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Go-Fast Blast From The Past: Curtiss D-12

• By Boating Staff
• Updated: October 25, 2017

If you wanted serious power in the classic-boat era, you almost certainly turned to an aircraft engine from Scripps, Curtiss, Rolls-Royce, Wright or Lycoming. In the inter-war period, aircraft development advanced at a torrid pace, and the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Co. Inc. of Buffalo, New York, set the pace for power for a number of years. This fabulous Curtiss D-12 engine stopped me in my tracks when I spotted it at the 42nd Antique and Classic Boat Society meeting and show in Racine, Wisconsin, nestled in the bilge of the equally fabulous Garfield, a 1932 Gar Wood Baby Gar 33 runabout. The boat is owned by Bill Parfet of Kalamazoo, Mich., and is one of 65 examples of the Baby Gar 33 built by Gar Wood, of which only six are presently accounted for and four are seaworthy. A period advertisement offers the 33 for $11,300 for the highest horsepower models. That’s about $205,000 in 2017 dollars. The Baby Gar 33 was a gentleman’s speed boat and most were originally powered by a war-surplus, 1650 cubic-inch, 837-pound Liberty engine making about 400 hp. Some examples were later re-fitted with the Curtiss D-12.

The Curtiss D-12, designed by Arthur Nutt in 1921, was one of the first truly successful aluminum cast-block engines and considered America’s best water-cooled engine from 1921 to 1928. It was both lighter and more compact than other 400 hp engines of the time. It was the first engine to power a plane to 200 mph. In 1922, two U.S. Army R-6 Racers powered by the D-12 won the Pulitzer trophy with an average speed of 205 mph. After 1925, the Curtiss Company stopped development on the D-12 after achieving a virtual monopoly on fighter power plants. The D-12 won two Schneider Cups and was still a threat at the National Air Races up to the mid-1930s. Only a handful of these engines survive.

The Curtiss D-12 was a 680-pound, 1,145 cubic-inch (18.8-liter) V-12 liquid-cooled engine. Originally rated at 350 hp at 1,800 rpm, later versions developed about 450 hp at 2,200 rpm. The engine has seven main bearings, using separate cast blocks for the cylinders and crankcase. It has a dry-sump oiling system, and the cylinders used wet sleeves, which allowed water to contact almost the entire length of the cylinder. It used an old-style closed-end cylinder sleeve. There were four valves per cylinder operated by two camshafts, one for the exhaust and one for the intake valves. This allowed all of the exhaust valves to be located on the outside of the cylinder to 12 separate stacks, one for each exhaust port. The engine had a dual ignition system using Splitdorf SS-12 magnetos. Both spark plugs were located on the inside of the vee to prevent fouling. Stromberg NA-Y5 carburetors became standard for all D-12 engines.

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Woman sues Kalamazoo billionaire, claims he fathered two of her children

by Alex Jokich

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – A federal lawsuit has been filed against Kalamazoo billionaire Bill Parfet by a woman who claims he forced her to have sex over a period of eight years and fathered two of her children.

A woman by the name of Shuang Zhang, one of Parfet’s former employees, is now suing him. She claims a paternity test proves he’s the father of her two sons, ages seven and four. The suit says that Parfet won’t pay child support and that he wrongfully fired her over the whole ordeal.

The 25 page lawsuit was filed in federal court Monday. Parfet is an Upjohn heir, former CEO of Mattawan-based MPI Research and a well-known philanthropist in the area.

The suit was filed by a woman named Shuang Zhang, originally from China, who says she met Parfet on one of his business trips there.

Zhang says Parfet took her on as a consultant to help outsource some of MPI’s business to China and later hired her on at MPI<>>

Zhang says Parfet used his celebrity and power to force her into having sex on multiple occasions from 2008 to 2014, in hotel rooms, on boats and once at the Gilmore Car Museum.

Zhang claims Parfet made her buy him Viagra and became “insatiable,” demanding sex at all hours of the day and night.

Zhang says Parfet is the father of her two sons and that he fired her in 2009 when she refused to get an abortion. She says he later hired her back on and then fired her again when she sued him for child support in 2014.

Zhang adds that Parfet made her tell her husband that the children were conceived from a sperm bank and the emotional turmoil of the whole ordeal made her depressed and suicidal.

Zhang was committed to a psych ward in 2013 and later diagnosed as bipolar.

Newschannel 3 did receive a statement from MPI which reads;

“MPI Research is not a party to this litigation, and Mr. William Parfet, the defendant in the action, is neither employed by nor affiliated with, MPI Research. Therefore, we have no comment on the matter.”

Parfet retired from MPI this past January. Newschannel 3 has tried to reach him for comment, but have not yet heard back. We also reached out to Zhang, who currently lives in California, but have not heard back from her either.

Bringing back the woodies

Star boat sailors are breathing new life into the class by rescuing, restoring and racing classic wooden boats in the inaugural vintage gold cup on michigan’s gull lake.

By all accounts, Michigan’s Gull Lake is a sailor’s lake, often bustling with regattas or packed with weekend daysailers. But there was something special about the 12 Stars that took to the racecourse on a crisp early fall weekend. Sailed by some of the best sailors in the class, the colorful boats were all 50 years old, lovingly restored, some just in time for the Vintage Gold Cup. It was exactly what the regatta’s organizers had in mind.

“When we saw what fun everyone had in the woody regatta at the centennial in Larchmont, we knew that was something special, something that could bring new life to these Stars, and new life to the class at the same time,” said Don Parfet, a businessman from nearby Kalamazoo and one of the regatta’s masterminds. “We hope that this is just a start of things to come, to see it spread across the country.”

The event’s precursor, the Star woody regatta in 2011, was at the North American Centennial regatta in Larchmont, New York, which celebrated the Star’s 100th anniversary. The event inspired Gull Lake sailor Parfet, who had sailed his father’s restored Star 5050 in the regatta, to organize the Vintage Gold Cup together with avid Star sailor and boatbuilder Jon VanderMolen.

