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The year is 1983. The committee has organized its annual House and Garden Tour. This year’s theme is “Solar Energy,” featuring four residences, a business, and the Southeast Lighthouse was thrown in as a bonus! (Tickets were $5 but $4.50 if purchased in advance – and net proceeds of $1,300 were donated to the B.I. Historical Society.) Three of the homes have photovoltaic or hot water panels, and one is super insulated with south-facing windows.
The business is the Mid-Ocean Press, owned and operated by Kim Gaffett. The Mid-Ocean Press building was located (it is no longer in existence at that location) next to St. Andrews Roman Catholic Church on Chapel Street. The building had a south facing roof at a pitch of 45 degrees – perfect for solar panels. These were prominently visible, and indeed served as a showcase for the possibility of solar power. The small business lodged in the rest of the building was known as the Sun Shop, where one could sign up for solar energy powered apparatuses. Nancy Greenaway ran the Sun Shop for about three years. (Kudos to Nancy for supplying the materials documenting this chapter of our history.)