23 DN: Yeah. 47:24 TR: Cause they have the younger kids 47:25 DN: Yeah 47:27 TR: and, there are some homes that have children that you see walking 47:30 DN: Yeah 47:30 TR: To school 47:31 DN: Yeah. We used to too. Like the Keys across from us �47:34 TR: Yes! 47:35 DN: Yeah and their kids they go to school 47:37 TR: Yeah 47:37 DN: And then then, uh, the Sheridans 47:40 TR: Yeah 47:41 DN: And the, kids went to school but now, and as far as I know it’s just one that, um, like (?) She rents it out sometime weekends. 47:55 TR: Ah 47:56 DN: She used to rent it out. 47:58 TR: yeah 47:58 DN: I can’t think of her name, and her husband died about a year and a half ago. 48:00 TR: Ah 48:01 DN: He had tongue cancer or something like that 48:03 TR: Ah 48:03 DN: He was only only in his fifties. 48:05 TR: Boy 48:05 DN: And um 48:06 TR: That’s unfortunate 48:07 DN: And they had three or four children. Three boys and one girl, I think 48:08 TR: The, uh, thinking back, when you moved here, did you have reasons to come to Douglas? Other than to go to Oval Beach. You had to come, unless you took the ferry or something. Do you remember what Douglas was like when you first came? 48:27 DN: Yeah. It wasn’t much to it. 48:28 TR: Yeah �48:29 DN: A couple of stores, and it seemed like it didn’t take hold. 48:32 TR: No 48:33 DN: Even though they tried it a couple of times, but not like Saugatuck, you know. 48:36 TR: No. 48:37 DN: And it’s just, oh, there was a couple of stores and this and that, but not much going on, for quite a while. You know. 48:43 TR: Well I sort of trace it back to when Joyce Petter had, the Joyce Petter gallery, lunches and then she had somebody take care of it for a while and then she bought it back, or control of it. And it was the Joyce Petter Gallery, and then she was having problems with, uh, parking and all that. And she bought the, uh, Gray Gables. And she was the first one to, I think, really sink money into Douglas and do that 49:11 DN: Oh 49:12 TR: And then the Marina guys came in, and then 49:14 DN: Little by little, started. Yeah. 49:16 TR: Now it’s been discovered. 49:18 DN: Yeah, oh yeah. 49:19 TR: I mean, jeez 49:20 DN: And some of the guys that were gay they had a store there. 49:22 TR: Yeah. 49:23 DN: Downtown, you know. 49:26 TR: Yeah 49:26 DN: and restaurants and, uh, 49:26 TR: And you know, some of the people I knew that were in Saugatuck sold their houses for some profits and bought lesser things and redid them in Douglas 49:35 DN: Yeah 49:35 TR: So they made- made money and were able to buy things so �49:39 DN: Yeah 49:30 TR: It seems like it changed considerably 49:42 DN: It did it really changed later. There used, they had one good restaurant there on the corner in Douglas and, I can’t think 49:51 TR: I I think there was a buffet, um, like a , yeah. Right right on Center Street. 49:57 DN: yeah 49:58 TR: Of course, what year did Terra stop? Well no, there was a restaurant cause the Petersons bought it. And they had a restaurant. They sold it. I think they still call it the Terra. I’m not sure. Before they built the condos? Yeah 50:11 DN: Um 50:13 TR: It was in the footprint, I think, of the old Terra. Yeah. 50:18 DN: Could be. Yeah, the Coneys used to own it from when we would come there 50:23 TR: Uh huh 50:24 DN: And then they sold it to a younger couple 50:25 TR: Yeah 50:26 DN: And I can’t think of their name. It was in the paper. 50:30 TR: Because 50:31 DN: And then they had a fire 50:32 TR: Ah 50:32 DN: And after that, I can’t remember 50:35 TR: Yeah 50:35 DN: If, whoever bought it or 50:36 TR: Well Eric Peterson 50:38 DN: Peterson maybe �50:38 TR: Invited me to his wedding, and the reception was at, whatever that place was named. You know. Where the condos are built now 50:45 DN: Oh, ok. 50:48 TR: So 50:49 DN: Terra. Yeah. They used to have good foods there when the Coney’s owned it. 50:53 TR: Ah. 50:55 DN: And, uh, when you come, oh, mother and I would come Friday night and we’d always stop there to eat first. 51:02 TR: Yeah. 51:04 DN: And if you weren’t dressed you got in that first room 51:04 TR: Oh 51:04 DN: And if you were dress you got in the front room 51:06 TR: Ah 51:07 DN: that face the channel, you know? 51:09 TR: Yeah. 51:08 DN: And then, but then, we didn’t care cause we, yeah, just come from Kalamazoo 51:13 TR: Sure 51:14 DN: You know, for the weekend. 51:14 TR: Where did you buy your groceries? 51:18 DN: At, uh, Terra, or at uh 51:22 TR: Super—I’m saying what is, what was it called because 51:26 DN: Tafts! 51:27 TR: Tafts 51:27 DN: years ago �51:29 TR: Right then the Super-- and now it’s some other name 51:31 DN: yeah. Now it’s 51:34 TR: Lake something 51:34 DN: Lake Vista, or 51:36TR: Lake Vista 51:36 DN: yeah 51:37 TR: You didn’t bring food, uh, the groceries from Kalamazoo or? 51:40 DN: Oh, oh, we’d bring some. Yeah. 51:41 TR: Some? 51:44 DN: Yeah. Especially if mother made something, you know that lasts a couple days 51:46 TR: Yeah 51:46 DN: Then we’d just take it along. And otherwise if we needed something we’d just go to Taft’s 51:51 TR: Yeah. 51:52 DN: And get it 51:54 TR: Were, were you ever a fisherman? 51:55 DN: No 51:56 TR: No. yeah. 51:56 DN: Go once a while, but that’s it. 51:59 TR: Yeah. Or golfer? 52:00 DN: Huh? 52:01 TR: Golfing? Did you 52:02 DN: No 52:02 TR: No? �52:03 DN: No no 52:04 TR: None of that 52:04 DN: No 52:05 TR: But you did go to bars [laugh] 52:07 DN: Yeah, went to the bars a couple of times 52:08 TR: and danced 52:09 DN: Yeah 52:09 TR: Well that’s recreation 52:11 DN: Yeah. Now, um, 52:14 TR: Do you remember in Saugatuck, they had shuffle board, I guess, by the City Hall? Yeah. Ok 52:20 DN: They could. I don’t remember that either. 52:21 TR: Yeah. 52:22 DN: But they could have 52:23 TR: Yeah. They did. 52:24 DN: Oh, did they? 52:25 TR: Yeah 52:26 DN: Yeah, uh 52:27 TR: Um, and then right back near my house on Butler street they had, uh, they had little miniature golf. They raised it up. For a very short time, but it wasn’t very successful 52:35 DN: Oh. Yeah. 52:37 TR: On Water Street, yeah. 52:38 DN: Oh 52:38 TR: Where, uh, Ida Red’s is. Yeah. �52:41 DN: Ok. Oh yeah. I remember that. I remember that. 52:44 TR: Uh 52:45 DN: Yeah. Golfing 52:46 TR: And boy in my yard, I’d find golf balls all the time. [laugh] 52:50 DN: yeah [laugh] 52:51 TR: They’d over shoot it type of thing 52:53 DN: It wasn’t golf course. It was just (?) golf and 52:55 TR: Miniature golf, yeah. 52:56 DN: Miniature. Yeah. I remember that there. Yeah. 53:00 TR: You-53:00 DN: um 53:01 TR: You never went to any of the musical festivals? That jazz festival that, supposedly, was in Saugatuck? 53:06 DN: Not the jazz, no 53:07 TR: Ok 53:08 DN: I’m not 53:09 TR: yeah. That supposedly was a pretty rowdy thing. You don’t remember the motorcycle gangs from the sixties? 53:16 DN: Oh yeah. Billy’s Boat House. That’s where we used to go too. 53:19 TR: Ah 53:20 DN: They had good wet burritos there. 53:21 TR: Really? 53:23 DN: Yeah yeah 53:23 TR: Ok �53:23 DN: uh, Billy’s Boat House steak was so good there. 53:26 TR: Ah. 53:27 DN: And then they had a motorcycle crowd there. 53:28 TR: Yeah 53:30 DN: And then for a while, we didn’t go because, we were kind of-53:32 TR: Do you remember the rail restaurant? That was 53:34 DN: -- Oh, the Old Rail 53:35 TR: yeah 53:36 DN: sure 53:38 TR: That burned down. I guess they had a grand piano in there? 53:39 DN: Yeah 53:40 TR: And the guy would do entertainment? 53:42 DN: Yeah, I forget his name too, but first two, two ladies owned it. Years ago. 53:45 TR: Ah 53:46 DN: And they had good food 53:47 TR: Ah. 53:48 DN: And then they sold it and then it was, I can’t think of his name. 53:52 TR: Ah 53:53 DN: Then he bought it. And we’d go to the Barn Theater sometime, and then afterwards go there for dessert. 53:59 TR: Ah 54:00 DN: And coffee. And he’d be there and play the piano. 54:02 TR: Uh huh �54:02 DN: That was kind of nice. So. 54:04 TR: Were- were there any negatives about this area that you could think of? Things that disturb you or that you-54:11 DN: Oh, no. It was all pretty good. 54:11 TR: --didn’t like so much? 54:12 DN: No 54:14 TR: Well, I’m glad to hear that. 54:16 DN: Just years ago it was wild on the weekends downtown. Cars would go around the block four or five times you know 54:21 TR: Ah 54:23 DN: And the streets were full and the sidewalks you know 54:25 TR: People showing their cars, showing off their cars. 54:27 DN: Cars just riding around, yeah. 54:29 TR: Ah ha 54:30 DN: and of course, lot of students used to come to and just 54:33 TR: That’s what I understand 54:34 DN: And and there were some families too that just take down signs 54:37 TR: Yeah. 54:37 DN: And break some windows. And for a while it was kind of rough 54:53 TR: And that was the, yeah, college crew and course Travis Randolf was sort of part of that because they had a cottage and he was going to University of Michigan then and his fraternity brothers would come 54:53 DN: come yeah 54:54 TR: and use the house 54:54 DN: yeah, yeah �54:56 TR: Sylvia Randolf his mother accused him of breaking all her, uh (pause) Oak Leaf dishes 55:02 DN: Oh 55:03 TR: Antique oak 55:04 DN: oh yeah 55:06 TR: Travis denies it, but 55:06 DN: Yeah. What was her name again? 55:07 TR: Sylvia Randalf 55:08 DN: Oh yeah. She lives on down there in the yellow house 55:10 TR: Yeah. Yeah. 55:12 DN: Now she was a nice person 55:13 TR: Very much so 55:14 DN: yeah. 55:15 TR: and she lived to a hundred and three. 55:17 DN: yeah. She got quite old 55:17 TR: Yeah 55:18 DN: She liked to entertain. 55:20 TR: Very definitely, and luckily we were part, part of it, but 55:21 DN: yeah. 55:25 TR: really some gracious, uh, meals. The lower part of that house was brought from Singapore. When the river was frozen 55:32 DN: Oh 55:35 TR: way back in eighteen whenever. 55:37 DN: Oh? �55:38 TR: Type of thing 55:38 DN: Oh yeah. 55:38 TR: so it’s, it’s uh, very much a historic house. Uh, type of thing. But Joyce Petter talks about when she would confront the motorcyclists that would park in front of her gallery 55:49 DN: Oh yeah. 55:50 TR: And I’m going to interview her, later on in the week and have her describe, one motorcyclist got so disturbed he drove his motorcycle right into her gallery. 56:01DN: Oh. 56:01 TR: Oh yeah! [laugh] 56:02 DN: Oh I don’t remember that. Oh really? 56:04 TR: Yeah, it probably made the news, but, uh, 56:06 DN: Oh 56:07 TR: Yeah she, she was a chara- is a character. 56:09 DN: yeah 56:10 TR: There’s no doubt about it. 56:11 DN: Yeah 56:12 TR: But 56:12 DN: Yeah, but, uh, now see all that happened before we bought here 56:13 TR: Yeah 56:16 DN: We would just come weekend 56:16 TR: Yes 56:17 DN: Or rent 56:18 TR: Yes 56:18 DN: We would rent downtown �56:20 TR: Yeah. And and, local policeman, from stories I heard is that they, uh, if it got to rowdy they would close, close the city. They would 56:28 DN: Yeah 56:29 TR: So you could not enter the city. 56:30 DN: Yeah. We had that one year too. We, I don’t, we’d come from Holland or so, and on that end there was police there, and we had to show ID and everything 56:40 TR: [laughs] 56:42 DN: That we had a place here 56:42 TR: Ok. Well, strangely enough, when I moved here in seventy-six, I moved here Venetian weekend day 56:47 DN: Oh 56:TR: Moving truck was coming and they stopped and said, “The town’s full. You can’t come in.” And I said to myself, “Oh my gosh. What did I do?” 56:56 DN: Yeah 56:56 TR: [laughs] 56:56 DN: [laugh] 56:57 TR: But I did, you know 56:58 DN: Yeah, yeah. 57:00 TR: Manistee friends love coming to Saugatuck 57:03 DN: Yeah, yeah. 57:03 TR: From 57:04 DN: Then sometime too we’d go to the beach too when we wanted to go, well we couldn’t get in till some cars come out and we go in. 57:09 TR: That happened this summer 57:11 DN: Oh yeah 57:11 TR: My family came �57:12 DN: yeah 57:12 TR: It was backed up all the way on to Park Street 57:16 DN: yeah 57:17 TR: And, uh, they’ve increased the parking space, but, uh, 57:19 DN: Yeah 57:20 TR: Popular. 57:21 DN: Yeah 57:22 TR: There’s no doubt about it. So. Very, uh, but I’ve never so many colorful umbrellas in-57:27 DN: Oh yeah [laugh] 57:29 TR: Just really beautiful. 57:30 DN: Yeah. Yeah. It’s a nice beach, Saugatuck 57:32 TR: There’s no doubt about it. 57:33 DN: Very nice 57:34 TR: Yeah. We are blessed 57:34 DN: Yeah, it’s a nice area. Yeah 57:37 TR: Water sometime this summer was, I think around seventy-two 57:40 DN: Yeah. 57:40 TR: Then the winds would change the currents. 57:41 DN: Yeah. 57:43 TR: And then it would be sixty something. And you go woah, woah. [laugh] 57:46 DN: Change overnight. 57:47 TR: That’s a little cold, yeah �57:48 DN: Yeah. But it was nice. We used to go to the beach a lot, you know? 57:51TR: Yeah. Well 57:52 DN: And sometime we just go sometime for see the sunset. And have 57:57 TR: Oh 57:57 DN: Have our dinner someplace and have dessert sitting on the 58:01 TR: Absolutely 58:02 DN: On the beach there and have our dessert. 58:03 TR: Well, I think it—it’s wonderful that gay people have felt comfortable enough to come here to visit and then to buy homes. 58:12 DN: And yeah 58:13 TR: And and, you know, now some of them have families, they can marry 58:16 DN: yeah 58:16 TR: They can have children now 58:17 DN: yeah 58:19 TR: Adopt them, and, uh, there’s a lot more lesbians moving into the area that find it desirable. 58:26 DN: Yeah 58:27 TR: So, you know, the, the mixture of people have—has continued and hopefully will continue 58:35 DN: yeah 58:36 TR: And the tolerance 58:37 DN: yeah 58:37 TR: And all that 58:37 DN: And the people bored up with it to, you know 58:39 TR: Yeah, and uh �58:50 DN: and, uh like uh, oh I can’t think of his name, that owned East of the Sun. The doctor? 58:45 TR: Yeah 58:46 DN: But a long time ago too, he was talking to some other one 58:50 TR: yeah 58:50 DN: But he said it too, sometime if it wouldn’t be for the gay people he wouldn’t make that much money cause they spent the money 58:54 TR: Yeah 58:55 DN: Where couples didn’t spend that much. 58:56 TR: Yeah 58:56 DN: You know, if they had children 58:58 TR: That is true 58:59 DN: And so 59:00 TR: Had more disposable income 59:02 DN: Yeah 59:02 TR: Very much so, and and as Joyce Petter said they um, Grand Rapids, she lived there. She started the gallery. People just didn’t buy paintings. It was the people of Chicago, Detroit 59:14 DN: Oh. 59:14 TR: and Indianapolis that came up, and they had the disposable income. 59:18 DN: yeah. 59:18 TR: And she, she started a lot of the galleries. They had gift stores 59:23 DN: Yeah 59:24 TR: But not--not fine art 59:24 DN: Yeah �59:25 TR: You know? Craft 59:28 DN: Yeah 59:28 TR: And that stuff, so. 59:29 DN: Now does Joyce Petter still own that gallery? 59:30 TR: Yes 59:32 DN: Oh, ok. 59:33 TR: Yeah. 59:34 DN: I know that 59:34 TR: Yeah, but she rents it out. The one in Saugatuck, uh, I think, er I forget what it’s called 59:40 DN: Frederick’s used to be in there too 59:42 TR: Yeah. 59:43 DN: Yeah 59:45 TR: Yes, but of course she has the one in Douglas, the, uh, Petter gallery there. 59:50 DN: Yeah, the big one 59:51 TR: Which they 59:51DN: On the high way 59:52 TR: Converted part of it to a wine shop. 59:54 DN: Oh 59:55 TR: Type of thing. Yeah, but uh, the other part is still a gallery. 59:59 DN: Yeah 1:00:00 TR: So it’s refreshing to I, I’m putting words in your mouth, that being gay has been a very good thing for you that, to have a home here 1:00:11 DN: yeah. �1:00:13 TR: Yeah, uh, and, uh, Erwin would have agreed with you. 1:00:18 DN: Yeah. Oh yeah. He liked it here too, and 1:00:20 TR: Yeah 1:00:21 DN: And, uh, we had a lot of good times here. 1:00:23 TR: Yeah. 1:00:24 DN: And, uh, a lot of our friends would come up from Chicago too, for the weekend, so 1:00:27 TR: Oh, absolutely, 1:00:29 DN: Yeah 1:00:30 TR: Well, can you think of anything else you might, closing remarks, or 1:00:33 DN: No 1:00:35 TR: Anything like that? 1:00:37 DN: I think we covered most of it, I think 1:00:37 TR: I think we did 1:00:39 DN: so yeah 1:00:39 TR: We had, we got, uh 1:00:41DN: yeah 1:00:42 TR: The, uh, the Blue Tempo again, uh, 1:00:45 DN: yeah 1:00:46 TR: Uh, did they have any exotic drinks there? From that period? Cause, you know, in my college days I remember the Blue Motorcycle and Singapore Sling and 1:00:55 DN: Oh 1:00:57 TR: Those horrible mixed drinks 1:00:57 DN: Mixed drinks yeah. They might have, 1:00:59 TR: Yeah �1:01:00 DN: But I don’t remember any of them, yeah. I, well, once in a while I’d get a beer, but otherwise 1:01:04 TR: Yeah. 1:01:05 DN: I’d try to just to get, uh, just a vodka and tonic 1:01:06 TR: That sounds good enough 1:01:08 DN: Yeah. Beer was all right, but it filled me up, so 1:01:10TR: Ah 1:01:11DN: I don’t know why, one beer, yeah, it bloated me, so 1:01:13 TR: Well, they obviously had a restroom there I would imagine so if you got 1:01:16 DN: Yeah 1:01:17 TR: Too filled [laugh] 1:01:17 DN: So if I got a drink I could nurse that all evening. One drink or drinks, you know 1:01:21TR: Ah. Yeah. 1:01:22DN: So that was ok 1:01:23 TR: They probably make more money on a mixed drink, anyway 1:01:25DN: Yeah 1:01:26TR: Well thank you very much for, uh, giving your time and recording this, uh, you know, uh, you’ve certainly filled me in more about the area so Interview ends 1:01:37 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-NewmeyerD-20181010 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Newmeyer, Duane Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-10-10 Title A name given to the resource Duane Newmeyer (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Duane Newmeyer describes his young adulthood in Saugatuck and Chicago as he met his husband Erwin. Considerable discussion of time in the dunes and at the Blue Tempo. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Reyda, Ted (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Gay men Sexual minorities Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f541f87e91cbccb45f5c93f18a8f89fb.mp3 0ab57608112ece42c54f600daa935fa0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/adbb14109bedcf5328cdbc65e9f66a16.pdf 2dbd05d34b50f028b0e1a2cb748bb926 PDF Text Text Joy Muehlenbeck and Jerry Elsinga- Interview by Jean Osmond October 4, 2018 0:02 JO: I am Jean Osmond, and I am here today to interview Joy and Jerry Muehlenbeck. And we are at the Old School House. It is Thursday October the 4 th, and 19, sorry. 2018. I’d better get my dates correct here. And this oral history is selected as part of the Stories of Summer Project, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities Common Heritage Program. And I thank both of you for coming here to talk to me today. 0:37 JM: Welcome. 0:37 JE: Did you want my last name? 0:38 JO: I should have all, I should apologize here. I’ve known both Joy and Jerry as Muehlenbecks, but it’s still Joy Muehlenbeck, but it is Jury Muehlenbeck and she’s going to say it for us right now and spell it 0:53 JE: Elsinga. 0:54 JO: Ok. And spell Elsinga for me please. 0:56 JE: E-L-I-S-I-N-G-A 1:00 JO: mm hm. And Joy would you spell Muehlenbeck too, because that’s, uh, kind of a toughie name 1:04 JM: [laugh] True. M-U-E-H-L-E-N-B-E-C-K 1:13 JO: Ok. And here we’ve got the two of them and they are going to share their information as to what they remember when they came here and when you both came up from the Chicago area, correct? 1:25 JM: yes 1:25 JE: yes 1:25 JM: Our parents bought, um, home in, uh, in this area. Actually it was on, at that time it was called Hooter Road, but, um, it’s now 66th street. 1:39 JO: Hooter was a better name [laugh] 1:39 JM: [laugh] �1:40 JM: And they bought it in 1945. But we didn’t move until 1955. Um, Dad was working, we were all living in Chicago. My dad was working in Chicago. He was working for Oscar Meyer as a driver, and they knew he had property in Michigan, and so they offered him the opportunity to move and continue working for Oscar Meyer. So he would meet, um a loaded truck, a full truck of meats in the morning, south of here, and he’d take the full truck and deliver to south western Michigan, and then he would return the empty truck the next morning for the full truck. And that’s the way it worked for several years. Later on he decided he wanted to again unite with some union job and so, he um, found another job in Chicago and um, came out on the weekends. At that time, uh, a train ran out of Chicago to Fennville. Stopped in Fennville. So we’d pick him up from the depot and return him on Sunday night, and he would go back to work, and we could continue living here. 2:53 JO: Oh 2:54 JM: So we lived in the area, had home in the area since 45, came up weekends, shoo the mice out of the house 3:00 JE: [laugh] 3:01 JM: And, and then we moved in 55. And and at time I had already graduated, I had just graduated from Chicago High School in 55, but Jerry was to have gone in the second half in the seventh grade in Chicago. They did A and B, and she would have gone into the second half, uh, but not having that arrangement here in Douglas, um, maybe, I don’t know if they gave her a test or not but, I think they took a chance on her being able to handle eighth grade and so. 3:37 JO: All they had to do Joy was just look at her and say she’s an eighth grader, and for this, this was just Joy speaking, but now we’re going to have Jerry, and you’ll be able to tell the differences in their voices as to who’s who. That was Joy, and now Jerry, what is your reaction to this? 3:52 JE: [pause]. Well. We lived on Hooter road like she said. 66th Street, and I remember coming out here, and the first thing, especially if it was in the winter my dad always had Glog on hand. 4:13 JO: What is Gluck? 4:15 JE: Glog is a wine— 4:18 JO: G-L-O-G! Oh! 4:23 JE: Glog. Yes 4:23 JO: Ok �4:23 JE: So we could warm u 4:25 JO: uh huh 4:26 JE: Because we did not have heat on. It was a summer home, so if we came out in the winter that was the way we warmed up quick 4:35 JO: [laugh] 4:37 JE: And I’m surprised Joy remembered that. Or if she did she wouldn’t say 4:40 JM: Oh I didn’t I didn’t know if we wanted to talk about our drinking on this 4:44 JE: [laugh] 4:44 JO: [laugh] 4:45 JM: On the, on this program. That was the thing, so. 4:51 JE: Oh, but it was fun. It was, uh, an old fashioned house that, um, we had to go outside for our water, a pump 5:00 JO: Oo. 5:00 JE: And we had an outhouse. And for a while we had an outhouse. 5:05 JO: One seater or two seater? 5:07 JM: I think it was a one seater [laugh] 5:07 JE: One seater. Yes. But, the first tornado, which we did not know was a real tornado, that hit, and my aunt was out here for that specific weekend. I remember I was, oh gosh. If I was 8, 9, 10. I’m not sure. But it was horrendous wind outside. And my aunt and I had used the, john 5:43 JO: [laugh] 5:44 JE: And we went out there with our head down because the wind was so horrendous. And when we lifted our head up, we did not have a potty. 5:56 JO: [gasp] it blew away 5:57 JE: and we couldn’t find it �6:00 JO: [laugh] 6:00 JE: So that’s a story that I’ll never forget. [laugh] So. It was a very scary evening. But it was worse when you couldn’t even go potty. 6:16 JM: Yeah, but you remember when you came back into the house just in tears “Oh the toilet blew away,” and our dad said “Well the hole was there, wasn’t it?” 6:28 JO: [laugh] 6:30 JE: That’s right. That’s right. Yeah. 6:32 JM: He said 6:32 JO: Your dad is practical [laugh] 6:34 JM: The other thing about that old outhouse, uh, since you’re talking about it was, um, my mom would send us out sometimes to throw some leftover food, and she’d normally throw in the garbage, and she’d say “Throw it down the hole, and don’t lose the spoon!” She 6:52 JO: [laugh] 6:53 JM: was always the last thing she’d say to me. And I remember one time going out there, and dog gone it I was holding the spoon tightly and slightly, and what happened was I lost the bowl. 7:05 JO: But she didn’t tell you not to lose the bowl. 7:07 JM: No. 7:08 JO: [laugh] 7:10 JE: And a follow up on the houses. My father lived, uh, where would you call that area? 7:17 JM: That was the Hamilton or the new, east Saugatuck area before you go into Hamilton, yeah. 7:23 JE: And he had three pole barns 7:26 JM: uh, 138 7:26 JE: Yeah. �7:26 JO: Oo 7:26 JE: And he obv, he always slept in his, um, what was it, a trailer. And um 7:36 JM: Camper 7:37 JE: Camper and trailer, yeah. And one day he had that fixed up. I mean this was an outhouse. Three holes 7:48 JO: Oo 7:48 JE: And he had uh, a sink. But of course no running water. So it was just a sink, and he decorated it and it was all. So, I remember using it one time. And I opened the door. I sat down and, closing the door I sat down, and all of a sudden this statue--- w--- what’d you call it? 8:15 JM: He called it the kilroy 8:18 JE: Kilroy. 8:19 JM: It was a dummy. 8:19 JO: [laugh] 8:19 JE: In the corner of that outhouse. Inside 8:24 JO: Oh my. 8:25 JE: Oh. I’ll tell you, I, I did not like Kilroy. No. Uh uh. Kilroy was not my favorite. So anyway. That’s the story of that. But then all of a sudden, one time he did not have his truck, the brake on correctly or something like that. And before he knew it, it backed up and it took out his outhouse. 8:52 JO: Three seater, huh? And Kilroy? 8:54 JE: And Kilroy [laugh] 8:55 JO: [laugh] 8:57 JM: But, knowing my dad his simple re, response to that was just to hang a sign on it said “Out of order” 9:05 JO: [laugh] I know where you two grew a sense of humor. 9:10 JM: He was funny �9:12 JO: That’s 9:13 JE: He was funny 9:13 JO: So happened all the time before you lived up here permanently then. 9:17 JM: No, that, uh, when we, uh, in 55 when we moved uh, uh, actually we, then the house was sold in uh, 69. Then he had his own place. He left the place on Hooter Road when our mother had died. And, uh, so then they had lived in the camper which he had moved onto property, his own property three buildings. And that was on, uh, 38 th, where she’s talking the, the outhouse. We had two outhouses. The outhouse where we lived when we first moved, and then later on when dad lived alone, he moved to property where, um, had had an outhouse there too. 10:00 JE: Now. I might have to correct you on one thing. 10:04 JM: One thing only. 10:05 JE: One thing. All right. Kilroy belonged in Chicago. 10:12 JM: Yeah, but I didn’t 10:12 JE: Where he had his bar in Chicago 10:15 JM: I think he moved it 10:17 JE: Yeah. It was a woman, in the, in the one on the other one. 10:20 JM: Oh. It wasn’t Kilroy. 10:23 JE: No, it was, had a, woman 10:24 JM: It, it was a dummy of a sort 10:25 JO: [laugh] 10:26 JE: In the corner. There. And we finally said “You have to dress her, you know?” But in Chicago he had a bar. 10:38 JM: And that’s where he had Kilroy 10:40 JE: And Kilroy was this mannequin dressed in a tux. 10:45 JO: Oh my word �10:48 JE: I was only what, 5, 3, 4, 5 years old. And I was terrified of Kilroy. He would take Kilroy and tie it to the front of his car and go through Chicago wherever he had to go. 11:06 JO: [laugh] 11:07 JE: And Kilroy was lying on top his 11:08 JO: On the trunk? I mean 11:09 JE: On the hood 11:09 JO: On the hood. 11:10 JE: On the side 11:11 JO: Oh my 11:13 JE: And the, then, you know, my mom said to my dad “Never, ever have Kilroy around when Jerry comes cause she’s terrified of Kilroy.” He forgot or, my, my mom came in surprisingly, I don’t know what it was, but I opened the bathroom door and there sat Kilroy on my toilet 11:36 JO: [laugh] 11:38 JE: And I’ll never forget that. Never 11:43 JM: The, the reason that um that our parents came up into this area was the fact that, um our mom had been born in a southern Illinois town. And after, um, her parents were no longer living. Um, at age 16, she went to Chicago to get employment. And uh, found that a bakery, a local bakery was advertising for a worker. So she applied there and she was going to work the counter within this bakery, um, and when they got to know her and like her and so on, they said “Rather than being a clerk for us, would you consider being a nanny?” They had some young children. 12:22 JO: Oh. 12:24 JM: So. She accepted that, that responsibility and that became like a family to her, being as young as she was. And then after this particular bakery family, um, retired, they bought property out here first. And it’s now the art barn on Wiley 12:43 JO: Oh 12:44 JM: But it had been the Wanzung home and that’s �12:48 JO: Spell Wanzung for us 12:48 JM: Uh, W-A-N-Z-U-N-G. Wanzung. And then, um, so then my parents would come to that, that introduced them to this community. And my dad was a city man who loved the country. My mom was a country girl who really preferred the city 13:08 JO: [laugh] 13:09 JM: But we got here. 13:09 JO: You got here. Well I’m glad you did. 13:11 JM: Yeah 13:13 JO: But now, Joy, when you said you came here, you had already graduated from high school 13:15 JM: From high school but 13:17 JO: But your sister was half way through her seventh grade year. But they put her into eighth grade here. This was a shock for you, wasn’t it Jerry? Coming from a city like Chicago High School to this school house? 13:30 JE: You have no idea 13:31 JO: K. Tell us what you thought when you first walked into this building, or didn’t want to walk into it. 13:38 JE: Well, we had seventh and eighth grade in the upper right hand corner 13:44 JO: So that’d be the room where we are right now. 13:46 JE: Exactly 13:47 JO: Ok. Where the Michigan Dunes Collection is. 13:48 JE: mm hm. And, um, there were 2 girls and 4 boys in eighth grade. K. Plus we had sixth and seventh grade also in the same. Mm hm. Ok. And, it was very difficult. Very difficult to come out of a school of, of two thousand, right Joy? 14:13 JM: A large public school you know 14:16 JE: Large. And I was so involved in tumbling, and I loved the gymnastics. And all of a sudden I’m plunked into this �14:27 JO: [laugh] 14:28 JE: and I say plunked. I didn’t know how to react. I was just very quiet I think. And then Ty Hackme 14:43 JO: I remember that name. Ty Hackme. Mm hm. 14:46 JE: And I wore double, what do you call, gian-um, my hair was up in double 14:53 JO: Braids 14:54 JE: Braids 14:54 JO: Oh 14:55 JE: Or, yeah. And he sat behind me and he clung them 14:59 JO: [laugh] 14:59 JE: So 15:01 JO: So what kind of seats did you have that he could be so close to you? Didn’t he have a desk in between or he couldn’t have leaned over couldn’t he? 15:06 JE: I’m trying to think. I’m trying to remember 15:09 JM: Were they etched, I don’t I don’t quite know 15:12 JE: I, yeah 15:14 JM: I have some real old school sets at home, and the, was like attached 15:18 JO: yeah. 15:20 JM: The front was attached to the back 15:20 JE: was attached to the back, uh huh 15:21 JM: And it looked like a train type thing, but I’m not sure what you 15:22 JE: Yes 15:23 JO: Yeah �15:24 JM: had if you had tables and chairs or 15:27 JE: No, I think it was that, that style, I think, but he just, he was was trying to always get my attention 15:37 JO: [laugh] 15:37 JE: And later, as I grew a little older, I dated the guy because he took me roller skating at the old Pavilion. 15:46 JO: Oh, so you remember that then too? 15:48 JE: Yeah. Yes 15:49 JO: Ok then, well tell me about that, and then we’ll come back to the school here and how you grew up and what else was here. 15:55 JE: Yes 15:55 JO: Ok, then tell about the Pavilion, what it was like going there. 15:58 JE: Oh it was awesome to, to, to not only see that building, but to, uh, there was a movie theater to the left of it. 16:12 JO: Mm kay. How did you get in the building? Tell us that. 16:14 JE: Well 16:15 JO: How did you get into the Pavillion? Do you remember that Joy? 16:17 JM: Well the movie theater was on ground level. As I remember, I never, I never was in the, the dance area or roller skating area. And, and I think that was like at a second level 16:30 JO: yeah 16:31 JM: I think it was from the movie, or else the movie, or the theater was to the side of it. I’m not sure just how that worked 16:38 JE: I think there were two steps up into it 16:41 JM: Could have been 16:42 JE: Two steps. No more than three. But when you went in, it had been of course a big dance hall �16:52 JO: Mmhm. That’s what I head 16:53 JE: And, um, of course at that time, young children weren’t allowed in there, but when it became a roller rink, then that’s when he taught me how to roller rink 17:09 JM: skate 17:09 JE: skate. 17:10 JM: [laugh] 17:10 JE: in the rink. But because, of course, oh he was great at it. Oh my gosh. He could just swing around that place like no tomorrow, and I’m on there just fumbling 17:20 JO: [laugh] 17:22 JE: Because I didn’t know how. And, but he taught me how to roller skate, and uh 17:29 JO: Did you forgive him then for pulling your braids? 17:32 JE: At that point yes 17:33 JO: Ok. [laugh] 17:35 JM: He was a very interesting young man. He called the house one time when I answered the phone. And he identified himself as Ty, and he was “I, I wonder if I could come over and see Jerry.” So I said, “Sure, you know. Come on” and he said “I’ll run right over.” When most people say “I’ll run right over,” they mean, you know, get in the car and drive, but he didn’t come, and he didn’t come, and he didn’t come. He actually had run over. And we were probably three miles, four miles. 18:03 JE: Oh yeah. 18:04 JM: From the, from Douglas, but he, he, um 18:07 JE: yes 18:08 JM: Ran over. There was one other thing when we were picking up on that theater. They changed their film every night. 18:12 JO: Oh really? 18:13 JM: Yes. So you could have a different movie. And my mother loved to do movies. So she and I would do the movies. Oh, um �18:21 JO: How much was it to go to the movie? 18:23 JM: Um, I can’t remember, but it was very, I mean, uh 18:25 JE: fifty cents? 18:28 JM: I remember, uh, Jane Vends (?) telling me what it cost to dance, but I don’t remember what I got, ten cents, 18:32 JO: laugh 18:32 JE: [laugh] 18:34 JM: I don’t remember 18:35 JE: It could have been ten cents. 18:38 JM: to get in there, but it was very inexpensive, but, um, I could drive. My dad left the car for us so we could have it during the summer. I could drive. I was fearful of crossing on the bridge. Crossing the bridge. So, what we, my mother and I, would do is park in Douglas, and we’d walk across and walk down to the film. Well that worked fine until one night when we were ready to return, it was pouring. It was a terrible, terrible storm. And we had to walk through that storm and across the bridge 19:11 JO: Cross the bridge. Oh. 19:12 JM: And, and she, I remember her saying, “I really believe, I really believe you could cross this bridge with the car. I think you could.” I kind of did it from then on 19:24 JO: You drove over 19:24 JM: Drove to Saugatuck [laugh] 19:27 JE: Boy. I must have been, I don’t remember that 19:28 JM: No, you weren’t with us 19:30 JE: I must 19:32 JM: I don’t know why, but [laugh], maybe it was an x rated film and you were too young. 19:36 JE: That could be �19:37 JO: Maybe, they didn’t show X rated films 19:40 JM: [laugh] Well, I can’t remember, but could be. 19:44 JE: But it was a beautiful area, and then, when I was old enough, and I, uh, all those boats that were out, out there and you know 19:54 JO: Oh in the 19:56 JE: And they were two and three and they were huge boats. I shouldn’t even say boats. They were huge. They came from Chicago. Yachts! 20:01 JO: Yachts! The, the wealthy and 20:02 JE: the wealthy yachts. And oh, it was fun to walk on that board walk. 20:08 JO: Right outside of the Inn? 20:10 JE: Yes 20:11 JO: Ok. I’ve seen picture of it. 20:12 JE: Yes. The Pavilion was my stomping ground when I was old enough. I loved that place. 20:19 JO: Ok. So you would go roller skating there. You could go to a movie there. What else what other activities did they have there, do you remember? 20:25 JM: They had a bar too, I remember that was 20:27 JE: Oh yeah. Downstairs. 20:29 JM: uh, being in the, being in the 20:30 JE: right that was Red Skeller 20:32 JO: Red Skeller, ok. I remember that, yeah. 20:33 JE: That’s where the dancing was, and the bar. And um 20:40 JM: I don’t know if the Red Skeller was in the, um, big Pavilion. Or if that was in Coral Gables. I think 20:47 JE: Oh �20:49 JM: Coral Gables. 20:51 JO: Didn’t you get to the Red Skellar by going outside and then going kind of down. 20:54 JE: Down. Mm hm 20:56 JO: That’s what I always heard, but I could be wrong. I dont’ know. 20:58 JE: Boy I’m not sure now. Joy 20:59 JM: I thought it was at, I thought it was at Coral Gables but 21:01 JE: I think when the yachts were here 21:04 JM: I remember being um, I had gone to um, uh, Western Michigan University and, um, during May, uh, 1960, was the blaze which took down the Pavilion. 21:17 JE: Yes 21:18 JM: So I was 21:19 JE: It was early in May wasn’t it? 21:20 JM: Yes, in May. 21:21 JE: Mm, yeah. May 6 21:22 JM: I was home 21:24 JE: I remember that cause I cried. I was out of school, and I, I saw it go down. And oh, yeah 21:32 JM: Yeah. When Jerry was, um, uh, here, at, um, the Union School I was, um, pursuing teacher training. I had been enrolled in the Chicago Teacher’s College in Illinois, and of course when we moved I wanted to move with the family. And I was told of a program, it was called Allegan County 21:54 JE: Yes. I remember 21:55 JM: And, it had been in Allegan, the city of Allegan, for forty-nine years, and for its fiftieth year it was moving to Saugatuck 22:03 JO: Oh really? �22:04 JM: And it was located in one of the rooms off the, um, high school, which at the time was where those condos are now. 22:13 JO: Up on the hill 22:13 JM: On the hill. On Allegan Street and Elizabeth. Right was there. And we had a room in that, in that school. And that was convenient because we could do our student teaching right in the building 22:26 JO: Oh, in Saugatuck 22:27 JM: Right there, and um, um, and we only had a one-year program, and we were expected then to teach in, to teach in a one room school or two room school within the county. And, uh, Ottawa county did not have a normal school, so there were Holland people that came to Saugatuck to be part of that normal school. And you talked before, was there a difference between the Chicago schools, remember I had graduated from a Chicago High school and 23:01 JO: How many were in your graduating class? 23:01 JM: it was 23:02 JO: A thousand 23:04 JM: It was you know like, I never knew how to spell principal, and now I was one. You know? 23:08 JO: [laugh] 23:08 JM: yeah. Well. It was like, what is a one room school? What is a two room school? Kind of thing. And, um, at the time I had um, a job waitressing at a place called Simmons’ of Saugatuck. It was on Butler Street in Saugatuck, and it’s where Glick is now. And I worked for Dorothy Simmons. And, uh, the operation was breakfast til two o’clock. Eight to two. Then we closed. And then we reopened at five, and were open from five to eight. Don’t like that split shift because you could hardly get to the beach and do anything, and then you had to be back to work, and um, I know that, um, a number of our customers, um, were from Castle Park and so on, 23:57 JO Oh yes 23:57 JM: Which was kind of an elite area 23:58 JO: Yes, it was �23:58 JM: Um, on the southwest side of the city. And they would come down for dinner. I remember that. Um, I remember working with, um, um, oh, twin women who one of whom dated um, Green, um, what did we say his first name was? Not Robert, but his brother. 24:19 JE: Um, Marshall 24:20 JM: Marshall. Marshall Green dated one of these women. So wanting the women to finish up quickly at night so he’d come and he’d help us. 24:28 [phone ringing] 24:30 JM: He’d come and help us clean up you know. And so, he would move the chairs all around, you know, the whole bit. That, but, I was with Simmons’ of Saugatuck. I worked with, uh, Gala Davis 24:45 JO: Gala Davis 24:46 JM: Davis, and she was from the Davis family. Some of whom own Chicken as you like it of Saugatuck. That was her uncle I think. 