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FOPPI Forum Spring / Summer Newsletter
1. www.plumandpilot.org
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Friends of Plum &
Pilot Islands, Inc.
Founded in 2007
Forum
Spring / Summer 2015
In this Edition:
President’s Corner
FOPPI Update
Feature Articles
FOPPI Happenings
FOPPI Special Events
FOPPI Women in Preservation
Preserving Memories
Island Inspirations
Tiny Houses on Plum Island, Part II
A Hazardous Trip All the Way
Light Lessons
The Last of the Fresnel Lens
Nature’s Notebook
Plum Island Wildflowers
Music Review
I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper
Ah, summer is here! That means fitting in lots of trips to the islands during this
window of good weather. Here’s an update on what’s happening.
The USFWS has a Maintenance Action Team coming to Plum Island July 21-30 to
do building stabilization work. Anyone interested in volunteering to help the team
should email Francis Gercz, a park ranger and volunteer coordinator with the
USFWS, at francis_gercz@fws.gov. Frank said he is looking for up to three
volunteers each day to assist with projects.
Unfortunately, the grant FOPPI applied for through the National Park Service was
not accepted. Instead, the Board has committed $22,000.00 toward dock repairs
on Plum Island. The USFWS has an alternate idea to fund the Historic Structures
Report. It involves a financial commitment from the Service as well as FOPPI. The
HSR will result in an overall plan for the buildings and structures listed on the
National Register of Historic Places. Such a plan is necessary for getting approval
from the state historical society for continued restoration work. Please consider
making a donation toward this important step in the process.
Scott Nelson is FOPPI’s new volunteer coordinator. He has done an excellent job
of getting workers out to the island this spring and summer. We appreciate his
efforts. You can email Scott Scott Nelson kc9ble@yahoo.com about other
opportunities to volunteer.
Thank you to Tim Windingstad for his service to the FOPPI Board of Directors. His
hard work and outstanding organizational skills will be missed.
Mary Beth Volmer is also stepping down from her director position. However, she
will still be the editor of our newsletter, and she is the director of the Women in
Preservation project. MaryBeth is a difference-maker, and we are thankful for her
past service on the Board and for her continuing commitment to FOPPI.
How about you? Are you thinking perhaps you might like to become more
involved? We would welcome the addition of your time, treasure, and talents.
Please contact me or another Board member for more information on helping to
move the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands forward into the future.
See you at the Annual Meeting and Picnic on Saturday, July 25th
. Contact
me to reserve your spot on the boat by July 15th
.
Kind regards,
Tim Sweet
The FOPPI Forum is published four times a year
by the Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands, Inc. with
the cooperation and assistance of the USFWS,
Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 1
FOPPI Forum back issues
can be found at the
Washington Island Archives, the WI
Marine Historical Society and the
Wisconsin Historical Society Archives.
Plum Island rear range light 4th Order Fresnel Lens
manufactured by Sutter Lemonnier & Cie, no. 342
in 1895
2. Paul Schumacher and Mary Beth Volmer presented
their program, Sailing Past Plum and Pilot Islands, to
the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society and the Wis-
consin Maritime History Museum.
The porch roof boards are being milled and will be
ready to be primed and painted before the end of the
season.
FOPPI Happenings
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 2
The USFWS Maintenance Action Team (MAT) will be de-
scending on Plum Island in late July to complete items
identified by the USFWS safety inspector. The MAT team
will work to put measures in place to deter any further
deterioration of vital structures and ‘mothball’ others until
available preservation funds become available.
James Myster and the Hamline University Archeology stu-
dents will continue their dig on the remains of the first
lighthouse on Plum Island this summer.
3. FOPPI Special Events
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Sp;ring / Summer 2015 Page 3
Notice of the Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting of the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands will be held on Saturday, July 25, 2015, beginning at
noon on Plum Island. Transportation and lunch will be provided to all current members. Listed below is the
meeting’s agenda.
-Call to Order
-Minutes of the 2014 Annual Meeting
-Treasurer’s Report
-As President, on behalf of the Board of Directors, I hereby nominate the following persons to be elected as Offic-
ers and Directors of the Corporation for three-year terms:
Dan Nilsson – Director (three years to July 2018)
Gary Wilson - Director (three years to July 2018)
Gordon Vieth – Director (three years to July 2018)
Lew Clarke – Director (three years to July 2018)
Mike Brodd – Director (three years to July 2018)
Scott Nelson – Director (three years to July 2018)
*Other nominations may be made from the floor of the meeting.
