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NEWSLETTER OF LONG ISLAND PADDLERSlipaddlers.org

Summer 2011

Long Island Paddlers on trip to Middle Ground Lighthouse Sept 18, 2010Cecile Bax, Mary and John Heymach, Judy Cooper, Janet Stone, Chiara Nuzzo and Janet Hann enjoying the sun at lunch on Bellport Beach

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Letter from the PresidentBy Ken Fink

Summer has finally arrived and it’s our highseason. Our trip leaders have already run somepretty nice trips on both land and water, some ofwhich you can read about in this issue of thenewsletter. But there’s a lot more to come.Particularly important are the skills daysscheduled for 7/16 at Stony Brook Harbor and8/27 at Sunken Meadow State Park. Between theforks of Long Island you can visit Robins Islandon July 16th, Cutchogue Harbor and Little PeconicBay on 7/23, Hallock Bay to Gardiner's Bay on8/20, full moon paddles on Peconic and FlandersBay on 8/9 and 9/11, day paddles on FlandersBay on 7/17 and 8/7, and you can come celebratea second annual 70th birthday bash with JimDreeben by paddling the lower Peconic River intoLittle Flanders Bay on 8/25. On the Great SouthBay, our annual Pizza Paddle happens on 7/28,Birch Creek to Indian Island on 8/17, visits to theConnetquot River on 7/24, 8/14, and 8/21, andmultiple trips to Bellport Beach on 7/31, 8/28,and 9/10. For those who want to help out withswim support there’s the Maggie Fischer MemorialGreat South Cross Bay trip on 8/5 and SwimAcross America on 8/13. If you want to socializeoff water we have trips planned to attend the LIPhilharmonic on 7/16, the Statue of Liberty on8/28 and the Grucci fireworks show after theLong Island Ducks game on 9/10.For all these trips to happen I am deeply indebtedto this year’s trip leaders and assistants: StevenBerner, Kristin Costa, Alan Mindlin, BarbaraFontana, Chiara Nuzzo, Fran Cassidy, PaulAledort, Fred Hosage, Helen Horton, Don Gorycki,Ray Clarkson, Barry Goldblatt, Ken Doxsey, JohnGuiffre, Frank Durante, Liz Marcellus, JimDreeben, Dennis Wolf, George Bartunek, StevenPollock, Louis A. Rivera and Mike Chachkes.Without the dedication of these fellow clubmembers we could not have the trip diversity weare fortunate to enjoy.

Planned summer meetings have been scheduledby Steve Berner, our program coordinator, andshould prove interesting. On July 19th, members

from The Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary andAudubon Center will discuss birds we may seearound our waters, and will make available waterresistant field guides for a nominal fee. OnAugust 16th, club members Peter and KathyStoehr will share their experiences of their recentvisit to the World Heritage sites of GalapagosIslands and Machu Picchu. And on September 27we have a special guest, Marcus Demuth, whohas world class status as an expedition kayaker.Marcus was the first kayaker to circumnavigatethe Falkland Islands, a trip of over 680 miles in22 days, (averaging almost 31 miles a day). In2007 Marcus circumnavigated Ireland as afundraiser for the Royal National LifeboatAssociation. Other expeditions took him to TierraDel Fuego (2010), Iceland (2008), the South andWest Coast of Australia (2007), Patagonia/Chile(2006), and Canada (2005). He has been writtenabout in Outside Magazine, the New York Times,Sea Kayaker Magazine, Canoe & Kayak Magazine,Adventure Kayak Magazine, the Explorer's ClubJournal, Ocean Paddler Magazine (UK), PaddlerMagazine (UK), and See Kayaker Magazine(Germany). Because Marcus has justrecently moved to Wales, where he hasopened a B & B, he will not be in town onSeptember 20th so we have moved theSeptember General Meeting to the fourthTuesday of the month, the 27th. I think you will enjoy his ability to tell a greatstory as he discusses some of his recentadventures.

Have a great, and safe, summer!

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Meetings

Members and nonmembers are alwayswelcome at our monthly meetings. We meet(usually) the third Tuesday of each month.For the latest updates, or for drivingdirections, please see our website.