24:55 JO:W—and where was that located? 24:56 JM: At, um, it was also right down town. And I, um, think it was, I don’t know if it was on Butler for sure. I think it was, but I’m not sure which of the buildings because it was kind of closed at the time that I got involved in the area, but, um, I was telling Gala, one of the Davis’ three children, I was going to start teaching the next day 25:20 JO: [laugh] 25:20 JM: And, um, and I said “I’m kind of nervous about it, you know” and Gala said “Hey. Mother’s been teaching for years. I live right in Saugatuck.” She said. “Come on up, and uh, meet my mom.” So um, that’s when I met Edna Davis. Edna Navit (?) Davis. And they had the big house across from All Saints Episcopal Church. Across Grand 25:42 JO: Ok. 25:42 JM: So their, their house was on the corner of Grand and Hoffman. It’s a beautiful place now, owned by somebody who has gorgeous landscaping and they, anyway, after their death then their son Dave lived there before he sold it. But, and I bought my house, where I’ve lived since 1970, from the Davis’ 26:06 JO: From the Davis’? 26:06 JM: Yes �26:07 JO: Oh, my word, what a big circle 26:08 JM: Yeah, they, from the Davis’. So it was really quite nice. And I remember that little tea room which the Simmons’ of Saugatuck was 26:18 JO: Work until two, and then had a break from five to eight, right? 26:20 JM: Yes, yes, at the restaurant, and I remember we were told never tell a customer we don’t have a cold cereal they might ask for. Whatever they ask for, we have it. Then I had to go out the back way, go around to a grocery store in town, and understand that’s where Pumpernickels now stands. 26:40 JO: Oh. 26:41 JM: And buy that. And buy cereal 26:42 JO: And buy that cereal? 26:43 JM: And come back and go through the restaurant and serve it like 26:48 JO: [laugh] Of course we have it. 26:50 JM: Well then after a while we had a shelf full of cold cereal, and Mrs. Simmons’ would say “Now we have enough choice here, you know.” She’d get after the young man that did dishes because he was always soaked, you know. His shirt, his clothing, and she didn’t like him looking that, even if he was in the kitchen, and she got on his back about it. So then he got a plastic apron, and he got around with his shoes going [squishing noises] 27:16 JO: [laugh] 27:16 JM: [laugh] all the water was in his shoes. 27:18 JO: What a memory, oh my word. How many, how many people did you serve, or how big a restaurant was it? Were there five tables? Eight tables? 27:28 JM: I don’t know. It could have served fifty people or not, I bet it wasn’t, I bet it could have served somewhere between, um, thirty and fifty. It was a quaint little restaurant. It was a popular restaurant, and it couldn’t, just a lot of fun working for, uh, for Mrs. Simmons. And, uh, um, while we’re on Butler Street, unless you’d like to move us off that street. 27:56 JO: Oh, no. Let’s stay on Butler Street �27:57 JM: Walking around Butler Street, um, I liked to say a word for the Oosting (?) family. Now Oosting’s was a furniture and appliance store. They, um, in the beginning when we first moved they were only on the east side of Butler. And then they bought what again is the Glick building. They were in there sort of on both sides of that. And just yesterday I had Bob Oosting visit my home about a chair that I’d bought from him. And I pulled out a file, a paper manila file, with Oosting’s on it. And he said “You have a file?” and I said “Bob, we bought our first appliances from you, my family, in the fifties. Colored TV had just come out” 28:44 JO: Oh my word 28:44 JM: And you know people didn’t buy a television the basis of the technology of it. They bought it as a piece of furniture. So, because it was. It was always in casing 28:56 JO: Casing yeah. 28:56 JM: A beautiful 28:58 JO: That’s right 28:58 JM: And you could choose oak or maple or whatever. And I remember, buying for my parents this very lovely, um, TV. Uh, it was a color television from Bob Oosting. And I said to him yesterday “Bob, I thought that when you’d sold the store this past year, that you had taken off to parts unknown.” But the truth of it is, behind those uh three or four stores that are being, that have been remodeled on his, on the east side of Butler there is um, a store in the back that’s not accessed from Butler. 29:38 JO: From the front 29:38 JM: Go, just a little alleyway back, then you go in, and he’s sharing, he will be sharing with a woman that’s going to, uh do what they call staging 29:50 JO: Oh yes 29:51 JM: By, uh home, you know make it look nice, and Bob’s going to do appliances there. So, uh, so he’s still operating from from Saugatuck and, um, but he was impressed, and I said “well, you are a fixture in this town. You’re family.” They must have started that business in the forties maybe 30:10 JO: Because they were here before you came. 30:11 JM: Yes. And, and after his parents died, then he and his sister, uh, operated it, and then after she, after her death, and now Bob has kind off being going, you know, solo on it but I thought for sure he had um, he had uh �30:29 JO: Said enough 30:29 JM: Left the area. You know. Yeah 30:32 JO: Well that’s neat. Spell Oostings for us 30:35 JM: O-o-s-t-i-n-g. You know. That. We were the first family of our immediate grandparent and so to, to move this way out of Chicago. But then our grandparents moved in the Fennville area, and Grandpa Fred Muehlenbeck was a custodian at Fennville Schools 30:55 JO: That’s right! 30:56 JM: Yes 30:56 JO: I remember him 30:58 JM: Yes. And he, and he was just the kind of guy that if he saw a child without mittens or a hat or whatever 31:05 JO: Yup, he 31:05 JM: He’d go home with the story, and then he got grandmother involved, and you know the whole bit and 31:10 JO: That’s right 31:11 JM: And then my aunt and uncle moved, um. My aunt’s name was Lorraine Milnky (?). And she, um, had a sewing room. She altered the clothing from the different stores, wherever they sold men’s usually men’s trousers, men’s pants. They would call her and let her know they were sending up a customer, would she measure and sew. So she did all the alterations. And she lived just a little bit east of me, so she was on the corner of Elizabeth, where the high school is. Elizabeth and, uh, Hoffman. Right on that corner that now is an entrance to the high school parking lot. Yeah. 31:54 JO: And then you would go to the left or go north to the high school now 31:56 JM: Yeah, yeah. She was south, south of the actual building. And she was there, and um, on neither my mother nor she drove, ever drove. Because in Chicago you didn’t have to. 32:08 JO: You didn’t need to. 32:09 JM: You had public transportation, the subway, you had the bus you know but. So, my aunt became a part of a small group of seniors who thought wouldn’t it be cool if we could have some sort of transportation in this community. So they, um, they went to Allegan, and they did �all the petitioning and everything they had to do on behalf of the people here, and in 1980, the inner urban started running. And, uh, I know that you probably interview Phyllis Ike (?) who’s the director there. Um, but I think she can tell that, in the beginning it was just a godsend to the people who couldn’t drive, maybe because they were elderly, maybe because they were disabled in some way, but today just so many people. I mean it’s only fifty cents for a senior to ride it, you know? 33:03 JO: [laugh] you can’t beat that can you? And I’ve seen it out here on Blue Star and so on 33:07 JM: And, and they have a lift. So you tell them when you call the bus, “I would like the lift” and I mean, you have to be in a chair or on a walker, but they have a platform that just comes right down. And you just walk right onto it and get into the bus. And um, I’m working with Phyllis right now to get an arrangement for chamber music because the problem with our patrons is parking. 33:35 JO: That’s right 33:36 JM: They get into Saugatuck 33:37 JO: there’s no place 33:37 JM: And they can’t find parking. So I’m trying to work out a plan whereby they would go to the high school at 7pm, there would be a bus that would take them down to the women’s club. 33:45 JO: That sounds good 33:46 JM: And then at 10 pick them up. Take them back to their cars. And um, so Phillis says she doesn’t know why that won’t work on a Friday. Cause they provide the services anyway on Friday. If we were to do it on Thursday, which is another night of the concerts, um, we’d have to pay for the driver’s time, you know, but even so. 34:06 JO: Well good luck with that. 34:06 JM: Yeah 34:07 JO: And speaking of transportation, Jerry, when you first came here to this building, how did you get here? Did your dad drive you? Joy could probably drive then? How did you get to 34:19 JM: I didn’t go across the bridge, remember? 34:21 JO: Oh, right. That’s right. You didn’t have to because you lived there. 34:24 JE: How did I �34:24 JM: [laugh] 34:25 JO: How did you get here? Cause you lived that way. South of town 34:28 JE: On Hooter Road 34:29 JO: On Hooter Road. But how did you get here? I’m sure you didn’t walk. 34:33 JM: You went on the bus. 34:34 JO: Oh did the school have the bus? 34:34 JE: There was a bus 34:34 JM: Yeah 34:35 JO: Saugatuck/ Douglas School bus? 34:36 JM: Yeah 34:37 JE: Probably. Ok. 34:39 JM: Yeah 34:40 JO: So it would pick you up. 34:41 JE: yeah 34:42 JO: Now did the front of the building look like it does now? 34:46 JE: Oh no. 34:46 JO: Tell us. What was different? 34:47 JE: It just looked old 34:49 JO: [laugh] you mean now it does, now it looks young? 34:52 JE: Well it’s had a renewal 34:56 JO: Well now, when you walked in the front doors and you said that you were in the building which we are right now. Just upstairs on the right hand side as you face the building. How did you get up here? Were there stairs in the center like there are now? Were there �divided stairs? Where were the bathrooms? We talked about bathrooms before. Did you have a fire escape? I can remember I had a fire escape that looked like a big smoke stack. You’d slide down and use wax paper to make it more slippery. How did you do that? Do you remember Jerry? 35:24 JE: Well you took the photos, right? 35:25 JM: Yeah. But you had, wasn’t there a long stairway when 35:29 JE: Yeah 35:29 JM: When you first walked in? 35:30 JE: Yes 35:30 JM: I, there was a stair way. Yeah 35:42 JE: Yeah. 35:34 JO: In the middle then? Right out the doors? When you walked in the doors you walked right up? 35:37 JM: I think it was 35:38 JE: Yeah. That’s going back 35:39 JM: I wasn’t here very many times, um, and I think there was there too 35:42 JE: Yeah. There were stairs. And, uh, I must have gotten here by bus because my mom didn’t drive. My dad was in Chicago, so I didn’t walk it 35:52 JM: Yeah. I’m trying to think, probably my recall on the bus deals more with when you were picked up to go to Fennville High School, but you still had to have a, must have had a bus to get here because I know that I didn’t provide that particular, uh 36:07 JE: And I don’t think Ty ran 36:08 JO: No I don’t think he would carry you on his back like [laugh] 36:12 JE: [laugh] 36:12 JM: [laugh] I don’t think so �36:16 JO: What about the bathrooms here? Were there bathrooms? Indoor bathrooms or did you have outdoor privies? 36:20 JE: No, we had indoor 36:22 JO: And so it was much more 36:23 JE: Yeah 36:23 JO: Up to date. OK 36:24 JE: yeah. Yeah. Um, but there was just, it, it was such a change from coming from 2,0001500, probably school in Chicago, and then out here to a school with 6,7,8th grade in it. It, it was, it was quite a shock. 36:49 JM: Didn’t you have trouble with your lunch disappearing for a while? 36:52 JE: Yeah. I think it was Ty Hackney again 36:54 JO: [laugh] 36:55 JM: I think it was a dog. 36:56 JE: That could be too. But I re- I remember that I would, um, well I would get to school somehow. So it had to have been a bus because nobody else could bring me. But, um, I’m trying to think. I lost track of what I was going to say 37:15 JO: Well you had the lunch, you had to bring your lunch. They didn’t have hot lunches here. 37:18 JE: No. No. Absolutely not. We had to bring our lunch and 37:22 JO: And if your lunch were still there at noon did you eat it in the room, at your desk or go outside depending on weather or what? 37:28 JE: Right. Outside if it was, you know 37:31 JO: Nice 37:32 JE: Nice. Otherwise yeah. We had no other choice except to eat it, you know, in the classroom. 37:42 JO: Where did you store your lunch when you came in? Was there a shelf or something where you’d put it? And that’s where yours disappeared? �37:46 JE: That’s all I remember. 37:48 JO: What did you do when you didn’t have a lunch? 37:48 JM: I remember your crying about your lunch, but I thought a dog had come into the building and taken it. [laugh] Maybe I’m wrong 37:56 JE: Well, I also cried I know when, first day I came home and said “He pulled my pig tails. I don’t want to go back there. I, nuh uh. This was not for me.” Not when someone could just, you know, like they’re milking a cow. I remember that. I got used to it, obviously, and um graduated. 38:23 JO: Ok. What age was graduation. Well wait no. Before we get to graduation. When you were in Chicago you had probably several eighth grade classes. Where you were in a classroom where you had science or math or whatever. But here you just had these few kids, and the teacher couldn’t meet with you all the time, could she? 38:42 JE: No. 38:44 JO: Ms. Hevit (?) teach you there? 38:44 JE: Mrs. Ramp (?) 38:45 JO: [gasp] Did she live in Fennville? 38:48 JE: I believe so. She was our teacher. 38:51 JO: What was her first name? 38:52 JE: Uh, 38:54 JO: Wilma? 38:55 JE: Wilma Ramp. Yes. And I, in my photos that I pulled the three teachers. Hathaway, Ramp, uh, there was one other. [pause]. It’s in one of those, you know photos that I have here 39:10 JO: In one of those photos. Mrs. Ramp was your teacher? 39:14 JE: mmhm. 39:15 JO: What’d she’d look like? 39:16 JM: [laugh] �39:18 JE: Oh 39:19 JO: Oh dear. Maybe this is dangerous, huh? Was she? 39:22 JE: Tall 39:23 JO: Tall, ok. 39:25 JE: and, and, not thin, but I mean she was, 39:29 JO: She was solid 39:31 JM: Oh solid 39:31 JO: Was she cruel? 39:32 JE: Oh no 39:33 JO: She was a nice lady? Oh good. 39:37 JE: I loved her [laugh] 39:37 JO: Oh that’s good. Because if she was mean 39:39 JE: She helped, she helped ease me into such a change. 39:48 JO: So she was very, very compassionate as far as you were concerned? 39:52 JE: And, um, she was a great lady. 39:55 JO: And you didn’t feel as if you were missing out on your education? Or did you? 39:57 JE: No. Um. It was a major adjustment. I didn’t have a choice, so at twelve years old I just did the best I could as far as adjusting, and, uh, I think I adjusted quite well. Quickly. 40:20 JM: Yeah you did pretty well. You’re a pretty well-adjusted person I think. Pretty well. You know 40:20 JE: The first day crying. 40:24 JO: [laugh] �40:26 JE: When I came home that first day I cried. I’m not going back. I remember telling Mom that. I’m not going back 40:34 JO: And what did Mom say? 40:35 JE: Well. Of course Mom says “Oh yes you are.” So. 40:41 JO: And don’t drop the spoon, right? 40:42 JM: And don’t drop the spoon. But you know, then after this, after the school closed, um, you know then apartments were made here, and, um, I have a friend my age [clears throat] excuse me, who lives in Tucson, Arizona. Kay Schrkeckengust. 41:00 JO: Kay. She worked with us at the Red Wood. Ok. 41:02 JM: Yes. Kay Schreckentgust. Now Kay Spencer. And her dad, Nolan, was the person who worked on, on, uh changing this building into apartments. 41:13 JO: That’s right 41:13 JM: Yeah 41:14 JO: He. Spell Schreckengust for us. 41:16 JM: S-C-H-R-E-C-K-E-N-G-U-S-T. 41:25 JO: Joy, you are, you are an instructor there. 41:25 JM: And you know she’s exactly six months older than I. To the day. 41:30 JO: Really? 41:31 JM: So we mock her about being the older woman. And then I mock her, say, so how’s it working. How’s it working? Can I make it? Yeah. It’s a good six month, you’ll make it through. When she celebrated her 80th birthday, six months before I did, uh, she came to Douglas, and she had out at the family home of Karen Schreckengust who, um, has since died, but she and her nieces were there in Douglas, well, it’s really the Fennville address area. But anyway, um, the whole theme was The Wizard of Oz. And the food, everything was thematically arranged. Remember that, Jerry? 42:13 JE: yeah 42:14 JM: It was a beautiful, a beautiful you know. Everything was perfect. And then what happened, but we got tornado warnings. I mean, could that have been anymore perfect? �42:26 JO: Oh no, that’s right. 42:28 JM: Oh my gosh, you know. But, um, the nieces 42:30 JO: Did you have Toto with you? 42:31 JM: [laugh] yeah. We had red shoes and the whole thing. Til one of her nieces, Dawn, who was an EMT, and had gotten notice that you know, that this was in the area. It did strike in the area. Um, it wasn’t a full-fledged tornado, but it was a heavy, you know, a real heavy, heavy wind. And I don’t know if it was to the degree that it was labelled that, but we were down in the basement and we couldn’t believe, 42:59 JO: here we are for this party and 43:00 JM: And someone said that I believe that, uh, I’d like to know who her party planner was, you know. 43:10 JO: [laugh] 43:10 JE: Well that could have been your birthday party too 43:11 JO: Yes, exactly 43:15 JE: And, I want to bring up my dad. Because when he moved out here, I’m trying to think. When was he a policeman? He worked 43:22 JM: Uh, he worked as a security guard 43:25 JE: as a security guard, right. And he worked out on a boat. Now I’ll never forget, when the boat moved away, he went to put his foot on to get on to the dock. And the boat moved and he’s straddling the dock and the boat moved. It did, and plunk, he went down 43:45 JM: Yes. He worked for the Allegan County, uh Sheriff’s Department Marine Division, and that’s when that particular happened. Yeah. Could have been 43:58 JO: That could have been real hairy 43:59 JM: Real dangerous right. 44:01 JO: Where were, where were the boats moored then? That he was going to get out with 44:06 JM: Uh, well now they’re at the museum across the, the one that’s across the, I don’t know if that’s where it was. I mean it was on the other, this side of the river and time �44:16 JO: On this side 44:16 JM: But, yeah, I think right next to the, I think, isn’t that true when you take the pontoon, don’t you see the Sheriff’s boat, um, docked by the south side of the museum there 44:26 JE: Oh yeah. By the museum. Right. 44:32 JM: But I, I think it might have been on the other side at that particular time, but, um 44:33 JO: Yeah. Yeah. I think so 44:40 JM: That was, that was a time when um, he, he liked his job very much, and he was always on the water. Sometime he was back in the jail area. And he bragged about being able to get, remember, a haircut and um, oh what else did he get. A haircut and a carwash. For five bucks. And I said, Dad, what did they use to cut your hair? What do you think? They used a knife or a scissors or whatever. They trust these, they’re prisoners. He said “Oh, but they’ve done nothing serious. They got a year behind on alimony or something. You know.” 45:20 JE: Oh yeah. My dad was a very very trusting and loving person. 45:28 JO: This was in Allegan County then, where he, where the jail was. Oh my word 45:29 JM: Yeah, but, but, but he, when he went to Allegan County to 45:43 JO: For his hair cut and his car wash. Oh my goodness 45:36 JM: Haircut. Yeah. He was. But I, I remember talking about lunch too when we bought lunch in the school, um, my first school was the Colf school 45:45 JO: Tell us where that is, yes 45:26 JM: And, and that is that was on 58th, which runs between Fennville and Holland. And if you took Old Allegan Road to where it T’s at 58, and you look a little to your left, there’d be a little knoll, and that’s where the one room school was 46:02 JO: And if you went down from there you could go down into New Richmond, correct? 46:05 JM: Yes. That was a look right, that was a little bit beyond it, but this was 46:05 JO: Ok, little funny road on there, ok, but about the Colf, spell Colf 46:10 JM: C-O-L-F. I think it was after somebody. I was going to look that up someday, but I didn’t so, but I think it was named after someone in the, in the community. But, um, I �remember the kids, um, had to carry their own lunch. And, um, they would often share something with me. You know, maybe an apple, maybe a piece of cake of some sort. Uh, and I was impressed that they would care enough about me that they would want to share their food until one day I took, I heard a couple kids talking, and one person said, “Hey if you don’t like that give it to Miss Muelenbeck. She eats anything.” 46:50 JO: [laugh] 46:53 JE: And she did. (pause) Still does 46:56 JM: But I had, I had one black family in my, in my school. All eight grades and one black family. And I remember when it was so stormy, such a tremendous snow storm that, um, Mr. Hornsby came to school, and he said “Blue Star’s been closed.” And so you won’t be able to get back, um home 47:19 JO: the, the road. Blue Star Highway. Ok. 47:21 JM: The road. Blue star, uh road. 47:23 JO: Now, who is this man? Mr. 47:24 JM: Hornsby. H-O-R-N-S Horns B-Y. 47:29 JO: b-y 47:29 JM: y 47:30 JO: and he was a what 47:31 JM: He was a dad of, uh, of two of the kids 47:34 JO: Of the kids 47:34 JM: Yeah. And he just came to the school because we didn’t have a phone. You know. So he came to tell me that, and he also came to invite me to stay at his home. He and his wife had talked about it, and they wanted to house me that evening. And I’ll tell you, talk about a gracious family. Uh, the towels had the Chesepeake, or the Chessy cat on it because he worked for the train company 47:59 JO: Oh! For the train company. Ok. 48:04 JM: [laugh] But it was a delightful, delightful experience, but, they, it was a very strong community at that time, and, uh, a very conservative community. Cause I still remember my very first interview, uh for teaching, and they didn’t ask if I knew anything about teaching �reading or about math. They asked two questions. Number one: would I open with devotions every morning? And did I dance? 48:32 JO: Oo 48:33 JM: And I knew what they were asking with the dancing. And I said “Yes, I will open with devotions.” So far as dancing I said “No, I don’t.” But I said “I don’t by choice. Um, I know people enjoy it, and that’s fine. I simply don’t choose to do it. It’s an interest that I don’t have.” But I knew what they were after 48:55 JO: After, that’s right 48:55 JE: Yeah. 48:59 JM: But, uh, you know, it’s interesting. It’s a wonderful community. I was there three years. And every month they had a community dinner, potluck. And my mom would go with me, and the kids would pump her for information. “Does Miss Muehlenbeck do dishes?” Does she do this? I remember my mom saying to them one time, “Oh, I use Joy for my dishes for a long time. 49:24 JO: Oh! [laugh] good pun, good pun. How many kids did you have in your classroom? 49:28 JM: I had about twenty, twenty-three to twenty-five, but that, that was 49:37 JO: In each grade? 49:37 JM: In individual kids. But some of them were families, you know. Two or three might be from one family. I, I don’t know if you know Joanne Deyoung. She works at Christian neighbor. She’s um, one of the head persons over there, um, and she had been my fifth grader. Uh, so, and then she had a couple of brothers in the program too. For my seventieth birthday, uh, my family gave me a gift of a reunion. So I had the kids come back 50:04 JO: Oh how neat! 50:04 JM: And we stood in the same arrangement as we had for, uh 50:08 JO: For a class picture? 50:08 JM: For it in 56-57, you know. Uh, and some of the guys were sixty-five, and I was seventy. You can tell the age at that point, you know? 50:20 JO: [laugh] now that is neat. �50:22 JM: Yeah. Got that picture hanging. They were a little bit big, but I could bring them. I suppose they could be digitized. 50:28 JO: Oh, I bet. That would be wonderful. Yes. [pause]. 50:32 JE: I have to correct myself on the Pavilion vs when the Pavilion, I saw the Pavilion burn down. I was there. 50:42 JO: You were there that day and 50:43 JE: Yes, and but before that, the Pavilion, I wasn’t old enough to be, even around, the Pavilion, other than the theater. Mmkay. Other than roller skating or something. But I would walk along and see the yachts and everything. But it was the Rats Kellar that was in the Coral Gables. That. Yes. 51:14 JM: Yes. There was a bar, there was a bar of some sort at the, at the big Pavilion too. I don’t even, I don’t know what it was called 51:28 JE: Yeah but, yeah, but I wasn’t even old enough to be uh, be around. 51:28 JO: It was illegal for. You were, you were not of age. 51:30 JE: Correct, but I did, uh, love to dance, uh. And so I would go to the Rats Kellar when I was old enough, and that was my haunting grounds and, so. But I did, yeah, see the Pavilion burn down and all. Just about broke my heart. I can still you know. 51:52 JM: Yeah, well, Jean Underwood was of course on the other side, and if the wind hadn’t changed course it could have burned down everything over there. 51:58 JE: That’s right 51:58 JO: Yeah 51:59 JM: yeah. Was living right there 51:59 JE: That was a sad day. And then both Joy and I worked, we worked for, um, for a time at the museum. We had hostess 52:08 JM: Yeah we were, you know, were hostesses at Docen’s over there. 52:12 JE: Which was enjoyable 52:14 JM: Yeah. �52:15 JO: That’s good, well can we go back to one thing that we didn’t, I didn’t clarify myself. When you were here you graduated because you were in eighth grade. That was the top one. That was your only year here. And Joy talked about this picture being taken. Did you have a picture taken for graduation here? Or 52:34 JE: No 52:34 JO: No? 52:35 JE: Not that I recall 52:38 JO: How did you, how did you have your graduation? Did you 52:40 JE: We didn’t. It was 52:42 JO: It was just, you didn’t. At the end of the year, that was it? 52:44 JE: That was it. There was one more year of kids being here. 52:48 JO: being here. 52:49 JE: So I was next to last 52:52 JO: last, but 52:53 JE: But then I went on to Fennville. You know, high school 52:47 JO: But then when you left here as an eighth grader, did they have a picnic at the end of the year? Did, what did they do at the end of the year. I can always remember, they would always have a picnic, and we went out to Allegan County Park and 53:10 JE: No. We didn’t do 53:11 JO: Eelle Lake or something like that. You didn’t, it just, that was it? 53:13 JE: I don’t recall celebrating. When the school year ended everybody went their own way. Do you remember, Joy? 53:21 JM: No. We were just glad you graduated. 53:25 JO: [laugh] Oh come on now, Joy. 53:29 JE: Scratch that from the, yeah. Audio �53:32 JM: No. I don’t remember 53:36 JE: I went to Hope College. Now you don’t get into Hope College easily if you, you know. So I just want to point that out. 53:42 JO: [laugh] and then you went to Fennville. Now was there a big difference between here and when you went to Fennville? 53:45 JE: Oh yeah. 53:48 JO: Fennville was nothing like Chicago. 53:49 JE: I went to Fennville when it was on the hill 53:52 JO: The old school 53:53 JE: The old school. Ok 53:55 JO: Where the library is now 53:56 JE: Yes 53:58 JO: On Kindle street, or (?) it’s called. 53:59 JE: Mm hmm. And that’s where I graduated from. Uh. Yeah 54:06 JO: Because Mrs. Ward who used to teach kindergarten here. Didn’t she teach kindergarten? I believe, taught sixth grade in Fennville. Mary Ward 54:14 JE: Oh, I remember, yeah. 54:15 JO: But you see, you would not have had her because you were going to be a ninth grader then. 54:18 JE: Right 54:19 JO: And she, I believe, taught sixth grade. 54:22 JE: Exactly. Yeah. 54:23 JO: Mm. 54:24 JM: You know the, um, the, the academic program post, post high school differed from the teachers to, because, um, in the beginning, uh, I’m talking about the end of the fifties when �teachers needed who had gone through, um, the county normal program needed to pursue additional credits, and of course got a degree, um. We didn’t go to Western, or to another college necessarily, but a professor would come to us. So we took, uh, area teachers would get together once a week. 55:05 JO: Oh really? 55:06 JM: And the professor would come to us 55:08 JO: All year long, or just for in the summer? 55:10 JM: Yeah, for a semester and I think it continued to a second semester but for a particular period of time, like it would be going on campus. But they came, which made sense because we were all teaching. We were all working, and one person could better travel than all of us go the other way. 55:27 JO: That’s right. 55:28 JM: And they would come. And the other value to that was that a concept would be taught, and then we were, um, encouraged to go try it. And so we would do it in our perspective classrooms. We would reassemble the following week and talk about, did it, did that idea work? Why did it work for you and not for me? What were the variables? You know, and that kind of thing. And it was a wonderful, wonderful learning situation. I mean, it was a practic as you could get 56:01 JO: Oh. You couldn’t get any more than that. 56:02 JM: No. No. No. Then, of course, a number of us would go during the summer, go to summer school too, but 56:09 JE: one my— 56:09 JO: Because you had, go ahead, Jerry 56:11 JE: Um, I was saying that, when I went to Hope College, I went in to be a teacher, like Joy. My dad said “Be like Joy. Get a teaching. You’ll never be out a job.” I remember him always saying that to me. Jerry, you got be like. I think I had one semester, and I hated every minute of it. 56:32 JO: [laugh] 56:38 JE: Hated it. And I said I am not fit for this. Truly am not. �56:45 JO: Joy is Joy, and I’m Jerry. Right? 56:46 JE: Yes! And I wanted to go into social work. So badly. So when I continued at Hope College, and I took time off because I had two children, while going to college 57:01 JO: Wow. That’s 57:02 JE: And I just, I did. That’s what I want to do. And I finished out Hope College. And I started work at, uh, Ottawa County. And I stayed with them for well, 28 years. And the I was able to go out after 30 years in because they were able to pull my two years that I took education. Remember that, Joy? It was in the, and they were lucky they found it, because it was during, they had the fire. They had a fire in the basement of Douglas School. 57:50 JO: Oh 57:51 JE: Years ago. And my papers fortunately were saved. And so they had, they took the two years I was in the teaching arena. I never taught. But I took the—c--- t 58:10 JM: The class, the classes for it. Yeah. 58:11 JE: The classes for it. And they added my 28 years as a social worker and supervisor. I was social worker for two years and then I was a, um, I continued as a, um. Two years as a worker, then the rest I was a supervisor. And I was able to retire with 30 years in with state 58:39 JO: Hallelujah 58:40 JE: employment. So it just worked in my favor, even though I no longer wanted to be in that type of education, as far as teaching. So 58:53 JM: Yeah she’s right about our dad because um of course I was, um, six years older, and I got the same lecture, about um, you’ve got to think about something that’s going to always ensure employment. And, in those days, uh, we’re talking about teaching, clerical work or secretarial work, or what was the third thing? 59:19 JE: to—er 59:20 JM: Nursing! 59:21 JE: Nursing. Yeah. Nursing. 59:23 JM: There’s, well, blood makes me queasy. 59:27 JE: Still does �59:27 JO: [laugh] 59:28 JM: [laugh] 59:29 JE: She couldn’t even hold my child when I was hemorrhaging one year. 59:32 JM: yeah she was just giving birth while I , but anyway 59:36 JO: And if one of the students cut his finger, go! Get him out of here! Don’t show it to me! Right? 59:45 JM: So, anything, anyway, and then as far as secretarial work goes, you know, we took short hand at that time and typing and I was not very fast at that and stuff, so, I got into teaching. And, uh, I started off with the, um, you know, the one room school, and then I went overseas for a year and then 1:00:06 JO: Oh, I didn’t know that. Where’d you go? 1:00:08 JM: Yeah, uh, in France 1:00:10 JO: oh really? 1:00:11 JM: And taught the dependents of Air Force personnel. There were American Air force, and when I came back I was at Holland Public for years 1:00:16 JO: Oh really? 1:00:18 JM: and I 1:00:19 JO: Which building 1:00:20 JM: Um Lincoln. And then Washington. While I, while I was there at Washington, I, there was a teacher that was ready to retire. And she came back from a phone interview one time, and she said, “You know what? That’s not for me. They want a younger person that’s willing to take these courses, because they’re looking for a reading consultant in West Ottawa schools. And I bet that would be a good job for you.” She said “I’ll go get you an interview.” I didn’t even have a chance to say maybe I don’t want it. And it was joke for two years because I said, “I don’t know,” her name was Willie. I said “I don’t know whether to thank you yet,” but I was in West Ottawa as a reading consultant for 24 years, but anyway, what I was going to say was this, the state came around with that same 80 idea. That if you could add your age plus your experience, and if it equaled 80 at least 1:01:15 JO: Oh really? �1:01:17 years old. JM: You could get full retirement. So in, in uh 87, I had, um, 30 years in. I was 50 1:01:26 JO: Oh my word 1:01:27 JM: and that was it. And I had been attending the United Douglas Church of Christ since the end of the fifties. And they were, at that point without a, without a pastor. Um, full time pastor, but um, they needed someone to kind of work as administrator. So I, I thought, after I retired, then I had an opportunity to be an administrator at church. Administrator for ten years. And I also had the chance to work for the metal sculptor, Ed Gray. 1:01:59 JO: Oh. Ok. 1:01:59 JM: In Fennville. And then I had the chance to do, whole sale selling for a friend that made hand turned wooden items. And I rep’ed him along the 31 quarter to 32 1:02:16 JO: So repping him, you sold, you drove. All right 1:02:18 JM: Yeah, went to retail stores. Representing him wholesale so they could buy it. You know, so I did that. I never said “Ha Ha Ha,” when I left, but I thought it. I had my cake and ate it too. 1:02:31 JE: Yeah. And I loved social work. It just was my bag. And, um, I was fortunate I stayed with Ottawa County for 28 years. And I was able to retire at 55 and get full benefits. So we both choose the path we wanted to be at regardless of our father. 1:02:59 JO: [laugh] Yeah. Without your father, the two of you would not be here, right? Oh that’s great. Is there anything else that you two can add that you’d like to think of. Um, Andy advice, or anything like this that you’d like to give? You would never say, oh don’t come to this area. Saugatuck Douglas area’s awful. You’d never say that, right? 1:03:18 JE: No, never, never, never, never. 1:03:19 JM: No, and I heard, uh, people last night talk about the beauty of it and that whole bit. And I think, oh, that story is so true. People come here to visit, or people just come for a weekend. And I live on a street now where I’m the only 24/7 person living on the block 1:03:38 JE: You are 1:03:39 JM: I am, because the houses are owned by people who live elsewhere. In fact, one house at the end of my block is owned by a woman who lives in, lives in Texas. You know, um, Dale Pond Realty owns one house and it’s used for coming and going. But I’ll say this about the block, um, everyone keeps his, her property beautiful. And you know, if they’re not living there, they’ve hired a service �1:04:08 JO: service. Ok. Take care of it. 1:04:09 JM: And, you know the people next to me on one side, they live in Chicago. They come out as they’re able, but they have someone take care of it. A couple of gentlemen bought a house on the west side, uh they live in Palm Springs. 1:04:21 JO: Oh my word 1:04:23 JM: And, you know, they did as much work to make it look sharp. Uh. You know, when they were here this summer. And they have, uh, you know, they keep an eye on it. They have somebody watching the place. Telling them if there’s a problem. So, I mean, I think, I don’t know if Saugatuck city council is going to have to address all these transient people or you know, on, on my block there’s absolutely no problem. 1:04:50 JO: Great 1:04:51 live in Glen. JE: And I love Douglas. Douglas is my town. Always will be. Even though now I 1:04:58 JM: I didn’t realize you were that far south then, oh 1:04:59 JE: Yeah. I live in Glen, and I’m fortunate enough to live on Lake Michigan. And so that is a plus, but as far as, and the only reason I moved there is because I’ve been with John for fifteen years 1:05:14 JO: Fifteen years’ now 1:05:16 JE: And yeah, and, but I, Douglas will always have my heart. When I stopped working for social services, I wasn’t ready to give up working yet. So I jumped. I worked for all the people who owned a business here. 1:05:38 JO: Oh right, up and down the main street then 1:05:41 JE: And I worked for all of them. When, when, up, oh what was her name? On the corner, she, uh she had all the jewelry. The jewelry that I worked for on the corner. And she’s now, is in South Haven. Uh, but the two Ed’s, I worked for. And right on down and old, good old uh 1:06:07 JM: Walter 1:06:08 JE: Walter, the wonderful 1:06:09 JO: Walter the wonderful, wonderful, yeah. �1:06:10 JE: And nobody, nobody but nobody can be a Walter the wonderful. Ever. And I worked for him and his partner Barry at the time where they had the 1:06:20 JO: when they were still together. 1:06:22 JE: Uh huh, and um, I worked for them, and I worked for down the line. And then when I moved to Glen, uh, John had this inner urban old, old inner urban bus. And that’s how I moved my clothes and my shoes 1:06:43 JO: Oh my word 1:06:44 JE: And everybody I worked for came out to watch this truck come through Douglas with all my clothes because of course 1:06:53 JO: They could, they could hung 1:06:54 JE: They could be hung. And everybody would like crazy because it was so funny to see. There goes Jerry. She’s moving to Glen. And all my shoes, because I have a ton of shoes also 1:06:54 JO: [laugh] 1:07:07 JO: Oh, is your name Emelda? 1:07:08 in JE: Just about. But that’s how I ended up going to John’s house permanently was 1:07:15 JO: Oh my word. 1:07:15 JE: Inner Urban 1:07:15 JO: Inner Urban. 1:07:17 JM: I told Jerry I moved her so many times, and I told her “You know what? I am not moving your clothes anymore. My clothes are mostly denim, and they stick together and they don’t slide off. But you’ve got all these slippy slidey clothes 1:07:35 JO: This right here. 1:07:36 JM: I am, I’m not carrying those things. So John came with this bus and all she had was hanging up on the bus 1:07:42 JO: Hanging. Oh. That’s neat. That’s neat �1:07:44 JE: And that was, that was so much fun for everybody in town. You know? But I just, belong. Other than Glen, I mean, I love Douglas 1:07:57 JO: We got Douglas, we got Saugatuck 1:07:57 JE: It will always be my town 1:07:58 JO: You’ve been in Saugatuck since 1970, you said, right? 1:08:03 JM: My, yes. The house I’m in, yes. Yeah. And I had gone right from our parents’ home. I bought this house from the Davis’ and yes. Bought it in 69, and um, I had a wonderful, um, carpenter working for me who would do time and materials. And I loved to work with wood in my hands. And so he’d come, he’d get me started. And then I’d get as far on the project as I could. And then I’d call him. “Simon, I’m ready for another lesson.” 1:08:35 JO: Lesson. 