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Low Tide 12:09am
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High Tide 6:05am
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Low Tide 12:26pm
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High Tide 6:28pm*
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Bathing beauties in the Rockaways, circa 1938.
Read 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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September 16
Gala: Upstream Soiree
6p-8p, Bronx River Alliance
Reception: Pulling Together for New York City's Youth
6p, Row New York
Presentation: Get Smart About the Water
7p, Beczak Environmental Education Center, Yonkers
September 17
Modern Dance on the Hudson: RoseAnne Spradlin/Performance Projects
6p, Hudson Riverside Park South
September 18
Modern Dance on the Hudson: RoseAnne Spradlin/Performance Projects
3p & 5p, Hudson Riverside Park South
Market: New Amsterdam Market
10a, South Street
September 19
Tour: Circumnavigation of Staten Island
10a, Working Harbor Committee
Get-together: Clambake
12p, NY/NJ Baykeeper
September 21
Party: Sizzlin' Solstice Party Honoring Capt. John Krevey
6p, Pier 66 Maritime
Workshop: Future of Floyd Bennett Field
6p, Hangar 5, Floyd Bennett Field
September 23
Party: SuperFun Party with the LIC Community Boathouse & Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club
5p-8:30p, Silo, 400 Carroll St.
September 25
Clean-up: 25th Annual International Coastal Clean-up
various times throughout the region, American Littoral Society
Fundraiser: Row Around Manhattan
7a, Rocking the Boat
Swim: Little Red Lighthouse Swim
7:15a, start at Pier 96
Celebration: Harlem River Celebration
11a, Mill Pond Park
Festival: Little Red Lighthouse Festival
11a, Fort Washington Park
Tour: National Maritime Historical Society, aboard a World War 1 Vessel
12:30p, Peekskill Riverfront Green
September 26
Tour: Brooklyn Navy Yard by Bike
1:45p, Brooklyn Navy Yard
September 27
Symposium: Working Waterways & Waterfronts
Portland, Maine
Workshop: Future of Floyd Bennett Field
6p, Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center
September 28
Gala: Fall Fling (Friends of Hudson River Park)
6p, Pier 66 Maritime
Workshop: Rockaway Waterfront Planning Session
6:30p, Peninsula Hotel, Rockaway
Kayaking: Brooklyn Bridge Park
11a-3p
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MWA Blue Bulletin Board
| SAVE THE DATE!2010 Waterfront ConferenceThe Future Waterfront &
a Fair Share for the NY-NJ HarborTuesday, Nov. 30 · 8am to 8pm National Museum of the American Indian New York, NY WHAT'S YOUR STORY?WaterWire wants to know about your organization. Pitch us a story idea! Write to Alison at asimko@waterfrontalliance.orgMWA 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: Sept. 15, 2010
| MWA Salutes the Netherlands and Joan K. Davidson
Save the date for this year's Heroes of the Harbor - Tue., Oct. 19
"Oooh! A Blue Crab!"
The Harlem River Festival introduces city folks to water life
Construction of Four Freedoms Park Begins
Roosevelt Island waterfront park dedicated to FDR and his vision of freedom
Play with the Parks Dept. Interactive Map of Northern Manhattan
Then participate in plans for the future of these parks
Clean Marina Brochure to be Developed by Going Coastal
Maybe you didn't realize how many potential readers are in the NYC area
"The Bungalows of Rockaway" documentary to be screened
A look back reminds us of what must be protected
Nuit Blanche (Bring to Light) coming to the Brooklyn waterfront
Go ahead: stay up all night. We dare you
Meet Some MWA Partners!
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| 2010 HEROES OF THE HARBOR
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| Joan K. Davidson and the Government and People of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
If it hadn't been for Joan K. Davidson's wise guidance, last year's Quadricentennial celebration of the arrival of Henry Hudson to these shores would not have reached and inspired so many. And if it hadn't been for the Netherlands, Henry Hudson might never have arrived!
