By Susan Hardee Steger
March 22, 2017 7:24 a.m.
Fernandina Beach Park & Recreation Director Nan Voit, is receiving a lot of emails and phones calls regarding the darkening of the lighthouse since damage occurred to a portion of the Fresnel lens. Although the City of Fernandina Beach owns the lighthouse, the Fresnel lens is the property of the United States Coast Guard.
Voit contacted Chief Petty Officer Casey Curry Officer In Charge of the Aids To Navigation Team for the United States Coast Guard to request she be “apprised of any information concerning the status of the light.” His response follows:
“The light has been secured until further notice. This was done very quickly to prevent any further damage and preserve the lens integrity. We are getting quotes to fix the lens but yet have a timeline till the lens is fully operational again.
I will keep you posted as we find out more. Thank you for all your support and understanding while we get the lighthouse back up and running! Please let me know if you have any questions.”
Certainly a more positive response that seems to indicate that the light will shine once more.
With a looming 30% cut in funding anticipated from the Trump Whitehouse for our Coast Guard, maybe we should plan on a “Bake Sale” type community project to pay for the lens.