New children’s book features Maren, a mouse at the Oak Orchard Lighthouse
Photos by Ginny Kropf: (Left) A volunteer and author of a book benefiting the Oak Orchard Lighthouse, Anne Martin displays copies of the book, “Maren: The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Mouse.” The book is on sale at the lighthouse at Point Breeze. (Right) Anne Martin, a volunteer and member of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse board, stands with artist Chris Manaseri, president of the lighthouse board, who is holding a picture of the lighthouse he painted for the child’s book she wrote. Manaseri illustrated the book, which is for sale at the lighthouse.
POINT BREEZE – The Oak Orchard Lighthouse continues to be an attraction in the area, and now there is a new reason to visit.
The Oak Orchard Lighthouse board president Chris Manseri has announced the sale of a new children’s book, written by fellow board member and volunteer Anne Martin.
The book, entitled “Maren: The Oak Orchard Lighthouse Mouse,” was born out of an idea started by Peg Wiley, owner with her husband Richard of Wiley’s Marina on Route 98 at the Point.
Wiley had started some years ago to write a book, which she called “Whitefoot Willy,” but never finished. She helped start the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Museum after moving here from Rochester began to research the area of her new home. She discovered there used to be a lighthouse on the west pier at the end of Oak Orchard River, and she wondered why no one had ever tried to rebuild it. The lighthouse was built in 1871 and guided sailors until it was decommissioned in 1909, destroyed by a storm and collapsed into the river in 1916.
Wiley had met the late Dick Anderson, a resident of Point Breeze and avid supporter of the area. He had built a replica of the lighthouse, which he displayed at local events. In 2003, they formed the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Committee, and soon started talking about raising funds to build a lighthouse at the Point. With donations and grants, an exact replica of the lighthouse was built and dedicated in 2010.
Chris Manaseri of Pittsford bought a cottage on Lake Ontario in 2016. Dick Anderson, who was then president of the Oak Orchard Lighthouse Committee, put the word out that they needed board members, and Manaseri joined. He currently serves as president of the board.
After Anderson died in 2022, Manaseri recruited Martin and her husband Ken, who had lived in Indiana and were looking for a place on the water to be near her parents and daughter in Toronto. Ken is currently president of the Oak Orchard Neighborhood Association.
“We live three doors down from the lighthouse,” Martin said. “How cool is that.”
Martin said she has visited other lighthouses, and they have a mascot, and she thought Maren the Lighthouse Mouse would be great idea for the gift shop.
“Anne stepped up and wrote one,” Manaseri said. “It is relatively short and relatively simple.”
As Manaseri has a background in art – he and his wife own an art gallery cooperative in Pittsford, which currently has 20 exhibiting artists.
Manaseri volunteered his talent to illustrate Anne’s book, and the pictures are all in black and white, so children can color them in, if they wish, he said.
The book also features Larry the Lighthouse Keeper, who Manaseri said is fashioned after one of their members, Larry Grimes. Grimes is the chef extraordinaire who provides the exquisite desserts for the Lighthouse Museum’s annual fundraising event at the Carlton United Methodist Church. He is also a regular volunteer at the museum.
The Oak Orchard Lighthouse attracts about 2,000 visitors a year.
“We had 85 last Saturday,” Martin said.
