A sell out crowd of over 100 gathered tonight at the Yacht Club for the Harvest Moon Party. The Clark Lake Community Center holds this party every two years as a fundraiser. The theme for this year’s event was “Taste of Poland.” That meant a buffet featuring golumpkis, pierogies, and kapusta. For dessert, it was pazcki, featuring blueberry, raspberries or lemon fillings. From the reaction of the crowd, the fare was a hit.
The evening featured both silent and live auctions. One of the top bids was for a forerunner of something new coming to the lake, the Spirit Pole. These poles consist of a sturdy wooden infrastructure faced with colorful high-fired clay pieces. They are designed to mark the Spirit Trail at various locations around the lake.
The Spirit Pole project is the work of Annette Fink and her team, below, who donated the prototype that was auctioned tonight.
Mary Miller, Anita Cummings, Annette Fink, Jill Lajdziak, Jane Fowler. Not pictured, Trish Boyers
The top bid, over $1000, came from Travis and Armida Pearse. They expect to display it near their cottage which is also one of the most prominent locations at the lake—where Eagle Point Road meets Eagle Point Drive.
Additional Spirit Poles will be available in the future for a donation to the Spirit Trail. Proceeds from the prototype auctioned tonight will help support the Community Center. Also underway is the Donor Wall project that includes a Welcome to Clark Lake sign. Click here for more.
The Yacht Club comfortably accommodated the crowd. Earlier in the day, there were concerns whether the venue could keep the guests warm, as there is no central heating in the building. The Community Center crew took up the challenge. They stoked the large stone fireplace in the historic building throughout the day. By the time the event started at 5:30, the large room was toasty warm and proved to be a perfect setting for the fun ahead. After the auction, the Persuaders provided the accompaniment as the guests renewed old friendships and made new ones.
Events like these do not happen without the support of the community. Those who bought tickets, supplied auction items, and those who purchased them were an important part of it. The event also took extensive planning and hard work. Below are the members of the Community Center board who put it together.
John Karkheck, Dotty Karkheck, Sandy Petykiewicz, Diane Deming, Meredythe Hill Van Dusen, John Deming
The Community Center story is remarkable. The building, located in the County Park at the east end of Clark Lake, was formerly a cottage that stood for over 100 years on Kentucky Point. It was built by Benjamin Graziani and was used by his family and descendants. For a period, it was also home of the Clark Lake Yacht Club. The family sold the cottage in 1988. In time, the new owners faced a major decision. What happened next will never be forgotten at Clark Lake. This video starts with Laurie LaZebnik, who with her husband, Bob, were the owners of the cottage.
The building itself is an important part of the lake’s history, and other artifacts are continually being added to its Wall of Fame.
The Community Center is committed to preserving Clark Lake’s past. The Community Center can be rented for events like baby showers, wedding receptions, birthdays, meetings and life celebrations. For details, please click here.
