Reflections

Recently I was traveling to Dauphin Island for the purpose of going out to the lighthouse to operate the safety boat while the contractors were let ashore from the barge to the island to inspect the Sand Island Lighthouse.
As I was driving along I was reflecting upon a conversation that I had a day earlier, at which time I was speaking with a reporter from the Birmingham News.

During our conversation he asked me the age old question many reporters quite often ask me.
"Why should we/you spend the money to save this lighthouse?"
I had given to him the standard answer that I usually gave, about this being the last seacoast lighthouse of its type build by they famous lighthouse builder Winslow Lewis etc...

Later the next day I went to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab to meet with a class of fifth graders from Birmingham Alabama to receive a check for the $1000 that they had raised in an effort to help Save Sand Island Lightouse. While there, I had a very unique opportunity to hear some of their answers to this very same question..

Over and over I heard it echoed from them,
" When I grow up I would like to to take my family (wife/husband and kids) out to this lighthouse recreation area to teach them about our important maritime history. I also would like to be able to tell them that I was a part of saving this important historical structure for them and their children to have to enjoy and use.
Wow, What powerful words.

I AM NOT SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER!

Sincerely,
Warren Lee
Chairman Sand Island Lighthouse Committee
Alabama Lighthouse Association

Jim Hall Updates on Sand Island Lighthouse 4/30/2008 4:44 PM

Hello all,
Last Thursday, I took a WKRG-TV reporter and cameraman out to Sand Island
Light House. They ran the story this morning, Wednesday.
Of course I wished they would have used other statements I made, but all
is well. Every little bit of exposure helps.

This same video is a part of this blog and can be seen by scrolling down and clicking the play arrow in the video window or alternatively; A link to see the story is:
http://www.wkrg.com/news/article/sand_island_lighthouse_getting_help/13340/
(you may have to swipe, copy and paste into your address window…)


Update:
*Biding for stailization work has been advertised. Jack Granade, Thompson
Engineering, took prospective contractors out to the Light House
yesterday, Tuesday 29th. I understand opening bids will be sometime near
the end of May. Work on the base foundation and the cracks will be done
this summer. That should make for some interesting picture getting with several truck loads of
cement going out to the site.

*Today, Warren Lee and I met with a 5th grade class from Cabaha Heights
School in Birmingham. They are on a field trip to the Dauphin Island Sea
Lab. They presented Warren a check on Behalf of Sand Island Lighthouse for $1,000 which they raised to go toward the preservation of the light house.

A half dozen of the students told Warren
why they felt the Sand Island Light House should be preserved. A reporter
from the Birmingham News will be covering the story. Publishing may be
Wednesday of next week. Also, I will be doing a show
on the light house tomorrow evening for them after their supper hour.

Jim Hall
On Dauphin Island

Sand Island Lighthouse visited today!

SUNRISE FROM DAUPHIN ISLAND BRIDGE

Thompson Engineering hosted a trip to the Sand island Lighthouse today April 29, 2008 it consisted of contractors who were interested in bidding on the emergency repairs for Sand Island Lighthouse.

The Alabama Lighthouse Association provided the Safety boat for the trip, Warren Lee operated the lighthouse safety boat on this trip. The new 150 hp- four stroke Yamaha outboard recently installed on the lighthouse's tender performed flawlessly. Peter Tanner had taken on the task of researching, bidding, and outfitting the lighthouse tender. Peter did and excellent job. We now have a safe dependable tender for lighthouse work! The Dauphin Island Sand Island Lighthouse Committee and the Alabama Lighthouse Association share the tender and its costs.

The landing craft with contractors and engineers aboard departed Dauphin Island Marina at 6AM and returned about 11AM. The trip was a good one. The wind was out of the north and the tide was outgoing. This allowed for a SSE approach to the island by the landing craft carrying the visitors. Not much wave action at the lighthouse today to contend with at all.
I will post photos soon...

A really nice trip!

I HOPE ALL OF YOU GET THE CHANCE TO VISIT THIS LIGHTHOUSE AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY AND THE SOUNDS OF THE OCEAN.

See ya soon,
Warren Lee
Sand Island Lighthouse Chairman

latest news about Sand Island Lighthouse

Greetings, I am sorry for the long delay in posting. Things have really been happening this winter regarding our lighthouses.

1. A new outboard motor was purchased by The Dauphin Island Sand Island Lighthouse Committee and the Alabama Lighthouse Association for the lighthouse tender. Peter Tanner took on the responsibility of finding the best deal and having all of the work done to the Tender.
Peter did and excellent job. I will post photos of the tender here soon as I get them.

2. Thompson Engineering won a 2007 Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce , community service award in part to their efforts in helping save the areas lighthouse's.
Our Congratulations to Thompson Engineering for winning this prestigious award!

3. Thompson Engineering has been working on the partial emergency repair program underway for Sand Island Lighthouse. They recently had a meeting with all the different government entities about the work planned for this summer.

4. Much work has been done recently on requesting grant moneys for the Sand Island Lighthouse stabilization project. Four submissions were made on behalf of the Sand Island Lighthouse in the past week.

5. I am presently working on our Bieannual report to the National Park service on behalf of the Town of Dauphin island . As you are aware, the Alabama lighthouse Association was instrumental in obtaining ownership for the Town of Dauphin Island Alabama of the Sand Island Lighthouse. Our continued assistance of the town of Dauphin Island is part of our ongoing support of the project.



That is about all I have time for right now!
Enjoy the beautiful spring weather and please take time to smell the roses!
(Or Cherry Blossoms)

Sincerely,
Warren Lee
Alabama Lighthouse Association
Sand Island Lighthouse Chairman

NEW INFO ON lighthouse web site

The PDF and WEB pages have been added to the http://www.sandislandlighthouse.com.com web site.
Please take a look. There are photographs of one of the actual keepers of Sand Island Lighthouse.


Warren Lee
Sand Island Lighthouse

Have you seen the lantern at the Mobile Airport?

Well with the help of the United States Coast Guard the Alabama Lighthouse Association has obtained the original lantern from the Middle Bay Lighthouse and now has it on display in the recently renovated lantern room in the lobby at the Mobile Alabama Municipal Airport.

Wow what a unique site to see the two of them reunited. If you get a chance take time to visit the airport and see this great exhibit for FREE. Once the National Maritime Museum is completed in Mobile this will become one of the premier exhibits at the museum. And thanks to the volunteer efforts of the members of the Alabama Lighthouse Association you can see this piece of history up close. But be careful there are many historical tidbits around the exhibit and you might learn a little bit of Alabama's history if you are not careful!

Enjoy,
Warren Lee
Sand Island Lighthouse

Lighthouse Project Team to visit Sand Island Lighthouse this week

Project Team to visit the lighthouse this week on or about Nov 12 2007 The team is prepared to enter the tower on this trip.

The climbing experts will scale the inside of tower to replace the safety line to the top of the tower. This line is made fast for usage with their climbing harnesses by the rest of the team when climbing the tower as a safety rope.
Other team members will excavate the weight well at the bottom of the tower. The excavation will examine the well for evidence of settlement cracks. The tile floor will be exposed in several areas and also examined for cracking. The present condition of the floor and weight well will be documented for future use. Another group of the team will be inspecting the exterior of the structure as part of the bidding of the repair project that is underway to fix some of the damage near the bottom of the lighthouse.