Tentative meeting dates for the remainder of2011 are:

July 19 August 16 September 27*October 18 November 15

We meet from 7 to 9 PM at

Brightwaters Public Library1 South Country Road

Brightwaters, NY 11718

* 4th Tuesday

Newsletter

Long Island Paddlers Publication DatesApril 15 July 15 October 15 December 15

Deadlines for submission are one monthprior to publication date. Members areencouraged to submit articles, pictures,letters to the editor, newsworthy notes,recipes, trip reports or future tripinformation etc. to the editor.Editor reserves the right to editorialprivileges. Unless otherwise stated, theviews expressed are those of the authorsand do not represent official positionstatements of Long Island Paddlers Club.Please submit all newsletter articles,pictures, letters and advertising by deadline,to the editor at: news@lipaddlers.org

To learn and see more of what the Long Island Paddlers are about see our website:lipaddlers.org

Lets paddle!

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Brooklyn’s historic Green-wood Cemetery was thesite of a guided tiptoe through the tombstones,organized by Fran Cassidy and Paul Aledort, ourresident social masters of the off-water. Fran andPaul have a flair for ferreting out overlookedgems of things to do and in this instance, they’vestumbled upon buried treasure.

Old cemeteries provide us with a rare opportunityto travel back in time. Thirty of us brave soulsdefied ominous, raw weather to step into thetime machine that is Green-wood Cemetery.Steve Estroff, our guide, is an elementary schoolteacher with an intimate knowledge of historyand how the residents at Green-wooddovetailed into it. His enthusiasm for thesubject was readily apparent despite weathertypical of early March. Green-wood is a bigplace and we toured but a small fraction of thecemetery in the time we had available.

Green-wood consists of 478 park-like acres andwas founded in 1838. It indeed served as apark long before Central and Prospect Parkswere established. Within its borders is BattleHill, site of a Revolutionary War battle where

George Washington suffered a defeat at what isnow called the Battle of Long Island and which isalso the highest point in Brooklyn, offeringcommanding views of the Manhattan skyline.

No one can buy their way out of theirappointment with the grim reaper. However, therich, famous, infamous, and shameless can oftenafford to go out in style: you may be buried inyour automobile or your ashes rocketed intospace or even loaded into shotshells and fired offin your favorite shotgun. If you had seriousmoney, you could build a mausoleum largeenough to host a banquet or pimp out your finalresting place with elaborate statuary, even import

Green-wood Cemetery Tour April 16, 2011Text and photos By Paul Caparatta This photo courtesy of Fran Cassidy

Rex: One of two dogs buried withtheir masters at Green-wood.

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Carrera marble and artisan/immigrants from Italyto create original works of funerary art. I thinkthe Medici family of Florence, patrons ofMichelangelo, would have been very content torest at Green-wood. Best of all, you may view thisGreek, Roman and Venetian inspired statuarywithout first being violated by ham-handed TSAmolesters at the airport, unless you enjoy thatsort of thing.

And, Green-wood Cemetery has more than its fairshare of people who left their mark in history andwhose eccentricities are plainly evident in thesublime and occasionally elaborate shrines theyerected to commemorate themselves. The 19th

century nouveau-riche, not only enjoyed anopulent lifestyle but also sought to remind futuregenerations that they are walking past the graveof somebody who was indeed somebody.Consequently, Green-wood Cemeteryevolved into a sort of 19th century DuneRoad for the departed. One could easilyimagine Green-wood’s residents in theafterlife, perhaps after a round ofcelestial golf, reminding each other asto who has the nicest and largest placeof rest. Even in the afterlife, sizeapparently matters.

Some of Green-wood’s residents includePeter Cooper, Leonard Bernstein,Charles Ebbets (Ebbets Field) DewittClinton, Teddy Roosevelt’s first wife andparents, and Laura Keene, the actress

performing at Ford’s Theatre when Lincoln wasassassinated and who is said to have cradled thedying president’s head in her lap. The infamousinclude Joey Gallo and Albert Anastasia, mobstersdead of lead poisoning, courtesy of rivalmobsters.

Our guide -Steve Estroff

The goddess Minerva and Lady Liberty, seeminglywaving to each other.

