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Announcing 2010's Best Waterfront
Day Trips! Click here to see MWA's first installment in the series.
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This beautiful shot is from Jennifer Wise Merendino's cellphone on May 1, 2010, when she and her Empire Dragon Boat teammates met with other generous citizens to pick up trash along and in the Flushing Bay waterfront. See the story below about the event and the team.
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GET INVOLVED! Help update the Comprehensive
Waterfront Plan. The Bronx and Brooklyn workshops have taken place already, but there are still four workshops to go. See below.
| QUEENS WORKSHOP June 2, 2010, 6-8:30 pm York College Health and Physical
Education Building 160-02 Liberty Avenue,
Jamaica MANHATTAN WORKSHOP June 8, 2010, 6-8:30 pm Murry Bergtraum
High School 411 Pearl St. Manhattan
STATEN
ISLAND WORKSHOP June 28, 2010, 6-8:30 pm Spiro Hall, Wagner
College One Campus
Road, Staten Island BLUE NETWORK AND CITYWIDE ISSUES
WORKSHOP June 24, 2010, 6:30-9 pm PS 234 292 Greenwich
St.,
Manhattan The Blue Network is the term for our waterways themselves. This sixth workshop will examine and discuss the opportunities to use NYC waterways for recreation, transportation and education. The ecology of the water bodies will be discussed, as will the city's resilience to climate change and sea level rise. More information about these workshops and Vision 2020 can be found at www.nyc.gov/waterfront
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Events on the Waterfront Click on the links for more information about these events. A detailed calendar of events may be found at www.waterfrontalliance.org/calendar
| May 20 Parks Advocacy Day 8:30a, NYU Kimmel Center's Rosenthal Pavilion, 60 Washington Square South Info session: Hudson-Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan 3p and 6p, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center, Cross Bay Blvd, Queens Seminar: North River Sail & Power Squadron series 6p, 283 Lexington Ave @ 37th Street Open House: Food & Water Watch of New Jersey 6:30p, 100 Bayard Street, Suite 301 New Brunswick, NJ Benefit: Rock the Dock Hudson River Community Sailing 7p, Pier 66 Maritime Meeting: Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee presentation 7p, 3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx May 22 Family program: Seining the River Wild 9:30a, Brooklyn Bridge Park Kayak: Kayak & Beach Cleanup 10a, MacNeil Park, College Point, Queens Beach Clean-up 11a, Beach 25th Street & beach boardwalk, Rockaways Celebration and parade: Hudson River Pageant 1pm, start at World Financial Ctr Plaza Reception: Tugboats/Waterfront Scenes 3pm, Waterfront Museum, foot of Conover Street, Red Hook, across from Fairway May 23 Volunteer: Lilac Preservation Project 10a, Pier 40 Walk: East River Infrastructure & Talking Trash 11a, Socrates Sculpture Park Walk: Jerome Park Reservoir 11a, Bedford Park Boulevard and Goulden Avenue, Bronx Bike Tour: Brooklyn Navy Yard 1:45p Fundraiser: Art, Wine and Wetlands Conservation 2p, Hiram Blauvelt Art Museum, Oradell, NJ May 24 Meeting: Newtown Creek Alliance 6p, Red Star Bar, 37 Greenpoint Ave. May 26 Celebration: Fleet Week 8:30a, Hudson River Meeting: Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse 6p, Water Street Restaurant, 66 Water St. Celebration: Beczak Environmental Education Center 20th Anniversary 6:30p, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers May 29 Open House: Sebago Canoe Club 10a, Paerdegat Basin, Foot of Ave. N Swim: Great Hudson River Swim Program: Qajaq USA & NYC International Polar Festival 12p, Amer. Museum of Natural History Jamaica Bay Ecology Cruise 2p, Pier 2, Sheepshead Bay May 30 Walk: The Old Croton Aqueduct 9:30a, Bedford Park Boulevard and Goulden Avenue, Bronx June 1 Seminar: Influence of Storms on Sediment Transport in the Hudson River Estuary 10:30a, Hudson River Foundation, 17 Battery Place, Suite 915