-Update from the US Fish and Wildlife Service
-Volunteer Recognition
-Special Guest Speaker – Todd Ginard, Coast Guard veteran responsible for the 2004 Plum Island cleanup project
-Adjourn
A hike to the range lights will follow lunch. Departure from Plum Island will begin at about 2 PM.
Tim Sweet
Volunteer Workdays: ** Open Access Days **
Saturday, Aug 8th Saturday, Aug 8th
Saturday, Aug 22nd Saturday, Aug 22nd
Saturday, Sept 5th
Saturday, Sept 12th
Women in Preservation Days:
Saturday, August 22nd—Snorkel the Grapeshot
Saturday, September 12th—Monarch Count
4. FOPPI Women in Preservation
pres′er·va′tion (prĕz′ər-vā′shən) n.
1. The act of maintaining, protecting or keeping some-
thing in existence.
2. The careful maintaining and protection of something
valuable especially in its natural or original state.
3. The act or process of applying measures necessary to
sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an
historic property.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 4
The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands Women in Preserva-
tion program turned two this year! We introduced Plum
Island to women as far away as Minneapolis!
Together we created new and preserved old memories.
We have worked with mentors to create window cover-
ings to protect the life-saving station windows; built the
panels for the visitor’s kiosk; planted pollinator gardens
for the migrating birds, bugs, bees and butterflies; and
assembled Aldo Leopold-style benches in honor of those
dear to us. We also taped a segment of Wisconsin Life
that will be showing on WI Public Television this fall.
Together we have preserved that which stands before us.
In August we will work with the WI State Historical Arche-
ologists to document the Grapeshot shipwreck. She will
be featured on a Wisconsin Maritime Trail sign to be
erected on Plum Island. In September ,we will participate
in the USFWS Monarch count and get a baseline on the
annual island migration.
Together we will preserve our maritime history.
We’re finding that preservation is not just a noun, but
also a verb; a continuous work in process. The preserva-
tion work that we’re doing is not limited to a hammer and
nail, but the heart and soul of saving and preserving the
core of our community — animal, plant, human.
Join us as we continue to embrace our role in the continu-
ing to preserve the Plum Island legacy. I can assure that
you’ll leave Plum a bit more enlightened than when you
stepped foot on the dock. It’s my goal for all to leave
Plum with dirt under your fingernails and a learning expe-
rience within your soul.
Drop me an email with any questions, Mary Beth
Volmer—mvolmer01@aol.com
5. Preserving Memories—Aldo Leopold Style
Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) was an American author, scientist, ecologist, forester,
conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wis-
consin and is best known for his book A Sand County Almanac (1949), which sold
more than two million copies. Leopold’s writings helped people discover how to live
in harmony with the nature world around them.
It is said that Leopold would often sit on a simple bench outside of his cabin and
contemplate the beauty of nature. By observing photographs and researching his
essays, the Aldo Leopold Foundation formed a rough idea of what this bench may
have looked like.
In honor of Leopold, and other inspirational souls, the FOPPI Women in Preservation built 15 Aldo Leopold benches in
2014 and plan to build 6 more in 2015. The benches are placed along the trails so you too can relax and contemplate
the beauty of nature, Plum Island, and Death’s Door. When you next visit Plum, search out these benches and seek
out the sense of place that Leopold wrote of.
“There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas
of one who cannot.” ~ Aldo Leopold
Donated by G. Roger and Barbara Bodart in honor of
Roger’s father, Myron J. Bodart. Roger was born on
Plum Island. Myron served in the Coast Guard from
1929 to 1934. The photo (right) is from when he
served at the Racine Station.
Donated by Jean Fox in honor of her father, William
J. Thomas. William (left) served on Plum and Pilot
Islands from 1948 to 1954.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 5
6. “We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we
belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ~ Aldo Leopold
Preserving Memories—Aldo Leopold Style
Donated by Karen Tews in honor of Captain George Moe. Capt. Moe
served on all three Door County stations: Plum Island, Baileys Harbor,
and Sturgeon Bay. Karen’s mother, Henrietta Lenz, was a good friend
of Moe’s in the mid 1920’s. On the back of a picture (right) she wrote:
‘Captain Moe was one of the most wonderful friends I ever had.’ He
even signed her autograph book, which was quite the rage back then.
Every year he sent her a Christmas tree from Baileys Harbor, and she
wrote ‘who said there is no Santa Claus.’ She also talked of fond mem-
ories of him presenting his card tricks to the children at the harbor.
