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EVENTS
This is just a sampling of the events taking place at and on the water in New York and New Jersey. Please check the MWA website, at www.waterfrontalliance.org, for more information.
September 9-10
H209 Forum - Water Challenges for Coastal Cities
Two-day international forum commemorating the pioneering spirit of Henry Hudson by bringing today's water experts together with future engineers and managers to explore sustainable solutions to the real challenges facing the Netherlands and the NYC/New Jersey metropolitan region. Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
www.henryhudson400.org
September 10-20
New Island Festival
Ten days of the best of Holland: concerts, DJ sets, theatre, site-specific performance and visual arts, performed by world-class Dutch artists. Governors Island.
www..newislandfestival.com/
September 12
New Amsterdam: the Island at the Center of the World
Opening day of a new Quadricentennial exhibition, organized by the Nationaal Archief (National Archives of the Netherlands) and the South Street Seaport Museum. Tuesdays through Sundays. Through January 7, 2009. Admission $10, $8, $5. www.southstreet- seaportmuseum.org
September 12
6:30pm
Governors Island: The Jewel of the New York Harbor
Book reading by Ann Buttenwieser. Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place. www.skyscraper.org
September 12
9:45am
Brooklyn Bridge Swim
Swim from Manhattan across the East River to Brooklyn, in the shadow of the most famous bridge in the world. Teams from Brooklyn and Manhattan will compete in the Battle of the Bridge. www.nycswim.org
Sunday, September 13
NY Harbor Day
Grand public event that will be the culmination and high point of the NY 400 Week. See story at right.
www.ny400.org
Sunday, Sept. 13
1pm-6pm
Red Hook Boaters Party
Celebrate the end of another
season of free ``walk-up'' kayaking at Valentino Park in Red Hook with a BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic) party.
www.redhookboaters.org
Sunday, September 13
12pm
Super Boat Grand Prix
Annual powerboat lap race on the Hudson River between the Battery and 14th Street. www.superboat.com
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Hidden Harbor Tour
6:30pm-8:30pm
Narrated tour of waterways, sponsored by the Working Harbor Committee.
Summary of the route:
South Street Seaport, Pier 16 East River, Buttermilk Channel, Erie Basin, Upper New York Bay, Kill van Kull,
Port Newark & Port Elizabeth, former Military Ocean Terminal, Global Container Terminal, Statue of Liberty, Pier 16. www.workingharbor.com
Tuesday, September 15
The Edge of New York: Waterfront Photographs
6:30pm
In
honor of the Museum of the City of New York's new exhibition, The Edge of New York: Waterfront
Photographs, join featured photographers Diane Cook and Len Jenshel as
they share their striking images of the city's shorelines and discuss
the role of the waterfront in New York today, including its dramatic
transformation from a working, commercial, and industrial center to a
site for recreational use. Reception follows. Reservations required. $12, $8, $6. 212.534.1672, x3395
Wednesday, Sept. 16.
