| Number 22 | August 1, 2002 |
A PERMANENT ADDRESS
After three years of bouncing from one spot to another on the world wide web, we finally have our own domain name. The Beck Bulletin can now be found at www.beckbulletin.ca.
So what's a domain name? some of you may be asking. Put simply, it's our internet address. It's top level too! We're no longer piggybacking on other domains such as 20megs.com, tripod.com, or reality.wox.org. We're just plain old beckbulletin.ca. We've registered the name and paid up for the next two years, and the name will always be ours as long as we make the payments which at the moment are about $25 Canadian a year.
With our own domain name, all we need now is space on a server somewhere. 
And that's being provided free of charge by Roy Beck (1.4.3A.3.6.5.) of Charlottetown. Roy works in the industry and runs his own server at home as a hobby. He is connected with reality.wox.org and allowed us a tie-in too as becks.reality.wox.org. It was a free service all along, but they started charging their users this month. Roy was undecided whether to stay with them, and suggested it might be wise for us to register our own domain name. We took his advice and are glad we did.
If at some point in the future Roy is no longer able to accomodate us, we'll just rent space from some company in the server business. It won't matter where that company is located. You'll still find us at http://www.beckbulletin.ca because that's our permanent address now. So you can bookmark it in confidence because we won't be throwing any more changes of address at you.
ALLISTON TEEN REIGNS
The new Queen of the Northumberland Fisheries Festival is Katie Beck (1.4.3A.3.4.4.1) of Alliston. The three-day day annual festival wrapped up on Sunday, July 28, in Murray River, PEI. Sixteen-year-old Katie, the daughter of John and Ruth Beck of Alliston, was crowned Miss Northumberland on Saturday night in front of what The Charlottetown Guardian described as, "one of the biggest crowds in recent memory." She was also named "Miss Friendship." Nine girls from the local area took part in the competition.
The fisheries festival is an important fundraiser for the Northumberland Arena, and this year's event set new attendance records. The Friday and Saturday evening lobster suppers account for a large portion of the money raised.
The festival got underway on Thursday evening with a parade through Murray River to the Arena. Other highlights included the provincial dory racing championships held at the Murray River wharf, and a golf tournament at the new nine-hole golf course in the village. The festival concluded with a Gospel Ceilidh on Sunday evening.
OFFICIAL OPENING OF NEW STORE
Beck's Home Furniture Gifts and Interiors is now open for business in Montague. The grand opening was held in early July with a three day sale. The business is a spinoff from Stewart & Beck Ltd with Barry Beck heading up the new operation.
It's located on the Montague waterfront in the former Poole and Thompson building. The building passed through a number of owners over the years until George and Barry Beck bought it 12 years ago. They used it mainly for storage until Barry decided to restore it as the headquarters for his new company. Work got underway in the winter and the doors opened in May.
Barry felt that his wife's business, Silhouette Plus, would fit nicely into the operation so they merged the two companies. Barry told The Eastern Graphic that, "I always felt it was a perfect match to put our products and Nancy's products together. It turned out away ahead of our expectations."
Nancy opened Silhouette Plus in 1986 and carried on her own successful business beside Stewart & Beck. "I also had a lace store at the Montague Train Station for three years, Heritage Lace Showcase Store, but combined the two and moved to Beck's Home Furniture Gifts and Interiors," she said.
"We use the accessories from the Silhouette Plus lines to furnish the store and the furniture." This includes displays throughout the store where furniture is arranged in a typical home setting.
A third branch of the business, Beck's Island Oil Tanks and Heating, is operated by their son, Ryan. Formerly known as Stewart & Beck's Home Heating, it specializes in oil tank installation, oil stoves and furnaces, air conditioners, ventilation systems, hot water heaters, wood stoves and wood furnaces.
NEW MANAGER IN PLACE
Changes are underway at Stewart & Beck too.
Mark Beck (1.11.8.3.2.1)has moved home to Montague and takes over as General Manager of the family business.
He has worked 18 years in the hardware business learning the trade.
He spent 14 years working for Home Hardware Stores Ltd in St. Jacob's, Ontario.
Recently he has served as District Manager of Home Hardware for the New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Gaspe Region.
A recent ad in The Eastern Graphic announced his appointment and welcomed him home.
