As we all know, there are only two HL Regional Events next year, one southeast and one west. in discussions with HL, they are aware that the Wacko Family has gathered for the past several years (5, I believe), first at Chicago and then at Grand Rapids last year. Since we have had successful gatherings these past years, HL has agreed to participate in a special club sponsored event for those of us in the midwest.

On Saturday, May 15th, there will be a gathering of the Wacko Family in Door County, WI. This just happens to be the weekend of the Door County Lighthouse Walk, and HL will have a presence at the event. The event will consist of a gathering, fellowship and (of course) dinner. We are still working out details and costs. One or more of the Younger family will attend. The specifics will be publicized as they become available.

There is a very special reason that you should plan to attend, other that the chance to go lighthousing with your Wacko Family. HL has agreed to produce a special event piece, which will have very limited availability (and a small production run). You won't want to miss this one!

We will be making arrangements with hotels for a block of rooms at a reasonable cost. We will also be willing to do as we did two years ago - work with people flying in to the event to hitch a ride with someone or such.

Interested in more info? Please use this special address: e v e n t @ lighthousekeepers.com (take out the spaces - this was done to try to keep the address from making junk mail lists).

Dave

Thanks to Dave Hannum and Suzanne Murphy for working very hard behind the scenes to make this happen.

We'd like this gathering to be on the scope of thost great Rosemont gatherings of the past. So we're looking for all our WACKO friends and members of the Hoosier Lighthousing Club and the Wisconsin Lighthouse District to be there.

The Door County Maritime Museum and Lighthouse Preservation Society has not yet posted the information about the 2004 Lighthouse Walk, but it will parallel the event from 2003. This includes opportunities to see the lights from the water and air.

AND we'd love to have any and all who can make the trip to the midwest in mid-May to join us. The addition of the special Harbour Lights lighthouse just for this event and with a very small edition size is a huge bonus!

Don't forget the opportunities to go 'Lighthousing' up and down the Wisconsin Lake Michigan Shore and to visit lights in the UP of Michigan before or after the weekend.

For those who would be flying in, check fares to Green Bay, Milwaukee and Chicago (Midway and O'Hare'). The earlier you book, generally, the lower your cost. Dave and Suzanne have found rooms in the $50 range and up for this busy Door County Weekend. And for those who like cozier accomodations, Door offers lots of Bed and Breakfast places.

I've checked some airfares from PHX as examples:

PHX - Green Bay $312 AA
PHX - Milwaukee $261 America West
PHX - Midway $266 Frontier
PHX - Chicago ORD $343 AA
PHX - Iron Mountain MI $339 Midwest

Southwest only allows you to book fares for the next 4 months but they show a round trip PHX - Midway of $195.

See you there!

We've been to so many Door County lighthouse walks, we skipped last year and probably would have this year until I heard rumors of a special piece for the event. We already marked it on our calanders, but now it's even better. Looking forward to this since there won't be any midwest Regional tis year.

Mike

Wish I could make it but that is the same time as the Headlights for Lighthouses on Cape Cod and I'm all signed up and ready to go for that event.

Unless you're flying from Syracuse of course! Currently $355 to Green Bay and $6 more to Milwaukee (go figure). Prices from here will go down, then up between now and then.

Sounds like a nice time.

Sue, we are counting on you to serve as the Director of Liquid Refreshment, so you need to figure a way to make the trip.

Best deal currently is a Thursday depart and a Monday return at $280, more time to devote to my assignment. Book me in at the Cheapo Motel and toss a few longnecks in the lake to cool over the winter.

Here's the mileage from each of the named aiports to the Door County Marine Museum:

Green Bay 53 Miles
Iron Mountain Michigan Aiport 142 Miles
Milwaukee Airport 162 Miles
Chicago Midway Airport 248 Miles
Chicago O'Hare Airport 248 Miles

Book your hotels early as well. There's only a few chain hotels in Sturgeon Bay, Comfort Inn, Super 8 and American Inn. They'll be expensive, but some of the other lodges and resorts will be more.

Will those of us that are unable to make it to this mini-regional event be able to buy the special edition lighthouse or will it be for attendees only? I sure would like to get my hands on one.

