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Maine’s lighthouses will now get some more public attention thanks in part to new legislation that was signed into law by the state’s Governor Angus King.
The new law states that Governor King and all subsequent governors of Maine shall be required to issue proclamations that set aside the third full week of June as Lighthouse Week in Maine. The law goes on to say that it urges “the people of the State to observe this week in suitable places and with appropriate ceremony and activity to honor and commemorate the important roles of lighthouses in Maine’s history.”
Tim Harrison of the American Lighthouse Foundation in Wells, who was present at the signing and had testified at the hearings for the bill said, “since Maine is so far behind other states in doing anything to help preserve its lighthouse heritage, this is an important first step for the state in rectifying that situation.” He went on to explain how other states have come up with funds to help preserve their state’s lighthouses, “such as Michigan, which just awarded $115,000 in restoration funds to be split up among eight of its lighthouses.”
Ken Black, founder of the Shore Village Lighthouse Museum in Rockland went on to say that while Maine may not have the most lighthouses, we have the most historic ones. Continuing he said, “We have more stories of bravery, heroism, romance, and hardship associated with our lighthouses than anywhere else, primarily because we have most of the oldest lighthouses in the nation.”
Rep. Deborah McNeil of Rockland who was the primary sponsor of the bill said, “most of Maine’s lighthouses are now managed by local communities and non-profit groups, but these groups need money to restore and save these historic structures for future generations. The ‘Lighthouse Week’ will help these groups draw public attention to the lighthouses and the help needed to restore and maintain them.”
As a momento of the occasion, The Friends of Rockland Breakwater presented Governor King with a lighted replica of their Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse. The replica is a new release from The Lefton Company, a manufacturer of lighthouse collectibles. The Governor said he was familiar with the lighthouse recalling the long walk on the breakwater to it. When asked if he had ever been inside the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse, the Governor said he hadn’t, to which a number of people replied, inviting him out for a tour and to see the work they are doing to restore it. Who knows, he might show up one day to give them a hand.
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