BIG LEAGUE HOPES HANG IN THE BALANCE
Thatcher Bell (1.4.6.5,3.6,3) will be playing hockey for Halifax next winter and that suits him just fine. He was traded by the Rimouski Oceanic to the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Draft in mid June. The 20-year-old Guernsey Cove native has been plagued by injuries in his last two seasons and he's hoping this will mark a new beginning for his hockey career.
The Mooseheads traded their first round and second round draft picks to Rimouski for Thatcher. If he plays more than 25 games this season, they have to give Rimouski their third round draft pick next year and if he plays more than 50 games they have to throw in their first round draft pick as well.
The Mooseheads management couldn't be happier about the deal for Thatcher, whom many think will be the best overager in the League.
"He's a great addition to our hockey club," said general manager, Marcel Patenaude. "The last two years in the playoffs, he was a dominating player."
Thatcher has a clean bill of health now after experiencing back problems most of last year. "It's great now," he said. "I've been working out for about a month, and I've had no problems."
He adds that he still has something to prove to the NHL after he was left unsigned by the Vancouver Canucks, who drafted him in the third round in 2000.
"I want to have a good year," Thatcher told the Halifax Chronicle Herald. "I'm training really hard and I want to play 65-plus games. I still have that dream to make the NHL."
LOSS OF TUG TO BE COMMEMORATED
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is planning an exhibit next summer to mark the worst Halifax harbour tragedy since the 1917 Halifax Explosion. The event was the loss of the harbour work boat, Erg, on July 6, 1943, with the loss of 19 of the 24 men on board. The victims included Forrest Beaton, (1.4.2.2,5.) a pipe fitter for the Halifax Shipyards. The Beaton family lived in a house in north end Halifax overlooking the basin.
Forrest's wife, Sibyl, watched from her window as the navy struggled for two weeks to recover the victims. She's now 96 and lives in the Shady Rest Home in Lower Montague, P.E.I. She said that even though the news stirs up sad memories, she is glad that something is being done to remember the men.
The shipyard workers were on their way to repair a ship in a convoy anchored in Bedford Basin. It was a rainy, foggy morning and the men were crammed into the wheelhouse and the engine room seeking shelter from the weather. A Norwegian freighter, unseen in the fog, plowed into the Erg, rolling the steel-hulled vessel completely over and it sank in about 75 metres of water in the centre of the basin.
The water was too deep for navy divers to go down and so they had to find other means of reaching the boat. The Lord Kitchener, a floating crane, managed to hook onto the tug and raised it to the surface two weeks after the sinking. The boat was beached and 10 bodies were found on the wreck, including Forrest's. The other nine were never recovered.
The Erg was then taken back out into the basin and allowed to sink again.
A federal inquiry found the Norwegian freighter negligent for failing to have a lookout posted. The crew of the Erg was absolved of all blame.
The Erg faded into history until October 2000 when a local diver came upon the wreck site. The Maritime Museum has been given three port holes and the ship's whistle. In addition they have the transcript of the inquiry, newspaper reports and some pictures to round out their records for next year's display.
NEVER AN IDLE MOMENT
A busy and rewarding career followed by more of the same in retirement! That sums up the work history of 
Jim Beck (1.4.6.6.1.) since joining the faculty of Michigan State University 40 years ago. His story is published in this year's edition of the Alumni Newsletter of the Department of Mechanical Engineeering of MSU.
Jim started work as an instructor at the university in September, 1962, teaching heat transfer while completing his Ph.D. requirements. He received his doctorate in June, 1964, and decided to continue his teaching career at MSU.
Over the years he carried out research, wrote many papers, and three books while serving on committees and advising graduate students.
Jim retired in 1998. "My life has changed," he said, "but not as much as you might think. The bulk of my time is still involved with my research. I have my own consulting company and find that I am quite busy and need others to help me complete some of my contract work."
Jim continues to write papers and attend conferences.
His wife, Barbara, author of the article, travels with him regularly. They also make several trips a year to Colorado and California to visit their son, Doug, and his family and their daughter, Sharon, and hers. They take delight in their three grandchildren and he keeps his digital camera ready at all times.
Jim, as you all know, is our family genealogist and he still finds time to continue that work. He is also active in helping to organize the Beck reunions, held every five years, and he will be visiting PEI in August for a planning committee meeting in advance of next year's reunion.
