Cape Meares Lighthouse vandalized! What you can do to help...
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An icon of the Oregon Coast, Cape Meares Lighthouse, has been vandalized.
Sometime between the afternoon of January 9 and noon on January 10, 2010 an unknown vehicle reportedly drove down a blocked maintenance road to the Cape Meares Lighthouse viewing area, ten miles west of Tillamook. Several rounds were fired breaking 15 windows of the lighthouse and several pieces of its historic Fresnel lens. Additional rounds were fired into an active Coast Guard light and surrounding equipment. While driving off the maintenance road the suspect vehicle caused significant damage to a grassy area.
Cape Lookout State Park Manager Pete Marvin reported that the Cape Meares Lighthouse's lenses were very old with much historical value and are irreplaceable.
The Cape Meares Lighthouse went into service January 1890. The lighthouse lens was manufactured in Paris, France and shipped around Cape Horn to Oregon, arriving for installation prior to the date the lighthouse went into service.
The Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge is accepting donations to help pay for costs to repair the damage previously estimated at over $50,000. Donations can be mailed to the Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse, PO Box 262, Netarts, OR 97143 or made online at www.capemeareslighthouse.org/html/news_events.html (please specify repairs to the lighthouse). The Friends group has established an account with the TLC Federal Credit Union, Tillamook Branch, PO Box 160, Tillamook, OR 97141.
Oregon State Police, working in cooperation with the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, is seeking the public's help with the investigation. A reward of up to $5,000 has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible. Anyone with information is asked to call the Oregon State Police Northern Command Center dispatch at 800-452-7888.
Information about the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewing area, which is currently closed in response to this incident, is available at: www.oregonstateparks.org/park_181.php
Photos are available at:
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