NEWS ABOUT PEOPLE ON MACKINAC ISLAND
BY JEANNETTE DOUD

The approach on either side of the walkway leading to the Mackinac Island Yacht Club was lined with white Shasta daisies, complimented with large sprigs of lavender Russian sage. It was so pretty and inviting. Margaret McIntire was guest of honor at a delightful luncheon at the club in celebration of her 80th birthday Tuesday, August 1, hosted by friends Ann Timmons, Janis Holle, and Lois Largo. Guests first enjoyed the view from the verandah, showing Mackinac in all of its summer splendor. The day was unusually hot and humid for the Island. A delightful luncheon was served in an air-cooled dining room. Margaret's favorite birthday cake, baked by pastry chef Lori Myers, was served. Her birthday wish was to remain 79 for many years to come. Happy birthday, Margaret, and best wishes with continued years of good health and happiness.

Amy (Mrs. Jeff) Jameson of Aspen, Colorado, attended her 20th class reunion at Petoskey High School this past week. She visited her parents, Gary and Anna Mary Cusack, sisters Kate and Marge, and her grandmother, Helga Doud, on Mackinac. Amy and Jeff make their home in Aspen, where Jeff is the caretaker for the estate of actor Kevin Costner, living on the premises. Amy describes the beauty of the grounds and the area, where she and Jeff often go hiking with their two-year-old Labrador retriever, Jack. It was great seeing and hearing from Amy, who enjoys living in Colorado.

Jill Sawatzki celebrated her birthday with a surprise breakfast celebration at the Pancake House Friday, July 28. Pictured are (from left, front row) Jan Sager, Helen Wolfgang, Jill Sawatzki, and Diane Sprengle; (back) Joyce Dodge, Mary Dufina, Molly Carroll, Paula Starkweather, Bonnie Foltz, Loretta Spata, Carol Rearick, and Joan Barch. (Photograph courtesy of Diane Sprengle)

Don't forget to attend the benefit spaghetti dinner for Adam Kiracofe Monday, August 7, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Community Hall. Please come and support this worthy cause.

Mark your calendar for the Mackinac Island Medical Center auction Sunday, August 27. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. You may drop off items at the medical center.

Mackinac Associates' Great Turtle Trivia Bowl was held at Mission Point Theatre Thursday, July 27, at 7:30 p.m. It was a fun evening enjoyed by all.

Once again, our dedicated Mackinac Island Fire Department responded to a call Monday evening, July 31, to the Millinium Building behind the St. Cloud. Fortunately, the call was a false alarm.

We send special birthday greetings to Candi Dunnigan August 9. Nice to see Brian enjoying a three week vacation on Mackinac.

Monday evening, July 31, friends gathered on the lawn behind Ste. Anne's rectory for a cookout in honor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Feast Day. It was a beautiful evening and the view was magnificent as the freighter Joseph Block passed through the Round Island Passage. Father Rey Garcia of Ste. Anne's is a master gardener. He has two gardens, one vegetable and the other planted in flowers of all descriptions. It's a beautiful sight and a wonderful addition to the grounds of the rectory. In front of Ste. Anne's Church, the yellow lilies are in full bloom, a gift of Amelia Musser. They are so bright and attractive.

Happy birthday to Laurie Gough August 9. Enjoy your day.

I received a call from Skip Warp, Wednesday, August 2, informing me that the Warp and Johnson families will be holding a surprise 90th birthday party Saturday evening, August 5, for Grace Johnson. Grace's birthday is August 9 and she lives in Schaumburg, Illinois. Grace spent many happy summers on Mackinac at the Warp cottage. Special birthday greetings from her many Island friends.

Friday, July 28, Jill Sawatzki was invited by a friend to have breakfast at the Pancake House. Upon her arrival she was greeted by all the members of the Island Book Club singing "Happy Birthday" and was presented with a delicious cake. Jill was so happy and excited. She works at the Island Book Store and lives in Lansing in the winter.

Ed Horn of Afton and Mackinac will celebrate his birthday August 10. Have a great day.

This past Sunday, while riding in a taxi to Ste. Anne's, I met a very nice young driver, Jim Perialas of Roscommon, where he is a high school teacher. He and his wife, Carrie, who is a cousin to Annette Gillespie, love Mackinac and have been coming each summer for the past 20 years. Jim enjoys driving taxi on the weekends. He and his wife are avid readers of the Mackinac Island Town Crier. Nice to see you back on Mackinac.

It's a rainy afternoon, Wednesday, August 2. The rain is so needed and welcome. Folks going by are carrying umbrellas, while a group of horseback riders are happily going on a ride up and through our beautiful Island in spite of the rain.

Becki Splett of Bloomer, Wisconsin, and a frequent guest at the Windermere Hotel, will celebrate her birthday August 11. Hope that you can still visit Mackinac this summer.

Our good friend Wally Peck of Manistique arrived on Friday and is employed at Sinclair's Irish Pub. Wally has worked on Mackinac for many years, so it's great to have him back on the Island.

Kathi Wightman, Edson Pfeiffelman, and Mar Pulte will celebrate their birthdays August 11. Hope your day is special.

