Vandals damage historic Oregon lighthouse

From: KVAL.com

http://www.kval.com/news/local/81158907.html

My best,
Paul Conlin

Such a shame, I can't write in the Forums what I think they should do to them if they ever find out who did this..

Didn't this happen once before to this light? How awful....

I think it's time to drop off some naked idiots at the south pole.

If anyone would like to make a donation to the Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse here is their address:

Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse & Wildlife Refuge, Inc.
PO Box 262
Oceanside, Oregon 97134-262

I was at this lighthouse with some other Forum members in March 2007. The ORG opened the lighthouse for our visit and let us climb. This is a beautiful LH that is very well kept up by 'The Friends'. They were thrilled to show off their great light. We were thrilled to be lucky enough to share it with them.
Hopefully the Fresnel has survived. The lantern room glass was unique and the brass frame was awesome.

How sad that some nitwits had nothing better to do. But it is absolutely heart-breaking that parts of the lens was damaged.

From the website of the Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse:

January 2010: Lighthouse damaged by vandalism
Reward is up to $5,000.

Donations can be mailed to the Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse,
PO Box 262, Netarts, OR 97143 - please specify repairs to the lighthouse.

We have established an account with the TLC Federal Credit Union -
Tillamook Branch PO Box 160 - Tillamook, OR 97141


capemeareslighthouse@earthlink.net

Please Help!
Paul Conlin

This is very dissapointing news!

I hope they are caught!

This one has a video which shows the extensive damage to the fresnel as well as the lantern roon glass! Click on the arrow.

http://www.kgw.com/home/Vandal-shoots-out-windows-of-historic-Oregon-lighthouse-81160167.html

Unbelievable!

Sign of the times. There is so little value placed on other people's property, and for that matter lives these days. Sad, very sad.

Mike

Two arrested in gunfire damage to Cape Meares Lighthouse
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/two_arrested_in_shattering_of.html

This is really good news, I hope they can make an example of these guys..

And make them foot the bill!

I hope they hold their feet to the fire and don't let them cop a plea to a lesser charge. I don't know what the potential jail time and/or fines are, but they ought to consider wage garnishments and/or liens.



This is more than just general vandelism with spray paint or a busted pane of regular household glass. As bad enough as those are!

Be nice to see the prosecutor address each indivisual bullet hole or chip as a separate felony level crime. (Hey, the lens could arguably be valued in the 7 digit range, making this the "grand" version of a crime.) I could think of a few variations of punishment that would be appropriate for these clowns, most of which I shouldn't share publicly . . . One lesser version might involve a cat-o-nine-tails or even the basic cane as employed by some countries.

How about putting them in the center of a 1st order lens at high noon without covering the windows? Just to give them a sense of what the lens can do!

Here's what they got..
Lighthouse shooters get big fine and jail time

Not enough of either in my opinion.

The fine is OK but they sure needed some hard time not a 2 week vacation every year..

The persons responsible for this have pleaded quilty to misdimeaner mischief charges. They were fined $100,000 and sentenced to three terms in jail of 20 days each. The light house will be reopened to the public once cleanup and statbilization are complete. The USCG owns the fresnel lens and estimates $500,000 to repair. This will not be done.

Here's a follow-up story on the resaon for the sentencing.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northw..._oregon_li.html

Thanks Roland.
I guess it's time to move on but I hope they can come close to restorung this former BEAUTY.......

I hope the lens will be repaired. This is a wonderful lighthouse and beautiful setting and deserves to have its light shine.
I have been there several times.

Kathleen

It sounds as if the two men are truly sorry FOR WHAT THEY DID, not just for getting caught. I hope the lens can be restored, and I think the sentencing was thoughtful and appropriate. SOME people learn from their mistakes, maybe these two will. I hope so!

A new development to this story.
http://www.katu.com/news/local/115777929.html

How NICE!

Please tell me that is just "frost" on the lantern windows and not bullet holes...... I know windows can be replaced, what what about the lens? UGH!

Christopher, this happened about a year ago. Here are a couple of links to the damage. First one is an article about the damage. The second one is the link to the photo in the same article showing a tech trying to salvage some of the damaged lens fragments.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/damage_report_on_cape_meares_l.html

http://media.oregonlive.com/news_impact/photo/capemeareslighthousejpg-33c55f98317743c6.jpg

Another update.
http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northw..._violation.html

It appears that this young man is a screw-up and intends to remain so! It is ironic that a thing which was created for nothing but good, should have been damaged by a thing which seems capable of little but bad. Maybe the other one is still on the straight and narrow. Hope springs eternal!

I am sorry but I think these guys got away; way to easy... The Judge should understand by now that they haven't learned their lesson, I sincerely hope he lowers the boom on this guy..

It seems that you are correct, Paul, at least for the one. But maybe the other one...?

Brainless............