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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.
Thursday, Jan. 21
New York Boat Show
10am-9pm
From yachts and cruisers to bass and pontoon boats, from canoes and
kayaks to fishing boats and personal watercraft, from electronics and
engines to fishing gear, from financing and insurance to travel
destinations, you'll see it here first. For boating and fishing enthusiasts. Through Jan. 24. $12. Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
655 West 34th Street
www.waterfrontalliance.org
Thursday, Jan. 21
Public Information Meeting on Gowanus Canal community involvement
7pm-9pm
Topics covered will
include the formation of a Community Advisory Group, Technical
Assistance Grant, and Technical Assistance Services for Communities.
This meeting will include a formal presentation followed by a question
and answer period. For more information or site related issues, contact
Natalie Loney, Community Involvement Coordinator, at (212) 637-3639 or
Christos Tsiamis, Remedial Project Manager, at (212) 637-4257.
www.gowanuscanal-conservancy.org
Saturday, Jan. 23
Hudson River Mythbusters
7pm
Truth or Urban Legend... you decide! Funded by
the New York Council for the Humanities. Free, with refreshments. 914-377-1900 x 13. 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers,
NY
Monday, Jan. 25
Gowanus a Go Go: Benefit Concert for the Gowanus Canal Conservancy
6:30pm
The Gowanus Canal Conservancy is hosting the first annual "Gowanus a Go
Go" benefit concert -- an
evening spotlighting some of the best bands of the New York City music
scene. $20. The Bell House (149 7th Street between 2nd and 3rd Ave., Brooklyn
www.gowanus canalconservancy.org
Tuesday, Jan. 26
Boating & Skills & Seamanship Course
7:30pm-9:30pm
Flotilla 11-3 of the US Coast Guard Auxilliary presents an
8-lesson Boating Skills & Seamship Course over seven weeks,
with an examination to follow the last week. Topics include
Which Boat is for You?
Equipment for your Boat
Trailering Your Boat
Handling Your Boat
Your "Highway Signs"
The Rules You must Follow
Inland Boating, & more. This course will satisfy the state requirements for the completion of a 'boating safety eduction course.$75.
Old Mill Yacht Club,
163-15 Crossbay Blvd.
Howard Beach
www.waterfrontalliance.org
Sunday, Jan. 31
Fort Tilden: Walk and Experience the Year's Lowest Tide
12:30pm
Join naturalist Mickey Maxwell Cohen for a tour of the beaches during the lowest tide of the year. Call ahead for reservations, (718) 318-4340.
http://nyharborparks.org/
Wednesday, Feb. 3
Ships, Explorers & the World Trade Center
11am
Ships and explorers have come to the Hudson River for 400 years. In
1916 the burnt timbers of what some believe is a 17th-century ship's
keel were discovered on the site of the future World Trade Center. An
ancient anchor and a Dutch cannon were recovered there in 1967. These
maritime relics are exhibited together in February 2010, along with a
model of a new ship that commemorates the World Trade Center and honors
America's maritime heritage. Today, exhibition preview & discussion, luncheon; fundraiser
11 am - Exhibition preview with Kent Barwick and Peter Stanford
12 noon - Dedication of World Trade Center Steel
Cocktails and Luncheon
1 pm -Remarks by Kent Barwick: The World Trade Center Anchor and the Elusive Search for History.
Peter Stanford receives the James A. Kelly Award
2:30 pm - Exhibition Guided Tour. To reserve tickets: info@indiahouse-foundation.org
Thursday, Feb. 4
"On the Waterfront" screening and presentation by maritime historian William Miller
6pm
William H. Miller ranks among the best guides to the Port of New York .
As a celebrated maritime author and international authority on ocean
liners and cruise ships, "Mr. Ocean Liner" has written over 60 books on
maritime subjects. His recently published On The Waterfront-The Great Ships of
Hoboken is a tribute to the once-booming waterfront of Hoboken and the
depth and complexities of that era. Sponsored by the Working Harbor Committee. Norwegian Seaman's Church, 317 East 52nd St.
www.workingharbor.com
Feb. 7
The Hudson: America's River
2pm
Drawing on the material in her recently-published book "The Hudson: America's River," Fran Dunwell will present a one-hour slide show and discussion. Her dramatic tales bring to life the stories of visionary people who change the direction of our national history even today, inspired by their deep relationship with the river. Using images of Hudson River School paintings, maps and period engravings, she captures the spirit of the river through the eyes of its many admirers. Her talk recounts how the Hudson River powered the growth of the country's greatest industrial and financial empire and also produced leading American artists, writers, engineers and environmentalists.