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MWA Blue Bulletin Board
| Announcements from WaterWorldCALLING ALL VESSELSAll vessels are invited to gather in a flotilla on June 17, 2010 to greet NYC artist, adventurer and sailor Reid Stowe, sailing home on his 70-foot gaff-rigged schooner Anne after 1,151 days at sea. See www.1000days.net. Please respond to John@DoswellProductions.com___________ Announcements from MWATo volunteer for the 3rd annual CITY OF WATER DAY FESTIVAL
on July 24, 2010, please contact Louis KleinmanMWA HAS MOVED
Come see us at 241 Water Street, 3rd FloorNew York, NY 10038. MWA EMAIL ADDRESSESOur waterwire.net addresses are no longer in service. All MWA emails end in waterfrontalliance.org. |
Join Our List
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CONTENTS: May 20, 2010
| Comprehensive Waterfront Plan Workshops Have you participated yet? Restoration of Lincoln Park Wetlands Agencies collaborate to create 35 acres of marshland Dragon Boat Team Cleans Up Flushing Bay Shoreline A clean environment is important to everyone Register for the City of Water Day Partner Fair on July 24 How to reach hundreds of people and have fun A Fish Called Robin Explore the world of the Northern Sea Robin with The River Project A Boat Called Bird The Village Community Boathouse launches a new gig There's a River Along Riverdale? You'd never know MWA Introduces "2010's Best Day Trips to the Waterfront In which we suggest great ways to explore this region's wonderful shoreline Meet Some MWA Partners!
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COMPREHENSIVE WATERFRONT PLAN WORKSHOPS
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| First two workshops are exceptionally fruitful
As City planners and waterfront leaders hoped, opinionated and impassioned NYC residents turned out to participate in the first two public workshops to update the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. Bronx residents gathered on May 12 (see photo above) and Brooklynites on May 17. "I was delighted to see close to 100 members of the
public attend the Bronx workshop," said Dept. of City Planning (DCP) Commissioner Amanda Burden, who was reached before the Brooklyn workshop took place. "In each of the four discussion groups, I was
struck by the high level of knowledge not only about the opportunities that
each of the Bronx waterways offers, but also about the challenges associated
with each site. Their passion and interest was remarkable. It was rewarding to
see how each group worked collectively to establish a set of priorities for
each neighborhood's waterfront." At the workshops, Dept.of City Planning project director Michael Marrella began by describing each borough's areas of focus, known as "reaches." In the Bronx there are four reaches: the area of the Hudson River, Harlem River and western Bronx; Randall's Island and the East River area of the Hunts Point Market; both sides of the Bronx River up to the Westchester border; and the area of Pelham Bay Park, Orchard Beach, Hutchinson River, Eastchester Bay and northeast Bronx. A snapshot of the activity at one Bronx workshop table provides a sense of the ambitious program. Here, residents of Co-Op City discussed their concerns and hopes for the waterfront with City planners, members of the Hutchinson River Restoration Project, representatives from the office of City Council member Annabel Palma, a member of the City Island Civic Association, and others. One of the largest housing developments in the world with 50,000 residents, Co-Op City lies at the shores of the Hutchinson River (see photo below) but people are kept from the water by a fence. Residents implored the City for waterfront access.
