The RangeMarker is the newsletter of the Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers, Inc.
|
|
Membership of the PacificCoast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers, Inc. (PCC) is well represented by harbormasters, port managers, marina owners,corporations, firms and institutions of higher education. All of which, support the objectives of the Congress. If you are new to the profession, operate a marine facility or are involved in the marine industry and are looking for valuable and current information, membership in the PCC is your organization. Join today and see what the PCC members are doing in their ports and marinas.
|
Join us for the 42nd Annual Membership Conference Vancouver, B.C April 12-15, 2015 Hosted by The False Creek Harbour Authority, B.C Hotel and Registration coming soon  |
Letter from our President
Hello members,
I hope you all had a busy summer boating season at your facilities as we did here at the False Creek Harbour Authority - Fishermen's Wharf. It's always such a delicate balance between the increased boating traffic, large capital projects that are underway, and continuing with a regular preventative maintenance schedule to keep our facilities in the best position possible to be successful. A skill of which I've been able to grow during my time with the PCC!
As we approach the New Year, the Board of Directors will be focusing on a membership drive to invite potential new members to join our organization or possibly attend one of our conferences to be able to experience firsthand what the PCC can do to assist them at their respective Port, Harbor or Marina. The Board has put together a letter, also easily used in an email, to invite new perspective members to check us out and hopefully sign on as a new member. A survey will also be distributed via email and we ask that you kindly fill it out as it will assist the Board and the T&E committee in making future decisions that will benefit the organization.
Last year, the PCC instituted a new award recognition program to complement the existing Made a Difference (MAD) and Lifetime Membership awards. The 3 new award categories are Individual Commitment, Harbor Achievement and Environmental Stewardship. Last years' award winners were Eric Olsson, Crescent City Harbor District, and the Port of Anacortes respectively. In November when the email goes out asking for nominations please think about submitting one or two. There are many deserving individuals and facilities and these folks should be recognized for their efforts, let us know who you think is deserving of recognition. The criteria to nominate will also be sent out in the email. If you are on the fence about submitting a nomination be advised that it doesn't have to be a multipage essay, it can simply be some highlights with a short explanation as to why they're deserving of an award.
I would like to congratulate Robert Forsythe from the Port of Siuslaw on his retirement this December! It's been a pleasure having him be a part of the PCC over the years. Robert was briefly on the Board of Directors and during his time was a real asset to our organization. He brought a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm at a time when it was needed. Robert was also on the T&E committee and brought great leadership and took a lot of pride in furthering the objectives of the PCC. I wish Robert the very best and whenever you're near a PCC Port, Harbor or Marina don't be a stranger and feel free to stop in for a visit.
Our next stop for our 42nd Annual Conference will be held by myself and the entire team at the False Creek Harbour Authority - Fishermen's Wharf in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. I will be working with Cliff & Cheryl, Eric and the T&E committee team to try to provide another outstanding array of speakers and topics that will leave you with no other option but to attend. Turk has already been thinking about some extracurricular activities for you and any guests you may bring to do while you're here so don't hesitate if the opportunity to visit Vancouver is available to you. I promise you won't be disappointed!
I wish all of you a safe and hopefully a fairly uneventful winter season and look forward to catching up with all of you soon.
Mike Loy
PCC President
|
41st Semi-Annual Conference Re-Cap Juneau Alaska
Tami Allen, Harbormaster, Bainbridge Island Police Department
Vice President, Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters
The location was perfect, nestled between the Mendenhall Glacier and the Gastineau channel. Our group of enthusiastic harbormasters and port managers got to experience what it is like to follow a real Iditarod dog sled team. We rode the tram high above the harbor; danced with a local indigenous dance troupe; learned about the mines in the area, and, of course visited harbor projects underway. One determined spouse even carried home a fresh caught salmon! The breadth of knowledge from the speakers at this conference has been unsurpassed in my 15 years of attending conferences thanks to Eric Olsson and the whole Training and Education Committee for pulling it together. USCG Rear Admiral  Daniel Abel, now managing the 17 th district, and had served in the command center for Hurricane Sandy, gave a entertaining and informative training to our managers in preparation for our inevitable role in the incident command center. In addition to lessons learned on the eastern seaboard, he opened our eyes to the challenges of marine search and rescue in the new frontier of northwest marine routes. We were inspired by the "12 Elements of Employment Success" offered by Mila Cosgrove, HR Director for the City and Borough of Juneau. Mila gave inspiring examples and what we can do for our employees with no new costs. This conference also had a substantial occupational and boater safety component that rang true for both US and Canadian managers. Thank you to Kelli Toth of the Alaska Office of Boating Safety and Grey Mitchell of the Alaska Labor Standards and Safety.