Coastie: ‘Trip’, George Moe and
Henrietta Lenz
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 6
Plum Island is packed with memories like these just
waiting to be told. I have yet hear a story that I’ve
heard before. Memories are meant to be shared . . .
and preserved.
Join the FOPPI Women in Preservation in sharing and
preserving the memories of those that have inspired
us to stand just a bit taller.
Send a check for $50.00 to Friends of Plum and Pilot
Islands—PO Box 61—Washington Island WI 54246.
Aldo Leopold’s ‘shack’ and bench.
Scott Nelson, former Plum Island Station Coastie
7. Tiny Houses on Plum Island, Part II
By Mary Beth Volmer
ISLAND INSPIRATIONS
Whenever I visit Plum Island I make a point of spend-
ing some quiet time listening intently for the stories
that are captured within the rings of the trees, the
sand on the beach and the walls of the buildings. My
imagination takes me back to the days of the coasties
and their families, who made memories on Plum Is-
land. These were the pioneers — the men that risked
their lives to assure that the Great Lakes mariners
made it back to their families, and the families that
kept the home fires burning.
Children were born on the island and a few of them
(Joan Zorn, Jim McCormick and Roger Bodart), return
for our annual picnic to share their memories with us.
Some memories live on in photographs alone. These
photographs freeze time and allow us to step into that
moment when Plum Island bustled with the sounds of
the life-saving station’s duties and children’s laughter.
We were recently introduced to an extensive photo-
graph collection that included such pictures of family
life on Plum Island.
In this picture, Daniel Magnussen and his lovely wife,
Tillie pose in front of their surfman’s cottage. I love
seeing how Tillie gave the little cottage a homey feel-
ing, with the flower pots on the window sills. Could
they have held the same types of wildflowers as we
see today when we walk the trails? The lighter area to
the left of the window was probably where a shutter
hung until winter. The back porch addition could have
been used as a pantry or mud room.
Daniel and Tillie had a daughter, Anna Gertrude, who
became the mother of one of our board members—
Dan Nilsson. The family was unaware of these pictures
and were quite happy to see them.
This pic shows a similar surfman’s cottage to the left of
the Life-Saving station; however, it looks to be white
rather than cedar-shakes, as in Magnussen photo.
There are some more memories yet to be uncovered!
It is sad to hear that 99% of the photographs being tak-
en today are soon going to be totally gone – digital im-
ages are no longer important enough to most people to
actually keep them in printed form. Unlike Dan’s
grandfather’s pictures, my Plum Island memories prob-
ably won’t get shared with my great grandchildren.
Bring back the photo albums with the finely designed
black little corners please!
Photos from the John Slavins collection, courtesy of the Rogers
Street Fishing Village and Coast Guard Museum, Two Rivers WI.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 7
8. ISLAND INSPIRATIONS
It was a severe winter in 1921-22. My husband John, was
the 2nd assistant lighthouse keeper at the lighthouse on
Plum Island, Wisconsin. I joined him on the island that
winter after staying on Washington Island that summer
with our infant son.
We were allowed shore leave from this government island
once every three weeks if the weather was not too
stormy. So, about mid-January 1922, we walked the mile
through the deep snow in the woods from the lighthouse
to the Coast Guard Station. There we always got the
weather report before starting out on the lake. The Coast
Guard was on constant watch from their “observation
tower.”
It was very important for me to get to Washington Island
before evening. I was to take care of the wife of the
assistant lighthouse keeper who was very ill and alone in
her cottage with her little daughter.
When we arrived at the station, the report was that the
lake was frozen as far as they could see. It seemed safe for
us to walk across the ice to Washington Island. There was
quite a treacherous strait about a mile out from Plum
Island between Green Bay and Lake Michigan. It is known
as “Porte Des Morts” or “Death’s Door,” which is where
Door County gets its name. Door County covers the entire
peninsula that extends up from Sturgeon Bay between
Green Bay and Lake Michigan.
When we reached the strait, the ice suddenly began
opening up. In a few minutes, we found ourselves on a
large block of ice turning and looking back toward the
Coast Guard Station. The man in the observation tower
saw our predicament and soon three men were coming
toward us on an ice skiff that was equipped with sails and
runners for transit over the ice. A coast guard man was in
front with ropes attached to himself and the boat. As he
pulled, the other two men pushed from behind.
