Meeting Minutes
Torch Club of the Fox Valley
11 April 2019
Atlas Coffee Mill & Café
Notes taken by: Mary Flanagan
Attendees: Karen Bachhuber, Jim Baumbach, Sue Bennett, Brian Bushaw, Terri Daugherty, Dave Debbink, Marcia Debbink, Mary Flanagan, Paul Freiberg, Erik Hanson, Walt Hedges, Jean Jepson, Barbara Kelly, Bill Kelly, Jude Kuenn, Mary Poulson, Richard Schoenbohm, Katie Shaw, Jan Smith, Kris Stahl, Bob Swain, Peter Thiel, Scott Valitchka, Donna Weis
Guests: Tanya Hedges Duroy
BUSINESS MEETING
Paul called the meeting called to order at 6:36 pm.
1. Paul announced that this is our last meeting at the Atlas Café as they are closing.
2. Acceptance of the 3/14/2019 meeting minutes was motioned, seconded, and approved.
3. Treasurer’s report: Barb reported that as of 4/4/2019 we have $3058.88 in the account after finally receiving the $300 IATC reimbursement for Donna’s attendance at their conference last year. The report was motioned, seconded, and accepted.
Unfinished business:
1. The IATC convention is in Durham, NC on June 20 – 23. Several members are interested in attending, but we have no firm commitments yet.
2. The IATC is merging their bylaws and election manuals into one to eliminate some discrepancies. It is due out on 4/22/2019. Paul will provide us with a four sentence summary.
3. We discussed holding our May meeting at Wilder’s Cutting Edge Bistro however since then Richard looked into holding the meetings at Touchmark and the officers decided it was best to try there first. Paul will send details to the members.
4. Brian will be speaking in May.
5. Walt introduced his daughter, Tanya Hedges Duroy, visiting from Spain.
6. Karen, Jude, Sue, and Jan, the social committee, are working on a mystery tour for the members. Without revealing any plans, Karen asked us to answers these questions:
- Length: 6 to 8 hours, transit time counts as ½ time
- Cost: $30 or less
- Time of day: Leave mid-morning and end before dinner
- Day of the week: Saturday
- Month: July
- Handicap accessible: Yes
- Remain a mystery: Yes. Only tell members where to show up, when they will get back, and any special attire requirements.
7. The Torch picnic will be on August 8 at the Kelly’s lovely house and garden.
8. Barb talked to Peter and his daughter, Lisa Campbell, to get topics and areas of interest for Helen’s memorial book donation. She is waiting for a list of possible book selections from the Collection Development Coordinator at the Appleton Public Library.
9. A Celebration of Life for Helen will be held at the First Congregational Church on April 13 at 2 pm.
10. At Mary Paulson’s suggestion, Paul will send a nice note to Sue and Bogey from the Torch Club to thank them for hosting the Torch Club at Atlas for all these years.
The Meeting adjourned at 7:01 pm.
PRESENTATION
At 7:59 PM Scott Valitchka presented, “The Geology & Ecology of the Hagar Mountain State Natural Area.”
Hagar Mountain features an excellent example of exposed igneous bedrock habitat with numerous fissures and crevices, which support some unusual plant communities and several rare plants. Also important to this site is one of the northern-most and largest turkey vulture roosting sites in Wisconsin. The steep-sided habitat varies depending on aspect and condition of the rock. Some south-sloping rock faces and exposed cliffs are virtually bare while north slopes are wooded with hemlock, and north-facing cliffs are often moss and fern-covered. Between these extremes are large areas on the tops of the outcrops that support an interesting lichen and moss flora with occasional colonies of rock spike-moss. Growing in crevices or depressions where soil has accumulated are common polypody, marginal wood fern, rusty woodsia, pale corydalis, and northern sweet colt's-foot. The site is also sparsely forested with red and Hill's oak, red maple, red, white, and jack pine, and cherry. Rugged talus slopes have formed at the edges of many outcrops and these provide habitat for an additional set of species including rare plants. The natural area itself is quite aesthetic with numerous rock outcrops affording scenic views and having one of the few waterfalls on the Nicolet. Hagar Mountain is owned by the USDA Forest Service and was designated a State Natural Area in 1996.
One Hagar area rock formation called the Hines Quartz Diorite is significant because it is the one unit that has been successfully dated using radiometric dating techniques. The diorite which can be found on the west end of the Waupee Volcanics has a uranium lead zircon age date of 1.827 billion years.
Events identified in the Hagar SNA and Mountain area represent a 1.1 billion time interval, or a 2.5 billion year time interval if glacial deposits are included. This unique part of Wisconsin is much older than many places on earth and has seen multiple episodes of volcanism, mountain building, weathering, and erosion. In contrast the Appalachian Mountains formed about 300 million years ago and the Rocky Mountains formed about 60-65 million years ago.
During field work, several pyrrhotite (iron sulfide) prospects were identified. These were associated with pyrite and sparse chalcopyrite (iron copper sulfide) and sphalerite (zinc sulfide). This is similar to the Lake of the Woods area in Canada that hosts gold deposits, but so far this has not been found in the Hagar area.