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What does your stretch of waterfront need?  

Tell Sen. Squadron   

 

at the

3rd Annual 25TH SENATE DISTRICT COMMUNITY CONVENTION

BE HEARD at State Senator Daniel Squadron's Community Convention on March 13! Tell the Senator what you want for your waterfront.

 

Sunday, March 13th
2pm-5pm
St. Francis College
180 Remsen St, Brooklyn  

Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Borough Hall,  

R to Court St., or A, C,  

F to Jay St.-MetroTech

 

Click here  for more information. RSVP to Rosemarie Diaz in the Senator's office at 212-298-5565  

or [email protected]  

 

 
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EXPERIENCED SAILORS

Successful Manhattan sailing company is now hiring experienced sailors for all positions for our 2011 Summer Season. Charter captains, sailing instructors, camp counselors, crew, fleet manager. To apply, visit:

www.atlanticyachting.com/jobs 


BOATING IN NEW YORK HARBOR?

What you should know  

before you go...

www.Iboatnyharbor.com 

 

 
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WaterWire is your platform for getting the word out. All comments, points of view, event notices, and letters to the editor, Alison Simko, are welcome.
 
Events
Events on the Waterfront
Click on the links for details about these events. A calendar of events
may be found at www.waterfrontalliance.org/calendar


March 5
Workshop: Earth Celebrations Puppet Workshop ( weekly)
12p, Church Street School for Music & Art, 74 Warren Street

March 6

Instruction: Sebago Canoe Club Pool Kayak Instruction (weekly)
9a, Flushing Meadows Corona Park Aquatic Center

March 8
Seminar: The Hudson is the Most Heavily Nutrient-Loaded Estuary in the World: Should We Care?
10:30a, Hudson River Foundation, 17 Battery Place

March 9
Benefit: New York Harbor School
6:30p, New York Yacht Club, 37 W. 44th Street

March 12


March 13
Hike: Exploring Dead Horse Bay
10a, Floyd Bennett Field
Community Convention: Sen. Daniel Squadron's 25th Senate District
2p, St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St, Brooklyn

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

JOHN KREVEY  

WILL BE MISSED


Readers responded by email and on Facebook to the tribute to John Krevey ["NYC Bids Goodbye to a Waterfront Visionary," WaterWire, February 17, 2011], waterfront pioneer responsible for Pier 66 Maritime who died unexpectedly on February  4.

"It still doesn't seem possible.... John Krevey...a great loss...and yet, as he's done so much, are we not truly grateful and fulfilled? As producer for GVP/North River (formerly The Greenpoint Video Project), I produced a number of half hour pieces on his Pier 63 activities, including "Waterfest" (http://vimeo.com/20081272P) and "A July 4th Canceled" (http://vimeo.com/18019968/). You may wish to mention these on the MWA website, if it helps your visitors to better understand some of what John Krevey has done."
Keith Rodan
Producer, GVP/North River

"John was unique...fearless and a good friend to so many. He set an example for all of us to follow."
Michael Kramer

"He will be missed. Hoping his work can live after him."
Peter Riley

"Thank you John for making a beautiful haven on the Hudson for so many, for so long. You will be missed."
Bianca Bob 


 
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*Tides are for the waters off North Brother Island on March 3, 2011. For tidal information at your specific waterfront, visit www.saltwatertides.com and the Urban Ocean Observatory
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TOC
CONTENTS: March 3, 2011
Congress Debates Legislation that Slashes Environmental Funding
House Republicans proffer a short-sighted bill to the Senate

How to Gain a Whole New Mile of Waterfront Access in New York City?
Demolish the Sheridan Expressway! says the South Bronx

All 410 of the City's Sewer Overflow Outfall Signs Replaced
Easier to read, better design

We are a City of Water
30-minute documentary, "City of Water," now free for viewing online

Rocks, Tires, Even a 15-Foot Ladder Sucked from the Queens Sewers
No alligators in sight

2010 Waterfront Conference Materials Now Available
Go to the MWA website to download videos, minutes, and presentations

The Summer Begins to Take Shape
SAVE THE DATE: 4th Annual City of Water Day Festival set for July 16, 2011

Don't Miss this Boat
Sandy Hook Pilots' The New Jersey

Meet Some MWA Partners!

Newslinks
  
HOUSEHOUSE VOTES TO SLASH ENVIRONMENTAL FUNDING
Federal Budget in Debate: Clean Water Act at Stake
If the Senate passes the sort of comprehensive budget bill approved in February by the House of Representatives, federal programs that protect water will be severely impacted.

