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High Tide 1:07am
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Low Tide 7:25am
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High Tide 1:56pm
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Low Tide 7:41pm*
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Announcing 2010's Best Waterfront
Day Trips! Click here to see MWA's next installment in the series.
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There were so many great ideas
at the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan workshop in June for the Blue Networks
that the Department of City Planning
just had to schedule another.
Be part of it!
Find out when and where here.
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 CITY OF WATER DAY
MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
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CITY OF WATER DAY
FOOD
Keep your energy up with good food and drink from a wide variety of vendors on Governors Island, including Cold Treats Heavenly Delights, Neighborhood South Bakery, Jamaican Dutchy, Kwik Meal, Mister Softee, NY Dosas, Sara Mae
Oates (above), SUteiShi, IZZE, ZICO, and more. Don't forget to visit the New Amsterdam Market at South Street Seaport (11am to 4pm on South Street near Peck Slip)
before you head to the City of Water Day Festival. New Amsterdam Market invites all Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance members to
enjoy our vendors' offerings for City Of Water Day. Enjoy great breads,
cheeses, charcuterie, pickles, fruits, and other fare suitable to take on your
Governors Island picnic. And the first 100 Alliance members who fill out this form and bring it to our market desk will be able to draw a coupon
for free or discounted items from our market vendors on City of Water Day.
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GET INVOLVED!
Attend the final workshop of the
Comprehensive
Waterfront Plan.
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BLUE NETWORKS AND CITYWIDE ISSUES
WORKSHOP
July 19, 2010, 6pm-8:30pm
Spector Hall
Department of City Planning
22 Reade Street
Manhattan
The Blue Network is the term for our waterways themselves. This workshop will examine and discuss the challenges and 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 this workshop and Vision 2020 can be found at www.nyc.gov/waterfront and also in the story below.
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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
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July 16
Boating: Kayak Staten Island
3:30p, South Beach
July 17
July 18
July 19
July 22
July 24
Celebration: City of Water Day
10a-4p, Governors Island, Liberty State Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Atlantic Basin, Staten Island
New Amsterdam Market
10a, South Street Seaport
July 25
Boating: Hudson River Kayaking
Boating: Kayak Staten Island
12p, South Beach
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MWA Blue Bulletin Board
| WHAT'S YOUR STORY?WaterWire wants to know about your organization. Pitch us a story idea! Write to Alison at asimko@waterfrontalliance.orgTo 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. |
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Join Our List
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| CONTENTS: July 19, 2010
| City of Water Day is Almost Here!
Free Boat Tours--TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW
Get out on the water!
City of Water Day Film Expo
Fascinating -- and free -- movies about water
Waterfront Action Fair
Interactive booths and lots of interesting information
The Five Locations of City of Water Day
Free ferries connecting the festivities!
New Coast Guard Commander of the Port is Appointed
Welcome to Captain Linda Fagan
Blue Networks Listening Session, Part II
City Planning schedules another Comprehensive Waterfront Plan workshop
Register for the City of Water Day Partner Fair
How to reach hundreds of people and have fun
MWA Introduces "2010's Best Day Trips to the Waterfront"
In this issue: explore Jamaica Bay by kayak
Meet Some MWA Partners!
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WE ARE A CITY OF WATER!
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| Celebrate the Waters of the Metro Region on July 24
 The City of Water Day Festival is just days away.
The third annual celebration of the waters of New York and New Jersey -- the City of Water Day Festival -- offers bands, food, and the Waterfront Action Fair. But here's what makes this year's festival better than ever: - This year we are a true harbor-wide event with four locations added to the hub of the festival on Governors Island. These locations are Liberty State Park (New Jersey), Brooklyn Bridge Park, PortSide NY in Atlantic Basin and Staten Island. See story below for more details.
Together with our Alliance Partners, we're offering even more boat tours -- this year we have more than a dozen boat excursions with hundreds of seats (And tickets are open for reservation now!) -
Read on for what you'll find at each location. And if you'd like to help, we welcome you! Click here to volunteer. |
| CITY OF WATER DAY FREE BOAT TOURS--Available Now
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| Excursions on Historic, Educational and Working Vessels
 Tickets are available NOW. Click here for details. Participating vessels include:
Life of the Merchant Mariner Tour - Adirondack (Classic Harbor Lines, Seamen's Church Institute).
