Beacon of Recognition and Hope
As the sun set on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, a light shot out into the dusk from atop Mt. Diablo. A beacon which is lit once a year in memory of those who lost their lives in the attack against Pearl Harbor in 1941 scanned the skies of Northern California to honor the global battle against the corona virus. Six times a minute, approximately every ten seconds, the beacon rotates its 1200 watt lamp.
A small gesture in the greater scheme of things, perhaps. However, for those looking for light in these troubled times, a symbol of hope.
Until the pandemic crisis is over, the beacon will be lit every Sunday at sundown and shine brightly until sunrise. On a clear night the beacon is visible for 5o miles or more.
“Lighting the Beacon every Sunday is a way to honor our heroes in this global pandemic struggle, to pay our respects to the dead and those suffering, to lift our eyes to higher ground and the light and be reminded of the healing power of nature and our Mount Diablo and to bring our communities together during this difficult time,” –Ted Clement, executive director of Save Mount Diablo
Editor’s Note – Last December 7th, in a driving rain and wind storm, Cyndy Green also covered the annual lighting ceremony of the Beacon in honor of National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. Take a few minutes to view it here.
Cyndy Green has been intrigued by news since she got a toy printing press as a six year old. She switched to visual story telling at the age of 12 with her first still camera and moved to broadcasting after an internship in 1974. After 28 years in broadcast news and another 8 teaching broadcasting, she still can’t live without a camera in hand and an editing computer nearby, so in retirement she continues creating visual stories.
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