The Stars sail as a one-design class, but tolerances within the measurement rule are large enough to allow for development in design. VanderMolen built a modern class design, the P Star, at his company, North American Sailing Center, in Richland, Michigan, until 2013, when interest in the class declined after it was dropped from the Olympics. More than 8,500 Stars have been built, with more than 2,000 still actively sailed worldwide. While new Star boats are still being built in Italy, the majority of the Stars built from days gone by are wood, and tapping into this languishing pocket of remaining wooden Stars is one way the organizers hope to grow the class.

“I have to say that it was hull No. 5050 that started this whole thing,” VanderMolen said. “It was Don’s family boat that really never left the area, and it had been mostly restored in 2002. Then Don bought it back to sail at the Larchmont centennial.”

VanderMolen’s next project was in 2013, after he acquired No. 4554 by happenstance when a customer looking to barter with him for P Star parts had a woody he wanted to trade.

“I really put a lot of time into that boat, and a lot of sexy P Star parts,” VanderMolen said. “There’s a lot of luxury in that orange boat.” 

“We restored seven boats in 11 months,” VanderMolen said. “Each boat we’d do, we kept tweaking the control layouts, making the boats easier to sail.”

The call went out to the class, and sailors from Maryland, Florida and Canada packed up their restored Stars to join the party. Top Star sailors, past world champions and Olympic medalists including Mark Reynolds, Paul Cayard, Andy MacDonald and John MacCausland were invited to sail the Gull Lake Stars that had been restored in The Shop. Gull Lake straddles three counties in lower Michigan’s southwest corner in the town of Richland. Spring-fed, it is a little over three square miles and 110 feet deep, and racing is run out of the Gull Lake Country Club, which has an active local racing schedule and youth sailing program. The three-day regatta included a day of practice racing, daily social events and Concours d’Elegance-type judging, where club members could vote on the prettiest Star.

“We always race the Tulip Tune Up in May with our own boat,” Caesar said, referring to the popular Gull Lake Star regatta that has been held each spring for more than 60 years. “But this time Jon said ‘don’t bring your boat, I’ve got something for you,’ and he gave us Gem IX. I blame him for giving us the disease.”

Caesar found Magic, hull No. 4789, in Hamilton, Ontario, which was owned by a classic Star collector and longtime class supporter John Finch. 

“We bought it this spring, and although the hull was in pretty good condition, the rig had to go. And we only had time to paint the bottom and get it rigged,” Caesar said. “We didn’t realize there would be a beauty contest.”

“Right now I call it the Ugly Duckling,” Anosov said. “When I have more time I am going to make it as pretty as the others.”

“No question my modern Star is more comfortable; this one has more sharp edges,” said Keith Donald, who sails with the Severn Sailing Association in Maryland. “But in terms of sailing,  it is very similar in feel.”

Donald trailered Hope , hull No. 4125 that was built by Skip Etchells at his Old Greenwich Boat Co. in 1959, from his home in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he had been working on restoring her since 2007. 

“It was just a hull, no rigging or hardware,” he said. “I stopped counting after about 400 hours of frustration, but it feels great having brought her back to life.”

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DeVos yacht untied, set adrift in Ohio

A 163-foot yacht owned by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos was vandalized while moored off Lake Erie in Huron, Ohio over the weekend, according to a police report.

Huron Police Chief Robert Lippert said Thursday the incident is under investigation and can't provide any additional details at this time.

A police report said the Seaquest captain called police early Sunday morning to report the boat had been untied and set adrift. The boat hit a dock, causing large scratches and scrapes that could cost $5,000 to $10,000 to repair.

Officers were looking for surveillance video to find the person who untied the boat.

Worth a reported $40 million, the Seaquest is one of 10 boats owned by the DeVos family.

Pro-Schuette super PAC hits $2.4M

A super political action committee backing Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette is pumping big bucks into his campaign for Michigan governor.

Better Jobs, Stronger Families has raised nearly $2.4 million since forming in September, according to a new state filing. Roughly one quarter of the sum has come from “dark money” groups that do not disclose their donors.

The pro-Schuette super PAC is raising more money and outspending a separate super PAC running television ads to support Lt. Gov. Brian Calley , who is competing with Schuette for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.

Calley Continues the Comeback has raised roughly $949,000 since forming in March, but the super PAC’s fundraising slowed in the most recent reporting period.

William Parfet , a longtime supporter of Gov. Rick Snyder and the former chairman and CEO of MPI Research, gave the Calley PAC $73,540 in May, its only reported contribution since April 20.

The super PAC had $86,692 in the bank as of July 20, compared to more than $314,000 in cash reserves for the pro-Schuette PAC.

“I think Bill Schuette is ahead in the polls, ahead with resources, and in a strong position to win not only the primary but the Michigan governor’s race,” said Stu Sander , executive director of Better Jobs, Stronger Families.

A spokesman for the Calley super PAC did not respond to a request for comment.

Amash votes no on suicide hotline 

Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, was the only member of the U.S. House of Representative this week to vote no on a bill aimed at preventing suicide. 

The House voted 379-1 on Monday to approve the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act, which directs the government to study the feasibility of designating a three-digit dialing code for a national suicide prevention and mental-health crisis hotline.

The libertarian-leaning Amash tweeted that he voted against it because it has no basis in the Constitution.

"It’s another good idea without a constitutional basis. I swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I take that oath seriously. Constitutional limits are meaningless if we ignore them whenever we like the policy outcome," he wrote. 

In replies to questions on Twitter, Amash stressed that the Constitution grants Congress limited, enumerated powers, and "this hotline is not authorized under any of these powers." 

He added that the Constitution provides for an amendment process if the people want to give Congress a new power.

Contributors: Beth LeBlanc, Melissa Nann Burke, Jonathan Oosting

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Businessman William Parfet will contest sexual harassment lawsuit

• Updated: Aug. 08, 2016, 9:01 p.m.
• | Published: Aug. 08, 2016, 8:01 p.m.
• Al Jones | [email protected]

KALAMAZOO, MI - An attorney for William U. Parfet says the Kalamazoo businessman plans to contest a sexual harassment and wrongful discharge lawsuit filed against him in federal court.