Working Harbor/Vision 2020 Tour - Bay State (Statue Cruises, NYC Department of City Planning)
Hudson History Tour - Clipper City (Manhattan by Sail, American Museum of Natural History)
Tugboat and Working Harbor Tour - Cornell (Lehigh Maritime Corp., NYC Economic Development Corp.)
 SS United States Tour - Edith Thornton (SS United States Conservancy)
Fireboat Tour - John J. Harvey (Working Harbor Committee)
Newtown Creek Tour - NY Water Taxi (NY Water Taxi, Working Harbor Committee, Riverkeeper)
Environmental Education Tour - Clearwater (Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.)
Science and Seamanship Tour - Pioneer (South Street Seaport Museum)
Harbor Herons Eco Tour - Circle Line 42 (Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, NYC Audubon)
Hidden Harbor Tour - 
New York Waterway (Working Harbor Committee, NY Waterway)
DCV
Hayward Dockside Tour -
Dock-side tour of one
of the
harbor's hardest working vessels (US Army Corps of Engineers)
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| CITY OF WATER DAY FILM EXPO
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| Make your way to the Admiral's House in Nolan Park on Governors Island for the first ever City of Water Day Film Expo. Between 10:30am and 4pm, see water-themed shorts and documentaries. At noon, don't miss a panel discussion of directors and film makers.
10:30am
Life on the Bottom (2010), The River Project (5 min.). 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 when you watch "Life on the Bottom," the new educational DVD produced by The River Project. "Life on the Bottom" has narrated underwater footage and interviews with eminent scientists, including Dr. Alan Blumberg, Dr. Michael Bruno, Dr. Tom Grothues,
Terry Ippolito, Dr. Dennis Suszkowski and best-selling author ("Heartbeats in the Muck") Dr. John Waldman.
10:40am
Dirty Aid, Dirty Water (2006), World Development Movement (17 min.). Is water a commodity for consumption or a human right? Is privatization the answer to the global water crisis? The UK-based World Development Movement in "Dirty Aid, Dirty Water" tells how UK companies are working with the government and NGOs such as the World Bank and the IMF to push for water privatization in developing countries. According to a 2003 United Nations report, over 2 billion people around the world lack adequate sanitation and access to clean water.
11:00am
The Water Underground, Lower East Side Ecology Center (26 min.). Below the surface of New York City lurks an immense grid of pipes designed to carry water in various states of grossness. They bring us water for drinking, washing our clothes, and putting out fires. This same water carries away our dirt, our soapy water, and our waste - the waste of eight million New Yorkers. Where does it go? What happens to it along the way? Who stays clean and who gets dirty? "The Water Underground" provides answers.
11:30am
Nature Abhors a Vacuum, Dir. Greg Whitmore (15 min.). How does Roosevelt Island dispose of its garbage? Through a system of underground pneumatic tubes. See this film for the details.
12:00pm
Panel Discussion with directors of the featured films.
1:00pm
Water Voices (2003), Asian Development Bank (22 min.). This seven-part documentary series is an insightful about the water crisis in Asia Pacific. In remote islands; Fiji, Tonga, Kiribati and countries like Bangladesh, India and Cambodia, there is limited access to clean drinking water. The ongoing battle for water reminds us how much of a necessity it is to our survival and development. What we often take for granted in the west is an ongoing crisis in corners of the world. Yet we are inspired by the Indian women fighting water shortage and communities taking up for fresh and safe water.
1:30pm
City of Water (2008). Dir. Jasper Goldman, Loren Talbot (32 min.). The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is proud to present its documentary "City of Water" about the future of New York City's waterfront. Two years in the making, "City of Water" explores the aspirations of public officials, environmentalists, academics, community activists, recreational boaters and everyday New Yorkers for a diverse, vibrant waterfront at a time when the shoreline is changing faster than at any other time in New York's history. The documentary shows we have a limited time to influence important decisions on the waterfront that will affect generations to come. The film features interviews with Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff, US Representative Nydia Velazquez, Majora Carter, author Phillip Lopate, Sandy Hook Pilots' Captain Andrew McGovern and others, and includes footage from Jamaica Bay, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and many other places on the waterfront.