Ms. Davidson's positive influence on the waterfront began long before the Quadricentennial celebration and will continue far beyond it. Among the waterfront legacies Ms. Davidson has set into motion are the Quad Landing eco-dock program and Our Hudson, a comprehensive effort to re-imagine the Hudson from the
Verrazano Narrows to Troy.
Likewise, the Netherlands continues to lead the world in responsible water management, as it has for hundreds of years. In June 2009, as part of the Quadricentennial celebration, the Regional Plan Association hosted a delegation of Dutch planners, engineers and
government officials. Spending time with their New York counterparts, the Dutch visitors explored and discussed the metropolitan waterfront, reinforcing an already strong connection between
two countries and laying the groundwork for creative alliances forged three months later at the H209 Forum. This transatlantic exchange of water expertise is expected to benefit coastal communities around the world.
For these achievements and many more, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance is pleased to honor Joan K. Davidson and the government and people of the Kingdom of the Netherlands this year as Heroes of the Harbor. Read more about Ms. Davidson and the Netherlands in the next edition of WaterWire. And please make plans to join us at our annual Gala on Tuesday, October 19 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers (Pier 61) for an evening of fine food, drink and entertainment -- including the MWA's annual parade of boats -- as the sun sets over the Hudson River.
Click here for more information. (back to top)
Join us for the 2010 Heroes of the Harbor Awards Dinner
on Oct. 19, 2010 at The Lighthouse (Pier 61)
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| HARLEM RIVER FESTIVAL SHOWCASES A WATERWAY COMING BACK TO LIFE
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Restored Wetlands of Swindler Cove a Special Highlight
 The mission of the Harlem River Festival -- like the mission of its sponsor, the New York Restoration Project -- is "to get people out enjoying nature," says Shannon Donohue, NYRP public events manager.
 About 250 people accepted the NYRP's invitation to enjoy the Harlem River this past Sunday, September 12. Many admired the river from the deck of the Big G, the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance boat. Some climbed into crew shells for the first time, courtesy of Harlem River Community Rowing. Others jumped into rowboats and pulled on oars, or paddled canoes from the Long Island City Community Boathouse (LICCB), or dragged seining nets through the shallow water at Swindler Cove and oohed and ahhed (click here for a short video) over the crabs and tiny silvery fish that came to light. Above left, NYRP educator Dennis Rosario wades into the Harlem River, and below at far right, pulls the net up and shows adults and children the creatures that live in the water.
"We had a lot of people show up who didn't live in the neighborhood," Ms. Donohue said. "Some people in New York think there's not a lot to do at the water but we showed people that it's safe and fun."
The photos and video in this article were taken by journalist and waterfront advocate Erik Baard, a member of the LICCB. "The annual Harlem River Festival
showcases the monumental achievements of the [NYRP]'s gardening
and waterfront design programs, reveals what a wonderful learning
laboratory the estuary can be, and builds a constituency for future
progress," he wrote. (back to top)
Above, a man and his son paddle a canoe out of Swindler Cove on Sept. 12.
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FOUNDATION LAID FOR FOUR FREEDOMS PARK
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Roosevelt Island Waterfront Park to Offer Panoramic Views
"And what could be more fitting than a tree-shaded plaza at the south
end of the island, containing a modest memorial to FDR in full view
of the United Nations, which he did so much to create, and looking...out
to that broad expanse of ocean which he
viewed as a bridge rather than
a barrier to Western Europe?"
The words above are from a New York Times editorial supportive of building a memorial to President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island. The editorial was published in January 1972.
On Monday, September 13, 2010, the first 24 massive granite foundation stones were delivered to the
Franklin D.
Roosevelt Four
Freedoms Park
construction site on Roosevelt Island. Governor Paterson, Mayor Bloomberg and other elected officials were in attendance.
The monolithic stones, each weighing 36 tons, were barged up the East River. They came from a granite quarry in North Carolina.
