Ribbon cutting on Monday, February 1, for Cape St. George Lighthouse, Florida
On Monday, Feb. 1, at noon, the St. George Lighthouse Association (SGLA) along with the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce will be hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and grand re-opening of the Cape St. George Lighthouse.
The lighthouse has been closed for the month of January to complete a significant restoration project – the largest restoration project since the lighthouse was originally reconstructed at the center of St. George Island in 2008.
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Russian boat smashes Burntisland Lighthouse in Scotland
An investigation has been launched after a vessel damaged a lighthouse in Fife, Scotland. The vessel was leaving Burntisland Harbor when it hit the lighthouse, knocking off the lantern room and causing damage to breakwater fenders in the harbor.
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Old Baldy (NC) group gets $750,000 grant for lighthouse
The Old Baldy Foundation has won a $750,000 grant to repair damage from two hurricanes and to fortify North Carolina’s oldest lighthouse against future storms. The State Historic Preservation Office grant is administered by the National Parks Service.
Old Baldy Communication and Development Coordinator Abby Sachs said having time to work on the grant application with Director Chris Webb and a university consultant was the upside of having to close the lighthouse to the public last summer as a COVID-19 precaution.
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‘The Last Lightkeepers’ film benefits Whaleback Lighthouse, Maine
Rob Apse, a New England filmmaker, recently released a new documentary on Amazon chronicling the preservation of lighthouses and those responsible for their survival. A portion of earnings from “The Last Lightkeepers” will go to Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses, a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation, to assist with preservation costs of Whaleback Lighthouse in Kittery, Maine.
Apse has submitted his one-hour documentary to over 30 film festivals around the world, recognized thus far as a 2020 gold award winner of the Spotlight Documentary Film Awards. “I think lighthouses symbolize hope and guidance and faith, and I think people are drawn to them,” said Apse. “A lighthouse doesn’t distinguish between friend or foe. It’s there to guide you no matter who you are.”
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Mariana Lighthouse (Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands) is restored
After a year of extensive repair work, the abandoned Old Japanese Lighthouse on Navy Hill has a new lease on life, with Bibong Corp. transforming this iconic structure that once helped ships navigate into Saipan Harbor into a modern-day oasis that boasts an expansive view of Garapan. It will not only be a tourist site by itself but a coffee shop and a restaurant will soon be located there.
The lighthouse was built in 1934 when Saipan was still under Japanese administration. It stopped operating in 1944 when it sustained severe damage from bombs during the Battle of Saipan. It was turned into a restaurant in 1990 but closed years later due to economic troubles.
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Sumburgh Head Lighthouse (Shetland, Scotland) secures funding
More than £70,000 is set to go towards work on the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. The money, from the historic environment recovery fund, will be used for building maintenance following winter storm damage, Covid adaptions and a new business plan. The operator, Shetland Amenity Trust, will also deliver a community art project and video to “promote the site and re-engage with the local community.”
The lighthouse, popular with visitors and locals alike, recently celebrated its 200th birthday. A visitor centre opened there in 2014 after refurbishment. The Amenity Trust’s head of development, Davy Cooper, said: “We are grateful for this support which has come at a significant time for us.”
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Monitoring the Weather at the Edge of the World at Dalantangi Lighthouse in Iceland
The Icelandic Meteorological Office runs 71 manned weather stations around the country, 57 of which report the precipitation, snow depth and ground cover once per day. Marsibil Erlendsdottir oversees one of the 14 stations that also report on cloud cover, weather conditions, and other meteorological phenomena.
There has been a weather station in this area since 1938, and it has always been operated by real people. In addition to all the farm work, Ms. Erlendsdottir also maintains the lighthouse, which was built in 1908. Her store cupboard must always be well stocked, given that the nearest supermarket is 50 miles away.
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Vandalism at Derby Wharf Lighthouse in Salem, MA
A National Park Service Ranger was conducting surveillance of Derby Wharf Lighthouse in Salem, Massachusetts, following prior vandalism there. The ranger saw a man eading toward the lighthouse. When he was stopped, police checked the lighthouse and saw fresh writing inside. The man was arrested after allegedly scrawling the words “COVID is fake” on the lighthouse.
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Maritime Museum Seeks Photographs For State-Wide Oswego Lighthouse (NY) Photograph Exhibit
As stewards of the Oswego West Pierhead Lighthouse, the H. Lee White Maritime Museum at Oswego is responsible for spearheading the physical restoration, historic interpretation, and public access tours of the lighthouse. The Maritime Museum seeks to engage artists with a juried photography exhibit and a virtual exhibit.
The lighthouse-centered juried exhibits will display selected works from both youth and adult entries. Through these exhibits, the museum seeks to promote the photographers, and use their works to build a sense of community pride in local historical resources.
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U.S. Lighthouse Society News is produced by the U.S. Lighthouse Society to support lighthouse preservation, history, education and research.
If you have items of interest to the lighthouse community and its supporters, please email them to Jeremy D’Entremont at Jeremy@uslhs.org
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
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