2:00pm
Gotham Fish Tales (2003). Dir. Robert Maass (70 min.). In the shadow of the Statue of Liberty thrives a little know subculture. The once dead waters now harbor 370 species but the most interesting species are the eccentric people featured in Gotham Fish Tales. The fishing cabbie who uses spark plugs for sinkers, the pasta vendor who jealously guards his secret fishing hole, and the worker who explains the art of fly fishing; viewers are introduced to diverse characters and storytellers as they take us on a journey through the fishing culture in New York.
2:00pm
Tapped (2009). Dir. Stephanie Soechtig, Jason Lindsey. Food and Water Watch (90 min.). Tapped provides an inside look into the unregulated and unseen bottled water industry. This prolific and inspiring documentary examines the impact of bottled water to our health, environment, and pollution. Two million plastic beverage bottles are used in the US every five minutes yet only 20 percent are recyclable. These flinching facts and more are presented to viewers as the feature looks at the business of bottled water.
3:00pm
One Water (2008). Dir. Sanjeev Chatterjee, Ali Habashi. University of Miami (68 min.). Taking place in 15 countries, this film explores our social, economic, and spiritual connection to water. With gripping visuals of the abundance of this natural resource in parts of the west and its severe scarcity in developing countries, the film invites the viewer/audience to ask how their consumption affects a mother, child, or village more than 5000 miles away.
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| WATERFRONT ACTION FAIR AND CHILDREN'S FAIR
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| Exciting Entertainment and (Shhhh) Education!
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| CITY OF WATER DAY AROUND NEW YORK HARBOR
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| City of Water Day on Governors Island
Governors Island is the heart of the City of Water Day Festival, with the lively Waterfront Action Fair, Children's Fair and Film Expo. Click here for more information on how to get to Governors Island. Read on for City of Water Day festivities elsewhere around New York Harbor.
City of Water Day at Liberty State Park
City of Water Day activities in Liberty State Park will be based a round the large grassy jetty at the south end of the park. Among the exhibitors are Friends of Liberty State Park, NY/NJ Baykeeper,
Hackensack Riverkeeper, Sea Cadets, Clean Ocean Action, NJ DEP, Army Corp of Engineers, Riverworks Discovery, Marine Sciences Consortium and Liberty Harbor Marina.
Activities will include oyster gardening demonstrations, fish tanks, fish printing, sea
life rubbing plates, face painting, invertebrate displays and shell
sheets, kayak tours and birdwatching walks.
How to Get to Liberty State Park?
Please click here for detailed directions.
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 City of Water Day at Brooklyn Bridge Park
Brooklyn
Bridge Park just opened this past spring, delighting New Yorkers and
out-of-town visitors with its waterfront promenade, emerald lawns, boat
access and playgrounds. Click here for directions to Brooklyn Bridge Park. Special events include tours of the new park, seining with staff from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Conservancy, Coastal Marine Resource Center and Department of Environmental Conservation,
interactive games and activities that teach about sustainability and
marine life. Don't miss the demonstration of kayak rolling techniques
from QajaqUSA and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse.
Storytelling by Mikhail Smirnov, a dance performance by Brighton Ballet
Theater Company and music by Liova and the Kontraband round out the
day. Click here for the schedule of events on July 24 at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Rendering courtesy Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates
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 City of Water Day on Staten Island!
Kayak Staten Island is sponsoring a City of Water Day Festival at South Beach and at Alice Austen House.
Free kayaking will be offered at South Beach between 2pm and 6pm on
July 24th. Or launch your own kayak at Alice Austen House before 4pm
and paddle to South Beach where you can join others for a 6:30pm
birding paddle along the shoreline.
