on the river at 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 377-1900 x 17, www.beczak.org
HIGH RES PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
CONTACT
Lenore Person: Director of Development
(914) 420-6864 cell
“Yonkers’ Big Dig: The Saw Mill River Daylighting Project” on October 1 at Beczak Environmental Education Center
Everyone knows about San Antonio’s spectacular River Walk . . . but do they know about the one being created in Yonkers?!
Yonkers, N.Y. (September 19, 2011) – Get a first-hand update on the Saw Mill River daylighting project including surprising finds, final plans and more with Jim Pinto, Director at City of Yonkers Office of Downtown and Waterfront Development. “Yonkers’ Big Dig: The Saw Mill River Daylighting Project” on Saturday, October 1 at 7 PM at Beczak Environmental Education Center. $10 / $5 for students, seniors and teachers. For information contact vgarufi@beczak.org, (914) 377-1900 x 12. Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701. www.beczak.org
San Antonio, TX . . . Providence, RI . . . Vancouver, Canada . . . Cheonggyecheon, Seoul . . . these are part of the short list of visionary communities that decided to peel back pavement and “daylight” rivers. One of the most recent to make this bold move is Yonkers, New York, on the southernmost portion of the Saw Mill River.
Jim Pinto, Director at City of Yonkers Office of Downtown and Waterfront Development, is the Director of the Saw Mill River Daylighting Project. At Yonkers Big Dig, he will give first-hand updates on this massive project including timeline, costs, surprising finds, final plans and more. Pinto says, “Unearthing the Saw Mill River from its underground grave is one of the most significant habitat restorations in the Region.”
In December of 2010, the City of Yonkers broke ground on daylighting the first 800 feet of the Saw Mill River—the final portion of the river before it empties into the Hudson. It was buried it in the early 1920’s for flood mitigation and sanitation management by the Army Corp of Engineers. The total cost of daylighting the river at both locations has been estimated at about $60 million, of which $10 million has been provided by the state.
While programming plans for the Saw Mill River will include a Library reading room and story-telling area, a wildlife play kiosks, gathering space and more, its current state reminds one of the adage “it’s going to get worse before it gets better.” The former parking lot has been turned into an excavation site rimmed by chain-link fences, concrete barriers, and stock piles.
But the benefits of a natural, sunlit river to fish, plants and people have drawn many partners to support the daylighting project, including Scenic Hudson, Yonkers Committee for Smart Development, Beczak Environmental Education Center, and others.
“People in downtown Yonkers will have access to the Saw Mill River for the first time in generations, “ says Ann-Marie Mitroff of Groundwork Hudson Valley, the environmental habitat and ecological interpreter for this site. “One of the things I like best about the Saw Mill River daylighting is that its going to benefit Yonkers residents—the people that use the nearby bus and train stations and work in the area. It will be a place to hang. You will be able to hear and see the river and that feels good.”
THE SAW MILL RIVER DAYLIGHTING PROJECT IN THE NEWS
RIVERTALKS—SMART CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HUDSON . . . AND A FREE DRINK!
RiverTalks are lively Saturday evening discussions led by various experts in an historical, environmental or cultural aspect of the Hudson River Valley. Each evening includes refreshments, a featured presentation and discussion. Tickets $10 / students, teachers and seniors $5.
Upcoming Fall 2011 features:
· November 12: Hudson River Sturgeon: A Relic from Deep Time! with Tom Lake naturalist for the Hudson River Estuary. Discover the Atlantic sturgeon, capable of reaching huge size, armored with bony plates, and possessing a lineage extending back to the age of dinosaurs! One of the Hudson River’s most knowledgeable experts shares stories, pictures and facts that show how sturgeon—still in the Hudson today—are as fascinating as those extinct reptiles.
· December 10: Do Fish Sleep? Fascinating Answers to Questions About Fishes with Judith Weis, professor of biological sciences at Rutgers University. From the fifty-one-foot whale shark to a less-than-one-half-inch fish in the minnow family, Professor Judith Weis offers a fascinating look at amazing fishes of the world. Learn which fish can change color, sex, produce light and electricity, regenerate injured fins and prevent themselves from sinking—some can even walk on land!