"When it is completed, this memorial will be a beautiful and timeless world-class destination. And it will also commemorate FDR's Four Freedoms speech at a time when some in our city and country seem to have forgotten the sanctity of those freedoms -- particularly freedom of speech and religion," Council Member Jessica Lappin said.
The Park is named after FDR's famous Four Freedoms speech of 1941, in which he expressed man's basic freedo ms: freedom of speech and expression; freedom of everyone to worship God in his own way; freedom from want; and freedom from fear.
Construction began this past March, 37 years after the site was dedicated. The four-acre park was designed by the late Louis I. Kahn. (back to top)
This is a computer rendering of the future park.
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HELP PLAN THE NORTHERN MANHATTAN WATERFRONT
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| The NYC Parks Dept. Invites Your Ideas
The web site for the Northern Manhattan Parks Master Plan, a project of the NYC Dept. of Parks and Recreation, has just gone live, and the public is encouraged to weigh in. The planning process includes the formation of an Advisory Council, community workshops, site analysis and the creation of conceptual plans.
Aiding the preparation of a long-term plan for the parks north of 155th Street is an interactive map showing what people have already told the Parks Dept. and offering opportunities for viewers to suggest new ideas.
Above, the northern end of Manhattan, showing the Hudson River at top and the Harlem River at bottom. Click on the image to get to the interactive version of the map, where you can zero in on particular park zones. Have you wanted to be able to climb down to the rocky waterfront north of the George Washington Bridge? Do you think there's a place for a kayak launch on the Inwood Hill Park waterfront? Tell the Parks Department! When completed, the plan will guide the next 20 years of capital expenditures and privately funded projects, and establish operational and strategic priorities for the parks of northern Manhattan. "We plan to have a conceptual plan to show the community in the fall," said Jennifer M. Hoppa, the City's Administrator for Northern Manhattan Parks. "Depending on the input and any needed
revisions, the plan will then go through the final public approvals
process. We expect to have a final plan by Spring 2011." (back to top) |
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GOING COASTAL TO DEVELOP A NEW PAMPHLET ON CLEAN MARINA OPERATIONS
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| Estimates Put the Number of Recreational Boaters in the NYC Area at 140,000
"Clean water is an essential part of recreational boating," says Barbara LaRocco, president of
Going Coastal, Inc. "Our goal is
to help protect water quality in relation to boating activities in the
waters surrounding New York City."
Going Coastal has just received a coveted grant from the BoatU.S. Foundation to prepare a pamphlet on best management practices for clean marina operations. New York City is home to more than 100 marinas, boatyards and boating clubs serving an estimated 140,000 recreational boaters.
Ms. LaRocco expects the Clean Marina pamphlet to be published by the opening of boating season next year. Other publications by the Brooklyn-based organization include the Going Coastal New York City Urban Waterfront Guide (right; find it here on the Fordham University Press web site) and the Hudson River Pumpout Map (find it here in this month's edition of Boating on the Hudson). One can also find watertrail and blueway maps, maritime cultural heritage maps, fish advisory maps, interactive eco-caching trails and other essential water-related information available for downloading at www.goingcoastal.org. (back to top)
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DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HISTORIC ROCKAWAY CALLS ATTENTION TO FUTURE PLANS
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Don't miss "The Bungalows of Rockaway"
In the 1930s, there were more than 7,000 bungalows along the coast of New York City's Rockaway peninsula. Today, fewer than 400 exist.
See Jennifer Callahan's and Elizabeth Logan Harris's affectionate look at what was once a thriving seaside resort when their documentary The Bungalows of Rockaway airs on Channel 13 this Thursday, September 16. At right, four bathing beauties relax on a Rockaway beach in 1938, their bungalows behind them.
As described on the home page of the Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association of Far Rockaway, bungalows are small, simple homes, generally built between 1900 and 1929 with "overhanging eaves,
a generous porch, double-hung windows, a built-in cabinet or sideboard and a small
kitchen."