New Amsterdam Walking Tour
6pm-8pm
Travel back in time to Dutch New Amsterdam as you trace the development of Lower Manhattan and the importance of its seaport from 1600 to the present. Free with museum admission. South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street. 212-748-8786
www.southstreet-seaportmuseum.org
Thursday, September 17
The Final Expedition of Henry Hudson
6:30pm
The
voyages of Henry Hudson planted the seeds of the Dutch presence in
North America, but Hudson himself would not live to see the fruits of
his labor. Join
Peter C. Mancall, author of Fatal Journey: The Final Expedition of
Henry Hudson, as he recounts this tale of mutiny and murder in the
Arctic and sheds light on Henry Hudson's tragic end. Presented in
conjunction with Amsterdam/New Amsterdam: The Worlds of Henry Hudson at the Museum of the City of New York. Reservations required. $12, $8, $6. 212.534.1672, x3395
Friday, Sept. 18
Free Friday: Henry Hudson and the Early Explorers
5pm-9pm
Who explored this region before Henry Hudson? Join historians Jack Putnam and Michael Lord for a chat and visit the new South Street Seaport Museum exhibition. Free. 12 Fulton St., 212-748-8786
www.southstreet-seaportmuseum.org
Saturday, Sept. 19
Go Fish
10am-2pm
Cast a line for some of the 30-plus species of fish that swim in New York Bay. Live demonstrations and displays teach fish anatomy and heighten awareness of the ecology, flourishing marine life and current state of good health of the Hudson River and its estuary. Rods, reels and bait are provided for those who don't bring their own. In a family performance, Arm-of-the-Sea-Theater will perform "Mutual Strangers: Henry Hudson & the River that Discovered Him." Wagner Park, 212-267-9700
www.bpcparks.org
Saturday, Sept. 19
12pm-4pm
Celebrating Dutch New Amsterdam
Oranje boven! Celebrate the beginning of New York City as Dutch New Amsterdam with crafts and activities. Design your own Delft tiles, go on a scavenger hunt and visit our new Dutch exhibit. Free with admission 12 Fulton St., 212-748-8786
www.southstreet-seaportmuseum.org
Saturday, Sept. 19
24th Annual New York Coastal Cleanup
10am-6pm
The
American Littoral Society is hosting its 24th annual statewide
waterfront cleanup day open to anyone willing to pick up trash.
Happening simultaneously at dozens of locations across the state, the
cleanup has a solid record, netting nearly 200,000 pounds of collected
and debris from beaches and other waterfront regions during the
single-day 2008 cleanup. Over 50 locations have been announced for
New York City alone, though the project reaches all the way to the
Great Lakes, and every major body of water in between.
Find more information, including a specific site near you at:
www.alsnyc.org/
Saturday, Sept. 19
Mannahatta: A Natural History of New York City
2:30pm
Join author Eric Sanderson for a view of New York Harbor prior to European contact. Free. Pershing Hall, Governors Island
www.govisland.com
Sunday, Sept. 20
Henry Hudson's Mannahatta
2pm
Imagine whales in New York Harbor and wolves roaming downtown. This is the Manhattan explorer Henry Hudson came upon in 1609. Join landscape ecologist Eric Sanderson of the Wildlife Conservation Society as he discusses the natural history of our island. Free. Space is limited. Pre- registration is required. Teardrop Park. 212-267-9700
www.bpcparks.org
Tuesday, Sept. 22
Governors Island: The Jewel of the New York Harbor
6:30pm
Talk and book signing with author Ann Buttenwieser on her book
Governors Island: The Jewel of New York Harbor. Free. Skyscraper Museum, 39 Battery Place. 212-945-6324
www.skyscraper.org
Saturday, Sept. 26
Harbor Explorers
1pm-3pm
Join the crew to raise sail and try hands-on activities exploring the nautical heritage and marine environment of New York Harbor. $30, $25, $20. South Street Seaport, Pier 16. 212-748-8786
www.southstreet-seaportmuseum.org
Sunday, Sept. 26
Enviromedia Mobile
11am-5pm
The Enviromedia Mobile is a traveling urban nature center and micro-maritime museum on wheels, brought to you by the Urban Divers. Governors Island. Get the free ferry at the Battery Maritime Building.
www.urbandivers.org
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 September 13 is Harbor Day, Highlight
of a Year of Quadricentennial Festivities
On Sunday, celebrate the revitalization of the metropolitan waterfront,
and the 400-year-old connection between New York and the Netherlands
People on both sides of the Hudson River glanced up from their coffee on the morning of Tuesday, September 8, to see a preview of the Holland on the Hudson flotilla scheduled for September 13. Led by the Half Moon, the replica of the tiny vessel that bore Henry Hudson and his crew across the Atlantic to this great harbor, a parade of Dutch ships -- including 17 flat-bottomed barges that had been transported across the Atlantic on the deck of a cargo ship, as well as a fleet of more than a dozen stately naval ships, all crews at attention -- made their way up the river. Local sailboats fluttered out of marinas to escort the parade. Ferries crossed back and forth and tooted. Helicopters zoomed about. And this was only the preview!
