20th annual Great North River Tugboat Race
Last Sunday, the race was run on the Hudson River. Your humble narrator was onboard the “officials” boat and the following slideshow is what was captured on the day of. How’s that for a “Maritime Sunday”?
doorless corridor
– photo by Mitch Waxman
I’ve probably been walking past this sign for better than a year. Never actually took the time to notice it, let alone grab a shot or two. Just the other day, a casual glance caused me to register its message and delightful usage of the English language, and frozen in his tracks was a humble narrator. I can almost work out the accent of the guy who made this sign.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
To start with, I really like the idea of an inconvenience station, even if it is spelled in a rather creative fashion. Not only is the idea of a centralized location wherein one may be inconvenienced an extremely New York City sort of thing, and especially a “Queens thing”, but this might be a great- albeit “temperory”- addition to the new Queens Plaza.
Things to do…
– graphic from newtowncreekarmada.org
What are you kidding, as if I wouldn’t be drawn to this like a lemming?
Can’t tell you how many emails I received this week asking if I’d be attending this event. Nate Kensinger and Sarah Nelson Wright are friends, and I think I’ve met Laura Chipley a couple of times as well. This is such a neat idea, and it will be playing out at the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Nature Walk on Paidge Avenue in Greenpoint.
“The Newtown Creek Armada will be open 1-4pm on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, weather permitting.”
They’ve even posted a sample video from their testing period here.
A
The Newtown Creek Armada is an art installation that invites the public to explore the past, present and future of a contaminated New York City waterway. The Newtown Creek, a Superfund site bordering Brooklyn and Queens, is one of the most polluted bodies of water in the United States. Visitors to The Armada will pilot a fleet of artist-made, miniature, remote-controlled boats along the surface of the Newtown Creek while documenting the hidden world of its waters using waterproof cameras and microphones.
– graphic from forgotten-ny.com
Your humble narrator will not be able to attend this week’s Forgotten NY tour, unfortunately, as I’ll be conducting a Newtown Creek Tour for a group of students from Cornell. Why not spend some time with the intrepid duo of Kevin Walsh and Richard Melnick, who will be marching through DUMBO?
“Meet outside York Street IND station on Jay Street near York, DUMBO, 12 noon, Sunday, September 9th.
Beginning in the late 1990s, the dark, Belgian-blocked streets between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, commonly known asDUMBO, or “Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass” were transformed into a vibrant neighborhood with pricey condominiums, delis, hardware stores, pizzerias, and even gourmet chocolatiers.”
Check back on www.astorialic.org or www.forgotten-ny.com for developing tour details.
Fee: $15.00 to GAHS members, $20.00 non-members (rain date Sept 16
RSVP to info@astorialic.org or fny@astorialic.org.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, the Working Harbor Committee is conducting a fundraiser at Pier 66 Maritime, West 26th Street & Hudson River, New York City on Wednesday the 12th of September (6 pm to 8:30 pm). All proceeds from the event will assist the Working Harbor Committee in fulfilling its mission to educate residents, visitors and youth on the vitality and importance of our working harbor and help fund its educational programs to introduce youth to opportunities in the maritime world.
The Special Honoree of the party will be Andrew Genn- Sr. Vice President, Ports & Transportation, New York City Economic Development Corporation. The award will be presented by Helena Durst, President of New York Water Taxi and Circle Line Downtown.
This will be a party, not a boat ride, it should be mentioned. A great opportunity to meet some of the movers and shakers on New York Harbor, let your hair down and have a drink or two, and it benefits a great non profit operation. Click here for tickets.
max impact
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Moving through the squamous and tourist choked streets of accursed Lower Manhattan, and heading for a rendezvous with a boat trip at South Street Seaport, a rhythmical thumping began to filter through my headphones.
The closer I got to Pier 16, the louder it became, and that’s when I encountered Max Impact.
from usafband.af.mil
Max Impact is the premier rock band of the United States Air Force. Commissioned in 2005, the band’s seven members perform exciting original music, rock, country, patriotic favorites as well as classic and current pop hits. In addition to entertaining military and civilian audiences in the United States, Max Impact has thrilled troops with their hard-rocking energy and amazing musical versatility at forward deployed locations including Iraq and Afghanistan.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A military band, Max Impact was playing a medley of rock anthems to an interested crowd of European and Chinese tourists which didn’t quite know what to make of a group of American military personnel performing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”.
Your humble narrator too, found this a bit odd, but no less so than any of the other bizarre allocations that my tax dollars go to.
also from usafband.af.mil
Technical Sgt. Matthew R. Geist is a guitarist with Max Impact, The United States Air Force Band, Washington, D.C. In addition to his performing duties, he serves as music director for his flight. Originally from Chicago, his career in the Air Force began in 1995 when he served in the Band of the West, Lackland AFB, Texas. From 2004-06 he served with the Band of Liberty, Hanscom AFB, Mass.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
They were actually pretty good- technically precise- in the manner of studio musicians. They didn’t miss a beat, and were perfectly in tune with each other. Of course, this is what soldiers do. Max Impact is officially part of the United States Air Force Military Band.
It seems there are several “units” within the band, specialized into music genre or style operations- classical, jazz, country etc.
also from usafband.af.mil
Master Sgt. Shani Prewitt is a vocalist with the Max Impact, The United States Air Force Band, Washington, D.C. In addition to her performance duties, Sergeant Prewitt is the assistant noncommissioned officer in charge of the Singing Sergeants. Originally from Staunton, Va., her career in the Air Force began in 1990.
Before joining the Air Force, Sergeant Prewitt was a vocalist at Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens, Opryland and Disneyland.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A little online research afterward revealed that this unit performs for troops deployed oversea and here at home, and seems to be particularly popular with front line soldiers. In the case of the Air Force, front line means their Special Operations tactical units (analogous to other Special Forces like the Green Berets or Seals in the Army or Navy).
from usafband.af.mil
Master Sgt. Ryan L. Carson is a vocalist with Max Impact, The United States Air Force Band, Washington, D.C. In addition to his performance duties, Sergeant Carson is the Air Force District of Washington/11th Wing protocol liaison for the Band’s Outreach office. He is originally from Rapid City, S.D.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Wyoming, Sergeant Carson earned a Bachelor of Music degree, specializing in voice performance. While there, he garnered a first place award at the Colorado/Wyoming National Association of Teachers of Singing Competition, and was also named Outstanding Male Vocal Jazz Soloist at the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival. Sergeant Carson was also a Distinguished Graduate and Commandant Award Finalist at the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy in 2003.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
They went from playing pop music over to their own compositions, which were a bit edgier.
You already paid for them, so might as well download a sampling of Max Impact’s recordings, which can be accessed at this page
additionally, here’s a Max Impact video produced for the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC.)
antediluvian plateau
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Passing through Long Island City’s “Tower Town” on the way to the East River Ferry, your humble narrator made a point of shooting some “in progress” shots of ongoing construction. The building at the right of the shot above is going to be a school, and construction on the Hunters Point South project seems to be moving along as well.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Last that I heard, there is still an awful lot of plumbing going on. Part of the project, an enormous residential development, will demand the presence of gas mains and water (sanitary, potable supply, and waste water retention and management) infrastructure. From what I’ve been able to observe, this seems to be most of what’s going on here at the moment.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
One cannot help but feel remorse at the loss of the rail to barge infrastructure and facilities that once operated here, and the loss of such amenities in this more environmentally sensitive modern age.
Of course, now that the East River coastline of Manhattan has been fully converted to residential and recreational usage- where would the rail and barge driven agricultural and manufactured products of Long Island have to go?