In passing H.R.1 (also known as the 2011 Continuing Resolution) the House voted to slash the annual budget of the Environmental Protection Agency by almost $3 billion -- one third less than 2010 levels. Reverberating throughout the agency, the cuts will affect the EPA's Clean Water Act enforcement office, for example, "making it easier for polluters to get away with dumping toxic chemicals in our rivers," wrote Jim Bradley, senior director of government relations for American Rivers.

As the discussion in the House over H.R. 1 neared conclusion a couple of weeks ago, Republicans added hundreds of riders favoring polluters. "Many provisions attack specific clean water initiatives," said Jeremy Symons, senior vice president at the National Wildlife Federation, in a national conference call sponsored by the Clean Water Network on February 23. "We haven't seen anything like this since the early 90s. The greatest concern is the boldness of the legislative riders -- polluter favors that have nothing to do with the budget."

Amendment #216, for example, would block EPA from protecting wetlands, streams and rivers when companies dump illegal fill and dredge material. "In this budget charade, the target became polluter regulators, not polluter subsidies," Mr. Symons wrote on his blog. "This extreme and reckless bill amounts to the largest assault on America's bi-partisan legacy of environmental and wildlife safeguards in history."

For a list of the environment-punishing amendments, visit Wonk Room.

Dozens of affiliates of the National Wildlife Federation, among them Environmental Advocates of NY and the New Jersey Audubon Society, signed a letter to members of Congress asking them to vote against this bill. "One rider in the bill explicitly extends loopholes in the Clean Water Act that jeopardize drinking water for 117 million Americans and handed over 20 million acres of wetlands and prime wildlife habitat to polluters and developers," the letter states.

Environmental organizers urged people to contact their Senators now and convey the message that cuts to the monitoring and restoration of clean water (and clean air) are unacceptable. Click here for information on how to call or email your representative in the U.S. Senate.

"Attacks on clean water like these aren't about the financial security of the nation," wrote Katherine Baer, senior director, Clean Water Program at American Rivers. "These attacks on clean water are about financial security for polluters, not the grandkids." (back to top) 
sheridanHOW TO GAIN A NEW MILE OF NYC WATERFRONT?
Demolish the
Sheridan Expressway! Says the South Bronx 

Running alongside the Bronx River for a little more than a mile, the Sheridan Expressway links the Bruckner Expressway to the Cross-Bronx Expressway. Mainly used by truckers chugging to and from the Hunts Point market, the highway has blocked public access to the west side of the Bronx River since it opened in 1962.

For more than a decade, local residents have contended that the roadway is underused and unnecessary. To illustrate their point, in the summer of 2009 members of the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance (SBRWA) posed in the middle of the Sheridan during rush hour (see photo below). "There are 28 acres of potential under this pavement," said Adam Liebowitz of The Point CDC (top row center). "This area of the Bronx is in desperate need of open space and housing. Obviously, there's no desperate need for the road." The Alliance also includes Mothers on the Move, Nos Quedamos, Sustainable South Bronx, the Pratt Center for Community Development, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, and Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice. Flanking Mr. Liebowitz below are Kyle Wiswall of TSTC and Julien Terrell of YMPJ. In front are Joan Byron of PCCD, Anna Vincenty of Nos Quedamos and Melanie Bin Jung of SBRWA.

Why not just demolish the Sheridan? Since 2005, the SBRWA has pushed a plan to do just that. They say their plan will not only provide better truck access to Hunts Point via new connections from the Bruckner, but local streets can be reconnected, 28 acres of waterfront property can be opened up for new housing and parkland, and a major transit interchange at the intersection of the Bruckner and the Sheridan that includes the #6 subway station, the new Greenway system and a proposed Metro North Station will become much safer. Click here for a fly-through of the community plan.

This rendering shows potential housing and parkland that would open up along the Bronx River if the Sheridan Expressway were to be demolished. Visible here is the Whitlock Ave. #6 subway station and a 1908 train station designed by Cass Gilbert, now a strip mall, that Metro North may reclaim.


The idea gained traction for several years, but last July the State Department of Transportation produced a speed bump when it concluded that local roads would be more congested if the Sheridan were to be torn down.

Currently conducting an Environmental Impact Study, the State DOT will decide in the end whether the Sheridan stays or goes. The community has been frustrated, said Ms. Byron of the Pratt Center, because the DOT has refused to consider the positive impact of potential new real estate and waterfront access.