1:08:36 JM: Um, or I need, I need some angles cut or whatever. And then he’d come back over and he’d move me on again. At that time, um Forrester. I don’t know if you remember Wallace Forrester. 1:08:47 JO: Forrester’s lived in Douglas, didn’t they? 1:08:49 JM: Yes, they do, and I don’t know if a family member---- 1:08:51 JO: Seventh Day Adventists 1:08:53 JM: Exactly. Exactly. We couldn’t go there on a Friday, Saturday 1:08:56 JO: Friday nights, mmhm 1:08:58 JM: Um, but on Sundays we could, and, uh, the scouts would go there and I would go there, and if I had just one dollar in my pocket, I came home with a whole car load of wood. He worked for, he worked for Romer and maybe Chris Craft. 1:09:08 JO: Oh, they were so generous, yes. Oh. OK. 1:09:13 JM: And so he had some beautiful, um, mahogany pieces. And you know they were just sold for ten cents. Maybe a quarter. And I built an eight frame play house, which I had moved into my house in Saugatuck. I had to predrill the mahogany 2X4’s because you couldn’t put a nail in it without pre drilling and then putting the nail in, but uh, I just love it. For me it was like going to a candy store, you know, and just hauling all that wood back, but, um, �1:09:47 JO: Forrester. F-O-R-R-E-S-T-E-R. Right? 1:09:48 JM: Yes. 1:09:50 JO: Did they have a daughter, Shirley? 1:09:51 JM: Um 1:09:52 JO: Oh no. What was it? 1:09:53 JM: They might have. I believe she married their son. 1:09:53 JO: I believe so. I can’t remember 1:09:56 JM: Remember, they, they, could have. This was the other Forrester but, they lived out, where they lived at that time, out by Schmeecken 1:10:05 JO: Yes. Right into that, yes. By where Schmeecken is 1:10:05 JM: They were right in there, and um, I think that, um, they did so. 1:10:10 JE: And when I, when I worked in Douglas I also lived in Douglas at Mary Ellen G(?)’s home. 1:10:18 JO: Oh. Where is this? 1:10:20 JE: Um, oh, what is that? 1:10:22 JM: Is it Washington? 1:10:23 JE: Washington. Yes 1:10:24 JM: Ok. 1:10:25 JE: And, uh, she rented to me for three, four years, before she had to move in because her husband died and she wanted the home, but it was right near, but in Max. Cross, Across the road. I was always the lady under the bridge so to speak because the bridge was right were her home was. And I was fortunate enough to have that place. It was, you know, I just loved it there. 1:10:53 JO: Well this has been great. I am really pleased. Thank you both. Joy. 1:10:59 JM: You’re very welcome �1:11:00 JO: And Jerry. You have shared a lot with us, and I think this great. So you should be very pleased, right? Oh. I’d better do this correctly. This concludes the interview 1:11:07 JM: [laugh] � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-MuehlenbeckJ-ElsingaJ-20181004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Muehlenbeck, Joy Muehlenbeck-Elsinga, Jerry Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-10-04 Title A name given to the resource Joy Muehlenbeck and Jerry Muehlenbeck-Elsinga (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Sisters Joy Muehlenbeck and Jerry Elsinga describe adjusting to Saugatuck as young women after living in Chicago. Considerable discussion about the Pavillion and education in Saugatuck in the 60's and 70's. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Osman, Jane (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3cd7bbf055f4d3ba58ea1b26ed471b69.mp3 57f33e14f782d2c0d3c28939cba1ecff https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/49f4aaad095c2c0b3a73a8a85e5bbbb1.pdf 9e76eaafd9b45d01229ef12102362f4d PDF Text Text Barbara Kiszonas- Interview by Tyler Smith July 21, 2018 0:02 TS: All right. So this is Tyler Smith, and I’m here today with 0:11 BK: Barbara Kiszonas 0:13 TS: At the Saugatuck Douglas History Center in Douglas, MI, on July 21st, which is a Saturday of 2018. This oral history is being collected as part of the Stories of Summer Project, which is supported in part by a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities Common Heritage Program. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. I’m interested to learn more about your family history and your experiences of summer in the Saugatuck Douglas area. Can you please tell me your full name and spell it? 0:45 BK: My full name Barbara Kiszonas. Spelled, well Barbara you know, but Kiszonas. KI-S-Z-O-N-A-S. 0:54 TS: All right. Um. Do you use any accents when spelling your name? 0:59 BK: No. 1:01 TS: All right then. Can you spell Barbara really quick to just in case? 1:05 BK: All right. B-A-R-B-A-R-A [laugh] 1:08 TS: Standard Barbara spelling 1:10 BK: Standard 1:11 TS: Perfect. Um. So we’ll start off with some basic questions. So tell me about where you grew up. Um. Yeah. 1:18 BK: Oh. All right. I grew up in Chicago on the north side, and lived there about, uh, until I had my children, my two daughters. Um, and then we moved to New Jersey around, um, I guess it was 1981. 1:38 TS: All right. What are some of your most vivid memories from your childhood? 1:43 BK: from my childhood? Oh my goodness. Um. Wow. Well, I grew up in a big family. I’m the oldest of 8 children. So there was a lot of, always a lot of activity in our house. Uh, we lived in a house on the north side of Chicago with a big yard. And um, we were pretty much our own play group, although we did have other friends, obviously. But we did a lot of things in our, in our big yard. Um, we had a big willow tree we like to climb. Um, we would play games, and we would have parties there. Um, we even would like to, we would put on little fairs and shows and sometimes the neighborhood kids would come. Um. So it was a lot of fun. �2:24 TS: [laugh] That is excellent. Uh, so, if you could tell me a little bit more about your family and family history, I guess particularly as would relate to this area. Who’s still in this area? Who travels through here? 2:39 BK: mm hm. Um, well, my family I guess you could say is kind of immigrant family. My, my father and myself actually were born in Ireland. And my mother is English, born in London. And they emigrated to Canada, uh, when I was probably about 14 months old. And so we lived in Canada for about 5 or 6 years. Um, and then my father had already left Canada already to come down to the States to look for work. He was in construction. Um, and he first went to New York and then he went to Chicago. And my mother and, at that time three children, uh, eventually followed. And made our home in Chicago. So two of my brothers and sisters, uh, one brother one sister were born in Canada as well, um. And we moved to Chicago, and that’s when the reminder of the children were born. In Chicago. 3:41 TS: All right. And what was your father’s last name? 3:44 BK: Boyd. B-O-Y-D 3:46 TS: OK. What was your mother’s maiden name? 3:47 BK: My mother’s maiden name was Kronenburg (?) 3:50 TS: Ok. That is a pretty fascinating family history 3:53 BK: [laugh] 3:56 TS: All right. Um. [clear throat] 3:59 BK: And we went by train. I remember that. I was, um, probably 7 years old, and we went by train from Canada. And I remember saying afterwards to my mother “I never knew how long the night was until we rode on that train.” Because we didn’t really sleep very well, and you know it was like it was still night outside. And yeah it was a long trip. 4:23 TS: Man. And how old were you when you came over from Ireland? 4:26 BK: About 14 months 4:27 TS: Ok. So you don’t remember that 4:29 BK: No. no. 4:30 TS: Did, how did your parents get over? Was it by boat then? 4:33 BK: By boat. Yes 4:34 TS: Ok. Wow �4:36 BK: yeah. Yeah. Actually when I was 10 years old, um, our family took a trip back to Ireland and England to visit relatives. 4:44 TS: Ok 4:45 BK: And that was the first time I’d ever been on a plane. It was Pan Am. 4:47 TS: All right. 4:48 BK: Yeah. It was great. 4:50 TS: That’s excellent. What, um, what county of Ireland is your father from? 4:54 BK: Antram 4:55 TS: Ok. Interesting. 4:58 BK: Oh, I guess. Yeah. Is that the county? Antram? I think it is. Is that the Province? 5:02 TS: Yeah. I have uh, a bare understanding of how it works over there 5:06 BK: Yeah. Northern Ireland 5:08 TS: ok. 5:09 BK: Yeah. Belfast actually 5:10 TS: Gotcha. Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah. There, um, I don’t know if you’ve been up north in Michigan, but I think there is an Antram county. There as well 5:18 BK: Yeah. I’ve seen some of the names. Yeah. Over there yeah. 5:25 TS: All right. Let’s see. Well you would qualify as a seasonal resident then. You spent summers up here, correct? 5:35 BK: Uh, yeah, we spent summers. Like when I first went to camp I was still in grammar school. And I don’t know if you want me to get into too much of that right now, but, um, came for a couple of years and then what happened, um, when I was in high school. Some of my brothers and sisters also came, but Mom came up as a cook for the camp. 6:01 TS: Ok. 6:02 BK: Um, so then she brought the younger children with her, and they stayed up for the summer and we would visit. And I came up twice as a counselor. Once, uh, when I was in high school, once when I was in college. �6:15 TS: So then when, when would be the first time you were in Saugatuck Douglas? 6:20 BK: the first time, do you want me to say the year? And really date myself [laugh] 6:22 TS: You can if you want 6:24 BK: Um, I think it was 1961. 6:28 TS: Ok. 6:28 BK: Um. Yeah. That was my first time up here. The first time I had ever seen it. Um, one of my friends from school, um, a girl named Linda, uh, in, had gone to camp, or maybe her older sister had gone to camp. And so she invited me to come, and I did. And that was my first experience. First time being in Michigan, and first time being in a sleep away camp. 6:52 TS: Ok. How long was the camp back then? 6:55 BK: It seems to me, I was talking about this with my sister. I think it was a little less then two weeks. So I’m not sure if 10 days, 12 days, I don’t think it was full two weeks. 7:05 TS: Ok. That’s a pretty good chunk of time, though. To be away from home 7:07 BK: Yeah. It was, it was, yeah. 7:10 TS: And what was, um, what was your first impression? Especially being here for, um, overnight stay probably with your friends, you know away from everything? For a block of 10 ten days. What was it like when you arrived in Saugatuck? 7:22 BK: Um. Well, we arrived by train back then. They used to leave from, I think it was Grand Central, which is no longer there. It was down on Harrison Street I think. Anyway in Chicago. Sort of like the near south side. And so that was an adventure coming on the train with all the girls. I think we took up a whole car. And for years I’ve wondered where the train stopped. Because there isn’t a train station in Saugatuck, but there is one in Fennville or there was. And I think, I’m pretty sure it was the Fennville Station. We didn’t stop exactly in the town, because I remember getting out of the train and it was like fields, farm fields all around us. So maybe because we were towards the front and that end of the train stopped further away from the station. Um. And there would be a school bus waiting. And the school bus would take us to camp. 8:20 TS: Ok. 8:21 BK: Yeah. So I can still remember that being, looking out the train window and seeing the school bus and, um. So anyway the school bus would take us to camp. And of course I think this was the first time I ever saw sand dunes as well. So it, it was great to be out of the city. Like I said. We lived on the north side of Chicago. Um. And I guess the really great thing about it was �how close it was to the lake. Cause my family had always enjoyed being really close by the water, and it great to have the beach within walking distance. 8:52 TS: Oh yeah. It must have been pretty amazing. Especially coming down the road toward the camp, right? In the school bus on that narrow road going along the river. 8:57 BK: yeah. Yeah. Right. 9:02 TS: Man. Yeah. So. You were mostly struck by, I guess the natural area 9:07 BK: Yeah. Just the, the outdoors. The amount of time we were able to spend outdoors. I mean, my family always did like to go to parks and to the beach and that, but it was nice to have it right there at your doorstep. Everyday come out of your cabin, um, and just, you know, be able to walk outside in the, just to be in the midst of the, the trees and just nature itself. 9:32 TS: Yeah. 9:34 BK: yeah. 9:35 TS: I guess when you went back home how did you describe that to your family? 9:39 BK: Well, my mother said, it was funny, my mother said for the first few days after I got back from camp I was like an angel. It was just, I was a changed person for a few days anyway. Until I got back in with my brothers and sisters. [laugh] But, uh, it really did I think create an atmosphere of calm. Mm. Yeah. 10:03 TS: I understand that totally. Um so you’ve been coming to the area since 1961. What places have you stayed? 10:12 BK: Well that’s interesting. When you go to camp, you go to camp, and that’s it. And like we were talking before, the last day before you left camp, you would go into Saugatuck. We would walk through the woods on a trail, and come down to the ferry you know, and take the ferry across. And we were free I, I guess it was a few hours. I mean they specified a time where we had to meet back, but it was the one time were we actually had, you know, a certain amount of freedom to go, and to go to the drugstore. And we would go sometimes to the drugstore and get ice cream or, um, a phosphate. Uh. Uh yeah. And then at that time they used to rent um, like paddleboats right around the ferry area. Which they don’t anymore, so I don’t know when they stopped that. A lot of times we would get in the paddle boat with one of our friends and kind of paddle around Lake Kalamazoo, and um, also go to the post, also at the drug store we would get post cards. Post cards to send home. Although they had those at camp too, because they, you could buy them. They had a little, they called it a Tuck Shop. Kind of thing. Actually they called it Shack. Which sounds funny now. And it was outside the dining room. And every day after lunch. Oh, actually it was the rest period after lunch. But after that they would ring the bell, and then you could go to the Shack. And they had the, they had like penny candy, um, you know. Just little treats that you could get. And at the beginning of camp you came over with a certain �amount of money, which handed over for the Shack. And so they would deduct it from your account. If there was anything left you got that at the end. 11:56 TS: Yeah. That’s pretty cool. The credit system. 12:00 BK: Yeah. Yeah. It was, yeah. In fact, my sister, Jennifer who came up the next year because she’s three years younger than me, um, she later on, when my mother was up at camp being the cook, she would be, she was in charge of the shack. And she said she used to dread. The kids would come pouring out. She was afraid they were going to knock over her, because it was just about the size of um, not much bigger than a telephone booth. And it was right on the edge of the ravine. She said she just envisioned someday they were just going to push her over into the ravine. But that never happened. 12:35 TS: Oh, yeah. So it, now you said your mom came up to camp with you and your sisters, did all of the members of your family? Have they been through this area? 12:44 BK: All of them have yeah. Um [throat clear] my mom didn’t come when we were campers. She came up later on when I was in high school, and I was not going to camp anymore. Um, and I think it was then at that time we got to explore more of the area. Because like I said, when you came to camp you only came to camp. They had activities that were filling your day every day and what reason would there be to go site seeing? You know, with camp activities, and the beach, usually twice a day you can go there in the morning and then in the afternoon. Campfires at night. So they really kept you busy. Um, but then as I came up later when I was a teenager, um when my mom was at camp and my sister and I would sometimes drive up and camp the family for the weekend, then we got to explore a little bit more. You know, what was in Douglas, and at that time Douglas was, you know, nothing like it is now. Um, a lot of it had, I don’t know. I don’t want to say closed down, but there were a lot of empty store fronts. And there certainly wasn’t any artistic community. So about the only thing we did in Douglas was sometimes go over to the bowling alley. 13:53 TS: ok 13:54 BK: Yeah. Um, yeah, and then of course we walked around Saugatuck. And that was fun and taking the chain ferry, um, and then later on, um, when our daughters were very small, when my husband and I were still living in Chicago we would come up here sometimes, um. And we would stay at what was then called, uh, Shady Shores? Um, which is all condos now 14:20 TS: ok. 14:21 BK: Right at the entrance of Saugatuck. Right on the riverside. It’s all new condos. But at that time it was little cinderblock cabins. And we would stay in that. And we would walk in to town from there, um. Um, and I remember our little girls would like we would take to the playground, and Pumpernickel’s was at that time kind of a campy store. So we’d go in there to pick out candy 14:50 TS: That’s cool �14:50 BK: yeah. 14:51 TS: So how, um, would you say that Saugatuck has changed from when you first got here as a camper and you just saw it as a camp to when you bring your kids here to now? 15:00 BK: Uh. Well obviously it’s gotten more and more built up over time. I guess it always was kind of an artist’s community. Oxbow was still, or was pretty active back then. When I was a camper I didn’t know anything about it, but later on, and we visited there. Um. Certainly a lot more restaurants. Um. The waterfront has probably been improved. Uh. Lot more boats, although I can remember as a camper walking along and looking at the big boats and just being in awe of these beautiful big boats and trying to imagine what it would be like to go on one of them. Rich people [laugh] 15:44 TS: [laugh] right 15:45 BK: just a dream. 15:46 TS: I know, it’s still a dream. Walk down the board walk 15:52 BK: Yeah. Yeah. I know. It’s fun just to look at them, and it was back then. Yeah. 15:57 TS: Definitely. Well, what was um, your favorite place to eat in the summer? That could have changed. You know, several different places. 15:59 BK: Oh my goodness. What was our favorite place to eat? Um. I rem, probably the Butler. You know just because we didn’t know a lot about what else was here and we started going there, and yeah, we enjoyed going there. And it was a good place to take kids. You know? You didn’t worry about being too formal or anything. 16:30 TS: Yep 16:31 BK: Not that anyplace in Saugatuck is formal. But it was just very casual family atmosphere. And there used to be a place called the Logan Muff. Loaf and Muff Deli. Which is where Hercules, which was where Hercules is now. Yeah. And we used to enjoy going there for like a casual breakfast or lunch sometimes. 16:52 TS: Yeah. I remember that place too. Uh, did you ever get a summer job in the area? 16:58 BK: No. Other than camp? No. no. 17:01 TS: ok. 17:02 BK: I came up probably when I was about 15 and was what they called a junior counselor, and then I came back when I was in college and was a full counselor. �17:09 TS: ok. All right. Well, we’ll dive into those in a few minutes I think. 17:14 BK: ok. 17:15 TS: Um, did you spend time on or near the water? Which we know you spent some time at the beach, yeah. 17:18 BK: A lot. A lot. As much as we could 17:24 TS: Perfect. Yeah. What did you guys do? Uh. In the water? In the area? 17:28 BK: Um. Well we mostly. We would go to the beach and mostly just play in the water. Play, swim. Whatever. And I said at night we would have campfires. Sometimes. Down on the beach. And, um, actually sometimes, I forgot, there were sometimes when we’d come up for a family camp that they had. And we would come up actually after we moved to the east coast we only came a few times because it was a long trip. But we would go to the family camp and they would have campfires on the beach. It was nice. 18:01 TS: That’s excellent. Outside of the paddle boat excursions on Lake Kalamazoo, did you ever get out on a boat? 18:06 BK: Yeah. Uh. We’ve, we’ve rented a pontoon. We’ve gone, again as we came up. We sort of, my family itself as we had such a big family, um, we sort had our own little reunion, camp reunion, up, you know, up here. And we would get the canoes from Camp Gray and go out and that was fun. And we also rented pontoon, and we had we’d gone kayaking from the uh, boat launch in Douglas 18:40 TS: Ok. Yeah. 18:41 BK: We actually, my husband and I actually have our own two person kayak, which we have used I think one time in the three years we’ve owned it [laugh] 18:48 TS: [laugh] 18:50 BK: um, but anyway. We’ve used several different kinds of boats on the water. 18:57 TS: Cool. Yeah. A lot of manual powered 19:00 BK: Yeah I guess that’s why maybe I’m not too crazy about it. Um. It takes some strength in your arms. Yeah. 19:10 TS: Oh it does. Yeah. Especially in the river currents if you have to go back up 19:15 BK: Yeah. It’s nice if they drop you off. Like we rented kayaks from, um, whatever the name was that, from Douglas. And she drove us up to I think New Richmond. And then, then we came down. And that’s nice. You just come down the river and you get off. But when you take it �out yourself that’s another story because you’ve got to get yourself up the river and back down. Yeah. So we don’t normally go too far. Just kind of paddle around that little bay. 19:44 TS: Yeah. Makes sense. So how’s the river changed since the first time you’ve seen it. 19:49 BK: A little busier I guess. Yeah. More boats on it. You know. We had some friends that had a cabin off, on Lake Kalamazoo. I’m trying to think. Off of the old Allegan Road. 20:05 TS: Ok 20:06 BK: And we went out one time with them in a rowboat. But it was a very quiet area, so you didn’t really run into other boats. And I guess the bigger boats don’t really go up the river. They mostly stay in the marina and then go out to Lake Michigan. So you don’t really run across them. Although sometimes motor boats and you know, you have to watch out for them. 20:24 TS: Yeah. They don’t watch out for you sometimes 20:27 BK: Yeah. Yeah. You hope they’re watching out for you. 20:30 TS: Right? On those busy weekends though you can never tell. 20:31 BK: Yeah. So it’s usually, if you’re going to go, it’s usually better to go during the week when it’s not that busy. Like the weekend 20:39 TS: Not major holidays either. 20:41 BK: Right 20:42 TS: Um, you talked about spending time in Douglas. Um, I guess could you tell me a little more about the difference between the two towns. 20:54 BK: Oh. At the time. When we first started coming Saugatuck was really where all the action was. Douglas was, was a little sleepy backwater town. Um. There really wasn’t much to do in Douglas. You know, I can’t, there probably were some things, but like I said, um, we really didn’t venture beyond the Demonds, which, the grocery store. Um, you know, it’s been there for such a long time. Um, or the bowling alley. And that’s probably as far as we went. I don’t think we went to the library at that time, because, just because we were more oriented toward the camp. Yeah. 21:32 TS: Yeah. Yeah. All right. 21:35 BK: So I, you know. My memory of Douglas is just, there was nothing there. 21:39 TS: Yeah. 21:41 BK: In the 60’s [laugh] �21:42 TS: It’s changed a lot even in my life time, too. 21:46 BK: Yeah, yeah. It continues to change. Um, yeah. You know the buildings. They put up Center Street and just you know, things have been coming more alive. Pretty much active in the downtown area of Douglas. And even started to extend on Center Street toward the lake, which you know was never really there before. 22:08 TS: Wow. That’s pretty crazy. Yeah. Are there any other places or institutions that were important to you in the area. We talked about the camp, you talked about 22:18 BK: Um. Well. I am a member of the historical society. Um, and I always like to go and see what exhibits they’re showing in museums, so. My family has always loved going to museums, so we were really happy to see that being active, and the programs here at the school house as well. Other institutions? Um, I can’t really say I can’t think of them off hand, but you know. [laugh] 22:52 TS: Good. That’s totally fine. 22:56 BK: Great supporter of the library too. I hope they get their new building. 22:58 TS: yeah. That’d be great. Right? All right. Let’s see. So where, where is your vacation home currently in the area. 23:09 BK: In Douglas. 23:11 TS: In Douglas 23:12 BK: In Tower Marina 23:13 TS: Ok. Excellent 23:14 BK: Yeah. By the water. [laugh] Well you know, um, almost any place in Saugatuck Douglas, you’re near the water. Not far, but we really like being able to look at the marina from our patio. It, uh, yeah. 23:32 TS: It is a wonderful thing. 23:33 BK: Yeah. It is, it is 23:35 TS: That was the biggest problem I had in Tucson is that there’s no water, so it just starts to grate on you 23:38 BK: Oh yeah, I, yeah. I guess a lot of people like that, but I can’t imagine living in a land locked place. Even in Chicago had the lakefront. Which is great. You know within, within half an hour um, you could be on the beach. �23:58 TS: Yeah. Yeah. What, what neighborhood in Chicago were you 24:04 BK: uh, it, it’s called Irving Park. It’s in, it’s the Northwest side. Yeah. Well, I grew up there. Then my husband moved to live a little bit further west. Moved to Portage Park for a few years. Several years I guess. 24:20 TS: Yeah. So, Irving Park. I spent a year in Chicago, so I was up in that area, um, easy to get to the lake from there. 24:28 BK: yeah. Yeah. You can go straight down to Irving Park, although my friends and I used to go to Foster Beach which is a little bit further north. Uh. Yeah. 24:35 TS: Yeah. There’s a dog park in there now 24:42 BK: Oh is there? 24:42 TS: Yeah. You know. All right, I think we should dive into your, your camp experience 24:48 BK: Oh, ok 24:50 TS: So give me the, the breadth of your experience. You started off as a camper and ended up as a senior counselor 24:57 BK: Counselor yeah. Yeah, uh I actually went to camp as a camper for I think only two years. And my sister, my sister came my second year, and then she went a few more years. And then my brother came. Brother Jim came and brought his friends. And then, uh, I’m not sure about the younger siblings. How many of them went to camp on their own, or if they just came up with my mother. I’m not sure about that. Um, and one thing I should mention because we’ve been talking we were talking earlier about Camp Gray, um we were actually in a separate camp called Peniel Camp, that was part of Camp Gray. But it was one section, and sometimes you’ll see old pictures of the Penial Dining Hall, and it went up the hill probably, um a little bit to the north 25:46 phone starts ringing in background 25:47 TS: I guess we’ll wait for the phone to stop ringing. I have no authority to answer it, so we just have to 26:00 BK: Ok 26:05 pause while waiting for phone to stop ringing 26:07 TS: All right �26:08 BK: All right. So Peniel was on the north end of Camp Gray. And the activities were totally separate. They did not mix at all. It was a different, different, maybe population. The time we went to camp, and I can’t swear to it, but my impression was that Camp Gray, the boys and girls camp was for primarily intercity at that time, um, and we came from the north side of Chicago. And some of the kids also came in from the suburbs, so camp, Peniel Camp was much smaller, probably I’m going to say, maybe 25-30 26:45 TS: Oh, ok 26:47 BK: Yeah. Girls or boys. The girls and boys were separate. They had different camps, um, so it was a smaller group, um, and um, different activities from Camp Gray. We didn’t even share the same beach. There was, yeah, totally separate. In fact when I went to camp I did not even know what Camp Gray looked like. 27:08 TS: Really? 27:10 BK: Yeah. Never ever went over there. So it’s not til I got older that, um, that I found out about the rest of it, and we actually go over there sometimes. You know. Especially when they had the camp, the family camp, or the camp reunions we would sometimes go over to their dining hall. But when we were campers no. It was totally separate. 27:30 TS: Wow. And how’d you spell Peniel 27:35 BK: P-E-N-I-E-L 27:38 TS: Ok. So entirely separate? Separate administrations? 27:40 BK: Everything. 27:41 TS: Really. Wow. And there’s, uh, so you never actually even saw the other camp while you were there. 27:46 BK: no. No. Um, when we would go down to the beach, was as close as we came. They were up on the hill from us. And you could look up on the hill and sometimes you would see, you know, the other kids, but. Never any mixing, intermingling. Whatever. 28:08 TS: So, back then, what, what did you think of that? Another camp and you just didn’t know 28:14 BK: Um. I don’t know. They were just different kids from a different place. I don’t know. They just, we had different schedules. Maybe it was, maybe they scheduled the beach time so we weren’t on the beach at the same time. Maybe that’s why we didn’t see them. 28:28 TS: That could be. Yeah. �28:29 BK: Yeah. I don’t know. But I also think that their beach, I mean honestly the whole shoreline is beach, but I think that when they went down to the beach they were much further down then us. Yeah. So we never saw them in the water or 28:40 TS: Ok. Ok. Yeah. That’s fascinating 28:44 BK: Yeah. 28:25 TS: So then for camp, Camp Peniel, was there a specific focus for the camp, or was it mostly like get away do activities sort of basic camp. 28:54 BK: Um, they were both sort of under the hospices of the Presbyterian church. Um, I suppose they had similar programs. I mean we would start the morning after breakfast we would have chapel. And, um sometimes in the evening, but then there were various activities throughout the day. And, uh, well, here’s one difference. Peniel was started by a group of what they were called at the time Hebrew Christians. So they were Jewish people who believed that Jesus was their Messiah. So they had that distinctive about them, but really and so there was a, a block of people who had been part of this community center on the north side of Chicago who had since moved out to the suburbs. And their children continued to come. But anybody then that lived in the neighborhood, no matter what religion or background they had was welcome to come to camp. 29:50 TS: Ok 29:51 BK: So. There was at that time it was run by a couple called Mr. and Mrs. K, our camp. Uh. The K stood for Kominski but everybody called them the K’s. And Mr. Kominski would tell Bible stories during chapel. And he was such a fascinating person. He’d be telling stories from the Old Testament about David or whoever and he would just tell them in such a graphic way. It was so entertaining. Of course it was before, um, you know all of the media that we have today. But he was just a lovely, lovely person. Everyone loved him, and he was really the heart of the camp. And then later on his nephew, Larry Rich took over. And when I came as a counselor Larry was in charge, and we got to be good friends, and Larry was the minister at, uh, our wedding. 30:42 TS: [laugh] very nice 30:44 BK: So that, that is a connection there 30:45 TS: Yeah. Yeah. That’s really cool. And you mentioned you know, that one of your friends brought you up to camp and your brother brought his friends up to camp, so was it like a local neighborhood word of mouth 30:58 BK: Yeah. Yeah it was. It was pretty much because I don’t know if they, if out of the community center, outside they probably you know, promoted it. Advertised it. But, um, for us it was word of mouth. Mmhm. �31:14 TS: That’s cool. Do you know if, um, Camp Peniel and Camp Gray were on the same timeline then? Did they both, were they sold at the same time? 31:22 BK: Um, [throat clear] Camp Peniel, um, probably ended, oh my gosh, um, I don’t think they had campers past the 70’s, but they continued the family camp. And that was probably just like once a year. You know, maybe like um, I think for a long weekend. They did have like a week of family camp in between, but it got to be I think, um, like in the 2000’s, it was just maybe like a long weekend. Uh, in the summer. Mm hm. 32:02 TS: Ok. And then, so what, what activities do you remember from your time as a camper? Not necessarily the activities you did, but where did you sleep, where did you eat, you know. Anything that stands out. 32:15 BK: Ok. Yeah. Um, well we slept in wooden cabins. Had no insulation. Of course you didn’t need it in the summer. But basic, you know. The bare wooden walls. Um, pretty primitive accommodations. You brought your own bedding. Um, thin mattresses. Uh, single, single beds and in one set of cabins they had, um, they, they were probably I don’t know, three or four different types of cabins. Um, some of them would sleep like three people. Two campers and a counselor. Um, some of them would sleep 8 in bunkbeds. And I know there was one up in the hill, up in the hillside that had the sinks outside. So I think I think it had, oh gosh, um, yeah. You had to go outside to wash. I know that. And I don’t know exactly, if there was a toilet in the cabin itself or not. I mostly stayed in the other ones that had just a sink and a toilet both enclosed, but pretty, pretty primitive. But you didn’t spend much time in there. You slept in there and you were busy all day long doing stuff. Um, and the dining hall, um the meals I’m going to say again were pretty simple. The camp, camp was incredibly cheap. I mean I don’t even remember, but it seemed to me that even back in the 60’s and of course that is a long time ago, it was something like $20, $25 for a kid. So cheap. So you know they did what they could with the money that they had. They certainly, we certainly didn’t have anything that was tech because there wasn’t anything like that back then. But we had a lot of activity and the meals were pretty simple. Um, it was enough to eat. I’m not going to say that you went hungry. They had this policy that you had to sample everything. Even if you just took a tablespoon, you had to sample everything. Yeah, so if you were a fussy eater, well you might be out of luck. But that was interesting because, um, when as I mentioned the previous director’s nephew took over, one of the things he changed is no more powdered milk. He said “I couldn’t stand when I was a kid, when I was a kid, and we’re not going to have it now.” [laugh] 34:35 TS: [laugh] 34:38 BK: And also when my mom came in as cook, um, she, she introduced uh, different foods. Having raised 8 children, she knew what kids liked and didn’t like. Um. And she said her kids were the fussiest eaters. She had to make something different for every of them, every night was like running a restaurant. Well at camp they didn’t do that. Um, there would always be an alternative. If you didn’t really want to eat something you could have a bowl of cereal. Yeah. Yeah, right? And, uh. Oh yeah, I was just thinking about some of the activities. One thing that we used to do and I hadn’t thought of before we used to always have an outing, maybe two outings to Mt. Baldie. We called it Mt. Baldie at that time. I think they call it Mt. Baldhead now, �but it was always known as Mt. Baldie back then. And so then we would go over there, and we walked everywhere. We hiked everywhere. Which is another reason we didn’t go very far. But anyway we would go over to Mt. Baldie and, um, we didn’t climb the stairs but we did, I think we up the back side of the mount, the dune. From the beach. And then they would have trails that you would run down, and sort of like, yeah. Just running down them. And they had names to them. I don’t remember the names now. My brother would. But um, so and yeah, yeah. That was a lot of fun. And then you would come down. There’s a pavilion right at the bottom of Mt. Baldie, and there would be somebody there. And they would have like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or whatever kind of sandwiches they made. And we’d all eat there before we went back to camp. One of my brothers, my oldest brother, Jim. The one that was born up in Canada, um, I think set a record. He went up 20 times, 20 or 21 times, hiked up and ran down. [laugh] 36:32 TS: Jeez [laugh] 36:33 BK: He deserves a special t-shirt for that. 36:38 TS: Yeah. Oh man. Because I’ve done it lately, and I did it three times. And I was done. 36:42 BK: I know, right? Oh, I know, he was probably about 12 or 13 then. Lot more, lot more energy [laugh] 36:48 TS: Yeah, boundless energy back then. Oh that’s cool. Um, what was like your favorite location in camp. Was there a specific spot that you enjoyed them most? 37:00 BK: Oh. Other than the beach? Cause really the beach was, I think a big draw. Um, we had like a game area outside of the dining hall. Uh. It was down the hill a little bit. And they had shuffle board and ping pong, and they had this pole with a ball attached called tether ball. Yeah. So the games were fun too. And there was free time. And we had a lot of activities scheduled, but there was also free time, sometimes after supper or sometimes in the afternoon and you could play games. And there was also a volleyball court up on the hill. And we used to play games up there sometimes. 37:40 TS: Ok. Nice. 37:43 BK: Yeah. And we used to hike. We used to play a game called capture the flag. And we would do that in the dunes. We would go over by Oval Beach in the evening 37:52 TS: Oh, that’d be the ultimate capture the flag spot 37:53 BK: Yeah. [laugh] 37:56 TS: Fantastic. Do you keep up with any of your friends from the camping days? 38:01 BK: Um. No. Not really no. Um, I’ve heard stories of some of them going around the world, but no. Actually I won’t say I actually kept up with my friend that first invited me, Linda, but um, I did get in touch with her sister on the internet one time. Her sister, who told me that �Linda married a man whose mother owned a place in Saugatuck. So I thought that was a really, really interesting connection. Yeah. 38:35 TS: Really? Yeah. Small world isn’t it? 38:38 BK: It is 38:41 TS: So having been there as a camper for just a couple years, how did you get involved in coming back as a junior counselor and then a full counselor? 38:52 BK: Um, I guess because we sort of stayed. Because of the fact that I had brothers and sisters coming in, and also my mom coming up, and so it sort of kept some kind of loose contact and um, I just, I knew that there were opportunities there. That they needed people at camp, so yeah. 39:08 TS: What were your, um, I guess tell us, tell us about your responsibilities as counselor of the camp. 39:14 BK: Um, as a counselor, oh wow. Um. Basically I believe I’d have a cabin with some girls and um, it seems to me, well as junior counselor you didn’t have that responsibility, but as a regular counselor, you’d have responsibility for a cabin of girls. And it seems to me the girls I had were a little wild. Had a little bit of a problem keeping them under control. But yeah I was responsible for them for being there, uh, making sure they got to the activities they were supposed to and talking with them if the needed someone to talk with and things like that 39:53 TS: All right. 39:54 BK: Making sure they didn’t get lost and [laugh] 39:55 TS: [laugh] yeah. Playing capture the flag 39:59 BK: Yeah. 40:00 TS: So you were a camper when you were in like elementary school, junior high? 40:06 BK: Um, junior high yeah. Yeah. 40:08 TS: And then a counselor, a junior counselor in high school, and then a senior counselor in college? 