The Christopher Columbus, a NY Waterway ferry, passes a Dutch naval frigate on Sept. 8. Photo by Robert Simko.
On Sunday, September 13, make your way to the Hudson River for the biggest party of the year. Harbor Day marks the launch of New York City's newly created Harbor
District and will become an
annual event that celebrates the revitalization of the metropolitan waterfront. On September 13, festivities will span six waterfront sites
-- The Battery, Battery Park City, Hudson River Park, Governors Island, Brooklyn Bridge Park and Snug Harbor -- all of which are accessible by free NY400 bicycles and free hop on/hop-off services provided by New York Water Taxi.
The day begins at 9:30am when The Netherlands' Prince
of Orange and Princess M�xima ride their Dutch bikes through
the Battery, led by the royal marching band. At 10am, look for the Holland on the Hudson Flotilla, made up of a colorful assortment of historic Dutch
and American yachts, sailboats and naval vessels, gather in the Harbor and head for Albany. Watch for a spectacular flyover by Dutch F16 fighter
jets.
All afternoon, spectators will find entertainment and activities at the Battery, including the trophy ceremony
of the Flying Dutchman Sailing Race and a performance by Ellen ten Damme, one of the Netherlands' most
provocative singers. A giant video screen will show events happening on the water.
Elsewhere on September 13, At Brooklyn Bridge Park, check out Biking in Breukelen. For oyster lovers, the Harbor Day Oyster Festival at the Hudson River Park is
the place to be. On Governors Island, the New Island Festival offers performances of all kinds, direct from Holland, and Pioneers of Change offers Dutch design, fashion and architecture. Click on the logos below for more information.
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Spiritual Sustenance at the Water's Edge
Waterborne solace at 9/11 and beyond
On Friday morning, September 11, 2009, ferries will come from the north, south and west to gather on the Hudson River at the mouth of North Cove. They will pause, bobbing, and all will turn to face the empty eastern sky over the World Financial Center. At 10:29am, they will sound their horns, a mournful chord of remembrance that notes the fall of the second World Trade Center tower.
"It has become a tradition," said NY Waterway spokesperson Pat Smith, understanding that the gathering of ferries has great meaning not only for the captains and crew, some of whom helped rescue people that fateful morning, but for the land-bound Lower Manhattan workers and residents within earshot of the sad sound emanating from the water.
 Later that day, people will gather a bit farther north at Pier 40 to participate in an ancient custom: the release of floating lanterns into the water. This is Obon, the Japanese rite of commemorating the dead. Led by the Rev. T. Kenjitsu Nakagaki, the head minister at the New York Buddhist Church, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Shinto leaders will lead hundreds of participants in music, chanting and interfaith prayers.
"The water represents the gap between this world and the next world. It's something you can't cross," Rev. Nakagaki explained. "This is the world of illusion. The other land is one of enlightenment. People pass, as if through water, to the next world. When we float the lanterns it's sort of like going to the other shore. For Buddhists, the Obon time is also when the people who are gone are coming back to us. In the East it's like a circle, and at Obon we welcome them back. At the end of Obon we send them off again."
This floating lantern ceremony began in 2002 with the help of Erik Baard, a dedicated kayaker who wrote a story for the Village Voice about the spiritual life of New York Harbor. He interviewed Rev. Nakagaki for the story. "He mentioned this floating lantern commemoration for the dead, but
said he didn't know how to do it here. With thirty Japanese killed in the
World Trade
Center attacks, the need
became more urgent," Mr. Baard wrote in an email. "I crossed over from journalist to advocate a bit, promoting his idea to
the Hudson River Park Trust and kayaking community. New York Kayak Co. owner Randy Henriksen, a Buddhist, now coordinates the kayaking
aspect of the ceremony at his Pier 40 base, with me as an assistant."
Mr. Baard's well-referenced article documents water ceremonies in local waters by those of the Shinto, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Baha'i, Zoroastrian, Hindu and other faiths. "The insulted waters of New York City are again sacred passages, as they once were to Native Americans for millennia," he wrote. "Thirty years after the 1972 Clean Water Act, raw sewage no longer pours
into vital waterways, and industrial pollution has largely been
checked. We are witnessing the ecological resurrection of our rivers
and bays, from the return of wood-eating gribbles and shipworms that
devour our piers to winter visits by a small seal community. People are
coming down to the water again to see rare birds, to kayak and to swim.