"Mr. Parfet will be presenting a vigorous defense to this lawsuit," attorney Nancy Abell said when asked by the Kalamazoo Gazette about the lawsuit.

Parfet, an heir to Upjohn Co. founder W.E. Upjohn, is being sued for sexual harassment, sex discrimination and wrongful termination by a woman who claims her two young children are the result of an affair that began with him in 2008 and continued until June of 2014.

The legal action by Shuang Zhang, which seeks an unspecified amount of damages, was filed on Aug. 1 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, in San Jose.

The lawsuit alleges Parfet demanded to have sex with Zhang while she worked for him as a hired consultant and as a full-time employee during business trips in Beijing, Zhanghai, Phoenix, Denver, Baltimore, San Jose and elsewhere.

Zhang's age was not provided, but the filing indicates that she is 27 years younger than Parfet, who is age 69.

The filing was made less than a week after Parfet was named July 28 as part of a group of local philanthropists interested in donating $70.3 million to help the city of Kalamazoo pull out of an ongoing budgetary problem and cut property taxes.

Until December, Parfet was chairman and chief executive officer of MPI Research, a Mattawan-based scientific testing laboratory for drugs and chemicals that he founded in 1995. Parfet, who is married and has six children (four with his first wife and two with his current wife), sold his interests in that company and is executive chairman of inviCRO, a Boston-based provider of imaging solutions for drug development companies.

He is the great grandson of W.E. Upjohn, founder of The Upjohn Co., the Kalamazoo-based pharmaceutical company that is now a part of Pfizer Inc. He also is a member of the boards of Stryker Corp., Lake Forest College, Southwest Michigan First, Monsanto Co., Taubman Centers and the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

Zhang, a resident of Sunnyvale, Calif., was described in the lawsuit as a consultant who has worked to help put business deals together for companies in her homeland, China, and the United States. She has worked primarily for companies in the pharmaceutical, life-sciences and biotech industries and according to online sources is presently named as a principal in a venture capital company based in China. Called Cenova Capital, it invests in new life-science and healthcare firms.

The legal filing states that in past years, Zhang has worked for numerous companies in the U.S. and China and was employed by Parfet and MPI Research, as a consultant and as a salaried employee on more than one occasion as that company sought to expand abroad.

The lawsuit claims Zhang previously had been a victim of sexual abuse as well as trauma related to military training, which led to clinical depression. That played into her failure to reject the alleged sexual advances by Parfet over a period of years, according to the filing.

On two occasions she was hospitalized "for depression and suicidal ideation," according to the lawsuit. A spokesman for Zhang's attorney, Lawrance A. Bohm, said Bohm is deferring comment on the matter until later.

Parfet's attorney Abell did not respond to specific questions about claims in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit describes more than one occasions on which Zhang sought financial help to raise the children -- both are boys who are now ages 7 and 4 -- and mentions that Parfet at one time allegedly offered to provide her $35,000 for each of the two children.

According to the filing, Zhang, who was married but believed she was unable to have children, used a suggestion by Parfet and told her husband that the children "were conceived through a sperm bank."

The filing alleges Parfet accused Zhang of being a gold-digger in October of 2008 when he demanded that she abort the pregnancy of the first child, but she would not. It asserts that there have been paternity tests that indicate Parfet is the father of both children.

Through Monday, no response to the legal action had been filed on Parfet's behalf in California federal. MPI Research, which the filing notes has annual revenues of more than $200 million and employs about 1,300 people, was not made a party to the lawsuit.

According to court records, Parfet and Zhang had entered an agreement indicating they were in confidential negotiations to discuss a resolution to Zhang's civil claims and that Parfet - not MPI - would be the focus of those claims.

The agreement, which was signed in March and has signatures of Parfet and Zhang, stated that "Parfet agrees that he will not dispute that Parfet (not MPI) was Zhang's legal employer for purposes of those claims."

Although there was no word on whether Zhang took actions to try to stop what her lawsuit asserts was sexual harassment by Parfet, she filed a discrimination complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, and in March of 2015 was issued a federal Right to Sue notice.

According to the lawsuit, Zhang and Parfet met in January 2005 in China after she organized a business trip for Bridge Pharmaceuticals to meet potential business partners.  Zhang alleges that in February of 2008, she was overcome by shock, fear and helplessness when Parfet, on a visit with a team of colleagues to China, forced her to perform sex acts.

She alleges that she was intimidated by Parfet because of his business standing but that Parfet told her he considered her "a friend and would act as her mentor."

From 2005 to 2007, Zhang worked as a consultant for Parfet as MPI strategized to set up a joint venture in China. She claims that in February 2007 she disclosed in an email to Parfet some of her traumatic experiences - related to previous sexual abuse and other things. She said she saw him as a mentor "and trusted him to look out for her best interests." She alleged that is why she was shocked when he began making sexual advances on her during business trips starting in 2008.

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The lawsuit says Zhang sank into depression and had suicidal thoughts as a result of their interactions and in May of 2013 attempted to end her life on railway tracks. It says she also tried to jump off a building and that her sister "followed her everywhere" to prevent her from committing suicide.

Aside from working as a consultant for MPI, Zhang states that she was hired on a full-time basis by the company on two occasions - and subsequently fired: In 2009 from a position as vice president and operational liaison for MPI's joint venture in China and in 2014 after she had taken a sales position with the company.

Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that "as an actual or proximate result of defendant's (Parfet's) willful and intentional discrimination, plaintiff (Zhang) has lost wages, benefits and other out-of-pocket expenses." It also charges, in part, that "defendant unlawfully discriminated against plaintiff because of her sex and/or gender by subjecting her to constant demeaning treatment, unwelcome and inappropriate sexual advances, and illicit remarks, in addition to subjecting plaintiff to a harassment-drenched environment."

