Sailing into the Quadricentennial year

Mark the start of the 2009 Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial with the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club's display of ice boats in front of the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library in Hyde Park. After all, ice sailing technology is of Dutch origin and FDR owned an ice yacht as a young man. FDR's uncle, Commodore John E. Roosevelt, started the club, which still exists today.

The club plans to have an outdoor display of up to 12 Hudson River Ice Yachts dating from the late 1800s in front of the Presidential Library. Included in the exhibit will be world-championship winning ice yachts owned by John A. Roosevelt and his Hyde Park neighbor, Col. Archibald Rogers.

The exhibit runs through January 3 but will be closed on New Year's Day. (It also may close during inclement weather, so they advise calling ahead to confirm exhibit hours at 845-229-9115 or 1-800-FDR-VISIT.) Ice Yacht Club members will be there each day to talk about their boats, their sport and the history of ice yachting on the Hudson.

The Ice Yacht Display is sponsored by the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club in cooperation with the Roosevelt-Vanderbilt National Historic Site, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Presidential Library , the Hudson River Maritime Museum, the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area and Dutchess County.


Poughkeepsie Journal photo by Darryl Bautista

Photo competition winners!

William Panuska's dramatic photo of the Mid-Hudson Bridge is the November 2008 Poughkeepsie Journal Quadricentennial Photo Contest winner. Although the judges had more than 90 photographs to view and critique, Panuska's image of an ominous bank of clouds appearing to rest on top of the bridge was the clear winner. The photograph is technically outstanding, very well-framed and perfectly timed, said Spencer Ainsley, director of multimedia, photography and videography at the newspaper. Panuska, 63, who is now retired and living in Highland, taught in the Poughkeepsie School District for 30 years.

Bob Kallman's moody photo of a Hudson River scene in heavy fog takes honorable mention. Kallman's early morning photo showing a collection of oars and small boats lined along the east bank of the Hudson River with another boat approaching in the mist under the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge is serene and artistically produced, said Ainsley. Kallman owns Kallman Insurance Agency in Poughkeepsie and is an avid outdoorsman.

Congrats to them both!

PS We'll post the photos here shortly -- in the mean time, they are in this group on the Hudson Happenings photo contest page. UPDATE: The winning photos can be seen here.

More money for railroad bridge

More money for the Poughkeepsie railroad bridge project:

Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) has announced that a $440,000 federal grant will be added to the funds being used to transform the bridge into the Walkway Over the Hudson linear park. Hinchey said the funds would be used with money already obtained for the project, including $874,000 in federal funding that he obtained in 2005, to pay for upgrades to the overpass. The funds for the bridge come from the National Park Service's Save America's Treasures grant program.

His entire announcement is at his Web site.

The $35.5 million Walkway construction project is scheduled to wrap up in September of 2009, in time for the Quad celebration. This past September, Walkway Over the Hudson said its fundraising goal stood at $12.5 million, which it hopes to raise via government, corporate, private foundations, individuals and other funding sources. Donors that have made significant contributions to the project include the Dyson Foundation ($2 million), Scenic Hudson ($1 million), and the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency ($500,000) and the Jane W. Nuhn Charitable Trust, a Poughkeepsie-based foundation, ($500,000).

Hudson River photo contest, 2

The November edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal's Hudson River photo contest is being judged ... stay tuned for results, to be posted later ....

NY's First Lady to lead celebrations

New York's First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson has been named Honorary Chair of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration, according to an announcement today by her husband, Gov. David Paterson.

She'll lend her support to several projects, including the “Walkway Over the Hudson” Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge project. The other two main projects of the Quad celebration are the newly refurbished Crown Point Lighthouse on Lake Champlain and New York City's Governor’s Island, the site of one of New York’s first Dutch settlements and a strategic 19th-century coastal fortification. That last project will soon allow visitors to have access to the entire perimeter promenade and will create a picnic area with views of the Statue of Liberty, New York Harbor, and the Manhattan skyline.

Here is her reaction, according to the governor's statement,

“This is a momentous occasion in our State’s history,” said First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson. “I am so proud to be able to serve this important role as ambassador for the 400th anniversaries of the exploration of our historic Hudson River and Lake Champlain, celebrating our rich history and our embrace of diversity, tolerance and innovation. Perhaps most importantly, we are utilizing the occasion to focus attention on the most important legacy of all -- environmental and
economic sustainability starting with the next 100 years.”

"New York's First Lady will bring the prestige and gravitas to usher in this plan on the eve of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial," said Tara Sullivan, executive director of the state Quad commission and a Dutchess County resident.

Quad commemoratives

One fun thing about historic anniversaries is that they generally produce a good number of collectibles. In an earlier post, I wrote about some of the free stuff already being handed out in anticipation of next year's Quadricentennial celebrations. Now, there's something a little higher-end available ...

Jaymark Jewelers has designed an enamel and 14k gold Quadricentennial pendant that memorializes Henry Hudson's ship, the Half Moon. Here is more about the piece from a recent issue of Rising Tide, the Quad newsletter.

The pendant is based on the Dard Hunter stained glass window depicting Henry Hudson’s ship, the Half Moon, which was shown in our first issue. To honor the discovery of the Hudson River in 1609, Jaymark will produce 1,609 numbered pieces of this fine collectible, priced at $1,609 each. In addition, Jaymark will produce another 400 numbered pieces, with a 30% larger stained glass portion set in platinum, completely surrounded by a diamond bezel, at $16,090 each. ... Jaymark Jewelers is committed to the principles of fair trade and sustainability in the jewelry industry, and ensures that the companies and countries it partners with do the same.

Jaymark is a fourth generation family- owned company in the Hudson Valley, with showrooms in Cold Spring, Wappingers Falls, and Katonah. They can be reached at 1-888-483-6335.