Back at Alice Austen
House, meet your friends and family for a picnic, and stay for the
8:45pm start of a free outdoor screening of "On the Waterfront." For
more information, email KayakStatenIsland@gmail.com
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Venture into Atlantic Basin for CWD Festivities!
Recently moved to what is hoped will be permanent quarters in Atlantic Basin, the maritime cultural organization PortSide New York is hosting a lively series of events as part of the City of Water Day Festival, including tours of the
Mary A. Whalen and the
steamship Lilac. You'll also see a U.S. Customs marine security
display, with VACIS container scanner, sniffer dog & videos; the Urban Divers EnviroMedia Mobile, a traveling maritime and nature museum; a reach stacker
container-mover from American Stevedoring; live music and local Brooklyn food vendors; books from BookCourt, selling books with water
or waterfront themes; art from Christina Sun; the Underwater New York "story tank;" a photo booth and paint-your-own-t-shirt booth; and kiddie pools with boat models and rubber ducks.
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U.S. COAST GUARD NAMES NEW COMMANDER
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| Linda Fagan is the First Female Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey
 Captain Linda Fagan has taken over from Captain Robert O'Brien as commander of Coast Guard Sector New York and Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey.
Capt. Fagan's 25-year Coast Guard career has taken her to all seven continents and many parts of the United States. She has worked with the International Maritime Organization and International Labor Organization on issues including development of the International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS) and the Consolidated Maritime Labor Convention. Her personal awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, three Coast Guard Commendation medals, and the Arctic and Antarctic Service medals.
New York represents the Coast Guard's largest command, with more than 1,000 active duty personnel and 300 reservists charged with maritime safety, security and stewardship for the Port of New York and New Jersey.
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NEW BLUE NETWORKS LISTENING SESSION ANNOUNCED
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So Many Ideas! City Planning Schedules a Follow-Up Workshop to Hear Them All
New York City's new frontier is clearly the waterfront, and the NYC Department of City Planning is asking for the public's input on all aspects of the challenges and opportunities involved in its development. The public is responding. In fact, so many ideas were voiced at the June 24th Blue Networks Workshop that a follow-up session has been scheduled for July 19, 6pm to 8:30pm, at the City Planning Department's Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street. Click here for a map. City representatives are especially interested in hearing suggestions for - increasing the use of the waterways
- improving the ecological health of the waterfront and waterways
- adapting to future challenges such as sea level rise
Click here to see the Dept. of City Planning's presentation about the Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance encourages you to participate. MWA representatives will be moderating this meeting and recording your ideas. The Department of City Planning asks that the discussion focus on ideas and solutions to the issues discussed at the first Blue Network workshop. RSVP here, and please include a short description of your topic. Photo of Hudson River ferries in 2008 by Robert Simko
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MWA'S BIWEEKLY GUIDE TO THE AREA'S BEST WATERFRONT SPOTS
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 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! Read on, and make this the summer that you discover more of this urban archipelago's beautiful shoreline.
(For previous Waterfront Day Trip ideas, click here.)
