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EVENTS
Cold weather is here, and it's not the most appropriate time to host gatherings at and on the water. Still, there must be some waterfront-related events that you'd like us to help you publicize! Send us your information and we'll be glad to list it in WaterWire and on the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance website.
Click here to send information about events to Louis Kleinman.
Tuesday, Dec. 15
Passaic River Development Proposal
6:30pm
Newark New Jersey Public meeting on Newark Riverfront Development Framework. The project team will present its draft proposal for discussion.
Newark City Hall, First Floor Rotunda, 920 Broad St.
Newark, NJ
www.waterfrontalliance.org
Friday, Dec. 18
Holiday Lights
Free.
5pm-8pm
South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street
212-748-8786
Celebrate
the season with an annual tradition at the South Street Seaport Museum,
the holiday lighting of the ships Ambrose and Peking, along with a
holiday craft activity for the family.
www.southstreet seaportmuseum.org
Saturday, Dec. 19
New Amsterdam: The Island at the Center of the World Exhibition Tour
Free with admission
1pm-2:30pm
South Street Seaport Museum, 12 Fulton Street
212-748-8786
The
centerpiece of this exhibition is the letter mentioning the 1626
purchase of Manhattan for 60 guilders. Rare maps, plans and views of
the early Dutch settlement shed new light on the origins of our city.
www.southstreet
seaportmuseum.org
Saturday, Dec. 19
Hudson River Mythbusters
7pm
Truth or Urban Legend... you decide! This end-of year event wraps up
Beczak Environmental Education Center's popular 2009 Hudson Quadricentennial Lectures and is funded by
the New York Council for the Humanities. Free, with holiday refreshments. 914-377-1900 x 13.
35 Alexander Street, Yonkers,
NY
Friday, Jan. 1
Frostbite Regatta 2010
Annual gathering at the Sebago Canoe Club which includes paddling/sailing, a nonstop potluck feast and a club meeting. Folks with appropriate clothing for the cold conditions can go on the water in the morning. Everyone should bring food and drink to share, and stay for the general meeting at 2pm, to vote in new senior members and hear brief reports on future activities.
www.sebagocanoeclub.org
1400 Paerdegat Avenue North, Brooklyn, NY
718-241-3683
www.sebagocanoe.org
Saturday, Jan. 9
John Maxtone Graham and the S.S. Normandie
2pm-4pm
Join
acclaimed maritime author John Maxtone-Graham as he discusses what he
calls the "Miracle on 12th Avenue" - the successful removal of a
treasure trove of Normandie's priceless objects and works of art over
Christmas of 1941, just weeks before she was engulfed by flames on
February 9, 1942. Reservations required.
$25, $20. Special reception, 4pm-5:30pm, which John will host and will feature an
exclusive preview presentation of the Museum's upcoming exhibition,
DecoDence: Legendary Interiors and Illustrious Travelers Aboard the
S.S. Normandie. Refreshments will be served. Reservations required. $100 Members/$110 Non-Members (price includes
Lecture and Book Signing. 100% of the proceeds of this event will go to
the exhibition.)
www.waterfrontalliance.org
Friday, Jan. 15
Free Fridays: The Staten Island Ferry
5pm-8pm
Patricia
Salmon, curator of History for the Staten Island Museum and author of
The Staten Island Ferry: A History will read from her book, sign
copies, and talk about the history of the Staten Island Ferry. Free.
12 Fulton St. 212-748-8786
www.waterfrontalliance.org
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Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Meets to Plan Initiatives
Ideas are shared, commitments obtained;
After two days of rich discourse, 175 people find it hard to leave
Four days later, President Obama releases an important, related report (music to MARCO's many ears) about ocean stewardship
MARCO, the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, was created in June by the governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. "Its purpose," said George Stafford, Deputy Secretary of State for New York, "is to create an interstate institution to work on shared ocean priorities."
On December 9, Mr. Stafford welcomed 175 people from agencies and organizations across the five states to MARCO's two-day conference in Lower Manhattan. "There was a lot of enthusiasm," Mr. Stafford told Waterwire, "as evidenced by the fact that most of them were still there at 5pm on the second day."
As discussed by attendees, MARCO's top priorities are looking to the ocean for renewable energy and protecting critical marine habitats. "The purpose of the conference was to pull in the federal government and local stakeholders that
we hope can help us achieve great advancement with respect to those
priorities," Mr. Stafford said. "The mid-Atlantic
has a huge wind resource, for example; more so than other regions. We are also the
largest users of power, so this indigenous power resource has great potential, perhaps to meet up
to 20% of our energy needs. At the same time, the offshore ocean canyons are a
unique habitat that has to be protected."
Several days later, on December 14, President Obama's Ocean Policy Task Force released its Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning. Dovetailing nicely with the local momentum created by the MARCO conference, the nationwide Interim Framework proposes to overhaul the Federal government's approach to coastal and marine planning by switching to ecosystem-based planning, better collaboration with State and tribal partners, and more emphasis on stakeholder and public participation. In fact, the public may comment on the Ocean Policy Task Force report by clicking here (through February 12).
