Author: Useppa

On April 2nd the Useppa Island Historical Society’s Barbara Sumwalt Museum celebrated its twentieth birthday with Banjo music, a buffet picnic supper, huge birthday cake, and a gathering of old and new friends.

President Bob Stevens welcomed the group and thanked all who made the Museum’s creation possible and all those over the years who contribute to its upkeep and expansion.

A toast to Barbara Sumwalt’s memory, a toast to Useppa’s last 10,000 years of history, and a toast to the stewards who care for the island we love.

Photos by UseppaGin

SAVE THE DATE!!!

We have planned a fun-filled, amazing weekend for Easter this year and Chef Dakota has planned a special brunch menu for Easter Day!!

Sally Joanne Speicher Bergsten

April 13, 1933 – March 28, 2014

There was a time on Useppa when four island couples connected in a circle of friendship. For years the Bergstens, the Smiths, the Levensons, and the Bacons were a familiar group at the Collier Inn dressed in the old Saturday night tradition of formality. They shared their holidays together. They shared their families.

Back in the late 70’s, Sally and Peter Bergsten bought a place in the Village, and then in the 80’s built a home on Calusa Ridge overlooking Pine Island Sound. Harry and Phoebe Shaw were here then, and Dudley and Carole Kircher too with children and eventually grandchildren.

Sally Bergsten was known for her gardening skills, but she could also hunt and fish with any man. She was from old-fashioned mid-western Scandinavian stock, and could do almost anything…. always with her makeup on and lipstick just so.

Museum events had a bit more flare because of Sally’s involvement. There was always a contingent of immaculately groomed and well-dressed Bergstens at Easter sunrise services on the hilltop where chess is played. Bergsten grandchildren competed in relays, games, and kayak races with the Sipprelles and other spring visitors in the Museum’s Calusa Days. Izaak Walton Kids Fishing Tournaments might have Sally lending a hand to children reeling in their first fish.

Sally and Peter left Useppa a few years ago when life on the mainland was easier than schlepping back and forth, and the island lost a bit of its elegance with their departure. Now Fort Myers and Chagrin Falls, Ohio have lost some as well.

Sally Bergsten died the other day after a long and courageous battle with illness.

Her indomitable spirit is gone, but her example is a legacy left to her family and friends.

Peter and Sally Bergsten were true partners in life during a marriage that lasted fifty-eight years. Now we on Useppa lucky enough to know the Bergstens send Peter our love and our sympathy.

By UseppaGin

To see more Spring Break fun

Photos by UseppaGin

Spring Break on Useppa is laid back. Even the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was on Island time.

Instead of marching on the 17th, it was on the 18th that decorated golf carts followed the fire truck wending its way up and down the beach. 

Archeologists Bill Marquardt and Karen Walker along with other members of the University of Florida Museum staff came over for lunch one day, and Karen showed what might be the bones of a 3,000-year-old dog. The bone and teeth fragments were discovered last year in the South Knoll dig.

Harvard had the largest contingent of vacationing college students here, but there were also three girls from the University of Pennsylvania and one young man from Albright College.

Croquet was played under the tutelage of long-time Useppa friend Bob Kroeger. New players learned the correct way to hold their mallets and how to play the game. Old timers took lessons sharpening their skills.

Alan Symonds and Charles Shook finished another year sailing together in Saturday races. Still more UIYC members are looking forward to April’s McMahon Races.  Children in and out of the pool, running up and down the beach… the Swigert, Beisswenger & Wallingford grandchildren made all Island grandparents smile, and, for three weeks, the English Ip family touched our hearts with reminders of how lucky we all are to enjoy each day on Useppa.

Island spring…one more month to go.

Photos and story by UseppaGin

March 1, 2014

 By Bob Stevens

Saturday was another perfectly beautiful morning, with, again, little wind.  We hung around the beach for a while, and were finally able to get the racing started, a bit later than planned.  We ran two light air races in the morning, and went back to the beach for lunch, this time, fabulous brats, and salads.

The race committee went out to check the breeze, and found that it had shifted to the west a bit.  So, it could quite happily run two more races in the best breezes we had both race days. to end the regatta with eight races scored for the Sandpipers, and four, one on Friday, for the non-Sandpiper catboats.  The only real problem was the RC forgetting to set the finishing line for the seventh race on time, but it finally was set up at absolutely the last minute.

What a regatta we had!  Our own Jay Taylor and Gary Alderman won three races, but, with only one throwout, and being on the wrong side of the huge wind shift on the first day of racing, finished fourth overall.  The champion was Useppa’s Richard Dimmitt and Barry Cochran, who never finished lower than fifth, and won the seventh race. Jim Gelenitis, representing the Metedenconk Yacht Club on Barnegat Bay NJ, with his wife aboard as his crew finished second, winning the first race and the last race. And, finally, Mike Spark, Commodore of the Mantoloking Yacht Club, also on Barnegat Bay NJ, and his wife finished third overall, with a win in the final race, ahead of Jay and Gary by but one point.

Jay Taylor and Mike Albert were co-chairs of a really great Catboat Rendezvous, the best one yet!  Lots of competition, lots of eats, lots of good times – just a fine regatta.  Memories are vividly left with us all.

Photos by UseppaGin

Click Here for more Poker Run action!

February 28, 2014    

Friday’s on-the-water activity was a hugely successful Poker Run, with a delightful lunch stop on the beach spit at the north end of Pelican Bay.  The weather could not have been better – bug free – with a tide facilitated beaching of the sailboats, and the power boats who tagged along.

The start for the Poker Run was from the Useppa Island beach, and the first leg took everyone to the south end of the Island, at the end of the airport runway, to pick up their second poker hand card.  The stop after lunch at Pelican Bay was at the south end beach of Punta Blanca, and then to the Useppa Island beach for the last card.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the late afternoon talk by Rick Walker and Robin Willstein, Mike Albert’s houseguests, a couple enjoying an around the world adventure on their 48’ catamaran, currently in Turkey awaiting their return to the boat this week.  We heard just how it is to be cruising around the world, most of the time, in living room comfort.

Photos by UseppaGin