NELL LHHC&Y
Winter Storm Tour
Saturday, January 8, 2005
by Tom Pregman

Neither freezing rain nor sleet nor hail nor snow deterred NELL members from their appointed rounds. After all it IS winter and the weather comes with the season and is the reason for the hot chocolate. :) So, 77hardy members chased 5 lighthouses in the Beverly, Salem, and Marblehead, Mass. area during the storm, then gathered at the snowbound Marblehead Community Center for hot chocolate and lots and lots of cookies.

The day started clear and dry at 8:30 AM at the USCG District 1Admiral's Quarters, Hospital Point Front Range Lighthouse in Beverly where we were warmly greeted by Rear Admiral David Pekoske and his beautiful wife, Michele. Their "hospitality" was "admirable" (couldn't resist) from the Christmas garlands and wreaths on their white picket fences and railing around he lantern room, white light adorned anchor and fog bell, and access to the grounds including the pre-Revolutionary earthen "j" fort, and the square brick light tower.

The 3 1/2 order fresnel lens is unique in that it has an attached condensing panel, a vertical magnifying glass, which concentrates the beam on the center line of the Channel. The view was clear and one could easily see Bakers Island Light off to the East, Marblehead Light to the south, and Fort Pickering Light to the South-West. Admiral Pekoske posed for numerous photos with members and a group shot was taken. This stop was indeed special and I believe the hit of the tour. 

The Admiral and his wife then honored us by joining in our lighthouse chase for the entire day. By 10:00 AM the group had moved on to the First Baptist Church of Beverly. With a beacon way up in the steeple it serves as the Rear Range Light to Hospital Point. This stop proved to be a most interesting challenge in the truest sense. 

When climbing the steeple, the wide stairs became a series of slanted ladders and soon became a series of narrow steep vertical wooden and steel ladders among all sorts of cross-members and confining space, and progress soon slowed, then seemed to halt. Those like me who made it to the church bell were rewarded enough and "pooped" out (from the pigeons). The FEW AND THE PROUD that actually made it to the beacon, well they are to be congratulated. Shirin has promised "certificates of achievement" to them, including Admiral Pekoske. 

NELL donated a check in the amount of $320 to the Church toward its steeple restoration project which, in this case, is the light tower. Several of us also contributed to the town by way of $10 meter parking tickets. :( 

It began to snow then as the group moved on to the "WINTER" Island Maritime Park and Fort Pickering Light. The light is just off shore at the parking lot and was a quick and much easier stop. A group of mallard ducks made an interesting foreground for the photos taken there. 

Members then split for lunch along the Salem waterfront, then gathered in the blizzard conditions that greeted us at the Salem National Maritime Park at Derby Wharf for 1:00 PM. Park rangers had to shovel the entrance ramps to the tall ship Friendship for our access out of the weather below deck. 

The Derby Wharf light was opened to the public for the first time for our group. As a short light, .5 mi. out on the earthen wharf, it is subject to vandalism. Protective glass (?) panels around the lantern room windows were repeatedly spattered by smash marks from thrown stones, and broken glass and debris inside the tower was not cleaned up for our visit. The Nat. Park Service must take much better care of this lighthouse, especially if they plan to open this historic beacon to the public.

The roads were now seriously snow covered and slippery for our drive to Marblehead Light. Visibility was bad and some members literally got lost on the way and missed climbing that tower. :(

The erector set skeleton tower at Chandler Hovey Park was shrouded in snow, rain, and fog. The town had dispatched a Senior Transport bus to the Park as a portable shelter for our group. However Mrs. Bunny Hannoway, the unofficial keeper of the light, who lives two doors away, had opened her home to us as shelter and to climb to the cupola for a great view of the lighthouse. 

Although still hospitalized for treatment and rehab following surgery, she insisted that her husband and daughters, Karen and Holly, host our members. Many of us went to her beautiful home by the sea and signed a drawn poster of the light with kind words for her speedy recovery. We also presented Karen with a yellow NELL bucket hat, tour buttons, and a thank you card for Bunny.

Bill Conly, 30+ year former selectman and the lighthouse historian, opened the tower for our group and manned the lantern room answering questions until all the members then present had climbed the tower. Although the structure was still strung with red, white, and blue vertical rope Christmas lights, they were not turned on. :( The modern green beacon did however light as the light sensor activated it toward the end of our time there. 

Finally, we gathered for hot chocolate and lots and lots of cookies at the Marblehead Community Center. Director of Recreation and Parks for the town, Tom Hamond, had arranged this alternative gathering place instead of using Bunny's house, and personally kept gallons of hot chocolate flowing for our entire stay despite the storm then raging outside.

Raffles and drawings were held as usual. Ron Foster's same day birthday was celebrated. New member Mike Boucher provided information on a 7-night Hawaiian cruise and lighthouse land tour starting October 29 in Honolulu (check it out in the March 2005 Lighthouse Digest).  A check to the town in the amount of $82 was presented to Tom Hamond for the hot chocolate, and NELL baseball caps were presented to him and Bill Conly for their yeoman service, and one will be sent to the Admiral who had to get ready for a gala ball (a snow ball) that evening and could not stay for hot chocolate. 

Members present also voted to award a year's membership to friends of NELL, Dr. Paul and Bunny Hannoway and to Rear Admiral David and Michele Pekoske. Can't hurt to have the USCG District 1 Commander as a NELL member !   The CG has been very accommodating to our NELL lighthouse visits over the years, and for the Commander to open his residence site to our group visit in the dead of winter is most appreciated. 

Following the gathering, some members drove home in the storm, many returned to the Inn, and the town snow plow crews enjoyed the remaining hot chocolate and lots and lots of cookies. :)