A beacon of hope shines bright from historic Mukilteo Lighthouse
Here’s a positive story we can all use. “A lighthouse is a perfect metaphor of hope,” writes Gabriel Campanario. “It keeps sparkling, casting a beam of light through the dark so we can feel safe moving forward.” Gabriel recently visited Washington’s Mukilteo Lighthouse, standing outside the closed gate to make a beautiful sketch. “I figured as long as solitary walking, running or biking are OK under the governor’s stay-at-home order, solitary sketching should be fine, too, right?” he wrote.
Click here to see Gabriel’s sketch and to read more.
* * *
Maine’s Fort Williams Park and Portland Head Light are closed until May 1
The grounds at Portland Head Lighthouse, located in Fort Williams Park in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, are closed to the public until at least May 1 due to concerns over the COVID-19 virus. The Town Council approved the closure Wednesday evening, saying it was done out of an abundance of caution. The iconic Portland Head Lighthouse may be the most visited and photographed lighthouse in the world, with well over a million visitors each year.
* * *
Stranded teen rescued from cliff near California’s Point Bonita Lighthouse
A teenager climbing a cliff near the Point Bonita Lighthouse became stranded and had to be rescued by a helicopter crew. A crew member on a 100-foot line was lowered to the stranded man, who was secured in a rescue harness and taken to the landing zone at Battery Mendell. He was turned over to federal park rangers.
* * *
Work on Marblehead Lighthouse (OH) to finish soon
Work on the Marblehead Lighthouse renovation project should resume toward the end of this month, an Ohio Department of Natural Resources official said Wednesday. David Roorbach, an ODNR spokesman, said the department’s contractor for the Marblehead Lighthouse project plans to resume work in late April to finish exterior painting.
Roorbach said ODNR currently plans to open the lighthouse to the public by Memorial Day. He said ODNR continues to carefully monitor the cornavirus situation and will follow the direction of Gov. Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health.
* * *
MassMutual uses America’s first light station in new commercial
MassMutual is kicking off its COVID-19 relief effort with a message about hope, and the resilience of the human spirit. The campaign, entitled “Lighthouse,” focuses on Boston Light, the oldest lighthouse in America, and the only one still operated by a person.
Sally Snowman, keeper of Boston Light, can be seen on the gallery at the top of the lighthouse.
By the way, in the article linked to below, MassMutual chose to use a photo of Graves Lighthouse in Boston Harbor instead of Boston Light. Oops.
Click here to read more
* * *
A message from the U.S. Lighthouse Society
Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of more than 20 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is the president and historian for the American Lighthouse Foundation and founder of Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, and he has lectured and narrated cruises throughout the Northeast and in other regions. He is also the producer and host of the U.S. Lighthouse Society podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org