40:12 BK: Uh huh. Yeah. I think that was sophomore year in college. Yeah. 40:14 TS: All right. 40:15 BK: I came up �40:16 TS: Did you enjoy being a counselor? 40:19 BK: um. I did. Um, it’s, it was challenging. Yeah. It was challenging. But, uh, I did. Yeah. I actually before had been a counselor at this, at Peniel camp. I was a coun, not a counselor but I ran up and um. Yeah, I was actually. I’m sorry. I’m mixing things up. Um, I had gone up to a camp in Canada called Pioneer camp. Pioneer Girls’ Camp. And it was up in the north woods of Canada. And I spent six weeks up there. So that I did after my freshman year I think it was. And then I did this after my sophomore year. 40:52 TS: So this was like a walk in the park, right? 40:54 BK: [laugh] yeah. Pioneer Girls’ camp. That, that was really, um, really a bit more rugged because we slept in tents the whole time. But they, they were huge tents. They were big canvas tents on wooden platforms. Yeah. And we had, we were actually the camp was on a lake, up in the north woods of Canada. It was beautiful. Um The mornings were chilly. Especially when it got to August. Mid or late August it was pretty chilly. Um. Yeah. But that, that was a really wonderful experience. 41:34 TS: That sounds good 41:35 BK: yeah. 41:36 TS: Different weather here. Um, what would be then, like if you had to pick one singular camp memory from your time as a camper and a counselor, is there anything that stands out to you ? Like this is a story I tell 41:46 BK: Oh my goodness. Uh. Wow. Hm. I can’t, you know I can’t think so much of something distinctive when I was a camper other than just, you know, enjoying the environment and um, hm. That, that’s a hard one. Yeah, I really, you know, I have different memories of different things, but it’s hard to think of something that was distinctive. 42:20 TS: yeah. That’s understandable. Um, you talked about the Shack and the snacks 42:25 BK: [laugh] the candy shack 42:29 TS: Yeah. So, what sort of facilities were there then. So you had your cabins, and you had the game area, and the dining hall. Was there, what, what was the layout of the buildings I mean? 42:40 BK: Um, they were all on the side of the sand dunes. So you would come in on the road that led off the Oval Beach road. Is that Ferry? It has a name, but I can’t remember 42:52 TS: I think it’s Ferry 42:56 BK: Ferry goes down the bottom of it. And it might be Perryman, I think that goes up the hill. Yeah. Well at any rate, you get how, like half way up. It’s where that whole new �development is now. Um, but you go beyond their main gate and there’s another road, sort of a backroad. And that’s where you went in to Pineal Camp. That road. Um. And so you would come up the road, and it would be at like a little bit of an incline. And then to, to your right would be I think the chapel. Small building was the chapel. It was also game and craft room, so first, in the early morning it would be a chapel, and then later on it would be a craft room or a game room whatever. Pretty flexible. And on Sunday we always had a church service in there. And then across from that was the shuffleboard and the game stuff, and then above that was the dining hall. And then in between would be the director’s cabin, and then to the left of that, just on the ravine was the candy shack. And then there was the cook’s cabin, which my mom stayed in, and there was another staff cabin over there. And there was another, then you’d go up the hill and there’d be some more cabins. Smaller cabins. And then as I said there was that one big cabin up in the near the top of the hill. Which had, I think, two main rooms and probably four bunkbeds in each of those rooms. Often the younger campers would stay in those. I don’t know why they put them at the top, but whatever. So they’d have to pass everybody else when they were on their way out or trying to escape [laugh]. Something like that. Um, yeah. So basically you would come in off the road and then you would go up the hill, and then the cabins would be like up a mountainside, but a dune side. Until you got to the top of the hill. And then that was where the volley ball court was. 44:48 TS: All right. That’s excellent. Um 44:50 BK: And no showers by the way. If you wanted a shower you had to go down to the, one of the staff cabins. And then underneath was a shower area. 45:00 TS: underneath the cabin? [laugh] 45:01 BK: [laugh] Yeah. I mean it was up, I mean it was raised up on you know 45:04 TS: yeah. 45:05 BK: Yeah. But I’m just saying like the first floor, the lower floor was the shower room. Where’d you go take uh, if you wanted a shower. 45:13 TS: So you guys didn’t take your soap down to Lake Michigan and 45:15 BK: No, but that’s funny. When I was up at the camp that was up in Canada, and I know that’s a whole another story, but, um, they would wash in the lake. Mmhm. Yeah. 45:22 TS: All right. I can see the whole thing in my head now 45:27 BK: [laugh] 45:28 TS: And how did your mom get involved? 45:32 BK: I guess just because of the fact that I, um, you know she had children, several children going to the camp. I think, um I had a brother Steve who lived here. You may, may or �may not know about him. He and his partner Jen, um own the Joes and Heath (?) Colonial Inn. The B&B. Mm hm. 45:48 TS: Ok. Yeah. 45:52 BK: So, um, he, he came to camp. I’m sorry. I lost my train of thought. What I was talking about 46:02 TS: Um, oh. Your mom and having 46:03 BK: Mom. Yes. So anyway, he says he came as a camper. I don’t remember. I guess I was maybe in college by then and I didn’t, I don’t really know. Or maybe I was even married by then. Um. At any rate, yeah he came as a camper, but he also came with my mom. I guess he came with my mom first maybe, and then came as a camper. Um, and so, and also as I mentioned Pineal was managed, directed whatever, out of this community center on the north side of Chicago. And they had programs for um, children and mothers and families and whatever. So my mother would go up there sometimes to, you know. Yeah. 46:47 TS: I, I can’t remember if you said the name of that community center 46:52 BK: Pineal 46:53 TS: Pineal. That makes sense right? 46:53 BK: Pineal Center it was called [laugh]. Yeah. Pineal Center, and they ran Pineal Camp. 47:00 TS: What, um, do you remember any of the menus your mom made? You mentioned that she took a different approach to the food 47:05 BK: To the food. Yeah, yeah, well, that’s basically was her area of responsibility. So she did what she could to try and make kid friendly 47:15 TS: Yeah. And I’m sure everyone appreciated that 47:17 BK: I think so 47:18 TS: Powdered milk is out 47:19 BK: Yeah. Yeah, you know. It was different days then. I mean today people, powdered milk, what is that? Some people cook with it I guess still, but 47:29 TS: That’s true. And what, um, you may have said it already, what was your mother’s name? 47:35 BK: Reeny. Mmhm. �47:37 TS: Cool. Um, did all of your siblings pass through Camp Pineal? 47:42 BK: Um, I think so because Steven was the youngest, my, my brother. Who I just mentioned? 47:46 TS: Yeah. 47:47 BK: And he’s the youngest of the family so yeah. I guess everyone did. 47:52 TS: All right. And how many siblings did you say you have? 47:54 BK: Uh, seven 47:56 TS: 7, that’s what I thought. Ok. Yeah. Lot of kids 47:58 BK: Yeah. It was, um, it was a wonderful thing for a family of a lot of children you know, just to be able to, to do that. To go away so inexpensively and you know, have that kind of experience 48:10 TS: Yeah. And summer must have been uh fun time for your parents with 7 kids out on the loose right? 48:15 BK: [laugh] 8 actually 48:17 TS: 8. Yeah. 8 total. Yeah. 48:22 BK: Yeah. Yeah. But, uh, yeah. There was enough space between us that the older ones took care of the younger ones. 48:27 TS: Oh that’s good 48:28 BK: yeah. 48:30 TS: I’ll bet. Yeah. Well, what um, are there any other details or images or memories or 48:37 BK: Oh goodness. Yeah, wow. I think I’ve. Let me think is there anything else. It’s funny because I was talking with my sister I said I don’t remember a lot. And she said “Oh sure you do.” And we started talking about it. But now it’s like, I think I told you everything I can remember. Um. Yeah. The only other thing—oh! You asked about the boats that we went on 49:00 TS: Yeah. 49:01 BK: The paddle wheel. I forgot that one. We, we have been on it numerous times because just because everybody that comes to visit us we take on that boat. 49:12 TS: All right �49:13 BK: Yeah. So. Wyatt and I really enjoy it. The old star of Saugatuck. Yeah. It was there when we were campers. I don’t remember if we ever went on it when we were campers. I think probably not. But certainly saw it 49:25 TS: Yeah. Ok. yeah 49:27 BK: It’s been around a long time 49:29 TS: And you, you still enjoy taking it to this day then? 49:30 BK: Yeah. Yeah. It’s probably been a year or two since we’ve been on it, but yeah. A couple years ago we had some cousins from Wisconsin come to, and we took them on it 49:40 TS: It’s a great tour 49:41 BK: mmhm. It is. It really is. We also like to go on the sunset tour. That, that. I think that’s the best, provided there’s a sunset, but even so it’s nice to take an evening boat ride 49:52 TS: Yeah, on a nice summer day. 49:54 BK: uh huh. yeah 49:57 TS: I helped out with, uh, I worked on the boat a little bit last year. 49:59 BK: oh did you? 50:00 TS: And my girlfriend works on it this year. My mom actually works on it too, so I’ve, you know, we’ve crossed paths in our various 50:08 BK: yeah. I guess so. yeah 50:10 TS: Associations around town. Yeah. All right Camp Pineal. I guess we can move toward the, the uh. These questions here. I guess an obvious one is, um, that property’s been sold, you know. What do you think about what’s happening now? 50:31 BK: uh, well, I would have done whatever I could have to try and save it. Um, a lot of emails went back and forth among my siblings and the camp. And we just felt so bad it was being sold, that other kids wouldn’t have the chance to experience what we did. Um, but probably my sister and I, my sister Jennifer and I are the oldest, and we probably feel, felt the most keenly. Um, my brothers were more philosophical, and said well, it had its time and now it’s moved on to something else, yeah, um, but yeah. I, I, am really sorry that it went. I just think it was such a fantastic opportunity for kids and families to just come and really enjoy the area and enjoy the beauty of the lake, and you know, the woods and the dunes, and now, well what could I say? Progress. Yeah. Some people call it progress. [laugh] �51:32 TS: Yup, yup 51:34 BK: but to me, um I felt really sad about it 51:40 TS: Yeah. Yeah. Well then what, I suppose this is a hard question, but if you could sum up what Camp Pineal and Camp Gray and your time there, what it meant for you, just in general in your life, and your outlook and your perspective 51:55 BK: yeah. Uh. That’s a hard one, um, it had a very positive influence on me. Um. I think in terms of my faith, I wouldn’t say that it was that strong then, but I think that it probably planted seeds in me, and just um, I mean my family had, all my family had gone to church really, but there was something about camp. There was a spirit there that, um, I don’t know. Just kind of awakened a spiritual hunger in me. And, uh, yeah I’m just always thankful um, that I had that opportunity. And it, it’s an interesting thing. Because I told you we live now in Douglas, and how that came about I mean we had been from Chicago and certainly were familiar with this area and had come up on vacation sometimes when our children were small. And then we moved out to the east coast, and I don’t think we didn’t come back again until our older daughter was in college 53:08 TS: Ok. 53:09 BK: Actually later than that. She went to law school at the University of Michigan. And so we decided one summer when she was out there in Ann Arbor, um, to all meet up for vacation. And we said “Why don’t we go to Saugatuck? We haven’t been there in years.” And so we came, and so we did. And we rented a cabin on Lake Michigan, um, actually down in Glenn. But we were right at the top of the dune where you could look down over the water. Incredible. So beautiful 53:42 TS: Beautiful view 53:45 BK: Um, my daughter had been going through kind of a stressful time. You know, law school’s not easy, but actually this was at the start of law school now that I think about it, but she had been going through some stress and it was such an incredible, beautiful, relaxing time. And so we kind of got reacquainted with the area again. And then we came up to Saugatuck and, I don’t think it was that year. It was maybe a year later, and we were looking around, and our daughters said “Why don’t, we like this place so much, why don’t we have a place here?” I said “Well I don’t know if we could afford it. I don’t” and, but we had been talking about getting a vacation home. And so we were looking around and, uh, and then we came back home and it was, the Fall um, you know we hadn’t made any decision. We had looked at a number of properties from Glen all the way up to Saugatuck. Um, and then this one condo we, we had looked at came, was up for sale, and the realtor called us and said, uh, one, the one place that we really liked. She said “Somebody else has put a bid on it.” But she said “there might be an opening for you.” And we thought, oh, we really did, did want to be here. We really did want to have a place. So we put a bid in, and the other people dropped out, and we got it. So here we are. We’ve been here 11 years now �55:09 TS: That’s great. Yeah. 55:11 BK: Yeah. So that, it was funny how, it was something like how from our past that had really been a place that we enjoyed and had good family memories from, uh then serendipitously you might say we reconnected with our daughter going to law school in Ann Arbor 55:30 TS: That’s pretty amazing 55:32 BK: Yeah 55:33 TS: And your brother’s here too, right 55:34 BK: Yeah. And then, yeah. What happened like three or four years ago, um, we always have a big family party on Labor Day. We invited everybody to come up, anybody that wants to on Labor Day, the weekend. And, um, he and his girlfriend Jen came up, and um, they stayed at uh, they stayed in town at one of the, the other rental, and um, I don’t know. They’d been thinking about it, talking about it a lot, but they found out a house was for sale. Actually it was owned by a family which we knew. We knew for years. Um, and he called me and said, uh, “do you have a contact number for them?” he said “I’d like to talk to them about, about their house.” And that’s how that started. I guess about 3 or 4 years ago. Yeah. Yeah. So now my brother is like really, really cemented in the community. 56:28 TS: His inn, yeah. 56:29 BK: Yeah. He really put his heart and soul into, into building that place 56:32 TS: It’s a cool looking place. Yeah, yeah. 56:34 BK: Or rebuilding it, yeah. 56:35 TS: So he’s here year around then, huh 56:38 BK: Yeah. Well, they just opened up, um, they had their first guests I think, uh, late spring. Yeah 56:44 TS: Yeah 56:45 BK: Yeah. 56:46 TS: Excellent 56:48 BK: Spent about two years of rehabbing it. Restoring. Yeah. 56:50 TS: Yeah, that’s, that’s a big task. 56:54 BK: yeah. Incredible property, uh, so now he’s an anchor in town. �57:00 TS: You know, it’s fascinating that your friends came up to this camp, then you came up to the camp, and then your siblings and your mom, and then you guys came back later and you guys 57:07 BK: Yeah, yeah. All hinged on my one friend Linda Cahill [laugh] 57:10 TS: [laugh] All credit to her, right? That’s really cool. Um, I thought another question but I lost it. [pause] Well. We can plod at the ones on the list. What are some of your hopes for the future, for yourself, for your family members, or your community? 57:31 BK: Mm. Oh my goodness. 57:34 TS: Narrow easy to answer questions here 57:35 BK: [laugh] yeah right? Uh, well you know there’s always a balance between, um, keeping things the way they are and making progress and improving things. And so yeah, um, from a selfish point of view you want to keep as much open space as possible. Um, but then you realize that, um, in order to have the amenities that people want, changes have to happen. Things have to be, uh, old things sometimes have to be torn down. New things built up. Um, so I guess I’m hoping that as much open space can be preserved as possible. That, that, they’re, they won’t get so crowded, um, that it won’t be as enjoyable as it is. Yeah. But then you know. Why shouldn’t people enjoy it? So yeah, you know, it’s a selfish point of view just wanting to keep things just as they are, um, or wanting others to enjoy it as well without getting to the point where it’s too crowded, too busy. Um. One of the things that we love about here compared to the east coast is event when, when it’s crowded it’s never like it is out there where you sit in traffic jams on single lane roads for well hour, could be hours. It’s um, well, I love Cape Cod. But, we have not been out there in years. Probably since we bought this place. Um. But, uh, you, you have, it’s just as beautiful here as it is on Cape Cod to me. Um. With half the traffic. Half the crowds. And a lot less expense. For us to have the same condo out there would be at least twice the price or three times. 59:37 TS: Oh man. you did it right then 59:40 BK: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It’s um no it’s one of, like some people say one of the best kept secrets. People from the east coast and the west coast too, they, they know the ocean. Which is fantastic. But Lake Michigan is not a lake. As, you know, talking to people they say “Oh lakes are nice.” It’s not a lake. It’s a great lake, it’s like an inland sea. And we have had friends come to visit as say, standing on the beach say “You wouldn’t know this wasn’t the ocean.” They don’t realize, you know you look out, as far as you can see on the horizon, it’s water. Except for the fact of course the waves and the roughness of the ocean is different, and salt water, too, but um, it’s every bit as beautiful. And, in some ways, nicer I think. Yeah. 1:00:33 understand TS: That’s a good perspective. The ocean versus the lake. A lot of people don’t �1:00:37 BK: Yeah, they don’t they, if they haven’t been to the Midwest they have no idea what it, what a great lake is like 1:00:42 TS: No. yeah. Yeah. Seeing it on the map does not do it justice in person. That is for sure. Um. Would you want your children to go into your line of work? We haven’t talked about your line of work 1:00:54 BK: [laugh] Retired 1:00:59 TS: Would you like them to be retired? 1:01:02 BK: Actually, God willing, um, um, no, so do you want to talk about what I did? 1:01:08 there TS: Yeah, we’ll talk about what was your line of work and then we can go from 1:01:13 BK: Um. Well, I worked a lot in media, in fact for the 20 years before I retired I worked in the New York Times. And, um, I worked in research. And I really enjoyed what I did. Yeah. In fact, one of the, um, big projects that I had, ongoing projects, was reader panel, where, um we maintained the, um a panel of a couple of thousand readers would give us their opinions on various things, and so I got involved in writing surveys and analyzing results and reports. And it was interesting to me because it was never the same thing all the time. So that was a lot of variety. Which I enjoyed. I get bored if I have to do the same thing all the time. As most people do 1:02:04 TS: Yeah. Yeah. 1:02:05 Yeah. BK: But, um, anyway I retired about ten years ago. So. Oh actually, nine years. 1:02:12 TS: Congratulations on that. 1:02:14 BK: [laugh] and then for a couple, and then for a few years, I actually have a degree in counseling. Masters in counseling, so for a few years I worked at a women’s community center. And that was, that was very enjoyable. Yeah. I liked that a lot. But right now I’m, I’m just doing things with my family and traveling and enjoying Saugatuck. 1:02:38 TS: Good. 1:02:39 BK: In summer. Saugatuck Douglas I should say. Right 1:02:44 TS: Um, looking back on your career as research at the New York Times and as a counselor, would that be something you would have wanted your children to go into? 1:02:54 BK: Oh, both my daughters are teachers. One is teaching at inner city school in Philadelphia. Um, the other one is a PhD candidate, and she was teaching at college level, and �this year she’s in a special program, um for graduate students, well for PhD students, um, at the university of Pennsylvania. Uh. It’s a wonderful opportunity. She’s in history. So, if I had to do it again, I think I might have become a teacher. And I’m glad that they’re teachers. Yeah. So. 1:03:33 TS: All right. I understand that. Yeah. I taught as well 1:03:38 BK: Yeah, I think it’s, uh, I did, at the community center I taught, um, work readiness program. So I, um, worked with women. Inner city women, who were, uh, trying to get back into the work force. And that was a wonderful experience. 1:03:54 TS: Very nice. Very cool. A useful profession. That is for sure. 1:03:58 BK: Mm. A challenging profession. 1:04:01 TS: Yes. Very challenging. Yeah. That’s not a job you get to leave at home. 1:04:05 BK: Yeah. Yeah. 1:04:10 TS: Um. What do you think are some of the greatest needs currently facing your family and/ or your community? 1:04:16 BK: [pause] hm [pause]. Huh. Greatest needs. Huh. I don’t know. Well [pause] hm. How to say this? Um. Saugatuck is a wonderful party town. If you like to party. There’s tons of stuff to do, you know especially being in the outdoors. Um. I’m probably going to say, I think the greatest need is spiritual. I think that sometimes I feel a little emptiness, a little shallowness, like it’s uh, yeah. Um, it’s, it’s easy to, uh, especially when there’s a lot of money, it’s easy to get caught up in just having fun, and I think there’s more to life than just having fun. [pause] [laugh] 1:05:26 TS: That is true 1:05:26 BK: Is that kind of negative? 1:05:29 TS: No. It’s not 1:05:30 BK: Um. Yeah. So you know, I think it’s important to value people, um, I think faith is important too. I believe this is not all there is. And there’s an emptiness if you think this is all there is and this is all you live for. Just to have fun. So fun is great. I’m not against fun. Or having a good time, enjoying, you know, whatever resources you’ve been blessed to have. Um, but I also think you need to care about others. You need to care about um, people in need. Yeah. 1:06:08 TS: That’s not a negative approach at all. It’s not. I think that’s wonderful advice. Um. Remembering that this interview will be saved for a long time, when someone listens to this tape, 50 plus years from now, what would you most like them to know about your life and community now in 2018. �1:06:27 BK: Oh my goodness. About the community? Um. [pause] well I hope that it becomes more and more of a welcoming place. Um. [pause] we, how should I say this? We’ve often commented, my family has commented on the fact that you hardly ever see minorities in town. Um, of course we don’t want to go back to where it was in the 60’s where riots and police had to come in. You know. And you know. Everyone wants a nice place to come to. Yeah. But I guess I would like to see more types of people just enjoying, being able to enjoy what’s here. Um. As for myself [pause] what I would like people to remember about me? Well two things are important to me: one is my love of God, and the other is my love of family. And I hope that um, that I will have had had a positive impact on other people because of those things. 1:08:02 TS: Ok. Very good. Um segwaying onto that. Any advice for a young person who may listen to this tape, perhaps 50 years in the future, or 5 years in the future. 1:08:14 BK: Oh, advice, uh, yeah. I would say that this life is not all there is, and don’t live as if, don’t live just for yourself. Remember that God created for a purpose, and you need to seek that purpose. 1:08:37 TS: Excellent. All right. Anything else that you would like to share that I may not have asked you about? Anything you want to describe, get off your chest? Put down for posterity? Any details we missed? 1:08:51 BK: I can’t think of anything else [pause] I don’t know. I, no doubt when I walk away from here I’ll think oh I could have told him about this, or I could have told him about that, or how come I forgot, but right now I think we’ve pretty well covered [laugh]. Yeah. It seems like we have. 1:09:17 TS: Well right. Well. Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your memories with me. This concludes the interview 1:09:27 BK: Right 1:09:27 TS: [laugh] interview ends 1:09:29 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-KiszonasB-20180721 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kiszonas, Barbara Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-07-21 Title A name given to the resource Barbara Kizonas (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Barbara Kiszonas grew up on the South side of Chicago but shares memories of spending summers in Saugatuck-Douglas as a camper and as a camp councilor. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smith, Tyler (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Camping Beaches Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ddf34117183630198601de254db2183.mp3 a289f21bfa455dc1f89be5333f785cd4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/92dddc6b5bd6489d989989cc151a9f99.pdf 995546d8fa3da6386ac14d963392493e PDF Text Text Jean Hays Arnold- Interview by Eric Gollaneck October 4, 2018 0:03 EG: This is Eric Gollaneck, and I’m here today with 0:07 JA: Jean Hays Arnold. 0:09 EG: At the old school house in Douglas, Michigan, on October the 4th, 2018. This oral history is being collected as part of the Stories of Summer Project which is supported in part by a grant provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities common heritage program. Thanks, Jean for taking the time to meet with us today. I’m interested in learning more about your family history and experiences of summer in the Saugatuck Douglas area. Can you say your full name again and spell it for us? 0:40 JA: Ok. Jean Marie Hays Arnold. J-E-A-N M-A-R-I-E H-A-Y-S A-R-N-O-L-D. 0:52 EG: Fantastic. Thank you. Uh, and any special accents when spelling your name? 0:58 JA: No. 0:59 EG: Ok. Great. So, jumping right in. Tell us a little about growing up in Saugatuck Douglas, and your experiences here. 1:09 JA: Ok. Wow. That leaves it wide open. All right. Um, I guess what I wanted to do also is tell where I grew up. That’s my reference for my memories, which is my address at 177 St. Peters Drive. And we moved there in about 1964. So that is where I spent my childhood and 1:35 EG: And this is in, this is in Saugatuck? 1:38 JA: Douglas actually 1:39 EG: Or in Douglas. Ok. 1:40 JA: Yeah, so, um, some of my earliest memories just in the general area are that, um, I would like to play in the area what’s now West Shore Court, Hamilton, which connected to St. Peter’s Drive, and there was a military tower at one time, that’s gone now, that I would climb up to and look out, and it was very fun. It was like my own little personal fort. And um, had a lot of fun there, and it happened to be right next to where the famous root beer barrel was. 2:20 EG: Right. Right 2:21 JA: But, at the time it was closed in the sixties already. When, when I knew of it, but I had fun running around, and sneaking and peeking into the little 2:34 EG: [laugh] �2:35 JA: There was a little, there was a little associated house to the barrel 2:38 EG: yeah 2:39 JA: And so I had fun there, and before all the warehouses and the boat storage was the Hamilton, West Shore Court, um area, it was very open. I did a lot of kite flying in that area believe it or not. You could not fly a kite there now. And, um, also the Parish family sticks in my mind as having a house and a very distinctive tower, which I don’t know if that was the tower or the military tower was behind the name of Tower Marine. Which is the marina 3:19 EG: Ok. Sure 3:20 JA: Down below the hill. And um, on the hill, just is where we would park or we would sit and watch fireworks over Lake Kalamazoo. 3:33 EG: Right 3:34 JA: When I was a child, so that kind of covers that general area 3:40 EG: Right. Right, and just to back up, it was really interesting about the military tower. We’ve done other interviews and uh, young, young people being up there has come up, and during World War two, watching, and this is the same tower, and observation tower. 3:56 JA: Oh. Observation tower. Yes 3:59 EG: For plane spotting. For watching military aircraft. So how old would have been when you were flying kites and climbing the tower and exploring this area. 4:07 JA: Oh this, this was, probably 8,9,10 4:14 EG: mmhm 4:14 JA: In that time period 4:15 EG: yeah. 4:17 JA: Young, but not real 4:18 EG: Independent 4:19 JA: Yeah exploring the area. 4:19 EG: out there, doing your own thing, exploring the 4:22 JA: Yeah. It was fun. Um, also in that area, um, in the mid 1960’s the Keewatin came into the area. And I, I pretty much had the Keewatin pretty much as the backdrop of my �childhood and where I lived, because we were on a bit of a bluff on St. Peter’s Drive, there. Um, down below they had pulled the Keewatin up. So, um, that’s been, that’s always kind of been the backdrop for me as I said. And when I became, was approaching thirty years old, I said, “Either I’m going to be married, or I’m going to have one whale of a party.” So I thought, what better place to have a birthday, uh, 30-year-old birthday party than the Keewatin? 5:20 EG: Yeah 5:20 JA: So, so, I did that 5:24 EG: [laugh] 5:25 JA: It was a party for 50. Prime rib dinner. Catered by, get this, the Terra restaurant. 5:32 EG: wow 5:32 area. JA: Where I worked when I worked when I was 16, in the back, in the salad and dessert 5:38 EG: Right 5:38 JA: So I thought, oh, they must cater my event 5:42 EG: Right. 5:43 JA: I shall have my event right next to where I lived practically 5:48 EG: Right 5:48 JA: Um. We had a 6 pieced band in the ball room area. And the dinner, and it was all videotaped at the time 5:58 EG: Yeah 5:59 JA: So that was a really grand event. I had a ball gown and the whole thing so. 6:05 EG: Right? You did this in style 6:07 JA: Yeah. So 6:07 EG: And this is your life moment with the Keewatin and Terra and 6:08 JA: [laugh] yeah. It was really perfect. 6:13 EG: All this history. Yeah. �6:14 JA: So, little did I know 24 years later I would get married. But, at the time, I thought I’m going to do this and do it right, so. I’ve actually had two receptions in my life, so that was fun. Ok. I think that is kind of the area, um 6:32 EG: Let me, let me ask you a little bit. Do you remember when the Keewatin arrived? Is that a memorable. 6:38 JA: That was 1964, 5, or 6. Very soon after we moved in. I think we moved in first and then, and then the Keewatin came along 6:52 EG: What was the reactions to people, or your reaction to that then when this ship, you know lake, lake steamer just arrives in town? 6:57 JA: Oh, I mean you can imagine. Yeah. Well, we, for sure, had to have a tour and had more than 1, 2, 3, tours because it was a very special landmark, of course, for the Saugatuck, Douglas area 7:13 EG: Yeah. Yeah. 7:14 JA: Huge and really kind of a loss. Kind of a piece of Saugatuck, Douglas missing now, because it had been here for so long. I think just recently in the last, maybe five years 7:21 EG: Right. Yeah. A number of decades. 7:28 JA: It was, uh, removed 7:28 EG: I think it was, yeah. Within that time frame. 7:31 JA: Yeah. It’s been significant to the area and to me, for sure in particular 7:37 EG: Right. So changing, changing eras 7:41 JA: Yeah. Definitely 7:42 EG: yeah. 7:44 JA: So, um, otherwise, I would, I tried to think of some of my earliest memories of, and trying to keep it focused on summer. 7:52 EG: Yeah. And we can, we can talk about other things as they come as well. So that’s fine, but, uh 7:58 JA: ok, um, 7:59 EG: Did you have something else specific, or you could talk about school. Did you go to the Douglas school? �8:06 JA: Oh, Douglas Elementary School. Of course, yeah. Um, some of my classmates went to St. Peter’s, to the Catholic school for a while, and then eventually we all joined up during the elementary years because the St. Peter’s closed down. And it’s funny St. Peter’s Drive, we lived on St. Peter’s drive. We lived right next to the school and the church, but I did go to the public school. So, um, yeah. I don’t know so many memories having to do with Douglas Elementary School. Um. 8:44 EG: Did you walk to school, or get rides, or bike, or? 8:49 JA: I remember the bus. I did take the bus, but good heavens. I could have taken the bike. Uh, the biking was, very significant, I think for me and the Saugatuck Douglas area to um, get to your destination. I never really needed transportation or a car later on because Saugatuck and Douglas was really bike riding easy distance. So you’d bike ride wherever you needed to go. Which was really fun. And then thing about biking from Douglas to Saugatuck, you cross the bridge, there’s kind of swampy land on either side. And I had a bit of a traumatic experience every time I went from Douglas to Saugatuck sometimes. I would be waving my arms above my head like this as I’m speeding, speeding like the Wicked Witch of the West on the bike because there are red winged black birds 9:48 EG: Ok yeah. 9:48 JA: That took up residence, uh particularly on the, what would I say? The west side. And they would dive bomb my head. 9:56 EG: Sure 9:58 JA: Land on my head. So it was a bit traumatic, and I’m waving my hands above my head wildly to try and to veer the blackbirds away, so that sticks in my head, of course, because the, the blackbirds were terrorizing me, so a bit of a downside to biking. But still 10:16 EG: Right, er, passers. I’ve not heard that story, but that’s a great description of passing the bridge 10:20 JA: [laugh] yeah. So. 10:23 EG: Did, primarily bike in the summer I guess then 10:29 JA: Oh yeah. Absolutely. Biked. Yeah. That’s the way to get around, and it gives you independence as a kid to 10:38 EG: For sure. 10:39 JA: That was fun. Parents provided me with a five speed. I don’t know if they even have five speeds anymore, but that was big at the time �10:50 EG: Definitely. That’s good for these hills, good for the, good for some of these hills getting around as well. 10:50 JA: Yeah. Around late 60’s [laugh] yeah 10:54 EG: If you go down to the beach, then you can make it there and back. Yeah 10:59 JA: Uh, one other thing, backing up to the Keewatin, I remembered was at one point, probably pretty early, probably late 60’s they had, they used the life boats off the Keewatin in life boat races. And my mom was on a crew of one of the life boats, and I believe you even tried to, or it was requested if you could try to dress in period type costume if I’m not mistaken. I’m not sure about that. 11:32 EG: I think, I think we have photos that are mentioning it 11:36 JA: Do you? Yes! 11:37 EG: Because I’ve seen those boats, and I’ve wondered what are, what are those? What’s going on? 11:41 JA: Yeah. 11:42 EG: That must what those are, yeah. 11:44 JA: I wonder if it, if it was for a significant Saugatuck event maybe. I’m not, I’m not sure if it was 11:50 EG: Yeah. The centennial 11:52 JA: Centennial, or something like that. So, uh, yeah. My mom was in that along with Carol Frikengust (?) and Frey Whiteman (?), that I remembered. So. Ok. I’m just kind of looking here to see, um, real young memories, I guess anytime in the summer, um, I took swimming lessons when I was maybe 5 or 6 so at Goshorn Lake. Pottawattamie Beach. In that area. So. Um, I don’t know if they do that anymore, but I remember jumping off a dock, and it was sink or swim basically. 12:40 EG: [laugh] 12:44 JA: Um, after you had your little, you know, floating on the shoreline and head in the water and all that, so, uh, but Goshorn Lake and Pottawattamie Beach and course near to that the Dune Scooner (?) rides, taking a Dune Scooner (?) ride. Now those have been around huh, my whole life probably 13:04 EG: A long time, for sure. Yeah. 13:05 JA: [laugh] yeah. So all in that area is a big memory to me. �13:10 EG: Was that something that you did on a regular, like did you do it once a summer basis or if people came to visit or with friends or tell me a little bit about that experience as you remember it. 13:20 JA: Yeah. I think, oh. I, I, was really young at the time, but it really made an impression on me. And, um, the whole mystery surrounding the Singapore. Um, yeah, and a few things about that area. And just going through the dunes at fast speed and sand, so it was really exciting and really fun. I don’t know if we did it so much, but I remember it being pretty significant in my little child 13:50 EG: Yeah 13:50 JA: mind, so 13:53 EG: Yeah. It’s such a strange experience that’s right there. 13:56 JA: yeah 13:57 EG: I mean you wouldn’t know driving through the area that that there’s this lunar landscape almost. This other worldly place 14:03 JA: Yeah. So really interesting. So. That is a little bit of, oh and also I remember, when I was very little, like that age too, my dad took me to Funk’s News Stand, on Butler to get a newspaper and get me a little stretch candy necklace. And so that was a big treat. 14:30 EG: Yeah 14:31 JA: And, um, Funk’s News Stand is no longer there. I recently run into the son of Roscoe Funk, and I forget the wife’s name. Paula. I’m not sure. 14:43 EG: And that was a regular stop. 14:44 JA: Yeah 14:48 EG: What newspaper? The Holland Sentinel? Or Grand Rapids or 14:52 JA: Yeah. Or even the Commercial Record, um possibly too, but I think it would be, my dad would read The Sentinel, the Holland Sentinel, or Grand Rapids Press for sure. So, that was a regular visit. 15:05 EG: You drove over there? From home? 15:08 JA: Yeah. Yup, yeah. So yeah �15:12 EG: How did you, what was the, one thing that is interesting in our interviews is people, the kind of separation, or distinct identities between Douglas and Saugatuck. 15:25 JA: Oh yeah 15:26 EG: Which is true somewhat today, but describe a little bit about that. How often did you go to Saugatuck, uh, what was that? How did you see the differences between those two places 15:38 JA: Yeah. It’s funny, in my organization of thoughts I started putting Saugatuck Douglas Douglas Saugatuck on, on, um topics that were in my mind. So that’s interesting. I should say that, um. And, and thinking about classmates, the classmates that lived in Saugatuck vs the classmates that lived in Douglas, and, um, yeah. That’s kind of a neat thing. Saugatuck was more flashy and, you know, Douglas was a little bit more subdued and, you know reserved like and, not fancy. But you know, Saugatuck was the big place where everything happened. And that’s, that’s what I kind of remember a little bit. We’d go to Saugatuck. It felt almost like I lived in Douglas, but Saugatuck and Douglas were all one as well. We just went to Saugatuck like it was our downtown 16:40 EG: Yeah. Was that on a, would you say on a daily basis. On a couple times a week, or weekly basis. 