2015 is the second year of our campaign to renovate the lighthouse. Major structural issues will be addressed as well as refinishing the entire tower, with the physical implementation hopefully next year. Most striking of all, with the support of the State Office of Historic Preservation, our plans include resurrecting a huge fog bell on the seaward side of the lighthouse, which can be tolled manually for appropriate occasions. During the past year, we have raised about $30,000 for the project, but we have a long way to go, so the following activities will be crucial this summer as well as fun for all:
1. The Annual Triathlon this summer, scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, will be a fundraiser for the lighthouse. It will be organized by the experienced super-team of Erica, Debbie, and Judi. Get out that bike and start training: do it alone or with a team! (As always, Isle au Haut events have very few rules other than having fun.)
2. Lighthouse Auction, scheduled for August 15 at the Town Hall. Please search through your garage and parlor, see what you might donate for the auction, and consider signing up to help with the event. To donate an item or service or to sign up to help with the auction, please contact Jeff at jburkemeaz[at]gmail.com.
3. Arranged docent-guided tours of the tower and lighthouse station. Come visit your lighthouse and learn about the restoration project.
4. The Lighthouse Committee has a few secrets as well, so be prepared this summer for some surprise events!
5. With the encouragement of the Isle au Haut Historical Society, we are writing a historical compendium of the Isle au Haut lighthouse station. Oral histories, memoirs, historical biographies of the lighthouse keepers, natural science and maritime history, even a ghost story or two, everything that adds to the magic will be brewed into this work-in-progress. Kindly search your memories and your attic files for any tidbits that might add dimension, humor, facts, or photos to this collective project. Once it’s in print, all donors to the lighthouse fund of $100 or more will receive a complimentary copy. To contribute information, please contact Jeff at jburkemeaz[at]gmail.com.