Drummer boy: one of many Civil War era memorials

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Green-wood was the preferred final destinationfor most 19th century, New York City notables,high society, intelligencia, tycoons, celebrities,luminaries, political hacks, power brokers andvillains such as Boss Tweed, as well asmiscellaneous bluebloods not included in theaforementioned categories. Many streetsthroughout the city are named for people whosegraves may be found at Green-wood and whoconsidered themselves 19th century aristocracy.There are also Civil War dead and about 5000Civil War veterans interred at Green-wood.Numerous generals of that war are in residence,as well as Brooklyn’s very first Civil Warcasualty, a twelve-year-old drummer boy. Thecemetery is a must stop for Civil War buffs.

Thanks go to Fran, Paul, our guide, Steve Estroff,and Green-wood’s half million residents for yetanother unique experience with an historicaltwist. I’m anxious to see what they dig up next.

Pyramid mausoleum with statuary.

This tombstone has been taken over by the tree.

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At 150 feet above the water for 5 minutes eachmorning and afternoon, I live vicariously. Fornigh on fifteen years I have been crossing bridgesdaily between Queens and the Bronx to get towork. And even before I developed mywith kayaking, I really have enjoyed the viewfrom these bridges. It’s a visual bookend to myday to take in the skyline of NYC toward thewest, and the expanse of Long Island Sound tothe east. Sunrise and sunsets, clouds and bluesky, fog, rain, wind and snow, high and low tide,you see it all. And I keep looking, seeing whatelse is new, or unusual. I see a procession of 12to 15 sailboats, tilted starboard 45°, at the mercyof the wind, and I imagine what’s it like on boardto feel that power, that speed, and the joy ofbeing on the water. I see tugs, pulling barges,and wonder what’s inside, and where it’s going. Isee enormous private yacht’s, and wonder howmuch to buy, or rent, and what stories they couldtell. I see the SUNY Maritime training cruiser isat its dock, and then, several days later it’s gone.I wonder what their classes would prepare youfor, and how different a life these classmateshave. It’s a whole other world, liquefied. Thereis a blogger who wants the city to recognize the

waterways of New York as the sixth borough.And as wacky as that seems, I can see why. I’vegotten so comfortable with my birds eye view,that with a two second look at the SteppingStones Lighthouse, sitting between City Islandand Kings Point, I can tell if it’s high or low water.I know that doesn’t take much skill, but it makesme feel . On windy days you look forwhitecaps coming off waves, see what directionwater is moving, imagine what’s it like out there.Since I began nurturing this interest in paddling,it’s become almost a daily routine to check thewaters on the ride over, and I’m always a suckerfor the view; it never gets tired. And then oneday it hit me. I’ve been looking at both City andHart Island’s every morning for years; why notkayak over? And that thought became thegenesis for this trip.The plan was to kayak from the base of theWhitestone Bridge, paddle under the ThroggsNeck Bridge, past Fort Totten and then follow theshorelines of Great Neck and Kings Point, thencross the Sound and around the eastern shore ofHart Island, and begin the return trip by paddlingbetween City and Hart Island, with a return underthe Throggs Neck Bridge, and when possible,

Hart Island Circumnavigation July 3, 2010

Text and photo’s by Tom Mulligan Throggs Neck Bridge

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across the channel and back to the put in. Itwas timed to begin with a flooding tide so that Iwould have that assist to get over to the islands,and the distance of approximately 15 mileswould mean that I could anticipate a helpful ebbtide on the return portion of the trip.In researching the logistics, I found that sincethese waters are considered part of the NYCWater trail, that a kayak permit was necessary.Realistically, it is doubtful that you are going tobe stopped for a permit check, but I spent thefifteen dollars to have lawful access of variouskayak launch sites in the 5 boroughs. As it turnsout, the launch site on the Queens side of theWhitestone Bridge is very nice. At low tide asmall beach appears and acts to smooth thetransition from land to water. The drawback isthat the put in is several hundred feet fromparking so a kayak cart is very helpful.It was a beautiful warm day, air temps climbinginto the low 90’s, with a mild breeze blowing.The Sound had gentle swells, big loopyundulations that initially make you cautious untilyou fall into their rhythm, and then relax in thepredictable ebb and flow. Paddling along inthese waters there was boat and Jet Ski traffic,mainly going towards the city, but by avoidingthe central channel, there was plenty of time toposition for the wakes of larger watercraft andfall into a relaxing rhythm of paddling.

