June 2013
It has been a very busy winter and spring for NLPS. Denise Czapracki, a long-time lover of Nauset Light, passed away in November 2011. Her family and friends chose to honor Denise by making memorial donations to NLPS. Through their generosity, we were able to move forward with the repair and repainting of the iron stairway from the base of the tower to the watch room. A contract was signed with J. J. Welding of Wellfleet, and the work was done during this past winter. The concrete floor at the bottom of the tower and the underside of the watch room floor were also painted, so the interior of Nauset Light is in excellent condition once again. We are grateful to the Czapracki family for providing us the opportunity to complete this much-needed project.
The exterior of Nauset Light was last painted in the fall of 2006, and was in need of a new coat of paint. The cost was estimated to be $40,000, a large amount of money for our small group of NLPS volunteers. Our president, David Gray, contacted the president of Snyder's-Lance, the owner of Cape Cod Potato Chips, and asked whether they would consider sponsoring our project, since Nauset Light is pictured on their Cape Cod Potato Chips bag. The president liked the idea, and Snyder's-Lance agreed to provide up to $40,000 for the exterior painting. We gratefully accepted and promptly began the project. Bids were received, and International Chimney Company of Buffalo, New York, the company that moved the light in 1996 and repainted it in 1997, was selected. Work began in May and was completed in early June. Because of several unforeseen repairs. the final cost was $42,000. Snyder's-Lance generously paid the entire amount. We sincerely appreciate the willingness of Snyder's-Lance to underwrite this very important project. Nauset Light is now beautifully restored on both the inside and outside and we are proud to show it off.
