Brian Thomas at Fort Mackinac

Brian “BT” Thomas, a fielder for the Monitor Base Ball Club, was a historical interpreter at Fort Mackinac during the 1990s. He served faithfully for many summers wearing the wool of Mackinac soldiers and giving tours to thousands of visitors. Thomas’ “enlistment” ended in the late 90s but he still returns to Fort Mackinac and suits up on occasion. Following his enlistment Thomas would go on to help found the Monitor Vintage Base Ball Club in Chelsea and the Walker Tavern Wheels Vintage Base Ball Club in Brooklyn, MI.

Jason Kladiva at Fort Mackinac

Jason “Gypsy” Kladiva, umpire and Grand Hotel Director of Security, began his enlistment at Fort Mackinac shortly after Brian Thomas departed. Kladiva served full seasons at Fort Mackinac in 2000 and 2001 and would return to give tours during several seasons in the fall. When he wasn’t at Fort Mackinac he played vintage base ball with the Chicago Salmon, the Deep River Grinders (Hobart, IN), the Diamond BBC (Portage, IN), and the Welkin BBC (Port Huron, MI). In 2008 and 2009, Kladiva hosted a radio show, “Vintage Base Ball This Week”, that covered all 200+ vintage base ball clubs in the United States and Canada. Using this venue, Kladiva helped clubs all over the country to organize and begin playing base ball by mid-19th century rules. His final enlistment ended at Fort Mackinac in 2009 and he began work at Grand Hotel the following year.

Ted Weeks – Lighthouse

Theodore Weeks, scorekeeper, served one season (2011) as a soldier at Fort Mackinac before coming to Grand Hotel. Weeks, a year-round security guard at the hotel, strayed from his love of historic bicycles to take his first swing at vintage base ball in 2012. As the scorekeeper he also keeps a close eye on safety during the match to ensure that players and spectators do not take the game to neighboring Cadotte Avenue and in the way of passing carriages. On his days off, Weeks travels by boat to Mackinac City where he gives the lighthouse keeper at Mackinaw Point Lighthouse a day off. He and Kladiva can often be seen riding their high wheel bicycles around Mackinac Island.

You can be sure Thomas, Kladiva and Weeks will take every chance to share the history of Mackinac Island with visitors during the vintage base ball games and will begin sharing before the matches even start. Kladiva and Weeks will begin the day with a historic walking tour of downtown Mackinac Island at 10 am that will begin at the Shepler dock and end at the base ball field (located between the Grand Hotel tennis courts and the Gate House). The base ball games will follow at 12 noon and 2 pm. The tour and base ball games are free to the public.

Today’s guest blogger is Jack Barnwell of Barnwell Landscape and Garden.  Jack will be with us during our Grand Garden Show Featuring Proven Winners this August 25-27, providing gardening tips and giving hands-on demonstrations.

Jack Barnwell here, owner of the Mackinac Island based company, Barnwell Landscape and Garden. We are in the midst of the oh-so-important spring prep season, getting Mackinac’s gardens ready for another wonderful season of lush, colorful blooms! Although we have been challenged by some lingering cold temperatures, the show must go on as we all know the stunning lilac and trillium bloom is right around the corner and the whole island will be on display once again. The early spring prep time has always been my favorite time on Mackinac Island. Watching the island’s gardens wake up from their winter slumber is truely magical. The tulips and daffodils on the Grand hill are eagerly poking their heads up through the soil, and I look forward to seeing what coloful combinations the Grand Hotel gardeners have come up with for this year.

For as long as I can remember, I have always thought Grand Hotel was the perfect location for a traditional ice cream parlor. I am very excited about the addition of Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor for many reasons. Naming it Sadie’s will prolong the legend of my parents’ Scottish Terrier who won the Westminster in 2010. We have partnered with Hudsonville Ice Cream, a family owned Michigan company and it has been great working with and getting to know them. I have learned a lot about the ice cream business by working alongside them. Finally, because Sadie’s is going in what was Margaret’s Garden, the flower shop will move into the lower lobby into an open air location. It reminds me of when the flower shop used to be in the Parlor of the hotel. Passing by and smelling the wonderful fragrance of the fresh flowers and seeing our floral designers at work is something our guests will enjoy a great deal.

