“I Will Save You! Poems and Drawings by the Students of Martha’s Vineyard to Save the Gay Head Lighthouse” was available at local bookstores.
The lighthouse has been moved. It’s done, people. We did it. Of course there is some more money needed, so if you can donate and bring the project to its final close that would be helpful; you can go to savethegayheadlight.org to donate. A very big thank you to the Save the Gay Head Lighthouse committee: Beverly Wright, Meg Bodnar, Mitzi Pratt, Len Butler, Duncan Caldwell, Paula Eisenberg, Stefanie Hecht, Larry Hohlt, Marshall Lee, Betsey Mayhew, David Nathans, Kathy Newman, Jim Pickman, Robin Robinson, Martha Vanderhoop, and Berta Welch. Also a big thank you to lighthouse keeper Richard Skidmore and the Aquinnah CPC chair, Derrill Bazzy. It happened so fast I can’t believe it’s actually done. I hope you got up to the Cliffs to see it being moved, or that you followed the live feed of it. It was remarkable what was done. I went with my son’s class, and got to see the very first shift forward. If you want to get a good sense of the project, you can check out Liz Witham and Ken Wentworth’s time-lapse on YouTube of the move. It’s from a forthcoming documentary they are working on. Just search GayheadLighthouseDocumentary.com.
On Saturday evening there was a special potluck dinner at the Old Town Hall to thank the people who were responsible for moving the lighthouse. It was a jolly time. Isaac Taylor sang a beautiful song about the lighthouse called “Red Queen.” Champagne was popped and poured for Jerry Matyiko from Expert House Movers and all the other men who worked to move the lighthouse. The tables were set with lilacs from Mitzi Pratt’s garden, and there was even a cake with a lighthouse on it. It was such a sweet, happy gathering. I was told that Jerry (who has moved many lighthouses) has said that of all the lighthouses he’s moved, in no place has he enjoyed the people more than in Aquinnah.
by Molly Purves, Aquinnah Town columnist, MV Times