Coast Guard, Town Battle Over Historic Lighthouse Lens

(June 28) -- The conflict centers on a 142-year-old lens that the Coast Guard loaned to Ferndale, Calif., more than six decades ago and now wants back. The Fresnel lens has been on display in a replica lighthouse building at the entry to the Humboldt County Fairgrounds since 1949. The Coast Guard contends that the lens is not adequately protected or displayed and needs restoration. Community leaders argue that the so-called first-order lens, which once illuminated the coast from the nearby Cape ...

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