There are a few other things that I have also wanted to do for a number of years that I am pleased we are able to accomplish this winter. Ever since the creation of Masco Cottage, I have always wanted to add a private hot tub. Guests staying there this summer will enjoy a Masco Corporation-made Hot Springs Grandee Spa. Also, with the increasingly hot summers we have been having, I am pleased to announce that one of my favorite dining locations, Woods, will be air-conditioned for the upcoming season.

We have taken some of our partnerships and expanded them to create special packages this year. Our Live Healthy Live Grand partnership with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan has been so successful that we are doing a weekend package this year. We have also partnered with island gardener Jack Barnwell and Proven Winners to do a Grand Garden Show. Our June Wine Appreciation Weekend will feature Domaine Chandon. I have long enjoyed both their sparking and still products and we will have one of our best wine weekends ever with their participation.

Each spring, I get excited to see all of our returning staff and meeting those that are new. It was amazing to me last year when we recognized our staff who have worked 10 years or longer during our 125th Anniversary Celebration, that 125 staff members have been with us 10 years and longer. That simply amazes me to this day.

I am very excited about another Grand Hotel season and hope we have the opportunity to see you on Mackinac.

Dan Musser

Mr. and Mrs. R.D. Musser, Jr.

We are so pleased to announce that the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association voted unanimously this past week to rename their “Hotelier of the Year Award” the “R.D. Musser Hotelier of the Year Award.”

In addition, the Board also voted to devote all future MLTA Workplace Scholarships to the name and memory of a man who was a lodging and tourism visionary. These scholarships are presented to further the careers of creative, talented, and hardworking employees who may lack a diploma, but are equal in potential, value and stature to any college graduate.

The scholarships are offered to assist in covering the costs of certification programs or seminars offered by the AH&LA Educational Institute. In 2013, all R.D. Musser Workplace Scholarships will be awarded at the discretion and direction of Dan Musser III and his management staff, exclusively to current employees of Grand Hotel. Moving forward, those scholarships will be made available to employees in MLTA member properties across Michigan.

President of the MLTA, Steve Yencich interviewed Mr. Musser for a past edition of “Michigan Lodging” and below is an exerpt from this interview.

A conversation with R.D. “Dan” Musser

Dan Musser joined the staff of the Grand Hotel in 1951 and was appointed its president in 1960. Musser and wife Amelia began the redesign of the hotel’s interior and exterior with the help of architect Richard Bos in 1970 and decorator Carleton Varney in 1976. Three year’s later he bought the property from his uncle, W. Stewart Woodfill.

Michigan Lodging: Mr. Musser, when did your hospitality career begin and how has the business changed since then?

I started working for my uncle, W. Stewart Woodfill in Mackinac in 1951. My uncle was sort of my godfather; actually much more than that. My dad died when I was fourteen, and suddenly my Mom was a widow. My uncle sent me to college; which was a great help. I went to college and majored in economics … and drinking beer. (smiling)

Business sure has changed. Back then chain business was pretty much non-existent. It was mostly individual entrepreneurs who owned and operated their properties. That’s not the case nowadays. We’re kind of a freak today. I bet as you look at your membership list today you have a whole lot of chain and corporately-owned properties.

So it’s a different industry. But in the end, it’s still got to be about selling beds and food. That part doesn’t change much. You still have to run a clean place, have a “smiler” who knows how to make people feel at home, and put good food on the table. Those things never change.

ML: What stands out as the most challenging years for Grand Hotel?

I don’t understand how we made it from 1932 until 46. We went from the depression, right into World War II. To give you an example, we used to do a lot of college sorority and fraternity business, national fraternities and sororities, which were, oh…about 400-500 kids or people. That all changed in 1930. I remember coming across files which showed that we booked business in the 30’s for $3.50 a head, with breakfast, lunch and dinner included. We probably didn’t make any money, but it kept us going. And that’s the key. We all struggle from time to time; the trick is to do the things that keep you going.

ML: Let’s talk a little bit about some of the things that have changed since you began…

When I started we had some guests that stayed a month. They could all afford to stay a month. In our place today, that’s over. It’s kind of out of your hands, society has changed; work and vacations have changed with it. Now, a stay is little over two days, so that’s an enormous change. We’ve had to figure out how to change rooms, handle the daily turnover of inventory while maintaining high standards; and nowadays every place else has to make itself unique. Everyone has to react to such changes. The Association has changed just about as much.