Approaching the Throggs Neck I could hear thecontinuous flow of unseen traffic high above me,and monitored my progress by distances towardthe outsized piers at the base of the bridge. Itwas nice and all together too short to get themomentary shade and temperature drop bygoing underneath the bridge. On the other side,I paddled on and came close to Fort Totten.

The Fort has a rich history that dates back to theCivil War and was intended to protectapproaches to the East River. From the water,you see a granite wall, with openings for cannon,right at waterline. During construction artilleryadvancements made such a wall obsolete, andso it was never finished. After many years theUS Army felt a formal base was no longerneeded, and now the area has an unusual mixedpedigree, including a public park with a visitor’scenter, along with training facilities for police,fire, and army reserve units as well serving as ahome to the Bayside Historical Society.

Continuing across Little Neck Bay I passed by thedocks of the US Merchant Marine Academy. Thisorganization is a civilian auxiliary of the US Navyand can be called upon in support roles to assistarmed forces during times of war. The area hada definite commercial edge to it and was not aninviting place to disembark.

Fort Totten at waters edge

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Moving further along the Kings Point shorelineyou pass by private homes with beautiful waterviews, and unlike some other areas of the northshore, the shorelines are literally in the backyardof these homes. Needing to stretch my legs Ihopped out of the kayak in the intertidal zone andconsidered the crossing to Hart Island. This is anarrow and busy area. Long Island Soundnarrows down to less than a mile across betweenHart Island and Kings Point. Any boat travelingwest towards the City will pass through this area,and today there was a fairly steady stream ofNYC bound traffic. Nearby, City Island is ringedwith docks and has many recreational boaters,who regularly take advantage of their primelocation and who were also out in force. And inthe distance I could hear the high pitched whineof Jet Ski’s zipping around the various bays.

The seas were pretty calm, but, as many paddlersknow, it’s a bit unnerving when crossing a busychannel and anticipating where motorized boatsare going to be in 10 minutes or so. Looking leftand right you do your best to gauge the velocityof boats that potentially can cross your route; butsooner or later you say to yourself, time tocommit: LETS GO! Sprinting across, on highalert, the crossing was quick and uneventful and Iarrived on the Bronx waters side still dry! On thesouth and eastern edges of Hart Island the waterwas choppy as waves from the Sound crestedupon shallow shorelines. Several sailboats andmotorboats had moored in the area, with peopleeither swimming or fishing from their boats.

Hart Island is a small landmass, one mile longand approximately ¼ mile wide. It is closed tovisitors, and uninhabited, but has a long andinteresting history that notably includes being aCivil War Confederate POW camp, a reformatoryfor boys, a women’s insane asylum, a missilebase during the Cold War, a drug rehabilitationcenter in the 70’s, and presently is the largest taxfunded cemetery in the world. Ever since theCivil War the grounds have been used to inter thecity’s indigent or unclaimed bodies. The island isactually run by the NYC Department ofCorrections because prison labor is used to burybodies, with working prisoners bused in fromRiker's Island and ferried over from City Island toperform the task. Commonly known as PottersField, you can find more information online byGoogling Hart Island.

Heading north along the eastern shores of HartIsland I passed this massive chimney with thesign Prison on its side, testament to one of itsformer incarnations. There are a few brickstructures visible but they are in various states ofdisrepair. Along this side of the island, there areno docks for landing and it is pretty muchuninviting. Approaching the northern tip for theturn around to the western edge of the island,the water became very choppy, with a few boatsbronco riding the chop and fishing at the sametime. Swinging around to avoid their fishinglines, I proceeded to the calmer waters on thewestern side of the island. Here, just less than amile away, the heavily populated City Island lay

Eastern shore of Hart Island

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to the west. As desolate as Hart Island is, it’sthe opposite on City Island. Many docks, tons ofboats, and lots of houses dot the shoreline.

