Dear Editor:  

The Keepers of the Burnt Island Light (KBIL), along with our partners at the Maine Department of Marine Resources, are so very thankful for the generosity and support of our community. 

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been especially fortunate to benefit from the generosity of several local businesses and organizations: 

Bristol Marine Samples Shipyard generously provided a crew to spend a day volunteering on the island. The team demolished a rotten wooden structure and helped deliver the building materials needed to replace it. Construction of the new structure will begin soon. A huge thank-you to the entire Bristol crew, especially Dennis Gunderson and Andy Tyska, for making this happen! 

Hammond Lumberimmediately stepped up to donate the building materials for the project. We certainly didn’t expect such generosity, and we are incredibly grateful. Thank you to Rob Genthner and the management team at Hammond Lumber for supporting Burnt Island! 

IDEXX sent a 12-person volunteer group from Portland to the island this past Thursday for a day of invasive species removal and trail work. This effort was organized by KBIL Board member Wayne Bell, and we’re grateful to everyone who came out and got their hands dirty! 

And while we’re thanking people, we can’t forget all of our wonderful island volunteers. Their time, knowledge, good humor, and willingness to pitch in make such a difference. Special thanks to Hank Radziwon, Kate Burke, Sandy Payne, Lolly Donatelli. 

As the season begins to wind down, mark your calendars for Maine Open Lighthouse Day on Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our friends at Balmy Days Cruises will be running a boat to Burnt Island during the event giving visitors a wonderful opportunity to come ashore, tour the lighthouse tower and Keeper’s House, and enjoy some live music. 

We hope to see you on the island! 

Doug Goldhirsch 

President, Keepers of Burnt Island Light