Glad you asked that question Rich. I also would love to get my hands on one. Hopefully, we will or maybe we'll have to have someone stand in for us.

Also happening during the Door County Lighthouse Walk 2004:

POTTAWATOMIE LIGHTHOUSE DEDICATION CEREMONY AND OPEN HOUSE. Pottawatomie Lighthouse will be the featured lighthouse during the 2004 Door County Lighthouse Walk. The Dedication Ceremony is planned for Saturday May 15, 2004.

Pottawatomie is the lighthouse that the Wisconsin Lighthouse District (a Harbour Lights Collectors Club) adopted many years ago. The club has helped with financial donations and physical labor in the restoration of Pottawatomie Lighthouse. The club is especially proud of the dedication and hard work that Jim Johnston has provided. He has given many hours of labor restoring Pottawatomie lighthouse. Thank you Jim!

The club and the FORUM WACKOS will be recognized on plaques as having helped with donations in the restoration effort. The Forum Wackos bought many a raffle ticket during our Rosemont gatherings that helped Pottawatomie.

I also would like to thank the Kentucky - Derby City Lights club and the Missouri - Gateway Lightkeepers for their donations to Pottawatomie Lighthouse! I also thank Harbour Lights for their donations!

Look for more information in the next few months regarding the Dedication Ceremony for Pottawatomie Lighthouse. We look forward to seeing the Forum Wackos and HL club members at the Dedication Ceremony for Pottawatomie Lighthouse.

The two boat rides should be no problem for the dedicated lighthouse lover!

Suzanne Murphy
Wisconsin Lighthouse District

"Door County Marine Museum" ... that would be the Door County Maritime Museum & Lighthouse Preservation Society

Right you are Tim. Hope you'll be there, too!

Could it be that Pottawatomie would be the special event piece??? That would be a fitting tribute to those who have contributed their time, talents and money to it's restoration. And JJ could finally get rid of that sign he's been lugging around so long! Does anyone have a match???

So let me get this straight..

HL will make a special piece JUST FOR US WACKOS? As in, the public can't buy it? Will they scan our badges or something?

Okay! I give up!! What does WACKO mean? It must be an acronym for something 'cause I can't imagine everybody using that handle has the gates down and the lights flashing, but the train isn't coming.

Sure wish that we could make this event, especially after getting a taste of the Great Lakes this past weekend, BUT (as Shirin mentioned earlier) the Headlights for Lighthouses on Cape Cod is where MJ and I will be.

Ron
(CT Keeper)

Sandy,

You will be awarded the title of Wacko after you have posted 5o messages here on the forums.

You will then be able to add a picture to you name if you wish.

The term is used because most of us here are "wacko" about Harbour Lights Replicas and Real Lighthouses. Hence the term Wacko.

It's a term of endearment- or at least it's supposed to be.

It's not as bad for you as it is for me- I have to explain to people that I'm a card carrying Wacko and a Poconut.

Now before you ask about that statement- Dave Hannum makes Wacko Badges for any who wish to buy them. The purpose is two-fold.
1. You're supposed to wear it anytime you go to a Lighthouse or Lighthhouse related event .

2.The money paid for the badges is donated to a different Lighthouse each year.

The other question you might have with that statement is- what's a Poconut? It's someone who is a big fan of a musical group called Poco ( country rock, created out of the ashes of Buffalo springfield in 1969 and still going stong today). I've been known to travel as far for a Poco concert as to see a Lighthouse. In fact I try and combine the two together whenever possible.

Dennis

So we can get back to the purpose of this thread, I have started a thread on the history of Wackos. There is more, maybe people will add to the new thread.


We now return this thread to its original topic,
"Wacko Gathering in Door County"

Well, EXCUSE ME!

Dennis

I am so there! We were planning on going to the Lighthouse Walk this upcoming spring anyhow. I've been to Door County three times but never to the festival. I had a rare opportunity this past September to fly over Washington Island and I got some great aerial shots of Potowattamie, Plum, and Pilot Island lights. Please put me on the mailing list!

