Dear Editor:

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Cuckolds Light Station. It was the first time I had been out to the island since I was a volunteer at the very beginning of the project, carrying the first load of lumber and plywood above the high tide line.

The day I visited was a fine one, and there were at least 20 crew members working in the sun. A pipefitter was creating new railings for the lighthouse, five painters were attacking a wood wall with their brushes, a stonemason was building a rock wall for the edge of a walkway, and carpenters were working on recreating the slipway. I was in awe of the quality of construction going on there. What impressed me most was the level of workmanship possible on a rock in the middle of the ocean. These trades people are the real stars of the Cuckolds project, and it is great to know that this kind of thing can still be done in Maine. The legacy that they are creating out there, and that will surely become the symbol of Boothbay, is something that we can all be proud of.

It is unfortunate that not everyone in the region is as impressed with this spectacular project. There is a small group of "Cuckolds complainers" who continually attempt to sidetrack the amazing work being done. These nothing-better-to-dos always seem to show up after some project has had an influx of money, much like a swarm of mosquitoes after last week's rain. But hopefully their annoyance will be short lived; they will have accomplished nothing and we can get on with the business of enjoying life in the spectacular Boothbay region. Maybe their grandchildren will be as proud of the Cuckolds Light Station as I am today.

John Doyle
Camden