The exhibitors, vendors and sponsors are what make our harbormasters and marina managers' conferences sustainable, enjoyable and practical. They are an incredible source of information through out the conference as well as all year using the PCC listserv. We are so grateful to our Gold sponsor, PND Engineers, Inc, Silver sponsor OBEC Consulting, Bronze sponsors: ALX Technology, Five Star Products and Moffat & Nichol. These companies are the main stay of our conferences and we thank them. On Wednesday night, they joined Bellingham Marine, Marina Accessories, Marine Dock Parts, Schrader Co., TerraSond Ltd., Thunderbolt Wood Treating Inc. to host a wonderful reception.
Due to such a wise location selection for this conference, we had the honor to hear from Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, Byron Mallott. From his welcome address alone I felt as if I had learned much about Alaska and their connection to the great marine highway.
We strive to include some nuts and bolts topics to each conference. Heath Pope from Moffatt and Nichol joined Bobby Carlson from Five Star Industries and Jon Keiser from PND Engineers to discuss the American Society of Civil Engineers recent inspection and assessment manual as well as some great information about dock repair. The Association was delighted to have one of our most loved members, Ray Majeski appear with Deputy Attorney Chris Orman for a candid talk about derelict boaters prevention, response and consequences.
We wrapped up the conference with an amazing introduction to the world of Automatic Identification System and its' place in the marine industry hosted by Ed Page, Executive Director of the Marine Exchange of Alaska.
It's great to be home after a wonderful time at the 41st Semi-Annual PCC Harbormasters and Port Managers membership conference, and I hope there are many Juneau trips ahead. I had been to Juneau just twice before and to this day, credit Juneau for my relocation to the Northwest in 1994. But don't put that suitcase too far back in the closet; the False Creek Harbor Authority will be hosting the next conference in Vancouver, April 12th through April 15th, 2016. Start thinking about topics you would like to explore and we will see you there!
|
|
A few Pictures from the Conference
 
Kathy Garcia Receives the "Mad" Award Great Conference Content
|
| | Accommodating Family at Meal time |
|
| | Great to see Past President Ray Majeski |
|
Congratulations
Hello members of the PCC! On behalf of the Board of Directors, I'm pleased to announce that we have just awarded our first Certified Marina Operator (CMO) Certificate to Roland Montoure. Roland, from the Port of Bellingham, has completed the required courses in the Career Training for Ports & Marinas program from the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) Congratulations Roland, for your commitment and dedication to growth within the marine industry.
Best of luck to you!
Mike Loy
President
Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters & Port Managers, Inc
|
Thank You From Roland Montoure
I've worked for the Port of Bellingham at Blaine Harbor since 2000 and I wanted to grow in my position as a Marine Services Representative.
I was looking for a way to get additional training and skills I could apply to running a marina on a day to day basis. The Harbormaster suggested the University of Alaska courses on Ports and Marinas.
I started the courses back in 2009 with Facilities Safety and have been working through the courses in my spare time (one to two classes a year).
I found that the knowledge the UAS classes imparts has greatly helped me in my job. I am the kind of person who hates to answer the question, "why do you do it this way?" with "we've always done it that way". When asked, I like to know and be able to explain "why". The UAS classes have really helped in that regard.
There are a lot of different hats I have to wear in my job ranging from customer service at the office counter, running a clean oil dump, writing work orders for the maintenance crew, to dealing with a sunken boat or other emergency response. I found that the UAS classes cover almost all of the skills that are needed to run the operations at a marina.
The UAS classes emphasize safety in all of the courses. When I walk down the dock I use the knowledge I learned from the modules on Utilities to look for issues. When I find issues I am able to use the correct terminology with the maintenance crew to help them know what exactly the problem is.
I would like to let all the Harbormasters and Marina Managers with PCC know that I found the UAS classes to be very informative. They provide knowledge that usually only can be found in on the job training from someone with years of experience.
