Life Lines April 2018

Welcome to Life Lines the monthly newsletter for our members, and also to anyone reading this that has not yet become a member of the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association. For those of you reading and have yet to join, please consider doing so. Your membership will get you access to the station inventory link and our new venture to create a “Surfmans’ Data Base.” If you would like to join please click here.
 
There are now four of us working on Life Lines. It’s true the number of volunteers working on Life Lines has now doubled. I have so much news I had a difficult time picking between all of the options for you in April. Keep a look out at the website, one of the new Life Lines volunteers is also interested in establishing a Youth and Children’s Section on the web page. Soon there will be Word Searches, Jumbles, Connect-the-Dots, and stories for lifesavers young and old to enjoy. Thank you Thomas for joining our staff and sharing the treasures you created for your 11 year old granddaughter.
 
There is always room at Life Lines, if you are someone who likes to develop monthly, weekly, or daily blogs and would like to become another assistant of Life Lines please do so at https://uslife-savingservice.org/contact/ and I will be happy to include you in the process. Assistance is always needed to locate stories that you think would be of interest and pass those on to the other co-editors, and we will include in an upcoming issue. 
 
If you think you would like to be the organizing editor, the process is simple, there is web support, if you can handle a word processing program and know how to clip and paste and attach web links, this may be the volunteer opportunity for you. Your email will be added to the board’s list so that you too will be the first to read stories to select for each Life Lines posting. You can set your own schedule, publish as much as you want and as frequently as you wish. The minimum is at least once a month.
 

Now onto the news:

Pea Island Life-Saving Station, North Carolina 

The former patchwork bridge that extended across a small section of Pea Island on a portion of N.C. Highway 12 has a new bridge to replace the old Pea Island Internment Bridge. The new bridge was recently formally dedicated as the “Captain Richard Etheridge Bridge.” The USLSSHA Conference in October will take our group to see and cross this bridge during our Friday site tours.
 
The dedication and unveiling of the new bridge sign were part of a well-attended public event that drew in crowds of current and former public officials, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, representatives of community organizations, news outlets, and the general public. Read more about the event by going to the website. 
 
Correction for the March Life Lines which incorrectly identified Richard Etheridge as Robert.
 
 
Ocean City, New Jersey

Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation that provides the historic life-saving station in Ocean City with $750,000 for restoration. The New Jersey Historic Trust grant was part of more than $10 million in funding for 58 historic sites throughout New Jersey.
 
U.S. Life Saving Station #30 operated in Ocean City from 1885 to 1915, rescuing ships and sailors in distress and serving as a place of shelter on a remote stretch of shoreline. A nonprofit group is working to create a maritime museum at the site of the station at Fourth Street and Atlantic Avenue.  Go to https://patch.com/new-jersey/oceancity/historic-life-saving-station-gets-750000-grant-for-restoration to read more about this project.  Also the museum will be opening in May. Go to http://ocnjdaily.com/historic-ocean-city-life-saving-station-museum-opening-in-may/to read about this story.
 
 Active U.S. Coast Guard
 
Something new I would like to try is to add a story each month concerning today’s Coast Guard.  If you have a story please consider submitting it for distribution.  It doesn’t have to relate to historical events, just be newsworthy and of interest to the group. 
 
Mill Valley Woman Earns Top Coast Guard Rank

A Mill Valley woman became just the fourth active female surfman in the U.S. Coast Guard, earning the highest rank among those who operate the service’s life-saving boats.
 
Petty Officer 1st Class Krystyna Duffy, 31, a boatswain’s mate assigned to Coast Guard Station Golden Gate at Fort Baker, earned the rank, which allows rescue boat coxswains to operate in extreme weather and sea conditions.
 
With the surfman rank, Duffy is qualified to take a 47-foot motor lifeboat out in extreme conditions: 20-foot breaking surf with 30-foot seas and close to 60-mph winds. Nationwide, there are 171 surfmen. Go to http://www.marinij.com/article/NO/20180309/NEWS/180309794 to read more about this important achievement.
 
Cape Hatteras, Kitty Hawk, and Manteo, North Carolina

The Annual Conference of the United States U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association will be held in the Cape Hatteras-Kitty Hawk-Manteo area of North Carolina from Thursday, October 11 through Saturday, October 13, 2018.
 
A Breeches Buoy demonstration at the Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station is planned, as well as tours of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, Little Kinnakeet Life-Saving Station, Oregon Inlet, and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. We’ll visit the Pea Island Cookhouse, Roanoke Island Festival Park, Fort Raleigh and other sites. 
 
Fifteen rooms are being held for our October meeting at the Comfort Inn South Oceanfront Hotel, Nags Head, NC. Five rooms are being held for each of the following 3 prices: 2 double beds, ocean side $159.00/night; 2 double beds, sound side $109.00/night; king bed, ocean side $159.00/night.  Add tax for all rooms. Reservations must be made by September 10, 2018. Call the front desk, 252-441-6315, and say you are attending the meeting of the US Life-Saving Service Heritage Association.  These 15 rooms are going fast so don’t wait until the last minute and have to scramble for alternative accommodations.
 
Watch the website and future Life Lines for more information. If you are a member you received a notice in your inbox. If you are not a member, please consider joining our group. Be the first to get the news, and we would like to see you in North Carolina and personally welcome you to the organization. Here is the link to sign up as a new member https://uslife-savingservice.org/contact/
 
If you have a story to submit for the next Life Lines please contact us through our website.  https://uslife-savingservice.org/contact/
 
Also consider joining the Life Lines staff.  We are now four and more are welcome to join us. If you wanted to have a role or contribute to the organization this is your opportunity to do so.