The Lantern Room
Photos and article by Ron Foster, President
New England Lighthouse Lovers (NELL),
a chapter of The American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) has certainly grown in the
four short years since approximately 25 Harbour Lights collectors gathered in
Massachusetts following the 1998 Harbour Lights Collectors Reunion, in
Providence, RI. Initially formed as the New England Harbour Lights Collectors
Club (NEHLCC) it soon became evident that there were other folks who loved
lighthouses, but didn’t necessarily collect Harbour Lights miniatures, who
wanted to join.
Today, New England Lighthouse Lovers is approximately 180 people
strong and has members from as far south as Florida and as far west as
California, even though most of the members reside in New England. The majority
of the membership are collectors of Harbour Lights and we have become
increasingly more involved with lighthouse preservation by raising awareness and
funds. To date NELL has donated over $10,000 to various
lighthouses throughout New England for preservation projects.
NELL raises preservation dollars in various ways including the
sale of NELL merchandise (shirts, hats, pins, prints and note cards), raffles
and silent auctions at NELL events, and donations. A huge “Thank You” goes to
Harbour Lights for their continued support of NELL through
donations of Harbour Lights products for our raffles and auctions. 100% of the
money raised with these Harbour Lights products goes into the NELL Preservation
Fund. Another well deserved “Thank You” goes to Mark and Beverly Taylor,
Taylor’d Touch (a Harbour Lights Dealer in Marlborough, CT), who held a
special opportunity drawing for a Thomas Kincaid framed print and then donated
the $250 raised in the drawing to the NELL Preservation Fund (earmarked for
Avery Point lighthouse in Groton, CT). The winner of the print, by the way, was
NELL member Elizabeth Briggs. Of course, the biggest “Thank You” is to our
membership who takes an active roll in supporting the various fundraisers we
have throughout the year at our events.
With August came our second “NELL Hands-On
Preservation Efforts” (NELL-HOPE), this time
at New London Ledge lighthouse (New London, CT). Seven NELL members
(including Art Minor, Margaret De Libero-Minor, Penny Patch-Bartnicki, Shirin
Pagels, Jim & Irma Streeter, and me), along with Brae Rafferty (Project
Oceanology and New London Ledge Light Foundation), worked Saturday and Sunday
scraping, wire brushing, priming and painting the entire lantern room (inside
and out) as well as preparing one of the large living quarter rooms for
painting. The weather was very hot and humid and the work required muscles that
hadn’t been used in quite some time. The newly painted lantern room was quite
visible, and very rewarding to see, as we pulled away from the lighthouse on the
Project Oceanology boat that transported us back to shore Sunday afternoon.
Learn about this project and view
some more of the pictures through the following link.
art2
There will be more NELL-HOPE in the future. Not
long ago I spoke with Dave Lombardi, Dutch Island Lighthouse Society (DILS),
also a chapter of ALF, about doing some NELL-HOPE at Dutch Island lighthouse.
Dave welcomes the offer of help at Dutch Island light and as soon as I know more
details concerning this possible project I will send out a notice to the
membership. There are many lighthouses throughout New England that need the
help of NELL volunteers with the skills and willingness to make a difference.
If you know of lighthouse projects in New England that may need NELL-HOPE please
contact NELL Preservation Co-Chairs Frank Carbone
FCarboneJr@aol.com or Walt Mills
walter.mills@snet.net or me, Ron Foster
ronjfoster@comcast.net .
At the NELL Fall Business Meeting in New Bedford,
MA the names of those lighthouses chosen to receive NELL Preservation Grants
for 2002 were Thacher Island lighthouse (MA) $1000
for replacing the porch & stairs to the assistant keepers house, Avery
Point lighthouse (CT)($1500 for the new tower entrance
door, and North Light Block Island (RI) $1500
for a new stairway between the second and third floors. This makes 2002
the biggest single year for NELL with regards to the amount of money NELL has
donated for lighthouse preservation. Thanks to all of you Lighthouse Lovers
everywhere for your support of NELL fundraising activities. You may wish to
continue supporting New England Lighthouse Lovers Preservation Fund with the
purchase of the new Exclusive Limited Edition Prints of Portland
Head Light and Portsmouth Harbor Light by artist Steve “Digger” Ervin.
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Portland Head Light |
Portsmouth Harbor Light |
If you have not yet ordered your copies of these
beautiful prints (or the note cards) you should do so before they are all gone.
Visit them and other NELL merchandise on this website at
Also in August several NELL members traveled to
New Bedford, MA for the official unveiling of the USCG Lightship Sailors
Memorial. This memorial now has engraved, on its granite block foundation,
the names of all of those sailors who lost their lives while serving their
country on lightships. NELL donations helped to make this possible. The
ceremony was a touching tribute to these heroes and was attended by several
family members, friends and relatives of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
Jim Gill (USLSSA), Mayor Frederic Kalisz and Art Motta (New Bedford’s Director
of Tourism) each spoke. Bill Collette (USLSSA & ALF Vice President) was
recognized for his hard work and contributions to getting the memorial from an
idea to a reality. NELL member Doug Bingham (USLSSA, ALF, NELL) who also worked
toward this same end was also part of this ceremony.
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Taps for the Lightship Sailors who have fallen |
Bill Collette honored for work for memorial |
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Bill Collette rings memorial bell for each fallen sailor |
This years Fall Meeting brought several changes to
the NELL Board of Directors. Tom Pregman (Hamden, CT) became the new
Vice President, replacing Bill Kent (Wilmington, MA); Art Minor (Bristol,
CT) is the new Membership Chairperson, replacing Christine Thumm (Salem, CT);
Arlene Winkleman (Brookline, MA) replaced Augie Kurdt (Rochester, NH) as
Director at Large; Shirin Pagels (Norwalk, CT) assumed the Publicity
Chairperson duties, previously performed by Odette Kent (Wilmington, MA); and
Chuck Bartnicki (Groton, CT) filled the new Merchandising Co-Chairperson
position.
I wish to thank all of those former Board Members,
mentioned above, for their dedication and hard work in helping to bring NELL to
the level it was when the new Board Members took over their duties. You have
helped a fledgling group of serious Harbour Lights Collectors grow into an
organization that is well known and respected within the lighthouse community.
I also want to thank the new Board Members, as
well as the remaining current Board of Directors, for stepping up to continue to
improve our organization and the plight of our lighthouses for the benefit of
all while having fun in the process. I am certain that you will continue the
NELL mission to make a difference for the lighthouses we so dearly love. Keep
in mind the fine examples and continuing efforts of Harbour Lights and
the American Lighthouse Foundation as we continue to grow.
At our family picnic this year we were blessed
with the company of the First Lady of Light, Connie Small, who turned 101
years old. Connie is such a wonderful person and a real crowd pleaser. Many
NELL members were pleased with the opportunity to share conversation about
lighthouses with her.
The picnic was held at the same location as the
first year, Great Island Common in New Castle, NH, within site of Portsmouth
Harbor lighthouse (where Connie and her husband were last keepers). My brother,
George Foster (Professional Auctioneer & Appraiser from The
Complete Auction Service in Epsom, NH), surprised us all by donating
some nautical related items which he auctioned off, along with lighthouse items
donated by Reg & Mo Kitching. The monies raised in this fun auction were
earmarked for the NELL Preservation Fund. Thanks to all who donated and bid –
this was not only fun but it raised some much needed dollars. A special thank
you to Augie Kurdt for getting to the park long before the gate opened to
be the first to reserve the picnic area under cover and for arranging to pick up
Connie Small and for bringing her to the picnic. Thank you also goes to
Jeremy d’Entremont (ALF, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Light) for opening the
Portsmouth Harbor lighthouse tower to us. It is always a great
day when you have the opportunity to climb a lighthouse tower. Turnout at this
year’s picnic almost doubled and I hope that if you were unable to attend you
will be able to join us at the next one.
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