Light Hearted Lite #43 – Richard Cummins, Irish light keeper, part 1

Light Hearted Lite #43 – Richard Cummins, Irish light keeper, part 1

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/lite-instagram-1024x1024.jpeg] This is an edited version of a conversation that was first heard in December 2020. The guest is Richard Cummins, who was a keeper at Irish lighthouses for about a decade, ending in 1989. He spent time at the famous Fastnet Lighthouse; at Hook Head, one of the oldest operating lighthouses in the world, and others – more than 20 in all. This is part one of two parts. Part 2 will be in a future episode of Light Hearted Lite.

Light Hearted ep 346: Elizabeth Boggs, St. Johns River, Florida

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/St-Johns-River-Lighthouse-No-Fence-598x1024.jpeg]St. Johns River Lighthouse (Mayport Lighthouse Association) The St. Johns River Lighthouse is a decommissioned lighthouse located on the grounds of Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida. First lighted in 1859, it was decommissioned in 1929 and replaced with a lightship. The lightship in turn was replaced by the 1954 Art Deco style St. Johns Lighthouse, which is also on Naval Station Mayport. The Mayport Lighthouse Association or MLA is a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to saving and restoring St. Johns River Lighthouse, as well as safeguarding the cultural, historical, and maritime heritage of Mayport Village. Our guest, Elizabeth Boggs, is the vice president of the Mayport Lighthouse Association. Elizabeth was recently awarded a “Guiding Light” award for her volunteer work at the St. Augustine Lighthouse. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Boggs_Elizabeth-Volunteer-Award-1024x683.jpg]Elizabeth Boggs (right) was recently awarded the “Guiding Light” Award for her volunteer service with the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum. Presenting the award is Caitlin Black, manager of volunteers at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. (Mayport Lighthouse Association)

Light Hearted ep 345- Fire Island, NY, update with Jonathon Gaare

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Untitled-768x1024.jpg]Jonathon Gaare (Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society) Jonathon Gaare, executive director of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society in New York, last joined us in December 2024. In this episode, Jonathon updates us on preservation projects at the lighthouse, the exciting events lined up for Fire Island Light Station’s 200th anniversary this year, and some exciting historical finds. The current lighthouse at Fire Island, built in 1858, is a 168-foot brick tower. Visitors get to climb the tower for an amazing view, and there’s a museum in the keeper’s house. Another big draw is the separate building that was constructed to exhibit the lighthouse’s old first-order Fresnel lens. The Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society was formed in 1982 to preserve the site. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/unnamed2-1024x768.jpg]An evening tower tour at Fire Island (Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society)

Light Hearted ep 344 – Rear Admiral Bill Merlin, U.S. Coast Guard Retired

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/bill_merlin.jpg] Bill Merlin had a 34-year career in the Coast Guard. After graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1956, he served on Coast Guard cutters in the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Caribbean. He eventually served as the Twelfth District Chief of Operations and Chief of Staff in San Francisco. That’s where he met Wayne Wheeler, founder of the U.S. Lighthouse Society. Bill was instumental in the early days of the Society. He retired in 1990 as a rear admiral. He was awarded the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services to the Government of the United States. Bill is currently the treasurer on the U.S. Lighthouse Society board of directors. We talked about his distinguished career and also about his view of the place of lighthouses in the world today. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/androscoggin-1024x710.jpg]Early in his Coast Guard career, Bill Merlin served aboard the USCG Cutter Androscoggin, based in Miami, Florida.

Light Hearted Live! #3 – Therese Woelfel, author of “Our Guiding Light.”

This is the audio from a live stream on April 23, 2026. The video version can be seen on YouTube. [https://www.youtube.com/live/uBpRZGDfhrw?si=QXrl8k1vTDkguDG3] Therese Woelfel’s grandfather, Charles A. Linsmeier, was a Lighthouse Service keeper at several stations on the Great Lakes from 1920 to 1953. Therese’s book “Our Guiding Light” tells the story of Linsmeier’s daughter Vivian, who was Therese’s mother. It also tells the story of how Vivian became a “steady beacon of light and hope for those who encountered life storms.” Therese also discusses her personal spiritual journey that led to the writing of her book. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Untitled-1024x576.jpeg]