New England Lighthouse Lovers A Chapter of the American Lighthouse Foundation NELLNELL BeaconBeacon January 2011 NELL’S 2010 YEAR IN REVIEW By Tom Kenworthy, NELL President he weather for the weekend of January 14 Light Foundation (NLLLF). In T and 15, 2010 was sunny with blue skies: his request, Anthony stated perfect for NELL’s annual Lighthouses, Hot NLLLF needed help in Chocolate & You weekend. The Hilton Hotel, scraping, spackling, and Mystic CT was our host hotel. general cleaning. He also stated that the only reason We first visited Morgan Point the work party would be Lighthouse for our 2004 cancelled would be due to LHHC&Y. Having received so inclement weather and/or high many requests to visit/revisit seas. Thankfully, the weather, Morgan Point Lighthouse, it wind, and waves were calm and Anthony made good sense to use that reported that much was accomplished and he is as our starting point for our looking forward to another Project H.O.P.E. at 2010 LHHC&Y. the Ledge Light sometime in the coming year. Leaving Morgan Point, we made the short drive Receiving many requests from our members to to USS Nautilus and the Submarine Force travel to “foreign lands” (outside of New Museum. Here, members decided which to England), Ron and Mike put together a trip to visit first, with it being about a 50-50 split. I the St. Lawrence Seaway. On the weekend of went to the museum first and then toured the May 14-16, we went to lands not traveled to by Nautilus. There was so much to see and learn I NELL. wish we had planned to spend more time there. But we didn’t, so I will probably revisit them in For some unknown reason, reservations for this the spring. trip came in very slow. Then, they suddenly stopped. Ron and I discussed the situation. He After lunch, we visited the Palmer House and reworked the figures and we were able to notify then the Stonington Lighthouse and its all who had signed up for the trip that we did museum, ending our day back at the hotel for not have the required number of reservations, hot chocolate, brownies, tea and coffee, along but if they were willing to pay $15 more per with some light refreshments, courtesy of the person, the trip would definitely go as planned. Mystic Hilton. After warming up on hot chocolate, we sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to our Everyone agreed that they would be willing to good friend and member, Patrick Clark. It was do that, so we went ahead with the plans and the perfect ending to a perfect weekend. confirmed the dates with the boat company so we wouldn’t lose our deposit. Two days before As spring approached and we were set to leave for the resort, we received thoughts turned to lighthouse our 79th reservation making it possible to offer preservation, NELL received a a refund to the people who agreed to pay the Project H.O.P.E. request from extra fare. Most donated it to our preservation NELL member Anthony Savino, fund, while others happily received a refund. also a member of the newly formed New London Ledge - continued on next page NELL Beacon Page 2 - continued from page 1 see Colchester Reef along with many other structures in this unique outdoor museum. Members and non-members who signed up for the trip headed to Capt. Thomson’s Resort and Members Fran D. and Greg F. did a unique Uncle Sam Boat Tours in Alexandria Bay. thing after the meeting. They took a flight to photograph the lights we had just seen by On Saturday, we cruised the St. water. After the meeting on Sunday and Lawrence Seaway, saw many thanks to the generosity of owners Rob and lighthouses and had a great Claire Clark, we had the opportunity to visit “bag” lunch. They were so and climb Isle LaMotte and Windmill Point. unbelievably big; many members had enough left over for their In the fall, our parent organization, the picnic lunch the next day. American Lighthouse Foundation (ALF) and its chapters, joined in a fund-raiser with each On Sunday, we held our semi- participating chapter submitting a photo of annual meeting that included DeWattville Island “their” lighthouse. As NELL does not have a elections of our officers. You Range on the Ca- lighthouse under its stewardship, we submitted were promised a short meeting nadian side of the our logo surrounded by a collage of lighthouses and we had one of the shortest St. Lawrence that received preservation grants from us. we’ve ever had. River. Each chapter then received 300 copies to sell, with profits going toward preservation. After the meeting, many members took a self- guided land tour of the lights we had seen the previous day and some lights that could not be seen on the cruise. The outcome of our first “out of the New England area” event was a resounding success. We had received many requests to go to or return to Vermont, which NELL first visited in September 2004. So, with autumn only a couple turns of the calendar pages away we started to prepare for our return. This year NELL gave out grants totaling $6,900 In order for us to revisit and donated $1,600 from our trips for a total of Isle LaMotte and Windmill $8,500. Giving us a grand total of $138,903 Point, Ron and I found it donated to New England lighthouses. necessary to drive up to Vermont and meet with Congratulations to all members, past and the Clark’s, Rob and his present. Without you, your dedication and mom, Claire, owners of hard work, this would not have been possible. Isle LaMotte, Vermont both lights. As of Dec. 10, 2010, our 2009 membership stands at 308 members, slightly down from last After meeting with the Clark's and seeing the year. problems that could arise, we were able to devise a plan that was suitable to both parties and, like I hope you and your families all had a good magic; the two lighthouses were included in our Christmas and holiday season and a happy New itinerary. Year. Now, it’s time to rest up and start to prepare for another great year of lighthousing. Cruising Lake Champlain, we saw a half a dozen I look forward to meeting our new members lighthouses, including the old foundation of and renewing old friendships. Colchester Reef lighthouse, which is now part of the Shelburne Museum. Upon returning to the To see the full reports on our trips and more dock, we took our group picture and many pictures, please visit our website at: members then went to the Shelburne Museum to http://www.nell.cc. Page 3 NELL Beacon MARTHA'S VINEYARD MEMORIES By Seamond Ponsart Roberts (Mike and Judy Boucher received this e-mail from Seamond, who would like to share her memories of Martha's Vineyard with the membership) just got through reading your expedition to our bathroom. We had a system whereas if we Ithe island to see the lighthouses. You are so were expecting people to visit, we'd watch for right, the cost is totally outrageous and I the ferry to come into view from the bathroom applaud you for getting around it. If you had a and that meant we had 10-13 minutes to meet few days, some of it you could have walked them at the VH pier. Worked every time. Of and/or thumbed a ride. Yes, while it's not course, there were a whole lot fewer people on recommended anywhere else (probably in the there then. whole world), thumbing a ride is o.k. on the island, and even safe. (The cops will not Now, as for visiting the lights, how I wish I recommend it there, but it's honestly o.k.) The could have been with you to give you a personal other alternative to the bus thing (which I was comments tour along with the official one you very surprised you pulled off so well), is take got or read about. At the time, Dad also had your bike. I have NO idea what the damn ferry responsibility for East Chop, Edgartown and charges for that, but it has to be less than the Cape Pogue as well as the two down-island car thing. (TERRIBLE). breakwaters. So, I knew the insides of all those towers quite well. Do I miss it? All the time. When we lived on the island back in the late 40's to 50's, the ferry was getting so out of our Your pictures were gorgeous and I think the price range even then, we spent some 3-4 years best one was Cape Pogue because of the one time without ever leaving the island. Talk gathering clouds. I always like to see towers about being insular! OH YES, we were. But we with gathering clouds and the best time, I think, simply could not afford it. We did have one to either visit or go up in a tower - for the "real" advantage though. Occasionally we would get a feeling of it, for the "real" purpose is during a free ride over to Woods Hole with the Coast storm. To me it's like planting potatoes down on Guard. How come? Because Dad was the your knees in the earth - you KNOW that's what lighthouse keeper at West Chop. I lived there it was there for.