By the time that this event takes place, there will also be 2 new Krispy Kremes for your "dining" pleasure. New ones scheduled to be opened in Green Bay and Appleton. Unfortunately, to hit them both you would have to take the long and less lighthouse scenic way up US 41. If Sue can't make it, I will certainly be willing to take over as the refreshment director, we can make it a tailgating experience.

I am striking out on all the dates for regional events next year.

My son has his law school graduation on May 14. I was teasing him and said I might have a conflict for attending his graduation.

I'll be in the Miami area on March 6 & 7 and also March 14 & 15, but I'll miss the St. Augustine weekend by a few days.

I will be out of the country for a couple weeks and flying home on July 3 so I'm sure I won't make it to San Francisco.

My 2004 lighthousing is off to a bad start. I hope another event comes along to remedy that.

Dave,
Larry and I will definitly try and be there, I will have to try and get someone to work May 14th for me but this weekend sounds to fun to miss. Keep us up to date on the events going on in Door County.
Thanks :p

Within the next week or so we should be able to post more specific information on the event. We should also have an arrangement with a hotel to serve as our base of operations. If you are interested in attending and have not yet responded you might want to do so. Due to the size of the facility where we will have dinner, we will have to limit participation to about 100 people.

I am living on the edge but I'm ready for my first lighthousing trip to Wisconsin. I will be attending my son's graduation starting at 10:00am on Friday and be heading straight to the airport for a flight at 2:45pm.

John and I will be flying in to Green Bay on Friday night; arriving around 9:30pm. We are going to fly out of Chicago on Wed. so that we can catch all the lighthouses heading down Lake Michigan towards Chicago.

Since we have never been there before, we are open for any suggestions on lighthousing, places to stay, things not to miss, etc.

Thanks Dave and Suzanne for all your help setting this up.

Dave, I already have a hotel booked in Ephriam. Please do put two adults and one two year old in for the dinner event.

Is there going to be any special boat tours arranged for this group, or we just sign up for the regularly scheduled ones?

We won't be arranging any special tours. That will be the choice of the participants. The only thing we will be working on is the Saturday evening dinner gathering. Some WILD members will probably be attending the celebration on Rock Island now that the light is finished.

When the boat schedule is published, there might be a few of us taking one of the boat trips on Sunday. If people want to do this together it would add to the fun.

I am thinking of either the 'all day tour' or the 'land on Plum Island / go past Pilot Island' trip.

The Chambers Island trip hasn't been offered the last couple of years, but if they resolve their liability issues and offer the trip again, that would also be a good trip for a group of us to go on.

Suzanne Murphy

OK...I asked this question a while ago, but it didn't get answered and may be forgotten by now...

HL is producing a replica just for those of us who go to this event? As in, it will never be introduced to the public, or will be introduced later? COOL!

The event piece will have a very limited (very small) production run.

For any of you that have done this weekend before...give us novices some tips on how to see and do the most.

Since John and I have never been there before (and we might not get back for a while), we want to experience it all. We're game for any boat, plane, or land trips and would love to join up with any other WACKO's.

The first thing you should do is go to the Door County Maritime Museum and Lighthouse Preservation Society website and sign up for the 2004 Walk brochure. When it is published, it will be mailed to you. Last year ticket sales started in March. http://www.dcmm.org/contact.html

You can also get the info from this page when it is updated for 2004. In the meantime you can see what boat trips were offered last year. http://www.dcmm.org/lighthouse_walk.html

I will answer any questions you have about Wisconsin lighthouses and visiting them. I can help you with the Door County lighthouse Walk. I have been to the Walk almost every year and have been on most of the boat trips.

Suzanne Murphy

Friday night May 14, 2004 KEEPERS KIN RECEPTION

Keepers Kin reception will be held at the Sturgeon Bay headquarters of the DCMM & LPS.

For the program portion of the evening there will be 3 short presentations:

1) a representative from the U S COAST GUARD will talk about the LIGHTHOUSES OF DOOR COUNTY

2) a representative from the FRIENDS OF ROCK ISLAND (FORI) will talk about POTTAWATOMIE LIGHTHOUSE and the restoration project that this terrific group has recently completed on the state’s oldest light

3) a representative from HARBOUR LIGHTS will do a presentation on lighthouse figurines.

