Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 269 – Buzz Hoerr and the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance

The Michigan Lighthouse Alliance (MLA), founded in 2003, encompasses more than 50 preservation groups and lighthouse stakeholders from around the state of Michigan. The purpose of the Alliance is to advocate for the preservation of the historic aids to navigation on the Great Lakes. The MLA holds a conference every two years, and this year’s… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 269 – Buzz Hoerr and the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance

Light Hearted

Light Hearted Lite #2 – Joseph Smith & his portrayal of Augustin Fresnel

This is an edited version of an interview that was featured in Light Hearted episode 44 in January 2020. Joseph Smith has been a theatrical performer based in New York City since 1995. His passion is to create excitement and curiosity about history by giving voice to stories that celebrate the human spirit. He has written… Continue reading Light Hearted Lite #2 – Joseph Smith & his portrayal of Augustin Fresnel

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 268 – W. Scott Jett, Hereford Inlet, NJ

Hereford Inlet, a break in the barrier islands along the east side of Cape May, New Jersey, was used by whalers as far back as the 17th century. Shifting sands and a strong current made the inlet dangerous for mariners. As coastal shipping and the use of the inlet increased, funds for a lighthouse were… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 268 – W. Scott Jett, Hereford Inlet, NJ

Light Hearted

Light Hearted Lite #1 – Sophie Blackall

We’ve produced almost 300 episodes of the podcast Light Hearted in the past five years. Most of the interviews we’ve done have been a half hour to an hour. We realize that listening to an hour-long podcast is not something everyone wants to do, so we’re introducing something we call Light Hearted Lite. In this… Continue reading Light Hearted Lite #1 – Sophie Blackall

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 267 – Patrick Mont and Chelsea clocks; Guin and Dani talk lighthouses; Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH

There are three segments in this episode. First, 11-year-old Guinevere Porter and her best friend Dani, Kentucky residents, talk about their visits to some beautiful and very tall lighthouses in Georgia, Florida, and elsewhere. As they correctly point out, we need kids to get interested in lighthouses. They will be the ones caring for them… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 267 – Patrick Mont and Chelsea clocks; Guin and Dani talk lighthouses; Portsmouth Harbor Light, NH

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 266 – John Zimmerman and Jen Lewis, St. George Reef, California

The seas off the northern California coast are notoriously rough, and no area is more treacherous than St. George Reef, which is the tip of a submerged volcanic mountain about six miles offshore. Construction of a lighthouse on the reef began in 1883. It took nine years to complete the massive 90-foot-tall granite tower on… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 266 – John Zimmerman and Jen Lewis, St. George Reef, California

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 265 – Whale Rock, RI, and the Hurricane of 1938

Whale Rock Light, a typical cast-iron “spark plug” type lighthouse, was constructed at the entrance to the west passage of Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay in 1882 to help mariners past a treacherous reef. Isolated Whale Rock was not a desirable location for keepers, and 16 different men served as head keeper between 1882 and 1909.… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 265 – Whale Rock, RI, and the Hurricane of 1938

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 264 – Kristen Heather and Jeanette Rodriquez, Point Fermin, California

The area in Southern California known as San Pedro saw Spanish use dating back to the 1540s. Once a separate township, it’s now part of Los Angeles. After the Mexican-American War, San Pedro’s harbor was expanded and improved. Congress appropriated funds for a lighthouse at Point Fermin, San Pedro’s southernmost point, in 1854. The light… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 264 – Kristen Heather and Jeanette Rodriquez, Point Fermin, California

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 263 – Joanne Mulloy and Jerry Arnold, Mukilteo, Washington

On the east side of Washington’s Puget Sound, Mukilteo grew as a port in the late 1800s, with salmon canning and lumber as leading industries. Funds were appropriated by Congress for a lighthouse at Mukilteo in 1903, and construction began in 1905. A 30-foot tower was built, attached to a fog signal building, with two… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 263 – Joanne Mulloy and Jerry Arnold, Mukilteo, Washington

Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 262 – Old Point Loma, California

Congress authorized lighthouses at several California locations in 1850, including San Diego. Construction began in 1854 on a lighthouse on a high bluff at the end of Point Loma, more than 400 feet above the sea. The lighthouse began service in November 1855. Its active life was fairly short, as it turned out. The great… Continue reading Light Hearted ep 262 – Old Point Loma, California