The book is the winner of the
2008 John Lyman book award of the North American Society for Oceanic History.
New-York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
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In a Sweeping Commitment to the Urban Shoreline, NY State Dept. of State Funds Waterfront Revitalization Throughout NYC
$23.8 million in grants is awarded across New York State;
Of that, $8.9 million will flow to projects in New York City
New waterfront parks to be created, new docks to be built,
new shoreline paths to open, new maritime education
programs to be offered, and much more
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On the penultimate day of 2009, December 30, New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez announced $23.8 million would be funneled from the state's Environmental Protection Fund to waterfront revitalization projects across the state. Nearly $9 million of this will flow to projects in New York City. "This is a major commitment to urban waterfront access," said Roland Lewis, president of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, which received $150,000 to build and install state-of-the-art Eco-Docks around the city. Read on for a synopsis of other NYC projects receiving Dept. of State grants.
BRONX
- Installation
of a Fish Passage at the 182nd Street Dam on the Bronx River
The Parks Dept.'s Natural Resources Group will design and construct an anadromous fish passage at
the 182nd Street Dam (at River Park and the southern boundary of the
Bronx Zoo) to implement part of the Watershed Management Plan for the Bronx River. This fish ladder project
will allow alewives  and blueback herring to get upstream on the Bronx
River, which, as research several years ago showed, has been mostly
impossible since the 1600s when dams were built that effectively cut
off fish migration. The DOS grant will also fund improvements to canoe
portage for the hundreds of paddlers who must bypass the dam each year,
as well as pilot an environmental education and conservation training
program, and monitor the upstream fish migration. At right, Congressman
Jose Serrano releases alewife into the Bronx River in the
reintroduction of alewife to the river in 2006. Click here to get to an interactive map of the Bronx River and for access to its Ecological Restoration and Management Plan.
- Total Project Cost: $1,389,156
Amount Awarded: $446,800
- Implementation of Shoelace Master Plan
The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (Parks Dept.), in partnership
with the Bronx River Alliance, will use a $350,000 grant to implement the
Shoelace Park Master Plan. Shoelace Park is a one-mile ribbon of parkland along the Bronx River extending from
East 233rd Street to Duncomb Avenue in the Williamsbridge section of the
North Bronx.
Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects is working on the master plan and has already hosted a charrette with the local community. Work will include stormwater and erosion
control mitigation, streambank stabilization techniques and control of
invasive vegetation.
- Project Cost: $4,691,350 Amount Awarded: $350,000
Bronx Kill Boat Launches
The NYC Department of Small Business Services in partnership
with the City's Economic Development Corporation will design and
construct two small boat launches on the Bronx Kill. The launches will
create the only access point for small watercraft along the southern
border of the Bronx for the City's growing Water Trail. Funding will support
design and construction activities, as well as structural materials,
directional signage and post-construction shoreline restoration.- Project Cost: $400,000 Amount Awarded: $200,000
BROOKLYN
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Waterfront improvements at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
The City's Small Business Services, in
partnership with the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corp., will
undertake planning and design for the upgrade and rehabilitation of
deteriorated waterfront facilities at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, one of six remaining Significant Maritime and Industrial Areas on the City's 578-mile shoreline. The project
includes analysis, design, construction documents and permitting for an
upgrade to the bulkheads forming the Barge Basin; analysis, design,
construction documents and permitting for the full restoration of Dry Dock 4; and planning for dredging and disposal
options for Wallabout Bay to sustain ship repair functions and safe
navigation. The project builds upon the Economic Development Corporation's Maritime Support Services Location Study.
- Total Project Cost: $2,100,000 Amount Awarded: $1,050,000
CITYWIDE
NYC Comprehensive Waterfront Plan: Vision 2020The City's Dept. of City Planning will produce a new
ten-year Comprehensive Waterfront Plan (originally adopted by the City Council in 1997) and revise the City's Waterfront Revitalization Program (originally created in 1982 and revised in 1999). The planning process will include an updated
assessment of waterfront resources for the areas of
natural, public, working and developing waterfronts; produce a
statement of planning policy for the waterfront with consideration of
the ten-year capital strategy, four-year capital plan and community
board 197-a plans; and generate proposals for implementing the planning
policy. - Total Project Cost: $950,000 Amount Awarded: $475,000
Urban Park Rangers: Adapting to Climate Change in New York CityThe Parks Dept.'s Urban Park Rangers will develop new curriculum and run waterfront programs for students and residents focusing on climate change. The programs will take place in Marine Park (Brooklyn), Pelham Bay Park (Bronx), and Fort Totten Park (Queens). - Total Project Cost: $627,290 Amount Awarded: $313,645
Catalyst for Neighborhood Parks: Reclaiming the WaterfrontAs part of its Catalyst For Neighborhood Parks initiative focusing on
underserved, densely-populated communities that are cut off from their
waterfront, the Parks Dept., in
collaboration with the City Parks Foundation, will revitalize and
provide public access to more than 350 acres of significant, underused
waterfront parkland. These park improvements will be located at
Soundview Park (where the Bronx River opens into the East River), East River Park in Lower Manhattan,
and Calvert Vaux Park and Kaiser Park in Coney Island.