Suddenly, the wind changed and we began drifting toward
Washington Island, so we jumped from block to block of
ice for some time. Finally, realizing it would be getting
dark in about an hour, I was placed on the ice skiff and
A Hazardous Trip all the Way
Summary of an article written by Mrs. Mary Shellswick, Kankakee, IL
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 8
my husband helped push from behind. Water kept
washing up on the men pushing the boat and by the
time we reached Washington Island, their clothing
was frozen and it was almost dark.
We were happy to reach shore safely and went up to
the nearest home to thaw out. My coat did not get
as wet as the men’s, but I was almost numb from the
cold. We stayed overnight, as the folks had plenty of
room and warm food, for which we were very grate-
ful. The coast guard men returned to the govern-
ment island the next day and I am sure it was a
trip not soon forgotten.
An ice skiff that may have been similar to the one that Mary described.
Photo and story from the John Slavins collection, courtesy of the
Rogers Street Fishing Village and Coast Guard Museum, Two
Hildegarde and Anne Peterson; Mary Shellswick and her son, Paul—
c. 1926.
9. LIGHT LESSONS
The Last of the Fresnel Lens on Plum Island
By Mary Beth Volmer
As I write this article, plans are underway to remove
the historic Fourth Order Fresnel lens from the Plum
Island rear range light and replace it with a modern
LED (light emitting diode) marine beacon, tiered-
lantern.
The Fourth Order Classical lens was originally installed
in Great Lakes lighthouses in the late 1800s and early
1900s. The Coast Guard has been removing these
lenses to preserve them as part of national history.
The light displays a fixed red light manufactured by
Sutter, Lemonnier & Cie of Paris in 1889 and is labeled
‘342’. Sutter, Lemonnier & Cie manufactured Fresnel-
style lenses until the 1970s.
In the Memorandum of Agreement between the US
Coast Guard and the WI State Historic Preservation
Officer (dated Oct 17 2014) , the lens is noted as being
in a deteriorated condition; litharge (the putty-like sub-
stance that holds the prisms in place) in the lower and
central portions of the lens is missing or damaged and
as a result there is one missing prism and eleven other
prisms that are no longer properly seated. Harsh envi-
ronmental conditions, temperature fluctuations and
changes in humidity are very damaging to the lens.
Light exposure speeds up degradation of litharge and
the US Coast Guard no longer has the expertise to re-
pair the lens.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 9
Photo by Tim Sweet
Prior to removal and replacement, the USCG will docu-
ment the lens and the light’s lantern room so that there
is a permanent record of the lens and its lighthouse
context. Photographs of the lens were taken in June
and have been submitted to the State Historic Preserva-
tion Office for review and approval.
The Coast Guard will contract with a CG qualified
lampist to disassemble the lens in accordance with pro-
fessional standards.
The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands are working to
secure a place for the lens to be on permanent public
display.
Photo by MB Volmer
Photo by MB Volmer
10. NATURE’S NOTEBOOK
Plum Island Wildflowers
Mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris
This tall, woody perennial has a rich history in ancient folklore. It is the most common
member of a group of plants dedicated to the Greek goddess Artemis. According to leg-
end, mugwort was used as a charm to ward off evil spirits and the roots were once a com-
mon ingredient in many love potions. When hung in the home, its claw-shaped leaves
forced evil eyes to avert their gaze, kept villainous elves and demons away and cured dis-
ease.
The plant’s versatility doesn’t end there – Englishmen yearning for handsome looks and
virility wore mugwort sprigs in their buttonholes. Some men even bathed in mugwort tea
for better-growing beards. Mugwort leaves could also be found in shoes to re-energize
weary travelers or in bundles hung over beds to induce vivid dreams.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 10
Bladder Campion
Silene vulgaris
The Bladder Campion is a perennial herb found in meadows, yards, fields, banks, road-
sides, wasteland, seashores and cracks in waterside rocks. It flowers from June through
August. It protects itself from drying out with a bluish green covering of wax, and its
roots reach down deep into the ground. The layer of air inside the calyx insulates the
flower’s more delicate inner parts from heat. The flower’s petals can lose their water
content during the day and wilt, but in the evening they return to normal and start to
secrete a pleasant, clove-like fragrance to attract butterflies, small beetles, flower flies
and bees.
The leaves of Bladder Campion are edible, and they are used in salads and many other
dishes in some Mediterranean countries. Plant roots contain the compound saponin, and
although mildly toxic, has long been used as soap for washing clothes, hair etc. There are
references to some kinds of campion being used to treat snake bites and as a cure for
corns and warts. In folklore, the fairies used Silene to protect their honey stores.
