Earth Hour 2009 - March 28th 830pm-930pm

I only just sent an email a few hours ago into the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation asking if they have any plans to participate in Earth Hour 2009 by turning off non-essential lighting so I have not yet received a response. Like many people I am guessing they did not even hear of this effort. I only heard my self a few days ago.

Didn't the Earth get a whole day a few years back? This year Earth Hour is from 830pm to 930 pm on March 28th , Saturday night in your time zone.

Anyhow I was wondering if RIOC were to participate what lights would they turn off? My assumption would be the Lighthouse and Renwick Ruin.

I am not sure regarding the Lighthouse as I thought it was no longer working in the true sense of its original purpose,(yes the lights works but I thought it was decommissioned due to radar etc) but obviously if it it prevents any ship from running aground I am guessing we would not want to turn it off.

Just random thoughts.

Lighthouse picture via Flickr and Renwick ruin via Bowery Boys.

Images: Lighthouse at Sunrise

Ritwik Dey from The Deydreamers Weblog apparently got up early to catch this sunrise shot of the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse. You can see the image in its full size over at Flickr. Check it out on a black background. Cool shot !

Man Partially Scales Roosevelt Island Lighthouse

First off, I am not endorsing this nor am I trying to spark copy cats. This is not the NY Times building. But apparently this individual had the desire to attempt to scale the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse. He partially succeeded. Perhaps he never intended to go beyond the height he did gain. The problem with this idiocy is it will lead to fencing being put up around the landmark preventing individuals from being able to truly enjoy the lighthouse as we are today.

Direct YouTube link by EastStirlingShire

Would You Buy a Lighthouse in a Box?

I have always been intrigued by e-Bay and everything that gets sold on it. The above Roosevelt Island Lighthouse miniature was available only to members of the Harbour Lights Collectors Society and was retired in 4/2002. For this edition 20,000 copies were produced.

I have never been a big fan of chachkas / tshatshkes, inexpensive trinkets or souvenirs, but I have been playing on e-Bay long enough to know that such items can go for a fair penny when collectors are involved.

My question is would you buy such an item for yourself or give it as a gift?

Has the Abominable Snowman Returned to the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse?

Ok, maybe I missed something in the Roosevelt Island tour guide class but I thought the lamps in the Lighthouse were no longer lit? Has the Abominable Snowman returned and turned on the light? I thought this was the last time the Lighthouse was lit. I have a feeling my Historical Society membership is about to be cancelled for not knowing this simple fact.

Mystery fact request: Who can find and provide a link to a web page that details the last lighting of the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse? Or at least prove to me that it is still lit on a regular basis and I have been a very bad resident to not know this.

Top photo by Shawn.nyc on Flickr. WIRE photo and issue can be linked HERE.

When Life is a Bit Askew....

Sometimes you wake up in the morning and everything feels just a bit off center. So when I saw this photo I said that captures it.

This photo was shot and posted by MasterJack.Rogers on Flickr on February 20, 2008.

RI Lighthouse Included in NYBG Holiday Train Show

Each holiday season we find ourselves visiting the various holiday model train shows here in New York City. This year we treated the kids and took them to the Annual Holiday Show at the New York Botanical Garden. We had heard about this show for years but never found the time to see it.




On Saturday we saw the show and were surprised to find a replica of the Roosevelt Island Lighthouse included in the show. The trains while certainly being the binding ingredient to the show are actually not the stars of the show. The stars are the structures and buildings depicted in miniature through recreation using only natural materials to build them. The inclusion of our lighthouse was quite a surprise. The structures depicted range from well known to nbot from across the New York region.

To see more photo from the show available on Flickr link to them HERE. It is an amazing show and worth seeing. We found that by taking the Metro North Train up to the NYBG station stop it was so easy even with young children.

I have sent an email into the NYBG to learn more about the inclusion of the lighthouse as I am sure some sort of process was required before they added it to the exhibit. Not that I don’t think it is a worthy landmark but I was and am still surprised to have found it there.