Work will include visioning with community
stakeholders, development of outreach materials, planning pilot
events and small-scale physical improvement projects, and providing
technical assistance. - Total Project Cost: $950,000 Amount Awarded: $475,000
Community Eco-DocksIn partnership
with the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, the Parks Dept. will foster the development of Eco-Docks and their integration into the NYC Water Trail. New Eco-Docks will be put in the water at Dyckman
Marina in Manhattan and at the 69th Street Pier in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Eco-Docks at Governors Island and, eventually, at Pier 26 will be incorporated
into the Water Trail. MWA will undertake community outreach, while the Parks Dept. will perform site analysis, produce
final design and construction documents, obtain appropriate
permits, and draft maintenance and operating plans for each dock
in collaboration with community organizations. A feasibility
assessment for three more potential Eco-Dock sites will be conducted. - Total Project Cost: $340,610 Amount Awarded: $150,000
MANHATTAN
- East Midtown Waterfront Park and Esplanade
The City's Small Business Services and EDC will advance
planning and preliminary design for waterfront amenities along the East
River between East 38th Street and East 61st Street. When
completed, the project will fill a major gap in the Manhattan Greenway,
a 32-mile waterfront path around Manhattan that remains disconnected in parts. In this section, the FDR Drive and the United Nations campus block waterfront access.
- Total Project Cost: $800,000 Amount Awarded: $400,000
East River Blueway TrailThe
Manhattan Borough President will complete plans for the future Blueway
Trail in the
East River from East 38th Street to the Brooklyn Bridge. Christine
Datz-Romero, executive director of the Lower East Side Ecology Center,
explained that the Blueway Trail will focus on waterfront access and is complementary to the NYC Water Trail.
"We are very interested in a floating
swimming pool in the stretch below 14th Street," she added. "The pool
would be a way to address the issue of water quality in the East River.
You need people to get in the water to care about it." - Total Project Cost: $2,874,878 Amount Awarded: $650,000
Randall's Island Living ShorelineThe Parks Dept., in a
public-private partnership with the Randall's Island Sports Foundation,
will use a $1.5 million grant to pay for the design and demolition of the failing
seawall, construction and landscaping of the living shoreline, as well
as construction of the 2.2 acre recreation area with a connecting
pathway, benches, picnic tables, drinking fountain, trees and boat
launch. This will replace
550 feet of crumbling seawall with stabilizing
infrastructure that will allow non-motorized small boat access and
will also foster marine habitat, improving ecological function and water
quality. - Total Project Cost: $8,008,499 Amount Awarded: $1,558,499
QUEENS
Public access and habitat restoration at Beach 80th MarinaThe City's Small Business Services and the EDC will construct
waterfront public access at Barbadoes Basin on Jamaica Bay. The project will complement a private project to develop a
vacant waterfront site with a two-story building with retail,
restaurant, docks and parking and associated public waterfront access. Improvements will include restoration of 68,500 sf of tidal
wetland and construction of walking paths, a put-in for non-motorized
small watercraft, fishing pier, community garden, boardwalk, flower
garden, lighting, seating, and landscaped overlook area. The site is
located within the Jamaica Bay Special Natural Waterfront Area and will
include stormwater control features. - Total Project Cost: $2,800,000 Amount Awarded: $1,400,000
Jamaica Bay Habitat RestorationThe Parks Dept.'s Natural Resource
Group, through its Rockaway Waterfront Access Program, will restore 12+ acres of maritime forest and wetland habitat along the Jamaica
Bay shoreline by removing vegetation
in preparation for the creation of waterside trails. The GreenApple Corps, the Parks Dept.'s public service
initiative, will engage and partner with the broader Jamaica Bay
community through coastal clean-ups and enhanced coastal education
programs to build stewardship and the sustainability of the Jamaica Bay
watershed. - Total Project Cost: $855,060 Amount Awarded: $427,530
STATEN ISLAND
High Rock Park Natural Area Restoration (Phase I)The Greenbelt consists of more than 2,800 acres of woods, wetlands and meadows in central Staten Island. Collaborating with the Greenbelt Conservancy, the Parks Dept. will restore the Greenbelt's 90-acre High Rock Park. The project will include eradicating non-native invasive species and the planting of endemic
species. The grant also covers three internships, community
outreach and monitoring as outlined in the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary Program Habitat Workgroup 2001 Status Report. - Total Project Cost: $910,380 Amount Awarded: $447,000
Freshkills Park: North Park Signature Features and Educational OutreachThe Parks Dept. will continue its transformation of the Fresh Kills Landfill into a new 2,200-acre park through the development of one of the project's components, North Park. North Park, which is adjacent to Staten Island's Travis neighborhood, will eventually feature
natural settings -- meadows, wetlands and creeks -- with paths, scenic overlooks, and activities such as fishing and bird-watching. This grant will allow nine acres to be cultivated as a
seed farm and tree nursery. A comfort station with composting toilets will be installed. A 0.6-mile long pathway will be created and at its end, a two-story bird observation tower will
overlook water.