Addressing the same waterway from another angle, representatives of the Hutchinson River Restoration Project (HRRP) emphasized the need for environmental clean-up, which should start with identification of the river on city maps where it is often left unnamed. Eleanor Raye, president of the HRRP, later reported a very positive experience. "Usually I come home from meetings like this and crawl in the door because I'm so discouraged, but this time I can't tell you how positive I feel," she said. "We were able to say something that was meaningful and people were able to hear us." In Brooklyn, which was divided into six reaches, discussions centered around maintaining industrial and business activity, increasing access and public open space, and environmental improvement. One table discussed remediation and better boat access for Coney Island Creek, along with better transportation to and opportunities for parking. Another table explored better water accessibility near the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges and at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. A third table debated what has sometimes been a clash between maritime-dependent job retention and greater public access to the waterfront. For a NY1 piece on the Brooklyn workshop, click here. See the box at left for dates and information on the remaining Comprehensive Waterfront Plan workshops. (back to top)
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MARSHLAND IS RESTORED IN MODEL NEW JERSEY PROJECT
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Army Corps, NOAA and others collaborate on Lincoln Park
Long a garbage dump, the shores of Lincoln Park in Jersey City are being restored to 35 acres of vital wetlands with a new public trail and bridge. Waterfront advocates and agency heads are hailing the project, saying it represents creative thinking and outstanding collaboration between federal, state and local partners. As seen in the photo above, with the Pulaski Skyway crossing the Hackensack River in the distance, officials gathered at Lincoln Park on Earth Day, April 22, to celebrate the project. "As many of you know, we have been working with the Port Authority in the deepening of the channels into the Port of New York and Jersey," said Colonel John Boul�, District Commander for the Army Corps of Engineers' New York District, as he explained the project's history. "The Port is of critical economic importance to the regional economy. But the Port is also located within the Hudson-Raritan estuary, which has very important ecological value. During the planning for the project, the project partners, which included both shipping and environmental interests, developed a vision of what became known as a 'World Class Harbor Estuary.' The concept is that a world-class port, world-class navigation channels and a world-class sustainable estuary are compatible and interdependent." The NJ Department of Environmental Protection was awarded $10.6 million to rehabilitate Lincoln Park in National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal and Marine Habitat
Restoration funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009. Working with government agencies, the contractor Green
Construction and the Port Authority of NY and NJ to coordinate funding and wetlands design, the Army Corps delivered 350,000 cubic yards of clean sand dredged from Anchorage Channel in the Upper Bay to Lincoln Park. Col. Boul� reminded his audience that the Corps has promised to utilize all of the 42 million cubic yards of dredged material in environmentally beneficial ways. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke (the man in the blue shirt at left walking with Hudson County's Ken Jennings and NJDEP's David Bean across the clean sand that will form the base of the new Lincoln Park wetland) was another featured speaker at the event. "This project is of course about conservation and preserving America's environment. But it also gives us a glimpse into our possible economic future as well," he said. "This past summer President Obama noted that there is a lot of misinformation out there that there's somehow a contradiction between a clean economy and economic growth. There is no contradiction, and this wetlands project proves this very point. This funding will enable an ecological oasis to be created right outside New York City. It will benefit a wide variety of fish and wildlife. And it will also benefit people right here in New Jersey. This project will have created 40 full-time jobs for workers who had previously been unemployed." (back to top)Top two photos courtesy Army Corps of Engineers; bottom photo courtesy NOAA
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EMPIRE DRAGON BOAT TEAM CLEANS UP FLUSHING BAY
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On May 1, the women of the Empire Dragon Boat Team gathered friends, family and fellow rowers and paddlers who practice at the World's Fair Marina and cleaned the Flushing Bay waterfront. Some picked up trash along the shore and some skimmed garbage from the water by boat. "This was a great way to do something for the community, for the environment and for our health," said Jennifer Wise Merendino, who, with Donna Wilson, founded the dragon boat team last year. "There's a lot of run-off there, so a lot of trash gets washed up on the side. We wanted to be a part of making it a better place." Formed of women who have survived cancer, the Empire Dragon Boat Team members are a special crew. "The Chinese dragon boat tradition is one in which all team members work
together, each pair of paddlers representing part of the dragon's body
-- the head, the heart, the muscles -- paddling in synchronicity and
perfect balance to make progress. That is what the Empire Dragon Boat
team of women's cancer survivors do -- work together, rely on each
other, support each other, share the ups and downs of living with
cancer, and recognize from hard experience that exercise is crucial to
our physical and emotional balance," explains Diane Miller on the group's web site. This year, the Empire Dragon Boat team will be competing in three races, two in New Jersey and one -- the annual huge, colorful Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival -- in Flushing Meadows Park on August 7 and 8. Every week they practice and get stronger and fiercer. But they keep a balanced perspective, which includes attention to their environment. "Our environment is important to our health," said Ms. Merendino. "We really try to make sure
we're doing the best we can for the environment. Our racing shirts are made of recycled materials. Our fundraisers
support environmental groups. It feels really good." Click here to see the Empire Dragon Boat Team in action. (back to top)
Photos courtesy of Empire Dragon Boat
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HERE'S A GREAT WAY TO LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION!
