Followup to PETA Lighthouse Fishing

Yesterday, PETA released a statement that they submitted a letter of interest for two New York Lighthouses, West Bank Light and Old Orchard Shoal Light. PETA only published the letter sent for Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse. Today, West Bank Lighthouse was also verified as being available as of May 29, 2007 to eligible organizations according to the Long Island Chapter of the U.S. Lighthouse Society.

In 1900, a conical cast-iron brown Lighthouse was built on a reef off Staten Island, West Bank, NY and 4.7 miles south of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to improve the navigational aids in New York Harbor. West Bank Lighthouse was First Lit on Jan 01, 1901 exhibiting a Fixed White Light illuminated by a Fourth-order Fresnel lens and kerosene lamp 59-feet above sea level. After the completion of the Ambrose Channel in 1906, West Bank Light was raised to a height of 70-feet to be used also as the Front Range Light aligned with the Staten Island Lighthouse (First Lit in 1912) for navigating the busy channel.

The Fresnel lens was removed when the Light was converted to solar power in 1998. Currently, West Bank Light (Staten Island Front Range Light) exhibits a Fixed Red Light to the East with a visible range of 12 nautical miles, and a White Isophase 6-seconds (3-second Flash, 3-second eclipse) Light to the West with a visible range of 16 nautical miles, with a higher intensity White Light on the Range Line with a visible range of 23 nautical miles, 69-feet above sea level.
The Staten Island Rear Range Light exhibits a narrow Fixed White Light that can only be seen on the Range Line 231-feet above sea level with a visible range of 18 nautical miles.

West Bank Light is also another dangerous location for Public Access. By submitting letters of interest for offshore Lighthouses, it appears that PETA, if successful, will endanger misguided visitors in their quest to promote eating fake fish food and to end what PETA claims to be fish abuse if expensive landing ramps are not constructed.

West Bank Lighthouse is best viewed by boat with distant views from the grounds of Elm Tree Lighthouse at New Dorp Beach on Staten Island, and from the Boardwalk at Coney Island in Brooklyn.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of West Bank Lighthouse.

For Map Directions to the Rear Range Light , please visit the Google Map of Staten Island Lighthouse.

Related News Source:
PETA Applies to Take Ownership of Historic Lighthouses, July 30, 2007

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Followup to PETA Lighthouse Fishing, West Bank Lighthouse, PETA, New York

Fishing for a New York Lighthouse

PETA hopes to catch Old Orchard Lighthouse after submitting their second letter of interest on July 27, 2007 in their quest to establish a National Headquarters for their Fish Empathy Project promoting the protection of fish and aquatic animals from human abuse and slaughter.

Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse, located three miles southeast of Staten Island in the lower New York Harbor, became available on May 29, 2007 to eligible non-profit organizations who had sixty days to express interest in acquiring the Lighthouse.

The 35-feet high Cast iron “spark plug” style Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse was First Lit in 1893 exhibiting a Flashing White Light every 15-seconds (12-second flash, 3-second eclipse) and a red sector to mark the dangerous shoal, illuminated by a Fourth-order Fresnel Lens 51-feet above sea level. Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse served as the Front Range Light which was aligned with the Waakcaack Rear Range Light, located near Keansburg, New Jersey, to mark the narrow Gedney Channel along the eastern shore of Staten Island. In 1950, the Rear Range Light was discontinued when Old Orchard Shoal Light became automated. Currently, Old Orchard Shoal Light exhibits a Flashing White Light every 6-seconds visible to a range of 7 nautical miles with a Red Sector visible to a range of 5 nautical miles.

Despite the fact that Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse is another dangerous location for the public to visit and eat fake fish food, PETA’s Fish Empathy Project defies the common sense of salt-water fish provides a good part of a healthy diet which has been known for thousands of years. A previous post this month examined PETA’s claims versus scientific research.

Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse is best viewed by boat yet, the Lighthouse can be viewed using binoculars from Great Kills Park, Staten Island.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Old Orchard Shoal Lighthouse.

Related News Source:
PETA Applies to Take Ownership of Historic Lighthouses, July 30, 2007

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Fishing for a New York Lighthouse, Old Orchard Lighthouse, PETA, New York

Bodie Island Lighthouse Tours

Bodie Island Lighthouse will be reopened to partial Public Tours on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. The Lighthouse has been closed to visitors since August 9, 2004 after large pieces of cast iron fell from the balcony and the window of the Lantern Room. A recently completed emergency restoration project wrapped cables around corroding pieces of metal on the balcony.

Visitors will be able walk inside and view the winding staircase from 10am to 2pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Bodie Island Lighthouse will not be opened to climb the 214 steps to the Lantern Room. A restoration project is scheduled for 2008 estimated to cost $3.4 million.

Bodie Island Lighthouse was the third Lighthouse built in the vicinity of Nags Head and Oregon Inlet, North Carolina to improve marking the dangerous outer banks by constructing a Lighthouse between Cape Henry, Virginia and Cape Hatteras Light in North Carolina.

Bodie Island Light was First Lit on October 1, 1872 exhibiting a Fixed White Light illuminated by a First-order Fresnel lens and Lard oil Lamp 156-feet above sea level visible to a range of 18 nautical miles. The light was converted from a fixed to a flashing light when the lighting apparatus was converted to electricity on Sep 19, 1932. The current Light Characteristic is 2 White Flashes every 30-seconds (Flash pattern: 2.5-seconds Flash, 2.5 second eclipse, 2.5 seconds Flash, 22.5 seconds eclipse).