BECZAK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
Beczak Environmental Education Center is the lower Hudson's hub for river education and offers many programs that involve all ages in learning about nature and enjoying the outdoors. Where you learn to love your river!
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation calls Beczak’s rehabilitated property an “environmental recovery success story.” Located on the banks of the Hudson in the City of Yonkers, at River Mile 18, this spacious interpretive center is an adaptive reuse of the former social club for Habirshaw Cable & Wire Co. Its two-acre park features a welcoming riverfront lawn, an easily accessible tidal marsh and a beach used for river exploration and seining.
Beczak educators work with approximately 20,000 children and families each year through in-school river education programs, field trips at its riverfront center, after school environmental clubs, and public programs including River Explorers and Fish Tales for children, RiverTalks lectures and Urban H20 concerts for adults, Lunchtime Learning for seniors, Summer Adventures camp, and professional development for educators.
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on the river at 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 377-1900 x 17, www.beczak.org
HIGH RES PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
CONTACT
Lenore Person: Director of Development
(914) 420-6864 cell
John Cronin, former Hudson Riverkeeper, speaks at Beczak Environmental Education Center on September 10
Famed Hudson River advocate comes to hometown of Yonkers with news of the emerging global water crisis and what can be done to prevent it.
Yonkers, N.Y. (August 17, 2011) – John Cronin, former Hudson Riverkeeper and current Director of the Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, speaks about the state of the world’s waters—including the Hudson—and the new paradigm needed for survival. “Brains vs. Brawn: The Future of Water” on Saturday, September 10 at 7 PM at Beczak Environmental Education Center. $10 / $5 for students, seniors and teachers. For information contact vgarufi@beczak.org, (914) 377-1900 x 12. Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701. www.beczak.org
Summer 2011 saw the Hudson River closed twice to recreational use due to massive sewage leaks. In August Riverkeeper reported “Chronic wet weather (sewage) discharges are a huge problem throughout the entire 155 mile Hudson River Estuary.” The Hudson River is not alone in this state of stress—famed environmentalist John Cronin calls the situation “an emerging global water crisis.”
In Brains vs. Brawn: The Future of Water, John Cronin, an internationally known thought leader on water issues, will speak about this emerging global water crisis and a new paradigm of cooperation and imagination in environmental science that marries the genius of technological innovation with the passion of environmental advocacy.
“If the 20th century was the era of environmental brawn, the 21st century has to be the era of environmental brains,” Cronin says. “One billion people are without safe water. We have the know-how and compassion to correct that tragedy, and harmonize forever the human and natural worlds. This is the greatest challenge of the 21st century.”
Brains vs. Brawn: The Future of Water is the keynote presentation of Yonkers RiverFest.
JOHN CRONIN
Renowned environmentalist and Pace University senior fellow John Cronin received the prestigious Jefferson Award in 2011. Cronin was honored for a career spanning four decades “on the front line of water quality issues.” He is a native of Yonkers, NY.
Cronin is director and CEO of Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, and a senior fellow at Pace University. For 37 years he has dedicated his career to water and environmental affairs. He is best known for his 17 years as Hudson Riverkeeper, for which Time magazine named him a “Hero for the Planet.” He also served as an aide to Republican Congressman Hamilton Fish, Jr. and as an aide to Democratic Assemblyman Maurice Hinchey. He was the lead environmental negotiator for the New York City Watershed Agreement, and was the author and lead lobbyist of three state environmental laws. He has worked as a Hudson River commercial fishermen, filmmaker and author. He co-wrote, with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., The Riverkeepers, with an introduction by Vice President Al Gore, and wrote and produced the film The Last Rivermen, named an outstanding documentary of the year by the Motion Picture Academy Foundation. At Beacon Institute he directs a program of advanced technology development for real-time monitoring of rivers and estuaries, and STEM education for teachers and students. At the Pace Academy for Applied Environmental Studies his work is directed at water policy reform and training the next generation of environmental leaders. The Wall Street Journal called John Cronin, “A unique presence on America’s major waterways.”
