Flotilla 88 of Lake County repeats century old mirror signals
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Vice-Commander Kevin Kealey of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County decided to repeat history from more than 100 years ago in observance of National Safe Boating Week.
Kealey had read about Mary Downen, a pioneer woman who in 1903 built a cabin on Mount Konocti which is still standing.
Downen lived alone so each day at 2 p.m., using a mirror, she would signal down to her daughter in Lakeport that she was OK and her daughter would signal back.
To prepare for this project, Kealey distributed a cord to which was attached a daylight signal mirror and whistle to the teacher and a class at Clearlake Creativity School and Pomo Elementary School.
The students learned about Mary Downen and Kealey gave a presentation on the use of the mirror using the reflection of the sun and the whistles to attract attention.
On May 25, Kealey with his son, Nash, a member of the Navy Seabees Reserve to assist him, helper Nikki and Flotilla Public Affairs Officer Dorothy De Lope, drove up Mount Konocti to set up the equipment needed adjacent to the fire watch tower located there.
They had with them a huge mirror and all necessary equipment to perform a Zoom presentation to the schools at scheduled times.
A demonstration was performed by holding up the huge mirror and reflecting it on the hillside toward the location of the first school. The students used their small signal mirrors to sight in on the reflection of the huge mirror.
The project was being recorded via Zoom and the youngsters could be seen and heard laughing, jumping up and down screaming “I can see it” on seeing the huge mirror’s reflection on the hillside. The project was then repeated for the next school at their scheduled time.
Following the reflection demonstrations, the students returned to their classroom to watch Kealey via Zoom as he walked around the mountain, describing and naming the several peaks.
He included a bit of the history of each peak and Mount Konocti as well as Clear Lake and Lake Thurston.
The object of this mirror project was to teach youngsters safety by wearing the signal mirror and whistle when walking or hiking in unfamiliar countryside and to use that equipment should they become lost.
It’s also important for them to attach the signal and whistle to their life jackets in case of a boating emergency that causes them to end up in the water.
Flotilla 88 has fitted and distributed free life jackets to youngsters up to 12 years old but because of COVID-19 restrictions the flotilla was unable to do this in 2020 and this year as well.
The Flotilla urges everyone to practice safe boating habits and to always wear life jackets.
Dorothy De Lope is public information officer for United States Coast Guard Auxiliary, Flotilla 88 of Lake County.