ML: How so?

Well, my uncle was Chairman of the Association in the late 1930’s. I saw a copy of a newspaper with front page coverage of the Association’s annual meeting. The newspaper reported there were 600 people there celebrating the end of the tourist season. There was a picture of my uncle, and some of the great operators of that time, and it was all front page information. I can’t envision a hotel meeting today of that size in the state of Michigan, or that kind of press coverage.

And then you go from there to 1968, and if we had 35 to 40 people at our annual meeting, that was unusual. We had some bad years. When I was Chairman, the Association was still dominated by independents. We had a lot of properties that paid one year if they were having a good year; and if not they’d drop the Association. I bet there were some years that there were five or ten of us that paid dues. I understand the economics, but when things are bad; that’s when you need an association.

ML: Why did you support the Association so consistently?

Somewhere early on I realized the Association is not the building, or the equipment or your newsletter; it’s the lobbying, you, your staff, and some of the administrative things. Remember, we’ve made association business a mainstay. So I’ve watched how good associations operate and saw how they benefited their industries. We wanted to help contribute to that happening here. Associations represent people and their livelihoods. I don’t think that will ever change; it never has changed in my fifty years around it.

ML: What do you consider our industry’s greatest asset and biggest weakness?

I don’t know if I ever really thought about that, but I suppose it’s one in the same. I think our biggest assets are service, facilities, and quality. And I think our biggest deficit is the lack thereof. We do some things very well in every property you can think of. All of us do things not as well as we’d like to, and it only takes one bad experience with a staff person to determine a guest’s lasting memory of a property. There’s one requirement in our business, and that’s to put heads in the beds. And that will always take a clean property, good food and good customer service.

ML: What do you consider your biggest strategic decision over the expanse of your career?

For us it was my uncle’s decision to get into convention sales, and our decision to build on it. It was a totally new approach for a resort property like ours; to serve both leisure travel and trade association business. So, that was a dramatic change when we got into that business. That and our decision to extend our season earlier into spring and later into fall have served us well over the years.

But we’ve seen other people make strategic decisions that totally changed things. Take guys like Everett Kircher. He was so farsighted. He built a ski hill up there in 1950, before anyone really skied. He brought business to North Michigan that we were unable to bring. I’m sure we brought some that he wasn’t able to bring. He was a visionary that doesn’t come along very often. Paul Nine in Grand Traverse Resort was another. He had some tough financial times, but he certainly was a visionary to build that complex, and its future looks pretty solid now.

But there’s that kind of people at all levels in this business, regardless of the size of the property. People who think ahead of their times, position their property to survive and grow. That’s been the key to this industry’s future, and always has been in my opinion.

We are excited to have so many talented individuals  joining us this June, and wish the Accafellas luck in the Semi-Finals.

The ‘Fellas Trip to ICCA’s Semi-Finals

Every year we, the MSU Accafellas, compete in the Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A cappella. This is the only international tournament that showcases the art of student a cappella singing and is dedicated to providing top-notch collegiate a cappella groups with valuable feedback from our highly qualified judges. Groups are evaluated based on their vocal technique, choreography, and musicality.
Each year, the tournament takes place from January through April in six regions: West, Midwest, South, Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and Europe. Each region holds several quarterfinal events. The top two college groups at each quarter-final advance to the college semi-finals, and the winner of each semi-final is invited to participate in finals, held in the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, where they compete for cash prizes and the coveted title of Grand Champion.

Historically, the Accafellas have only advanced past the quarter-final round once…until this year! The ‘Fellas were beyond thrilled to place first at quarter finals and also received an award for  ‘best choreography’ for our rendition of  “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees. At the semi-finals, we came in second place, allowing us to submit our set as the ‘wild card’ entry for the finals.

Preparation for the ICCA Competitions is one that takes an immense amount of work and time. The week leading up to quarter-finals, for example, we held an extra 28 hours of rehearsal. This kind of investment of time does a great deal for the group in terms of group unity, togetherness, dedication, compromise, and flexibility, which is apparent on stage. The entire process brings so many new elements to collegiate a cappella.

