Light Hearted ep 253: Gary Kalan, Stamford Harbor, CT; Judianne Point, Pomham Rocks, RI

Stamford Harbor Lighthouse in May 2023. Photo by Jeremy D’Entremont. The entrance to Stamford Harbor in Connecticut, on Long Island Sound, is obstructed by treacherous ledges. One of them is known as Chatham Ledge. The construction of a lighthouse to mark the dangerous location was completed in 1882. The finished tower, 3,600 feet from shore, was a fairly typical cast-iron “sparkplug” style lighthouse of the era. Stamford Harbor Lighthouse was discontinued as an aid to navigation in 1953, and it was sold into private ownership. Eventually, in 1984, it was bought by Eryk Spector, the chairman of the board of the First Women’s Bank in New York City. Dr. Gary Kalan Mr. Spektor died in December 1998. The lighthouse was sold by his son in August 2023 to the Stamford Harbor Lighthouse Project, a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Gary Kalan and Mr. Brendan McGee. Dr. Kalan is interviewed in this episode. Judianne Point Judianne Point, an award-winning volunteer for Friends of Pomham Rocks Lighthouse in Rhode Island, is the co-host of this episode. Judianne and host Jeremy D’Entremont chat about recent happenings at Pomham Rocks, including storm damage and a mysterious “something” that appeared on the lighthouse’s security camera.