- Total Project Cost: $2,500,000 Amount Awarded: $1,250,000
Click on this image of the future Freshkills Park's North Park to hear birdsong as recorded in Freshkills in 1995. © 1995, by Mierle Laderman Ukeles,
commissioned by the Percent for Art Program, NYC Dept of Cultural
Affairs, and the NYC Dept of Sanitation).
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New Park Planned for Jamaica Bay Shoreline
The Port Authority's Hudson-Raritan Estuary Program partners with the Trust for Public Land to acquire 500 feet of shoreline for public access
At the end of December, the Trust for Public Land announced that a new waterfront park will be created at Beach 88th Street in Queens. Part of Jamaica Bay, the 1.26-acre site was originally slated for housing development. Purchased with financial assistance from the Port of New York and New Jersey's Hudson-Raritan Estuary Program, the new park is expected to host activities such as fishing, picnicking, and launching
human-powered boats.
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Three Days of Workshops, Speakers and
Field Trips at the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education Conference
Environmental educators will be flocking to the 25th annual conference of the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE), January 28 through 30 in Plainsboro, NJ, where they will be able to improve their professional knowledge and instruction skills in the areas of sustainability, stewardship of ecological systesm, environmental health, understanding and awareness of ecological systems, and "delivering the goods." Cheryl Charles, president and cofounder of the Children and Nature Network, will give the keynote speech, in which she will address the growing disconnect between children and nature.
Cost per person is $25, which includes all three days of the conference, plus a reception on the evening of January 29. Registration is open at www.anjee.net.
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New York Adventurers Brave
Exciting Waters Around the Globe
1,000 days or 1,000 miles; either way, it's a feat!
Reid Stowe, sailing for more than 1,000 days and still going strong;
Biff Wruszek & Marcus Demuth, paddling 1,000 miles near Antarctica
 On January 16, 2010, New York City artist and sailor Reid Stowe -- on his home-built, 70-foot, gaff-rigged schooner, the Anne -- accomplished his goal of remaining at sea for 1,000
days (2 years, 7 months and 4 days) without touching land or taking on supplies. In the process, he set or broke four world records. Go to www.1000days.net to hear an audio message from Mr. Stowe recorded on the thousandth day, see the route of the Anne and read communication between Mr. Stowe and scientists studying endurance and isolation. Mr. Stowe named this adventure the Mars Ocean Odyssey because he sees parallels between a long sea voyage and a space expedition. On Day 715
(April 7, 2009), in fact, he participated by satellite phone in the
NASA Contact Conference on space travel and psychology.
Mr. Stowe departed from Pier 63 Maritime (now Pier 66 Maritime) on
April 21, 2007 (see photos at right), accompanied by his girlfriend and first mate,
Soanya Ahmad. The Anne had three years worth of food, solar panels, large tarps to catch rainwater, a laptop and a Metocean tracking unit that would verify the path of
the 1000-day voyage. They sailed through storms and survived a collision with a freighter.
They admired dawns and sunsets, flying fish and schools of dolphins. Near Australia, Ms. Ahmad experienced what they thought was debilitating seasickness. She was transferred to another
boat, which ferried her to back to land where it was confirmed she was
pregnant. She returned to New York to have her son, now a year old.