The ‘Fellas will be submitting our video soon to see if we can earn the ‘wild card’ spot in the final round (fingers crossed!) Regardless of the outcome, we are extremely proud of our accomplishments this year and are feeling stronger than ever!
- MSU Accafellas

There has been a flower shop of some sort at the Hotel since it opened 126 years ago. We are thrilled with the newest version and look forward to showing it off all summer long. Our Designers will be able to create arrangements in a bright open area for hotel guests, island residents, visitors and of course all Grand brides!

Margaret’s Garden will be open seven days a week throughout the 2013 season.  Please come visit!

Every year our shops management team spends the winter months looking at and purchasing new items for the next summer season.

For the 2013 season Mackinac Market will feature several new items including blown glass ornaments from Poland, red and green fleece blankets, a new green glitter Grand Hotel logo T-shirt, and baby caps and bibs.  For the first time ever, we are excited to have a licensing agreement with Snoopy to produce “Happiness is Grand Hotel” shirts.  Of course, we will have logo merchandise from Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor and your favorites such as the red phone booth ornament and traditional Grand Hotel attire.

We look forward to seeing you this summer, and hope you enjoy the new items we have to share.

Win-Some Women, eagerly looks forward to each spring and fall, where we now with Grand Hotel, mutually host around 6,000 ladies a year, from over forty-five states and Canada. What an awesome God we serve!
From a few ladies gathered together in a home bible study in Petoskey, Michigan in 1972, to what we continue to witness in the changed lives of thousands, to God be the Glory! Win-Some Women is moving forward with excitement and anticipation to see what mighty things God still has in store for each and every one of us.

There is talk of spring and baseball at Grand Hotel as March comes into view and the professional clubs play their spring training games. The talk around the maintenance department break table is of the Tigers. Painters can be heard talking about starting pitching as others discuss what Jim Leland needs to do to get the Detroit club back into the fall classic. They talk of the great catches during last season as the fielder stretched with his glove to snag the ball.

The baseball discussion in the security department is a little different. The Tigers aren’t even mentioned. Instead there are names of other Michigan clubs like the Eclipse, the Mossbacks, the Flats and the Lah-De-Dahs.

“Remember the bare hander last season by that rover with the River Hogs? I didn’t think he would get that one.”

“What about the kid who scored the winning run at home plate for the Old Golds when the catcher—his own father—missed the tag? There had to be some drama on the ride home with that one.”

“How can we angle the field to get the big tree into play more?”

What are they talking about? They are talking about vintage baseball at Grand Hotel. These baseball players play without gloves, complement the opposing team and are not allowed to oogle the fans.

The 2013 season is sure to be an exciting one as many new clubs come to Mackinac Island to play vintage baseball by the rules of 1860 at Woodfill Park—located between the Grand Hotel tennis courts and the Gate House restaurant.

The Chelsea Monitors and the Petoskey Mossbacks will play a double header on May 18th. Mossback Captain Aydan Lepird came to a match last year disguised as a member of another club (against the rules in 1860) and was very open about getting his club on the field in 2013. The Mossbacks will play again in September.

On June 15th the Walker Tavern Wheels, the Sidney Stars, the Northville Eclipse and the Saginaw Old Golds will take the field. This will be the first year at Grand Hotel for the Eclipse and Wheels. The Saginaw Old Golds are the defending champions of the World Tournament of Historic Base Ball.

August 17th will have the Douglas Dutchers, Chicago Salmon, Fallassburgh Flats and the Midland Mighty River Hogs facing off against each other. This will be the second year for the Dutchers, the Salmon and the Flats. The Flats are formerly known as the Fallasburg Cubs. This will be the third year for the Mighty River Hogs.

September 7th will have the return of the Greenfield Village Lah-De-Dahs and the Petoskey Mossbacks with the addition of the Aurora Town Club. The Town Club is in its second year of existence and is made up of police officers of the Aurora Illinois Police Department.