I stayed close to the Hart Island side to avoidCity Island boat traffic and came to a centrallylocated dock. This is the only access point forboats to Hart Island. At this point I crossedover to the City Island side and had to keepvigilant because of heavy activity. Paddling on

past the southern aspect of City Island, manypeople were enjoying the view looking towardsLong Island, and were waving and takingpictures of the kayaker in the water. I keptmoving across Eastchester Bay and at this pointbecame really concerned over Jet Ski’s. I nowunderstand why kayakers and Jet Skiers don’tget along. The skis move very fast, and like usare low on the water, so visibility is limited forboth kayaker and skier. But they buzz along,engines screaming, like deranged bumblebees,kicking up huge water plumes in unpredictablepatterns. Many times over the next 45 minutesor so, I was raising the paddle in the air trying toestablish my presence, but felt largelyunsuccessful. The experience definitely raisedmy stress levels. My neck muscles got a goodworkout straining to see where that sound wascoming from and what move I should make toneutralize the threat. But in reality there is nocorrect move, as skis can change course on adime and there’s not much time to move if youremain unseen. Luckily though, there were noclose calls.

No, there was one close call. And not with a JetSki either. As I was nearing the Throggs NeckBridge, the tide was ebbing and the water nearthe base of the bridge must have been shallowas it was roiling, like a fast stream going overboulders. I couldn’t go around it, as it wouldhave lead me directly into the boat channel, andthe traffic was too busy to risk being out therefor too long. But it looked deep enough to cutthrough, which is what I did. And as I was liningup to make the dash under the Throggs Neck

Hart Island chimney

Northeastern shore of Hart Island

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Bridge, to cross the channel and go from theBronx to the Queens side, a huge 40 foot cabincruiser came racing through, music blaring, thesecond deck partying with people dancing. I sawhim coming, and anticipating a big wake,positioned the kayak at 90° to the boat. About topass at less than 20 feet away, he finally saw me,promptly killed the motor, and started apologizingprofusely for giving me a rough ride. After theexperiences of the Jet Skiers and the generallycalm day on the water, I told him I was enjoyingthe ride, thanked him for his consideration, andso we both continued on our way with smiles onour faces.

Arriving back at the put in, there was a weddingparty that had come to water to take pictures inthe late afternoon. A study in contrasts: tuxedo’sand wet water gear; for me it’s no contest, I’lltake the latter every time. I tried to wait it out,staying offshore for about 30 minutes, but thendecided maybe they were waiting for sunset andthat was too long for me. Several of the partyguests were extremely interested in the kayak,

and one cute flower girl was disappointed when Ihad to refuse her request for a ride.

So now, during my daily bridge transit, I look outover the water and those feelings of being

are stronger. I’ve dropped 150 feetbelow from my daily perch and traveled thesewaters. The coastlines in this area whisper theirhistory to those willing to listen. I’m trying tohear what they say.

There’s so many great things about kayaking, youtreat yourself to a beautiful day on the water,learn a little more about how to handle your craft,gather memories to keep you warm in the winter,and develop a greater appreciation at a viscerallevel for the historical beginnings of New YorkCity and it’s waters.

Really, what more can you ask for?

Southwestern shore of Hart Island

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Super Chunky Cookies

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup butter flavored shortening

1 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons vanilla extract(you can never go wrong with some more)

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup vanilla or white chips

4 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweetchocolate, coarsely chopped

¾ cup English toffee bits or almond bricklechips

½ cup chopped pecans

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In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter,shortening and sugars until light and fluffy.Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after eachaddition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour,baking soda and salt; gradually add to thecreamed mixture. Stir in the remainingingredients.

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Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 inches apart onungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for10 - 12 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for2 - 3 minutes before removing to wire racks tocool completely.

Be forewarned, if you intend to share and bringthese on a paddling trip you must make extra asthis recipe only yields 8 ½ dozen. And if AlanMindlin is leading the trip you may have to triplethe recipe.

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On the weekend of May 13-15th, the Long IslandPaddlers had their annual spring weekend trip.This time we paddled on the Ct. River. The Ct.River is considered a scenic river by the U.Sgovernment and the area we chose to paddle wasvery beautiful indeed.

On Friday we met in the town park of Essex CT.,and launched at the River Museum. We paddledacross the river and north to Hamburg Cove, oneof the prettiest areas on the southern part of theriver. Many sailboats go to Hamburg Cove todock. With little boat traffic and a light breeze wehad a fantastic day on the water. On our returntrip we passed 6 turkey vultures sitting on a log.Sorry Marge, the camera was in the bag.

