Light Hearted ep 354 – George “Bubba” Eaton, Coast Guard keeper at West Quoddy Head, Maine George “Bubba” Eaton had a long and distinguished career in the Coast Guard, including four years as the officer in charge at West Quoddy Head Light Station – in Lubec, Maine, at the easternmost point in the United States – from 1978 to 1982. He’s from Lubec and lives there today, so West Quoddy was his hometown lighthouse. He mostly enjoyed his time at West Quoddy Head Light Station, but he had some hair raising experiences that he recounts in this conversation. Bubba served on several Coast Guard cutters in his career. He was on the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Tamaroa during the Perfect Storm in late October 1991. With winds of more than 100 mph, the crew of the Tamaroa was able to rescue four men from a downed National Guard helicopter. The rescue was made famous by the book The Perfect Storm and the movie that was based on it. https://news.uslhs.org/2026/11/01/light-hearted-ep-354-george-bubba-eaton-coast-guard-keeper-at-west-quoddy-head-maine/ #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Light Hearted 353: Emily Turner, “Stag Light”; Judith Cressy & Charles Ziga, “Atlantic Coast Lighthouses” There are two interviews in this episode. The first concerns a beautiful new book, “Atlantic Coast Lighthouses.” Charles Ziga is the publisher and principal of Ziga Media. His past photographic book projects have included “New York Landmarks,” “The Lighthouse Book,” “The Ultimate Book of Lighthouses,” and “Anatomy of a Lighthouse.” Atlantic Coast Lighthouses is his first illustrated book project. Judith Cressy is a writer and editor with a focus on nature, history, and art, and she has been writing for Ziga Media since 2018. Emily Turner’s short scripts have been staged across the United States. Her new play, “Stag Light,” just had its world premiere produced by the Players de Noc in Escanaba, Michigan. The play tells the story of the Frenel family’s road trip to scatter their late patriarch’s ashes at Stannard Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior. It was one of the winners of the national NewPlayFest 2026 competition. From the production of “Stag Light” by Players de Noc. LINKS: Ziga Media Maritime Retro Donate to help restore Stannard Rock Lighthouse Donate to help Players de Noc Theater in their fire recovery efforts https://news.uslhs.org/2026/10/25/light-hearted-353-emily-turner-stag-light-judith-cressy-charles-ziga-atlantic-coast-lighthouses/ #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Light Hearted Lite #46: Maine children’s book author Angeli Perrow This is an edited version of an interview first heard in April 2021. Angeli Perrow taught elementary school for 30 years. Maine’s maritime history has provided material for much of her writing, including four of her children’s books, Captain’s Castaway, Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, Sirius the Dog Star, and Love from the Sky. One of Angeli’s favorite subjects is hero dogs at lighthouses. Lighthouse Dog to the Rescue, Angeli’s most popular book, tells the true story a keeper’s dog named Spot at Owls Head Lighthouse in Midcoast Maine in the 1930s. Spot learned to sound the fog bell for passing vessels, and he was credited with saving a local mailboat from running aground in a snowstorm. https://news.uslhs.org/2026/10/18/light-hearted-lite-46-maine-childrens-book-author-angeli-perrow/ #rss #feeds #linksharing #qwibbit

Light Hearted Live #11: Shane Avenius and his amazing Fresnel lenses Shane Avenius, a student at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York, has long been interested in lighthouses and 3D printing. This summer he interned at Formlabs, one of the world’s largest 3D printer manufacturers. After visiting Highland Lighthouse on Cape Cod and seeing a fourth-order lens in the museum there, he got the Idea of making a replica lens. He has now completed two sixth-order lenses and several smaller lenses. Here is the video of the live chat on September 1, 2026: https://news.uslhs.org/2026/09/02/light-hearted-live-shane-avenius-and-his-amazing-fresnel-lenses/

Light Hearted ep 352: Ed Metcalf’s memories of Boston Harbor and its lighthouses in the 1950s and ‘60s Ed Metcalf is from Winthrop, Massachusetts, on the north side of Boston Harbor. He served as a police officer in Winthrop, and he then worked for the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. He became the game warden on Nantucket, Massachusetts, in 1974, and he still lives there today. Born in 1933, his memories reach back to the late 1930s. Some of his visits to the harbor islands were guided by the popular historian and author Edward Rowe Snow. He also frequented lighthouses in the harbor in the 1950s and ’60s, including Deer Island Light and Graves Light. He often brought newspapers, fish, and other things to the keepers. Deer Island, which is attached to Winthrop, was also home to a prison for many years. Ed also remembers visits to the range lights at Spectacle Island in the inner harbor before they were demolished in the 1950s. https://news.uslhs.org/2026/09/13/light-hearted-ep-352-ed-metcalfs-memories-of-boston-harbor-and-its-lighthouses-in-the-1950s-and-60s/

