Crimson Red Sports

For the first time in a generation, Sand Island Lighthouse lives up to its name.

As of Monday afternoon, the lighthouse once again has an island of sand surrounding its base.

On Tuesday, a trio of bulldozers pushed sand pumping out of a big metal dredge pipe into a hill that rose about 8 feet above the surrounding sea. A team of surveyors staked out the contours of the still growing island, which will continue to increase in size for the next several weeks.

For decades, the lighthouse was a small island unto itself, a forlorn brick pinnacle perched atop a heap of rocks and concrete. Dredging of the Mobile Ship Channel had sliced through the natural sand delivery system that runs along the Alabama coast and prevented new sand from washing onto Sand Island.

Over time, the island — once large enough for the lighthouse keeper to graze a herd of cows — shrank beneath the waves. But now, thanks to $6 million in federal funding awarded in the early days of the BP oil spill, the island is back where it belongs.

“If you don’t think that is going to make a lot of people happy, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Hal Pierce of the Alabama Lighthouse Association. “This is a profoundly important moment. It’s going to allow safe access to the light, which we haven’t had in years. We’ll be able make repairs to the light. People can visit it.”

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

Good stuff. We have a black and white photo of the lighthouse at our pacle. The Mrs. wanted a lighthouse motif for the restroom. Don't ask me why, I just do what I am told.

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

Pick your battles CB. I let the wife decorate the house anyway she wants as long as my Archie Bunker easy chair, big screen TV and remote control are left alone.

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

That is a nice story about the island but I don't understand the funding. BP messed up and cost a lot of people along the Gulf Coast a lot of money. But using BP money to rebuild the island seems like a misuse of funds to me. There are many ligitimate BP claims that still have not been paid. It seems they would have paid the claims first before spending BP money on something BP had nothing to do with. At least I don't think BP caused the island shoreline to erode.

UPDATE ....

As of 2o'clock Saturday afternoon, Sand Island is no longer connected to the Lighthouse. The island is over half gone in a little over three months. Today there is a gap between the island & the lighthouse rocks about 30 feet wide and looks deep enough to run a good size boat thru.