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Bay Harbor Vintage Car and Boat Festival Thursday-Saturday, June 23-25

This event is now in its 18th year and kicks off the summer in Bay Harbor with an impressive collection of classic cars and wooden boats. The highlight of the weekend is the Parade of Vintage Cars and Display of Vintage Boats, taking place Saturday afternoon and capped off with a drive-by awards ceremony. The parade is free to the public, and every year thousands of people, both locals and visitors, from across the Midwest bring their families to see the cars and motor boats.

“The cars and boats that are on exhibit are very rare and during the car parade the owner drives the car over the red carpet so the spectators have an opportunity to meet them and learn about why each car is important. This is a great fundraiser for the (Bay Harbor) Foundation and the funds raised are provided to our local nonprofits for needs in our community,” said Candace Fitzsimons, executive director of the Bay Harbor Foundation.

Vintage car and wooden boat owners come from all over the country. Besides seeing them up close, one of the draws is the socializing and opportunity to participate in accompanying events.

Bay Harbor Vintage Car and Boat Festival schedule of events

Thursday, June 23

Welcome Exhibitor Dessert and Nightcap

Home of Barbara and Bill Parfet, Bay Harbor

Let Barbara and Bill welcome you to the 18th annual Bay Harbor Vintage Car and Boat Festival. See old friends and network with new contacts and festival sponsors while enjoying desserts and after-dinner drinks.

Friday, June 24

Tip of the Mitt Wine Country Automobile Tour and Lunch

8 a.m. Line up

8:30 a.m. Depart

Village Parking Lot C

Take a journey through the rolling hills of Northern Michigan and visit local wineries, with lunch along the way and opportunities to sample some of the Tip of The Mitt wine country’s local wine.

Beer and Wine Event and Hot Rod Rendezvous

Village at Bay Harbor

Sample a selection of the best of Northern Michigan, with beer and wine provided by local breweries and wineries and live entertainment provided by an award-winning Motor City band. Then get together with fellow hot rod enthusiasts, locals and visitors alike, in the Village at Bay Harbor. One hot rod will drive away with the coveted People’s Choice Award.

Exhibitors Meet and Greet

6-7:30 p.m.

Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with fellow exhibitors at a private venue overlooking Bay Harbor Lake.

Saturday, June 25

Parade of Vintage Cars and Display of Vintage Boats

Main Street, Village of Bay Harbor

View a parade of vintage cars and display of vintage boats with commentary by Ed Lucas. The parade gets underway with the grand marshal’s procession escorted by the award-winning Petoskey High School Marching Band drummers.

Exhibitors Luncheon

12:30 p.m.-2 p.m.

Bay Harbor Yacht Club

Enjoy lunch with fellow exhibitors at the private Bay Harbor Yacht Club with views overlooking Bay Harbor Lake and Lake Michigan.

Award Presentation

Bay Harbor Village Marina Lawn

Festival Hospitality Tent

Dinner and auction

From the Jersey shore to the Bay Harbor shore, spend an evening celebrating summer, with the live band Jersey Seasons. Dinner, dancing and a live auction.

Pure Michigan, Pure Hessel, Pure Fun!

I love these posters. Diana Windsor Grenier is an amazing artist! Dang!

Thanks again to fellow Woody Boater and Michigan Reporter Wylie for sending in this wonderful report.. Get this.. WITH CAPTIONS. What the heck is that about? Its like work Wylie. WORK, the opposite of Woody Boating. Take the weekend off every now and then. First you send in a report from the boardwalk and now Hessel. Wait, those are on weekends, oooffff. Everyone stand up at your computer and raise your Varnish coffee cup to Allen. Thanks again, for the rough assignment up in Hessel.  Its fall already there by the way. Dang that week of summer goes by faster every year.

Take it away Mr Wylie.

1970 “Bella Blue” a 23′ Lyman – Jeremy Goldstein from Sandusky, Ohio

Mike and Chris Zane winner Best Utility 0-17′ with their 427 Interceptor 1964 17′ Resorter from Les Cheneaux

“Backseat Driver” a 1954 14′ Penn Yan with a 25 hp Johnson with the Schallip family from Barbeau, Michigan

1930 26′ Hackercraft “Breezing Thru” with a Kermath Seawolf from Cedarville, Michigan Charles E. Letts Jr. background Due Diligence 1948 20′ Chris Craft Custom from Williamsburg, Michigan Lew and Char Kirchner along with “Auora” another 20′ Chris Craft 1947 Custom, Deborah and Joseph Pysh from McKay Bay – Les Cheneaux

1964 Century 16′ Resorter “Burn Pile” Robert Jenks from Sturgis, Michigan

“Carpe Diem” 1941 16′ Chris Craft Paul Edward Stevenson from Hessel, Michigan. Winner Best Runabout 0-16′

From the Bow of CEMACK a 1959 Chris Craft 24′ Sportsman from Lakeside, Ohio. William C. Mack, Winner of the ACBS Most Original boat awarded on behalf of the Water Wonderland Chapter

The 39th Annual Les Cheneaux Island show from Hessel featured the Century brand this year. At the show was one of the first Century models built. Thomas Holmes 1927 Century Kid M– 540 winner Best Racer, parked next to Andy Sacksteder’s bronze statue ” Captain and the Kid”

“Cheneaux Belle” a lifetime Les Cheneaux 1949 19′ Century Resorter. Owner Bob Creswell Coryell Island. It shares a boathouse with sister boat “Ada Girl”

“Double Barrel” 1942 Century 17′ Sea Maid. Winner Best Non-Professional Restoration Larry and June Prebis from Medina, Ohio

“Tootsie Belle” and “Double Barrel”. Tootsie Belle a 1936 Chris Craft 17′ Deluxe Runabout by local boater David Wallace Hessel, Michigan

The really big Baby Gar 33 “Garfield” with her Curtis D 12 from Bay Harbor, Michigan – William Parfet

Double winner “Garfield” Best of Show and Best Runabout 25′ and over.