Dame’s Rocket
Hesperis matronalis
Dame’s Rocket was introduced from Europe as an ornamental plant and it has
been grown in gardens since the Roman Empire. Habitats include moist mead-
ows, woodland edges and openings, thickets, semi-shaded fence rows, banks of
drainage ditches, vacant lots, edges of yards, and flower gardens. It often in-
vades natural habitats, particularly those that are partially shaded.
The folklore surrounding this plant is both positive and negative. Some sources
say it is a symbol of woman’s independence. And other folklorists, noting the
strong cinnamon fragrance which is more noticeable in the evening than during
the daytime, mention it as a a ‘flower of deceit.’
11. Lighthouse Song Review by Karen Ellery
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015 Page 11
Summertime, and the living is easy—unless of
course you were a lighthouse keeper. Most of us who
love the lights know enough of their history to grasp
the amount of work that went into taking care of a
lighthouse. In addition to the demanding job of main-
taining the light itself, the US Lighthouse Service (later
the Coast Guard) had high standards of cleanliness,
economy, and conduct for their Keepers and Assistant
Keepers. These men and women worked long and
hard, often in harsh conditions. The isolation of most
lighthouses added to their difficulties; it could be a
very lonely life.
However, just as lighthouses captured our
imaginations with their beauty and stateliness, so the
vanished profession of Keeper has its charms in our
fast-paced modern world. Who among us has not
imagined a simpler life down by the water’s edge,
braving storms and saving lives, then resting in the
sunshine, enjoying calmer waters and the best views
anywhere? Have any of you ever considered being a
live-in docent for Pottawatomie Light on Door Coun-
ty’s Rock Island State Park? I know I have. And we’re
not the only ones to dream about what it’s like to live
in a lighthouse. Folk musician Erika Eigen wrote “I
Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper,” our Lighthouse
Song of the Season, which pokes gentle fun at the idyll
of a Keeper’s life. “We’ll have parties on a coral reef
and clambakes on the shore. We’ll invite the neigh-
bors in; seagulls by the score.” Borrowing heavily
from England’s beloved Music Hall tradition, this irre-
sistibly cheerful little number brings to mind summers
at the shore, June weddings, and the sweet fluffiness
of cotton candy on a pier. The Dixieland-style instru-
mentation transports the listener back to a simpler
and presumably happier time, while the lyrics sparkle
along like a stream; not very deep, perhaps, but pleas-
antly ebullient. This return to musical roots can be
seen in other popular songs of the late 1960s and ear-
ly 70s, including “When I’m Sixty-Four” (1967) by the
Beatles, & “Good Company” (1975) by Brian May of
Queen.
Erika Eigen, Terry Tucker, and Freya Hogue
formed the short-lived English psychedelic folk trio
Sunforest in 1969. Not much else is known about the
group, and they recorded only one studio album,
Sound of Sunforest, under the Decca Records label.
However their work was “enlivened by contributions
from exceptional and experienced studio musicians”:
bass guitarist Herbie Flowers and session-guitarist Big
Jim Sullivan. This unique album has had an unexpect-
edly long life thanks to the inclusion of their songs
“Lighthouse Keeper” and “Overture to the Sun” in the
soundtrack for the cult movie classic A Clockwork Or-
ange. You can purchase Sound of Sunforest from Light
in the Attic Records, http://lightintheattic.net/
releases/450-sound-of-sunforest , or you can listen to
“I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper” on YouTube,
https://youtu.be/lJQ6ynOB48E . My thanks, as ever,
to Wikipedia, YouTube, and the invaluable trove of folk
-music information at the Mudcat Café, http://
mudcat.org/ . Here’s hoping your summertime
dreams come true.
“The environment is where we all meet; where all have a mutual interest; it is
the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing
lens on what we can become.” ~Lady Bird Johnson
12. 2015 Door County Maritime Museum Lighthouse Festival
A special thanks to our business partners, Washington Island Ferry Line, Shoreline Charters and Death’s Door Marine
for their support of the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands’ mission.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Winter, 2014/2015 Page 12
13. Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands Membership Form
Your membership entitles you to receive:
FOPPI Forum newsletter
Invitation to FOPPI Annual Meeting
Opportunity to volunteer on the islands
FOPPI is a 501c(3) Charitable Organization.
Your gift is tax deductible, as provided by law.
