Clarence Goldstick and Dale Boss
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The Petunia Story
In early January, 1982, a new organization called Keep Charlevoix Beautiful held a meeting to discuss ways to make Charlevoix more beautiful, mainly talking about placing a few barrels of flowers around town. Historian Bob Miles whispered to Dale Boss, I don't think anything I'e heard so far adds too much to making Charlevoix beautiful.to that, Dale replied, "Just wait until everyone gets through talking, and see what I have in mind." Dale told those present that it sounded wild, but for years he had envisioned 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 decided that the idea had merit, and perhaps they should try it. Thus was born "Operation Petunia."
Dale, along with the group's leader, Bruce MacArthur, borrowed $1000, interest free, from the First State Bank to buy the first 1000 license plates, which had been custom designed by Dale's wife Marilyn. High school students went door to door selling the license plates one Thursday evening and raised $3500 in less than three hours. Then, on March 1st, six hundred flats of petunias were ordered at a cost of $5 per flat. |
The sides of the roadways needed a great amount of preparation prior to that first planting. A special shoe, 24 inches wide, was welded on the bottom of a road grader blade which was run at an angle to scoop a ditch behind the curb. These became the new flower beds. Five hundred cubic yards of dirt and stones were replaced with fresh soil. Liquid manure was applied to enrich the soil and the new beds would be rototilled twice before planting.
When the first planting day came, the petunias were distributed between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. and 450 local volunteers turned out, along with 10 block captains to coordinate the effort. The holes for the flowers were punched in the beds using a large stick and wooden template. All the petunias were planted in three hours. When the planting was complete, the volunteers were served a Swiss steak dinner in the city park at noon.
Dale, 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. Water was obtained from the fire hydrants along the route, with Dale standing on the truck holding the fire hose.
The second year it was decided to put in a double row of flowers (900 flats). The Charlevoix County State Bank donated a 2,000 gallon, used gasoline truck, which was converted to a water truck. Auctions were held in the early years to raise the funds necessary to continue the project.
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, and in 1990, the truck was lengthened and a new passenger cabin was added. Now the truck could also be used to carry the Charlevoix Venetian Queen and her court in parades. Again in 2001, a new truck was purchased, this one with the capacity to carry over 12,000 gallons of water for the thirsty plants. It is also equipped with a sound system which can most often be heard playing ragtime piano music. Each year approximately 2.5 million people see our truck pulling a 37-foot long float carrying Miss Charlevoix and her court, all promoting Charlevoix the Beautiful.
Each year, planting day arrives the Thursday before Memorial Day.Around 1:00 pm the roadway to be planted is narrowed from four lanes to two. Twelve hundred flats of petunias are placed along the curbs from one end of the town to the other. 1000+ volunteer planters from the community proudly assist in the planting in what has become a greatly anticipated local tradition in preparation for another busy summer season. In addition to the flower beds, Keep Charlevoix Beautiful also donates over 80 hanging baskets of petunias, which are hung on lampposts throughout the downtown business district and the Round Lake marina.
Dale, 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. Water was obtained from the fire hydrants along the route, with Dale standing on the truck holding the fire hose.
The second year it was decided to put in a double row of flowers (900 flats). The Charlevoix County State Bank donated a 2,000 gallon, used gasoline truck, which was converted to a water truck. Auctions were held in the early years to raise the funds necessary to continue the project.
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, and in 1990, the truck was lengthened and a new passenger cabin was added. Now the truck could also be used to carry the Charlevoix Venetian Queen and her court in parades. Again in 2001, a new truck was purchased, this one with the capacity to carry over 12,000 gallons of water for the thirsty plants. It is also equipped with a sound system which can most often be heard playing ragtime piano music. Each year approximately 2.5 million people see our truck pulling a 37-foot long float carrying Miss Charlevoix and her court, all promoting Charlevoix the Beautiful.
Each year, planting day arrives the Thursday before Memorial Day.Around 1:00 pm the roadway to be planted is narrowed from four lanes to two. Twelve hundred flats of petunias are placed along the curbs from one end of the town to the other. 1000+ volunteer planters from the community proudly assist in the planting in what has become a greatly anticipated local tradition in preparation for another busy summer season. In addition to the flower beds, Keep Charlevoix Beautiful also donates over 80 hanging baskets of petunias, which are hung on lampposts throughout the downtown business district and the Round Lake marina.
