In early January 1982, a new organization called Keep Charlevoix Beautiful held a meeting to discuss ways to make Charlevoix more beautiful. They mainly talked about placing a few barrels of flowers around town. Historian Bob Miles whispered to Dale Boss, "I don't think anything I've heard so far adds too much to making Charlevoix beautiful." Dale said, "Just wait until everyone gets through talking, and see what I have in mind." Dale told those present that it sounded wild, but he had envisioned for years having petunias line both sides of the roadway from city limit to city limit. He suggested financing the plan by selling license plates to everyone in town in one evening.

The group, with its progressive leader, Bruce MacArthur, and board of directors, adjourned the meeting and decided that the idea had merit, and perhaps they should try it. Thus was born "Operation Petunia," aptly named by former Charlevoix Courier editor, Dave Knight.

Marilyn Boss, Dale's wife, custom designed a license plate which read, "We love Charlevoix the Beautiful, Michigan's resort city on three lakes - come, enjoy it with us." Dale and Bruce borrowed $1,000, interest free from the First State Bank to buy the first 1,000 license plates. Keep Charlevoix Beautiful planned to sell the plates at $5 each. This was accomplished on a Thursday night, using City Hall as home base. Drivers from the town's service organizations volunteered to drive high school students door to door covering the town and eight miles into the countryside. $3,500 was raised in less than three hours. Six hundred flats of petunias at $5 per flat, were ordered from Renolda Greenhouse in Harbor Springs on March 1, the date they had to be planted in the greenhouse. These petunias received the best personal care, and were top quality plants.

The sides of the roadway needed a great amount of preparation, due to accumulation of sand and salt over the last 50 years which had raised the soil in many places six to eight inches higher than the curbs. Dale supervised the work, and a large road grader from Hodgkiss and Douma in Petoskey was hired to scrape the excess dirt between the sidewalk and curb into the roadway. Five hundred cubic yards of dirt were taken out of the roadway free of charge by local contractors, Tri-City Concrete, C.H. Smith and Sons, and Manthei Development. They used end loaders and large dump trucks to haul it away. A special shoe, 24 inches wide, was welded on the bottom of the road grader blade, which was run at an angle to scoop a ditch behind the curb. These became the new flower beds.

The Department of Social Services provided workers to do the handwork. Usually about ten to twelve men at a time worked under Dale's guidance, using his one ton Ford truck to pile fresh dirt in and remove excess stones. The remaining torn up sod was hydro-seeded by John Campbell with grass seed, leaving 16-inch flower beds. Liquid manure, donated by Wieland Farms, was spread using a septic tank truck, with Dale and his sons, Bo and Jim at the controls, to enrich the soil. A man in rubber boots came behind with a rototiller. The town didn't smell exactly like petunias for a day. The beds were tilled a second time before planting.

Planting day came one morning on the third weekend in May. Four hundred fifty people turned out along the curb sides, supervised by ten block captains. The holes for the flowers were punched in with a large stick, using a wooden template eight feet long laid on the ground. These were made by Clarence Goldstick. Each block captain had two "punchers." The flats of flowers were distributed in groups of five, between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m., and everything was planted in three hours. Those helping were served a Swiss steak dinner in the city park at noon. The Charlevoix Fire Department watered the flowers the first day.

Dale and Marilyn and their sons rigged up a water truck using their flat bed one-ton truck, with two large livestock tanks on the back loaned by the local Kiwanis Club. Dale and Marilyn watered daily using the open tanks. The water sloshed over the edges, dousing Marilyn whenever the truck stopped or started suddenly. Water was obtained from fire hydrants along the route, and Dale stood on the truck holding the fire hose (which places six to eight inches higher than the curbs. Dale supervised the work, and a large road grader from Hodgkiss and Douma in Petoskey was hired to scrape the excess dirt between the sidewalk and curb into the roadway. Five hundred cubic yards of dirt were taken out of the roadway free of charge by local contractors, Tri-City Concrete, C.H. Smith and Sons, and Manthei Development. They used end loaders and large dump trucks to haul it away. A special shoe, 24 inches wide, was welded on the bottom of the road grader blade, which was run at an angle to scoop a ditch behind the curb. These became the new flower beds.

The second year it was decided to put in a double row of flowers (900 flats) making the centers staggered on ten inches, rather than eight inches in a single row as before. The Charlevoix County State Bank donated a 2,000 gallon used gasoline truck, which was converted to a water truck. The truck had no door on the passenger side, and Marilyn sat there, operating the controls to let the water flow where needed, while Dale drove the truck. They began at 4 a.m., filling up four or five times at hydrants along the route.

In the early years, auctions were held to raise the funds necessary to continue the project. Many items and services were donated by people in the community, with exotic trips and yacht excursions to entice the generous bidders.

In 1986, Keep Charlevoix Beautiful decided to buy a new truck, which would also be used in parades throughout the state in advertising the City of Charlevoix. A large auction and a raffle of a Mustang convertible was held, which raised $22,000. A new 1987 Ford truck was custom ordered and David Arnold, a local welding craftsman, manufactured a 2500 gallon tank for the truck. The Charlevoix County State Bank provided the money for the construction of the tank.

In 1990, the truck was lengthened out, and for $10,500, a new passenger cabin was added. This was done to carry the Charlevoix Venetian Queen and her court in parades.

The City of Charlevoix prepares the beds each spring before planting. A special plow is used to remove the sand, salt, and debris left over from winter plowing. If needed, the soil is replaced using a side delivery spreader. Fertilizer is applied to the beds; then the dirt is tilled twice to create the perfect planting medium. The night before planting, Dale Boss waters the beds so they will be ready for the city’s handcrafted 16” steel flower hole punch roller. This ensures even distribution of the petunias by the local planters.

The official planting day is the Thursday before Memorial Day. At 1:00 p.m., the five miles of roadway to be planted are narrowed from four lanes down to two. Twelve hundred flats of flowers, grown by Shafto Nurseries in Posen, Michigan, are placed along the curb from one end of town to the other, all in preparation for the 1,000+ planters due to show up at 5:00 p.m. Once planting is complete, the volunteers descend upon East Park for a picnic dinner to celebrate their efforts and the quickly approaching summer season. Keep Charlevoix Beautiful, Inc. also donates 62 hanging baskets of petunias, which are placed on lampposts throughout the central business district.

In 2001, Keep Charlevoix Beautiful, Inc. purchased a beautiful new watering truck. It has every accessory GM has to offer. The new truck allows the driver, Dale Boss, to provide over 12,000 gallons of water daily to the thirsty plants. His wife Marilyn appreciates the fact that she no longer needs to accompany him on every watering trip, which was once a two-person operation. The watering truck is also equipped with a music system, which plays ragtime piano music. Thanks to a sponsorship by the Charlevoix Area Chamber of Commerce, the Petunia Truck also visits local parades around the state to present Miss Charlevoix and her court on a 37-foot float. Every year, approximately 2.5 million people see our truck and float promoting Charlevoix the Beautiful.

One of the biggest challenges for “Operation Petunia” is weeding throughout the summer. The City of Charlevoix hires a team of approximately 20 professional weeders to keep the unwelcome plants at bay. This is typically done three times during the summer season, with supplemental weeding thankfully provided by many local residents.

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