FOWIL General Meeting, Saturday July 25th, 2009
The 2009 FOWIL general meeting started off with brief reports from the executive members on the status of FOWIL. A slideshow Tribute in memory of architect Dave Curran followed, and celebrated Dave's hard work and contributions toward FOWIL's mission. This included has creative solution for the lighthouse tower handrail, and his architectural work drafting the preliminary plans for the lighthouse's restoration.
Bob Trapani, American Lighthouse Foundation Executive Director, discussed the status of ALF and some of the details related to ALF's recent award of Federal Funding to support three Maine Lighthouses, which includes Wood Island.
A special presentation was given by architect Ed Theriault and Scott Whitaker of Theriault / Landmann Associates of Portland Maine, who are creating FOWIL's tower restoration plans. This exciting presentation featured some of the challenges and problems facing the lighthouse tower's current condition, and the plans for correcting them. After years of tireless work, it was gratifying for those attending the meeting to see the groups vision of restoration starting to take a definitive shape. This preliminary work, planning, and approval by the Coast Guard and Maine Historical Society will ideally be completed by the end of summer. At that time, FOWIL hopes to begin the tower restoration in the fall of this year.
To end the meeting, Kyle Noble presented his research into the replacement of Wood Island's dysfunctional web-cam. Several enthusiastic audience members made contributions to the new fundraising effort to pay for the cost of the replacement.