1957 Thompson “Jenny” 14′ 35 hp Johnson winner Best Outboard, Alec and Daniel Kane from Snows Channel

“Last Cent” a 1968 17′ Resorter the last wooden Century shipped from the factory in Manistee hull no. 68110. It came with Coronado trim on the covering boards. Dave and Linda VanKuiken, Torch Lake

“Cynsational” a 1953 14′ Century with a 30 hp Johnson Javelin, Steve and Cynthia Shaltry next to “Rockette” a 1947 19’5″ Sea Maid, Roger and Char Pecina from Diamond Lake, Michigan winners Best Runabout 19-20′

Winner Best Runabout 17-18′ the 1941 Chris Craft “Rumor” a 17′ Deluxe. David and Claire DeHorn Muskegon, Michigan

“Shannon” a 1949 19′ Chris Craft Racing Runabout from North Muskegon, Michigan Mark and Mary Moulton and “Sully” a 1931 21′ 6″ Dodge, John and Pat Sullivan Cedarville, Michigan

1935 Chris Craft “Slo Poke” 18′ Standard Utility, Martin & Green Pentwater, Michigan. Winner Best Utility 18-20′ at the wheel here Mike Green

“Thunderbird” from Tahoe, 55″ by Greg Rice

Couple of 1955 14′ 7″ Feathercrafts – Alan Biltz from North Webster, Indiana and “Tin Fish” Steve Grower from Harsen’s Island, Michigan

Winner the Jim Bohn People’s Choice “Tinker” steam launch from Escanaba, Michigan William and Mary Kay Movalson

William Movalson kept the crowd thrilled day with his 20′ wood launch “Tinker” by running his Blackstaffe steam engine all day.

“T.J.” a 1956 14’6″ Dunphy from Snows Channel, Michigan with a 30 hp Evinrude Lark. Nancy & Gary Coates

“Tookie” 1950 U-22 Chris Craft James Keighley Cedarville, Michigan

“Windswept” a 1935 Greavette 23′ Dictator, winner Best Runabout 21-24′ from Gull Lake, Michigan Chris Mahoney

“Wuzz a’ Fuzz” winner Best Youth Judges award a 1947 31′ Hackercraft Tom and Mary Flood Cedarville, Michigan

“Ada Girl” a 1958 22’ Century Raven also owned by Bob Creswell, boat mate to “Cheneaux Belle”

The 2016 Les Cheneaux Islands Antique Wooden Boat Show and Festival of Arts happens with the help of 300 volunteers. They all work together and it all happens with choreographed activity that looks seamless to me. 160 boats registered. Everyone has smiles on their faces volunteers, participants and attendees alike. This years show featured one of the earliest Century’s made and the last wooden Century delivered by the factory. I was concerned driving thru and hour and half of rain below the straits. Thankfully the rain held off at Les Cheneaux and we all enjoyed good times.

Thanks so much Wylie for your report and thanks to the 300 Volunteers and 160 boat owner. Heck thanks to the boats for making it. They have feelings too.

Now, if you have made it this far, you get a bonus surprise. It’s 8 minutes which in internet terms is War and Peace. BUT.. Crank it up.. After Tinker.. Its 8 minutes of engines rumbling through the water. Oh Allen.. You saved the best for last. Happy Monday fellow Woody Boaters.

Wow! Nice coverage, thanks. ?

Great Job Allen!

What a selection of boats.

Great job, Allen, we missed seeing you up there! Saw so many others from all over, you must have been going in another direction than our group was.

Nice coverage, but what about the fiberglass boats that were there?

Great pictures, and sounds like a great show. “Tootsie Belle” , btw, is an 18 foot 1936 deluxe runabout, not 17 foot. the 17 foot deluxe runabout (double cockpit forward) was introduced in the 1937 model year.

Bill Mack’s 24 Sportsman is an incredible time capsule of originality and still looks like a new boat. The only things not shipped when new is engine oil and gas. Original varnish still there, as well as original role of toilet paper. Great coverage and pics!!

I like the outboard boats being featured right up there with the high dollar stuff…..some of those at that show were really nice. If you want to actually “go boating” and go a lot….those smaller outboards are the ticket.

Thanks for the fine coverage.

John in Va.

I’m with you, John.

Nice reporting Allen. It was a wonderful day in Hessel. Thanks to all the Century Boat Club members that helped make this year’s show special. BTW, two new members purchased Century boats at the local auction that supports the museum. Welcome Aboard! And yes, it was great to mingle with those Water Wonderland ACBS Chapter gezzers as well.

What’s a gezzer? Just remember that you are one of us. It was a great show; thanks for all your help!!

Great coverage and love the video. Luckily I don’t have a stereo in my office otherwise I might put that soundtrack on loop for the week.

BTW, I was wondering where Alex was…until I got to the last picture.

Great pictures and captions…Makes me feel like I was there.

Well done. It brings back fond memories.

WAIT ONE MINUTE MISTER!

I saw some GREAT cruiser shots from the Hessel show on FaceBook. I’ll let it go this time, but don’t leave us cruiser nuts out.

Cruisers so big they wont fit in my camera. Very popular too, hard to get even a close photo from the dock with all the fans.

This one the 53′ Marion Leigh

Awesome coverage and great “rumble video” ! I enjoyed hearing the sounds!! It brought back great memories of growing up in the Lea Cheneaux Islands! With so many local Chris Crafts (and Century) wooden boats in the area, most every day there are beautiful boats “rumbling” through the bays and channels of the Islands. It’s a treat to hear one running wide open down the bay!

Thank you for the report. Wish we could have been there to see this year’s show. Looks like the surrounding booths and displays multiplied, and it is always an interesting walk through them. Would love to know more about the Greavette Dictator. It did not go home for the reunion in Gravenhurst this year. Looks like a beautiful boat.

350 ci V8 is all the extra info I have

what flag is that?

That is a period correct Canadian red ensign. The current Maple Leaf flag is relatively new.

Very cool. I may have mistakenly noted Windswept a Michigan boat as the card read only Gull Lake. I think Windswept came from Toronto.

