Jerry Matyiko and Joe Scarfone take measurements at Gay Head Light on Martha’s Vineyard. Photographer: Scott Eisen/Bloomberg
Chewing a cheap cigar atop an old bulldozer, Jerry Matyiko is at work in his office — the stunning, colorful and rapidly eroding cliffs of Gay Head on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Matyiko is in town to rescue a local treasure.
The 68-year-old Navy veteran moves stuff — big stuff, like airport terminals and multistory office buildings — and he’s come to the Vineyard to do something he’s done before: save an old lighthouse from being lost to erosion and falling into the sea. This time it’s the red brick Gay Head Light built in 1856, a scenic attraction and still a functional beacon for sailors.