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Register to participate at City of Water Day, where you'll connect with hundreds of people This
year, the third annual City of Water Day on July 24 will take place at
no fewer than three waterfront venues -- at Governors Island, Liberty State Park,
and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Promising to be a blockbuster event that will
showcase the diversity and magnificence of our
waterfront, City of Water Day is a terrific opportunity for
water-related organizations to get the word out about your mission and programs to the public. The photos at left and below were taken at last year's festival.
The
strength of the waterfront movement is the diverse network of
Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance Partners, all committed to improving our waterfront. We encourage and welcome you to participate at the City of Water
Day 2010 Alliance Partner Fair. Put your own stamp on your exhibit: a
simple display is fine, or hold a demonstration, offer an activity or
provide arts and
crafts or other entertainment. Whatever you chose to do, you are
guaranteed to get hundreds, if not thousands, of viewers. Click here to sign up for the Partner Fair -- and start planning your exhibit now. See you July 24! (back to top)
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THE RIVER PROJECT RELEASES A NEW EDUCATIONAL DVD
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Life at the Bottom
If you were a beautiful Northern Sea Robin with reddish gold fins that spread like wings, you would be happy swimming along the bottom of the cool, dark Hudson River. See what it's like to be a Northern Sea Robin living mid-stream in the Hudson -- order "Life at the Bottom," the new educational DVD produced by The River Project that has narrated underwater footage and interviews with eminent scientists, including professor and best-selling author ("Heartbeats in the Muck," "100 Weird Ways to Catch a Fish") John Waldman. The Northern Sea Robin at right was caught near
Pier 40, a surprisingly interesting habitat due to the old pilings on
the north side. "It's dark and mysterious," Chris Anderson, head
educator and diver for The River Project. "It's unnatural because the
pilings are manmade -- but they help preserve the biodiversity and
aquatic life that would have been there hundreds of years ago. We've
altered the banks of New York City so much with cement bulkheads that
the only habitat left for a lot of these organisms is those wooden
piles." On his dives into what's left of Pier 42, Mr. Anderson sees
"live oysters gathering together, red algae, different sponges, mud
crabs and shrimp." The DVD will be released on June 17 at a special screening and reception hosted by The River Project, Electra Information Systems and SWIFT, and will take place at the SWIFT offices, 7 Times Square, floor 45, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. At the event, landscape architect Marcha Johnson will present The River Project's proposal for the Tribeca waterfront. "Marcha will discuss how we plan to
return to Pier 26 and what we propose for there and the habitat
pier, Pier 32," said River Project founder and director Cathy Drew. To attend the presentation or order a DVD, go to the web site of The River Project or call 212-233-3030. (back to top) |
WATER FOWL WITH OARS, NOT WINGS
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New boat, "Bird," is launched May 14 Bird, a 27-foot Whitehall gig, is the latest addition to the fleet at the Village Community Boathouse on Pier 40. It is the fourth such gig built for VCB by students at Eugene Lang College, the undergraduate arm of The New School. Their course, called "Lang on the Hudson," combines boatbuilding and rowing with the study of the history, ecology and contemporary politics of the harbor. Students at Stuyvesant High School and volunteers from the community also lent a hand in Bird's construction.
Construction started in October 2009 and continued over the winter in a heated boat shop on the south side of the pier. VCB gigs are built of plywood and epoxy, but based on a traditional New York Harbor design that dates from the 1820s; they're fast, safe, and carry a small sailing rig as well as four sweep oars.