The documentary includes a look at the work of the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance, a current-day partnership of community members who promote waterfront access
and the long-term vitality of the Rockaway waterfront. "This documentary will help protect the waterfront from out-of-scale development," said Jeanne DuPont, president of the Alliance.
With the Trust for Public Land and planners from the Jonathan Rose Companies, the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance is sponsoring the creation of a waterfront vision plan for the Rockaway and Jamaica Bay shoreline. This plan will incorporate all public space along the Rockaway
Peninsula, improvements to transportation links, way-finding signage,
as well as a blue and greenway trail for improved waterfront access.
Three planning meetings, open to the public, are scheduled over the next six weeks. The first takes place Tuesday, September 28, 6:30pm to 8:30pm. Click here for more information and to RSVP. "We're going to be coming up with five to ten sites and projects that we hope to have implemented," Ms. DuPont said. "These planning session are so the local community can collaborate with planners." (back to top)
Image courtesy of the Rockaway Waterfront Alliance
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NUIT BLANCHE, ALL-NIGHT ART FESTIVAL, COMING TO THE BROOKLYN WATERFRONT
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| Here's a Reason to Stay Up All Night on October 2
WaterWire suggests you put Nuit Blanche on your calendar. Literally, "White Night" or "Sleepless Night" in its hometown of Paris, Nuit Blanche is an all-night arts festival that will illuminate the industrial waterfront in Greenpoint, Brooklyn starting at sundown on October 2.
Now a global phenomenon, Nuit Blanche is known as Bring to Light in its first NYC incarnation. The hosts of Bring to Light promise more than 50 local and international artists, performers, galleries, and musicians; light sculptures, sound installations, interactive media; metal, set design and textile workshops;
an indoor gymnastics park and a dance party. See you there! (back to top)
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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: - Barge Park Pals/ Newtown Creek Monitoring Project
bargeparkpals@msn.com
Our mission is to help maintain & improve Newtown Barge Playground
& Greenpoint Playground (a.k.a. Barge Park) and the surrounding
waterfront community environment for the health and well being of
community children and their families. Our primary focus has been to
create an enlarged Bark Park with waterfront access and a parkhouse,
while keeping an eye on the surrounding environmental issues and their
impact on the park and park user. - Bayshore Regional Watershed Council
www.bayshorewatershed.org/bw/
The Bayshore Regional Watershed Council is dedicated to the
restoration, protection, sustainable use, and enjoyment of Raritan Bay
-- Sandy Hook Bay and the watershed region.
- Governors Island National Monument, National Park Service
www.nps.gov/gois/
For more than two centuries, the military communities on Governors
Island were woven into the intricate social, political and economic
tapestry that is New York City. From 1776-1996, Governors Island stood
as a silent sentinel in New York Harbor, and provided protection of the
ideals represented by the Statue of Liberty across the Bay. We invite
you to explore the Island's history as it evolved from colonial outpost
to regional administrative center for the U.S. Army and Coast Guard. - Upper Green Side
www.uppergreenside.org/
Upper Green Side is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization that promotes
awareness and action on local environmental issues on the Upper East
& Upper West Sides of Manhattan involving sustainable food,
progressive transportation, energy efficiency, and waste reduction. We
are building a healthy community and environment for generations to
come. (back to top)
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| WATERFRONT NEWS LINKS
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| Federal judge torpedoes tugboat company's $6M ferry crash suitSILive, September 14, 2010 New York Daily News, September 14, 2010 Tugboat Crew Rewarded For S.I. Ferry Crash Assistance In Brooklyn Federal CourtBrooklyn Daily Eagle, September 13, 2010 GE asks EPA to let it continue dredge tests in '11Associated Press, September 11, 2010 Questions About New YorkThe New York Times, September 10, 2010 From a Brooklyn Blackboard To Jamaica Bay Wetlands Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 10, 2010 Gowanus Canal Sludge Could be Turned into Glass Building BlocksInhabitat, September 10, 2010 Dept. of Clarification: Earl Versus the OystersThe New Yorker, September 2, 2010
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