As Ms. Ahmad writes, Mr. Stowe
"continued on alone to face the infamous Cape Horn, sail after sail
blowing out, low water supplies, one knockdown, and a broken
desalinator." Unbowed, Mr. Stowe wrote in his journal, "I
want to inspire people of spirit to venture where they will and
tolerate no hindrance to their seeking." On Day 970, the computer broke down. Mr. Stowe now communicates by telephone. Click here to see Mr. Stowe's current location off the coast of Africa.
Mr. Stowe would have had to sail through the North Atlantic when winter storms are at their peak in order to return to New York Harbor on January 16, the thousandth day of the voyage. Instead, he plans to return the third week of June 2010. If you'd
like to be a part of the flotilla accompanying the Anne up the Hudson River, contact soanya@1000days.net.
MEANWHILE, IN THE ANTARCTIC
As Mr. Stowe adds days to his record-breaking feat, NYC kayakers Marcus Demuth and Biff Wruszek are closing in on their own benchmark of 1,000 -- 1,000 miles, that is. As WaterWire readers will recall from a December story, Mr. Demuth and Ms. Wruszek flew from New York to the southernmost tip of South America in December to prepare to circumnavigate Tierra del Fuego, the landmass closest to Antarctica. They thought the trip would take about 60 days. 
The adventure got underway in the last days of December and the two paddlers were immediately beset by drama and wild weather. You can zoom in on satellite photographs and view their daily progress by clicking here, and read the fascinating blog of their adventures by clicking on http://tierradelfuego2010.com. Usually Ms. Wruszek or Mr. Demuth posts entries, but on January 16, their friend Adam, stateside, posted this entry, entitled "Holed Up in Paradise":
"Just had a phone call from the dynamic duo and they are waiting out
high winds before they make the move around the bottom. It's 35 miles
till their next spot [where] they can stop at for the night so they need perfect
weather, since this is the most difficult of the seas they need to go
through apparently. Thanks to Margaret who gave them a weather report,
they think they will make the rounding attempt on Monday or Tuesday. Bad weather is supposed to come back in on Wednesday. If you zoom in on
their GPS spot, you can see them in a cove with a huge beach and some
buildings. Apparently one of the building is fully stocked for
travelers, so they are having a very comfortable 2 days with a generator
and everything. The report from Biff is that it's one of the most
beautiful places she has ever seen."
Two days later, on Monday, Jan. 18, Mr. Demuth posted this entry: "After waiting for favorable (and low) winds for 2 days in the abandoned
building of the Estancia Espagnol in Puerto Aguierre, we made today the
very much feared (at least by me) 40 Miles and 13 hours trip from
Puerto Aguierre to Bahya Bueno Suceso, mostly along cliffs with no
landing possibilities." He goes on. They go on.
 Cordillera Darwin (Southwest Tierra del Fuego)
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Welcome to the Waterfront!
More than 400 Partners strong, and expanding every week, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is more than a coalition; it's a force. We are ferry captains, shipping executives, park directors, scientists, sailors, paddlers, swimmers, teachers, urban planners, architects and more. Together, we advocate for the best possible waterfront in the best possible city, a waterfront that is clean and accessible to all, with a robust maritime workforce and efficient, affordable waterborne transportation. Join us! Contact Louis Kleinman at lkleinman@waterfrontalliance.org NEW MWA PARTNERS
- Society for the Education of American Sailors www.sailseas.com
SEAS is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to the teaching of sailing skills and the sport of sailing. The four New York/New Jersey metropolitan area chapters welcome sailors of all skill levels, as well as those interested in learning how to sail. Each chapter offers a variety of sailing classes from beginning through advanced cruising and navigation courses. Classes are taught by SEAS members who have been certified as sailing instructors by the Red Cross.
- Earth Celebrations www.earthcelebrations.com
Earth Celebrations fosters ecological awareness through the arts, addressing climate change, river species, habitat restoration, and the preservation of community gardens, parks, and a healthy urban environment in New York City with pageantry and puppetry. Earth Celebrations will be leading free workshops in costume making and giant puppetry at the World Financial Center in March and April, in preparation for the annual Hudson River Pageant on May 22. - Urbanvision Consulting www.urbaviscon.com
An urban planning and development group, Urbanvision Consulting employs an eco-conscious and holistic approach to comprehensive
regeneration of cities, and is devoted to a sustainable future. - Earth Matter http://earthmatter.org
Earth Matter NY, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the art, science, and application of composting in and around New York City. Earth Matter NY seeks to reduce the organic waste misdirected into the garbage stream by encouraging neighbor participation and leadership in composting.
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