SOURIS HEALTH SERVICES UPGRADED
The Prince Edward Island government has announced a three-part plan for expansion and enhancement of health services at the Souris hospital in Eastern Kings. The changes include an expansion of the Family Health Care Centre, the recruitment of additional medical staff, and an annex to house an addiction centre, plus mental health and dental services. The move follows community protests in the wake of the amalgamation of the Eastern and Southern Kings health districts. A citizen's committee had expressed the fear that the merger could be the first step towards the eventual loss of acute health care services in Souris.
The situation was not helped by a report in late June that the Souris hospital would be losing kidney dialysis machines for the summer. Officials say the decision to move the service to Charlottetown is a temporary measure to accomodate technicians taking summer holidays.
"Vacation time in Charlottetown seems to be more important to this administration than health care in Eastern Kings," said Alan MacPhee, chair of the committee. This government has lost all perspective and we've lost trust in it."
Committee members include Alan Beck (1.4.3A.3.1.3), pastor of churches at South Lake and East Point.
"I don't have words strong enough to express how angry we are with this latest development," Alan told the Eastern Graphic. "I can't even say that we were shocked or surprised. Nothing will surprise us any more when it comes to the way Mr. Ballem (the Minister of Health annd Social Services) does things. He is a very arrogant man."
"We have a copy of the Minister's plan for the Health Regions for 2001 to 2005, but he made so many serious changes to the plan that it is no longer valid," Alan added. "He appears to have a secret plan only he knows about."
Premier Pat Binns said this announcement proves his government is steadfast in its commitment to ensure the Souris Hospital continues to serve the residents of Eastern Kings.
VITAL STATISTICS
BIRTH
BECK, Allison Mary Anne is the newest member of the Beck family.
She is the daughter of Roy and Kimberly Beck (1.4.3A.3.6.5.) of Charlottetown and was born Tuesday, July 30 at 11:10 PM.
Allison weighed 9 lbs, 2 ounces. Mother and baby are doing fine.
And yes, this is the same Roy Beck who is providing us with space on his server.
Allison is quickly learning that when your Dad is in the computer business, you soon find yourself in the limelight.
Here she is at the ripe old age of about 24 hours.
MARRIED
BECK Alisa Panton, daughter of Wayne and Irene Panton of Belfast, to Ryan Beck,(1.11.8.3.4.3) son of Barry and Nancy Beck of Brooklyn, PEI. The ceremony was held at St. John's Presbyterian Church in Belfast on June 22 at 2 pm. Family and friends attended the wedding dance that evening at Rodd Royalty Inn in Charlottetown. The couple live in Cambridge and both are employed at Beck's Home Furniture Gifts and Interiors in Montague. Alisa is an interior decorator and has been associated with the Beck businesses for 5 years. Ryan has worked in the family business for 10 years and now heads the Island Oil Tanks and Heating division.
50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
WHITE Murray (1.12,2.2.5.) and Shirley marked their Golden Wedding Anniversary on July 8. An Open House was held at the Murray Harbour Community Center on Saturday, July 13, to celebrate the event. Their daughters, Debby and Judy, along with their future daughter-in-law, Sherri Condon, organized the event. More than 200 people dropped in to congratulate the couple. There was lots of food and lots of entertainment.
Shirley and Preston Jackson (1.4.3B.6,4.) sang the Anniversary Song as well as another number. Jimmy O'Connor and Preston Jackson played some pieces too, and the Harmonica Group that Murray plays with also entertained. Murray and Shirley spend their summers in Murray Harbour, but move to Charlottetown in winter.
BOOKS IN THE WORKS
With the next Beck reunion coming in July 2003, we expect to offer three books of family material at that time. The publishing committee plans to have updated copies of the Beck listings and the Biographies, along with something new. Copies of the family newsletter, The Beck Bulletin, will be made available in book form. The books are updated regularly by Jim Beck of Michigan.
* The Beck Listings. Jim says a lot of new information has been received from many sources. Much of it concerns the families of the two oldest Beck children, Elizabeth and Martha, who married two Roberts brothers. Information has also come in on descendants of the third child, Mary Ann, as well as much more material on the two youngest children, Thomas, and Margaret. Jim says his son, Doug, "made a major effort to modify the data base and prepare for expansion of information, including pictures and comments."