VCB is open for free community rowing after work on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, and Sundays at noon, from April to November.
- Rob Buchanan Top photo by Elisa Deljanin, bottom two photos by Rob Buchanan (back to top) |
THERE'S A RIVER NEAR RIVERDALE?
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| Photo by Jeremiah Cox | Despite the neighborhood's name, Riverdale denizens cannot easily get to the water
"We've got no access to the water, except for one tiny sliver of a fishing pier sandwiched in between the Metro North tracks and the Hudson River," said Yael Levy of Riverdale, a leafy Bronx community that is NYC's northernmost neighborhood. "People here seem to be oblivious to the water." Ms. Levy, a lawyer and Community Board 8 member, decided this was unconscionable. She contacted fellow Riverdale resident Paul Elston, President of the Friends of the Hudson River Greenway, and together they are producing the first ever Riverdale Riverfest on June 13. "The time has come to show our elected officials and the mayor that we care about water access," Ms. Levy declared. The Riverdale Riverfest -- whose purpose is to call attention to the lack of waterfront access and the Greenway design, and to "unite people around the river" -- will take place from 1pm to 5pm at the College of Mount St. Vincent, overlooking the Hudson River. For this event, the college will unlock the gate that prohibits people from crossing the railroad tracks, and allow visitors down to the water. Ms. Levy expects to host kayakers, the Mystic Whaler and the fireboat John J. Harvey. "We have to create momentum," she said, "and the only way to do that is to bring people to the water's edge and say, 'See what is so close to you! Look at the possibilities!' " The seeds of the Riverdale Riverfest were sown last November, when Ms. Levy saw proposals by the NY Metropolitan Transportation Council for the Bronx link of the East Coast Greenway. Of the four possible routes put forth, only one wended along the waterfront. This drew the best response from those viewing the designs -- but also possesses the most challenging logistics due to the Metro North tracks that run between the Hudson River and Riverdale. "Logistical details about rights of way and train tracks may be even greater impediments than funding," Ms. Levy said. "I thought, 'What can we do?' " Inspired by a film about Pete Seeger and the sloop Clearwater, whose mission it is to protect the Hudson, Ms. Levy had an idea: produce a festival in Riverdale patterned after the famous, annual Clearwater Festival. "We hope that RiverFest will demonstrate our community's
interest in the Hudson River, in access to the River and in the
Greenway Link - a linear biking and walking path that is actually on
the waterfront and connects Riverdale with Manhattan and Westchester,
and connects Manhattan with Westchester through the Bronx," said Mr. Elston. "We believe
there is room on the waterfront for both the railroad and the Greenway,
and we hope that this demonstration of community interest will
galvanize the efforts of our government officials and overcome the
resistance of the railroads." (back to top) |
JUST IN TIME FOR SUMMER: A BIWEEKLY GUIDE TO THE AREA'S BEST WATERFRONT SPOTS
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MWA introduces "2010's Best Waterfront Day Trips"
It's no secret that the coastlines of New York and New Jersey have become generally much cleaner and more accessible -- but many people still don't know how to get to all the new waterfront parks, paths and piers that have opened in recent years. WaterWire to the rescue! With this and subsequent editions of WaterWire, we present "2010's Best Day Trips to the Waterfront." Make this the summer that you discover more of this unique urban archipelago's beautiful shoreline. DAY TRIP #1 Liberty State Park Jersey City, NJ
If it's space you crave at the waterfront, head west and grab a Statue Cruises water taxi bound for Liberty State Park across the Hudson River. Seven dollars and ten minutes later you'll disembark at Liberty Landing Marina, a sea of bobbing boats before you (see photo above). Think of Dorothy starting her journey from Oz, and step onto the extra-wide Liberty State Park Promenade that lines this part of the Jersey shore for two glorious, windswept miles. Comfortably accommodating pedestrians and cyclists and banked by sweeping waterfront lawns -- great for flying kites on the river breezes -- the promenade offers incomparable vistas of New York Harbor. Click here to see a map. On this trip, you can - Walk, jog, bicycle or rollerblade along the waterfront.