The Boat is a Greavette; the owner lives in California. A spectacular boat. It took second place Best of Show.

Correction: Windswept was the Best Runabout, 21-24 ft; “402”, a 1970 65 ft Huckins FairForm Flyer was second in the Best of Show awards.

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$2 million gift will establish the Martha G. Parfet Discovery Fund, fuel research efforts at WMed

In life, Martha Parfet was a pillar of the Kalamazoo community, a stalwart supporter of her hometown, and a champion for its growth and continued prosperity.

“She really devoted herself to this community,” William U. Parfet, the eldest of Martha Parfet’s four children, said recently of his mother, who passed away in February 2017. “She really cared, and not so much about herself or her own well-being, but about others. Her energy, her family’s energy was really directed toward this city.”

Parfet’s devotion to Kalamazoo – her philanthropic spirit – is well-known and well documented. 

She served as chairwoman of Gilmore Bros. Department Store, at one time an anchor of the Kalamazoo Mall, and served as president of the Kalamazoo Foundation, known today as the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. She was a strong driver behind the Kalamazoo Nature Center and served on the board, and she and her husband, Ray T. “Ted” Parfet, for many years owned the Kalamazoo Wings, a hockey team they founded in 1974.  

Today, Martha Parfet’s legacy and generosity endure and in late December the medical school received a $2 million bequest from her estate to establish the Martha G. Parfet Discovery Fund at WMed.

The donation will be used to fund research efforts, which have grown exponentially at WMed since the medical school’s inception in 2012.

“I think she felt that a big part of a strong medical education is exposure to – and engagement in – medical research,” her son, Donald Parfet, said. “She felt that medical students who are exposed to research and have the opportunity to do research really are all the stronger for it.”

William Parfet said it was also important to his mother to be a part of ensuring that WMed – as an institution and a driver of medical discovery and innovation – continues to flourish. The medical school’s W.E. Upjohn M.D. Campus in downtown Kalamazoo is named for Martha Parfet’s grandfather, the founder of the Upjohn Company, and medicine was an integral part of her life as her father and her husband, Ray T. “Ted” Parfet, each later served as chairman of Upjohn.

The histories of the Upjohn Company and the medical school are forever intertwined as the Upjohn Campus sits on the plot of land acquired by W.E. Upjohn that became the growth center for the Upjohn Company or, as Martha Parfet often called it, “the sacred ground of Upjohn.” The campus, at one time, housed the very research facility where Motrin, Xanax, Halcion, Rogaine, and Zyvox were discovered.

“We’re a Kalamazoo family, this is home,” William Parfet said. “We were fortunate that one of our ancestors was W.E. Upjohn. The rest is kind of history in terms of how the company grew but this was the ground that was the original growth place … We’re excited about it being able to continue in medicine.”

Parfet himself played an integral role in creating what would become WMed’s Upjohn Campus. In 2011, when he was the chairman and CEO of MPI Research, Parfet donated the 330,000 square-foot building that has been home to the medical school since the institution welcomed its inaugural class of MD students in 2014.

The donation of the building came on the heels of a $100 million gift from Ronda Stryker and William Johnston that served as the foundational funding for WMed. William Parfet said his mother was filled with excitement at the news of the $100 million donation and, later, his donation of the building. Donald Parfet agreed.

“I know firsthand that mom was so moved by the generosity of Bill and Ronda in creating the medical school and funding the formation of it, and she was just so pleased that the final placement was on former Upjohn Company land and it came into fruition and existence,” Donald Parfet said.

After the announcement of the building donation in 2011, William Parfet said he and his mother visited the site and took time to envision what would become of the property.

“She just came to life because, once again, she could see where she could make a difference,” he said. “She liked what Ronda and Bill were doing. To think that we could have a medical school here in Kalamazoo was exciting to her. I remember when we came home from that first visit, it was on her mind what she could do.

“It was important to her that the medical school would flourish.”

Martha Parfet saw the medical school as an important addition to Kalamazoo and its history of medical and life science exploration. William Parfet said her decision to give $2 million to research efforts at WMed was part of a lifelong goal to help people live longer and healthier lives.

“My brother and my two sisters joined me with a lot of warmth in our heart in making this gift to Western and our hometown,” he said. “Any community that has as a component of it a university and a medical school are usually robust, growing, dynamic communities. The medical school, this is where discoveries are made … and academia plays an increasingly important role in advancing science and medicine. 

“To be a part of all of that was exciting for her. She saw the big picture.”

Dr. Hal B. Jenson, the medical school’s founding dean, said he, as well as WMed leadership and the Board of Directors were extremely grateful to Martha Parfet and her family for the recent gift. He said the $2 million will ensure that the Upjohn Campus becomes a beacon of medical education and research in Southwest Michigan.

“The importance and impact of this gift can’t be overstated,” Dr. Jenson said. “The generosity of Martha Parfet and her family is an inspiration to all of us at the medical school to continue our work of advancing knowledge through innovation and discovery.”

Donald Parfet, in reflecting on his mother’s legacy and the importance of the gift she left for the medical school, noted that the donation to WMed was the single largest bequest she made as part of her estate planning.

“She was always a big fan of downtown, all things downtown, and I think the fact that the property for the medical school was so generously given by my brother just moved her because all of this support was being given to a whole other use, a whole other life if you will, for that property,” he said. “She wanted to be a part of it and lend her support to the good efforts that had been launched by so many.

“So much has already been accomplished with the medical school,” he added. “What a testimony to the quality of programming that’s being undertaken. In recognizing that research is still emerging there, I think it would be great if this gift served as some sort of catalyst to further along the strong research program that can develop at the school of medicine.”