We had dinner at a great restaurant inNiantic, right on the water. Saturday'sweather report was favorable so we returnedto our rooms ready to rock and roll.Saturday we traveled north to Deep River fora return trip to Essex. Unfortunately Edcaught sick and had to leave. We paddleddown from Deep River to a quaint town onthe Ct River where the Essex steam trainpasses through. The River Museum washaving a reenactment of the War of 1812battle complete with cannon. We watched the

show for a few minutes then let our stomachs beour guide as we headed for the Essex town park.

After a nutritious lunch featuring Mary's yummychocolate chip cookies we headed across the riverand paddled up the Ct. River to Selden NeckCreek. I apologized to everyone since we werepaddling on flat water with the tide and windbehind us. Selden Neck Creek is one of myfavorite places. There are beautiful rockformations with lovely trees and plants. It isMother Nature at her best.

There were many birds, including Osprey, Egretsand green Herons. After finishing paddling thecreek we re-crossed the river and returned to ourcars. It was a wonderful 13 mile paddle.

On The Connecticut River May 13-15, 2011

Text and Photos By Alan Mindlin

Janet Stone on the Connecticut River

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Mary Johnston on the Connecticut River

Wade Hartmannby Steve Berner

This past spring, Wade Hartmann built a kioskfor the Upper Carmans River with materialspurchased by the club. This is the second kioskWade has constructed for the club. The otherone is located at the put-in at Orient Beach StatePark. For his time and energy, Wade wasawarded a one year membership to the club bythe Board. The kiosk in Yaphank will allow thecounty to post the days and hours the river isopen, along with some paddling safety tips. Asign-in book will soon be added. Liz Marcellus, asa member of the Suffolk County Sportsperson'sAdvisory Council, has been trying to get thecounty to open the river to kayaking andcanoeing 365 days a year. It is hoped that thesign-in book will demonstrate the need forgreater access to the river by paddlers.

Wade’s kiosk at the Upper Carmans River

Connecticut River Trip (Continued)

Sunday’s forecast was for rain and tired bodies. Wehad breakfast at the Shack considered the bestbreakfast restaurant in Ct. Then we left for homeand other adventures.

Many thanks to Judy Cooper, Janet Stone, Danaand Mary Johnson and Ed Goldenberg for joiningme on this fun weekend.

Mary Johnston on the Connecticut River

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Greenwich Village Walking Tour May 21, 2011Text and photos by Tom Mulligan

Barry Goldblatt graciously organized a field tripfor club members to see Greenwich Village. Thetour started at Christopher Park, diagonally acrossfrom the Stonewall Inn. Barry described howback in the sixties, gay bars were routinely raidedby police for quality of life infractions. Two yearsafter it opened, one particular raid exploded intoa riot and is generally considered to be the eventthat started the modern gay and lesbianmovements. While the Stonewall closed later in1969, it was renovated and reopened in 2007.

We visited Once if by Land, Two if by Sea, in thewest Village, at 17 Barrow Street, a restaurantonce voted as “The Most Romantic Restaurant inNew York”. It is a unique and picturesque twostory structure with the unusual pedigree of beingthe former carriage house of Aaron Burr. Mr.Burr is famously known as challenging and killingAlexander Hamilton to a pistol duel in New Jerseyin 1804. At the time he was the 3rd VicePresident of the United States. While charged

with murder, he fled to South Carolina buteventually returned to Washington to finish outhis term. Charges were eventually dismissed.Perhaps this precedent is why Dick Cheneyseemingly wasn’t overly concerned when he shothis hunting buddy in the face. The restaurantwas very accommodating to our group, and incelebration of its30th anniversary,handed out $30dollar gift cards forthose willing toreturn to samplethe menu. Dinersare provided witha view into aminiature gardenthat actually is arecessed entranceto an apartmentbuilding.

