Fundraising for Bradley documentary continues
by Peter Jakey– Managing Editor
Just prior to the induction ceremony of the 17th annual Lake Lore Celebration and Gathering, board member Bill Valentine asked the audience at the Knights of Columbus Hall to raise their hands if they had a family member, friend, or someone they knew on the S.S. Carl D. Bradley. More than half the people in the room raised their hands. After nearly five decades, Rogers City?s connection to the Bradley, which sank in a violent Lake Michigan storm, remains strong. And according to Valentine, ?There is a very important story to be told,? and will be told in the form of a video documentary, currently in production.
NEXT YEAR, 2008, will mark the 50th anniversary of the shipwreck. On November 18, 1958, the Carl D. Bradley met its final resting place 360 feet below the surface of Lake Michigan, claiming the massive ship and its 33 crewmembers, including 23 men from Rogers City. ?I have the privilege to be a member of a special project team to produce a PBS television documentary about this important part of our maritime history,? said Valentine.
The partners involved in the project include The Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum, Presque Isle Historical Museum, Presque Isle District Library, and WCMU. Last year, the Michigan Department of History, Arts, and Libraries announced the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA) grant recipients, which included a $10,500 grant toward the cultural and history project on the S.S. Carl D. Bradley. In all, $16,000 in grant money has been raised to date — but more funding is needed. ?A project of this size and scope takes a lot of money,? he said. That?s why Valentine used the moment to pass around jars to each row of tables. A total of $1,250 was the final total.
?EXTRAORDINARY TIMES require extraordinary measures,? Valentine told those in attendance. ?A number of people are working fundraising and sponsorship.? The documentary will debut November 18, 2008 at the Rogers City Theatre. Following the film?s local release, it will then will make its television debut on WCMU, which covers 44 counties from mid-Michigan to the upper peninsula. ?There is a lot to be told about the story, so we look forward to that happening next year,? said Valentine. He also is looking for people who have stories to tell about the Bradley, or about those who lost their lives that evening. Valentine said a couple of stories came forward before he left the K of C hall Saturday. The Bradley Project includes producing a feature-length broadcast quality video
The project also includes plans for educational components to be used in outreach presentations to local schools. The documentary will include high definition film footage of the Bradley as she sits today in 360 feet of water. Currently, the project has dive footage from three separate dives. Another dive took place last week. Being at the wreck site, Valentine said, is a ?very somber and moving experience.? He added that while out on the water filming, a freighter went by and sounded one single blast as she went by.
?I thought it was very respectful,? said Valentine. Anne Belanger is helping to produce the piece, while Marlowe Belanger has been ?tirelessly? involved in the fundraising.