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MONTHLY WORK PARTIES are a regular and necessary part of the
operation of East Brother Light Station, the 143-year-old
landmark just off the Richmond shoreline.
The station, a functioning lighthouse that
generates revenue by doubling as a bed-and-breakfast, is
operated by the nonprofit group East Brother Light Station Inc.,
which depends on donations and volunteer labor to meet the
site's demanding maintenance needs.
On Saturday, a special work party on East Brother
Island served multiple purposes. A group of young people from
the Richmond Police Activities League joined students active in
the Kiwanis Club at Richmond High School and members of the
Richmond Kiwanis Club -- which sponsors the high school group --
for a day of work on the island's historic buildings.
"It was quite an adventure," said Sandi Genser
Maack, the communication and events director for the Richmond
Chamber of Commerce and a participant in the work party. "The
kids did quite a few different things. They washed windows, and
they scraped and sanded a building and primed it."
Most of the participants were ferried to the
island aboard the SSS Northland, a surplus U.S. Navy vessel that
is now the flagship of the local Sea Scout chapter based at the
Port of Richmond.
It was a day of mutual support for local
community organizations. The light station got some needed help,
the service groups had a fulfilling afternoon at one of the
region's most picturesque locales, and the Sea Scouts were able
to showcase their program for some potential recruits.
"We will continue our partnership with the Police
Activities League and try to get the (Sea Scouts) program in
front of the kids in Richmond," said Jon Sargent, a Sea Scout
parent and founder of the Northland Nautical Foundation. "It
went really well."
Young people in the RPAL program got to tour the
Northland and learn about the Sea Scouts, and some got turns
steering the ship. They also saw a presentation about the
Merchant Marine and its career opportunities.
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The SSS Northland will help East Brother Light Station again in
a couple weeks when it delivers some desperately needed fresh
water to the island, which is entirely dependent on water stored
on-site.
The Northland will fill its fresh water tanks and
deliver about 2,200 gallons to the island, alleviating the
station's short-term needs but truly just a drop in the bucket
(cistern, in this case).
"Fresh water at East Brother is still collected
from winter rainfall and stored in a 50,000 gallon cistern and a
20,000 gallon redwood tank," wrote Richmond City Councilman Tom
Butt, a founder of the nonprofit organization that oversees the
island.
The group is working on longterm solutions to
meet East Brother's needs for water and disposing of it after it
is used.
The immediate need, however, is for someone to
cover the cost to transport 70,000 gallons of water to fill the
tanks on East Brother.
"We need an angel, maybe a corporate donor, to
pay for the $3,000 water fix," Butt wrote this week in
his e-mail newsletter.
"In return, the East Brother volunteers will
provide the donor all five rooms (10 guests) for one night, with
dinner, bed and breakfast," he wrote. "I will be there to
personally serve (not prepare) dinner and give a historical tour
of the island and tell of some rare island experiences. ... If
you want to help or know someone who does, please contact me."
Butt can be reached by e-mail at
tom.butt@intres.com.
Have a community item or a tip? Call Chris
Treadway at 510-262-2784, e-mail
ctreadway@bayareanewsgroup.com, or write to West County
Times, 4301 Lakeside Drive, Richmond, CA 94806. Our fax is
510-262-2776.
Learn more
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To learn more about the Richmond Sea Scouts, visit
http://www.hometown.aol.com/sssnorthland online, e-mail
sssnorthland@aol.com or call Jon Sargent at 510-449-7770.
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To learn more about East Brother Light Station, visit
http://www.ebls.org online, e-mail
info@ebls.org or call 510-233-2385. |