Light Hearted Live audio edition: Author & historian Eric Jay Dolin This is the audio from the Light Hearted Live episode of September 9. The guest is the acclaimed maritime historian and author Eric Jay Dolin. Eric grew up near the beaches of New York and Connecticut, and from an early age he was fascinated by the ocean. He earned a masters degree in environmental management from Yale, then a Ph.D. in environmental policy and planning from MIT. Eric has written 17 books and many articles on American history. His books include Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America; Fur, Fortune, and Empire: The Epic History of the Fur Trade in America; Black Flags, Blue Waters: The Epic History of America’s Most Notorious Pirates; and A Furious Sky The Five-Hundred-Year History of America’s Hurricanes. His books have won many awards. Eric’s book Brilliant Beacons: A History of the American Lighthouse is discussed in this interview. Sea History Magazine called it “A must-read for anyone interested in lighthouses or America’s maritime history…This history of American lighthouses is both engaging and enjoyable.” https://news.uslhs.org/2026/09/20/light-hearted-live-audio-edition-author-historian-eric-jay-dolin/

Light Hearted Live #13 audio edition – Author Lenore Skomal on lighthouse heroine Ida Lewis This is the audio from a live stream on September 16, 2026. The guest is Lenore Skomal, author of an acclaimed book about the celebrated lighthouse heroine Ida Lewis. Lenore Skomal Ida Lewis began tending Lime Rock Light in Newport, Rhode Island, at the age of fifteen after her father, the keeper of the light, was disabled by a stroke. Ida was officially appointed to the job in 1879, and she remained at Lime Rock until her death in 1911. Ida saved at least 18 lives during her light keeping career, and she gained national prominence after one of her rescues in 1869. Lenore Skomal’s book on Ida Lewis, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter, was originally published in 2002. A new edition has just been published, and that’s one of the main topics of discussion in the conversation you’re about to hear. Joining Jeremy D’Entremont as co-host of this episode is Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort, executive director of Presque Isle Light Station in Erie, Pennsylvania. https://news.uslhs.org/2026/09/27/light-hearted-live-13-audio-edition-author-lenore-skomal-on-lighthouse-heroine-ida-lewis/

Light Hearted Lite #45 – Richard Skidmore, longtime keeper of Gay Head Light on Martha’s Vineyard, MA This is an edited version of an interview first heard in May 2020. The guest is Richard Skidmore, who was the modern day keeper of Gay Head Lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts for 31 years. The light station at Gay Head was the first on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning service in 1799. The light station at Gay Head was the first on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning service in 1799. The 1856 brick lighthouse tower that stands today is perched on the famous Gay Head cliffs, which were named for their bright, multicolored layers of clay. Besides being a 21st century lighthouse keeper, Richard Skidmore is an award-winning experimental filmmaker whose work has been seen on television and in many festivals. He’s also a former book reviewer for the New York Times. He was closely involved in the move of Gay Head Light in 2015, as discussed in the interview. Richard retired from his keeper position in 2021. His wife, Joan LeLacheur, a jewelry maker, shared the lighthouse keeping duties. https://news.uslhs.org/2026/10/04/light-hearted-lite-45-richard-skidmore-longtime-keeper-of-gay-head-light-on-marthas-vineyard-ma/

Light Hearted Live #14 audio edition: Ben Ridings, curator at Cape May Lighthouse, NJ This episode features the audio from our live stream on October 7. The guest is Ben Ridings, the curator for Cape May MAC in New Jersey. The organization manages the Cape May Lighthouse and two other historic properties. The 1859 Cape May Lighthouse is at the southernmost point in the state of New Jersey, on the north side of the entrance to Delaware Bay. Today the lighthouse is a major tourist attraction, and more than 3 million people have climbed it since it opened to the public in 1988. Ben Ridings has been with Cape May MAC for 13 years and has been the curator since 2021. Ben makes history come alive by portraying historical characters for the public, and by simply being enthusiastic about his love of history. Watch the live stream here: https://news.uslhs.org/2026/10/11/light-hearted-live-14-audio-edition-ben-ridings-curator-at-cape-may-lighthouse-nj/