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Letter of Support OBC Online Submission The Future of a Lighthouse Hangs in the Balance August 6, 2002 Dear friends, How would you feel if your nonprofit organization had worked for two decades to restore a historic site, and then, just as success was at its peak, you found out that your state and local representatives were trying to give it to the local county government? And this gift would be given to someone else because it " would be a valuable addition to the Currituck County Whalehead Clubhouse property" ? This property is a lavish hunting lodge/residence and has nothing to do with the history of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse or the U.S. Lighthouse Service. *********************************************************************************** The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society's board of directors supports the non-profit group, the Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. ( OBC ) as permanent stewards of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse (CBLH). OBC cared for the CBLH when no one else did, and we support their plea to remain as permanent stewards of this lighthouse. OBC 's success must be acknowledged and rewarded fairly because OBC has raised and invested $1.5 million to restore and open the CBLH to the public. Currituck Beach and Old Baldy Lighthouses, both run by nonprofit organizations, are currently the only two towers that are open for climbing in North Carolina. The CBLH was declared surplus property by the U.S. Coast Guard in 2001 and the General Services Administration has been handling applications for its ownership. Recently, the local government of Currituck County applied for ownership to replace the current stewards, the OBC . Two decades ago when the light station had been abandoned, the keeper's house falling in, and the grounds overrun with weeds, the county government offered no help or interest in the CBLH. Now that the tower and the keeper's quarters and other outbuildings have been meticulously restored and climbing fees now produce substantial income, the great majority of which is reinvested in the care of the lighthouse, the county commissioners have decided that they would like to have it. Our public support for the OBC is based on its 21 years of work at the light station that realized complete restoration of the tower, keeper's quarters, and other buildings, and publication of oral histories of their keepers' families. What a feat! They accomplished remarkable restoration without much support from government entities at a time when lighthouses were not considered worthy of public attention or considered a source of revenue . NC Representative Bill Owens, voting for Currituck County's gaining ownership, stated these reasons for the county's taking possession of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse: 1. " The lighthouse would be a valuable addition to the Currituck County Whalehead Clubhouse property. 2. " The Outer Banks Conservationists have done a great job; however, they do not reside in Currituck County. 3 . "Nonprofits are here today and gone tomorrow." OBLHS response to the above letter: 1. You do not mention the heritage "value" of the lighthouse, which the lighthouse community measures in historical context, not dollars. The 1875 Currituck Beach Lighthouse was built long before the Whalehead Club (1920s) and should not be attached to the value of the adjacent property. 2. You express concern where a successful steward on a historic site lives instead of expressing appreciation to OBC (more than saying they've done a "great job," because this is MUCH MORE than a job) for the years of struggle and emotional expense to make the light station the tremendous draw for Currituck County that it is today. Few people have any idea what stewardship of a coastal lighthouse, opened for climbing to the public, demands physically, emotionally, mentally, and monetarily. Anyone not accomplished in these demands should not disturb the current and highly successful job that OBC is doing. Fortunately OBC has the Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, legislation supported by NC Congressman Walter Jones, Jr., to support its deserving stewardship. 3. Here today and gone tomorrow? Representatives and priorities change frequently within local governments. John Wilson's (director of the Outer Banks Conservationists) grandparents were born, lived, and worked at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. Thus, he and his family have been serving the CBLH in various capacities for many, many years. Moreover, consider some of the finest NONPROFIT restoration projects on the East Coast. Montauk Point, Currituck Beach, Bald Head Island, Tybee Island, St. Augustine, Ponce de Leon Inlet, and Key West Lighthouses are all restored, preserved, and maintained by NONPROFITS. This "here today and gone tomorrow" attitude shows a great lack of knowledge on the county's part in operating historic lighthouses. What if the county commissioners in Fairfax County Virginia decided that the nonprofit organization that operates George Washington's home, Mt. Vernon, were not "local" and thus, should turn over this historic site to the county government? It, by the way, was the first tourist attraction in the U.S. Should Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home that is operated by a nonprofit organization, be turned over to the county commissioners in Charlottesville, VA? These two national shrines, along with dozens of others across America, are operated by nonprofits. We take offense to the remarks that "nonprofits are here today and gone tomorrow." Indeed, nonprofits have done magnificent jobs caring for our national treasures. The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was here "then," is here "today," and will be here "tomorrow" if it remains in the hands of the Outer Banks Conservationists. OBLHS believes that diversity of ownership is key to the survival of American lighthouses. When the economy slows, as it has now, it takes little time for the cutbacks in funding, which dictate priority of federal projects, to reach the doorsteps of our government-owned lighthouses. Nonprofits are often in a more advantageous position to raise funds privately and accomplish repairs in a timely fashion. This American lighthouse deserves the best and the Outer Banks Conservationists has fulfilled every need of the Currituck Beach Light Station. Why change something that works? If the Currituck County commissioners had done this work for the past two decades, could OBC step in and simply take over? Preposterous! If the lighthouse is transferred to the local Currituck County government, then it will appear as modern-day privateering with a letter of marque from the U.S. government. We hope that the preservation of this lighthouse is the determining factor in the decision of ownership and we believe the Outer Banks Conservationists is the only reasonable and fair choice. What a discouraging message will be sent to non-profit groups all over America if the Department of the Interior gives the lighthouse to the Currituck County Commissioners rather than to the people who saved the light. Sincerely, Cheryl Shelton-Roberts
New applications for ownership of the Currituck Beach Lighthouse are being taken September 1 st , 2002. A decision is planned sometime in December 2002. You can register your vote for the Outer Banks Conservationists at http://www.currituckbeachlight.com .
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