Annette "Toots" Gillespie makes delicious rhubarb jam and zucchini bread from her Island garden and she shares the goodies with me. Annette's son, Alex, from Florida, is spending three weeks on the Island visiting his parents. A very happy birthday to Bob Gillespie August 12.

Vacationing on their favorite Island this past week were Elliot and Rita Sue Cohen of Bloomfield Hills. They were guests at the Chippewa Hotel. At the Mackinac Island Yacht Club Thursday evening, they were greeted by Island friends. Saturday, July 29, the Brad Conkey family from Sylvan Lake joined the Cohens for the weekend.

Frank and Agnes Wood of De Pere, Wisconsin, were recent guests at the Windermere Hotel. We look forward to their return in the fall.

Mary and John Davey of Bloomfield Hills are enjoying their East Bluff cottage with its magnificent view of the Straits of Mackinac. We give them a very warm welcome.

Audrey Gallery of Chicago is enjoying her Hubbard's Annex cottage for the month of August and is happy to have her family join her on Saturday.

Happy birthday to Charlie Thompson August 13. Enjoy your day.

John Croghan, Jr., who with his late parents and sisters spent many summers at the Croghan's cottage on the West Bluff, has been ill at his home in Virginia. He plans to visit Mackinac late in the season. Island friends send best wishes to John.

Little Jack Kaminen, son of Carrie and Cory, celebrated his first birthday July 26. I'm sure that Jack received many surprises.

A wonderful surprise recently was a visit from Barb Fraser, son, Rick, and daughter from Sarnia, Ontario. The Frasers have a host of friends on Mackinac, especially Dennis Brodeur, and enjoyed meeting them in the famous Mustang Bar, where Rick joined Brother Jim Boynton and other Island musicians entertaining friends. Their late husband, father, and grandfather, Hilt Fraser, loved Mackinac and all his friends. The Frasers were the guests of Bill and Sue Chambers at Voyageur Inn on Bogan Lane.

Melissa Sage and her husband of Chicago were the guests of Shannon Schuler and her family last week. Melissa's Sage Foundation promoted the turtle auction, which was produced by the Mackinac Island Community Foundation. It was nice to see you back on Mackinac.

Joe Abbey of Traverse City visited his sister-in-law, Margaret McIntire, and family for a few days. He attended the Jammin' of the Arts Tuesday evening.

Best wishes to Ron O'Neil, who will be having heart catheterization at Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey on Friday.

It's a pleasure seeing Congressman Bart and Laurie Stupak enjoying one of the historic old homes on the hill of history. Laurie is a member of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission. They spent a few days relaxing on Mackinac.

Our beautiful floral hanging baskets continue to make the Island more and more attractive. Anyone wishing to contribute to the flower basket fund may do so by sending a contribution to Betty BeDour or Kathy Wightman. Your generosity will be greatly appreciated.

The Randy McKay family of Chassell arrived Wednesday to join their Mackinac family. Daughter Katilyn will celebrate her birthday on the same day as her aunt, Peggy Bynoe, August 8. Afamily celebration is planned.

The big news of the week was the intense heat that plagued the Island and its residents during the past days. The heat was unbearable and not often experienced on Mackinac. The cool breeze finally arrived during the early morning hours of Wednesday, August 2. What a wonderful relief. At around 11 p.m. Tuesday evening, a fierce streak of lightning flashed in the sky, followed by a terrific rumble of thunder. At that point, cable television service was interrupted on the Island. It was restored Wednesday morning.

Monday evening, July 31, a view of Marquette Park looking east was a breathtaking sight. There, old Fort Mackinac stood proudly guarding the Island and the Straits. The park was a vibrant green owing to the underground sprinkler system. Across the street was the marina, where yachts of every size and description were moored. Continuing east, the trees and shrubs showed the beauty of the Island. The flower gardens are filled with many varieties of blooming plants. In the midst of such peace and tranquility, stood Ste. Anne's Church with its steeple showing brilliantly in the bright blue sky.

Tom Gledden and his wife, Alandra, were guests of the Windermere for their yearly visit. Tom owns Gledden Fence Company. Tom is Rosie Charnes' son, and she works for him part-time during the winter months. He loves the Island and the Windermere so much that he brought three of his brothers-inlaw to share the beauty of Mackinac. It is the seventh year for

Duke's Mackinac Mommy's Trip to the Island. They enjoyed their stay at the Windermere and Harbor View. The whole group had a great dinner at Woods, danced in the Terrace Room, sailed on the Island Breeze, and shopped until they dropped. Rosie Charnes meets every Wednesday morning with the girls when she is in Indianapolis.

Happy 60th birthday to Dave Pulve August 7. Have a great day.

We ask for prayers and best wishes for seven-month-old Dakota Horn, son of Katrina Platzke and Brett Horn, who will be traveling with his mother Friday, August 4, to Children's Hospital for follow-up testing.

A broken fiber-optics cable in Marquette knocked out Internet service and some telephone service on the Island Thursday.

Enjoy the cooler weather.