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American Lighthouse Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 565
Rockland,
Maine 04841
Phone: 207-594-4174
Fax: 207-596-1091
info@lighthousefoundation.org
The American Lighthouse Foundation is a
Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Organization dedicated to the
preservation of America's historic
lighthouses & lightships and
their heritage.
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ALF Volunteers Like Lee Leighton Help Care
For Little River Light Station
By Bob Trapani, Jr.
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Like so many lighthouse restoration projects around the
country, the immense progress made over the last five years in fully
restoring the once-endangered Little River Light Station in Cutler,
Maine, would not have been possible without the help of many dedicated
volunteers.
Though the major restoration work at Little River was
wrapped up in 2006, this wonderful achievement hardly means that
American Lighthouse Foundation volunteers can rest from their labors
moving forward. As everyone knows, lighthouses are never truly restored,
for the natural saltwater |
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
ALF Lee Leighton at
Little River Light Station
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environment in which they stand, constantly takes a heavy
toll on these historic sites and their
grounds. The island station at Little River is no exception to this rule.
When you have a five-year restoration project as encompassing and grueling
as Little River, it’s only natural that many volunteers would have joined
professionals in playing a vital role in the success stories at the site.
One unsung vigilant “keeper” that has continued to make a real difference at
Little River year after year is Lee Leighton. In fact, Leighton was part of
the original group of volunteers who first started helping with the project
back in 2001.
In a nutshell, Lee Leighton simply does it all as a volunteer – one of those
rare individuals that will do anything necessary without uttering a single |
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Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
Lee Leighton can often be seen guiding
Little River back & forth from the
island
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complaint, no matter how unattractive the job asked of
him. From lawn work and painting to ‘tinker’ jobs and moving downed
trees, Leighton not only does the job right, he does it with pride. In
addition to the maintenance work, Leighton performs a vital service for
the project by using his skills in boat handling when it comes to safely
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transporting volunteers and equipment back and forth from the island aboard
the 16-foot Little River.
So just what inspires Lee Leighton to give freely of his time and efforts to
help ALF and lighthouse preservation? According to Leighton, “Volunteering
with ALF is a way to continue my 30-plus year battle to save lighthouses. It
all started back in 1973 when the Coast Guard demolished the outbuildings at
Eagle Island Light Station in Penobscot Bay. Since that time I have written
many letters and made numerous phone calls in an effort to keep Maine’s
historic light stations in tact. The project at Little River presents me
with a hands-on way to fulfill my passion for helping lighthouses.”
Leighton went on to say, “Actually, working at a lighthouse gives me a great
feeling of satisfaction. Little River Light Station has a special |
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meaning for me
given the fact that it is near the place in Downeast where I spent most
of my youth. Like so many others, I worry about light stations like
Little River each and every winter, not just from potential damage due
to bad weather, but also because the isolated site is vulnerable to
vandalism at the hands of people who do not have the same |
Photo by Bob Trapani, Jr.
From painting to landscape work,
Lee Leighton does his part for
lighthouse preservation
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appreciation for
the historical value of the site as we do in the lighthouse community.”
By joining his
fellow ALF volunteers in working hard each summer at Little River, Leighton
hopes that with every restoration achievement added at the historic site,
that the light station will then in turn be better safeguarded from both the
adverse effects of the elements and the inherent potential of vandalism.
Keeping Little River Light Station’s structural integrity sound and its
appearance beaming with pride will go a long way in ensuring a bright future
for the island sentinel, which would not be possible without the many
selfless contributions of ALF volunteers like Lee Leighton.
Photo by Paula Roberts
ALF volunteers like Lee Leighton are working
to
ensure we "leave the light on for future
generations
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Posted: 12/19/06 |
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