Jamaica Bay by Kayak
Jamaica Bay is New York City's richest natural resource, a 16,000-acre lagoon of salt marshes and beaches vitally important to fish, birds and people. Since 1972, Jamaica Bay has been protected as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, administered by the National Park Service. Click here for a soundscape of Jamaica Bay. Adjacent to John F. Kennedy Airport and within the boundaries of New York City, the Jamaica Bay habitat has suffered for decades from declining water quality -- due in great part to combined sewer overflows. Several months ago, in response to years of clamor by environmental groups such as NY/NJ Baykeeper, Jamaica Bay Eco-Watchers, National Resources Defense Council and American Littoral Society, Mayor Bloomberg announced sewage plant upgrades and marsh restoration that is expected to significantly improve the Jamaica Bay environment.  Despite its environmental issues, Jamaica Bay teems with wildlife and is a popular destination for boaters and fishermen. How can you explore Jamaica Bay and see the oystercatchers, the snowy egrets and the horses cantering on the beach? Kayaking is one way, and WaterWire offers two easy options. New York Harbor ParksIf you've got your own kayak -- lucky person! -- New York Harbor Parks has a Jamaica Bay Kayak Trail program. You can download the official kayak trail map (small version at right) and launch
from Canarsie Pier, Plumb Beach, North Channel Bridge or Floyd Bennett
Field. You'll need an annual permit, which can be purchased at the
Floyd Bennett Field visitor center. NY Harbor Parks suggests that you understand tides and how to file a float plan. For beginners free kayak
tryouts are offered at Canarsie Pier on Saturdays and Sundays,
10am-2pm, from July 9 to August 29. National Park Service rangers will
demonstrate proper techniques and outfit you with a kayak and life
preserver for quick 30-minute spins in a safe buoyed area. For more
adventurous paddlers, guided excursions into the bay are offered on
Wednesdays and Thursdays in July and August. Contact the park for reservations.  Sebago Canoe ClubSeventy-five years ago, the Sebago Canoe Club was all about canoes, but today the funky, all-volunteer club with a big, sturdy dock is mostly home to kayaks, along with sailboats, rowboats, shells and, yes, a few canoes.  For novice kayakers interested in exploring Jamaica Bay, Sebago offers free " Open Paddles" twice a week, on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings, and provides instruction (left) and coaching along with the equipment. These guided group tours, many with guest speakers, launch into Paerdegat Basin, a channel that connects Canarsie, Brooklyn to Jamaica Bay.  Take note of Sebago's All Club Invitational for human-powered boats, this Saturday, July 17, 10am to 5pm, rain or shine. Sebago's directors promise "kayakers, canoeists, outrigger canoes, sunfish sailors, laser sailors, rowers, rowboats, sculls and dragon boats from the tri-state area."  If you plan to participate, contact Sebago at allclub@sebagocanoeclub.org so that the club can plan for food, parking, etc. For this particular event, you must have your own boat; otherwise you may borrow a kayak for the regular Open Paddles. Click here for directions to the Sebago Canoe Club. Click here to read the Sebago Canoe Club blog. Where to eat?After your paddle, you'll probably be hungry. Head toward Avenue L. Ambiance Caribbean Restaurant at 9413 Avenue L got a great review about six months ago from the Village Voice. Urbanspoon suggests Original Pizza at 9514 Avenue L and Dougie's Jamaican Cuisine at 9604 Avenue L, among other Canarsie restaurants. Photos by Andy Novick
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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: - Gowanus Canal Conservancy http://www.gowanuscanalconservancy.org
The Gowanus Canal Conservancy's mission is to be steward for the
preservation, restoration and green development of the Gowanus Canal
for the greater good of the community. (back to top) - Jersey City Reservoir Preservation Alliance http://new.jcreservoir.org
The Jersey City Reservoir Preservation
Alliance works to save the Reservoir's lake, meadow, and
woods from destruction and misuse. - Maritime Parc http://maritimeparc.com
Maritime Parc, located at Liberty Landing Marina in Liberty State Park,
offers 30,000 sq ft of private event space and restaurant dining
featuring panoramic views of downtown Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty,
Ellis Island & the Hudson River.
- Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice http://www.ympj.org
Founded in 1994, the mission of Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
is to rebuild the neighborhoods of Bronx River and Soundview/Bruckner
in the South Bronx by preparing young people to become prophetic voices
for peace and justice. We accomplish this through political education,
spiritual formation, and youth and community development and organizing. (back to top)
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| WATERFRONT NEWSLINKS
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Skimmer home on Passaic River opens in North ArlingtonNorthJersey.com, July 15, 2010
New Harbor Ferry Service Offers Reduced Friday FaresBrooklyn Daily Eagle, July 14, 2010
18th-Century Ship Found at Trade Center SiteThe New York Times, July 14, 2010
Storm Drains Fail Again in BrooklynNBC NY, July 14, 2010
Heads Turn as a Bridge Floats ByThe New York Times, July 13, 2010
A Glimpse of Old Waterfront, on Dry LandThe New York Times, July 13, 2010
AHTBCA Hears LIC Waterfront Plan Proposal The Queens Gazette, July 7, 2010
GE replants Hudson River after a season of dredgingAssociated Press, July 6, 2010
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