But a $1.5 million federal grant obtained by Congressman Jose Serrano last October is now funding a new study of the issue by NYC agencies led by the Departments of City Planning and Transportation, and including the Economic Development Corporation and the PlaNYC office. The decision of the State DOT is expected to be influenced by the results of the City study. "We're ecstatic they got this grant," said Ms. Byron, who believes that City agencies and consultants will view the area holistically, looking at the entire transportation network of the region as well as possible future use of the land now occupied by the Sheridan.

Community advocates are optimistic. "For such a long time the neighborhood has been cut off from its waterfront," said Miquela Craytor, executive director of Sustainable South Bronx. "There's an exciting opportunity to see where this fits in with other city initiatives, particularly the one focusing on Hunts Point. The City is looking at the plan from a much broader perspective."

After engaging with local stakeholders and running traffic analyses, the City is expected to wrap up its study in about a year. After that, the State DOT will issue its decision. (back to top) 
csoALL 410 OF THE CITY'S SEWER OVERFLOW OUTFALL SIGNS HAVE BEEN REPLACED
New Signs Identify Location Clearly In Case a Call to 311 is Warranted
If you see a sign like the one below along the NYC shoreline, think carefully before swimming or fishing in the area, especially after a storm. Signs like this mark the places around the City that sewer pipes discharge dirty liquid directly into waterways. These incidents are called Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). The NYC Department of Environmental Protection recently completed the replacement of all 410 signs with ones that are better designed, with clearly stated information.
CSO sign
"Residents and visitors who want to take advantage of the City's waterways should take common-sense precautions near an outfall when it rains," Commissioner Cas Holloway said in a statement released by the DEP. "These new signs are designed to help that effort."

CSO episodes are on the decline, thanks to the Bloomberg Administration's Green Infrastructure Plan, presented last September and already bringing about big changes to improve water quality (see story below for a look at sewer pipe cleaning in Queens). The Plan is expected to cut CSOs by 40% over 20 years over the next two decades.

The outfall signs (at right, see the old version on the left) are part of the NY State Discharge Notification Act that requires CSO outfalls to be marked with signs. They were redesigned at the suggestion of the Floatable Citizens' Advisory Committee, convened by the DEP.

The City's sewer system has the capacity to handle 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater on an average dry day. If liquid flows from an outfall site on a dry day, it can mean that garbage has been dumped illegally into a local sewer. If a dry-weather discharge is reported, the identification number on each sign helps investigators pinpoint the whereabouts of the problem. (back to top)
filmWATCH A FREE DOCUMENTARY ONLINE ABOUT THE NYC WATERFRONT
Or Purchase a Copy of the "City of Water" DVD for Only $10
For people who live in a city with more than 500 miles of shoreline, most New Yorkers know surprisingly little about their waterfront. Spend a half hour watching "City of Water" and you'll have a better sense of the history and future of our waterfront, as well as the challenges faced by maritime advocates and urban planners as the New York/New Jersey waterfront is redeveloped.

"City of Water," directed by Jasper Goldman and Loren Talbot of the Municipal Art Society (MAS) and produced by Kent Barwick, president emeritus of the MAS, and Roland Lewis, president of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, may be viewed in its entirety on the MWA web site here. DVD copies are also available for $10; contact the MWA at 212-935-9831. (back to top)
alligatorROCKS, TIRES, EVEN A 15-FOOT LADDER SUCKED FROM QUEENS SEWER LINES
No Alligators in Sight; Maybe They Slithered Ahead of the Giant Vacuum to Jamaica Bay
In yet another project to reduce the incidence of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) into Jamaica Bay, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection last month completed a major cleaning of large sewers in southeast Queens using the agency's two new state-of-the-art Vactor trucks. According to a DEP press release, the cleaning of 12.2 miles of large sewers removed roughly 1,008 cubic yards of debris weighing 1,562 tons, enough to fill 97 garbage trucks. The capacity of the cleared sewer lines, which run to the Jamaica Wastewater Treatment Plant, is now greater, reducing the likelihood of CSO episodes into Jamaica Bay, as well as the incidence of flooding in southeast Queens.

"We started this effort in Jamaica because we know that localized flooding is a problem for some residents, and to protect Jamaica Bay-one of the ecological gems of New York City," DEP Commissioner Holloway said.

