Pomham Rocks Lighthouse (RI) Celebrates 150th Jubilee on the Rocks
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse, in East Providence, Rhode Island, marks its 150th anniversary in 2021. Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is the last surviving lighthouse in upper Narragansett Bay. To kick off this special year, the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse – a chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation – is holding a photography and art contest. Contest rules and submission details will be posted on www.pomhamrockslighthouse.org. Deadline to enter is March 30.
Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse is also sponsoring a benefit run on April 24. There are three race options: 5K walk, 5K and 10K runs. Participant of all ages are welcome, as are both novice and experienced runners and walkers.
Pomham Rocks Lighthouse Day will be the highlight of the year for the community. If COVID guidelines allow, all are invited to the celebration on August 8 from noon to 3 p.m. at Squantum Association, 947 Veterans Memorial Parkway, Riverside, RI.
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Historic NJ lighthouse battered by rising seas, now shuttered over contract dispute
Last March, the lease between the State of New Jersey — which owns the East Point Lighthouse and its grounds — and the Maurice River Historical Society, the nonprofit organization that has managed the property since 1972, expired. Instead of renewing the lease under the same terms, the DEP in January informed the society that it would need to sign an “interim license agreement” that the society believes is designed to kick it out.
The society has kept the lighthouse closed since mid-January because of the disagreement, unwilling to reopen the doors in the absence of a signed lease with the state that both parties can agree on.
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Fort Point Lighthouse (Nova Scotia, Canada) now a beacon of opportunity
Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.
The Region of Queens Municipality (RQM) is seeking a seasonal operator for Fort Point Lighthouse in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, for the next three years. Built in 1855, Fort Point Lighthouse stands at the mouth of the Mersey River and is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in Nova Scotia.
Surrounded by picturesque parkland, it provides visitors a rare opportunity to climb inside, enjoy ocean views and sound the foghorn.
The lighthouse is expected to be in operation seven days a week, from June to Thanksgiving. Staff there need to be knowledgeable in the history of the lighthouse and the area. The operator also will be expected to promote the Fort Point Lighthouse and area to encourage visitation.
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Tybee Island Lighthouse could become a license plate in Georgia
A bill introduced into the Georgia General Assembly could lead to a new specialty license plate featuring one of Tybee Island’s most recognizable landmarks. State Rep. Jesse Petrea introduced legislation for the 2022 Georgia General Assembly session that would create a special license plate featuring the Tybee Island Lighthouse.
“This is a bill that allows us to come together as a community to determine how many people want these tags,” Petrea said. “And by the way, not just in our community to determine how many people want these tags, but statewide, there will be people all over the state who will love a Tybee Island license plate.” And that is key because before this bill can proceed next year, there must be a pre-order of 1,000 tags at a cost of $25 per tag.
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Fund created to deter graffiti at Grand Haven (MI) lighthouses
The city of Grand Haven is fundraising to prevent vandalism after the iconic South Pier lighthouses were graffitied last summer. The newly created Public Asset Protection Fund at the Grand Haven Area Community Foundation is collecting donations for seven security cameras to be installed at the lighthouses.
The fund was created after residents expressed concern about the graffiti, and one person conveyed a willingness to donate to a fund to deter vandalism, the city said. It will cost about $10,000 to install the motion-detection cameras at the lighthouses, which will be directly connected to Ottawa County Central Dispatch.
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Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association (MI) in need of operational funds
The nonprofit organization that operates four lighthouses — Big Sable Point Lighthouse, Ludington North Breakwater Lighthouse, Little Sable Point Lighthouse, and the White River Light Station — is in dire need of operational funds.
“Because we were not able to open in 2020, we lost 90 percent of our projected income,” said SPLKA Executive Director Peter Manting. “We’ve got to raise $75,000 to open by June. We have operational expenses that we have to pay.” Only the White River Light Station was open for the summer, and even it was receiving fewer visitors than in previous years because of the pandemic.
Paramedics fulfill a patient’s dying wish at Cleveland Point Lighthouse, Queensland, Australia
Two paramedics have been commended for their heartwarming act of kindness, when they transported a patient down to the ocean so she could enjoy the view. Hervey Bay Officer in Charge Helen Donaldson said the woman’s dying wish was to visit the beach again.
“A crew were transporting a patient to the palliative care unit of the local hospital and the patient expressed that she just wished she could be at the beach again,” she said. “Above and beyond, the crew took a small diversion to the awesome beach at Hervey Bay to give the patient this opportunity. Tears were shed and the patient felt very happy.”
Photo: Cleveland Point Lighthouse, Queensland, Australia. Wikipedia Commons photo by by Muhandes.
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The heartwarming reason why a lighthouse in Cardiff, Wales, has been restored to its former glory
A devoted husband has helped restore a popular lighthouse in a Cardiff park in tribute to his late wife and mother. Andy Temple, lost his wife Rosemary and mother Evelyn, in 2019 and decided to make a donation to the council in their memory. Cardiff’s famous Scott Memorial lighthouse at Roath Park underwent maintenance work last year and has been fully restored thanks to a donation Andy offered to Cardiff Council.
Mr. Temple said, “Over the years Rose and I spent many an hour walking our dogs around the lake, in all weathers, and on the many occasions when my mum came to visit us, she always enjoyed visiting the park, and always admired the lighthouse – even at 97 she would still manage a full lap of the lake. I thought it would be a fitting tribute to have it refurbished to its former glory in memory of them both.”
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Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust (Scotland) gets COVID support funds
The Ardnamurchan Lighthouse Trust Limited is to receive financial support from Historic Environment Scotland. The trust is getting £27,171 (approximately $38,000) from the Historic Environment Recovery Funding scheme which is aimed at supporting Scotland’s historic environment sector recover from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cash is intended to pay for repairs, PPE equipment, and changes to allow social distancing. Ardnamurchan Lighthouse occupies the most westerly point on the UK mainland.
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Presidents Weekend in Cape May, New Jersey, to feature trolleys and lighthouse tours
Cape May Lighthouse in winter is a special experience during Presidents Day Weekend, February 13-15. Visitors can climb the 199 steps to the top of the tower for a magnificent view and support the continued preservation of this historic beacon. It’s brisk up top, so bundle up. But that’s part of the fun.
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Black Rock Community Council (CT) launches Historical Pictorial Marker project
The History Committee of the Black Rock Community Council has completed its first marker as part of a planned series of historical pictorial markers detailing Black Rock’s history as it relates to Long Island Sound. The first, titled “Black Rock: Lighthouses, Legends and Lore,” depicts details related to Black Rock Harbor Light (Fayerweather Lighthouse), Penfield Lighthouse and Kate Moore, the legendary keeper of Black Rock Harbor Light, and is situated directly behind the Kate Moore Memorial.
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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
U.S. Lighthouse Society Historian Jeremy D’Entremont is the author of 24 books and hundreds of articles on lighthouses and maritime history. He is a past president of 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’s weekly podcast, “Light Hearted.” He can be emailed at Jeremy@uslhs.org