Update: Previous Post

Jim,

As requested, the applicants who submitted letters of interest within the NOA time frame are as follows:

The Lighthouse Preservation Society

Darling Cetaceans

Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy

When I hear back from the gentleman I think you might have similar interests with, I will pass along his info to you.

Thanks.

Rich

Richard Balsano GSA,
Real Property Disposal Division Chicago Operations Branch
230 South Dearborn,
Room 3774Chicago, IL 60604
312-353-0302
312-886-0901 (FAX)richard.balsano@gsa.gov

The Ongoing Journey of an Idea

Well August 21st has arrived and left us already. Though the opportunity to alignment of higher purpose regarding the South Pierhead Light in Muskegon, Michigan has evidently not. We are deeply saddened at the loss of two dedicated board members of the Naval Museum and mourn their passing. This is in part why we were not able to more fully discuss our options in the time frame allotted.

As it became evident to me that our group of individuals were running out of time to reach an agreement needed to make the required application to become stewards of the Lighthouse(s), I decided to search out the person who might allow us more time. Having located this person and finding out that all we needed to stay in the game since there were other interested parties was to write a short letter in intent which would allow us time to sort out the particulars. So I spoke with the City of Muskegon authorities and found out eventually that although they are in support of a non profit taking possession, the city is not and the main hangup of the Naval Museum Board which was their belief that Liability insurance could not be procured for such an endeavor could not be assuaged. So the opportunity for them to be the lead Stewards passed. Having found that the largest liabilities and losses in life stem from doing nothing at all and armed with this sense of purpose I pursued further conversation as to the potential of finding out who the applicants are. We should find out this information today and would be invited to visit at the lighthouse inspection meeting to be held next wed. Aug 27Th at the South Pierhead light by the Coast Guard Station in Muskegon Harbor.

Lighthouses are symbolic focal points that represent a mystical quality of life's journey in some peoples minds. All to often it appears as though the world has lost its direction. Our mission is to work with like minded people to give the lighthouse new meaning in guiding the Lifecraft of the lost in Magnitudes of Order. It is still the intent to use the light as a portal and rallying point to increase the understandings and appreciation of the world in which we live and to help guide our children to embark on the journey of a lifetime by empowering their capacities to creatively think, learn and interact with their environments. Perhaps there is common ground with the new owners........

Good Ideas and carts before horses?

I need to clarify that the intention of procuring this Lighthouse is to complement the existing educational efforts in place amongst various entities. The agreement to do this actually needs to precede implementation of outcomes of such an agreement. The Lighthouse opportunity comes as a cart before the horse and is in reality just a tool to accomplish the work that would be outlined from the proposed associations.Time has brought along many good and some great ideas. The vast majority of which never leave the drawing board due to a variety of reasons. The main one being lack of building the capacity to actually put into practice the ideas formulated on paper, computer etc...And most ideas fail to materialize because of faulty timing and lack of proper organization. This idea for development of the lighthouse into a learning center is no different. The gun contains no magic bullets, it will take a great deal of work to accomplish. It could be a lot of fun and create a great learning opportunity for countless individuals. First though it has to have an agreement amongst key players that see the value in the proposition. So far there hasn't been one iota of written word in support for the proposition. Some great conversations but as of yet no substantive agreements or work. Time may run out for the lighthouse acquisition but that does not mean we cannot move forward with reaching agreements on creating real world learning environments with some of the ongoing efforts with the Marine Museum at the core of these understandings. Truth be known that this HAS to happen concurrent to any proposal under consideration.
If you are reading this and are hesitant to self publish your thoughts just email me, Jim Bates at renewablesjim@gmail.com and I will post your comments. Otherwise just sign up for a Gmail email account and publish yourself. Life is extremely short and what you hold near to your heart deserves to be shared with like minded people so please help to build the understandings.

Helping MICHIGAN Municipalites Leverage 21st Century Technological Developments

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Windspire Rotor - Vertical Wind Energy For Urban Settings

MANISTEE - Southern Exposure Renewable Energy has developed the Windspire, with vertical rotors that catches wind energy and drive a high efficiency generator to produce electric power. A built-in smart inverter converts this power into a regulated form that is readily connectable with the electric grid. To learn more about this urban friendlier wind-power generator listen to this GreenTech edition of News Maker interview recorded at the Michigan Energy Fair. To listen, click on MITechNews.MediaRica.Com

Author: Mike Brennan Source: MITechNews.Com

Overview of intention to manage South Pier Lighthouse

This blog is a welcome aboard invitation and will serve as a virtual meeting place for concerned and engaged individuals in order to reach an agreement of the potential uses and care for the Muskegon South Pier Lighthouse.This agreement would have to be made rather quickly as the deadline for appropriation submittals is August 21st, 2008

The Intention as it stands now is to craft this understanding between a partnership of people that agree to utilise the Lighthouse to create another unique learning experience for an engaged and participative audience comprised mainly of a target age group in the K-12 range, although this facility will be open to the public of all ages at certain times. It has been suggested that this Lighthouse Learning Center can serve a number of interrelated objectives at the same time.