Restaurant view

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Next we went to Washington Square Park. Barrydescribed several interesting facts about thearea. Before the park was built in the mid1800’s it was used as a potter’s field. Whilesome bodies have been relocated, someestimate that up to 20,000 bodies remaininterred in the area. Less clear is the historysurrounding a hanging tree in the park. Whilerecords indicate that at least one public

hanging occurred, it is described as occurring inseveral locations of the park.Certainly the major attraction of the park is theWashington Arch. Built to celebrate thecentennial of Washington’s inauguration as thefirst US President, it was modeled after France’sArc de Triomphe. Located at the base of FifthAvenue, Barry described how in the past whenthe avenue allowed two way traffic buses wouldtravel through the arch and circle around toreturn north. Looking at the span between thearches, it’s a wonder there aren’t chunks missingat the base. While we were there, a streetmusician had rolled a dolly loaded with a pianounderneath the arch and was playing for thecrowd. How do you say?..Only in New York.

Across the street from the arch is a white brickapartment building, home to former NY MayorEd Koch (“How am I doing?”) Several timesduring our tour we walked past gated microcommunities embedded in the city, both uniqueand unexpected. Just north of the arch, wewalked into one gated street, a cobblestone roadlined on either side by 2 to 4 story buildings. Itlooked like someone dropped a slice of Europeright in the middle of the city.

We continued our walk to the Asch Building, anational historic landmark, the site of theTriangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911, the

European flavor in NY

One if by Land, Two if by Sea

Washington Arch

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deadliest industrial disaster in New York. 146people (mostly women) lost their lives in a firethat sparked legislation to improve factory safetystandards and is credited with starting theInternational Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union.

We then passed by the Village Chess Shop (230Thompson Street), open 24 hours a day withpatrons playing chess. Many unique chess setslined the windows, and peering inside you couldsee matches going on, with table top timerskeeping track.

After a nice and relaxing lunch at an Italianrestaurant we walked past the one time home of

a PulitzerPrizing winningpoet, Edna St.Vincent Millay.What wasremarkable wasthe width of thehouse, which atless than 10feet wide is thenarrowesthouse in NYC.Perfect for abowling alley orlap swim pool,and with thecute address of75 ½ BedfordStreet.

Walking on we came to another lower Manhattananomaly, a miniature house with an immaculatelykept yard, an oasis of green in a field of concrete.Abutting the rear of the house was a tall brickapartment building, the owners of which couldnot get the house owners to sell and so built rightup against their property line and then installed awire fence overhang to protect the homeownersfrom potential falling debris.

Next on the tour was the Jane Hotel, 113 JaneStreet, which in 1912 housed the survivors of theTitanic, and now is an unusual mix of quirky andcool. The hotel used to be a single roomoccupancy hotel, and still has shared bathroomsin some areas, but is slowly undergoingrenovations that still retain the unusual characterof the place. Stuffed animal heads are setalongside oil paintings and a decrepit disco ballhangs over an unusual lounge with mismatchedoversized sofas and an Egyptian motif DJ mixingstation. We were able to get a few picturesbefore the red coated bell hops asked us not to,and you can see for yourself the mix is eclecticand rundown and trendy all at the same time.

Jane Hotel Bar

Narrowest NYC house

Chess anyone?

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One of the final sites we saw was a building thatpreviously allowed elevated trains go throughthem. The trestles are gone now, but thebuilding “tunnel” still remains. In fact, a fewblocks north another trestle was renovated tocreate a unique city park, The Highline ElevatedPark. Envisioned as a monument to theindustrial history of the New York’s West Side, theformer train track was remodeled into a walkwaywith plants that allows elevated views of theHudson River and the lower West Side. Onlypartially opened, (section 2, opened June 8th)when complete it will be a 1.45 mile parkextending from Gansevoort Street to 34th Street.

At tour end we walked to the Hudson RiverGreenway, part of the Manhattan WaterfrontGreenway, which allows river access, and it wasloaded with street performers, walkers, runners,and bikers; the area pulses with activity. Piersallow one to walk out over the river and there arebeautiful sights to see, not only of the New Jerseyshoreline, but looking south to the Status ofLiberty.

As long as people are interested, Barry plans torun this trip twice a year, in the spring and fall. Ifyou have any interest in NY life and history, thisis a tour well worth taking.

Highline Elevated Park

Street Performer with young onlooker

Elevated train going through building

Jane Hotel Lounge

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Pompeii, the ExhibitBy Paul Caparatta

Some disasters, whether natural or man-made,strike an indelible and raw nerve in the publicpsyche. Almost everybody knows the generalcircumstances surrounding the Titanic, theLusitania, 9/11, Pearl Harbor, and of course,Pompeii.