16:47 JA: Oh, all the time 16:48 EG: Yeah 16:49 JA: Yeah 16:49 EG: Yeah 16:50 JA: It was just like where we lived 16:52 EG: Yeah. 16:52 JA: So yeah. It was pretty neat. Um, I, I have. Let’s see. Some things. Oh. Another young memory was, of course, boating is so huge in the area, with, uh Kalamazoo Lake, and my dad had a small boat. It was a motor boat which could be converted if you put the rudder in and put the mast up and the sail, it could be a sail boat. And we had our little orange life jackets, you know, they were all little orange life jackets back then. And, um, my mom, my dad, myself, and my brother. We’d have our little outing around the lake. So that was a special memory too, and on that side, also Mt. Baldhead of course is big in any Saugatuck and Douglas mind. Uh, going up the stairs. Running down the other side. Walking back to the area. And we’ve had more than one family picnic there, with roasting hot dogs and um having a little picnic by the water at the bottom of Mt. Baldhead’s stairs. So 18:05 EG: yeah. �18:06 JA: That was fun too. Yeah, 18:12 EG: Ok 18:13 JA: I, leading up to jobs that I had in the summer, because once I hit maybe 13, 14, 15, 16, um, jobs came about. Oh, I’m seeing that you had an elementary school thing. Douglas Elementary was very close to a little place called the Tasty Freeze. And that was a big destination of course. And that’s where I found I loved, uh, dipped top cones. Oh baby. That was, that was a treat. So I don’t want to forget Tasty Freeze. 18:50 EG: That’s great. Did you have a favorite? Did you have a favorite combination that 18:56 JA: Well, I always got the dipped top cone. I thought that was amazing how you could have milk chocolate 18:58 EG: Milk chocolate 18:59 JA: On your vanilla ice cream 19:02 EG: Yeah. 19:04 JA: That was fun, um, ok. Let me see what else here. I have memories, think. Uh, oh, I was baptized in the United Methodist Church on Mason and Griffith. So that is a little. It’s still there. So. I know about that. Um 19:27 EG: What, was church a regular, regular routine regular part of life? 19:30 JA: Oh my gosh. Yes. And we had to have gloves and a little purse, and possibly a hat, and little shoes, little Mary-Jane, patent leather probably. Oh. The biggest thing. This is not summer, but in winter time, I had a muff. You know the muff? Where you have a furry little tunnel where you can warm your hands. That, that was for Sunday, so, yeah. It was, that was when I was very young 5, 6. That kind of thing. So. 20:06 EG: And regularly went to church. Whole family? 20:08 JA: Yeah. Pretty much. Yeah. We started in the Saugatuck United Methodist Church. Moved eventually to (?) but up until I was 12, which would have been early 70’s, it was church every Sunday 20:23 EG: Yeah 20:24 JA: That’s how it was 20:24 EG: Yeah. �20:25 JA: Not anymore. So then after that it was not so much, so. Um, yeah. Let’s see. I guess I will go into jobs. Oh wait. There used to be a tennis court in Douglas. I’m kind of jumping all over 20:50 EG: You talked about that today 20:53 JA: yeah 20:53 EG: That’s all right. There’s no, uh, formula for this. There was the conversation we had this morning with another person about the tennis courts that were 20:54 JA: Um, oh did you? Yeah. My sister and I were there. Now there’s just a play park where it used to be I think, but my sister and I would go there and just lob, volley, whatever you call it, back and forth and that was a fun thing to do in the summer too, is the tennis court. 21:17 EG: Yeah. Tell us a little bit about for the folks listening to this down the line about your family, so your mom, you mentioned your mom and dad, your sister 21:27 JA: Yup 21:27 EG: Kind of say a little bit about that 21:29 JA: Ok. Uh, I’m the oldest, um, 3 years later was my brother, Dave, and then ten years later, or seven after my brother was my sister, Laura. And my brother was, um, mentally handicapped you could say or developmentally challenged, or however you want to word it. So that was a big impact on our family. My sister, she also went to Douglas Elementary and Saugatuck High School, and she graduated ten years after I did in 1989, so, yeah. So that’s kind of the makeup of our family, and a lot of the focus on my brother, which impacted the family quite a bit too. And he like to escape, run, drive his little car, or walking on foot, and I remember people in the area guiding him back home again, so. Um, that was kind of what was happening with us at the time 22:42 EG: yeah. But it, it sounds like a supportive community. Through all that 22:28 JA: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah 22:51 EG: That kind of village culture. 22:52 JA: Yeah. Yeah. Pretty much. I mean, we didn’t have a lot of neighbors at the time, but yeah, there were some helpful ones there so yeah. So, ok. I think maybe I will just touch on some jobs I had. My first job, very significant landmark in the area, I worked at Anchor Park. Have you heard of Anchor Park and the Island Queen? 23:28 EG: Yes. 23:30 JA: I was, that was that was the first of the paddle wheel, paddle wheel boats of the area. �Um, owned by Dick Hoffman, Dick and Debbie Hoffman and their kids, Tom, Annie, who was in my class, and Kate. And I was a crew. I think I was the one person crew for the island queen for pushing off and docking, so that was a big thing, going out into the lake 24:06 EG: Yeah. So you were on the boat. 24:08 JA: Yeah the whole time. I, I would even steer a little, bit so that was fun 24:10 EG: Yeah. 24:12 JA: I thought the world of Dick Hoffman. 24:13 EG: And you were about 14? You said. 24:15 JA: 13 and 14 I did it two years. The second year I had a little lemonade stand on the top deck. So that was fun [laugh] 24:24 EG: [laugh] 24:25 JA: And I remember, um, there were charter trips where big groups would rent the boat, and we’d go out to the basin, the area just before the lake, and go out into the channel. And they would get off the boat and have their parties or whatever, and Mr. Hoffman and I, there were mosquitoes galore. This was summer time 24:49 EG: yeah 24:50 JA: Beach water. 24:50 EG: It’s a marsh 24:51 JA: We’d hide under his military olive green wool blankets to keep from the mosquitoes. While everyone else was having a high old time we were trying to take a nap until they would all come back. So that sticks in 25:05 EG: Oh my goodness 25:07 JA: My mind, um, also with anchor park, they had not only the Island Queen, but they had mini golf. They had paddle boat rentals. Canoe rentals. I don’t know that they even had kayaks at the time. That’s probably a newer thing from the sixties 25:21 EG: Yeah. Probably 25:22 JA: Early seventies. They had darts and, um, Debby Hoffman, she was a wild one, and there was a boat, a large yacht that had a mermaid on the bow, that, they, you know the owners of this boat, they didn’t care. The mermaid was wide open in all her chest full glory and Debbie Hoffman didn’t really think that that was appropriate. And she got an idea that we were going to �take a bucket of red paint, a paint brush, myself and her daughter Kate, in the night with a flash light. We paddled all out to the mermaid on the front of this yacht and painted a bra on the mermaid. [laugh] So the mermaid was now acceptable, and we paddled back and Kate still remembers that. And that was oh, we were very stealthy, and we thought “Oh my gosh, is anybody going to catch us?” But you know nobody caught us. We got away with it, and the mermaid had a bra, so all was well with the world 26:40 EG: Was there, that’s an amazing story. Was there, was there any reaction to that? Did you wake up, this was in the night time? Was there, was there moon light so you could navigate across the water? 26:51 JA: Well we brought a flashlight. It wasn’t too far away from the park so we just paddled in the night and did our thing and that’s a memory 27:01 EG: Right. No reaction, no reaction. At the dis, at the discovery of this 27:02 JA: No, not, no. No. Unfortunately, it would have been good because I would have known we did that, so. 27:09 EG: yeah. Yeah. 27:11 JA: But it was fun. Um, so yeah. That was one of my jobs. That was my first job. And, uh, learning about 27:20 EG: How, how did you get that job? Was that just through, through your friend? 27:23 JA: Oh, no. I got that job, my mom and dad played volleyball at Saugatuck High School. I believe it was with Dick and/or Debbie Hoffman. And they must have gotten the word out that they had a need for the Island Queen and I remember my mom coming home and saying “Jean, how would you like a little job? I’ve heard that they could use somebody to help with the Island Queen.” And voila 27:55 EG: Yeah. That was it. That’s how it happened. 27:56 JA: That was it. And that really taught me a love for water, for boats, um, to this day I love it, so, um, you know, what you’re close to in your childhood. Just goes to show you what a long lasting impact it has. So, the area, the water, the boats. So yeah. It’s part of me. Yeah. So, um a little bit about Douglas, speaking of fun little stories, Douglas Beach, we went to Douglas Beach more than we went to the Oval Beach. Um, living in Douglas in particular, and just because it’s a little quieter, little more serene and, um, my dad chose Douglas Beach. And if you go to Douglas Beach there is usually a big rock. Huge rock. Either on the shore or in the water a little bit depending on the year and, um, the circumstances. But my dad proposed marriage to my mom on that rock. 29:10 EG: [laugh] �29:11 JA: So that is very significant too. So I always look at that rock and think about that. And later down the road I, I had my little swimming suit on and my mom, I think, took a little photo shoot, and I was on the proposal rock, um, getting pictures that I was there too, and so, that’s fun. Something like that, that will always stand there. Go to the Douglas Beach, see the rock and remember that 29:40 EG: Right. Right. Proposal Rock 29:42 JA: Yeah. Yeah. 29:43 EG: That’s a good name for that, that spot 29:44 JA: I don’t know anyone else that did that but, um, 29:48 EG: Yeah. They should. 29:50 JA: Yeah. 29:50 EG: Great idea. 29:51 JA: Um, we didn’t go to the beach in Saugatuck, but when we did, I loved to, or it was kind of a tradition to walk out to the pier and back from Oval Beach. That was a big thing, um, and I don’t know if it’s still, um, that way, but when I was younger, childhood time, I didn’t want to look to my right because there may be nude gentlemen in the dunes that don’t care whether someone sees them or not. So I remember not wanting to look to my right as I was going north along the shoreline 30: 35 EG: Right. Yeah. 30:36 JA: To the pier. That was, that was a little significant memory. Because that was already the gay population kind of staking their claim at the time to that area and doing what they wanted to do. 30:48 EG: Do- do finding out about that? I mean do you remember being warned about that? Or was it kind of self-evident when you went out there? 30:56 JA: Yeah 30:56 EG: Were there signs and things and tents and things, right? 30:59 JA: Oh there were bodies 31:02 EG: Yeah. You couldn’t miss it is what you’re saying? 31:02 JA: [laugh] �31:04 EG: [laugh] 31:08 JA: So then that’s uh, a little memory that stands out 31:10 EG: What was, what was some of the reactions to that among your, among your friends or family or neighbors? Or what was your recollection of that? 31:18 JA: Yeah. It, it was kind of well known. It was just kind of a given, but I felt a little embarrassed. 31:25 EG: It wasn’t hostility toward them from other people necessarily 31:30 JA: I guess there might have been some, but I think as a rule we here in Saugatuck and Douglas—yeah! 31:34 EG: Said live and let live. Yeah 31:38 JA: Why not? That’s one of the great things about this area 31:40 EG: just avert your avert your eyes. 31:41 JA: Yeah! Right! If you don’t like it don’t look 31:41 EG: If you don’t like—there—there’s other beaches you can go to. Yeah. 31:47 JA: [laugh] but or just carry on with your own business. And they’re free to do what they want to do was kind of the attitude 31:52 EG: Yeah. 31:53 JA: Yeah. It’s good. I like it. I did, as matter of fact, work at the beach house on a summer. Speaking of going into jobs 32:04 EG: Ok. Yeah. 32:05 JA: So, um, in the concession stand with the hotdogs and the hamburgers and the chips. 32:10 EG: Right. 32:10 JA: and pop and, um, did that, um, I happen to remember that, um, nothing 32:15 EG: Was, was that a fun job? 32:18 JA: It was a fun job. Of course. I mean, you see everybody and all the beach goers, and that’s a lot of fun �32:27 EG: Yeah. What were your hours like when you worked out there? Was it part of the day? The whole day? Sun up to sundown? Late at or 32:34 JA: Oh, um, yeah, it wasn’t extensive hours. It seems like maybe it was 11-4 or something like that 32:43 EG: Mmhm. Kind of a lunch. Kind of a lunch 32:44 JA: Yeah. 32:45 EG: Crowd. Afternoon snack. 32:46 JA: yeah. So that was kind of fun. And that was the beach house before the current one. Now we have the nice modern one. This was the old, maybe there are pictures of the old beach house out there so, yeah. The beach house. That was 33:05 EG: What did you —how many people worked there with you? 33:08 JA: Um, a couple I think. Don Treckingust (?) I remember worked, um, he was just a class below me. We worked together and, another one. So someone as at the front and someone was doing the burgers and it was a lot of fun. 33:25 EG: How, how old were you at that point? 33:27 JA: Oh, I think I was around 16, 15, 16, in there. Maybe 15. So, just a teenager 33:35 EG: Yeah. That sounds like a great teenaged job 33:38 JA: [laugh] I know! There were great jobs! 33:42 EG: Good nostalgia for them 33:43 JA: One that was not so great, or a couple of jobs actually. One job, uh, Timberline Motel, which I think is now the Starlight or something crazy like that. But Timberline Motel was owned by, um, parents of a classmate of mine. Debbie Clem. Her parents. And I thought I was going to be a maid at the Timberline Motel with my girlfriend and her family. Well, I found out very quickly I don’t want to clean bathrooms and make beds during a summer. That is not my idea of fun. So we crossed that off, 34: 24 EG: [laugh] 34:24 JA: And I think that might have been a week. My duration of maid at Timberline Motel. [laugh] Also, uh, waitress, when I was about 16 at a place called the Cousin’s Kitchen. Oh my word. I’m not cut out for top organization and you need pancakes, and you need a muffin, and you need butter over there, and syrup over there. This was probably a six table restaurant, and it just blew my 16-year-old mind. �34:55 EG: Yeah. 34:56 JA: This Cousin’s Kitchen, I think was in the, um, Peder Gallery. In the southern most section of the Peder Gallery they had a little breakfast lunch place. I should have been able to handle it but I, j, oh. It’s painful to this day, and I, I have had nightmares of waitressing the Cousin’s Kitchen restaurant 35:23 EG: Sounds like a humbling experience [laugh] 35:26 JA Yes. No waitressing, but that was another job trial. Um, of a teenager in the Saugatuck Douglas area. Um, got that, then when I was older, moved out after graduating. I worked at a little shop called Brigadoon. This was probably 1979, 80. And it was at the height of preppy-dom. And we specialized in monogramed sweaters. And I think they might even be coming back now decades later. So yeah. Polo Shirts. You know, um, whales on your pants, um, patchwork, madris (?), and all that. And we had customers interestingly enough that we would send products out to Chicago, to St. Louis, to Kansas City, um, just shows you how far reaching the visitors were that came to Saugatuck, shopped, and wanted things sent out to, back to their homes. So, that was interesting. Um, also, I worked at Carl Gables as a coat check girl for the old Crowe during the height of Disco time. So I thought I was born a little too late. I should have been born a few years earlier because there were all the Disco dresses and Disco suits going through, and I was missing it. I was a coat check girl, being 18. 37:10 EG: yeah 37:10 JA: I don’t, I couldn’t, I don’t believe I could get into the bar. But I could check coats 37:16 EG: Right 37:17 JA: So yeah. That was another little stint of mine. Coral Gables. 37:23 EG: Yeah. Now was this, was this a summer job? Was this, yeah. 37:26 JA: Oh, summer job, and July? 37:30 EG: Yeah 37:30 JA: Packed. Woo. Coral Gables was the kind of center of everything. Boats 37:37 EG: Even in, even in the late 70’s? I should say even, but in this moment we’re talking the late 1970’s or early 1980’s. Yeah 37:45 JA: Mm. Oh yeah. 37:47 EG: This was a dis- And Disco �37:48 JA: Yeah 37:49 EG: Disco. Disco came 37:50 JA: [laugh] can you believe it? 37:51 EG: In, in Saugatuck 37:52 JA: I know 37:53 EG: Yeah 37:54 JA: Hard to believe. It was really fun 37:55 EG: Well, do you have any particular customers or people, or types of people you saw coming and going in, in those places? 38:04 JA: Oh, well, of course. The few that were especially inebriated, but I don’t know any names. There weren’t any celebrities 38:11 EG: Oh, you don’t have to name names 38:14 JA: [laugh] 38:14 EG: just, I’m just thinking what, what people wore or or, 38:17 JA: Oh yeah 38:18 EG: Or kind of just the dynamics. The vibe 38:21 JA: Oh. Well, I mean, there were long lines to get in, and it was just, fun. People watching and seeing what they wear and the music blaring. And you know, visitors all over, and boats and people coming off their boats, and oh my gosh, it was just, it was the place. You know. El Forno (?) if you wanted fine dining, Old Crowe downstairs, the Rats kellar (?). So, um, it was fun to work there. 38:54 EG: It was kind of resort. Studio 54 38:56 JA: [laugh] 38:56 EG: On the Kalamazoo River 38:58 JA: Exactly. Yes. It was a lot of fun. Loved it, so, um, yeah 39:04 EG: Did you just work there the one summer? �39:06 JA: The one, the one summer 39:08 EG: Yeah. 39:08 JA: Yep. Yup. Um. Oh, another fun thing that people do at that time, in the summer, is play golf. At the time, at one time we had 3 golf courses. We had the Myro (?) which went with a motel, which had a huge, larger than life, very memorable, horse on its back two legs. Reared up. A white horse. I’ll never forget it. That was quite a landmark. 39:35 EG: This was at, this was the Myro Hotel? 39:37 JA: Myro Motel. Yeah 39:40 EG: OK 39:41 JA: At the intersection of the Blue star high way and the 130th or Wiley Road. And there is, there is still. I think it’s the Dunes Inn. 39:50 EG: Ok. So that same area 39:51 JA: Yeah. Same area. So there was an associated small golf course there, and of course the west shore, I believe it’s the West Shore golf course. Uh, with the Wick’s family ran that. And now that’s done and houses are going up and uh, and of course Clear Brook. So. Golfing, golfing is a big thing, and with friends 40:16 EG: Did you, did you spend time golfing then 40:20 JA: I did, but this was kind later on, but a fun summer activity that people gravitated back to Saugatuck for, even when I moved from the area to the Holland area um, I’d come back with my friends to the Saugatuck and Douglas area to hit the golf courses. So that was another draw to the area. Which was fun. Oh, and another big draw to the area which I’m sad to see go is Red Barn theater. Did anyone talk about Red Barn Theater? 40:48 EG: A fair amount. Yeah. Yeah, but tell us, tell us some of your experiences there. 40:49 JA: Yeah. That was, that was special. Yeah, in the summer time, uh, seeing a production there was, was, great, and we had big names coming from Chicago, and maybe New York even, uh, as guests. 41:04 EG: Yeah 41:05 JA: And seeing the production. And it was like our own Broadway, right here in Saugatuck Douglas and 41:13 EG: Such a unique setting I understand as well. Describe it, a little bit of that. Of the experience of going to the theater itself �41:18 JA: Oh. 41:19 EG: What the theater was like 41:20 JA: Yeah. I mean it wasn’t fancy. Just a barn. But, um, you know, you go in and they have little tables set up. They’d usually have little drinks, little snacks available, and um, oh, so, you’d go in and, um, it’s rather rinky dink. Right, but it’s magical because there it is. It’s a stage and production, and I wonder if I saw Harvey there. I think I may have seen Harvey, as one, but I have seen probably a handful of productions over my lifetime and that was always very special, and I’m sorry to see it go. Like, oh, darn. But a really good memory. Um, so, um, but going back to Saugatuck, um, the women’s club in Saugatuck was, I like, I like dancing. Hence I was by the Coral Gable’s Old Crowe. I liked dancing. And in the women’s club, the summer of 79 probably or 80, George and Joanne Gallis (?) who were famous for their dancing, held dance lessons in the women’s club in Saugatuck, and I, that’s where I first, uh, got exposed to ballroom dancing. And loved it. Loved them. I think Nicky, their daughter, is still in the area, and um, dancing’s always kind of been a thing with me and my name is also kind of known as Jean, Jean, the dancing machine. So that was part of it [laugh] 43:11 EG: [laugh] 43:11 JA: My teen years I loved to dance at the high school and then ballroom dance. And the dancing at the Coral Gables well, bi-curiously 43:23 EG: Right. You really did. I can understand the context for your comment about the disco 43:23 JA: yeah... [laugh] yeah. It was like oh 43:32 EG: That, and that moment passed as well 43:34 JA: yeah 43:34 EG: Disco didn’t live, didn’t last long enough 43:38 JA: yeah 43:39 EG: It sounds like. 43:40 JA: Exactly. 43:41 EG: yeah 43:42 JA: Um, also in Saugatuck I remember Lloyd J. Harris Pine company. My dad, every Christmas, ordered mince pies, which are kind of an unusual pie. Not your standard. And, uh, always Lloyd J. Harris and of course, now that’s the location for the Center of the Arts. So, um, �memories about that and having a manufacturing plant right in Saugatuck was kind of like whoa. Wow. So. 44:14 EG: Did you have any family or friends that worked there? 44:18 JA: Uh, no. Not, not anyone I knew. It seemed like it was more, almost, I’m not sure if this is right, but my impression of it was that it was more of uh, almost like a migrant or Hispanic, you know Mexican, kind of population that worked there. Maybe from Fennville area or something like that. It seemed to me. It didn’t seem to me like very many locals worked there. 44:48 EG: Like friends from high school or recent graduates. Not those people at all 44:52 JA: mm mm. Nobody I really knew or knew of worked there. And so my impression of it was that people outside of Saugatuck Douglas worked there. So that was interesting. Um. Yeah. Um, oh, another thing I don’t know if anyone else has mentioned, but there used to be a teen center that was open in the summer time where the Douglas Library is right now. 45:24 EG: So at the center across the street you mean? Or the 45:28 JA: yeah 45:29 EG: Yeah? Ok. 45:30 JA: Yea. So. Um, we had basketball in there. And just games and, um, Margaret Longshore was the one that kind of spearheaded that. And I always remember that, and I still see her at, uh gatherings of friends. 45:45 EG: Yeah. No kidding. What were, what were some of the other things you enjoyed doing there? Specifically. Hanging out with friends. Meeting with people 45:54 JA: Just kind of hanging out. Yeah. It was a place to call our own. And for teens that’s that’s kind of a big thing 46:00 EG: Did they have music there? Or TV? 46:02 JA: Oh music. There was dancing. We have a theme here 46:03 EG: Yeah. Ok. There we go [laugh] 46:07 JA: [laugh] So it was funny. It was called The PITS. And that was an acronym. P-I-T-S. And I cannot for the life of me remember what that stood for, but I’m going to have to ask Margaret when I see her next 46:23 EG: Yeah. Was that open year round? Or mostly summer? 46:27 JA: No. It was more of a summery thing �46:30 EG: Yeah. Ok. 46:30 JA: So, and it was like a big gymnasium inside before they turned it into a library so. It was, it was fun for the kids to hang out. Friends and so, yeah. Ok. Wow. Believe it or not my gosh, we’re, I think I’m out of time. I 46:52 EG: You must, you had some great material here 46:54 JA: I’m out. yeah. 46:54 EG: For sure. 46:57 JA: Believe it or not I think I hit on, on most of it 46:58 EG: Some uh, some great memories there. Few, a few things kind of tying that together or coming out of that, some of the things you said, so you had these jobs. You worked at the beach. You worked at the Coral Gables. On the Island Queen. What was it like growing up here as someone who lived their whole life in Douglas, and then this kind of influx of people from other places. What was that, what was the experience like? 47:25 JA: Oh. Yeah. It, it kind of felt like an invasion in the summer time actually. And, you know the store, which was Taft’s at the time would be bombarded. And grocery items would disappear because we have an influx of, of purchasing going on and, oh, there’s no parking which also led the benefits of biking, and um, just a big onset of hustle and bustle uh, in the summer time. Which has its fun aspects. The bustle and the people and the fun, but also it took away from, our being local and living there, took away our peace and our calmness of living in this relatively small village at the time. Um, locale, so it wasn’t always a welcome feeling. It was “Oh, here they come from Chicago, and Missouri, and Indiana, and Ohio,” and you at Douglas Beach, uh cars parked and um, people in for the summer, and you just look at all the license plates and see where everyone’s from. You know, all over. But primarily Indiana, Illinois, Ohio. Rounding Wisconsin. That kind of thing 48:57 EG: Did, did you have friends? Or did your friends living here have friends, family that they knew came back on a regular basis? Did you develop friends over, you know, that came seasonally? Or not so much? 49:08 JA: Oh. Um, gosh. I, what comes to mind is Brigadoon. And I don’t, I think I was only there one year, but there were familiar faces who were visitors, um, and we catered to them and knew them by name. Um, and they were not local. A lot of non-locals that, because I worked in local business, I was friends with them of course. And they were regulars and got to know them a little bit. Yeah. 49:46 EG: So yeah. So it was part of the excitement, but also brought its own baggage 49:51 JA: Yeah, pluses and minuses really but, like with anything. �49:57 EG: Do you have any sense of change over your childhood? This is kind of maybe a difficult thing to understand, because you’re developing see the world differently, but any sense of change in the community around that? Over the time period 50:10 JA: Oh my gosh. 50:11 EG: As you were growing up? 50:12 JA: Yes. What was sad to see was the unstoppable development going on in the past few decades as I’ve been away to, and just as I was leaving. Condos, condos, condos, condos, development and really taking away our quaint, small town, um, feel. With all these condos, that, to me in my mind, came to outsiders. Not really to locals as much and, so of course that was disheartening, and of course the struggle over the Dennison property and the Dunes and the Padnos, I, in-interest in that land and the development. As locals, I think that generally we could say we like our, our, our peace, and our calm and our small time feel, and we, I feel, resistant to any invasion of development and, um, it seems like it’s, of course it’s greed for money. It seems like and we suffer for it. They build and hopefully people will come. And it’s all about money, um, we suffer because it, losing what we want for ourselves and our environment. 51:44 EG: Yeah. So something you mentioned, you mentioned about the Keewatin and just the visible landscape right, and just the visible landscape of looking out there. And certainly the development just looks, to see that the development of those condos and things. 51:56 JA: Oh, yeah. 51:58 EG: It really has changed the visual landscape. 51:59 JA: Oh, big time. Yeah. Unfortunately 52:00 EG: Other, other changes. Just think about, you know as you were talking about Disco in the late 1970’s and high school and into the 1980’s. Uh, and you mentioned the dunes earlier, that area of town. What do you remember about the reaction to, uh, LGBT folks in Saugatuck Douglas? And maybe the dunes specifically which opened right in, right in those years? 52:35 JA: Hm. 52:37 EG: If, if anything. If anything stands out to you. 52:38 JA: Yeah. You know, there the first inkling of that type of thing, way back when, it must have been early 60’s is probably what others have talked about, I hope, is a place called the Blue Tempo or something like that 52:57 EG: Yeah �52:59 JA: I remember that, and that was a little bit of, I don’t know. Would you call it den of iniquity maybe? Or something going on. I knew that was something, woo, outside of the norm a little bit out there. Um, unusual things going on. I was very young. In the 60’s 53:17 EG: Right 53:17 JA: I was just a young child, but I remember that place 53:20 EG: Or people talking about it at least 53:21 JA: Yeah. 53:22 EG: Having reactions to that 53:23 JA: Yeah. That, that, that was hmm. And um, so I don’t have a lot of clarity on that because I was so young when that was happening. That’s my first exposure to something alternative to your normal, accepted, uh, standard lifestyle going on, so. But I think, I think it gave me, it opened my mind. That this is ok. Because of Saugatuck Douglas and its acceptance and that group, um, feeling comfortable in this area. Coming to this area and putting, frankly, a lot of money in this area. And improving the area. And, uh, embracing the arts. And embracing class and elegance, and really kind of doing good things for the area I think. So. That’s been a good thing. Live and let live and they have made a lot of contributions to the area, which I appreciate. 54: 37 EG: Yeah, yeah for sure. Yeah. I was just interested, thinking about the, the kind of timing of that. The reaction and being in high school 54:44 JA: Yeah 54:46 EG: And one way or another. But not really 54:49 JA: No 54:49 EG: Not all that remarkable 54:51 JA: Not, not 54:51 EG: Like the beach, it’s kind of like the beach story. Let people do their thing right? 54:55 JA: [laugh] yeah! It’s, it’s a good thing 54:48 EG: Do you remember much of being, just being a teenager, being a high school student. Were there, yeah, what was that like? What was the culture of high school, Saugatuck High School like in the 1970’s, late 1970’s? �55:10 JA: mm. Well, I what really stands out, one big thing is there was the old high school, and then there was the new high school. And the old high school, I was, um able to go. I was, um, 7th grade, which it was a 7th, 8th, and up high school, I went to 7th grade in the old high school. I was the last class to come in and to go there before they, they built the new high school. So um, I was really glad to have that experience. And there’s still cement steps that were put in place for the students to go back and forth to that high school yet. So that’s kind of a nice remnant of what was. Um, and the new high school was 8th through 12th. And that was where I spent most of the time, and it was very exciting to be in a brand new high school. Very modern, uh, lots of sports going on. I did track, I, I was a little bit of an outsider. I, I got along with other groups, but I kind of had a group of outsiders in a way, um, Wendy Strum. Steve Wa, and myself, and, so, um, I was the MC for the pep rallies. I was actually, strangely enough and maybe not, the senior class president for my class. So. What do you know? [laugh] 56:53 EG: How is this just coming up now? You should have started right there. 56:54 JA: I know. Yeah 56:57 EG: Yeah 56:59 JA: Yeah, so I, I was, I usually ran the dances at high school. You know. Because I was Jean, Jean the dancing machine, and the music, and we’d have music in the cafetorium. That was a new catch phrase at the time. We ate there, we had dances there, we had 57:19 EG: How, how often were those? How often did, every week or? 57:20 JA: Yeah. With the football season, it was at the time and um, pep rallies in the gymnasium. That was me on the microphone 57:29 EG: Firing up the crowd 57:30 JA: [laugh] Fired up and ready to go. Woo 57:37 EG: All the, all the, all of that. 57:39 JA: Yeah. Making posters. The whole thing 57:42 EG: What, what kind of dances? What kind of music were you all listening to? 57:48 JA: Oh yeah. Well 57:52 EG: Was Disco, was there any tension, was there a disco vs. 57:54 JA: Yeah, vs Rock. You know, we had Boston, and the Cars, and Led Zeppelin, and but what I liked was Michael Jackson, and I could pretty much cut a good robot in my day, so um, so, we had a variety. Had to have a variety of music, but I was more of the dancey, discoy, �because I was trying to get in on that. Because at the time, that was the disco time when I was in high school. So I’m trying to recreate that on a high school level. The dances 58:34 EG: yeah. Was that successful? Did you have followers? 58:36 JA: Yeah, somewhat. I mean, we had a variety of music. But there were a lot of hard rock people too, so. Yeah. So there you go 58:50 EG: So high school life. Um, graduated 58:57 JA: Yeah 58:58 EG: Left, left the area 58:59 JA: Senior trip we should say 59:00 EG: Senior trip. Talk about that. Yeah 59:03 JA: Senior trip. That was a summery deal. We went to Daytona Beach, Florida. [laugh] so 59:07 EG: [laugh] 59:08 JA On a bus, on a school bus with, I don’t know how we had music playing, but we did. And that’s where I remember the Cars and Boston and that type of music 59:20 EG: So you took a school bus from Saugatuck, Michigan to Daytona, Florida 59:21 JA: Yes. Can you believe it? 59:25 EG: How long did that take? 59:27 JA: Way long. Really long. 59:29 EG: Really, I mean that would by car that would be like 20 plus hours. Days. 59:34 JA: Yeah. So, I don’t know. We were on a budge obviously. 59:39 EG: Clearly 59:39 JA: Yeah. Yeah. 59:40 EG: No air conditioning? 59:41 JA: No. No you know we were �59:44 EG: This was in, this was in May or June when school got out 59:47 JA: Yeah. Yeah. So, um, at, well, oh boy that was fun. Um, once we were down there on the beach in our bathing suits, and the, the gift shops, and oh probably a little, you know, less than ideal behavior happening. Um, I was pretty, pretty goody two shoes you could say, but I know there was an all, not everyone was. 1:00:18 EG: This is in a, to compare with some earlier time periods we asked people too, and I’ll ask you, you know what sort of shenanigans were pulled? Did people get into? Maybe not yourself, but other people that you were high school with? I mean, what was, or didn’t they much, was there much, was there much issues with, and you don’t have to name any names or say anything you don’t want to share, but, uh, you know. Parties. Run ins with the law. 1:00:49 JA: [laugh] yeah. Oh no. 1:00:50 EG: Pranks. 1:00:50 JA: I guess I don’t know a whole lot of that because that was, that was not my circle. I wasn’t a real bad girl. I was kind of a good girl, which, eh, so that doesn’t lend to a whole lot of exciting, stories, but that’s what I got. 1:01:05 EG: all right. That’s totally fine. Yeah. Um, thinking kind of, you commented on a little bit on things that since have changed over time that you really valued about the community. Hopes for, hopes for the future of, of the community; looking ahead 1:01:30 JA: Oh, well, probably just continuing with the thought of, um, guarding against more development and preserving the quality of the area. And the, um, oh. What, oh, how do I want to say it. Preserving the good parts, the best things about the area. Not losing that to the greed and the development that I think probably continually pushes in on the area from someone trying to make a buck from our wonderful little Saugatuck Douglas area. We want to, we want to keep it wonderful. And, and the dunes area, and the environment, and preserving that because that is a real treasure. So yeah. Those are the two biggest things, I think. 1:02:30 EG: yeah. For sure. So, last, last question I like to ask, penultimate question, uh, we’re doing these interviews so they’ll be saved for a long time. Uh, imagine someone listening to this 50 plus years from now. That’s a long time. 2068 1:02:48 JA: [gasp] wow. 1:02:48 EG: You know, uh, what would you like them to know about your life and about the community, as you’ve experienced it? 1:02:58 JA: Hm. Yeah. Well, wow. Yeah. Somebody in the future. What do they need to know? Well, I, I would hope that it would still be similar. That they, the water would be a big aspect of it, the, the work of the area, and the inspiration of the area on artists. That’s really, I hope that is still going on. And that was a big part of it now. Um, and hopefully they can enjoy �the dunes. And enjoy the water, and still, I’m hoping that the elements that make Saugatuck Douglas so special are still intact and still able to be enjoyed and treasured. It’s like, oh, I’m getting, [laugh] 1:03:56 EG: [laugh] It’s powerful, it’s powerful stuff right? The sense of place here is so strong. I’ve got to ask you one more question to kind of follow up on that. Thinking about art, we didn’t touch on this at all, but growing up here, all of your experiences, kind of on the Kalamazoo and in this area, uh, what was your awareness of or any interaction you had with Oxbow or artists that came here? Uh, yeah 1:04: 24 JA: Well that’s a significant place is Oxbow, and it’s kind of a secret society art place, art school in a way. I mean, it’s not main stream. I mean, everybody kind of knows about it. Although they always have a wild representation in the parades for holidays, but, um, yeah. That’s pretty significant that that was established here in this area. Which accounts for the inspiration of this area to artists 1:04:57 EG: Yeah, do, do you remember much out of it, I mean what did you notice growing up. Particularly different states, as someone who grew up here, from childhood through adolescence and teenaged years. Do you have, do you have early memories of it, or was it just kind of always mysterious place? 1:05:17 JA: Yeah, memories but also you could drive through it and see some of the buildings, went through it. I don’t know that I knew anybody that attended there. It seemed like it was kind of an outsider um thing, that came locally to study there and be a part of Saugatuck in that way. So, um, but art has been a big part of this area. And here we are, sitting in a room full of artwork and watching dunes, so it’s kind of perfect, but um, art fairs, art shows. Always a big part of Saugatuck, and um, artists in the area. I mean, that’s huge. That’s how you, that’s a big descriptive of Saugatuck. So. 1:06:08 EG: Yeah. Anything, anything else in your notes that’s come up that you want to share that I haven’t asked you about? 1:06:15 JA: Yeah, well, one thing I mentioned last night, um, that just speaks kind of to the pride of being from here as a fact, like I said last night, when somebody asks where are you from, and I say Saugatuck, and they say “oh, wow? You’re from Saugatuck? That’s great. That must have been wonderful to group up in a place like that,” So the reputation of Saugatuck wherever I go, and they find out where I’m from, they have a positive, um, impression of Saugatuck. That it is a wonderful place to be, to visit, and someone at the time said she had responses of “You actually live there?” Because I think it’s a lot of understanding that this is a resort town, and we just have visitors come in, but, um, yeah, there are locals. There are native Saugatuck and Douglas people. And I was born in Douglas Community Hospital. So I am truly of the area 1:07:31 EG: Legitimate. Exactly legitimate Douglas, Doug, Douglas person �1:07:36 JA: Yeah, and Dad delivered me actually. Dr. Hayes is my dad. I should mention that. He was a prominent physician in this little area so 1:07:48 EG: Right, yeah, we didn’t, somehow skipped over that. Family connections. I can’t believe I didn’t circle back to that. 1:07:49 JA: Well you did ask me. I didn’t mention that so yeah. He set up a practice I think in 19, 1959, 1960. In that area. In Douglas actually. 