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As a torrential rainstorm pounded down on the North Carolina Aquarium's un-airconditioned auditorium, in Manteo, North Carolina, the two opposing sides sweated out a public forum on the saving of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Those leading the movement to save the lighthouse by not moving it, packed the auditorium with supporters. Many of these were students, who took the day off from school, wearing T-Shirts that said: "Don't Move Our Lighthouse." They naturally cheered the loudest when a statement was made for their side, giving what would have appeared to be a one-sided public opinion from the crowd.
United States Senator Lauch Faircloth, who opened the meeting, which was broadcast live on local television, said, "We may do a lot of fussing now on how the lighthouse should be saved, but in the end, whatever decision is made, the people will band together to save it." He went on to say, there were about as many opinions on how to save the lighthouse as there were people living on the Outer Banks.
Sen. Faircloth went on tell the audience, "We have no option but to save it . . . it is a National Treasure that will involve people from all fifty states."
Referring to the groin that some people want built to save the lighthouse instead of moving it, he explained how it would be against North Carolina state law to build the groin and if a variance were to be granted, it would probably be tied up in court for years, and the lighthouse would be lost by then.
State Senator Marc Basnight, President Pro-Tempore of the North Carolina General Assembly's stated that since he was not from the area, he could not share the same love for the lighthouse as the 'locals.' This in itself was a strange statement, since there are thousands of people from all over the world, who are not locals, and love the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. However, he did say that he felt it was in the best interest for all if the lighthouse was moved. Being a clever politician, he went on to say that whatever the final decision was on how to save the lighthouse, he would support it.
Bob Reynolds, the Superintendent of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore told the crowd, "Based on the National Academy of Science report, the only solution with the understanding of current technology, is to move the light." However, his predecessor, Tom Hartmen spoke against the move. Hartman said "You might only get 100 years by moving the light and then you'd simply have to move it again, and, if that's the case," he said with a cocky attitude, "You might as well move it to Raleigh," which drew a huge applause from supporters on his side.
State Representative Walter Jones, one of the sponsors of the meeting, definitely played politician by stating that although he personally believes the lighthouse should be moved to save it, first he wants to hear from the people.
Geneva Perry, Commissioner of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, told how even past Commissioners were against the move, saying the Commissioners were not convinced that the risk of moving the light is worth it. She said a 4th groin should be built as soon as possible to save the light and the groin would be less expensive, and less costly than moving the light. She went on to say that by saving the lighthouse at its existing location would protect the health and welfare of the local community.
However, the most knowledgeable report came from Dr. Ellis Cowling of North Carolina University who served on the original Ad Hoc Committee to investigate all the possibilities in saving the light. He explained how the shoreline has been eroding for the past 18,000 years. He then asked how many people in the audience remembered the ball park that used to be between the ocean and the lighthouse. No one did. He then asked how many people knew about the marine forest that used to be between the lighthouse and the ocean. No one did.
He went on to explain how the best scientific minds in the nation had concluded from their investigation that moving the lighthouse was the only option under current knowledge and laws to save it. He explained how the center of gravity is at one third the height of the lighthouse and thus it could be moved safely. He went on to describe how a theater in New York, five times the weight of Cape Hatteras Light was moved and the successful move a of five-story hotel in Pennsylvania.
Cheryl Roberts, president of the Outer Banks Lighthouse Society, presented a stack of 35,000 signatures of people that want the lighthouse saved. What was interesting is that the signatures were gathered at only one local business. She went on to talk about all the scientific reports which have all concluded that moving the lighthouse is the only way to save it. She compared the lighthouse to the Washington Monument.
Todd Miller, executive director of the North Carolina Coastal Management Federation, said it is the current three groins that have caused the erosion to the south flank of the lighthouse where the beach has eroded 120 feet and if a variation was granted and a fourth groin built, it would simply cause erosion further down the beach.
Joan Weld, speaking on behalf of the Governor of North Carolina, said the Governor supported the opinions of the experts and scientists that the lighthouse must be moved to save it. Continuing, she said that the area had 320 miles of beautiful beaches that must be protected and not by building groins that would lead to a false sense of protection. She mentioned how other lighthouse have all been moved safely with no loss of historical status. Looking directly into the eyes of the audience, she told them that every major lighthouse group in the United States supported the moving of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse as the only way to save it.
Moderator, Al Cole, a local, who is in favor of not moving the lighthouse, must have been worried by the overwhelming statements from the majority of the panel stating that the lighthouse must be moved to save it. He started picking out people from the audience who were on his side, which was quite easy to do, since, many of them were well known to him, and many others were wearing highly identifiable T-Shirts. One after another spoke of why the lighthouse should not be moved, with most of them believing it would not survive the move, the lighthouse would lose its historical significance or that tourists would stop coming to see the lighthouse if it were moved. Only two additional people in favor of the lighthouse being moved were allowed to speak along with Bruce Roberts who was given 30 seconds to hold up a photograph showing damage after the 1994 storm that exposed the base of the lighthouse to the ocean.
While this was going on, I became acutely aware that although I was given eye contact by Cole and his assistant, I was being ignored and not being called on. Realizing that time was running out, I worked my way through the crowd to speak to Cole's assistant to find out why I wasn't being called upon. She first stated that it was because I was a member of the press, (Lighthouse Digest), that I was not going to be allowed to speak. When I re-informed her that I was also Chairman of the American Lighthouse Foundation, and represented lighthouse people from all over the nation and the fact that I had been promised that I would be allowed to speak, she simply shrugged her shoulders and stated that a decision had been made and I would not be allowed to speak. A local reporter standing next to me then hollered to the moderator asking why more people from the other side were not being called upon. He was ignored.
Just what did they have to fear from me, a country boy from Maine? The first thing that went through my mind was "The Good Ol' Boy's Syndrome" at work, similar to the Democratic Presidential convention a number of years ago when Mayor Daly of Chicago turned the microphones off.
Shucks, all I was going to tell them was that the lighthouse would not lose any historical significance and that past experience has shown that moving a lighthouse is good for tourism. I would have told them that I am in no way an expert in moving lighthouses, but, if the majority of the smartest scientific minds in the country have stated the lighthouse must be moved if it is to be saved, we should stop the debate and get on with the business of moving the lighthouse before the Doomsday clock strikes midnight.
As Cheryl Roberts said, "Since the 1800's, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse has been saving ships and lives from the graveyard of the Atlantic. Let's not bury it there. Instead, let's invite the whole world to watch a truly wondrous event, the moving-and saving-of America's greatest lighthouse."
The funding for the move of the lighthouse is included in the President's proposed budget to Congress, but the funding is not locked in. Will the Congress of the United States listen to the misinformed, well-funded, highly publicized minority of the local interests, or to the majority of the people of the United States?
We again urge our readers to write to their United States Senators and Representatives and urge them to vote for the funds to move and save Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This is a case, where every letter, can make a difference. Will you let a movement led by a few wealthy individuals, stop the moving and saving of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse? Will you help change the minds of the misinformed? Remember, both sides of this controversy want to save the lighthouse. Some are simply being fed the wrong information on how to save it.
This story appeared in the
May 1998 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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