More information about how to give the Martha G. Parfet Discovery Fund can be found here: http://MyWMU.com/parfetfund

© 2024 Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine 300 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007

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Sold! To the Two Billionaires in the Back

Ruth McCambridge

September 3, 2017; MiBiz

William Johnston and Bill Parfet are two billionaires with a mission to stabilize the city of Kalamazoo in southwest Michigan. The two will provide $70 million in seed money for the Kalamazoo Foundation for Excellence over the next three years. Their fundraising goal is to raise $500 million as an asset base at the foundation to help fund the operations of the city, but the initial investment will be sufficient to help cut property taxes and forestall an income tax for the time being.

“The donors are concerned with the long-term viability of the City of Kalamazoo and its ability to meet not only the basic needs of its residents but also its inability to invest in efforts to help create a dynamic and growing city,” Parfet and Johnston wrote in a Statement of Donor Intent last month. That statement is worth a closer look, as it links the investment to the development of a 10-year plan for the city called Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 that will involve volunteers and nonprofit organizations, as well as city staff and officials, in setting goals. On the other hand, it also creates some “slack,” or capital, to work with to free up resources at the level of individual pocketbooks. Still, public-private efforts like these, which depend on a big chunk of philanthropic money, can be derailed by any number of variables: a change in administration, shifting donor desires, or—last, but not least—impatient or inadequate community engagement.

“I do think this is unique, innovative and in some ways a test,” said Carrie Pickett-Erway, president and CEO of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. “Communities need to be reinventing themselves these days in a lot of ways. Figuring out the funding structure to make communities vibrant, that’s a big challenge. I do think the taxing structures that exist today are making it really hard for cities, counties and others to really be the community they want to be. I think we need to be innovative and creative and try something.”

Michelle Miller-Adams from the Kalamazoo-based W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research observed, “Other communities do have philanthropists and they make choices all the time about how they spend their money. Once they find out that this Foundation for Excellence transforms the community [and] reduces poverty, philanthropists in other communities may look and say, ‘Build an arena, or put money into the city budget?’ We’re kind of a laboratory for some extreme generosity approaches to urban governance. It’s pretty interesting to watch.”

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Interesting, yes—and maybe a little hair-raising. Although the original money comes with an arm’s-length vow from the funders, the remainder of the $500 million will be raised from as-yet-unknown donors, including corporations, individuals, and private foundations. City Commissioner Matt Milcarek , one of two commissioners to oppose the foundation’s incorporation, has serious concerns about the influence that those subsequent donors might exert over how it’s spent.

“I’m very hopeful it works out for Kalamazoo, but honestly, in the generic sense, it’s really not a direction anyone should be going toward,” says Milcarek. “I think we already have some pretty blurred lines [around] wealthy control over government. If it works in Kalamazoo, it’s going to work because of the benevolence of our particular donors. But to sort of promote a governmental finance system that relies on billionaires being benevolent is really a dangerous model to replicate.”

On this point, Kalamazoo City Attorney Clyde Robinson urges the foundation’s 15-member board—which has yet to be appointed—to address the issue of restricted fund donations, a scary consideration that could eventually draw the city off course. “Rather than tie the hands of the FFE Board with language in the Articles or Bylaws precluding the acceptance of restricted gifts, some of which may be acceptable and consistent with the FFE purposes, this issue is best left to the FFE Board to craft a gift acceptance policy that can be reviewed and modified as circumstances dictate,” Robinson wrote in a memo.

We’d love to hear from readers about this situation.—Ruth McCambridge

About the author

Ruth is Editor Emerita of the Nonprofit Quarterly . Her background includes forty-five years of experience in nonprofits, primarily in organizations that mix grassroots community work with policy change. Beginning in the mid-1980s, Ruth spent a decade at the Boston Foundation, developing and implementing capacity building programs and advocating for grantmaking attention to constituent involvement.

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Parfet Auburn Collection to be Displayed at 2011 St John Conours

Renowned automobile collector, William U. Parfet, has announced that his complete set of 1933 – 1934 Auburn V-12 Salon cars will be on display for the first time ever at the 2011 Concours d’Elegance of America at St. John’s (formerly held at Meadow Brook Hall) on Sunday, July 31, 2011. This incredible collection is the only complete collection in existence of the five body types available in the Salon series: Sedan, Brougham, Cabriolet, Convertible Sedan and Speedster.

“We are very fortunate to have this wonderful collection of rare automobiles,” said Concours Car Selection Chairman Brian Joseph. “It’s astounding to see all five cars at the same time.”

The Salon series was a new offering from Auburn in 1933. The most noticeable new features of the Salon design were the addition of chrome moldings on the fender edge, unique bumpers, radiator grille, headlight and cowl lights lenses, and different interior details and instrumentation. The Salon was intended to be an upgrade from the standard models. The 1933 Model 12-165 and the 1934 Model 1250 were both offered with the Salon design.

The Auburn V-12 engine was introduced in 1932 when Auburn and many other manufacturers were competing in the 12- and 16-cylinder market. The engine had an unusual cylinder head and valve design that set it apart from Cadillac, Packard and Pierce-Arrow. The Auburn V-12 engine was a powerhouse. With Abe Jenkins at the wheel of an Auburn Speedster, it set many speed records, some of which survived until after World War II. The engine was later used as a fire truck engine by American LaFrance until the mid-1960s.

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International Show Winners at Vintage Boat Week

We have had an amazing time in Bay Harbor, Michigan, for the 2023 Vintage Boat Week! ACBS members got to tour breathtaking boathouses with fabulous collections. They cruised Lake Charlevoix, the Inland Waterway, Walloon Lake, and despite the rain had a wonderful time. Some even dipped their toes in Lake Michigan. There were tours of vintage and modern boat shops at Howe Marine and Van Dam Boats. All in all it was an extraordinary week in Northern Michigan! Check out ACBS’ Facebook page and Instagram feed ( @acbsboats ) for photos from Vintage Boat Week.

We thank the Water Wonderland Chapter, and their extra helpers from the Michigan Chapter, for putting on such a great event!

Now what you really came here for

…the boat show award winners:, best in show, restomod:.

