North Manitou Shoal Sold

The North Manitou Light Keepers, Inc. is now the official owner of Michigan’s 1935 North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse that is located near the Manitou Passage in Lake Michigan. The group paid $73,000 for the lighthouse at a General Services Administration online auction. The lighthouse was automated in 1980.

Group’s President Honored

George Sprecace, president of Connecticut’s New London Maritime Society, has been honored with the 2nd biennial Pittaway Lighthouse Keepers Award, which is named after the late Louise D. Pittaway who was the long-time curator of the museum at the Stonington Harbor Lighthouse. Sprecace was chosen for the award for his work to acquire and preserve the three lighthouses owned by the society, which are the New London Ledge Lighthouse, the New London Harbor Lighthouse, and Race Rock Lighthouse.

Feltner Honored With Award

Congratulations to Jeri Baron Feltner of the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society for being awarded last year’s prestigious Beacon Award from the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance, which is a consortium of over 50 nonprofit organizations in Michigan. The award is presented to an individual or individuals for their “Exceptional Leadership to the Michigan Stewardship Community.” The DeTour Reef Lighthouse is one of the finest offshore lighthouse preservation projects in the nation where you can now spend the night. FMI go to www.DRLPS.com.

Battle for Gay Head Lens?

The Martha’s Vineyard Museum plans to move eight miles from Edgartown, Massachusetts to Vineyard Haven and into the former Marine Hospital Building which they plan to renovate. Part of those plans call for the 1st order Fresnel lens from Gay Head Lighthouse, which is now on display in an outdoor replica lantern on their property, to be moved to their new location and displayed in an indoor gallery setting. The cost of the move of the lens is estimated to be $100,000. However, some residents of the town of Aquinnah, where the Gay Head Lighthouse is located, want the lens, which was removed from the Gay Head Lighthouse in 1952, to be returned to them and displayed near the lighthouse.

Fischer Honored

At their annual meeting, the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keeper’s Assn. honored Marilyn Fischer with the Richard L. Moehl Award for Outstanding Volunteerism.

For the past 30 years, Marilyn Fischer, as founder of the Gulliver Historical Society, has been a leader in preserving the history of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, which included the restoration and interpretation of the 1895 Seul Choix Point Lighthouse. She is also a Director of the Michigan Lighthouse Alliance. Shown is Ric Mixter, president of GLLKA, presenting the award to Marilyn Fischer. Congratulations to Marilyn Fischer for this well-deserved honor.

Camper Keeper Program

Interested in an adventure? Experienced with wilderness camping (e.g. no electricity or running water)? Would you be willing to spend two weeks on an island light station in northwest Michigan?

If so, here’s an opportunity for you. South Fox Island Lighthouse is looking for camper keeper teams for June – August 2017. You’ll be responsible for providing occasional visitors with information about the light station and doing volunteer work according to your skills. They’ll provide transportation and a spot on a beautiful island with sand beaches and great sunsets.

For more information, please contact Phil von Voigtlander philfvon@gmail.com or see their website www.southfox.org

India Goes Solar

The government of India announced that all 193 of their lighthouses are now solar powered. Most of them had previously been operating with conventional forms of energy.

Life Rings Installed

The Michigan City Fire Department recently installed 11 life rings at 100-foot intervals on the pier that leads out to the Michigan City East Pierhead Lighthouse in Michigan City, Indiana. Conditions can change at a moment’s notice for the locals and tourists who venture out on the pier. Since 2014, 20 people have been victims of accidents from falling off the pier into the water. 16 were rescued and four drowned.

Bayswater to be Demolished

As the restoration of the 1914 Bayswater Lighthouse in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, got underway, and while the lighthouse was under wraps, it was discovered that the structure was in worse shape than originally thought, and it might have to be demolished. Officials state that they might have to replace it with an exact replica.

This story appeared in the Jan/Feb 2017 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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