NEW: RI’s Plum Beach Lighthouse Specialty Plate Wins Top Design Honors
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Rhode Island’s specialty license plate of South County’s Plum Beach Lighthouse was voted to be the second best in the country by The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association (ALPCA) in its 40th annual competition, it was announced today.
The iconic image of the lighthouse was second only to New Mexico’s centennial plate according to ALPCA. The criteria for the competition are legibility and attractiveness and Plum Beach’s Lighthouse almost snatched first place.
A surprise to Plum Beach proponents
“We didn’t even know we’d been nominated,” said David Zapatka, president of Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse, about the competition. “We learned about the nomination after the voting ended in February. Then on April 1, Gus Oliver (ALPCA president) called me to let me know we were first runner-up.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe PBL Plate is sold by the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse as a fundraiser to support a maintenance fund for the historic structure located beneath the Jamestown Bridge in North Kingstown. There are PBL plate holders in every town in Rhode Island except Block Island. Buying the lighthouse plate costs $41.50 with $20 going to the Friends. This one time-charge has no additional fees unlike other less attractive RI state specialty plates.
The South County Tourism Council is delighted that a South County landmark is featured on an award-winning RI license plate.
Jewels in the crown of the coastline
“Our lighthouses are the jewels in the crown of the South County coastline,” said Myrna George, president and CEO of SCTC. “To have the image of a lighthouse on a license plate signifies their importance in this state.”
The plate is truly a product of South County, beginning with the original design by the Friends of Plum Beach Lighthouse. It is based on a fine ink drawing by Bruce Martin, was colored by RI School of Design student Cory Zapatka, compiled by member Catherine Chapin, directed by David Zapatka, and professionally completed by East Greenwich graphic designer Dana Gee. “The coloring is what draws people to it,” Zapatka said about the plate, adding that the background hues of pink and purple match those of a summer sunset.
About 3,650 of the license plates have been sold since July 2001, raising more than $72,000 for the repainting and maintenance of the Lighthouse.
