NBC-TV News Report on Faulkner's Island Light, Connecticut

On November 23, 2010, Ryan Hanrahan of NBC 30 (Connecticut) did a report on the restoration of Faulkner's Island Lighthouse in Guilford, CT. Check it out below.

Here comes that Flying Santa Claus again

Photo by Brian Tague

Friends of Flying Santa, a nonprofit organization, will be delivering toys to more than 600 children of Coast Guard families stationed  in New England this holiday season, keeping true to the tradition established back in 1929 by aviator William Wincapaw. 

Capt. Wincapaw and his successor, author and historian Edward Rowe Snow,  believed that these Christmas missions of good cheer were important to recognize the lifesaving crews and families who kept watch along our coast.

For more about this wonderful tradition, click here.  

There's a detailed history of the Flying Santa here.

A Touch of Christmas Shines Bright at ALF’s Gift Store and Interpretive Center

The annual Festival of Lights event along Rockland’s (Maine) downtown Main Street, which occurred on November 27-28, 2010, is a time when businesses outfit their storefronts in a festive manner as part of a weekend celebration for the holidays.

The American Lighthouse Foundation’s Gift Store and Interpretive Center, located at 464 Main Street in Rockland, once again joined in on the festivities by decorating the organization’s storefront for Christmas.
Click here to read more.

Cleveland Ledge Light auction extended

The auction for Cleveland Ledge Light has been extended; the current posted closing date is December 6. The high bid as of the afternoon of December 3 is $60,000.

Click here to check the latest on the auction.

Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse auction

Under the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, Cleveland Ledge Light in Buzzards Bay -- near Bourne, Massachusetts -- was offered to a suitable applicant, such as a nonprofit group or community. There were no applications, so the unique 1943 lighthouse -- built in the Art Moderne style -- is currently up for auction to the general public.

You can monitor the auction by clicking here.

You can see photos from a recent inspection here. 

As of the afternoon of Nov. 26, the high bid is only $14,000. The auction is scheduled to close on Monday, Nov. 29, but it could be extended.

I haven't had the opportunity to get inside this lighthouse, so I can't comment on its interior condition. There's no doubt that it needs some restoration, and taking on its preservation will be daunting for its new owner. Let's hope the person or persons who win the auction have a full comprehension of the challenges of caring for an offshore lighthouse. This is a one-of-a-kind structure that deserves to be preserved as a historic icon.

For more on this lighthouse, click here.

Latest on Faulkner's Island Lighthouse restoration, CT

Faulkner's Light Brigade continues the restoration of the Faulkner's Island Lighthouse off Guilford, CT. International Chimney Corporation has been hired to do the work, which includes washing, repointing, and repainting the exterior of the tower, as well as interior repairs.

This video from November 19 shows the latest work.

Connie Small - clip #1

Connie Small (1901-2005) was married to Elson Small, lighthouse keeper at several stations in Maine: Lubec Channel, Avery Rock, Seguin Island, and St. Croix River. Elson anc Connie finished their lightkeeping years at Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Hampshire, in 1948. Connie went on the write the book The Lighthouse Keeper's Wife when she was 85 years old.  In this clip, recorded when Connie was 97 years old, she recalls having electricity for the first time.