There is usually a big selection of deserts from Door County at this event.

Suzanne Murphy

From the Friends of Rock Island:

Announcing the POTTAWATOMIE LIGHTHOUSE GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

On a rugged limestone bluff off the tip of Door County, a bright beacon has warned mariners to steer clear of Rock Island’s crags and shoals on their way in and out of Green Bay since 1836. Credited as Lake Michigan’s first federal lighthouse built in Wisconsin, the original Pottawatomie Lighthouse only lasted 22 years; it was razed before wind and rain toppled the gray, square 30-foot tower constructed with faulty mortar.

The present lighthouse replaced the original structure in 1858. The building was a solid, sturdy duplex that housed the keeper on the first floor and an assistant who occupied the second story.

Thanks to a cooperative effort between the Friends of Rock Island and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Pottawatomie Lighthouse is now fully restored. A new lantern room tops the lighthouse tower, the interior of the keeper’s quarters has been brought back to its early 1900s appearance, and the surrounding outbuildings all have been given a new lease on life. Beginning this June, volunteer families will be living in the ighthouse and leading public tours interpreting the maritime history of this Great Lakes treasure.

We are celebrating the completion of the restoration by hosting a Pottawatomie Lighthouse Grand Opening Gala to be held on the lighthouse grounds Saturday, May 15, 2004, beginning at 1:00 PM. We hope that you will be able to attend this event, which will feature a dedication ceremony and entertainment by some neighboring Washington Island musicians. Tours of the lighthouse will be given and refreshments will be served.

Kind regards,

Tim Sweet - President
Friends of Rock Island

Thanks for all the information Suzanne. I've signed up to receive the 2004 Walk brochure.

We won't be able to do much Friday night since we will be getting in late but we'll be good to go for all the events on Saturday and Sunday.

Count us in for whatever the WACKO group wants to participate in.

Actually, Lorie, we signed you & John up to charter as large a boat as you can find in Green Bay and bring it over to help us with our lighthousing efforts. . . . . . .

Not a problem Dave. I am very good at operating boats (just as long as I don't have to dock them)! Where should we pick you up?

Dave,
AK and I would like to paricipate in the Door County event if there is still room. I responded to the e-mail you sent us, but I'm having trouble with outgoing mail (incoming seems OK) so I suspect you did not recieve it.
Please let me know when you have a preferred hotel, and if I need to send you anything.
Thanks,
Roger

Roger, you have been spending too much time on that new bike - seems to have damaged your computer skills...... I've added you to the list.

Dave,
Thanks - We're looking forward to seeing everyone again. I plead No Contest to the part.

Kim Andrews was at Winter Lights on Saturday, Jan 17. She wouldn't tell me what the special piece is, but she is concerned that it may not be ready in time. It still hasn't gone to the factory.

We shall see. Good for Kim in keeping the secret!

This is going to be a fabulous event and we can't wait for it to happen. We're booking our hotel tomorrow.

Hello,

Am I too late? I just sent an e-mail to the address listed above. We're already going to Door County in July, and we had two other 10 day vacations planned. However, plans have changed. So,I thought this would be fun. I see someone else from Minnesota signed up.

Let me know.

Tammy

Not too late at all, Tammy. You'll love these WACKO gatherings!

Hello Tammy,

This will be my 5th Lighthouse Walk. Glad to see you will make it.

TD

I'm glad there is room! I'm excited.

TD...It's nice to know there will be one familiar face! I hope your wife is doing well.

Tammy

Hi Tammy, we look forward to meeting you in may. It's always neat to meet someone close to home who collects.
-Mindy and Adam

Hi Everyone, Larry and I have made reservations at the Birchwood Lodge in Sister Bay for the upcoming Door County Lighthouse Walk. We are really excited as we have never been up to see the lighthouses in this area of the Great Lakes. Hope to see all the familiar WACKO gang there. We will be arriving on Thursday and leaving Sunday and plan to do a boat trip or two on Friday. Does anyone know if you have to order the event piece through HL or a local store in Door County???

It is possible that the special event piece will be revealed within the next few weeks - stay tuned........