Please make your check payable to:
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands
Eric Greenfeldt
PO Box 61
Washington Island, WI 54246
Connection to Plum and Pilot Islands : ________________
_______________________________________
_______________________________________
Name ______________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
City/State/Zip _______________________________________
Phone _____________________________________________
Email ______________________________________________
May we email your newsletter? _____________
Membership Class
$25.00 Individual (renewals—$20.00)
$30.00 Family of 2 or more (renewals—$25.00)
$50.00 Patron Donor
$100.00 Keeper Donor
$1,000.00 Benefactor (Lifetime)
(includes signed and numbered print by Cathy Meader)
Additional Contribution _________________
New Membership or Renewal
Gift Membership
Your name: ____________________________________
Occasion: _____________________________________
Join the 200+ supporters and become a FOPPI member
just like:
Daryle Wragge, Wenona IL
John Lauber, Minneapolis MN
Steve and Martha Querin-Schultz, Gay Mills WI
Philip L. Block, Port Washington WI
Jonathan Ringdahl, LaCrosse WI
Debbie Sheridan, Mountain WI
Mike Thielke, Mountain WI
Andy and Sara Schumerth, Green Bay WI
Joanne Jessen, Leesburg VA
William and Mary Stegemann, Manitowoc WI
Amy B. Lesnjak, Franksville, WI
Calvin Kaplan, Franksville, WI
Madonna Siles, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Dana Kasprzyk, Sturgeon Bay, WI
The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands, Inc. (FOPPI) was
established in 2007 to preserve the unique island eco-
systems and foster partnerships to preserve its herit-
age for future generations.
Your membership dues and charitable gifts help to
restore and preserve the historical maritime struc-
tures on these islands and support education in the
areas of conservation, natural history and environ-
mental protection.
Members receive our quarterly newsletter, the FOPPI
Forum, are invited to attend the annual meeting, and
join us in seasonal cleanup, trail maintenance, inva-
sive species removal and light repair work.
Whatever your interest, there are projects and events
that will benefit tremendously from your talent and
support!
The Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands is a 501(c)3 non-
profit corporation. Contributions are tax deductible
to the extent allowed by law.
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2014/2015 Page 13
14. Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands, Inc.
PO Box 61
Washington Island, WI 54246
Help Us Be Green
With Newsletters:
The FOPPI Forum newsletter
is printed and mailed out
four times a year. To help
save paper, printing, and
postage expenses, please
consider receiving your
newsletter as a PDF on your
email or receiving an email
notification that the
newsletter is available on our
website to download or read.
Contact Jean Fox at
jeanfox215@gmail.com
Is it time to renew your membership?
Your mailing label includes your membership expiration date above your
name. If you find that your membership has expired please renew using the
membership form on the reverse page and mail it, along with your payment,
to FOPPI, PO Box 61, Washington Island, WI 54246.
Thank you for helping us save on the cost of mailing renewal reminders!
The mission of the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands is to work cooperatively with US Fish &
Wildlife Service to support the goals of preservation, restoration, maintenance and
contemporary use of the lighthouses, accessory buildings, structures and other historic
resources on Plum and Pilot Islands. To conserve and protect wildlife resources, while providing
opportunities for quality wildlife-dependent recreation.
Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands Board of Directors:
President: Tim Sweet (tjsweet@charter.net) Director: Frank Forkert (fforkert@gmail.com)
Vice President: Tim Windingstad (tnwinding@gmail.com) Director: Randy Holm (randall.holm@gmail.com)
Treasurer: Eric Greenfeldt (ericg50@verizon.net) Director: Sandy Petersen (buboarcto2@gmail.com)
Secretary: Karen Ellery (themadblonde@gmail.com) Director: Gary Wilson (wilson1551@aol.com)
Director: Dan Nilsson (nilsson_associates@yahoo.com) Director: Butch Jess (offisland65@gmail.com)
Director: Hoyt Purinton (hoyt@wisferry.com) Director: Mary Beth Volmer (mvolmer01@aol.com)
Director: Paul Schumacher (spaulsdoor@aol.com) Director: John Sawyer (carlsonerickson@gmail.com)
Director: Matt Foss (fossmh@gmail.com)
Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands Committee Leaders:
Newsletter Editor: Mary Beth Volmer
Assistant Editor: Matt Foss
Music Review Contributor: Karen Ellery
Advancement-Membership: Jean Fox and Gordon Vieth
Grant Writing: Rip Koken
Merchandising: Danielle Ware and Frank Forkert
Project Management: Paul Schumacher
Volunteer Coordinator: Scott Nelson
Women in Preservation Leader: Mary Beth Volmer
Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands Forum - Spring / Summer, 2015