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Lighthouses brighten Jan Smith s life

By ROWENA PLETT

Staff writer

Jan Smith of rural Lincolnville has been collecting lighthouses for at least 10 years, many of them gifts from relatives and friends.

Her fascination with lighthouses seems only natural because she grew up in New York City. She was born in Brooklyn and moved as a teen-ager with her family to Long Island.

Jan remembers ice skating many times at Rockefeller Center.

Among her lighthouse collections are a blanket and two pillows made for her by her sister-in-law, Kitty.

The bathroom is decorated with an ocean theme including lighthouses. A lighthouse wind chime hangs in a tree just outside the front door.

This past August, Jan received a special gift to add to her collection. It was a wooden lighthouse built for her by her brother-in-law, John Smith.

Jan's husband, Phil, dragged a large rock from a nearby pasture to serve as a base for the lighthouse.

The six-foot-tall building includes a lighted cupola with three bulbs to light up the night.

"This was a surprise for mom," daughter Amy said. "It was for her birthday."

Jan's big smile as she surveyed her gift said it all. Obviously, the lighthouse is brightening her days.

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