Light Hearted

Light Hearted ep 330 – Dave Briska, Dunkirk, NY

Dunkirk, New York, is on the south shore of Lake Erie, about 35 miles southwest of Buffalo. Dunkirk, with its natural harbor, got one of the earliest lighthouses on the lake. The first lighthouse at Point Gratiot in Dunkirk began service in 1827. The lighthouse that stands today was completed in 1876. The 61-foot square limestone tower stands next to a brick gothic revival keeper’s house. The light was automated and the last Coast Guard keepers were removed in 1962. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DSC_5317adj-1024x683.jpg]Dunkirk Light Station, New York. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/unnamed-1-768x1024.jpg] A group of local citizens leased the property from the Coast Guard and turned it into a memorial park and lighthouse museum. The first floor of the keeper’s house is a museum with lighthouse artifacts, and the second floor is a military museum with rooms devoted to each branch of the armed forces. There’s also a separate building with additional exhibits on the Navy and Coast Guard. Dave Briska has many titles, including manager and events coordinator. He’s essentially the modern day lighthouse keeper. Averie Shaughnessy-Comfort cohosts. Left: Dave Briska with tour guide Lincoln and his brother William. Courtesy of Dunkirk Lighthouse.

Light Hearted Lite #32 – Florida lighthouse historian Josh Liller

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/402058094_773022244837494_7951479926030687346_n-1024x945.jpg]Josh Liller inside the lens at Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse This is an edited version of an interview first heard in episode 16 back in 2019. The guest is Josh Liller, Historian and Collections Manager for the Loxahatchee River Historical Society and Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse & Museum. Josh is also historian for the  Florida Lighthouse Association. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_2898adj-683x1024.jpg]Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, photo by Jeremy D’Entremont. Josh specializes in lighthouse and military history. He’s also a tour guide, lecturer, and author. He’s the co-author of Five Thousand Years on the Loxahatchee, and editor of the second edition of The Florida Lighthouse Trail.

Light Hearted ep 329 – Frank Sipkovsky and Dave Kramer, Lorain West Breakwater Light, OH

Lorain, Ohio, on the south shore of Lake Erie, is known for its history as an industrial hub, and it’s also been an important point for the shipping of materials like coal, iron ore, and limestone. Lorain West Breakwater Lighthouse, also known simply as Lorain Lighthouse, began service in 1919,. The building consists of a square tower rising from the corner of a two-and-one-half story keeper’s house. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DSC_5347adj-1024x683.jpg]Loran West Breakwater Lighthouse. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont. After it was decommissioned in 1966, the Coast Guard was planning to demolish the lighthouse. Local preservationists were able to lease the structure and the demolition was canceled. The all-volunteer Lorain Lighthouse Foundation now spearheads the preservation of the lighthouse. Frank Sipkovsky is the chairman, and Dave Kramer is a board member and historian. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Frank-Sipkovsky-and-Dave-Kramer-IMG_3823-1024x768.jpeg]Frank Sipkovsky and Dave Kramer. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont.

Light Hearted Lite #31 – Dianna Stampfler and “Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses”

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/mi-haunted-lhs-cover-683x1024.jpeg] This is an edited version of an interview first heard in May 2021. Dianna Stampfler has written countless articles for many Michigan travel and culture periodicals. In August 2004, she launched Promote Michigan to help market the people, places, and products of her home state. Dianna has also been researching Michigan’s lighthouses for many years. In 2019, she published her book Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses through the History Press. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Dianna-Stampfler-1024x768.jpeg]Dianna Stampfler Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, with more than 120 dotting its expansive Great Lakes shoreline. Many of these lighthouses lay claim to haunted happenings. In 2022, Dianna published a new book, Death & Lighthouses on the Great Lakes: A History of Murder and Misfortune.

Light Hearted ep 328 – Don Ladolcetta and “Hannah: The Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland”

[https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/don-ladolcetta-760x1024.jpg]Don Ladolcetta Don Ladolcetta’s new book, Hannah: The Lighthouse Girl of Newfoundland, tells the story of a young girl who doesn’t know what to expect when her family moves to an isolated lighthouse on the rugged Newfoundland coast. What she discovers is a life filled with adventure, wonder—and danger. SARAH Facing everything from the fury of Mother Nature to illness, the Great Depression, and World War II, Hannah must find the strength to follow her dreams. When a stunning loss upends her world, Hannah decides to take a bold step along a new path. [https://news.uslhs.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/hannah-cover.jpg] In the tradition of Little House on the Prairie and Anne of Green Gables, this novel of a spirited girl growing into a strong woman is based on a true story. In fact, Hannah was Don’s mother, and the book is inspired by true family lore and is sprinkled with cultural insights.