And responding to an ancient call, they're coming down to the water to
pray."
Read the rest of the article here.
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Reinvigorated, MWA Task Forces Continue their Work to Implement the Waterfront Action Agenda
Task Force meetings begin with the Harbor Education group this fall
The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Task Forces are mulling over some big questions as they get ready for another round of task force meetings this fall. Task force members are being asked, for example, to come up with good ideas for funding for waterfront programs, what new waterfront-related federal, state or local legislation should be proposed, and what changes or additions should be made to the recommendations published last fall in the MWA White Papers.
 A little background: Six MWA Task Forces were convened in 2007 and 2008 to develop a vision for the metropolitan waterfront. More than 240 organizations, including federal, state and local agencies, participated. The work of these six groups -- Aquatecture, Green Harbor, Harbor Education, Harbor Recreation, Mass Water Transit and Working Waterfront -- led to the creation of the Waterfront Action Agenda, a comprehensive program to enhance the waterfront of the New York metropolitan region. At right, in a photograph taken in October 2008, task force members work to prioritize ideas.
Now the Task Forces are about to start meeting again to work on practical proposals for waterfront policy. As New York City's Comprehensive Waterfront Plan is developed (read a good synthesis of the CWP online at the Natural Resources Protective Association), the Task Forces will help to define the needs of all waterway stakeholders, prioritize land-use
proposals and
transportation plans, and advocate for public access.
If you would like more information on the MWA Task Forces, please contact Cortney Worrall, MWA director of programs.
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Candidates All Over the City Demonstrate Their Commitment to a Revitalized Waterfront
As Primary Day (Sept. 15) and then Election Day (Nov. 3) approach,
MWA encourages candidates to focus on waterfront issues
Over the summer, more than 150 candidates for office in New York and New Jersey received a questionnaire from the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance.
Seeking to raise awareness about the importance of
waterfront issues in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area and advance the MWA's policy
platform for the waterfront, the Questionnaire builds on the MWA's Waterfront Action Agenda by
identifying a series of legislative action items, such as public subsidies for mass water transit and discretionary funds for educational programming on the water. "With the support of our elected leaders," said Lee Miller, MWA program manager and creator of the Questionnaire, "we
can promote a critical diversity of uses on our shoreline and implement
our shared vision for a 21st-century waterfront."
Candidates
and incumbents have responded with enthusiasm. Jessica Lappin, a City
Council member and chair of the Council's Land Use Subcommittee on
Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses, whose district covers the
Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island, noted the impossibility of developing a blanket waterfront development policy and therefore the need for officials from all over the city to participate in the planning process. "In different parts of the city,
different approaches make sense," she said. "While I want to see an
active port in
Brooklyn, what's appropriate for the Upper East Side of Manhattan is
access to the waterfront through public parks or promenades and ferry
stops to expand our transportation infrastructure. In limited
instances, housing along the water may also be appropriate."
The Candidate Questionnaire may be viewed here.
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Bronx Overall Economic Development Corp Invites the Public to Review and Discuss the Harlem River Promenade Design
A community workshop in June gave the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation plenty of ideas about how to develop
the Harlem River Promenade below the High Bridge at Depot Place. The sketch above, by Perkins + Will, shows an idea for a performance space.
Participants in the workshop, facilitated by Starr Whitehouse, asked for accessibility to the waterfront, with activities and recreational opportunities. Now it's time to review the design and programming options produced by the consultants. The public is invited to give input at the next community meeting on Wednesday, September 16, at PS 11, 1257 Ogden Avenue, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. To RSVP or for more information, contact Kate Shackford at 718-590-3498 or kshackford@boedc.org
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For Two Nights Only, Liberty and
Ellis Islands will be Open to the Public
As part of the kick-off to National Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 26, the National Park Service is opening Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty National Monument to the public for special evening programs.