"This is great because the Federal government is acknowledging MARCO
and laying out a process to figure how best to
use the ocean resource to meet our current and future needs," Mr. Stafford said. "The mid-Atlantic governors are thinking through how best to protect our marine resources -- but this obviously has to be done with the Federal government, since they have
jurisdiction beyond the three-mile limit."
 According to Mr. Stafford, New York State will be embarking on its own coastal and marine spatial planning report early next year. Click here to download interesting posters on Climate Change, Mid-Atlantic Ocean Habitats (right), Renewable Energy and Water Quality available on the MARCO web site.
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Local Waterfront Advocates Keep Watch
on Copenhagen Climate Talks
Recent NYC gatherings complement rallies, conferences and vigils all around the world in calling attention to the need to stabilize climate change
On December 11, 50 people huddled in the engine room of the lightship Frying Pan at Pier 66 Maritime on the Hudson River and lit candles. It was the NYC Candlelight Vigil for Climate Change, sponsored by the NY State Marine Education Association in support of a global environmental campaign by 350.org.
As world leaders gather in Copenhagen to negotiate responsibilities over greenhouse gas emissions, 350.org is urging a worldwide agreement on the reduction of the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. "350" refers to the amount of CO2, in parts per million, that scientists say our atmosphere can tolerate before "runaway climate change." We are currently at 387ppm.
A global grassroots campaign to stop the climate crisis, 350.org began building toward this week's United Nations Climate Change Conference from the International Day of Climate Action on October 24. On that day, people in more than 180 countries came together at over 5000
events -- and dozens in the metropoltan area -- to call for strong action on the climate crisis.
So far the 350.org representatives, led by well-known writer and environmentalist Bill McKibben, seem to be successful at influencing attendees at the UN Climate Change Conference. "More and more countries and leaders are using the 350 figure publicly," Mr. McKibben wrote recently to his blog subscribers.
"Bolivia stepped up to the plate and made the 350 target a main point of
their opening statement; then Al Gore gave a remarkable speech saying
no matter what happens we have to keep working till we get to 350.
Yesterday in the New York Times, Thomas Lovejoy, one of the planet's
great biologists, put it bluntly: '350 ppm--that is the upper limit for
dangerous interference with ecosystems.' And it's sinking in. Countries on the front lines of climate change--like small pacific
islands and many drought-inflicted African countries--are taking
stronger stances and refusing to accept the limp compromises currently
on the negotiating table. There is a growing understanding that simply
getting a deal in Copenhagen is not the point--that any deal that does
not point us towards 350 is, in a very real sense, a failure."
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As seen in this historic image, Pier A is the tall, covered pier at the southern end of the row of Hudson River piers. Credit: Picture Collection, The Branch Libraries, The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations; via the Battery Park City Authority.
Restoration Under Way at Pier A, Iconic Remnant of New York's Maritime Heritage
Battery Park City Authority begins the process of selecting a tenant; Informational meeting to be held January 7, 2010
 Built in 1886, Pier A was the pride -- and headquarters -- of the NYC Dept. of Docks & Ferries. Later, in the 20th century, it was used by the New York City Police and Fire Departments, hosting patrol boats and fireboats at its Lower Manhattan dock on the Hudson River. At left is a photo from the 1950s showing the three-story headhouse and two-story piershed with the clocktower at the river end.
By 1993, the grand Victorian piershed -- the last of a string of covered piers that defined Lower Manhattan's waterfront -- was vacant. Restoration has been attempted in fits and starts since then, but not until the Battery Park City Authority gained control of the property from the City earlier this year was adequate funding found. Working closely with the City Economic Development Corporation, the BPCA seeks to
revitalize waterfront access, envisioning an active dock and busy public space. Nearly
39,000 square feet on three floors is available.
The BPCA expects its $30 million restoration of the landmarked piershed, its deck and plaza, overseen by Hugh Hardy of H3 Architects, to be completed by April of 2011. The agency has just begun the process of selecting a tenant to lease and operate the pier. An informational meeting was held December 11 for prospective tenants, and a second will be held January 7, 2010, at 10am in the BPCA offices at One World Financial Center. Click here to go to the BPCA web site and once there click on "Opportunities" to download the Pier A Request for Qualifications (RFQ). Responses
are due January 29, 2010.
"Pier A, one of New York City's true historic treasures, should be
bustling with life and available for the public to enjoy," said Mayor
Michael Bloomberg in an announcement released by the BPCA about the agency's issuance of the RFQ. "With Battery Park City working at full bore with
the City it will soon be rightfully restored to its former grandeur and
once again be a destination of Lower Manhattan."
Image credit: Picture Collection, The Branch Libraries, The New York Public Library,
Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations (via the BPCA).
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Hudson Estuary Program Funding Slashed
Of the $10 million cut two weeks ago by legislators from the State Environmental Protection Fund, $1.1 million was drained from the Hudson River Estuary Program.
At one time, the program's annual budget was $6 million. With
the latest cuts, the budget is down to $3.7
million.
