See flotilla at Clermont on June 11

The Flotilla on the Hudson, a parade of ships from New York City to Albany in commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river that bears his name, will go past Clermont State Historic Site (just north of Tivoli and the Dutchess-Columbia county border) around noon on June 11. It will be led by flagships Half-Moon, Clearwater, Cleveland, Harvey, and Onrust. This would be a nice spot to watch it.

Here are more details from the historic site:

The Relay Flotilla begins on June 6 in New York City and will reach its destination on June 13. Boat and yacht clubs along the way will send out their members to join the Flotilla as it heads north. As part of the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain Quadricentennial, on June 11 the Relay Flotilla will be paying its respects to Clermont State Historic Site, the historic home of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston, collaborator of Robert Fulton in the famed 1807 steamboat, the North River (popularly known as the Clermont) and a stop on the steamboat's maiden voyage.

Picnickers are welcome to witness this historic event from the grounds and share an exceptional view of the Flotilla free-of-charge at this afternoon sail-by. At 11:30 a.m., curator Ashley Hopkins-Benton will be giving a family-friendly talk on the 1909 Hoopla on the Hudson celebration and comparing it to the 2009 celebrations. Tours of the mansion will be offered for $5 per adult, $4 for seniors and free for children 12 and under beginning at 11 a.m. and running until 4 p.m. More information is at this Web site.

Champlain's legacy

Vermont Public Radio is looking at the legacy of Samuel de Champlain, as the Quad is just as much about the 400th anniversary of his exploration of the lake that bears his name as it is about Henry Hudson's exploration of the Hudson River and Robert Fulton's pioneering development of the steamboat.

Here is the station's report on one person who is taking part in the "Quadricentennial Voyage: In Search of Samuel de Champlain's France," a ten-day journey for friends of Burlington City Arts.

Poughkeepsie Shipyards theater project photos

Here is a slide show and an article from the Poughkeepsie Journal about the Poughkeepsie Shipyards waterfront theater project that we wrote about last week.

River Day Dance

Walkway Over the Hudson, the group working to turn the Poughkeepsie Highland Railroad Bridge into a pedestrian park, hopes to raise money for the project with a dinner-dance June 9 at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Pavilion (which has views of the project.)

Here is the group's release about the event:

When the Halfmoon, the Clearwater, and the rest of the Quadricentennial Flotilla arrive in Poughkeepsie on Tuesday, June 9, hundreds of Walkway Over the Hudson supporters are expected to cheer them on from the River Day Dance celebration at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum Pavilion.

Walkway Over the Hudson, the nonprofit leading the effort to the transform the Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge into the world’s longest elevated pedestrian park, is hosting the dinner-dance fundraiser from 5-8 p.m. at the Pavilion located at 75 North Water Street along the City of Poughkeepsie’s northern waterfront.

“This will be a wonderful opportunity for Walkway supporters to dine and dance along the Poughkeepsie waterfront while watching the Quadricentennial Flotilla arrive from a great vantage point at the Children’s Museum Pavilion,” said Walkway Executive Director Amy Husten. “And they’ll be helping Walkway Over the Hudson raise funds for its capital campaign in the shadow of the railroad bridge. It’s the perfect event.”

The $40 admission charge covers dinner by Lola’s Café and beer and wine donated by Mahoney’s Irish Pub. (Children under 10 years old will be admitted free.) Music will be provided by a popular area DJ and raffles and other fun activities are planned. Reservations are required as seating is limited. To reserve seats please visit www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649.

With construction now underway on both sides of the Hudson River, crews have been making steady progress laying concrete panels and installing railings along the 1.25-mile former railroad bridge and are expected to finish the core project in September, 2009.

When the Walkway Over the Hudson is completed it will become the longest elevated pedestrian park in the world and serve as the Mid-Hudson Valley’s legacy project for New York State’s Quadricentennial Celebration. At that point, the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation plans to begin managing the Walkway as a new state park. A grand opening celebration is planned for the weekend of Oct. 2, 2009. For more information about the Walkway Over the Hudson project and upcoming activities please visit www.walkway.org or call 845-454-9649 for more information.

Life Along the Hudson photo exhibit

From June 20 to October 4, the Albany Institute of History & Art welcomes Life Along the Hudson: Photographs by Joseph Squillante, a collection of more than 30 black-and-white images portraying the artist’s devotion to the river’s natural beauty and to preserving its bountiful resources.

Here is more about the artist from a release for the exhibit:

Joseph Squillante has spent the past three decades traveling the entire length of the Hudson. Like the Hudson River School landscape painters before him, some of his photographs capture the beauty and romantic quality of the river, while others focus on people who live and work along its shores.
 
Just as the photographs of the Adirondacks by Seneca Ray Stoddard in the late 1800s aided in the designation of the area as a state park, Squillante’s photographs of the Hudson River have raised public awareness of the river’s importance. His commitment to helping transform the Hudson into a cleaner and more esteemed natural resource has earned him the respect of the Hudson River community. He has worked closely with the Riverkeeper organization, receiving its River Rat Award in 1997; with the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, founded by Pete Seeger; and with Scenic Hudson, which gave him its 2005 Hudson Valley Hero Award. Three additional images by Squillante, including a portrait of Seeger, are included within the Albany Institute’s current exhibition, Hudson River Panorama: 400 Years of History, Art, and Culture.
 
Although he has seen much ugliness on the Hudson—including chemical discharge, oil spills, and industrial plant explosions—Squillante has kept his lens trained on the river’s natural splendor. “It’s the beauty that matters,” he said. “That’s what makes people aware of this national treasure. My whole mission is to raise awareness of the beauty of the river through photography.”

Commemorative Quad Wine Label

A Quadricentennial commemorative wine label will brand special 2009 releases of Hudson Valley wine. The Hudson Valley Wine Goddess has more about it on her blog.

2009 River Summit

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Pete Grannis will be the keynote speaker at the 2009 River Summit, which will take place on Monday, June 8 at The Thayer Hotel at West Point, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Discussion will focus on revitalizing and sustaining the river valley environment for the benefit of all its residents.

Organized by the DEC's Hudson River Estuary Program, the event is co-sponsored by Historic Hudson River Towns, Clearwater, Hudson River Foundation, Riverkeeper, Scenic Hudson, The Hudson River Environmental Society, The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance, The Nature Conservancy and others.

Other speakers will include Katie Dolan, The Nature Conservancy; Frances Dunwell, NYS DEC; Roland Lewis, The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance; Barney Molloy, Historic Hudson River Towns; Alex Matthiessen, Riverkeeper; Jeff Rumpf, Clearwater; Ned Sullivan, Scenic Hudson; Dennis Suszkowski, Hudson River Foundation; and Jim Tierney, NYS DEC.

Advance registration is required due to space limitations. The cost per person is $30 and includes all sessions and lunch. To register, call Historic Hudson River Towns at 914-232-6583.

For more information about the River Summit, e-mail hrep@gw.dec.state.ny.us or call 845-256-3016. For directions to The Thayer Hotel, go to www.thethayerhotel.com or call 845-446-4731.