Hello Clam Lake!
WINTER CONTINUES TO BE A NO-SHOW – This past week we continued on with our spring like weather with the temperatures rising to the mid-40’s with sun shining – some of the time. This past week on Groundhog’s Day Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow which indicates an early spring. Way to go Phil!!!
BACK IN BUSINESS – The Clam Lake Community Club will be holding their first meeting in the new Community Center on Thursday, February 15th beginning at 5:00 pm. This will be followed by a Pot Luck and Bingo with Ace Griffaw reprising his role as “Master Bingo Caller”. Hope to see you there!!
MEAT RAFFLE – The Clam Lake Forest Riders will be hosting a meat raffle at Ransoms Place on Saturday, February 17th running from 3:00 to 5:00. Time to come out and support this hard working club and win some delicious meat in the process AND have some fun!
“IT WAS TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY.…” – Hard to believe it has been 20 years since our controversial Navy installation called Project ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) closed its doors for good. ELF used low frequency waves to signal one-way coded messages to US and British Trident and Fast Attack submarines. Now, the US Navy relies on slightly shorter VIF waves and buoys. Along with the closure of ELF came the dismantling of 28 miles of cable which crisscrossed our forest. Even to this day, people know where the ELF lines are and use them for ATVing and the like. Of course, back in the day, ELF was big news here in our small village. Tucked away down a paved road in the middle of nowhere, with 24 hour a day guards always on duty, sat the fenced in site. There were no signs indicating where it was as unwarranted visitors were not wanted. And yes, it was controversial among antiwar and environmental groups. Many believed the waves given off could do damage and control weather events. Scientists came from here, there and everywhere to test the various species to see if harm was being done. Nothing conclusive ever came to light. (Never mind that some of us, whom grew up here, glow at night.) It was here for 35 years and most of us were sad to see it go as it brought good jobs and a burst to our small area economy. Newspaper reporters and television crews were an everyday occurrence. One can still travel back there to see the big open field where it once sat with gates leading to nowhere. B.J. Hollars book “Midwestern Strange”, put out in 2018, features a chapter on it with interviews with people that grew up with it (myself), people that worked there (Tom Biasi) and people who participaed in testing (Pat Reinders). We are Case File #8 sandwiched in between the Hodag and The Kensington Runestone. For further reading about Clam Lake’s Project ELF “Midwestern Strange” is available for purchase at the Clam Lake Junction.
Until next week…..
Pictured is a news clipping (circa 1980’s) of a protester scaling the barbed wire topped fence surrounding Project ELF on Martin Luther King Day.