The schedule is as follows:

May 18

12 Noon Chelsea Monitors vs Petoskey Mossbacks
2 pm Petoskey Mossbacks vs Chelsea Monitors

June 15

10 am Walker Tavern Wheels vs Sidney Stars
12 Noon Northville Eclipse vs Saginaw Old Golds
2 pm Sidney Stars vs Northville Eclipse
4 pm Walker Tavern Wheels vs Saginaw Old Golds

August 17

10 am Douglas Dutchers vs Chicago Salmon
12 Noon Fallassburgh Flats vs Midland Mighty River Hogs
2 pm Chicago Salmon vs Fallasburgh Flats
4 pm Douglas Dutchers vs Midland Mighty River Hogs

September 7

12 Noon Greenfield Village Lah-De-Dahs vs. Petoskey Mossbacks
2 pm Petoskey Mossbacks vs Aurora (IL) Town Club
4 pm Aurora (IL) Town Club vs Greenfield Village Lah-De-Dahs

Grand Hotel guests will have the opportunity to rub elbows with many of the players on May 18th and September 7th during a historic walking tour of downtown Mackinac Island. The tours begin at 10 am at Cawthorne’s Village Inn and end at 11:30 am at Woodfill Park and will be hosted by Grand Hotel Security Director and Umpire Jason Kladiva.

All games and tours are free to the public. Food and drinks will be available at the Gate House and Jockey Club restaurants during the matches. Come as you are and bring a picnic blanket but mind your manners. These matches are played by the rules of 1860. Unlike the Major Leagues, there is no spitting, swearing, betting, scratching or other ungentlemanly conduct allowed at these matches.

Our electrician couldn’t care less about baseball. He is all about hockey. Sorry, Billy. We aren’t going to freeze the pool but the idea of vintage hockey is appealing.

I was actually at the awards banquet when the first Grand Award was presented many years ago to Grand Hotel.  It was done so in honor of our relationship with the organization and our working with them through a difficult time.  For those of you who do not know, for 46 years now, the Michigan Recreation and Park Association has been sending groups to Mackinac in the fall.  They are one of the major reasons why Grand Hotel is able to extend our season through the end of October.  It is a partnership that provides MRPA members the opportunity to bring travelers to Grand Hotel at a time when we can be more flexible with our pricing.  The program has evolved over the years to include younger travelers and a more vibrant agenda while they are with us on Mackinac.

Each winter for the last 20 plus years, I have attended the MRPA Annual Convention as an exhibitor.  I have come to truly appreciate the professionals in the field and the importance of their work sustaining parks and providing recreational opportunities in our communities across the state.

MRPA, like many trade associations in our state, has been affected by difficult economic times and competition from overlapping organizations.  This has required MRPA to reinvent itself.  It has been my privilege to work with their Executive Director Ann Conklin and their Board of Directors over the years to offer advice as a member, a vendor, and as someone who interacts regularly with various other trade association executives and their organizations in our state.

It has been my pleasure to offer my opinions, advice and ideas and it is flattering to think that the organization, its board of directors, the awards committee, and staff saw fit to honor me with the Grand Award.  I look forward to continuing to work with an ever-evolving and successful MRPA and I appreciate all they do for me as a citizen, the state of Michigan, and their outstanding partnership with Grand Hotel.

Glenn addressing the
Win-Some Women
group luncheon.

Dear Guests,

May I wish for you and yours a very sunny JAMERICAN day.

I am Glendon Bulgin, a dining room server at the famous Grand Hotel and Pastor of the Jamaican Interdenominational church where I lead service every Wednesday night at St. Anne’s Catholic Church. Thanks to Father Jim and his Parish team members I have been serving dinner and god at Grand Hotel for 22 consecutive Years.

It has been fun and a blessing to work at Grand Hotel. After years at the Grand I was elevated to the prestigious section of station number 1. With all humility I continue to be the owner’s personal server. I am also privileged to have met and taken care of a number of returning guests year after year who always look forward to coming back and sitting in my section.

The ladies love Brother B!

I have served Presidents, First Ladies, Congress men and women, Senators, Governors, celebrities, numerous movie stars, Bishops, Queens from the Lilac Festival, Ms. Michigan, and for 14 years in a row I have been taking care of and taking photos with the Michigan Cherry Queen. Awesome – now I feel like the Cherry King! J

The Grand is the place to be, to work, to dine, and to vacation. It is owned and operated by a wonderful family, the Mussers. As we pray for good health and success in business for them and every other member of staff. The Grand Hotel staff and guests are like one big extended family just waiting to be reunited in the spring.

Dinner table setting

I’m looking forward to seeing you all in 2013. God bless the Grand, God Bless Jamaica, God bless America.

Respectfully yours,

Glendon Bulgin