Ellis Island will be open on Thursday, Sept. 24 and Liberty Island will be open Friday, September 25, both 6pm to 9pm. A special screening of Ken Burns's upcoming mini-series "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" will be shown each night.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for people to experience these iconic monuments in a new setting," said Dave Luchsinger, superintendent of the Statue of Liberty National Monument.
Click on the Statue Cruises web site for more information.
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Harbor Camp, Concluding its Fifth Year, has
Led Thousands of City Children to the Water
Harbor Camp is developed and run by the Metropolitan
Waterfront Alliance, and provides a meaningful water-based summer camp
experience to children in the metropolitan area. The program introduces young people to the fundamental fact that water surrounds us.
Harbor Camp allows these youngsters -- many for the first time -- to experience the excitement and the beauty of a waterfront city. Just as important as fun and recreation, Harbor Camp also provides lessons in ecology, history, the environment and
maritime studies. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Harbor Camp aims to cultivate a sense of stewardship, with the expectation that these students will be inspired to protect and preserve their natural
environment.
Below, Elisa Deljanin, a summer staff member at MWA, chronicles the Harbor Camp trip taken by a group of children. Photos by Ms. Deljanin.
On the afternoon of August 12th, a group of about 30 children from the Hudson Guild Summer Day Camp met with the crew of a historic New York Harbor tugboat, Pegasus. The crew is part of a larger project, the Tug Pegasus Restoration Project, devoted to restoring and preserving the 102-year-old tugboat.
"I like educating children about the harbor and historic boats," said Pamela Hepburn, founder and director of the Tug Pegasus Preservation Project. "It really teaches them about a time their distant relatives may have used New York harbor to enter America."
The journey started on the north end of Pier 40, where Pegasus pulled out and went south toward Governors Island. As the tug passed by the Colgate Clock in Jersey City and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in downtown Manhattan, the children excitedly pointed out what they knew.
For some, it was their first ride on a tugboat. "I'm a little scared," said Olivia, 9. "But it's hard to pay attention to my fear when I'm wearing a life jacket and I have a whole crew keeping me safe. It's not so hard for me when I think about it that way."
"I've been on a sailboat in New Hampshire," said Lawrence, 12. "But this is so much better. It's a beautiful place to hang out and I can't wait to come back out."
 As Pegasus made her way down the Buttermilk Channel and headed for the Erie Basin, children were taken into the captain's cabin where they were taught about the ship's engine and steering by Hepburn and Huntley Gill, who co-owns the fireboat, John J. Harvey.
The children learned fast. "How do we steer? The steering wheel is on the wall," said Lukas, 10, pointing at the steering helm against the wall. His classmate, Elijah, 11, was happy to explain as the boat rounded into the Erie Basin, passing NY Water Taxis and barges at work. "There are two ways," he said, smiling. "One way is manually, which you do with the wheel that doesn't work. The other way is electronically, which is done with switches."
"I think it's so much cooler when you do it with the wheel," he added.
As Pegasus made her way back into Upper New York Bay, the children entertained themselves with songs as they waited their turn to look at a map of the harbor. Once the boat docked at Pier 40, Kiara, 10, pulled on her counselor's shirt.
"When are we going to do this again?" she asked. "I want to be able to brag to my family about the harbor!"
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Recent Waterfront News
Overcoming Hurdles with Perseverance in Tidal Power
The Maritime Executive Magazine, Sept. 10, 2009
Dutch royals visit NY 400 years after Henry Hudson
Associated Press, Sept. 9, 2009
'My River Chronicles' author DuLong engineers a life change
USA Today, Sept. 9, 2009
Governors Island Breaks Visitors Record
NY1, Sept. 8, 2009
NYer Of The Week: Teacher Holds Science, History Class On The East River
NY1, Sept. 4, 2009
Scientists study the health of fish in the Passaic River
NY.com, Aug. 27, 2009
Cost for rusting Governors Island ferry could sail higher for taxpayers
Daily News, Aug. 19, 2009
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