On July 13, 2000, the Tower of Bodie Island Lighthouse was transferred from the U.S. Coast Guard to the National Park Service for preserving the historic landmark. In 2003, the Coast Guard planned to remove and replace the deteriorating Fresnel lens with a modern optic. Fortunately, the National Park Service negotiated a plan to save the historic lens and the U.S. Coast Guard transferred ownership of the Fresnel lens to the National Park Service under the General Services Administration’s federal property disposal process on April 25, 2005.

The First-order Fresnel lens requires complete restoration of the deteriorating brass framework which secures the gleaming glass prisms and rotating lens in place.

For more information about Public Tours, please visit Bodie Island Light.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Bodie Island Lighthouse.

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Bodie Island Lighthouse Tours, Bodie Island Lighthouse, North Carolina

PETA Fishing for a Lighthouse

News about the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) submitting a letter of interest to Saundra A. Robbins, U.S. General Services Administration on July 18, 2007 to acquire Penfield Reef Lighthouse for the national headquarters of its “Fish Empathy Project” is a extreme peculiar use of the historic Lighthouse. If the federal government awards ownership of the Lighthouse to PETA, than PETA’s Fish Empathy Project would focus on ending what they call fish abuse by serving faux fish sticks and vegan “seafood” at the Lighthouse cafe.

The “Fish Empathy Project” would be a strange twist for Penfield Reef Lighthouse which was originally built to safely guide fishermen and commercial shipping away from the dangerous submerged reef in Long Island Sound. Michael Prescott, PETA’s manager of fish empathy campaigns, seems to think a fish memorial and fake fish food cafe at Penfield Reef Lighthouse will change the opinions of commercial fisherman. Hopefully, their senseless program will never see the Light of Penfield Reef Lighthouse.

Posting a Beacon shining a Light of truth in a sea of PETA misinformation:

According to the news story, PETA’s anti-fishing web-site claims fish feel pain yet, scientific research proves most fish do not have nervous receptors (nociceptors) for sensing and reporting pain to the central nervous system and the brain. Some fish species have nociceptive neurones similar to those found in humans, yet there is no evidence for the psychological experience of pain in these fish according to Dr. James Rose, professor of zoology and physiology at the University of Wyoming.

Furthermore, PETA’s program of fear-mongering about dangerous mercury levels in fish is untrue according to a report by the Center of Consumer Freedom. Minute traces of mercury in fish is inconsequential to human health and the health benefits of fish continue to outweigh any mercury paranoia being peddled by PETA. According to another study, “women who ate the most fish during their pregnancies had children with the highest IQs.” Reference source: Seafood Safety

The application process for disposed Lighthouses by eligible non-profit organizations can be six months to a year and Kenneth Flatto, Selectman of Fairfield believes the Town has the best case for ownership. Hopefully, the Town of Fairfield, Connecticut will be able to preserve Penfield Reef Lighthouse as a historical landmark and icon of our maritime heritage in accordance with the guidelines of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.

Penfield Reef Lighthouse is best viewed by boat at a safe distance away from the submerged reef.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Penfield Reef Lighthouse.

Related Blog Post:
Haunted Lighthouse for a dollar? July 10, 2007

Related News Sources:
PETA hopes to hook lighthouse July 26, 2007
PETA Seeks National HQ for Its Fish Empathy Project July 19, 2007

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, PETA Fishing for a Lighthouse, Penfield Reef Lighthouse, PETA, Connecticut

Win a Lighthouse Vacation

Cape Neddick Lighthouse, locally known as the Nubble Lighthouse, could be the vacation dream of a lifetime if a proposed raffle plan is approved.

On July 9, 2007, Edward MacGorman, Sohier Park Committee chairman, and Mike Sullivan, the York Parks and Recreation director, proposed an annual raffle to sell 1,000 tickets to raise $100,000 for park maintenance and repair.

The raffle winner will be allowed to live in the Keeper’s house at the Nubble Lighthouse for one week during the summer. If the raffle plan is approved than raffle tickets would be sold next summer and the raffle winner would enjoy a Lighthouse vacation in 2009.

The creative raffle plan may have been inspired by the need to raise funds for the costly repairs from the substantial damage to the rocky island of Nubble Lighthouse and the destruction of the dock at Sohier Park caused by the Patriots Day Nor’easter on April 16, 2007. (Please refer to the Nubble Damage Post)

Photo of Nubble Landslide

Nubble Lighthouse was First Lit on July 1, 1879 exhibiting a Fixed Red light illuminated by Fourth-order Fresnel Lens 88-feet above sea level visible to a range of 13 nautical miles. Currently, the Light blinks a Red Light for 6 seconds and winks for 6 seconds of darkness (Isophase Red 6-seconds).

The last Light-keeper, Russell Ahlgren and his family moved from the rocky island when the Nubble Lighthouse was automated on July 13, 1987. The former Light-keeper said he would move back to the Lighthouse if given the opportunity.

Every year, the Nubble Lighthouse is decorated with white lights outlining the Tower and houses. A “Christmas in July” event is scheduled for Sunday July 29, 2007 from 8-9pm to celebrate York Days. The Annual Lighting of the Nubble occurs on the the first Saturday after Thanksgiving from 5-6pm (Nov 25, 2007 this year).

Nubble Lighthouse is best viewed from Sohier Park which provides excellent views for photographing the scenic seacoast Lighthouse and a gift shop at the Welcome Center.

Lighthouse Background:
For more Nubble Light history, please visit the Nubble Lighthouse Guide.

Map Location:
For Map Directions, please visit the Google Map of Nubble Lighthouse.

Related News Source:
Innovative Nubble plan could put you in the keeper’s house

Technorati Tags: lighthouse, Win a Lighthouse Vacation, Cape Neddick Lighthouse, York, Maine, Vacation, Maine