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Police Close Pier on the 4th

After it was reported that someone was seen brandishing a gun on the south pier in Grand Haven, Michigan, the police decided to close the pier out of an abundance of caution for the entire multi-day July 4th celebration. Shown are the Grand Haven South Pierhead Lighthouses. (Lighthouse Digest archives)

NPS Seeks Bids on Hatteras Work

The National Park Service has recently requested bids for the interior and exterior restoration of North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest lighthouse in the United States, and one of the tallest brick lighthouses in the world. Bids had to be submitted by August 3, 2023. In 1999, at a cost of $12 million, the lighthouse was moved 2,900 feet inland to prevent it from toppling into the sea.

Giant Ship Almost Destroys Lighthouse

When the giant, 641-foot-long Maltese ship Mazarine lost its engine power this past July, it came close to hitting and possibly destroying the 135-foot-tall, 1870 Wolf Rock Lighthouse in the English Channel, off the coast of Cornwall, England. Fortunately, the ship got stuck on the rocks nearby that stopped it from smashing into the lighthouse. In 1973, the Wolf Rock Lighthouse was the first light of its type to have a helicopter deck constructed on its top. The lighthouse was automated in 1988. (Photo courtesy SWNS)

Stupidity of the Times

The 1927 book, To the Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf, now includes a disclaimer for American readers in its most recent publication issuance. It says: “This book was published in 1927 and reflects the attitudes of its time. The publisher’s decision to present it as it was originally published is not intended as an endorsement of cultural representations or language contained herein.” Professor Mark Hussey of Pace University in New York, who has edited various Woolf works, told the London Telegraph that the “notion of a warning to readers of potential offence in this novel is quite ludicrous.”

Balloons Pose Threat

Staff from North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore reported that they collected a disturbing 938 balloons off the seashore in the first five months of 2023. Releasing balloons into the air can be dangerous for many reasons. The plastic strings attached to them can strangle marine life and then chip into microplastics that contaminate drinking water and the food chain. Mylar balloons can also get tangled in power lines, leading to power outages or fires. It is also becoming more widely known that latex exposure, reportedly in some cases, may result in symptoms in people ranging from a rash to more serious complications like life-threatening asthma or fatal anaphylactic shock and respiratory failure. A number of states have now outlawed of all types of party or get-well balloons.

Contributor Dies

We are saddened to report on the passing of long-time friend and contributor to Lighthouse Digest, Thomas Ernest Chisholm, who died at the age of 81 June 30, 2023. Retiring after 35 years as a teacher in the Albion Public Schools in Albion, Michigan, (my Dad’s home town), Tom and his wife, Darlene, decided to complete their mission of photographing lighthouses. It actually all started on their honeymoon when he photographed the boarded-up Point Iroquois Lighthouse on Lake Superior in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Tom and his wife went on to visit all 50 states and seven continents where they photographed over 4,400 lighthouses. Always a list man, he documented in scrapbooks what he had seen and was always planning their next adventure. The world of lighthouses will miss him. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Darlene, and his family and friends. This is the last photograph of Tom, taken at the completion of his and Darlene’s recent return trip from Iceland.

NELL Member Passes

James “Jim” Seery III, a long-time member of the New England Lighthouse Lovers (NELL), passed away at the age of 74 this past July 2nd. Even though he was in a wheelchair, Jim and his wife, Hilari, were still able to attend many lighthouse events, and visit and photograph numerous lighthouses, as well as go on lighthouse boats tours, some of which they organized. Jim and his wife joined NELL in April of 2004 and were very active in the group with Hilari being editor of NELL’s Chapter Chatter. In 2018, the couple were awarded the American Lighthouse Foundation’s Len Hadley Award for Volunteerism. Readers of Lighthouse Digest will recognize Hilari’s name from the hundreds of photos that she has submitted to us, many of which we have published over the years, included some of her stories. Our sincere condolences go out to Jim’s wife Hilari, their daughter Michelle Parrom and husband Erskine, their grandchildren and other family members, and his wide circle of friends.

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This story appeared in the Sep/Oct 2023 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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