Oregon Public Broadcasting

In early January, vandals caused substantial damage to the Cape Meares Lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.

The State, the Coast Guard and a supporting non-profit group have been working since then to get the facility back open.

KLCC’s Jes Burns has this update.

Vandal’s gunfire blasted a hole in the 120-year-old lighthouse lens, taking a piece of Oregon history with it.

Chris Havel: “There’s no going back.  Once the shot was fired and the portion of the lens was destroyed, there’s way to turn the clock back on that.”

Oregon Parks and Recreation spokesman Chris Havel.

Chris Havel: “The best we can hope for is to try to take some of the broken pieces and possibly use adhesives to put them back into place. But it’s going to be obvious that this is a shattered lens.”

This week, a crew of national lighthouse restoration experts are working to assess the damage and recommend how the lighthouse should be repaired.

Cape Meares State Park been closed since the vandals hit and new security measures are being installed.

Police still haven’t found who is responsible, and a $5,000 reward is being offered.

Officials hope to have the park reopened to visitors by the end of February.