1. Maintain an active USCG operated light

2.Preserve this lighthouse as a cultural and historical heritage

3. Extension of the Maritime Museum learning experience.

4. Think Green STEM Learning Center.

5. Partnership with NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab as a meteorological station.



Jim Ross and Jim Bates are bringing to this opportunity an understanding of how this project can be directly linked with the Think Green STEM Centers (STEM stands for Science Technology, Engineering and Math).These Centers are an outgrowth of a NSF Grant that create real world and virtual portals that place an emphasis of learning how to innovatively think. Some of the Think STEM Centers will be actual brick and Mortar facilities and some are virtual. All resources attached to the STEM Centers have a common thread which allows participation at any given location through digital and online means. Our focus is about empowering Students, primarily K-12 to unlock their ability to think and create the answers that will ensure them, America and the world a secure, safe and enjoyable future.The lighthouse collaborative at this time consists of the various entities as follows;

1.The Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy- Mr Jeff Shook http://www.michiganlights.com/

2.Mr. Jim Ross president - 21st century Digital Learning Environments-

3. Mr. Bob Morin Director and lead for the Educational Committee of the Great Lakes Naval and Memorial Museum (http://www.glnmm.org/).mailto:.email-ss236ceo@aol.com

4. Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratories (NOAA Great Lakes basin research. facilities) Mr. Dennis Donahue. He would like to place meteorological equipment on the lighthouse and work with us to allow inclusion of these resources in the STEM understandings.

5. Southern Exposure Renewable Energy Co.
Mr. Jim Bates- renewablesjim@gmail.com
(248) 245-7114

6.Great Lakes Sea Cadets?

7.Great Lakes Lighthouse Preservation Society?

The City of Muskegon has offered to write a letter of support(moral not financial) to Mr. Morin in supporting the GLNMM to aquire the Lighthouse. Bob Morin understandably needs to answer to the Board of Directors of the Museum and they need to know what part they will have in running this facility and whether or not there would be any financial liability attached to the Museum as a consequence of their signing on.We are in the process of pulling together a meeting of the key individuals and representatives to ascertain the potential for accomplishing this mission in time to meet the deadline. Besides meeting the deadline it would be in line with the application process to have further understandings of how to proceed in a sustaining manner for long range plans of probably at least five years.It is extreemly important that people use this online resource to discuss their ideas and intent regarding this project so that IF we meet in person there will be a smooth transition from discussion to implementation.

Instructions for completing application

The following website contains the printable PDF and associated information needed in order to make application to take ownership of a lighthouse.


http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/nhlpa/nhlpa-form3.pdf

This needs to be completed and submittedby August 21st. So lets get busy if it's going to happen.

Lighthouse Preserrvation Act

National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000
Back to Lighthouse Heritage Background Agency Roles in Process History of Program to Date Further Information on the Program Pilot and National Programs Reference Material What's New
BACKGROUND
The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA), 16 U.S.C. § 470w-7, an amendment to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, provides a mechanism for the disposal of federally-owned historic light stations.
NHLPA recognizes the cultural, recreational, and educational value associated with historic light station properties by allowing these to be transferred at no cost to federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit corporations, educational agencies, and community development organizations. These entities must agree to comply with conditions set forth in NHLPA, and be financially able to maintain the historic light station. The eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed must make the station available for education, park, recreation, cultural or historic preservation purposes for the general public at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions.
Only those light stations that are listed, or determined eligible for listing, in the National Register of Historic Places, can be conveyed under this program. The nomination for listing, or determination of eligibility, is prepared by the USCG following guidelines set forth in 36 CFR 60.9(c) and 36 CFR 63 respectively, as part of their responsibilities prior to the property being transferred to the GSA inventory for disposal. Light stations that are not eligible for listing will be disposed of through other processes.AGENCY ROLES IN PROCESS
Administering NHLPA involves several federal and state agencies that play different roles in transferring surplus historic light stations to new owners:
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and other federal agencies, identify and report historic light stations to be excessed through the NHLPA process. These agencies also make available condition reports, maintenance records and related documentation on these properties to the other agencies involved in the process as well as to prospective applicants.
The General Services Administration (GSA) issues Notices of Availability (NOA) on historic light stations available for transfer, and works with the USCG to arrange open houses at the properties. In addition, GSA initiates Section 106 review with State Historic Preservation Officers, conducts environmental reviews in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Coastal Zone Management Act as applicable, and develops and executes conveyance documents. In the event that no applicant is approved to receive the historic light station, GSA may sell the property in accordance with procedures outlined in NHLPA (16 U.S.C. § 470w-8; Sec. 309).
The National Park Service (NPS) of the Department of the Interior, acting on behalf of the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary), provides applications to interested parties, and reviews and evaluates submitted applications. The Secretary recommends a single suitable applicant to GSA or indicates that no suitable applicant was found.
The State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPO) are consulted during the review of applications (16 U.S.C. § 470w-8; Sec. 308(b)(2)) and after the transfer of ownership takes place (16 U.S.C. § 470w-8; Sec. 308(c)(1)(D)). HISTORY OF PROGRAM TO DATE
Through the NHLPA Program, nine historic light stations were excessed during the pilot phase in Fall 2001 and nineteen were excessed during the national phase in Fall 2002. Of these twenty-eight light stations, the NPS has recommended that twenty be transferred to new owners including other federal agencies, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations.
The “pilot” and “national” phases of the program were managed by the NPS Maritime Heritage Program in Washington, DC. The program was transferred to the NPS regional offices on April 29, 2004.
General questions regarding the program should be addressed to NPS_MaritimeHeritage@nps.gov
To sign up to receive electronic updates on the NHLPA program see the GSA Office of Property Disposal web site. Further Information:
The NHLPA Program at a Glance
Full text of legislation
Flow chart of process
Current Application Criteria
NPS and GSA Regional Contacts
Application to Obtain Historic Light Station Property (pdf 1195 kb) Available Lighthouses :
2008 Program (including Notices of Availability)
2007 Program
2006 Program
2005 Program
2004 Program
Fall 2002 (National Pilot Program)
Fall 2001 (National Pilot Program)
Press Releases on NHLPA Pilot Program and National Pilot Program Reference Material:
Historic Lighthouse Preservation Handbook
Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties"
NPS "Preservation Briefs"
National Register of Historic Places
Listing of State Historic Preservation Offices

Last Modified: Mon, July 18, 2008 3:49:00 pm EDTJMP/JJ