Club News

The Garden Department of the Fortnightly Club met at the home of Jane Kruse on July 19. Five members were present.

Roll call was ?What will you be doing the evening of RAGBRAI Washington?? The minutes of the previous meeting were read and approved by Mary Langr and Jan Boyd. There was no old business to discuss. For new business, club leader Linda advised that members should get together to tend the garden at City Hall. They decided to do trimming at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 9, and anyone thinning out perennials would be welcome to bring some along to plant. The 2016-17 program books were available, and members checked for errors, mistakes and changes.

Jane Kruse presented the program, with information on the Legend of the Petoskey Stone. When Jane was a child, she and her family spent their summers at her grandfather?s home on the shores of Little Traverse Bay in Michigan. The Petoskey stone can be found there, as well as all across the ?palm? of the mitten. She showed some samples of her jewelry with the stone in it. The stones began forming before the Ice Age (more than 350 million years ago). She showed some dry stones and a wet one which showed the markings clearly. She also had a picture of one that weighed 93 pounds. Petoskey stones are hard to find if you are not sure what you are looking for. Of note, the stone can only be polished with emery paper.

The meeting was adjourned and refreshments were served. The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m., Sept. 20 at the home of Shirley Pfeifer, with a program to be announced.