* The Beck Biographies. "We have added to them and have had some revisions, " Jim says. The greatest change has been the addition of biographies and obituaries taken from the Beck Bulletin." Jim invites family members to update existing biographies and contribute new ones. A special effort is being made to collect and include more photos. "Pictures, particularly professionally taken ones, are of great interest," Jim says. He and Barbara will be at the Harbour Motel in Murray Harbour from Aug. 16 to 26 and can scan pictures into the computer at that time. This only takes a few minutes and will not harm the original in any way, while preserving them permanently for future generations.
*The Beck Bulletin. The family newsletter, written and edited by Ivan Munn, (1.4.2.2,2.2.) has been published regularly on the internet since July, 1999, at the rate of six issues a year. The collected copies will be published in book form and thus will be available for the first time to people who are not on the internet. They may also be of interest to people who have already read them but would like to have all of them available in printed form.
The biggest question is how many of each to have printed. The publishing committee would appreciate an indication of which books may be of interest to you. Please drop a note to let us know if you or your immediate family members are likely to buy any or all of the books. Send replies to me at imunn@accesswave.ca
A fourth book is also in the planning stages, this one a cookbook of Beck family recipes. This is an undertaking of Sarah Jackson (1.4.6.8.3,) of Beach Point. She wants your favourite recipes and she would like to receive them before the end of September. So if you've been planning to send them but haven't gotten around to it yet, now is the time to do it. Her address is hsnjackson@pei.sympatico.ca
ACTOR FACES BUSY SUMMER
Josh Weale (1.6A.4,6.2.1,2) is busy juggling roles in two plays this summer. He's starring in the two main attractions at the Victoria Playhouse. The season opened on June 27 with the play, Adrift, by Island playwright and Hollywood screenwriter, Lars Davidson. It's described as a romantic-comedy-adventure set off Launching Point, PEI, in July 1912. The lead actors are Mia Ingimundson and Josh Weale. The other play is Sylvia, by A.R. Gurney. It features Ingimundson as Sylvia the dog, with Josh in a supporting role.
"This summer is our most ambitious and diverse season to date," says Erskine Smith, the artisitic director. "We have an incredibly talented company assembled."
The village of Victoria is located on the Northumberland Strait west of Charlottetown.
"This summer is our most ambitious and diverse season to date," says Erskine Smith, the artisitic director. "We have an incredibly talented company assembled."
The village of Victoria is located on the Northumberland Strait west of Charlottetown.
FIRE DAMAGES STORAGE SHED
The Murray Harbour Fire Department battled a fire on Robie Chapman's property on the morning of July first. Robie (1.7.2,4,7.) and his wife, Rita, live on the Abney Road just outside Murray Harbour. He noticed smoke coming from his storage shed about 11 AM and shouted, "Fire" and Rita dialled 911. The fire department was on the scene quickly and spent about 3 hours battling the flames. The building had been used as a slaughterhouse before Robie retired from the meat business. Some fishing gear and power tools were stored in it. Rita told the Eastern Graphic that the cause of the fire is not known, but the building is still standing. There were no injuries and no estimate of the damage was available.
LOBSTER GEAR DAMAGED
Fishing and shipping don't mix well. At least two fishermen in eastern PEI report damage to their gear and are pointing the finger at commercial shipping. Stanley Beck (1.4.3B.9.6.) and Raymond Lavers, who both fish lobster near Panmure Island, reported damage to lines and traps in early June. They felt it could have been caused by pulp boats or other commercial vessels using the port of Georgetown. Stanley said that industrial boats would save about an hour by sailing through the fishing area.
"There is a corridor set for them," Mr. Lavers told The Eastern Graphic, "but they never seem to use it."
ARTISTS ENCOURAGE BEGINNERS
Artists from the Southern Kings District will operate their gallery in Montague through the summer. Located in the Down East Mall, the Out of Our Minds Gallery is staffed by volunteers such as Zelda MacNevin (1.4.4,1.2,3,) Mel Giddings, Sandi Komst and other members of the Southern Kings Arts Council. Zelda says young artists are encouraged to drop in to the gallery and chat with members about painting techniques and how to market their work.
The Vere Beck Family Home Page
We're always looking for news of Beck family members. If you know of any significant events drop me a line with the information. imunn@accesswave.ca
imunn@accesswave.ca