Lighthouse News

A Lighthouse News Exclusive

Kennewick - A Historical Perspective

Three hundred fifty miles upstream from the mouth of the Columbia River at the junction of the Snake River in Washington State, sits the city of Kennewick. With Richland and Pasco, it’s the largest of the three known as the TriCities. Years ago, it was explored by Lewis and Clark, the first American overland expedition to the Pacific from the mouth of the Missouri River. Nearby is the Sacajawea State Park, the Native American who traveled the entire 4,100 mile route with the group. More recently, in 1996, the city became known for the discovery of the 9,000 year old Kennewick Man, found along the banks of the Columbia.

Twenty People Look Inside Currituck’s House

Although Currituck Lighthouse is open for climbing, the keepers’ house has been shuttered to visitors since it was restored in the 1980s. Last week, the site manager opened the house to twenty visitors for a rare tour through the big house, which sits only fifty feet from the tower. According to a story in the the Virginian Pilot, many more people had to be turned away. Over 100,000 climb the tower each year, but most can only see the house from the top, as in the picture to the left.

Are Lighthouses Good For the Economy?

One day, while I was doing docent duty at Pemaquid Point Lighthouse, I had a young fellow ask me (for a school project) how much does a lighthouse contribute to the economy. I told him, a lot, as they are one of the biggest tourist draws for an area. Everyone loves lighthouses, along with wanting to be a lighthouse keeper. One of the most popular searches bringing visitors to this site are “lighthouse jobs.” Well, lighthouse keeper jobs are long gone, but the lure of the dream remains. And at least one country understands the attraction of the night beacons and does all it can to maximize the tourist money. The UK seems to understand the idea of a working lighthouse and tourist dollars.

Katrina Damaged Fresnel Getting A Rehab

Besides demolishing the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi, MS, Hurricane Katrina took one final blow at the Ship Island Lighthouse Fresnel lens. When searching through the rubble, museum members found the Fourth Order Fresnel lens had been smashed by a wall. The beautiful, beehive style lens was in pieces underneath. But St. Augustine Lighthouse Conservators Joe (It’s Like Watching Paint Dry) Cocking and Nick (Never Say Die) Johnston have undertaken the Humpty-Dumpty like task of putting the pieces back together.

Lighthouse Inns Around the World

What can be more romantic than a lighthouse on Valentine’s Day? The wild weather of mid-February, with waves crashing on the deserted beach, accomodations ranging from rustic to luxurious, and in most cases, cheaper off season rates. No matter where in the world you live, there is a lighthouse available for you and your honey to escape for a day or two or three. And although it may be too late for this year, you can plan for Valentine’s Day 2009.

United States

Popham Beach Bed and Breakfast

Another Lighthouse Threatened

From the pages of The Daily in Australia comes a little story about the Bribie Island Lighthouse (front range), Queensland, being another threatened by erosion. Unusually violent storms, winds, flooding are taking their toll on this and other lighthouses from Canada to the US; to Europe to Australia. According to the story, massive sand losses due to the tides and weather have pushed the ocean’s edge up to the base of the lighthouse. Fears are that Pumicestone Passage will be sealed off with a sandbar. The Australian Environmental Protection Agency claims that because this is a “natural occurrence” it will not step in to help. What?

Five Attractions To Work Together

Five years of lawsuits, political intrigue and fighting over Currituck Beach Lighthouse (North Carolina) has finally ended as Currituck County’s Whalehead Club and the Outer Banks Conservationists join forces with three other groups to form the Corolla Coalition. The two groups, which fought over ownership of the light, have joined with the Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education, the Corolla historic village and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund to make the sites a unified experience for visitors. “What’s happened has happened,” Currituck County Commissioner Owen Etheridge said. “If we can’t move forward, then we’ll suffer the consequences.” Current plans include creating site maps and improving signage before the tourist season gets into full swing.

NSW Maritime Issues Alerts

One of the news items that crossed my desk today was the information from BYMnews that the NSW Maritime has issued an alert asking boaters to help in reporting vandalism. Not vandalism to boats, but to historic lighthouses no less, along with other navigational aids (buoys and lighted navigational markers). The article reported that the NSW Maritime has spent nearly $190,000 AUD in the past three years on 153 incidents of vandalism. One of the worst incidents took place at Tacking Point Lighthouse, near Port Macquarie, pictured on the left.

Furniture Needed For Restoration

The Lorain (Ohio) Lighthouse may be missing its Fresnel Lens, but the Port of Lorain Foundation is nonetheless working to redo the house in period furniture. Their dilemma right now, though, is what era? According to a story in the Morning Journal, the choice is between the 1920s, from when the lighthouse was first built (1917), or the 1950s, from which they have photos. Two committees are working on collecting donated furniture in good condition to help with the cost. Items like beds, stoves, desks, kitchen tables are needed.

Congressman Arranges Conference

In the latest news from Old Saybrook, CT, comes the information that First Selectman Michael Pace has arranged a meeting with the US Coast Guard and the General Services Administration to tell them to “keep the lighthouse, we don’t want it.” Congressman Joe Courtney has arranged the January 30 meeting in Old Saybrook to allow Pace to voice his concerns directly to the powers that be in charge of excessing the lighthouse. Of course, we still don’t know exactly which lighthouse is being excessed. Both are pictured in the photo to the left. Is it the one at the end of the breakwater, which is featured on the state license plate? Or maybe it’s the Lynde Point Lighthouse. Either way, this has been a fiasco from the beginning.