- Land or launch your kayak (call the park office at 201-915-3440 for details).
- Birdwatch, fly a kite, have a picnic.
- Go fishing or crabbing (common species include bluefish, shad, striped bass and blue claw
crabs. Follow all local laws and consumption advisories. For details, contact the park office).
- Drop anchor at Liberty Landing. Need some fishing tackle? Navigational equipment? Visit the Liberty Landing Marine Center (201-433-3009).
- Wander the self-guided path through part of the 36-acre Richard J.
Sullivan Natural Area, one of the few remaining tidal marshes of the
Hudson River Estuary.
- Explore the historic Central Rail Road of New Jersey terminal (see contemporary and historic photos at right), built in 1864 when this area was a freight and passenger transportation hub.
- Take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (get tickets in the CRRNJ terminal).
- Grab the shuttle to the Liberty Science Center (home to the nation's largest IMAX dome theater).
- Hungry? For a dollar, the water taxi will ferry you to the other side of the narrow Morris Canal to Jersey City proper, where you'll find plenty of good eats within a ten-minute walk. Capt. Jim Chambers of Statue Cruises and Osprey Maritime Services knows the area well. He recommends:
Presto's Italian restaurant, 199 Warren Street - Lighthorse Tavern, www.lighthorsetavern.com, 199 Washington Street (back to top)
Top photo from Liberty Landing Marina; other photos courtesy of NJDEP
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MWA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
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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. Meet some Partners of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance: - DeepRoot Partners http://www.deeproot.com
The mission of DeepRoot Partners is to create a more livable built environment, operating at
a high level of ecological function, through the integration of green
utilities.The organization is committed to restoring ecosystem services to the urban
enviroment with innovative and quality products Like the Silva Cell. The organization
believes in using "green utilities" like soil, trees and stormwater as
tools to solve the environmental challenges that face us and to
prioritize the health and longevity of our shared urban habitat. (back to top) - Oak Cliff Sailing http://www.oakcliffsailing.org
Oakcliff scholarships select 18-30 year old sailors, athletes who
have shown aptitude in the sport and provide a development path towards
excellence in national and international competition, sportsmanship and
stewardship practices. Oakcliff hosts and sponsor national and
international regattas. Oakcliff is open to the public via donation.
Oakcliff provides training, coaching, and charters via donation to
athletes, crews, and boat owners. Think of us as a civilian maritime academy funded by public support, generous patrons. - Randall's Island Sport Foundation http://randallsisland.org
The Randall's Island Sports Foundation (RISF) was founded in 1992 to
act as stewards of Randall's Island Park, in public-private partnership
with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. The
Foundation, in conjunction with City leadership and the local
community, works to realize the Island's unique potential by developing
sports and recreational facilities, restoring its vast natural
environment, reclaiming and maintaining parkland, and sponsoring free
programs for the children of New York City.
- Swim Free http://www.swimfree.org
Swim Free is a non profit organization focused on health improvement of adults and children through swim. Activities include learn to swim programs, lifeguard training, clinics, efforts to keep the waters clean. (back to top)
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WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS
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Nuke plant near NYC likely to survive state rulingAssociated Press, May 19, 2010 Port Authority has agreed to buy Greenville Yards for a barge-to-rail stationThe Jersey Journal, May 19, 2010 Bigger than Ever, Lineup of Events Announced for Governors IslandTribeca Trib, May 19, 2010 Brooklynites Take Part in Waterfront WorkshopsNY1, May 18, 2010 Up the CreekThe New Yorker, May 17, 2010 Farewell to Bayswater PointThe New York Times, May 17, 2010 New Section Of Hudson River Park Opens In ChelseaNY1, May 17, 2010 An Oil Spill Grows in BrooklynThe New York Times, May 14, 2010 Scientists study results of NY's Hudson dredgingBusiness Week, May 4, 2010 (back to top)
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