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When the apparatus that turns the 2000-pound, 106-year old lens at Oregon’s Heceta Head Light stopped working this past June, it appeared that the light might never be lit again.
Although a smaller temporary light mounted on the outside of the lantern room took its place, the Coast Guard said they doubted that repairs would be made to the old light since they couldn’t financially justify it as a needed aid to navigation.
Finally, through the efforts of U. S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, a compromise was worked out with Admiral James Loy of the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard will now fix the lighthouse and then turn the responsibility for operating the light in the tower over to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, which has owned the actual lighthouse since 1994.
The restoration work will require the 12-foot lens, which breaks down into 24 sections to be disassembled and will cost around $42,000. All of the work will be done by Coast Guard experts who will be flown in from other parts of the country.
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