 Run by the State Department of Conservation, the Hudson River Estuary Program has supplied funding for numerous maritime education, environmental restoration and waterfront access projects throughout the metropolitan area, including the
River Project, Swindler Cove Park, Floating the Apple and the Hudson River Park Trust, to name just a few. The program has funded or helped fund oyster restoration, shad and sturgeon recovery, striped bass management, community docks feasibility study, waterfront signage, pollution clean-up and scientific sensors placed in the Hudson River.
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 MWA Welcomes Emily Egginton
Emily Egginton, MWA's new Program Associate, came aboard in November 2009 from Waterkeeper Alliance, an international clean water advocacy organization. She served as Field Coordinator for two and a half years, working directly with the nearly 200 Waterkeeper organizations around the world on strategic planning, advocacy and fundraising. Emily facilitated new program growth, regional collaboration and worked to connect and support international grassroots advocates in their fight to protect clean water. She has also worked at the Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education at NYU and the Westchester County Department of Parks.
Emily received her B.A. in environmental policy from Middlebury College and completed the Middlebury Language School program in Italian. At Middlebury, Emily and her classmates worked with author and scholar-in-residence, Bill McKibben, to create 350.org, an international grassroots campaign which recently helped coordinate more than 5,200 climate awareness events in 181 countries. (See the story above on recent events in NYC associated with 350.org and the Copenhagen climate talks.) |
Two NYC Kayakers Begin a
1,000 Mile Trek Around Tierra Del Fuego
If they succeed, Marcus Demuth and Biff Wruszek will be the first
to circumnavigate the landmass closest to Antarctica
 
An archipelago of islands at the southernmost tip of South America, Tierra del Fuego is inhospitable yet beautiful, a place of howling winds and ancient glaciers. It's also the place that Marcus Demuth and Biff Wruszek, two New York City kayakers, have chosen for their next maritime adventure.
The two hardy souls set out on December 16 to circumnavigate Tierra del Fuego (the route is outlined in blue, above left). Going counterclockwise, they think it will take about 60 days.
 "Although this upcoming trip is the logistically most challenging
so far, it is also the most anticipated," Mr. Demuth wrote on his eponymous website. One of the challenges was passing through restricted waters, but the duo received permission from the
Chilean Navy for the trip. They're not sure how long the trip is. Using Google Earth, the route measures approximately 1,000 miles. But, "if we use our nautical charts and add up the mileage, it is
1,300 miles. We will find out!" exclaimed Mr. Demuth.
 Mr. Demuth is a German-born musician turned kayak guide who has circumnavigated
Ireland and the Falkland Islands. Ms. Wruszek is a British-born rock climber
turned paddler embarking on her first major paddling venture. Together, they realize this will be the toughest trip of their lives, consideirng hazards "like wind,
waves, whale sharks, accountants, pygmies and excessive luggage surcharges," Mr. Demuth wrote.
You can view their daily progress by clicking here, and you can read their blog by clicking here. The adventure's web site is www.tierradelfuego2010.com
The trip is also a fundraiser for the kayaking program of Achilles International,
an organization that helps disabled athletes participate in mainstream athletics. This past August, Mr. Demuth worked with amputees and blind
athletes from the Achilles Track Club to prepare for the New York Mayor's Cup, a 29 mile kayak race around Manhattan held anually
in October. The experience convinced him and Ms. Wruszek to use their Tierra del Fuego trip to raise money to fund the continuation of the Achilles kayaking program. Click here to donate to the fund.
 Cordillera Darwin (Southwest Tierra del Fuego)
Ray Fusco, the founder of the Mayor's Cup, helped send off the two athletes. "Traveling around Cape
Horn is historically famous for tough conditions and daunting weather," he said, describing Mr. Demuth and Ms. Wruszek as very active members of the waterfront community, belonging to
and participating in many organizations. "They are Mayor's Cup racers and winners!" he said. "Marcus has
trotted the globe on other expeditions and this is the first for Biff.
They are very fit and capable and I wish them all the best." |
Stormwater Grant Applications Now On-Line
The New York City
Department of Environmental Protection is soliciting stormwater best
management practice (BMP) and low impact development (LID) proposals for the
Gowanus Canal
and Flushing
Bay watersheds. DEP will award several
grants to projects that help to remove stormwater from the combined sewer
system and treat urban stormwater runoff prior to being discharged into local
waterways.
A total
of $2,900,000 will be available for potential projects. DEP plans to award $1,450,000
for projects within the Gowanus
Canal watershed and $1,450,000 within the
Flushing
Bay watershed. For more
information on the program, please visit DEP at:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/news/flushing_gowanus_watershed.shtml
Grant proposals are due February 26,
2010.
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Recent Waterfront News
Cleaning Up Newtown Creek
WNYC, December 15, 2009
A West Harlem Pier and Park Cost $20 Million to Build, Now Waiting to be Used
New York Daily News, December 14, 2009
Hudson River Park under pier pressure
New York Post, December 14, 2009
Battle Brews Over Gowanus Canal Clean-Up
WNYC, December 9, 2009
Stuy Town resident is putting on the pier pressure
The Villager, December 9, 2009
Once Avoided as a Cesspool, Gowanus Canal Is Now Hot Property
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 7, 2009
As Sewers Fill, Waste Poisons Waterways
The New York Times, November 22, 2009
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