Digest>Archives> December 2007

Keeper's Korner

Tidbits and Editorial Comments from the Tower

By Timothy Harrison

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NELL Reaches Milestone

The New England Lighthouse Lovers (NELL), which is a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, recently reached a milestone in their fund raising efforts. Among their many accomplishments in their ten years of fund raising, they have raised over $100,000 in funds that have been donated to New England lighthouse restoration projects. As well as raising money, their members have helped with hands on restoration work at many lighthouses including: Little River Lighthouse and Pemaquid Point Lighthouse in Maine, New London Ledge Light and Avery Point Lighthouses in Connecticut, and Long Point, Wood End and Race Point Lighthouses in Massachusetts.

Honoring Volunteers

Without volunteers who step forward to help make a difference, restoring lighthouses, staffing lighthouses and lighthouse museums and gift shops, simply would not happen. Realizing this, many groups honor their volunteers on a regular basis. For example, every year Maine's West Quoddy Head Light honors its many volunteers who staff the Visitor's Center at the eastern most lighthouses in the United States. The lighthouse at this remote location welcomes well over 20,000 people every season and the weather here can sometimes be brutal. This year's annual volunteer appreciation dinner was held at the local Murphy's Village Restaurant, in Lubec, Maine, which opened its doors to the volunteers on a night when they are otherwise closed. To learn more about West Quoddy Lighthouse go to www.westquoddy.com

Volunteer Stories & Photos Wanted

If you belong to a lighthouse group that honors its volunteers on a yearly basis, send us a group photo, along with some information on the event and we'll do our best to publish it, thus giving those people some national exposure.

Ancient And Modern Electricity

If you are interest in ancient and modern electricity check out the new web site at http://einhornpress.com/ experiments.aspx and then go from there. Larry Radka who sent us

this information wrote a book called The Electric Mirror on the Pharos Light and Other Ancient Lighting. The interesting book is available from the American Lighthouse Foundation at www.LighthouseFoundation.org.

NELL Winners Announced

The winners of the New England Lighthouse Lovers (NELL) 2007 Raffle were recently announced. The raffle was held to help raise money for many of NELL's lighthouse restoration projects that they contribute to. Winner of a weeks stay at Race Point Lighthouse on Cape Cod was Herb & Tracie Carpenter of Concord, NH. Winner of a week stay on the Outer Banks of North Carolina was Mary Fowles of Doyestown, PA. Winner of a week of their choice in Aruba, St. Martin or Hawaii was Pat Bancock. Winner of the Windjammer Cruise along the Maine coast were Dave Hannum and Paul Graves of Kokomo, IN. Winner of a weekend stay for two on Nantucket Island was Michael Senk of Hopewell, NY. Winner of a weekend stay at Thacher Island Lighthouse in Rockport, MA was Judy Lathrop of Oakdale, CT.

For selling the most raffle tickets, Judy Castleberry won a weekend for two on Block Island, Rhode Island and for selling the second most raffle tickets was Norm & Cynde Bosse who won an overnight stay for two at Maine's Little River Lighthouse.

Florida Lighthouse Plate To Be A Reality

The Florida Lighthouse Association has raised the necessary $60,000 fee to have the Florida Lighthouse License Plate. Along with their $60,000 check to the Florida DMV they submitted a plate design with all the specifications and a marketing and financial plan as well as a survey certification letter. Wow, talk about volunteerism at work! They are to be congratulated by the entire lighthouse community.

Funds For Warden Head Lighthouse

Australia's New South Wales Government has pledged $60,000 toward the restoration of the Warden Head Lighthouse in Ulladulla, Australia. The lighthouse was built in 1873 on the Ulladulla Breakwater in 1873 and relocated to Warden Head in 1889. Government officials there, state that the money is the first step of a plan to restore 14 lighthouses in New South Wales.

West Quoddy Light Breaks Record

West Quoddy Head Lighthouse, the easternmost lighthouse in the United States, in Lubec, Maine had more than 20,000 visitors visit the visitor's center and at the lighthouse this year. At 20,100 people that's a new record in attendance at the red and white striped lighthouse.

Hereford Lighthouse Acclaimed

New Jersey's Hereford Inlet Lighthouse is one of seven recipients of awards that were given out by

the New Jersey State Historical Commission. During ongoing restorations, the beautiful lighthouse continued to be open to the public this past season.

Sandy Neck Relit

Cape Cod's Sandy Neck Lighthouse, after being dark for 75 years was relit this past October in an epic event that also celebrated the 150th anniversary of the lighthouse. Over 300 supporters, contributors and members of the Sandy Neck Lighthouse Restoration Committee, which in affiliated with the Cape Cod Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation installed a lantern room back on the previously topless lighthouse, watched from an off shore whale watching vessel, as the lighthouse was relit and followed by a spectacular fireworks display that lit the night sky. Sandy Neck Lighthouse restoration appeared on the cover of our August issue with an extensive photo essay inside.

Lighting Up At Dice Head

Maine's Dice Head Lighthouse in Castine, Maine, after having been dark for nearly 75 years will again have a light in its tower. The light was removed from the tower in the 1930's and placed on a pole at the water’s edge. A storm that damaged the light on the pole created the dialog between the Coast Guard and the town, which has owned the lighthouse for many years, to replace the beacon in the tower.

Jupiter To Be Designated

A bill in the Congress of the United States would designate Florida's Jupiter Inlet Lighthouses as a federal Outstanding Natural Area. In an effort to get the bill passed into law Jupiter's mayor, Karen Golonka traveled to Washington to testify before the House Committee On Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Forest and Public Lands.

This story appeared in the December 2007 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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