Sand Island Lighthouse Gets Sand

After many decades of standing alone in the Gulf of Mexico this southern landmark is getting help.

Sand is being deposited around the lighthouse.

The hundreds of people who have worked many years should be proud of their efforts.

Now if someway to purchase the granite bolders can be found the public park that has always been dreamed of for this location can become a reality.

Congratulations to the town of Dauphin island and the Alabama Lighthouse Association.

Sand

Yes its true... Sand Island Lighthouse will be getting sand around it this year!

Sand Island Lighthouse will get sand.

http://blog.al.com/live/2010/12/sand_island_lighthouse_to_get.html

Sand Island Lighthouse will have its island rebuilt thanks to efforts of many.
See article linked above.

Devon Walsh, News anchor for WKRG TV 5 interviewed Pat Edwards, a member of the Dauphin Island lighthouse committee and Warren Lee, a member of the Alabama lighthouse Association today January 12, 2009 at 9:00AM. The interview was done near Fort Morgan on Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Devon braved the freezing cold temperatures and strong north winds to get the story for you!



The TV news story will be about the new USPS Sand Island Lighthouse Stamp. Stay tuned to Channel five to see it.

It should air sometime over the next couple of weeks!

They may have a surprise scoop about something new for the public when they air the story.

Sand Island Lighthouse Postage Stamp

A new postage stamp has been created using the Sand Island Lighthouse.
Warren Lee worked as a consultant with USPS employees to help develop the stamp.
Slated for release this summer. Warren hopes the publicity of the stamp will increase awareness of the plight they are having attempting to raise the funds to save this great lighthouse. volunteers have been working for years trying to save this great majestic historical building and turn it into a educational, recreational site. Open to the public.

The lighthouse volunteers have been able to raise only a small portion of the needed funds so far. They are spending the funds on the things that are immediatly needed to keep the tower standing as they become available.

100% of the money raised by us is used on the lighthouse. All of the administrative duties and oversight is being done by volunteers.

Many of the volunteers pay for needed items out of their own pockets right now.
A testimate to the dedication of the people associated with this project.

We have over two hundred members and volunteers involved in the project and our membership still continues to grow. The political and popular support is also growing and we believe that it will be possible to raise the several million dollars that are needed to complete this project.

However we are working against the inevitable time that a hurricane will strike the lighthouse. it is possible that it will destroy the lighthouse before we are able to raise enough funding to pay for enough repair work to be done to the tower restoring it to a level where it can once again take the pounding of hurricanes.

The Town of Dauphin island legally owns it, but the lighthouse really belongs to all of the citizens of the United States and we hope that thousands get the chance to visit, stay and enjoy the tranquility and magic that is the Sand Island lighthouse one day soon.

NEW Sand Island Lighthouse Chronicles available

There are now Lighthouse books available again. New printing just arrived.

If you would like to order a copy you can 
Email : bjpedwards@msn.com 

Price is $20.00 per book

Or if you get the chance to visit Dauphin Island Alabama you can get books at the WELCOME CENTER,

Directions;

Coming off the bridge continue to go straight ahead until you reach the stop sign, turn right. The  first two story building on your left (1/2 block) is the Town Hall. The first building/house on the left past Town Hall is the Welcome Center

You can purchase books at the Welcome Center Monday-Saturday 10am till 2pm

Be sure to get your lighthouse passport stamped at Town Hall. (Clerk is upstairs- elevator available look under the building for it)

Tridex creates digital 3D Imagery of Sand Island Lighthouse.

Sand Island Lighthouse was successfully scanned using a new type of device that combines a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) device with digital images from a high quality digital camera and survey quality GPS location information all captured in real time into a computer.

The data we captured is considered high quality engineering data that is accurate enough to actually build/rebuild things from.

This scanner is actually a sophisticated robot like device that draws stares and many questions when it comes out of its transport case. It reminds me of R2D2. :)

The Sand Island Lighthouse is the first and only lighthouse in the world to be scanned with such a device using the patented "Life Dimensional Technology".

Tridex Solutions Co-Founder/Director Robert Vashisth traveled to Dauphin Island from UTAH along with his assistant Mark and braved the winter weather on Dec, 6 2008 to meet Jim Hall and Warren Lee of the Alabama Lighthouse Association at first light at Billy Goat hole boat launch.

The Alabama Marine Police was kind enough to keep a watchful eye on us for safety's sake.

A special thanks to the Alabama Marine Police for this and the many other support functions they provide to the Sand Island Lighthouse!

Traveling out to the Sand Island lighthouse we were luck enough to see an unusual amount of marine life along the way. Several independent Dauphins and pods of Dauphins seemed to escort us the entire trip. A kind of mystical well wishing by them to us or so it seemed. More Dauphins were seen going back to Dauphin Island on our return trip as well.

The first of these Dauphins appeared at the very point where we launched the boat and we continued to see many different Dauphins through out our stay at the lighthouse as well. What a treat for us all!

Arriving at the lighthouse we were greeted by an entire flock of Pelicans who remained nearby meandering around us the entire day, flying around the lighthouse and floating or resting just off the lighthouse in the ocean.

These Pelicans seemed to be supervising us all morning as we worked scanning the lighthouse.

Again this seemed very unusual since the noise of the generator and our very presence usually would have sent the pelicans flying off to Sand Island and seen them staying away from the lighthouse a great distance. Instead they remained with us the entire day reclaiming the island just as soon as we departed.

Sorry, I drifted off into my writers mind for a minute. You wanted to know about the scanner didn't you.

The imagery we obtained has many uses for the lighthouse but the one I think you will enjoy the most, is soon we will be building an exact replica of the lighthouse as a 3D viewable model, which will be accessable to you using the Internet.

This model will at first only have the exterior visible, but once we obtain the interior data we will add that to the lighthouse's virtual 3d model and you will be able to view the inside of the lighthouse as well.

This will not be a photo show but a virtual 3D lighthouse that you can inspect from 360 degrees as well as fly up into the air to see from all angles and elevations

We will also be creating the most accurate, true scale model of the Sand Island Lighthouse ever constructed, using this data as well.

Be sure to check back here often and learn where to purchase one of these models. Just as soon as we have them in hand I will post the information on this blog on how to get one.

Pretty neat stuff!

We will also use the Tridex data for future engineering when we are working on repairing the lighthouse and island construction projects.

It will be invaluable for the future monitoring of hurricane damage as well.

The Alabama Lighthouse Association would like to thank the Tridex team for taking on this difficult task.

Visit them at www.tridexsolutions.com

12/08/2008

Warren Lee

Sand Island Lighthouse Chairman