Have I Got News For You

Lighthouse Digest magazine was recently used in the BBC2’s British award winning ratings topping news quiz show “Have I Got News For You”. Each week the show features a guest publication with an unusual title. They then black out a word or words from a headline in the magazine and the guests have to guess what word or words would replace the blackened out areas.

Osmund McKinney, 97

Osmund McKinney of Panama City, Florida who was born on May 4, 1903 at Yale Kentucky has passed away in a Boca Grande, Florida nursing home. He joined the U.S. Lighthouse Service in 1927 and served until 1941. He was a lighthouse keeper at the Florida Lighthouses at Key West, Dry Tortugas and Gasparilla Island. He was among the last of the true lighthouse keepers in the state of Florida.

Ponce Inlet restoration

Over the next several months, Florida’s Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse will undergo a $1.14 million restoration project by the famous International Chimney Co. We will need photographs of the restoration for our archives. If any of our Florida readers can help with this, we’d appreciate hearing from you.

Erosion Threat

A new federal appropriation will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct a $900,000 study to find a long-term solution to erosion threatening Long Island, New York’s Montauk Lighthouse. The one-year study will determine how to best maintain or supplement a 1400-foot stone revetment that was completed in 1998 at a cost of $1.48 million in federal, state and private funds.

Lighthouse to the Voters

The “Voters Pamphlet” put out by the Oregon Secretary of State for this past November's election feature a full cover photograph of Yaquina Head Lighthouse in a photo taken by Ron Benton of Waldport, OR.

Janiculm Light

We are looking for historical information on the odd lighthouse on Janiculum Hill in Rome, Italy. The first person to send us a photograph and information on this lighthouse will win a mini Lefton lighthouse replica. Send to Tim Harrison, Editor, Lighthouse Digest, P.O. Box 1690, Wells, Maine 04090.

99 year old climbs lighthouse

For her 99th birthday, Esther Kramer wanted to climb Florida’s St. Augustine Lighthouse. And climb it she did, all 219 steps, thus becoming the oldest person to climb to the top and walk on the lantern rooms outside gallery. Her first thought at reaching to the top was, “ I thanked God I could do it.” For her 100th birthday she doesn’t want to climb any steps, instead she said she wants a hot air balloon ride.

Money approved for Apostle Island’s Lighthouses

The federal government has earmarked $2 million to save two of Wisconsin’s Lighthouses that are on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. The two structures, Outer Island Lighthouse and Raspberry Island Lighthouse are also included in the newly released book, Endangered Lighthouses. Erosion of the clay banks threatens to topple both lighthouses, which date back to the mid 1800’s. Although the money has been set aside, the National Park Service which manages the lighthouses is not quite sure, yet, as to how to spend the money, but is considering beefing up the shorelines with rock, changing vegetation and doing drainage work at both lighthouses.

Cape Decision to NRHP

Alaska’s Cape Decision Lighthouse has applied for status with the National Register of Historic Places. Surprisingly the lighthouse was never nominated for this position before. The lighthouse needs to be included and hopefully their request will be honored. For more information on the lighthouse or to join the very active group trying to restore this lighthouse contact the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society, 224 Katlian, Sitka, Alaska, 99835.

Point Abino Calendar Half Price Fund Raiser

The folks who are trying to raise money to restore beautiful while lighthouse of Point Abino Canada have a number of their 2001 lighthouse calendars left and they are offering them at half price. This would be a good opportunity to help them out and get a calendar at half price. For 5.00 plus $1.50 shipping for a total of $6.50 you can get one by sending your check or money order to - Janet Truckenbrodt, 112 Sugarloaf Street, Port Colborne, Ontario, L3K 6C2, Canada. Be sure to affix extra postage to your order since the mail is going to Canada.

Before the Coast Guard

An interesting book that should be in every maritime home library is ALASKA and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service 1867-1915. This book traces the first 48 years of the Revenue Cutter Service (before it became the Coast Guard) in Alaska after the area was purchased from Russia in 1867, and explores the means and methods it used to establish sovereignty and perform amazing acts of rescue and humanitarian aid. It is available from Lighthouse Depot as item #91493 for $34.95 by calling 1-800-758-1444 or on the web at www.LighthouseDepot.com

Liberty Ship Memorial at Lighthouse

Photographs, correspondence, postcards and other memorabilia from 1940 to 1945 relating to the history of the Liberty Ships built in South Portland, Maine are being sought by the people who will be making future exhibits to be displayed at Maine’s Portland Breakwater Lighthouse. These exhibits will use a combination of text and graphic materials including black and white and color photos. All materials would be properly credited and returned to donors. For more information call Nina at Design Team at 207-774-0185.

This story appeared in the January 2001 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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