Roland Montoure Port of Bellingham
|
|
By Christian Steinbrecher, Columbia River Port Engineers
Click to view article
|
"Help"
The RangeMarker has evolved greatly over the years. It started as a typed, black and white photo copied flyer, then a color flyer that was folded,stapled and sent U.S Mail. We then moved forward with a full color, paged newsletter and now an emailed Newsletter with links and plenty of room for articles and information. The plea goes out always for your articles. The content of the RangeMarker is driven by the members of the Pacific Congress. It is your opportunity to share any information on projects, issues, problems, announcements, interesting stories or anything at all. This can include cartoons or interesting pictures. The Pacific Coast Congress is made up of members with a wealth of knowledge and experience. We want to capture that in written form in the RangeMarker. It is an opportunity to solicit your staff, and tap into those with valued interest and information to write an article. The success and quality of the RangeMarker hinges on your articles and contributions. So take a little time out of your busy day and if you have something to share, write it down, listen to your staff, they may have an interesting idea or story to share. It's a great opportunity to value them by asking them to write something. Thank you to those who have helped out with your articles. If you have any questions feel free to contact me at email. Send all articles to Articles {clmaynard2@msn.com.} Word is the best format, and if you have pictures send them separate and in jpeg. Thank You Cliff Maynard RangeMarker Editor
|
|
 Professional Services and Vendors
Please visit our vendors for products and professional services. As members their contribution is invaluable to our industry in both product quality, services and information. They represent a wide variety of products from computer software, construction, engineering, products and more.
Click below for a full list and links to our vendors:
|
 Welcome aboard our New Members!
Marine Fender International
Larry Lizotte
Cook Inletkeeper
Rachel Lord
The PCC does not advertise for new members, and our membership is via word of mouth and our organization speaks for itself. Those in the industry hear about the good thing's we do and offer. We encourage each of you to keep getting the word out to those you know and encourage them to become a member. If you have any questions about membership or need assistance with providing information please contact the,
Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters & Port Managers
Executive Secretary
click on email link below
|
|
THINK ABOUT IT
"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
"Tough times never last, but tough people do."
"If there is no struggle, there is no progress."
"It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in
doing what is necessary."
"When the eagles are silent, the parrots begin to jabber."
|
"Career Training for Ports and Marinas"
|
|
About 8 years ago, the Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers began to discuss ways that they could increase the knowledge, skills and professionalism of employees of their harbours. The president at that time, Ray Majeski, was the harbormaster in Sitka, Alaska so he turned to the local campus, University of Alaska Southeast, Sitka to investigate training opportunities for harbor employees.
The timing couldn't have been more perfect. The Sitka Campus was applying for a grant which provided the opportunity to develop online courses at a non-academic level. The courses were developed in close partnership with the Pacific Coast Congress of Harbormasters and Port Managers, the Alaska Association of Harbormasters and Port Administrators, the Harbour Authority Association of British Columbia, and Washington Sea Grant. Drawing from these professional organizations, UAS partnered content experts with instructional designers. The content experts were expert in the fields of Oil Spill Prevention, Fire Safety for Marinas, and other topics related to Harbor Management. The instructional designers were expert in how to develop an engaging effective online course, but relied completely on the professionals to provide the content. An education committee from PCC provided the initial direction for UAS to take and ensured that the result would be the kind of quality that would truly support the industry.
Ten courses now comprise the Career Training for Ports and Marinas program. PCC provides certificates at 3 levels. Complete any 3 courses of your choice for Level 1 Certification, another 3 courses of your choices for Level 2 Certification, and the last 4 courses for Level 3 certification. The courses are:
1. Marine Structures and Materials
2. Facility Safety
3. Oil Spills: Prevention, Preparedness and Response
4. Fire Safety for Ports and Marinas
5. Customer Service for Ports and Marinas
6. Marina Utilities: Electrical Systems
7. Marina Utilities: Water and Sanitary Sewer
8. Hazardous Materials and Waste: Risks and Controls
9. Harbor Operations and Planning
10. Harbor Administration
All of the courses are offered online. They take approximately 12-15 hours of actual work, but students are given 3 months to complete them. Clear navigation instructions and tutorials are provided when students begin, so that even if they've never taken an online course before, they quickly learn how easy it is. Content material is provided through text and pictures or audio lectures accompanied by notes; there are interactive self-check activities, and sometimes a short written account of an actual walk-about the harbor. Students are in touch with the instructors for the courses by email. Instructors are Shannon Kinsella, Ray Majeski, Larry Boyer, Alan Sorum, Eric Olsson, John Lewis and David Garrett. All instructors are professionals in the field of harbor management.
Check out the UAS website to learn more about each course and about the instructors or to register for a course. They cost $195 per course.
|
RangeMarker Editor
Cliff Maynard
HELP US IMPROVE THE RANGEMARKER BY PROVIDING YOUR FEEDBACK AND IDEAS!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