BEACON INSTITUTE
Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, with offices in Beacon and Troy, New York, is a not-for-profit environmental research organization engaging scientists, engineers, educators and policy experts in collaborative work focusing on real-time monitoring of river ecosystems. It aims to make the Hudson Valley a global center for scientific and technological innovation that advances research, education and public policy regarding rivers and estuaries. http://www.bire.org
RIVERTALKS—SMART CONVERSATION ABOUT THE HUDSON . . . AND A FREE DRINK!
Brains vs. Brawn: The Future of Water begins RiverTalks Fall 2011 season. RiverTalks are lively Saturday evening discussions led by various experts in an historical, environmental or cultural aspect of the Hudson River Valley. Each evening includes refreshments, a featured presentation and discussion. Tickets $10 / students, teachers and seniors $5.
Fall 2011 features:
· October 1: Yonkers’ Big Dig: The Saw Mill River Daylighting Project with Jim Pinto, Director at City of Yonkers Office of Downtown & Waterfront Development. One of the most significant habitat restorations in the country is happening right in Getty Square! Get a firsthand update on the Saw Mill River being unearthed from the current underground flume into a new natural river bed and into the daylight! Find out more about what the Saw Mill River Daylighting project means to you.
· November 12: Hudson River Sturgeon: A Relic from Deep Time! with Tom Lake naturalist for the Hudson River Estuary. Discover the Atlantic sturgeon, capable of reaching huge size, armored with bony plates, and possessing a lineage extending back to the age of dinosaurs! One of the Hudson River’s most knowledgeable experts shares stories, pictures and facts that show how sturgeon—still in the Hudson today—are as fascinating as those extinct reptiles.
· December 10: Do Fish Sleep? Fascinating Answers to Questions About Fishes with Judith Weis, professor of biological sciences at Rutgers University. From the fifty-one-foot whale shark to a less-than-one-half-inch fish in the minnow family, Professor Judith Weis offers a fascinating look at amazing fishes of the world. Learn which fish can change color, sex, produce light and electricity, regenerate injured fins and prevent themselves from sinking—some can even walk on land!
BECZAK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
Beczak Environmental Education Center is the lower Hudson's hub for river education and offers many programs that involve all ages in learning about nature and enjoying the outdoors. Where you learn to love your river!
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation calls Beczak’s rehabilitated property an “environmental recovery success story.” Located on the banks of the Hudson in the City of Yonkers, at River Mile 18, this spacious interpretive center is an adaptive reuse of the former social club for Habirshaw Cable & Wire Co. Its two-acre park features a welcoming riverfront lawn, an easily accessible tidal marsh and a beach used for river exploration and seining.
Beczak educators work with approximately 20,000 children and families each year through in-school river education programs, field trips at its riverfront center, after school environmental clubs, and public programs including River Explorers and Fish Tales for children, RiverTalks lectures and Urban H20 concerts for adults, Lunchtime Learning for seniors, Summer Adventures camp, and professional development for educators.
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on the river at 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701
(914) 377-1900 x 17, www.beczak.org
HIGH RES PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
CONTACT
Lenore Person: Marketing and Communications Manager
(914) 420-6864 cell
All About Hudson River Steamships on June 18
Two hundred years ago, steamboats served practically every Hudson River community. Learn about the vision to restore one to active service.
Yonkers, N.Y. (April 28, 2011) – Richard Anderson, President of the S.S. Columbia Project, tells the story of steamboating on the Hudson River and the work being done to restore the National Historic Landmark vessel SS Columbia, America’s oldest surviving passenger steamer, for active service on the Hudson River. “Steamships on the Hudson” on Saturday, June 18 at 7 PM at Beczak Environmental Education Center. $10 / $5 for students, seniors and teachers. For information contact vgarufi@beczak.org, (914) 377-1900 x 12. Beczak Environmental Education Center, 35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, NY 10701. www.beczak.org
The Hudson River was the cradle of American steamboating. From the first successful commercial voyage of Robert Fulton’s Clermont in 1807 through the retirement of the Alexander Hamilton in 1971, these boats were an integral part of the life along the Hudson. Whether it was a huge 400-foot side-wheeler, a small freight boat, excursion boats or a ferry crossing, practically every Hudson River community was served by a steamboat.