The two Vactor trucks, which cost $450,000 each, will now move to northeast Queens to clean debris from the large pipes that run to the Tallman Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. (back to top)
conferenceMWA WATERFRONT CONFERENCE MATERIALS NOW ONLINE
Presentations, Videos and Minutes From Each Session Available  
Last November 30, the 2010 MWA Waterfront Conference was the region's preeminent gathering of waterfront advocates, businesses, and government leaders (at left, City officials at the dais) to discuss ideas and best practices, and to plan for a greater waterfront in the NY-NJ metropolitan area.

With over 620 participants, the Conference proved to be fertile ground for exchange of information and viewpoints. "It was a testament to the strength and momentum of our burgeoning movement -- the Blue Movement -- for a revitalized New York/New Jersey harbor and waterway," said Roland Lewis, president of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. "The collaboration and exchange of ideas that took place will serve as the foundation for years of work to realize our shared vision of a open, healthy, and dynamic waterfront for all to share."

Interested in seeing (or reliving) those presentations and exchanges? Videos and minutes from each Conference session are now available at
http://waterfrontalliance.org/projects/2010_Waterfront_Conference. (back to top)

 Photo by Ian Douglas 

 COWSAVE THE DATE: CITY OF WATER DAY IS ON JULY 16 THIS YEAR!
 Play, Learn and Help Revitalize the Waterfront at this Free Event
CWD 2010 East River CREW tableCity of Water Day is a free day of entertainment, education and adventure produced by the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance that City of Water Day 2008celebrates the potential of our waterfront. Hundreds of organizations participate, offering free boat rides, fishing, games, films, performances, readings, crafts and much more -- and thousands of people join in. On July 16, 2011, make your way to Governors Island and Liberty State Park for the 4th Annual City of Water Day Festival.

To find out more about City of Water Day, click here. To take the City of Water Day survey and submit your suggestions for this year's festival, click here. (back to top)

 

eagleDON'T MISS THIS BOAT
Sandy Hook Pilots boatVessel: New Jersey
Owned by: Sandy Hook Pilots, based on Staten Island
Job: Due to a treacherous marine environment of strong currents, narrow channels, and hidden reefs and rocks, as well as a harbor teeming with maritime traffic, all ocean-going vessels arriving at and departing from the Port of New York and New Jersey -- tankers, cruise ships, etc. -- must be boarded by a special pilot who takes over navigation between the pier and the open sea. The New Jersey is part of a fleet of more than a dozen vessels utilized by the Sandy Hook Pilots. The group traces its history back to 1694, when the Colonial Assembly commissioned local seamen to assist ship captains as pilots.

To track the positions of all the vessels in the Port of New York and New Jersey right now, click here.

Click here to send photos of vessels to WaterWire. (back to top)
Alley Pond Environmental CenterMWA PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
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 [email protected].

Meet some Partners of the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance:
  • Alley Pond Environmental Center

    http://www.alleypond.com 

    The Alley Pond Environmental Center (APEC), a nonprofit environmental education organization, is dedicated to educating children and adults in the New York metropolitan area, protecting and preserving Alley Pond park, open-spaces and waterbodies, and advocating for sustainable environmental policies and practices.

  • East River Agenda

    http://eastriveragenda.net 

    To create a vibrant waterfront that incorporates real public access, is ecologically sustainable and addresses local community needs, the Agenda proposes the following principles: access, place-making, environmental stewardship, and community-based planning

  • Orion Safety Products

    http://www.orionsignals.com 

    A complete selection of safety and distress signals & flares, first aid kits, accessories, signaling guides and information on federal regulations.

  • United Neighborhood Houses of New York        
    http://www.unhny.org/beta/index.html
     
    UNH promotes and strengthens the neighborhood-based, multi-service approach to improving the lives of New Yorkers in need and the communities in which they live.
    (back to top)  
NLWATERFRONT NEWSLINKS
Go Gowanus! The cleanup is coming, but buyers are already here
New York Post, March 3, 2011

Brooklyn Project Draws Fire
The Wall Street Journal, March 2, 2011

Marine Park Salt Marsh Restoration Nears Completion
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, March 1, 2011

Under the Gowanus Canal, Flushing Out the Stench
The New York Times, March 1, 2011

Group Pushes for Passaic River Anti-Flood Project
Dredging Today, February 24, 2011

Regulation Haters Join Chorus Urging New Clean Water Act Rules
The New York Times, February 17, 2011

Hudson River Fish Evolve Toxic PCB Immunity
National Geographic, February 17, 2011

(back to top)
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