1:08:00 EG: Is that, is that how your family came to this community? Was he from here? 1:08:07 JA: No. He wasn’t from here, but he went to Flint for his residency, I believe, and um, came to explore Michigan and really appreciated the coast line and the water. Considered Petoskey and maybe a couple others. And settled on Saugatuck Douglas, so. 1:08:30 EG: Where had he gone to school before coming to Flint? 1:08:33 JA: Uh, he was in Ohio. Ohio State. That, that system in, originally born in Kansas, so completely out of the Michigan area, but his residency took him here and he fell in love with Michigan, so. And my mom is an RN, and they met at Holland Hospital, and they settled here and the rest is history. [laugh] 1:09:02 EG: yeah. [laugh] Well this has been a wonderful interview. It was so great 1:09:05 JA: Oh, well thank you, Eric. I appreciate you having me, and your time 1:09:09 EG: That’s great 1:09:09 JA: I appreciate. Thank you 1:09:10 EG: That’s wonderful, well, all right. Thanks so much for, for your time, and, uh, this concludes the interview. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-ArnoldJ-20181004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Arnold, Jeanmarie Hays Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018-10-04 Title A name given to the resource Jeanmarie Hays Arnold (Audio interview and transcript), 2018 Description An account of the resource Jean Arnold describes growing up Douglas with many memories of various jobs she held as a teenager. She also describes her encounters with the LGBT community in the 70's Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gollannek, Eric (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich.) Outdoor recreation Beaches Sailing Oral history Audio recordings Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Documenting the Histories of Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas, Kutsche Office of Local History Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/91b359fd1f8bfddd741906c3d2f8a10d.pdf b0fed4264572c3ad4712fc7f8159baf1 PDF Text Text Day 77. by windoworks Today marks 11 weeks since we began staying in our bubble. The Craig, me and Murphy bubble. So what have I learned? In the first few weeks I had a lot of difficulty sleeping. I would wake up at about 3am and lie there worrying. Then I stopped waking up and began dreaming disturbing dreams instead. That still happens occasionally. I tried grocery shopping, first wearing gloves and then with no gloves but wearing a mask. I only ever shopped in person about 5 times before my anxiety level became so extreme I couldn’t go into any store. I have a friend who has to brave a shop excursion every so often and I see from his FaceBook posts that not everyone is wearing a mask, and it is upsetting. Yesterday, on our daily drive to calm me down (Craig says: we’ll just keep driving until your anxiety levels come down, and usually they do), we stopped at a little pop up farm stall where Craig got out to see if they had tomatoes. Big tomatoes are hard to come by through Instacart, cherry tomatoes are all they offer mostly. As he stood there 6 feet back and masked, waiting his turn, the woman in front of him, no mask, breathing over the produce, leant across the booth to write with her finger on the assistant’s cellphone. The assistant (a high school graduate), then used her finger to close the transaction. And there we are. No understanding by either person of how the virus is transmitted. The assistant’s very next action was to pull her mask down, touching her face. Yes, he did buy the tomatoes, with cash and waiving the change, and we did wash them carefully once we got home. We wash or spray and wipe all the groceries that are delivered, all online deliveries and the mail each day. I have no real idea how long the virus survives on such items or even how much there is on an object. We work on the ‘better safe than sorry’ principle. It helps me sleep at night. Stats: Michigan: 54,365 cases and 5,223 deaths. Kent County: 3,420 cases and 72 deaths. We are still increasing here in Kent County. Craig is receiving daily emails from Grand Valley, endlessly discussing what classes will or will not look like, online or face-to-face but reduced in time and students, or maybe a mix of both (hybrid teaching). I believe that through all this planning, they, like everyone else, have no idea of what will happen next. And here’s an interesting development: A new USA Today/Ipsos poll shows that “1 in 5 teachers say they are unlikely to go back to school if their classrooms reopen in the fall, a potential massive wave of resignations.” The majority of teachers are women. They have not lost their love of teaching; they are understandably afraid. And they are not alone. �“A separate poll of parents with at least one child in grades K-12 finds that 6 in 10 say they would be likely to pursue at-home learning options instead of sending back their children this fall.” So what does this mean for universities and community colleges? I wonder. And here’s a really interesting development under the ‘what now?’ category: Most surprising was evidence that the lungs of people attacked by the SARS-CoV-2 virus grew new blood vessels. “The lungs from patients with covid-19 had significant new vessel growth,” the researchers wrote, a discovery they described as “unexpected.” Speculation states that may have been an attempt by the lungs to pass more oxygen to hypoxic tissue and that may be one of the things that gets people better. By the way, this discovery was made by autopsy, in case you wondered. Here are 5 things to keep from this lockdown experience: 1. Keep zooming, walking and biking, especially the exercise and fresh air part. 2. Keep making grocery lists. This encourages us to use food thoughtfully and not waste it as we might have done before. Craig and I have become really adept as using up leftovers. 3. Make meat the exception, not the rule. This is a hard one, but all forecasts point to meat scarcities in a couple of months due to the devastating numbers of meat packers who have tested positive right across the country - The number of Tyson Foods employees with covid-19 has exploded from less than 1,600 a month ago to more than 7,000 today, according to a Washington Post analysis. Meat companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on protective gear, paid leave and ventilation systems. Despite the safety precautions, the industry has still seen a significant surge in cases, showing how difficult it is to get back to normal, even in essential fields such as food processing. 4. Keep avoiding needless spending. Not so much impulse buying especially online. The hardest thing about online shopping is finding exactly what you’re looking for. So far I haven’t made many mistakes. 5. Trust science. Hugely, hugely important. Did I go to college for all those years, do the research and continue to keep up on new developments in my field? No, I didn’t. Instead I trust scientists who did - just like I trust pilots to fly a jumbo jet safely, or a dentist to fix my teeth, or a plumber or an electrician - you get the picture. So yesterday we drove out to Grand Valley, through the campus and into the Grand Ravine County Park behind GVSU. Craig often walks there at lunchtime on school days, but it was the first time I’d been there. �It was a gorgeous but hot day so I stayed in the car in the a/c but Craig got out and took some photos of the Grand River. The river is very high and there is significant flooding along the length of the river which begins on the East side of Michigan and flows right across and empties into Lake Michigan at Grand Haven. It is the longest river in Michigan. Look at the trees on the far bank, submerged to the foliage. Today’s risk factors: Letting a friend use your bathroom: Low risk Landon doesn't think it's a big risk: "What happens in the bathroom is going to be sucked out of the bathroom ventilation and you can clean all the hard surfaces really easily." Miller agrees: "You can run the fan, leave the door open after (so air flows), and clean the bathroom later. And if you use the bathroom after they do, just wash your hands." What alters risk? It's possible that your friend is infected but asymptomatic, says Janowski. "It would be reasonable to decontaminate the bathroom after a friend uses it, including cleaning the high touch surfaces of the door, toilet, and sink." �Going to a vacation house with another family: Low risk Experts said that if both families have been quarantining and limiting their exposure to others, this is pretty safe. "If one family is very active or parents have higher exposure jobs, then the risk increases," Miller says. Landon thinks this arrangement could be a good idea, especially if the house is "in the woods where you're not going to have a lot of contact with other people," she says. What alters risk? Landon suggests talking with the other family beforehand, to make sure you share the same expectations for the precautions everyone will take in the two weeks before arrival and while you're there. Ensure that no one has signs of illness — if they do, they need to stay home. Miller recommends cleaning the major surfaces in the house on arrival. "And the more that people can reduce exposure in the days leading up to the trip, the better," he adds. Tomorrow we’ll look at staying at a hotel and getting a haircut. I just put this in because its a beautiful photo of Auckland New Zealand at sunset looking across the bays to downtown. Thanks Zar. ��Oliver, in the kitchen with his favorite kitchen toy - a whisk. Apparently you comb your hair with it. Today’s flashback: Hampton Court. �����The top photo: the entrance to Hampton Court. It was built in 1515 for Cardinal Wolsey, who was a favorite of Henry VIII. In 1529, when the Cardinal began to fall from favor, he gave his palace to Henry, hoping to get back in Henry’s good graces - sadly, it didn’t work. Henry loved Hampton Court and extended it to house all his retinue. Hampton Court and St James’ Palace are the only two surviving palaces that Henry owned. Since we last visited, I think the palace had been further restored and we had a lovely day there. The portrait in the second photo is of Henry himself. It’s large and it is hung, halfway up a staircase and he gazes imperiously down at you as you walk up. In the third photo, we came into the Great Hall just as a play was happening in which Thomas Culpepper was being arrested for having an affair with Queen Catherine Howard, Henry’s fifth wife. At that time Henry was 49 years old, obese, glutinous and self indulgent. Catherine was 17 years old. She lasted 1 year or so before falling from grace, being stripped of her title and subsequently beheaded. It is said that her ghost runs screaming down the corridor towards Henry’s chambers some nights at Hampton Court, begging for forgiveness. As I’ve never been there at night, I can’t say if that’s true. �The fourth photo is of the palace kitchen. How many years has the smoke caked on the wall above the main fireplace? The last photo is of the huge walled kitchen garden, still producing fruit and vegetables for the cafe inside the palace. I had a long talk to a gardener and with the excellent lunch we ate in the cafe, that all made for a wonderful day - and the weather was perfect. So remember, act as though you have COVID-19, but keep on smiling. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-27_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-77 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-27 Title A name given to the resource Day 77 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6936c10974a4575d674d92718e732682.pdf b596555aa43fc798335277d40d52a750 PDF Text Text Day 76. by windoworks It’s 7:30 in the morning and Craig has taken Murphy for a walk before the heat of the day strikes. She is booked in to Wash and Wags next Monday for some daycare time before a proper bath and a much needed haircut. In the meantime she is suffering in the heat. Yesterday it reached the upper 80s and today the temperature will reach 91F (30-31C). Thank goodness Craig put the a/c in the bedroom and another one in the living room. At least we are sleeping okay. Yesterday a friend sent me a link to a NYT article about Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand. Included was a link to the first online video she made on the day they announced the lockdown. From the article: Pandemics are often described as crises of communication, when leaders must persuade entire populations to suspend their lives because of an invisible threat. Watching Ms. Ardern on Facebook, her favored conduit, is a lesson in rhetorical blending: epidemiology brightened with empathy, law leavened with mom jokes. And it has been strikingly effective. Ms. Ardern helped coax New Zealanders — “our team of five million,” she says — to buy into a lockdown so severe that even retrieving a lost cricket ball from a neighbor’s yard was banned. Now the country, despite some early struggles with contact tracing, has very nearly stamped out the virus, exiting isolation with just 21 deaths and a few dozen active cases. PM Arden’s advice: act as though you have COVID-19. How simple is that! New Zealand breeds tough, independent women who seem to rise to the top more easily than in other countries. Perhaps it is that isolation at the bottom of the world. And its not just women, but people in all kinds of occupations: Ernest Rutherford (nuclear physics); Helen Clark (first female prime minister); Hone Heke (first Maori Chief to sign the Treaty of Waitangi); Sir Edmund Hillary (first person to scale Mt Everest); Katherine Mansfield (most famous NZ author); Dr Truby King (best known for the Plunket Society focusing on the health and nutrition of babies); Kate Sheppard (figurehead of the suffragette movement); Jonah Lomu (a rugby all time legend); Sir Peter Jackson (I’m just putting Lord of the Rings here); Sir Colin Meads ( Player of the Century). You can see with 2 rugby players in this list that NZ has a strong affinity with sport. As a teenager I remember attending international rugby games - I saw the British Lions, the South African Springboks and the French Roosters play the New Zealand All Blacks. I wonder how many names you recognized. Stats: Kent County had a total of 3,385 cases yesterday and 68 deaths. The US deaths have risen to almost 100,000 and the experts are saying this may be underreported - there may be as many as 130,000. �With a freeing up of different levels in different states, here’s one concern: experts in Tennessee are also concerned about people from other states beginning to flock to Nashville and Memphis on summer vacations. If a surge happens, the tricky part will be putting the toothpaste back in the tube by shutting down again - as one expert noted. Today there are many stories of people flocking to pools and beaches with some states providing self distancing props and some not bothering. In some states, police and sheriffs were brought in to help address the ensuing chaotic situation. And when did wearing a mask become an infringement on my rights? In a state that set itself up as a guinea pig experiment: Meanwhile in Missouri 140 clients at a hair salon in Missouri have now potentially been exposed to COVID-19 after a second hairstylist at the location tested positive for the coronavirus. On Friday, the city of Springfield said 91 people had been exposed to the coronavirus after a stylist worked for eight days while showing symptoms. Among the 91 were 84 clients and seven employees. Now, 56 more clients have been “potentially directly exposed,” the city said Saturday, explaining that the second stylist at the Great Clips salon tested positive and worked five days while “experiencing very mild symptoms.” As Springfield health officials continue to trace the contacts of the stylists, the city is grappling with other workers at client-facing jobs testing positive for COVID-19, including at a Walmart, a gym, and a Dollar General. Not visiting Missouri any time soon. Today’s risk assessment: An outdoor celebration such as a wedding with more than 10 guests: Medium to high risk Family-oriented celebrations are usually a summer tradition, but they come with a lot of risk right now. Many weddings have been postponed, and with good reason. "Outdoors reduces the risk, but as people are celebrating and drinking, it seems like they may not social distance as readily," says Abraar Karan, the Harvard physician. "These types of events end up being large crowds where people are having extended face to face conversations." The larger the guest list, the greater the potential that one of them is infected, says Kimberly Powers, the UNC epidemiologist. What alters risk? The danger varies greatly depending on the size of the gathering and how closely people gather. If you are considering hosting a celebration, make it a small one, with mostly local guests. "Bringing people from other communities," is high risk, says Landon at the University of Chicago. "If people have to travel by car, by plane from other places, you're really asking for it." And really think twice about inviting your relatives, particularly older family members or those with underlying conditions. People may feel pressure to attend, even though it's hazardous to their health — �and even more so if you emphasize that you're going to try to make it safe, says Landon. One of the largest clusters of deaths from the virus in Chicago occurred after a funeral in which one of the attendees spread it to many of his family members. Using a public restroom: Low to medium risk Restrooms have been designed to prevent disease transmission, says Landon: "There are all sorts of things that you can catch from other people's poop, and you almost never do because they're set up with all hard surfaces that can be cleaned." The risk depends on the number of local COVID-19 cases and how clean the bathroom is, says Janowski at Washington University, noting that a bathroom involves multiple high-touch surfaces. There isn't yet sufficient data to know if there's risk from toilet flushes aerosolizing the virus. Landon says that other viruses, like norovirus, can be aerosolized by flushing, but norovirus doesn't often spread that way as long as bathrooms are cleaned. The CDC says it's "unclear whether the virus found in feces may be capable of causing COVID-19." What alters risk: Miller says the main risk comes from restrooms that are small, busy, and poorly ventilated — like "those restrooms in a gas station off the highway where the restroom is outside." Choose a bathroom that looks clean and is well stocked with supplies like paper towels, soap and toilet paper. Avoid bunching up in a line to use the toilet or staying there long, if you're within six feet of others. Wash your hands after you go, and sanitize them if you need to touch any surfaces after that. Tomorrow we look at letting a friend use your bathroom and going to a vacation house with another family. I hope you’re finding these risk assessments as useful as I am. And in totally unrelated news: when you wake up hungry and there's nothing to eat, the most sensible thing to do is acquire snacks. In this, bumblebees are no different from humans. If they wake early from hibernation to find a scarcity of pollen, the insects have a cunning way to force plants to flower. Using their mandibles and proboscises, bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) chew holes in plant leaves, causing them to bloom weeks earlier than they usually would, in turn supplying the bees with food. How clever. And even though they’re fat, they fly because of the way they move their wings and other complicated aerodynamics. While I’m on the subject: have you ever noticed how much a large airplane resembles a duck coming in to land? Nose up, wings turned up and wheels down like splayed feet? All thats missing is the splash as the duck hits the water. New Oliver developments: still suffering from Hand, Foot and Mouth but the regular dosing of baby painkillers is helping, along with some big daytime naps. And.... one of his top teeth has pushed through! ��A new hat from Uncle Asher. Yesterday on a walk, Craig and Murphy came across this: ��A big branch had snapped off and fallen across several parked cars. �More chalk art. �Another view of the back garden. And today: London! We stayed in London for a week before heading out to our month long rental in the countryside. London was, of course, its usual interesting self. ��Trafalgar Square. ��This is a Mews which is a row or courtyard of stables and carriage houses with living quarters above them. Nowadays the carriage houses and stables underneath are all converted into apartments. ��The Albert Memorial in Hyde Park. This was commissioned by Queen Victoria in memory of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, who died in 1861. Victoria reigned for 63+ years, only beaten now by Queen Elizabeth II who has currently reigned for 67 years. ��This is the coronation portrait of Elizabeth I. She never thought she would survive long enough to reach the throne but she ruled, fairly and prosperously, for 45 years. She never married because she wanted to rule in her own right and so left no heir. She established Protestantism in England and defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588. She had a terrible temper which she inherited from her father Henry VIII. More London tomorrow. One last thought for the day: As New Yorkers fled their apartments in recent weeks, many abandoned house plants outside their apartment buildings. In response, plant caretakers of all kinds, from good Samaritans to hired professionals, are dealing with the remnants: One plant enthusiast — who chose not to leave the city out of concern for his 60 plants — is adopting some of the plants that people have left behind on the curb. So remember - act as though you have COVID-19. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-26_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-76 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-26 Title A name given to the resource Dy 76 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/866a34e1881ff832afdc8f20d0d24f90.pdf 17152ff82529768e15ed904d7d6c1bfe PDF Text Text Day 75 by windoworks Every day I do research. I read all kinds of articles and stories and I watch many different programs, video clips etc on tv and online. It’s as if I have to know and this morning I found this quote online: I feel better when I’m informed. That’s my ironic happy place, just knowing what’s going on. It’s stressful, terrifying, horrifying and heartbreaking, but I just need to know. And that describes me perfectly during this pandemic: I feel better when I’m informed. So in a long expected event, the pandemic has begun moving from the big urban hotspots and like patchwork, is appearing in rural areas across America. To epidemiologists and physicians, this checkerboard spread was all very predictable. It was never a question of whether the virus would hit rural America, but when. Many of these communities are isolated and hard to reach. They were largely spared from the disease shutting down their states — until, suddenly, they weren’t. Rural counties now have some of the highest rates of covid-19 cases and deaths in the country, topping even the hardest-hit New York City boroughs and signaling a new phase of the pandemic — one of halting, scattered outbreaks that could devastate still more of America’s most vulnerable towns as states lift stay-at-home orders. Here in Kent County, the numbers continue to slowly rise. In April we had a small number of cases (its hard to read the Kent County graph exactly) probably about 20 or so and the count of confirmed cases yesterday was 3.359. The large majority of these are here in Grand Rapids. Dr London says we are doing a lot more testing and we have the capability to do a lot more. In some places in the world, you just have to be 18 years or older and you can walk in for a test anytime. Not here. Here you still have to be okayed by a doctor or a hospital. If we have almost 3 and a half thousand confirmed cases with limited testing - how many do we really have? As I write this it is Memorial Day Weekend Monday. Usually there are parades, concerts, picnics, camping out - the list is endless. This year most of our block has stayed home (its hard to tell if people don’t come outside). We have had careful backyard gatherings, spaced sidewalk parties, and another paddling pool has appeared in a front yard complete with parent lifeguards. It’s not the usual Memorial Day Weekend, but its the best we can do. Yesterday afternoon, after two intensive days, Craig finished painting the main bathroom. When looking at the photos, bear in mind that the previous owners of the house had painted the upper walls a deep charcoal grey. After 17+ years, I felt it was time for a change and Craig obliged me. ���I really like it - and look, the curtain is back on the window! It was an exhausting job and yesterday the temperature reached 83F (26-27C) so Craig needs a week off before repainting the kitchen. To continue the risk factor for summer gatherings, today we read about church services and beaches and pools. 3. Attending a religious service indoors: High risk Worship services involve people from different households coming together indoors, for an extended time. "All of the ingredients are there for the potential for a lot of people becoming infected in the short amount of time," says Kimberly Powers, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She points to outbreaks linked to churches: In one, 35 out of 92 people who attended a service at a rural Arkansas church developed COVID-19. Singing — whether from the pews or the choir — is high risk, several experts noted, citing a study of a choir practice in Washington state where over half of attendees became infected. What alters risk: If people are appropriately socially distanced, wear masks and avoid singing, it may reduce the risk, Karan says. Also avoid any shared worship items like hymnals, Janowski adds.Risk goes down if places of worship adapt, Guzman-Cottrill says. "My parish began having in-person services last week," she says. The church had advance sign-ups to limit attendance to 25 people. Attendees were required to be healthy, wear face coverings and sit at least six feet apart. 4 . Spending the day at a popular beach or pool: Low risk As long as you can stay socially distanced, this could be a pretty safe activity, our experts say. The water itself is not a risk. "The sheer volume of water will dilute out the virus, making the water a highly unlikely source of infection," says Janowski. What alters risk? The key question is how close are you to others? "Can you ensure that you can stay six feet [or more] from anyone outside of your designated family?" asks Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University Medical Center. Watch out for crowds at entry points and bathrooms. Maintain social distance both on land and in the water.Landon says her biggest worry about pools and beaches is kids. At pools, "they make friends with everyone," she says. "If you want to be able to see grandma for Sunday lunch, because that's what's really important to your family, then you don't want your kids running around with other people's kids." She says a beach is better than a pool in terms of space. Go early in the morning or late afternoon when crowds are lower, and look for beaches that mark off spots for people to set up their areas. Tomorrow: weddings and public restrooms. And here’s an unusual way of showing appreciation: Here in Colorado, at 8 p.m., everybody opens their doors and windows or steps into their backyard, and kids and adults, they howl like wolves. That’s our way of recognizing all the health-care workers. �After a very sleepless night for Zoe, with Oliver waking and getting very upset at regular intervals (he has little sores or blisters in his mouth), yesterday was a slow sleepy day with naps cuddled next to mummy and also a little musical entertainment. West Side Story was the day’s choice. Here’s hoping to a slow recovery. ���Because music always makes us feel better. So after a month, Berlin drew to a close. I loved Berlin and I didn’t really expect to. Why? I can hear you asking. I’m not sure but I did fall in love with it. Neither of us speak German and our landlord didn’t speak English but his partner did. It was only towards the end of our stay that we found out that he ran the business and she was a forensic pathologist! We never did have a chance to ask her about her job. When the taxi arrived to take us to the airport for our flight to London, they came outside to say farewell and gave us both little gifts. We were astonished, it was so sweet. I would go back and stay again tomorrow (but not right now). Grocery shopping was an interesting experience and the women behind the checkout counters recognized us and always kindly helped us. Eating out was exciting - you were never quite sure what you were going to get. The Hauptbahnhof had a wonderful sushi train restaurant that we loved. (Sushi train restaurants are big in Australia). The food comes by on different colored plates - cheap to expensive. You take the plate off the train as it passes and at the end of the meal the waiter adds up the plates and thats what you pay. We did an enormous amount of walking. I think I lost a few pounds and I did feel fitter. The only downside was that all tv was in German except fo the BBC news which got tiresome quickly (they repeat the same stories over and over). We figured out how to link Craig’s laptop to the tv and we just watched movies on Netflix. ��Napoleon’s Hat in the History Museum. His hat! Extensive wolf sculpture which suddenly appeared outside the Hauptbahnhof one day and then just as suddenly disappeared about a week later. I didn’t show you photos from the Reichstag as I already did in an earlier post. �And this is it. Our last night in Berlin, waiting at our table at a restaurant near our apartment. It was hot and we chose to sit outside with the traffic whizzing by. It was sad and exciting. London was our next stop. Stay safe and healthy - it isn’t over yet. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-25_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-75 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-25 Title A name given to the resource Day 75 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0946aeafe5ed8062da31408d284cf8c0.pdf c1771409d26921d259939faaa35fbcb5 PDF Text Text Day 74. by windoworks 75 days! That includes the first post which didn’t have a number. And congratulations, Reader, if you stayed with me the whole time. So on Friday morning this happened: One day after loosening social and business restrictions, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Friday afternoon extended the state’s stay-at-home order to curb the coronavirus pandemic through June 12. She also extended the state of emergency that enables the executive orders, including the stay-at-home order, through June 19, citing a recent Court of Claims ruling that determined she has the power to do so without the Legislature’s approval. Both orders, which she first made in March, were set to expire next Thursday. “While the data shows that we are making progress, we are not out of the woods yet,” So, another 21 days, and who knows what will happen then? The state of emergency is extended to June 19, one week later, so we could be at home for 28 more days. While I grumble, two things are true: (1) I’m not going out in crowded public places any time soon and (2) I think she’s doing a brilliant job. Stats: yesterday Kent County recorded an increase of 77 new cases to bring us to a total of 3,308 and 2 new deaths to a total of 67. If you look out the window it looks perfectly normal. It’s early on Sunday morning, so there’s not too many people out and about. The weather has turned and the warmer weather of summer is here. Yesterday as I was sitting on my porch swing, a tiny cottonwood fluff sailed past me. The fluff is part of the seed produced by the female trees. Male cottonwood trees don’t produce fluff covered seeds. Unfortunately, I seem to be allergic to the fluff and at this time of the year it gathers in huge drifts on roads, sidewalks etc. it is a short but intensive onslaught and is the first real sign that summer is approaching. I also find ragweed hard to cope with, but that’s a story for the fall. It’s Memorial Day Weekend and across the US, people have flocked to the beaches. Some beaches are trying to enforce social distancing and some states seem to have given up. It’s a bit nerve wracking waiting for 2 weeks to see if this causes a surge or not. All 50 states have begun reopening to some extent and all 50 still have active virus counts. It’s hard to close an entire country down as New Zealand did. It certainly helps if you are 2 small islands in the middle of the ocean. But while New Zealand is reopening for citizens, the ports and airports are not open to overseas visitors. Because here’s the thing - you can pretty much control or eradicate the virus in your country, but the moment you allow overseas visitors, you might be letting the virus in again, and thats virgin territory for COVID-19. Whenever I think about this I remember the ad for Mucinex (I think), where the disgusting little green bacteria people move in to clean sinuses and take up residence. Remember that? I found some explanations for what is high, medium or low risk activities for summer. There’s quite a few, so I will add 2 a day for your interest. Here goes: �1. A BYOB backyard gathering with one other household: Low to medium risk Meeting in a spacious outdoor area with only a small group isn't too risky. But our experts say that safety here depends on who you invite and what their behaviors have been. "If you have a gathering with one other household that [has] followed social distancing, this would be a low-risk activity," says Dr. Judith Guzman-Cottrill, a pediatric infectious disease expert at Oregon Health & Science University. What alters risk? To lower risk, avoid sharing food, drinks or utensils — make it a BYO everything party. Dr. Andrew Janowski, a pediatric infectious diseases expert at Washington University in St. Louis, notes the food itself isn't the risk, but touching shared dishes or utensils could be. Watch out for drinking, says Dr. Abraar Karan, a physician and public health researcher at Harvard Medical School, as it can make people sloppy about social distancing. It also increases the odds that people will want to use your bathroom. "Once you move into the house with others, the risk profile goes up," he says. 2: Eating indoors at a restaurant: Medium to high risk Indoor dining "is still amongst the riskier things you can do," Landon warns. The trouble is, says Miller, "people tend to linger in restaurants. So even if spacing is okay, the duration of exposure is longer." Also, he says, talking "appears to lead to some release of the virus." Karan notes that one outbreak in Guangzhou, China took place in a restaurant with no windows and poor ventilation, and the air conditioning appears to have blown droplets between tables. What alters risk? Janowski says the risk level depends on how well the restaurant has adapted for the pandemic. Eateries should reduce and space out seating, require servers to wear masks, and offer easy access to hand-washing stations. They should also provide single-use options for condiments so you don't have to touch shared ones, says Janowski. And they should close all self-serve areas like soda fountains or buffet tables. If you do go to a restaurant, look for outdoor seating. Landon says she would only go with members of her household, because "I don't want to have to take my mask off in the close proximity of a bunch of other people." And here is a sign of how frustrating it can be dealing with the public: �Oh dear! And here’s another document but completely unrelated, just to make you laugh: �I’m trying to imagine a turnip shepherd. Nope! Today is Day Two of the Great Bathroom Repainting. Two things have become apparent: (1) everything I normally use is on top of the chest of drawers in the spare room and I only remember that when I’m IN the bathroom and (2) painting necessitated the taking down of the bathroom curtain which means one house behind us can look in and see me sitting on the toilet. Hmmm. Well, Craig’s doing a beautiful job and we’re on track to have it all finished and furnishings etc restored by this evening. I really don’t mind, I’d just like the curtain back on the window. Later next week, Craig will repaint the kitchen. I’m excited but I have no idea how hard it will be to produce food during the painting. Our trees are slowly opening their leaves and the back garden is very pretty. The clematis on the arch are growing happily but after our long, confusing phone conversation with the gardener at the garden center, the first beautiful blossom is pink and not white as promised. I console myself that it is gorgeous, both plants are healthy and they will float like pink stars in the sky. Stop laughing Mary Alice, I can hear you. ��An Oliver update. Yesterday when we FaceTimed with Zoe and Oliver he was very grumpy which we all attributed to overtiredness due to daycare. It turns out that he has Hand, Foot and Mouth virus ( also due to daycare). It’s extremely contagious and he’s off daycare for a week. I have no memory of Zoe getting it as a child, so she may catch it from him as well. I am embarrassed to say that my frequent answer to questions like these, seems always to be: I don’t remember, which is very frustrating for Zoe. Anyway, here’s a photo from a happier day. ��Mmmm. Egg. Good to play with as well as eat. A new adventure in Berlin. One day we booked to go on a day trip on a boat on the Mugglesee. This is a lake in the eastern suburbs of Berlin. It has an area of 2.9 square miles. So we boarded the boat at lunchtime and then we were off for about 3 and a half hours cruising up the lake. It was hot and sunny and the commentary was in German only so we had to rely on other kind bilingual passengers who occasionally translated for us. Apart from the opportunity to sit up in the broiling sun on the top deck, there was the other opportunity of eating and drinking for the entire trip. We sailed along large expanses of lake, as well as some canals. We saw lots of water birds, kayakers, canoeists and at least one other tourist boat. ����We had to sail along the river to get to the lake and then we got off at a different wharf to catch a bus back home. We got off at Kopenick which has a tower of interest, but we found a welcome cafe for tea and a snack. The trip home was long and arduous, probably because I was tired and sunburnt but the boat trip was worth it! Tomorrow then. