Pomham Rocks Light’s Sandra Barber and Richard Lux Receive ALF Volunteer Awards

Sandra Barber and Richard (Rick) Lux of the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse were presented with ALF Len Hadley Volunteer Awards during the American Lighthouse Foundation’s annual Gala, which was held at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine, on May 1, 2022.

Sandra Barber – 2020

Despite the challenges of the pandemic and the restrictions placed on the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse (FPRL) by the State of Rhode Island, the CDC and the U.S. Coast Guard, we still had the need to maintain the lighthouse and grounds in 2020. In addition, the FPRL was preparing the lighthouse for the planned tours, starting in 2021. Finding members willing to mask and social distance on the launch trips to the island, and while on the island, was a challenge.

Sandra Barber was one of the few FPRL members willing to do that for us despite the dangers posed by COVID. A member of FPRL since 2018, Sandra has always had an enthusiastic “let’s get it done” attitude and was a welcome addition to the chapter. She journeyed to the island numerous times in 2020 to perform any task asked of her and never complained no matter the difficulty or mundane nature of the task.

The following are just some of the tasks Sandra performed:

• Cleared and cut up brush, tree limbs and old lumber to a size that could be bagged and taken off the island.
• Scrapped old paint and repainted the oil house exterior.
• Scrapped old paint in the cellar, repointed the bricks of the cellar getting it ready for painting to become an interpretive museum space.
• Washed out the numerous cupboards in the kitchen and applied new shelf lining, taking care that the lining was cut just right.

Sandra’s upbeat “can do” attitude and dedication to FPRL are exemplary. For all of this and more, the American Lighthouse Foundation and the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse are pleased to honor Sandra Barber with a 2022 Len Hadley Volunteer Award!

Richard (Rick) Lux – 2021

Rick became a member of Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in November 2020, and since then, Rick’s enthusiastic and professional attitude have been a tremendous addition. The chapter has a number of work party volunteers that participate once in a while, but Rick was there for us on numerous trips to the lighthouse, logging many hours. His engineering background enables him to be assigned tasks that many FPRL members would have no idea how to accomplish. Rick’s skillset is a vital asset to FPRL to say the least.

Some of the many tasks Rick took on in 2021 are as follows:

• Cut up the abandoned 2000 gallon steel fuel tank into manageable pieces, totaling approximately a ton, to be able to remove it from the island.
• Spent hours demolishing the tank’s two concrete saddles with a jackhammer.
• Spent more hours demolishing an abandoned concrete pipe support with a jackhammer.
• Fabricated and installed security gates on the dock ramp.
• Restored the exterior of the 1947 refrigerator and installed new door gasket.
• Reinstalled oil house copper downspouts and their brackets.
• Planed several interior doors that were binding.
• Assisted with the rebuilding of the unearthed stone wall on the north side of the island.

Rick’s skills, work ethic and enthusiasm to complete the task at hand are extraordinary. For all of this and more, the American Lighthouse Foundation and the Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse are pleased to honor Richard (Rick) Lux with a 2022 Len Hadley Volunteer Award!