On Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 it was our privilege to host 100 Lighthouse Kids from New London's Nathan Hale School at Union Station. As part of their architecture section the 8-year-olds visited the historic Nathan Hale Schoolhouse on the Parade Plaza, ate lunch at the station, listened to a presentation on safety around railroad tracks by Amtrak Police Officer Tom Meskill and then toured the railroad station.

The kids were amazing, eager, and sharp. They had done their research and knew that architect H.H. Richardson died at an early age of a kidney disease, that the prior station burned down so New London needed a new one, and could tell me all about the shipwreck mural in the lobby.

The Amtrak staff, passengers in the lobby, and I were all impressed with the courteous young students from the (modern) Nathan Hale School. Their teachers clearly did an excellent job preparing for the field trip. We are especially grateful to Jody Barthel and Susan Tamulevich of the Customs House for organizing The Lighthouse Kids program. Come again.