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-24_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-74 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-24 Title A name given to the resource Day 74 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ccfab6134b66229a7e9cf81fe3e25999.pdf 428c289079dc1c5b40631c13e4e9aba5 PDF Text Text Day 73. by windoworks Well, here we are again then. So last week I broke down and decided I had to try to trim my hair. Now this is a lot harder than you’d think. I tried to mimic my hairdresser’s methods and I did quite well with the sideburns and my bangs (fringe). Then, after much agonizing and careful instruction, I let Craig trim the very back of my hair at the neckline. Very stressful but I think he did a good job and overall I don’t feel shaggy anymore. Of course, the grey streaks keep creeping forward and I can’t do much about that. When I finally do get to a hairdresser, I think I’ll have them dye my hair silver, so if we’re confined again, I’ll just have to keep it trimmed. So where are we? The US has 1.64M cases and coming up on 100,000 deaths (rising as predicted). So here’s what we find hard to understand. The disease progresses slowly. May’s declining cases are the result of April’s physical distancing, and the consequences of May’s reopenings won’t be felt until June at the earliest. This long gap between actions and their consequences makes it easy to learn the wrong lessons. The pandemic is shaped by many factors. Social distancing matters, but so do testing capacity, population density, age structure, wealth, societal collectivism, and luck. … No single factor can explain differences across nations or regions. The disease spreads unevenly. “Super-spreader events,” which are rare but pivotal, become especially important when cases dip. … If a state reopens and sees no immediate spike in cases, is that because it was justified, because insufficient time has passed, because other things went right, or because unlucky super-spreader events haven’t yet happened? In a patchwork, these questions will be asked millions of times over, and many answers will be wrong. So to lighten the mood, here’s social distancing done well on a French beach. Now thats clever! �And in news from far down at the other end of the world: New Zealand has come up with a creative way to boost tourism: a four-day work week to encourage domestic travel. While the decision on whether to institute a shorter work week will be between employer and employee, Ardern encouraged businesses to think about this option, "because it certainly would help tourism all around the country." Packing our bags now. Ever since this isolation began (and we’re in the 11th week now), the children on the other side of the road from us, in 3 houses, have played and played and played. Some days they built forts on one front lawn, some days they race up and down the sidewalk in wagons, on windy days they have run up the middle of the street with kites and recently, there must be a pool up in one of the backyards as small children have appeared with swim suits, bare feet and towels. Every evening a parent will walk along the block collecting child size deck chairs, blankets, and an assortment of tricycles, wagons and such, and then its all over for another day. All the smaller children will remember of this time, will be that it was an endless summer of playing and that makes my heart glad. Yesterday Craig harvested the last of the red radish micro greens and I washed them, trimmed them and then bagged them up. We have shared them with 3 other neighbors and everyone has enjoyed them. As �John said when I told him this was the last: we’ll just look forward to next spring then. (I’m smiling as I type this, what a lovely memory from such a difficult time). My sister-in-law, Kym, who lives in Canberra, Australia, sent me a link this morning to her choir doing a virtual performance of “Your Song”. As she said, it made her realize what this virus has robbed us all of. I can’t put the video on this blog (some things are just beyond me) but it was lovely to see her face among the other choir members. Sadly, choir rehearsals are one of those most risky events because of all the air expelled and then taken in again. In Midland where the flooding was dreadful, here is a photo taken before the water began to recede: Both dams that collapsed are privately owned by the same man and both didn’t pass inspection. Sadly he didn’t bother to fix the problems - but I guess he’ll have to now, and pay compensation. I debated about this next photo. When he decided to visit a Ford plant the other day, trump refused to wear a mask, mainly because he didn’t want a photo taken. In one part of the plant, masks were obligatory and so he agreed. Someone managed this shot, much to his chagrin. �See, its not that bad with a mask! The last of the notes from popular tourist destinations overseas; Venice: It’s a good thing, we don’t want to go back to how things were before. Overtourism was the norm, but it wasn’t normal, the city was overwhelmed, it was like a transumanza. We had to deal with tourists at every waking hour, everything revolved around them. I live in Cannareggio, one of the less touristy neighborhoods, and even here Venetians were outnumbered. I used to have breakfast at the local cafe every morning, and it would be four locals and ten tourists from the bed-and-breakfasts nearby, that’s how my days began. Around St. Mark, it was really all hit-and-run tourism, people staying here one of two days, always in a hurry, with eight minutes to eat lunch. Prague: You just see the beauty of the city. I read this also somewhere on social media: People were commenting that they notice different details in the city now. For me, Prague seems greener, and I would say its beauty really came out. For example, I was looking down from Petrin Hill, and I had the feeling that Prague itself, that the buildings and everything just look brighter. I don’t even know how to describe it. �Galápagos Islands; This is the Galápagos we dreamed of. People are waking up to the revival of the islands, having a cap on tourists. We are already surviving without any activity. Every day, you have the freezer truck with the fishermen, giving away fish. Whoever can afford to pay, pays. What beauty have you seen revealed where you live? Today’s Oliver treat: ��I think I remember when that brown hoodie was purchased. Oh and the new top tooth is almost here! Today’s flashback. This is a mix of food and sightseeing. ��Potsdamer Platz. This area was totally destroyed during the Second World War and was then bisected by the Wall. Now it is a busy building site with this impressive atrium in the middle. ��There are cafes and shops all around and you can sit in the middle, drink coffee and watch people passing by. This is KaDeWe in the dining hall area on the 6th floor. KaDeWe is short for Kaufhaus des Westens (Department Store of the West). This is the second largest department store in Europe after Harrods. You ride up on the escalators through floors of expensive and exclusive clothes, shoes, hats, jewelry, makeup etc. and reach this floor with many different food stations and speciality counters. The range of cuisines is impressive and at each station, it is cooked in front of you. We had several delicious lunches there - this time it was excellent Chinese food. ��This is the remnants of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church completed in 1906. It was badly bombed in 1943. It is a famous landmark in Berlin and has been nicknamed “The Hollow Tooth”. Every Christmas they hold an extensive Christmas Market around the church and in December 2016, 4 months after we left Berlin, the Christmas Market was devastated by a big truck driven by a terrorist, through the shoppers, killing 11 people and wounding more than 70. Since then, extensive anti terror security measures have been put in place around the church. ���Under the remaining part of the church is this room with these amazing murals. Have a wonderful, safe, healthy Memorial Day weekend. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-23_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-73 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-23 Title A name given to the resource Day 73 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0e6296a8f51da7b0cc6d08ace4d50de6.pdf 58f137288aba10a8437105fc21f96748 PDF Text Text Day 72. by windoworks I don’t know where to begin. Yesterday Governor Whitmer said we could have gatherings of 10 or less (but masked and still 6 feet apart), and all retail could open but smaller stores could only have 10 customers inside at one time. Also, stores should use an appointment schedule. I was overwhelmed. I had just gotten used to being inside or safely outside, masked and well away from others and it felt like this would be my life from now on and oh! It’s changing again. I read about American Eagle Outfitters which seems to be the gold standard for pandemic times shopping. They seem to have thought of almost everything, even down to the clothes that a customer tries on and rejects. These go in a bin to be steam cleaned before being returned to the shelves. No more lingering or browsing - just straight in with your wish list, purchase (stringent precautions there) and straight out again. It might be more fun online. Michigan anti-lockdown activists extended their protests on Wednesday by orchestrating a barber shop on the state capitol lawn. Few people wore masks, no one took temperatures, and little social distancing was seen. Seven barbers were ticketed for disorderly conduct for refusing to stop. I believe the tickets were $1000 apiece. This morning I watched Madeleine Albright (first female Secretary of State who served under Bill Clinton). She spoke from her home and she looked much the same as she always has, 83 years old now and timeless. She likened this pandemic to being a child in London during the Second World War. She said that the people never knew where the bombs were going to land next! And then she said something that warmed my heart: the countries that have managed this pandemic best are all those countries with a female leader. Perhaps its our ability to multitask. Yesterday I discussed offices reopening. Today, lets look at hotels. Seven out of 10 hotel rooms in the U.S. remain empty, according to the research firm STR. And that's the hotels that are actually open. Guests will see that some of the items in the room that could likely be fingerprinted by previous guests — magazines, notepads, pens — those items have been removed from the room. And there's likely to be more. The hotel-room phone has probably seen its last days because of the coronavirus. And what about that most divisive object in the hotel room? The death of the minibar is probably finally here. The remote control will likely be encased in a plastic bag or envelope with a sticker to indicate that it has been sanitized. I’m not sure how I feel about staying in a hotel, certainly not right now. Yesterday Meijer Garden cancelled its annual summer concert series which usually runs from late June to late August. It is a very popular series (which incidentally, Craig and I have never been to) featuring big �name popular artists. It’s held in their amphitheater and is usually only canceled if the weather is bad. All the regular festivals and events for this year in Grand Rapids have been canceled at this time except the rejuvenated ArtPrize held in September/Octover. But this year, the art will be in windows or outside, and after a year off, most large venues such as museums and churches have chosen not to be involved anyway. Speaking of museums: From a UNESCO spokesman on World Museums. There are 95,000 museums in the world and approximately 98% are currently closed. They anticipate that 13% or 1 in 8 will not reopen for financial reasons. Of 200+ countries in the world, only 20 do not have a minister for culture – the US is one of the 20. Well there’s something to think about. The flooding in Michigan has had other consequences. Yesterday in Muskegon (remember we drove there in torrential rain the other day to look at the lake?) a flood surge powered a new course through the dunes at Pioneer Park and left this destruction: ��As I look at the long range weather forecast, we have 6 days straight from Sunday 24 through to Friday 29 with a 30-50% chance of thunderstorms and the average temperature ranging from 78 - 88F (24 - 29C). We’re putting the a/c in the bedroom window today! And the next two quotes from far flung popular tourist sites around the world; 5. After being confined indoors, it’s natural that you see things with fresh eyes. UsuallyBarcelona lives at night, but now when the sun sets, it already seems super late. The city and the air are cleaner. There seems to be a different light or somehow more light. 6. I have taken a real secret pleasure rediscovering the beautiful buildings and having the streets to myself. All the locals I passed were smiling too. I have the impression of having found a quality-oflife closer to what I desire, meaning more local interaction and less pure consumption. Real life has returned to this corner of Pariswith families and children who play in the street, and getting to know my own neighbors Two photos courtesy of Zar in New Zealand: �Shop dummies to allow proper spacing at tables inside a restaurant. And small glasshouses for safe isolated dining. Of course, now its Oliver photo time. ��Oliver in the kitchen with his favorite toys: Tupperware! And so to Berlin once more. One day we caught the train to Charlottenburg. Charlottenburg Palace was built at the end of the 17th century by Frederich I, Elector of Brandenburg for his wife Sophie Charlotte. You know that the area we call Germany today was in fact a collection of independent states and the only thing that linked them together was that they all spoke the German language. These states were divided by religion - some were Catholic and some were Protestant. These religious differences (among others) led to constant warring among these states. And remember, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin was so named because it led to the city state of Brandenburg. It was a gorgeous day. We went through several rooms in the palace that were open to the public. It was constructed in the baroque style. ���In the top photo Craig took this shot in the Ballroom. In the middle photo, I am in the Green Room, and the bottom photo shows part of the silver service And then we went out into the grounds which were huge and gorgeous. Imagine how many gardeners this takes! ���The top photo is looking out at the grounds. These were also designed in the baroque style by a gardener influenced by Andre Le Notre, who designed the gardens at Versailles. I tried to find out how big they are and all I can say is big, but not as big as Versailles. In the bottom photo I am looking back at the palace which was undergoing extensive renovation. It was another hot day. So thats it for today. As Dr London says: stay positive, stay heroic and stay healthy. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-22_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-72 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-22 Title A name given to the resource Day 72 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a502577eb16a1755a9dbfb62fe081052.pdf c8426610c5777c30ece81969456197b0 PDF Text Text Day 71. by windoworks A personal note to begin this morning. Is anyone else having weird dreams? Dreams about things like finding yourself hiding in a mall with gunmen roaming through the mall - and you’re still trying to hide 6 feet apart? No, you’re probably not dreaming that particular nightmare but you get my point. With my research I now have 3 pages of notes of items that I think are of interest. This morning I am going to begin with how offices might adapt. At this time, no one knows if companies will maintain all those expensive high rise buildings into the future. My oldest child Zar is still working from home. He doesn’t mind that, but if it is to continue then he really needs two computer screens and a proper desk space. It is the same for Zoe. She really needs to invest in a desk and a better chair as using a dining chair is causing back problems. Craig has a good system set up in his study/studio and he alternates between sitting at a desk and standing at his computer. And my office is mobile - have iPad, will travel. So here’s the possible future of offices: Door handles will be obsolete. The building will know where you are and open doors and call elevators as you approach. To stop the spread of germs, security stations will monitor your temperature. You may have to wait in line to get inside. Your colleagues might start working 20 minutes before or after you. And you may get an occasional alert if a colleague who crossed your path calls in sick. In some places, office staff are working in shifts. In Manhattan New York, I have read that all those expensive commercial buildings are standing silent while big companies spend weeks trying to decide how to proceed. And all those high end hotels in the area are grappling with how to bring customers back safely. Universities: around the world, universities are scrambling to figure out how to proceed. GVSU sends out daily updates of new class configurations, numbers, alternative teaching methods, housing adjustments the list is endless. It all still contains that ‘we just don’t know’ statement. Stats: Michigan - 53,009 cases, 5,060 deaths. This is a little slower than before. Kent County - 3,036 cases , 60 deaths. These numbers continue to steadily rise. In Ottawa County where the main campus of GVSU is housed - 685 cases, deaths 31. These numbers are slowly rising also. �Ahh Gretchen - where would we be without you? Yesterday Governor Whitmer said: not only are we battling a pandemic but now we have a disastrous dam failure, flooding to 10 feet in some areas and �approximately 10,000 residents evacuated. But through it all she keeps on going. Sometimes at her 3+ press conferences a week, she looks very tired. And this one made me laugh. Two more quotes from far flung places: Iceland: my whale-watching boat, The Apena, was originally built for fishing and her purpose is back to basics for the time being. The vast Skjalfandi Bay, nudging the Arctic Circle, has provided a livelihood for my family of fishermen the past 150 years. The Netherlands: I also can’t help being nostalgic for an Amsterdam that could be. The city has been so beautiful and quiet — there was a magic to it that’s not ever going to come back in any way. Aaaand the Oliver photo: �Baby chaos in the park. It’s hard to social distance with babies - they have no idea! I was talking to my counselor on Tuesday and she said: do you have a project or a hobby you could do? I thought about it later and I do - I’ve asked Craig to repaint the upstairs bathroom and the kitchen and he agreed. He picks up the paint and supplies today. Well, okay, its not actually MY project. So Berlin. Surprisingly, Germany makes no secret of the Holocaust. In the German Historical Museum in a dedicated area for the First and Second World Wars, we came across this confronting model. ��I think this is a model of Auschwitz and this shows the people crammed into the gas chamber. �This is a site called The Topography of Terror. Where I am standing is where the headquarters of the SS, SD and Gestapo stood. These buildings were bombed during the war and then demolished after the war. In 2010, the Documentation Center (behind me) was opened and depicts the Nazi regime’s many victim groups as well as the Jews and the crimes perpetrated across Europe. In this photo I am looking towards the largest section of The Wall remaining. Behind the wall is what was formerly East Berlin. This was a sobering site. Inside the exhibition were many everyday photos depicting public shaming and the like. The tourist is left to draw their own conclusions. ��These photos are of the Holocaust Memorial. It represents all the Jews gassed or shot during the Second World War. It was a sad sight. We did visit the Jewish Quarter on another day and then the bombed Main Synagogue. We thought about visiting Sachsenhausen concentration camp about 21 miles or so from Berlin. There were a number of day trips that immersed you in the space but after our visits to these sites in Berlin we felt we had seen enough. �The Brandenburg Gate. This gate was built on the site of a former city gate that marked the start of the road from Berlin to the town of Brandenburg. The gate is the monumental entry to Unter den Linden, a boulevard of linden trees which led directly to the City Palace of the Prussian monarchs. If you go through the arch ahead, you come to the Tiergarten, a huge inner city park. Craig and I rode through the park in a rickshaw with our driver pointing out many interesting spots. It contains many monuments and the Berlin Zoo and covers 520 acres. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride but it really beat walking though it. It is a surprisingly quiet, green space in the middle of a very busy city center. I hope you and yours are well and safe. Till tomorrow � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-21_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-71 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-21 Title A name given to the resource Day 71 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2eb22d65962e10c8d340ad0f78e92294.pdf 6cfe9ca2ec3e10aa5e777c23132a86fa PDF Text Text Well here we are: Day 70. by windoworks My daughter asked me yesterday where I got all my information. I read everything. As Craig pointed out, I have become a sort of historian. I research and factcheck and then I include it in my post. I have developed a file of interesting quotes and some are used and some are discarded. This is what I do as a contribution during the pandemic. I’m not brave enough to be a volunteer, I don’t own a sewing machine, so I can’t sew masks, but I can record what I see, hear, think and feel every day. My blogposts will be available in a special pandemic archive at Grand Valley State University. It is gratifying to think that what I have recorded daily may be of some use to students and researchers sometime in the future. Today’s stats: US cases - 1,571,131. Deaths - 93,588. We continue to increase in Kent County: cases - 2,934. Deaths - 58. Predictions for the US are looking at a total average number of 113,000 deaths by early June. I have found an article where journalists interviewed residents in famous cities around the world and I will include 2 quotes for the next few days. Today: First up, number one: Right now, Rome is visited only by Romans and it’s a strange feeling. It’s sad that we don’t have tourism because we rely on it and it will soon be an emergency if we don’t get tourists back, but we have been enjoying this brief respite. Rome is a living museum and it is a privilege to have it all to ourselves. Number two: We all know here that the notion of quarantine began in Dubrovnik — as a 14th-century act to prevent outsiders from bringing the black plague into the city — so my friends and I are often joking about how quarantine has returned to the place where it started. It gives us more confidence these days. We’ve dealt with this before — it’s in our DNA — and on some level, we know we’ll overcome this plague just like our ancestors did over 600 years ago. As far as Dubrovnik is concerned I was going to say - who knew? But of course, Craig did. As if dealing with a pandemic wasn’t enough, over the last few days Michigan has had torrential rain. In the US there are a larger number than anyone would like of substandard dams and two of these dams breached last night and a large area around Midland has been flooded to almost 9 feet in some places. Last night Governor Whitmer came on and advised all residents to evacuate immediately to either open shelters in high and middle schools, or to go to friends or relatives. She also asked everyone to continue the 3 Ws - wash your hands, wait 6 feet apart and wear a mask, although she admitted that being in crowded refuges would make that more difficult. If you’re wondering where Midland is in Michigan, picture this: turn your right hand palm up. Put all 4 fingers straight up and your thumb out. You’re �looking at a map of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Midland is close to that soft part between your thumb and and your forefinger. Oh yes - and Grand Rapids is half way up the left side of your palm edge, but a little finger width in. I have a friend who had relocated to her parents house in Midland during the isolation and this morning she was mentioned in a FaceBook post as being safely evacuated. To show you the flooding here in Grand Rapids, yesterday we drove down to Riverside Park by the Grand River. ���One year the river rose so high that they parked a train on the train bridge over the river downtown to stop the bridge from being swept away. You can’t see it from the photos above but as we watched the river flowing very fast, lost of debris like small logs came bobbing past. And, the river is right out beyond the trees, all the water in the front is flood water. And a blast from the past. My friend Merrilyn was looking through her photo albums and found this gem. When my daughter was a few months old I joined the Nursing Mothers Association of Australia. (La Leche League here in the US). Over the years 5 of us became fast friends and strong NMA members. 3 of us became Counselors and Group Leaders, and I became a national board member in charge of Publications for a while. Our group of 5 called ourselves The Milky Bar Mums and we gathered for lunch once a month. I have lost touch with the woman in pink on the left and my very dear friend MaryAnne standing next to her, died after a long battle with breast cancer some years ago now. But Merrilyn and I remain and cherish our new reconnection. �An Oliver photo; Zoe often takes him into her bed in the early morning when he’s waking up and they read the news of the day on her iPhone. He loves to put his head on her shoulder. �Today’s flashback. Another Berlin excursion. Inside the Pergamon. �������This day was exhausting. We purchased tickets and then lined up outside for quite a long time. Our queue wasn’t too long, on other days we had walked past and seen the line winding back out to the street. Of all the 5 museums on Museumsinsel, the Pergamon was by far the most popular and the only one we had to line up to get in to. Once inside you walked all the way up the old worn stairs to the top floor. It is named for the Pergamon Altar, which we couldn’t see as it was being restored - for the next 7 years (2023). There are plans to connect some of the museums close by and like much of Berlin, there were cranes and worksites all around. From the top: the Ishtar ceremonial gate from one of the palaces in Babylon, dated 6 century BCE. During that time, you reached the gate by walking down a ceremonial avenue called “The Enemy Shall not Prevail”. Next; this is part of the Aleppo Room, the oldest and most artistically valuable painted wall paneling from the Ottoman Empire. Dates from the early 17th Century. Next: the Mshatta Facade which was part of the palace of Caliph Al-Walid I, built in Jordan in the 8th century. The Ottoman Sultan gave to the Kaiser in 1903 as a gift (!) Next: an Assyrian wall relief - probably an official, around the 8th century. Next: an Assyrian winged bull-god from one of the Assyrian palaces. And lastly: this is the floor and facade of the Roman Market Gate of Miletus (in Turkey today). The Market was built in the 2nd century and destroyed by an earthquake in the 10th century. The ruins were discovered by German archeologists in the early 20th century and they brought the fragments back and reconstructed it in Berlin. There were many other rooms stuffed full of artifacts but these are some of the ones I found most interesting. More Berlin tomorrow. And so ends the 70th blog. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-20_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-70-Well-here-we-are Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-20 Title A name given to the resource Well here we are: day 70 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/12d147a65a732d3a4d0b235005edbb80.pdf 3f5553544ce0575caf475d85a83fb7b8 PDF Text Text Day 69 by windoworks On this Friday at midnight, 2 regions (7 & 8) in Michigan will be allowed to reopen bars and restaurants. That is the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan (where Traverse City is). These two areas have had very small virus numbers and even smaller deaths. Of course the rules for reopening are pages and pages long and the number of seated customers per square foot is very carefully calculated. The Governor’s concern was that everyone in the south would drive up there immediately and maybe some will, but hopefully most Michiganders will think first. Grand Rapids is Region 2 and the greater Detroit area is Region 1 and I am guessing that we might be the last 2 areas to reopen. In the meantime, some local restaurants who had to close temporarily to quarantine and deep clean due to a staff member being sick, are reopening for take out again. The range of delicious restaurant food on offer in Grand Rapids is just amazing. During this pandemic I think all businesses have to think fast and be nimble, as Governor Whitmer is fond of saying. Everyone either offers curbside pickup (yes you can buy clothing, shoes and books and pick it up at the curb) or free delivery, or both. In fact, its becoming harder to keep track of what we have ordered and paid for, and when it is being delivered. I have become the Chief Purchasing Officer (CPO) in this house, while Craig is now the Head Gardener and Historical Advisor (HG&HA) as well as his side job of University Professor And speaking of gardening, two developments: Craig painstakingly dug out and seeded the first trial patch of meadow in the back garden and, he harvested half of the prolific red radish micro greens and we shared some with our neighbors. Remember those? The seeds we were supposed to germinate in trays inside due to their fragility? The ones Craig planted directly into the garden instead and then had to cover them over during 4 frost alert nights? They’re prolific and delicious! First time micro greens growing luck, I guess. In virus news: The public University of South Carolina has staked out an intriguing plan: Bring students back to campus in August, teach in person for three months and switch to remote instruction after Thanksgiving. Schools nationwide face extraordinary pressure to reopen campuses to ensure they maintain enrollment and collect tuition revenue. But many are delaying announcements about fall plans until June or July as they game out tricky scenarios about how to house and teach students without running undue health risks. We receive a weekly update from President Mantella at GVSU. They are discussing some budget adjustments as well as how to teach in the fall. I can’t imagine how hard it must be to take all factors in to �consideration (student nervousness, virus resurgence, adequate sanitation, housing safety etc) never mind faculty expectations, fears etc. Again, we’re back to that old chestnut: we just don’t know. Long haul flights may not be available until next year at the earliest. This is an area we are interested in. And even when they do resume, the choice will be one flight from Chicago to Auckland New Zealand - 17 hours with prepackaged food left on your seat before you board, no blankets, no pillows and probably no seat back entertainment (high contagion areas). Oh and that will be after you go through immigration and customs and have your temperature taken and perhaps show your doctors letter saying you’ve been tested and are negative. Carryon luggage may be severely restricted or banned. Choice number 2: travel across to Los Angeles to fly to Sydney Australia, 3 flights and 3 airports and 3 transits (Grand Rapids - Chicago - Los Angeles - Sydney). Something to think about. Yesterday was another cool, windy and wet day, and on his early morning walk, Craig and Murphy went to one of Murphy’s favorite spots: Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids. The lake was wild and very muddy from all the storm water pouring into it. No ducks for Murphy to stare at although she looked and looked. �On the way home, Craig saw these signs. ��I really want both of them. I’ll have to look online. Today’s Oliver photo. It’s so hard to choose! ��Watching Meryl Streep sing because its never too early to enjoy good musicals. Every morning in Sydney, Zoe FaceTimes us as she is feeding him breakfast. He does love to eat and there’s always that little time lag before the food hits his tummy and his brain tells him he’s full. Some mornings he cries indignantly when the bowl is empty. At the end of the session, Craig and I sing a song to him - more often than not, The Wheels on the Bus. He loves music and he smiles and bounces in time. And then we say goodbye. As Craig says: its my favorite movie of the day. More Berlin. Instead of sorting through my Berlin photos yesterday, I spent half an hour putting all 1000 photos of Oliver into a folder. So lets see what I have, �����Today its all about the Berlin Wall. This was a guarded concrete barrier that divided Berlin (physically and ideologically) from 1961 to 1989. I always thought the Wall divided Berlin in half but it divided West Berlin from East Berlin and West Berlin was surrounded by East Berlin and East Germany, so it actually zigzagged around in a sort of circle. There was a wide space on the east side of the Wall which contained anti-tank trenches, beds of nails etc. Along the Wall itself were guard towers which had powerful searchlights and sirens. The Wall was built to protect East Germany from anti fascists. It seems to me that the Wall separated families from each other and caused unnecessary hardship. No one tried to escape to East Berlin but many tried to get to freedom in West Berlin. You could cross to East Berlin with the proper pass and the top photo shows the warning board for Checkpoint Charlie, the American crossing. Today it is in the middle of an upscale busy shopping street, Friedrichstrasse, and for a fee you can have your photo taken with actors pretending to be Soviet crossing guards. In the next photo I am standing on a marker for the Wall. This metal trail winds around Berlin, showing where the Wall was situated. In the third photo, Craig is standing next to a painted block from the Wall. Behind him is a Wall exhibition but we didn’t go in. Lastly, this is a section of the Wall in the eastern side of Berlin (East Berlin). This section has been preserved in place and has become an art exhibit. There were many Wall sections, all painted and decorated but this one took my fancy. Note the wire keeping tourists back from the art. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Maya Angelou I”ll just leave it there. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-19_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-69 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-19 Title A name given to the resource Day 69 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1fcba5d73bc9533d35bf00639722c948.pdf e859351995c1fa504ba10f5ffdcd076e PDF Text Text Day 68 by windoworks About 30 days ago now, I wondered if we would still be here inside at Day 70. Obviously we will. And possibly Craig and I will be still here for Day 78 and beyond when Governor Whitmer’s Stay Home, Stay Safe executive order ends on May 28. From WaPo: To convince consumers to go out and purchase — or to just go out — is a significant challenge, because it involves their most closely held emotions about life. Consumers started staying at home long before they were forced to by government regulations, because they knew that was the right thing to do. In Georgia, which reopened everything early while publishing misleading statistics about the virus spread and decline, people went out and in the wealthier areas, ignored all distancing regulations. Most interviewed said that they wouldn’t be outside if they weren’t healthy and the coronavirus was probably being beaten up by the Liberals. Here’s the thing though, as Ezekiel Emanuel of the University of Pennsylvania said when interviewed “The data are always two or three weeks old. And we have a hard time understanding that things are different from what we’re looking at.” Crystal Watson of Johns Hopkins University said that we wouldn’t really know how reopening had affected the virus’s spread for five to six weeks. Five to six weeks. Five to six weeks to find out if the virus had spread or not. And as one person in Georgia remarked: Anyway, I’m not in the expendable age group. As someone in the ‘expendable’ age group, I find that dammed insulting. I can’t even begin to discuss the political scene. I don’t have cable television so all my news is from National Public Radio, Washington Post and New York Times. I have online subscriptions only. WaPo bombards me all day with Breaking News. In some ways this virus must be a godsend for them - so many people to interview, so many stories to write. I remember Zoe telling me about going to see the movie Contagion at the movie theater. Remember that scary movie about a quickly spreading pandemic? Zoe said she had to catch the bus home and all the way home, she felt nervous about all the other people on the bus and whether they might be sick. Now the virus depicted in Contagion was a much more virulent virus with a huge mortality rate, but here we all are, sitting on the bus of life and wondering who around us might be sick. Stats: US, confirmed cases: 1,520,000 and deaths topped 90,000 (almost 2,000 people died on Sunday alone). Michigan: 51,142 confirmed cases and 4,891 deaths. Kent County: 2,825 confirmed cases and 55 �deaths. In the state of Michigan, Kent County ranks 4th in virus cases out of 83 counties. This is because Grand Rapids is the second largest city in the state and many more cases appear in urban areas. Yesterday, after an angry and sad morning, I asked Craig to drive us out somewhere near the big lake (Michigan) so we could eat homemade cake, drink coffee and look at the water. He is always willing to oblige, so off we set in torrential rain for the 45 minute drive up the freeway in very poor visibility, for Muskegon. We found a spot next to a marina, and sat watching the lone swan fishing on the lake - still in torrential rain. We didn’t stay too long in case the serious flooding alert began early, and we drove home via Spring Lake. We missed the turn to Eastern Road (to come home through the countryside) and when we turned around we were stuck at the lights while the entire graduating class of Spring Lake High School drove by in their decorated cars and wearing their gowns and caps. That explained the many groups of people standing under umbrellas on the sidewalk with signs and pompoms to shake. ���A long, long line of cars, all tooting and cheering as they rounded the corner. �On their early morning walk, Craig and Murphy are keeping an eye on Blodgett Hospital - whatever is going in there? And Oliver. This morning it is difficult to decide which photo to choose. ��Oliver meets a new friend. Now if that doesn’t cheer you up, nothing will! Today’s flashback. One day (I really have no idea what day) we went into the city to the Museumsinsel (Museum Island). This island is in the Spree River in the heart of Berlin. It has 5 museums all more or less clustered together: the Altes Museum (Old Museum), the Neues Museum (New Museum), the Altes Nationalgalerie (Old National Gallery), the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum. We visited every museum except the Altes Museum. But first we visited the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) which is also on Museumsinsel. The view from the top of the church dome looking down at the Spree River. No, I didn’t climb up there, but of course Craig did. ����This is a gorgeous cathedral, begun in 1894 and completed in 1905. There was a church built first in 1451 and 1905 was the 4th building on the site. It was reinaugurated in 1993 after the removal of war destructions. I didn’t notice any damage or reconstruction. It is a beautiful church with especially gorgeous stained glass windows. We’ll look at the museums beginning tomorrow, after I have attempted to sort out the relevant photos. Just remember, as an opinion writer said recently: the way out is much harder than the way in. Stay safe. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-18_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-68 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-18 Title A name given to the resource Day 68 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e0d579c013e3bd63927fd8efa01c2c73.pdf 28dd9a469f9863f5f18c40003c4bfa8a PDF Text Text Day 67. Really? by windoworks I was late starting this morning, I was overcome with ‘haven’t I done all this before?’ Well yes. 68 times altogether as I didn’t give the first pandemic post a number. Looking back to 67 days ago, who knew this would go on for so long? And that’s the main theme here: who knew followed by who knows? I have never heard so many experts say: we just don’t know. We don’t know what will happen when we leave our houses, we don’t know if summer weather will make a difference, we don’t know if the virus will roar back in the fall and winter, we don’t know if it will continue in wavelets for the next 18 months and we don’t know when a vaccine will be available to everyone, everywhere. We don’t know if malls will survive, we don’t know how dining out will look. I think going forward it is an individual choice. For me a lot of things like concerts, movies, malls, crowded beaches make me uncomfortable. I have no idea if my friend on Zoom or FaceTime is asymptomatic- and my friend doesn’t know either. I’m happy to meet online, but face-to-face, not so much. Masks have become almost a flashpoint. There’s those who wear them and those who won’t. Apparently it’s a personal freedom issue in that ‘you can’t make me’ way. And vehement non-maskers declare: I’m not sick! You can’t catch it from me! At this point I would ask to see their doctors certificate confirming they’ve been tested and are virus free. Oh but wait - that would be another personal freedom. I have the right to not get tested. In case you missed it, Day 67 seems to have revealed the larger than I’d like, simmering anger inside me. Anger that scared seems to be my new way of life, anger that I am stuck here far across the world from my family, some who are old and infirm and some who are brand new, and anger that every day is the same as the day before with the same tasks and the same ‘putting a good face on it’ regime. And mostly, I’m so angry that our federal government, that is, the people in charge, are so dysfunctional and self absorbed that not only are we all struggling to survive safely here, the rest of the world is doing one of two things: laughing at our president and his minions or worse - feeling sorry for us all. A friend of mine emailed me back yesterday and told me how careful he and his family had been. This week, after dinner, he and his wife made margaritas and cycled over to a friends house with their masks, ready to sit out the back around the fire pit and catch up at a safe distance. When they got there, people weren’t wearing masks, there was no social distancing and there were lots more people than they expected to see. His wife burst into tears and they turned around and rode home again. I know just how she felt. Will I feel this angry and sad forever? I don’t know but I hope not. �“Hope” is the thing with feathers That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words And never stops - at all - Emily Dickinson ��New chalk art on our block. ��The long line to be admitted into the Fulton Street Farmers Market on Saturday about lunchtime. Craig said he thought it was about an hour wait and the line stretched across the road through the traffic lights. There were security guards at the top entrance and bottom exit with all side entrances firmly closed. There was a maximum of about 30 customers in there at one time. Normally the market is a crazy, busy melee of people, everyone pushing to get through the crowds. Stats: Kent County had 2,766 confirmed cases yesterday and sadly, 54 deaths. We continue to slowly climb upwards. L �In Auckland New Zealand, Fall is coming in. ��My mother-in-law, blowing out her candle on her tiny candle cake. Her real birthday cake was much bigger but you can’t blow birthday candles on cakes out any more. And of course, an Oliver moment. ��Here he is at daycare, gazing out the window. What is he thinking about? To continue in Berlin. We visited Alexanderplatz which is a large public square and transport hub in the central Mitte district of Berlin. It has more than 360,000 visitors daily and is a popular staring point for tourists. It was named for Tsar Alexander I who visited Berlin in October 1805. It was extremely crowded, busy, noisy with interesting market booths and full of tourists. ��This was large blow up pool with these zip up balls that children could ride in and move around the pool. It looked like they were having a lot of fun. �This drum band was just amazing. More Berlin experiences tomorrow. As I proofed this edition, I wondered about posting it. Then I decided this is my blogpost and my feelings and it is up to each of you to decide if you want to read it or not. If you do, I’ll see you tomorrow. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-17_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-67 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-17 Title A name given to the resource Day 67: Reallly? Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dcfab0551b428fc730f33e129ea34c62.pdf 65acc5d68fe92ba5847822ae37a54bbf PDF Text Text Day 66 by windoworks Two days ago, I was at a Zoom meeting when I looked out the tv room window (where the wifi router is) and I saw a Baltimore Oriole, trying to drink the nectar from the hummingbird feeder. We have a pair of Downy Woodpeckers that eat at our seed blocks and yesterday I think I saw a Rose Breasted Grosbeak. Perhaps the pandemic is bringing them back to our gardens in the same way that wild animals began turning up downtown in deserted cities across the world. And speaking of gardening, thanks for the advice regarding my climbing hydrangea. I will do some trimming of dead leaves and see what that does. The backyard meadow project has gone from idea to measurement of paths. See, this is what happens when you’re stuck at home for weeks on end and your mind begins to rearrange rooms, belongings and then eventually gardens. The idea of Craig digging up a large portion of the grass in the back yard prompted me to suggest that he hire some sort of tool with a motor to help save his back. So yesterday he called Home Depot only to find out that he couldn’t just rent it and pay for it online then pick it up curbside. No, if he wants to rent a tiller (and apparently the one he chose online won’t work and he needs a bigger machine), Craig has to drive down, walk inside to the back of the huge store, present his credit card and drivers license and then walk the machine out to the car himself. Hmmm. As we even get our monthly prescription drugs delivered so that neither of us has to enter a store, this presents a quandary. Part of our concern is that after weeks of slow activity, the stats in Kent County are rising a little faster than before. Today the deaths reached 53 and the confirmed cases are now at 2,705. I have heard people say: well if we get it, I bet it won’t be too bad and then we’ll be immune. That could be true. But here’s a story I heard from a colleague on Zoom this week: In March, she and her husband drove back to Michigan from Florida. They are both over 60 and he has limited lung capacity, so she was very careful all the way home, wiping things down with bleach wipes etc. They stopped overnight in Tennessee, and after she had cleaned the hotel room and settled her husband inside, she called a local restaurant and ordered dinner. She drove to the restaurant, expecting curbside pickup. Instead, she found she had to go inside the busy restaurant and ask for her order at the bar area. There were a lot of people there with no social distancing and no masks. She looked around carefully, while waiting for her order, to make sure she was a good distance away from everyone. As she turned to look at the table of patrons behind her, a woman seated near her coughed so hard, she felt the drops fly across her face. �As soon as she reached the hotel she jumped in the shower and washed everything including her hair. Two days later, after they arrived home, she developed COVID-19. She said it was the worst flu she had ever had. The body aches were horrendous. She spent 9 days in isolation downstairs in their condo. She said the first 4 days were the worst, lying in bed with the blinds down, trying to sleep. After 7 days she began to recover and by 9 days later the virus had gone only to be replaced by bronchitis. It took her over a month to recover. Her lungs took the longest time. So thats why we should all be wearing masks outside and in stores etc. It doesn’t stop you contracting the virus - it helps to stop you giving it to anyone else. If that woman who coughed had been wearing a mask, my colleague might not have gotten sick. Yesterday Governor Whitmer did her Friday press conference and she was standing in front of a large blue screen. To begin, she had an image of the inside of the empty Fox Theater in Detroit put up on the screen. She then told us that the state of Michigan had almost 5,000 deaths now and that the Fox Theater held just over 5,000 people. She said: every one of those empty seats represents a loved one lost to us. Powerful. Then she invited 4 people to pray for us: a Catholic priest from Grand Rapids, a female Rabbi , an Imam from Dearborn and an African American Baptist minister. Each gave a powerful prayer, asking for us all to be loved and sustained and each asking God to protect and sustain Governor Whitmer. In my minds eye, I see her - a slender woman, standing to the side of the stage with her hands clasped together and wearing her mask, listening intently. Some say she is in the running as a Vice President running mate for Joe Biden. I don’t want to stop her from advancing her career, but a selfish part of me really wants her to stay and be my Governor and continue to keep me and all my friends safe and secure, in pandemic times and new normal times. Some other stats Craig gave me this morning and a little food for thought. The United States has 4% of the global population. Currently, it has 32% of all global virus infections and has suffered 28% of all global deaths so far. But here, we are Michiganders. We are tough and resilient and we will get through this together. It sounds so siss, boom, baa! Like a parade, but sometimes thats what we all need to hold on to. So, Oliver. Sometimes when we’re FaceTiming he ‘talks’ so loudly we can’t hear what Zoe is saying. One day soon it’ll be actual words. ��Look at this. He has cheese all over his face and hands - and shortly after this, all over his right eye. Don’t you just love that smile? In Berlin. In our first week there we visited the Spree River in the center of the city. This was our first full day. We walked along the river bank. Berliners take any break in the weather to get out, sit beside the river and drink beer in th sunshine. �The bars put out these deck chairs and they are in use all the time except when it rains. To get to the river, we had to walk through Prison Cell Park to the Hauptbahnhof (the main train station). Here are 2 photos from that first day ��The bottom photo is the remnant of the prison wall. ��This is one of the Berlin Buddy Bears. These bears are Germany’s ambassadors of goodwill. The bear is a symbol on Berlin’s coat of arms. These bears promote tolerance and peace, and are positioned with their arms in the air to symbolize kindliness and optimism. They are made of fiberglass and each one is hand painted by an artist. You know all the rules. See you tomorrow. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-16_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-66 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-16 Title A name given to the resource Day 66 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8db930010dde3b494f4aaed7df2e408a.mp4 db0693c92616a9e645c3da8b61d7b7e5 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2ce4b4fae1e1a40e658d51016630104d.srt 62145737033d6a06b3e1ba9144bd1115 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-08_ElliottRyan_v05 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Elliott, Ryan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-08 Title A name given to the resource Ryan Elliot video journal, Part 5 Description An account of the resource Video journal of Ryan Elliott, GVSU electrical engineering student, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this video, Ryan gives updates about his upcoming wedding plans, politics, and the governor's stay at home order. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/59b1c530f58ee9f853ccc8bbb7f1055a.mp4 1eee58c4aef5c5ebf30dc5cea7484583 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/281617373dd38e8f203ce065cf494ee2.srt d973bdbdd9be8f590998f140ef30ff21 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Moving Image A series of visual representations imparting an impression of motion when shown in succession. Examples include animations, movies, television programs, videos, zoetropes, or visual output from a simulation. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-08_ElliottRyan_v04 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Elliott, Ryan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-08 Title A name given to the resource Ryan Elliot video journal, Part 4 Description An account of the resource Video journal of Ryan Elliott, GVSU electrical engineering student, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this video, Ryan gives updates about work and church. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/mp4 Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ae8815470ff49b08648f5a26f0fc29e0.pdf 1a08d8b2b52b974fbc862af82a050d00 PDF Text Text Day 65 by windoworks This morning I was looking at the virus statistics for the US, Michigan and Kent County and this jumped out at me: there are 4,389,915 cases worldwide and the US has 1,448,245 of them, that is, just over one quarter of all cases are here in the US. I might have to lie down now for a bit. In England, my niece Elle is returning to work on Monday. In New Zealand my daughter-in-law, Alva, returns to work on Monday also. Her husband Zar, continues to work from home until he becomes part of a shift able to return to his office. In Sydney Australia, Zoe continues to work part time from home. She would like to work 4 days a week instead of 3, but the daycare center for Oliver doesn’t have enough staff to cope with more children for more days a week. They are currently funded by the government at one third their normal income. In Melbourne Australia, Asher continues to work from home. New Zealand is using logging in at offices and venues to facilitate contact tracing. As each state is different in Australia, I’m not sure what’s happening there. One of our favorite coffee bars in Balmain has decided that although they are allowed to have 10 customers sit inside the cafe, its far more profitable for them to continue serving food and coffee as a take out venue. They are extremely popular whatever the restrictions. Locally, our butcher shop within walking distance is overwhelmed by customers using curbside pickup. At this time when grocery stores are limiting meat purchases per customer because of the meat processing plant closures due to rampant COVID infections, we can buy good quality local meat products. Last night I made beef short ribs. A new recipe for me and delicious! Our local gluten free, soy free, vegan bakery has stopped taking phone orders and asks all customers to use online ordering at their website. They have begun baking some items such as donuts several times a day to cope with the demand. You give them the make and color of your car and the approximate pickup time. You then stand outside the bakery on the sidewalk and they run your order out to you, wearing gloves and a mask. One evening this week, my two neighbors on either side, brought chairs out and sat on the front lawn, more than 6 feet apart and talked. It was a really cold evening and they sat rugged up in layers, drinking beer and just talking. In the past, they have often sat on a front porch, long into the evening, talking. This was the closest they could get now and it was nice to see. This is the New Normal, and I’m okay with that. Yesterday was a miserable rainy day and Craig and I just went for a drive. We drove out to 84th Street and then drove around the Tanger Outlet Mall. ��Eerily quiet. There were a handful of cars and we wondered if some of the stores were ‘dark stores’ an expression my son introduced me to. Dark stores are retail stores that cater exclusively to online shopping. Dark stores may be the future of post pandemic retail. Grocery store chains such as Whole Foods and Kroger have converted some stores to dark stores, as have other chains such as Bed, Bath and Beyond. I continue to be astonished by the never ending variety of objects able to be purchased online, delivered or picked up at the curb. As a friend of mine remarked: I realized that all my life I’ve been waiting for someone to deliver food to me on a weekly basis - I love it! A post on FaceBook has been asking everyone to say yes or no to wearing a mask. 99.9% of responders said YES! I see people wearing them in parking lots before going into a store, but not when walking outside. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I am trying to give up reading ridiculous news such as trump’s mysterious and baseless Obamagate. Even he couldn’t actually define what he meant. Yesterday there was the 3rd protest in Lansing Michigan outside the empty State House. Why these people gathered in the rain, close together, shouting (all that air from your lungs spreads the virus and takes it in as you get ready to shout) and with semi automatic rifles is entirely beyond me. One woman held a sign that said something like: I’d rather have dangerous freedom than safe restriction. In looking online to see if I could see her sign and its exact wordage I saw �instead lots of men, women and children with no masks and singing loudly. One advantage was that they were outside so its harder for the virus to spread in the open air, but singing is another activity that assists the virus in an easy spread. In the end, it comes down to personal decisions as it has in those states that have reopened early in spite of all advice and guidelines. While a small percentage rush eagerly out, the larger percentage have chosen to stay home. Here’s an Oliver photo to cheer us all up. ��Today’s flashback. After much discussion and photograph searching, I have decided to revisit our 2016 sabbatical in Europe and beginning this week we will be looking at our adventures in Berlin. This city was not what I expected. For some reason I assumed it would look like London or Paris, beautiful old streets and buildings with lots of history. It doesn’t look like that because it was almost completely demolished by the end of the Second World War. They continue to rebuild but it is a slow process. ��Our apartment was in a refurbished building on a quiet street opposite the police barracks. Look at the height of this door! ��The living/dining room ��The narrow but cute kitchen. That window looked out onto the inner courtyard. We had a key to get into the building and another key to ur front door but honestly with the police barracks across the road I never felt unsafe. Here I am on our bedroom balcony overlooking the street below. This apartment was our elegant haven for the next 4 weeks. Stay tuned for our adventures. Mask up! � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-15_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-65 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-15 Title A name given to the resource Day 65 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d227fa171f9dca4ff844995bc8e2a7f9.pdf 70a19ce7226dc89ebed6a84d6dd00e05 PDF Text Text Day 64 by windoworks Here I am, sitting propped up in bed, a pillow under my iPad, my trusty cellphone ready for fact checking beside me and a fresh cup of coffee. To begin from a blogger in New Zealand: “Fear kept us locked inside. Fear also made it hard for us to function: it made us overthink; it put us on the back foot. But perhaps the biggest danger is that it will shrink our lives from now on; that we’ll be more fearful than bold in our choices. Don’t fall into that trap. Aim to live a bigger life, not a smaller one.” I know that right now, fear is making it harder for me to function and the temptation is that it will shrink my life. It’s hard for me to even think about being bold at this moment. On the other hand, this situation is making it easier for me to think about what I do want and what I don’t want in life. Craig and I have established a quiet routine. We have thought of projects and renovations, we are clearing things out and reordering items to be more useful and accessible. The vegetable garden is growing and flowers are appearing. Worryingly, our climbing hydrangea went overnight from bursting with new healthy growth to looking limp and browned. Was it frost or is it a bug? Will it rebound or do we need to pull the whole thing out and start again? If you’re reading this and have any advice, please let me know. And while I’m on the subject, Mary Alice, the clematis are twining their way up the trellis on either side and we have our first flower about to open! So far, so good. Yesterday, Zoe and Oliver met a friend and her son and they went for a walk in the bush (forest) by Taronga Zoo in Sydney. At the end of their walk they sat down to eat some lunch that they had brought with them. Soon a magpie sat nearby on the grass and watched. Then 3 kookaburras joined the magpie and they sat in a circle watching Zoe and her friend eat. The birds began making odd noises and finally one swooped up and took the remainder of the sausage roll out of Zoe’s friends hand. That seemed like a good moment to leave as Zoe’s friend had remarked earlier that this reminded her of the movie ‘The Birds’. Scary. In a hodgepodge of news and tidbits: in New Zealand barbershops opened and customers lined up all night long to get a haircut. I think each customer has to sign in to allow contact tracing. Here in the US a number of big cities are considering closing a percentage of streets to allow outside dining and promote walking and biking. Also in the US, we are on track to produce more electricity from renewable sources than coal. That’s a happy note. From China: there’s some evidence that people can remain asymptomatic for 30-50 days. Eek! �In the how will colleges/ universities teach this fall, category: shut down in a stricken wave this March as the coronavirus pandemic spread across America, colleges and universities are now studying whether and how to move forward, with plans ranging wildly between hope and grim epidemiology. At GVSU there are detailed plans developing for every eventuality. Funding for colleges continues to be a huge problem. If the choice is online classes, will it be cheaper than face to face? In a totally unrelated news item: senior year pranks live on during the coronavirus. One talented group of seniors put their empty high school building on the real estate market. Luckily, no one bought it. In polls taken in April, most Americans thought life would go back to normal in a few months. In recent polls, more Americans think it could take a year or longer. In today’s stats: United States has 1.42 million confirmed cases, and 84, 763 deaths. Michigan has 48, 021 confirmed cases and 4,674 deaths. Kent County has 2,446 cases and 47 deaths. In adjacent Ottawa County (where the GVSU main campus is) there are 444 cases and 21 deaths. Craig has been following these Ottawa numbers and says they are starting to suddenly climb. When I was researching the daily numbers for the US it said that the daily increase from yesterday of confirmed cases was 20,568 and I thought that must be a mistake but its correct, and very sobering. Yesterday, in our search for somewhere to walk and enjoy the warm sunshine where there was the smallest number of other people walking etc., we hit upon the main GVSU campus at Allendale. As we drove in we saw a few people walking or riding bikes. Apparently there are about 200 students in residence from other countries who are unable to get home safely. These 200 students have been a great test run for the administration to try alternate food delivery systems, manage social isolation etc. We walked around one of the forest tracks at the top of the ravine which leads down to the Grand River. It was warm, sunny and exceptionally quiet except for the birds - and not another soul in sight! �I did have my mask tied around my neck but I didn’t need to pull it up. An Oliver update: ��On their bush walk yesterday. This was taken just before Oliver dropped his bundle (began crying loudly). His incoming top teeth are diving him crazy. Today’s flashback: today brings us to the end of our China trip. A silk weaver. They make stunning silk cloth in gorgeous colors - very expensive. �The Spice Stall in the market at Dunhuang. ��Two Uyghur women who greeted us at the restaurant on the night we ate at 11:30pm. I was that slender once. ��An amazing experience. We drove out in the late afternoon to the desert where we were split into groups of 5 and we climbed on to a camel each for a ride in the sand dunes. The top photo shows you just how high the dunes are - there is a line of people climbing up the ridge on the right. The bottom photo shows me, on my camel with my rented orange boots. These elegant boots kept the sand out of my clothing. I was the only one with a scarf/shawl which proved very handy when a small wind blew up. Craig was on another camel string and he took this photo which he named ‘Florence of Arabia”. I was so scared initially that I gripped the camel tightly with my knees and had huge bruises on my legs for days afterwards. In the end, I loved it. There’s something about the way a camel sways slowly along that is very peaceful. ���The Mogao Caves. These caves were constructed some time in the 4th century CE. They contain thousands of Buddha shrines for meditation and pilgrimage. Dunhuang became not only a Silk Road hub but a major religious center. There is an estimated half a million square feet of religious wall murals within the caves. Again, we were not allowed to take photos inside the caves. The bottom photo is of our whole group. After this we all began the long journey home to our various countries. I hope you have enjoyed this armchair trip as much as I have. Let’s see what flashback tomorrow brings. Stay safe - its not over yet. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-14_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-64 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-14 Title A name given to the resource Day 64 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/372b5b093871537fbb3b08a462dd2dfb.pdf 5eb67f4deb6e1fb48df8c56e21721604 PDF Text Text Day 63 by windoworks This blog writing business has become more complicated. I now search through news and articles online to find interesting things to tell you, as well as updates from friends and family overseas. So here goes: The new big job hunt is for Contact Tracers. Contact tracers identify infected individuals based on test results, obtained by city and state health departments. Then they contact people — initially by phone, in most cases — who have tested positive for the coronavirus. Tracers will ask them to recall the names of everyone with whom they have recently come into contact. Finally, contact tracers will warn those people of their potential exposure, advise them to self-quarantine and provide them with access to resources they might need in order to follow protocol. This is a job that you have to train online to be authorized to do. If you are interested, look it up and sign on. Factories are staring to close down altogether. Unemployment is the US could reach 25% (thats a scary thought). Here in Michigan, two children have the mysterious inflammatory syndrome linked to the coronavirus that 73 children presented with in New York. Our next door neighbor Nicolas, who was denied all the wonderful end of high school celebrations because of the virus, has taken a job as a caregiver for man with disabilities. Every weekday Nicolas drives to his house, changes into scrubs and protective gear and assists him. Way to go Nicolas! The future is safe in 2020 Seniors hands. In the ‘will I ever willingly get on a cruise ship again’ update, there are still dozens of cruise ships stuck, anchored off ports around the world. Some are clustered in groups in the Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean and the South China Sea. Tens of thousands of crew members have been trapped for weeks and unable to get home, some are locked in their small cabins with regimented fresh air breaks 3 times a day. Some are being paid and some are not. All cruise lines have been asked to charter planes to get their crews home but most seem to be dragging their feet. And ignoring this distressing story above, cruise lines have begun advertising new cruises from AUGUST THIS YEAR onwards! But not before all this happens: No self service buffets, no passengers over 70 without a doctors certificate (what now? I have to get a certificate to pay money to cruise?), temperature and medical checks before embarking and during the cruise, enhanced cleaning, fewer passengers, fewer ships, shorter closer to home itineraries and lower fares. Sounds truly enticing to me. (That was sarcasm).And bear in mind, to get to a port to sail from, you have to fly first. Hmmm. �In a “lets think about that” move, California State University, the biggest 4 year University in the States, announced yesterday that it is canceling all face-to-face teaching in the fall and will conduct online teaching only. Craig is enrolled in an online course on best teaching practices for online teaching, as all GVSU faculty has been asked to do, in case online teaching becomes the only way for classes to be held. Yesterday President Mantilla of GVSU held a virtual town hall. We’ll see what the fall brings. Yesterday was a big day for Murphy. With dog wash facilities closed locally and Murphy beginning to smell a little ‘doggy’, we had a very exciting episode after lunch. ��You can see just how much she was enjoying this as I captured one of the moments she tried hard to escape. She smells heaps better now and I think she’s forgiven Craig. Earlier in the day we drove out to near 64th street and walked along another section of the Fred Meijer Trail. In this section, we walked over a fast flowing stream with ducks. You can’t see the ducks but it was a pretty stop - and yes it was still cold before lunchtime. On his early morning walk Craig saw this: ��And because there always has to be an Oliver photo, here’s two: ��But why can’t I chew the rubber edge on the coffee table? Mum? ��It seems to be time to mount the baby videocam on the wall! Today’s flashback: another Dunhuang excursion was to Souyang ruined city in the desert. This Silk Road city was first established in 111BCE by Emperor Wu and then moved to its current site in 295CE. It prospered during the Tang and Western Xia dynasties. At its peak, the population was 50,000 and it thrived for over a Millenium. It was destroyed and abandoned in the 16th century. It was another hot afternoon. It took a long time to drive to Souyang and then it was a long walk in, in unrelenting heat. ��I think I’m in the middle there, trudging along. ��The top photo is of walls (I think) and the bottom photo is of Craig, 8 years later with the tower from the first photo way in the background. This shows you what a vast city this was in its heyday. Like everything else, facilities have been upgraded and there are now carts which drive you into the ruins. I hated the whole experience and Craig was ecstatic to see a site he had lectured on. By the time we got back to our hotel, we ate dinner at 11:30pm. Not my best day. Stats: Kent County cases continue to rise. Yesterday we had 2,416 cases and sadly 45 deaths in total. We have seen an increase of 500 cases over the last week. Yesterday Dr Fauci said we will experience avoidable sufferings, death and further economic damage if states reopen too soon. And here’s a link to an excellent article, worth reading. https://www.erinbromage,com/post/the-risksknow-them-avoid-them Till tomorrow then. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-13_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-63 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-13 Title A name given to the resource Day 63 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/609a8740d817b9c729b478e780a6b96c.pdf 822778fd892fc67f4dc89c17db2ca0ec PDF Text Text Day 62 by windoworks Yesterday we drove to Martha’s Vineyard for a curbside pickup (oh all right, it was Vodka and Marsala). Then we went downtown to the Grand Valley’s downtown campus and walked pretty much on our own over the Grand River and back to the car again. ���Weirdly empty. Then we drove over to Chowhound where a very strong young woman, gloved and masked, manhandled the largest bag of dog food into the back of our car. And that was our outing for the day. It’s funny what becomes an outing in this time. Still, its fresh air and a little exercise. In China, Singapore and South Korea they are seeing new virus cases appearing and I think in some states here, where they have opened up prematurely, they are experiencing an upswing. The latest findings are that this virus keeps attacking new parts of the body and the experts are not sure why. It’s odd to think that 9 weeks ago, the only symptoms you had to worry about were fever, cough and fatigue. Scientists have begun to think that there may not be a second wave in the Fall but a series of wavelets from now on. In Europe, France is divided into 3 zones, red, orange and green. Green is the southern area of France with a very low incidence of cases. Interestingly, this is the area we lived in for 2 months in 2016. The north eastern area, including Paris, is the red zone with strict stay at home conditions and between the 2 zones is the orange zone or transition area. �In Germany, a month after easing restrictions, there appears to be a rising infection rate. This speaks to R rates and here’s what this means: The R number is a key factor in gauging the coronavirus pandemic. It refers to the ‘effective reproduction number’ of COVID-19. An R value of 1 is a crucial threshold. This refers to the average number of people one infected person will pass the virus to. Recent estimates of China’s infection rate has placed it at R6.6. And to look at it another way: if a country has an R of 1.5, this means that 100 people could infect 150, who would in turn infect 225, who would infect 338 and so on. how do we stop the R factor from rising? Really only by staying home and practicing safe distancing and strict hygiene routines. Once we start letting those practices slide, the R factor begins to climb again. The ideal R factor is way below 1. The only long term solution is a vaccine and no one knows when that will be available. So thats the science lesson over for today. For questions, please look online. After a number of reassuring emails from various airlines, trying to coax me back into considering flying again, a recent United flight looked like this: �Every seat was full with everyone using the overhead lockers as usual. I think the flight was from New York to San Francisco - about 5 and a half hours in that confined space with no food or drink service. Hmmmm. To cheer us all up, here is an Oliver photo - note the red cheeks. It’s teething time again. ��And now to the days flashback. So we left Xi’an formerly known as Chang’an. Why was the name changed? Chang’an (perpetual city) was the capital of China from 800BCE (Before the Common Era) to 900CE (Common Era). When the Ming came to power in the 15th century they wanted to promote Beijing as the capital so they changed the name of Chang’an to Xi’an which means ‘western city‘. This is a rural scene outside of Xi’an. From Xi’an we flew far to the west to Dunhuang a city on the edge of the Gobi desert. It was a major stop on the ancient Silk Road and is situated in an oasis containing Crescent Lake and Mingsha Shan meaning Sining Sand Mountain which refers to the singing sands whipping off the dunes. After we landed we drove out in a coach to see the Yulin Grottoes. �We’re all so tired, we fell asleep on the coach. �Entering the Gobi Desert. What a change in scenery! ��The Yulin Grottoes or Caves. It took us about 2 hours driving to get there. There are 32 caves with murals in the east cliff and 11 caves in the west cliff. These cave murals were painted over a long period from the 2nd to 10th century. Some of these were painted as thanks for surviving the Silk Road journey. This became a popular area for talented artists to display their skill. In order to see some of the fantastic cave murals we saw, you would have to look online as we were strictly forbidden to take photos. Just as it looks, it was stultifyingly hot and dry. It seemed to suck the moisture right out of you and you had to keep constantly drinking water. I think this is also the place where the available toilet facilities smelt so disgusting that Zoe and I elected to pee in the bushes. Craig visited this area in June last year and in the intervening 8 years the site has been considerably improved and the toilets are now at western standards. More desert adventures tomorrow. I’m not going to say it because I’m sure you could recite it verbatim back to me. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource COVID-19 Journals Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Libraries Description An account of the resource This collection of journals and personal narratives was solicited from the GVSU community by archivists of the University Libraries during the events of the 2020 COVID-19 global pandemic. During this unprecedented crisis the university closed suddenly, following federal and state guidelines of social distancing to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus. The university closed its campuses on March 12, 2020, and quickly moved students out of campus housing. Faculty swiftly transitioned to fully-online teaching for the remainder of the Winter 2020 semester, and all campus events, including commencement, were cancelled. The purpose of the COVID-19 Journaling Project was to document the individual and personal experiences of GVSU’s students, staff, faculty, and the wider community during this time of international crisis. Some project participants were university student employees who were compensated for their journaling. Other participants were granted stipends or extra credit for submitting entries to the archives. Still others participated without any compensation or credit. The University Archives remains grateful to all who submitted journals, for helping us to understand the impact of this crisis on our community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Subject The topic of the resource Epidemics Grand Valley State University College students Personal narratives COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context COVID-19_2020-05-12_BenjaminPamela_PD-Day-62 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Benjamin, Pamela Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2020-05-12 Title A name given to the resource Day 62 Description An account of the resource Daily journal entry of Pamela Benjamin, spouse of GVSU history professor, Craig Benjamin, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally self-published on WordPress. Subject The topic of the resource COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2020 Epidemics Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids (Mich.) Personal narratives Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Archives. COVID-19 Journaling Project Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng