United Way & Russound Pitch In at Portsmouth Harbor Light

On Wednesday, May 13, a group of five volunteers from Russound in Newmarket, NH, gave a big helping hand (ten hands, actually) to the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (FPHL). The effort was part of the United Way's Spring 2009 Day of Caring.



(Above, L to R: Bob Hancock, Ryan Bartosiewicz, Andrea Renz, Jon James, Dan Charest, and Ross Tracy.)

On this day, about 1000 volunteers spent the day making a difference on the New Hampshire Seacoast.

At Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH, the Russound volunteers were supervised by FPHL Chairman Ross Tracy, who is also an IT manager at Russound. The camaraderie and friendship of all the participants helped the day go smoothly.

The volunteers applied stain to the 84-foot walkway that leads to the lighthouse. The walkway was built in the fall of 2006, and had never gotten a full application of stain before. This time, every inch of the pressure-treated wood, including the underside of the walkway, was given a protective coating.


The group also helped rebuild a stairway that leads from the walkway to a rocky beach and a 1903 oil house.

It was a beautiful day to be outside, and a great deal was accomplished. FPHL will gladly take part in more Days of Caring in the future.

Schooner J&E Riggin Helps Maine Lighthouse Museum

I just received the following news from Elizabeth Poisson, Shore Operations Manager for the Schooner J&E Riggin :

The Schooner J&E Riggin has seven Maine Lighthouses and Lobster cruises they will do throughout the 2009 season. All the profits from the June 4-9 trip will be donated to the Maine Lighthouse Museum.

With over 60 lighthouses in Maine and over 20 in our sailing grounds of Penobscot Bay, we will see as many Maine lighthouses as possible during our each of our trips. And, of course, passengers will enjoy plenty of lobster too – at a beachside lobster bake as well as lobster worked into a few other meals during the trip.

You can visit this link (http://www.mainewindjammer.com/sailing-cruise-flyers/maine-lighthouses-lobster-cruises.html) for more information on the cruise, or call us at 800-869-0604 for more details.

Fair winds,
Elizabeth Poisson
Shore Operations Manager
Schooner J&E Riggin

136 Holmes St, Rockland, ME, 04841
1.800.869.0604

AND -- I just found out that they are also offering a 20% discount on the June 4-9 cruise. Hats off to the owners and staff of the J&E Riggin!

A Rockland Museum Fighting to Keep Its Doors Open

More on the possible closing of the Maine Lighthouse Museum on the WABI-TV site.

Economy puts lighthouse museum in jeopardy

PizzaFest Raises Funds and Spirits

The first-ever "PizzaFest" benefit for Whaleback Lighthouse on Saturday evening, May 16, at the Kittery (Maine) Lions Club was a great success. Nearly $1700 was raised and a good time was had by all.

Pat Heffernan entertained with his Irish
music and witty storytelling.

Ownership of Whaleback Lighthouse, located a short distance offshore from Kittery, was conveyed to the American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) in November 2008. One of ALF's chapters, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (FPHL), is managing the restoration of the historic beacon. Since 2001, FPHL has cared for Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse in New Castle, NH. This year, the group will open Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse for nearly 30 public open houses; check www.portsmouthharborlighthouse.org for the schedule.

FPHL plans to commission an historic structure report of Whaleback Lighthouse at a cost of $7000. The report will serve as a guide as restoration moves forward. Full restoration is likely to run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars and could take a few years to complete. Ultimately, FPHL plans to open the tower for limited public tours, which will access the lighthouse by boat. The present difficult landing conditions will have to be improved, along with the deteriorating interior of the lighthouse, before public access becomes feasible.

FPHL board members Jackie Maurice and
Joanne Yeaton volunteered at "PizzaFest."

At the PizzaFest event on May 16, attendees got to enjoy pizza donated by a dozen restaurants in the area: Badger Island Pizzeria, Jitto’s, Hap’s, Darleen’s, Momma D’s, Rosa, Bread Box, Flatbread Company, Dominos, Pizza Factory, Joe’s NY Pizza, and Pizza Hut. Along with the pizza, there was salad and soda, courtesy of Shaws Supermarkets. And for dessert, there were delicious cookies and brownies made by several FPHL volunteers.

Sharon Mills, secretary of FPHL,
staffed the merchandise table at PizzaFest.

Along with the delicious food, there was foot-tapping, singalong entertainment provided by Pat Heffernan. Heffernan has been performing Irish and folk music for years, usually as one half of Shannachie. On this night, he was pressed into solo duty as his musical partner, Patrick Keane, was under the weather. Heffernan, who's also on the board of directors of FPHL, performed two lively sets that had the entire audience clapping along between bites of pizza.

Shannachie also donated CDs and a free performance for the evening's raffle. Other raffle and silent auction items included tickets to the Ogunquit Playhouse, a signed book by Jimmy Buffett, photography by John Bedard, a haircut and manicure at the DuDa Spa, lobster dinners at the Weathervane restaurant, and more.

Left, Bob Trapani, executive director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, with Joel Shelburne, creator of New Hampshire Lighthouse Week (first week in June).

Jim Pope, one of the last Coast Guard keepers at Whaleback Lighthouse before its 1963 automation, entertained the audience with his memories of life in the offshore tower. FPHL presented Pope with a lifetime membership in recognition of his role in keeping lighthouse history alive.

It was a great night. Special thanks also to the Kittery Lions Club, gracious hosts of the event.



L to R: Jeremy D'Entremont, operations manager for FPHL; Jim Pope, one of the last keepers of Whaleback Lighthouse; Ross Tracy, chairman of FPHL.

Volunteers helped serve pizza










Donna and John Bedard, members of FPHL, donated original photography for the event.










Ann Trapani, right, associate director of the American Lighthouse Foundation, volunteered at PizzaFest along with daughters Nina and Katrina.






L to R: Pat Heffernan, Sharon Mills, William Marshall, Jackie Maurice, Joanne Yeaton, Jeremy D'Entremont, and Ross Tracy of FPHL.





Photos by Bob and Ann Trapani.

PizzaFest with Music by Shannachie: A Benefit for Whaleback Lighthouse

Saturday May 16, 2009, at 6:00 p.m.
Kittery Lions Club, 117 State Rd. (Route 1), Kittery, Maine

Join the Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse for a unique and tasty event! Try the best offerings from pizza restaurants in the Portsmouth/Kittery area. More than a dozen restaurants will be taking part. Along with pizza, there will be salad, soft drinks, and cookies. There will also be a silent auction with great prizes, including tickets to the Ogunquit Playhouse and gift certificates to local restaurants.

Irish music by Shannachie will enliven the evening. Pat Heffernan (guitar, vocals, songwriter, shennanigans) and Patrick Keane (bass, banjo, vocals, and "ham") make up Shannachie. Since 1995, they've been having fun entertaining people with Irish pub singalong songs all over New England.

Proceeds benefit the restoration of Whaleback Lighthouse.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors (65 and over) and $10 for children (12 and under).

You can buy tickets online at www.portsmouthharborlighthouse/pizzafest.html, or you can send a check made out to: Whaleback Committee of FPHL, to: Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, P.O. Box 8232, Portsmouth, NH 03802-8232. Be sure to include your address.

Advance tickets are recommended. If space is still available, tickets will be available at the door.

Maine Lighthouse Museum Looking for Support

The museum housing the nation's largest collection of Fresnel lenses and other important lighthouse artifacts may soon have to close its doors due to a lack of revenue. Click here for the story in "Village Soup."

The Maine Lighthouse Museum has its roots in the collection amassed by the late Coast Guard officer Ken Black, known far and wide as "Mr. Lighthouse." Many lighthouse buffs recall the humble Shore Village Museum in Rockland, tended lovingly by Black for years.

Lots of small private donations would be a shot in the arm for the museum, but what's needed even more is substantial corporate support. Everyone loves lighthouses, and it could be a huge PR coup for any Maine company that lends major support to the museum. Not that it has to be a Maine company -- the museum is really America's Lighthouse Museum.