Recent Activity 2011
January Board votes to have a second set of boat trips the first weekend of December.
April
Annual meeting and beginning of 10 year anniversary.
Brenda Altmeier, Jerry Wilkinson, and Jack Burrie all founders of the FKRLF, standing by a copper model of Alligator Reef Lighthouse before it gets painted. Model built by guest speaker Larry Herlth of Plantation Key, Florida.
Larry Herlth was recommended to be our guest speaker not only for his
Reef Lighthouse models, but his passion to help save them. Larry will be
trying to get the City of Islamorada to approve of him making all 6 Reef
Lighthouses for one of the city owned properties.
We saw a movie of a presentation done by our Founder and first
President Tom Taylor just before he pass away. Everyone thought it was
good and it was nice to hear his voice again. We hope to get permission to
make copies for fund raising.
The present Board of Directors was re-elected and a former Board
Member Brenda Altmeier decided to run for an open position and was also
elected. The board then re-elected all the officers. At this time Larry Herlth
accepted the appointed position of Ambassador of Plantation Key (He will
be the President's eyes and ears for that area.)
Larry receives a certificate for being our Guest Speaker from the President.
At the meeting the President gave out awards for the last 2 years. This
included people from other organizations that have helped us. The following
received awards: Brenda Altmeier, Clarence Feagin, Susan Martin,
Hib
Ray and Anne Stewart, Susan Taylor, Bettye Chaplin, Mike Doyleland,
John Kennedy, Stan Beckstrom, St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum,
Florida Lighthouse Association, and Cape St. George Lighthouse Association.
The President also started a new award to honor a person that goes
above and beyond to help the organization and since this was a 2 year
period, he awarded two of them. The new award is called the "Meade
Award" after George Gordon Meade who was in charge of the construction
of Carysfort Reef, Sand Key and Sombrero Reef lighthouses as well as
other lighthouses before his Civil War Fame. He also improved the lighting
mechanism of the lighthouses (making it easier for the keepers).
The winners were Al King III and Susan Martin. Check out the last two
years and you will see they were busy and they both work full time jobs.
Al King III holds up one of his awards. All volunteers received a similar award. Each had a Paul Bradley Reef Lighthouse drawing of their favorite Reef Light, as well as picture showing what they did. In this case Al worked on us getting all 6 Passport Stamps, the new pamphlet as well as volunteering to man a booth several times.
Susan Martin gets an award and hug from the President (she is the President's wife). Susan is Secretary and Treasurer and a sounding board for the President and does just about anything else that is needed.
May Rick Schulze writes an article on Tom Taylor and the Florida Keys
Reef Lights Foundation's Ten Year Anniversary. It is published in
Lighthouse Digest as well as several lighthouse newsletters.
Click this link to article. (Scroll down that page.)
December Our 2nd annual December Boat Trips was a mixed success. We had high winds both days, the second day had to be cancelled. The first day we sail with the wind to our backs, but did have boat trouble with both boats, however, both were fixed. We saw American Shoal and Sand Key that day (we had to skip the ruins of Northwest Passage). On the way back we had to sail into the wind and waves, however, everyone came back with lots of pictures. Some even saw the flashes from American Shoal Lighthouse as we sailed back in the light of the moon. While most of us got wet, we were happy to get the close views of the lighthouses (see pictures below).
The top of American Shoal Lighthouse.
The bottom of American Shoal, notice the white caps.
American Shoal from a distance.
Look at the top of Sand Key, it is leaning (The lightening rod and ventilation). We reported it to the Coast Guard and it was inspected and it is not going to fall off. They will go back and fix it.
One of the legs is missing a piece and the whole tower needs paint. A request for repairs for Sand Key has been put in by the Coast Guard.
Sand Key with a line of breakers.
Anniversary Cake from Publix Bakery, ten years and counting. We had this at the dock when we came back.