Karen Ann , 1954 19’ Century Resorter owned by Bill Ballard of Lake Ann, MI

Best in Show, Non-Wood:

Gar Wood Jr. , 1949 17′ Garform 49er owned by Jeff Davey of Berlin, WI

Best in Show Restored:

Bunky , 1929 33′ Belle Isle Special owned by John Allen of Napled, FL

Best in Show Preserved:

Dutchess of Chula Vista , 1937 18′ Duke Boat Works Playmate owned by Thomas Irwin of  Traverse City, MI

Spirit of the Sport Award:

The Andrew J ,  1948 26′ Higgins Sedan Cruiser Deluxe, owned by Jeff Oppenheimer Monrovia, IN

Class Award Winners:

More photos of the Boats will be posted later.

GREAT SHOW!

Such an incredible week! Special ‘thanks’ go out to all the board members and staff from ACBS for all their efforts to make it special for visitors from near and far.

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50 Years of Family Memories Aboard ‘Blackhawk’

• By Kristin Baird Rattini
• Updated: August 27, 2021

Before Arthur Wirtz died in 1983, the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks and founder of the Wirtz Corporation made his final wishes clear to his family: Don’t sell Ivanhoe Farm, the family’s original land grant in Mundelein, Illinois, dating back to 1857. Don’t sell his wife’s 1961 Rolls-Royce. And don’t sell the boat.

The boat is Blackhawk , a 123-foot Feadship launched in 1971. It was Arthur’s pride and joy.

“He literally designed every inch of that boat, including the hull,” says William Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz, Arthur’s grandson and president of the Wirtz Corporation. Fifty years later, the family has gone to great lengths to keep Blackhawk in pristine condition and preserve it as Arthur concieved it, to provide a comfortable and consistent setting as five generations have made lasting memories on board.

Rocky was a teenager when his grandfather was building Blackhawk . “If you happened to be in his office around 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m., then you would stay there until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. because he would clear everything off his desk and take the plans out,” he recalls.

His grandfather was upgrading from a 94-foot sport-fisherman, and Arthur envisioned his Feadship as the ultimate luxury fishing yacht with a cockpit and flybridge, despite the fact that Feadship’s naval architects said it wasn’t possible. “They’d tell him what he couldn’t do, and he’d say, ‘No, I can do it,’” Rocky says.

It wasn’t Arthur but Rocky who had the privilege of taking Blackhawk’s maiden voyage. “I had just graduated from high school,” Rocky says, “and my parents brought all five of us kids over to Europe. We met the boat in Lisbon and sailed around the Mediterranean.”

Departing from Portugal, they visited Cannes, France, and Gibraltar, among other ports of call, before disembarking in Portofino, Italy, where Arthur and his wife, Virginia, arrived for their inaugural sailing. They cruised the Mediterranean before a captain handled the Atlantic crossing, via the Azores and Bermuda. Finally, Blackhawk arrived in South Florida, which has been the boat’s home port ever since.

It takes tremendous time, effort and expense to keep a 50-year-old yacht as close to original as possible. “With a newer boat, once you’re up and running, you’re mostly just provisioning for the next trip,” Capt. Richard Freeberg says. “But we are perpetually going from shipyard mode to guest mode.”

At Bradford Marine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Freeberg and crew varnish the original teak interiors and fair one section of the hull at a time. When they replaced the cockpit electronics, they hid the new instrumentation behind the original control panel and restored the original woodwork and wheel. When they renovated the galley with a Lang range and two MiraCool refrigerators, the crew tracked down the same delft pattern of hand-painted backsplash kitchen tiles from Royal Tichelaar Makkum that had been installed 50 years earlier.

“It has to be in mint condition—or not at all,” Rocky says. “With all of the improvements we’ve done over the years, the boat is really in better shape now than the day it was launched.”

The living spaces remain largely as Arthur envisioned them. The Sherle Wagner sea-serpent fixtures he chose are still in the four stateroom heads. The floral works by French artist Michel-Henry he selected still adorn the stateroom walls.

“It’s like walking into my great-grandparents’ living room when you walk on the boat,” says Danny, Rocky’s son, the current CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks and part of the fourth generation on board. “There have been plenty of updates, but it still very much feels like their taste and aesthetic across the board.”

Over the years, many Wirtz family members and friends have flown to South Florida around Easter and Christmas to cruise there and in the Bahamas. Bill Wirtz, Rocky’s father, used to take charge of the itinerary, which often revolved around excursions in Power Play and Slap Shot, two 21-foot Boston Whaler Outrages built in 1971.

“We would end up on some wild adventure that could involve going through some major storm, getting lost, getting stranded or having the engine go out,” Danny says. “But that was the nature of my grandpa [Bill]; he was as stubborn as he was adventurous. We’d go find a hidden beach and explore a new area. We’d come back sandy, sun-drenched and salty.”

The evening’s entertainment was often predicated on whether the Blackhawks were playing.

“We would move hell and high water to catch the game,” Danny says. “In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, it was much harder to get satellite access to a hockey game at sea or in the Bahamas, so it was kind of this comical attempt to get the satellite to work. But when you got that game, we loved it. Everyone huddled around. If the game was during dinnertime, I would watch it and then run into the dining room to tell the adults if the score changed.”

Nowadays, Danny is among the adults in the Blackhawk dining room. For his 40th birthday in 2017, he brought his daughters, Juniper and Rosemary, for their first cruise. They were 6 and 7—about same age that Danny was when he first stepped on board.

“They were running all around, checking things out, claiming a room and having the best time with the crew,” he says. “It was great to see their exuberance.

“It’s a tremendous privilege to share this boat with them,” he adds. “It’s such a special thing that is so connected to my childhood. Now they get to experience it their own way.”

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Moscow Domodedovo Airport (official name: Domodedovo Mikhail Lomonosov International Airport) is an international airport located in Domodedovo, Moscow Oblast, Russia, 42 kilometres south-southeast from city centre. Domodedovo is one of the four major Moscow airports, as well as one of the largest airports in Russia and the former USSR in terms of passenger and cargo traffic. It is the second largest airport in Russia after Sheremetyevo.

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