Richard Anderson, Founding President of the SS Columbia Project notes, “Sadly, all of the great Hudson River steamers have been lost to us. We were fortunate to find the Columbia in Detroit. She is the oldest surviving passenger steamship in America and we are working to restore her to active service on the Hudson River.”
"We hope that the ship's restoration will help revitalize the communities of the Hudson River Valley and will re-invigorate our experience of the region's beautiful riverscapes that can be best experienced from the water. SS Columbia will serve as an amazing experiential educational resource where school kids can watch the great steam engines at work, and her ballroom and beautiful public spaces will serve as a floating cultural center for the communities of the Hudson River Valley."
“Much like Walkway over the Hudson and the High Line were dreams only a few short years ago, the Columbia represents another dream that can be brought to reality,” says Anderson.
The S.S. Columbia was built in 1902 and has been designated by the Federal Government as a National Historic Landmark vessel. Her interior is adorned with mahogany paneling, etched and leaded glass, gilded moldings, a grand staircase, and an innovative open-air ballroom. Her designers also created three of the greatest Hudson River steamships: the Hendrick Hudson, Washington Irving, and the Robert Fulton.
At first glance S.S. Columbia is a dauntingly majestic ruin with her four stories of crumbling decks and rusty tall stack towering over the dock. But looking past the peeling
paint, rot, and decay, you notice her beautiful lines. She sways in the water like an aging River Queen recalling her days of glory. She is now 109 years old and is being prepared for the make over of her life.
At present, Columbia is in Detroit and is being prepared for her trip to New York. Her asbestos has been abated and the superstructure is being stabilized. When she is sufficiently restored she will be towed through the Great Lakes, out the St Lawrence, and down the coast to New York.
SS Columbia Project Founding President Richard Anderson grew up in Brooklyn Heights overlooking the waters of NY harbor and the Hudson River. At age 10 he began his career as a maritime preservationist by volunteering at the South Street Seaport Museum. Richard worked in banking overseas and returned to New York to direct the programs of a contemporary art gallery where he enjoyed helping to launch the careers of emerging artists. Today Richard spearheads the restoration of SS Columbia and in his off-hours enjoys the beauty of the Hudson Valley from his home in the Village of Nyack.
RIVERTALKS—THE FUN WAY TO KEEP ON LEARNING!
Steamships on the Hudson is part of Beczak’s RiverTalks 2011 season. RiverTalks are lively Saturday evening discussions led by various experts in an historical, environmental or cultural aspect of the Hudson River Valley. Each evening includes refreshments, a featured presentation and discussion. Tickets $10 / $5 for teachers, students and seniors.
Next fall’s RiverTalks will include:
· Do Fish Sleep
· The Forgotten Breweries of Yonkers
· Yonkers’ Big Dig: The Saw Mill River Daylighting Project
· Hudson River Sturgeon: A Relic from Deep Time
BECZAK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER
Beczak Environmental Education Center is a repurposed factory social club on the Hudson River that presents programs for all ages to raise environmental awareness. Where you learn to love your river!
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation calls Beczak’s rehabilitated property an “environmental recovery success story.” Located on the banks of the Hudson in the City of Yonkers, at River Mile 18, this spacious interpretive center is an adaptive reuse of the former social club for Habirshaw Cable & Wire Co. Its two-acre park features a welcoming riverfront lawn, an easily accessible tidal marsh and a beach used for river exploration and seining.
Beczak educators work with approximately 20,000 children and families each year through in-school river education programs, field trips at its riverfront center, after school environmental clubs, and public programs including River Explorers and Fish Tales for children, RiverTalks lectures and Urban H20 concerts for adults, Lunchtime Learning for seniors, Summer Adventures camp, and professional development for educators.
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