On Sunday, May 22, 2011, Fran Cassidy and PaulAledort led a tour group to visit Pompeii, theExhibit at Discovery, Times Square. Pompeii, andits neighboring town, Herculaneum, sat at thefoot of Mt. Vesuvius, an active volcano in CentralItaly, south of Rome. In August of 79 AD,Vesuvius erupted with a vengeance, all buterasing Pompeii from the map and killingthousands of people. The citizens of Pompeii maynot have had automobiles, central airconditioning, Internet access, kayaks or digitaldoodads but they surrounded themselves withbeautiful architecture and paintings and thesurviving evidence points to an advanced,civilized and pleasurable existence.

On exhibit were tools, jewelry, pottery, statuaryand housewares used in everyday life as well asmany reconstructed wall frescoes that provide arare glimpse through two thousand years ofhistory to the culture of Pompeii. A small theatrecomplete with sound effects and rumblingvibrations gives some small measure of theterror faced by Pompeii’s residents. The theatrethen opens to a room containing about fifteencastings of actual victims. Ash and pyroclasticflow solidified around their bodies, creating amold-like cavity as the body decomposed.Archeologists discovered they could fill thesecavities with plaster to create a casting of theperson who had died there. There are over 1200such castings in existence. They serve as apoignant and somber reminder of the 2000-year-old disaster. One can easily sense the anguish thevictims must have suffered in their final moments.

I’ve been to Pompeii while touring Italy. Much ofwhat I saw at the Exhibit is not available for

viewing in Pompeii itself. Instead, you wouldneed to visit the museums in Naples to seePompeii’s artifacts. This may not be practical todo if your visit to Pompeii is part of a cruiseexcursion.

Full-time vulcanologists, using sophisticatedelectronics, monitor the pulse of Mt. Vesuvius, avolcano that’s anything but extinct. It last eruptedin 1944, adding to Italy’s misery in the midst ofWorld War II. Scientists feel it is inevitable that,some day, Vesuvius will awaken, possiblythreatening all of Naples.

Thanks go to Fran and Paul for organizing thiseducational tour and for obtaining a groupdiscount for us. The tour also serves as areminder that the kayaking season is relativelyshort and off-water adventures are an excellentway to socialize all year, rather than just duringthe warm kayaking months. For this latterreason, thanks also go to Barry Goldblatt for hisfascinating tours of Greenwich Village. I wouldencourage everyone to participate in off-watertrips.

Decorated fountain in a home in PompeiiPhoto by Paul Caparatta

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The 2011 Spring PicnicText by David Shwide , Photo’s by Alan Mindlin

Another great Spring Picnic! First, a BIG thankyou to everyone for setting up this whole party -especially Lou for getting all the food.

Everyone looked like they had a great time,whether they went on a long paddle to thelighthouse with Alan, the intermediate paddleinto the Northport Harbor with Fred, or thebeginner paddle into Centerport Harbor withBarry. I'm glad that I nagged my wife anddaughter into going. We paddled into CenterportHarbor. Hopefully, I can get my better half out alittle bit more on future trips, especially theAssateague trip in the fall.

After the picnic, I packed up both boats andstarted to drive away. I looked at the othergroups going back out for the afternoon paddle,stopped the car, and stared out the window. Mywife saw my puppy eyes, told me to stay, and goout with them. Whoo hoo! I unpacked some gear,grabbed my trusty Pungo, and went with Fredback into the Centerport Harbor because the wind

was starting to blow. All of Fred's paddles aretimed, so we couldn't quit after we paddled in CHbecause we hadn't paddled enough. So weventured a little further out into NorthportHarbor and checked out some beaches along thewest side of the harbor. After a while, we beganencountering some small waves that soon enoughgot a tiny bit bigger. I felt that my trusty Pungowas not the right boat to be in with theseconditions, so I volunteered to be the first topaddle back to the Centerport Beach.

And that's when the next party began! Can youspell T-A-I-L-G-A-T-E! Trunks were opened andsnacks were spread out. Yum, yum. Stories weretold, everyone was laughing, and Fred explainedto us how he fills out his trip leader evaluationforms at home for us. That's so nice of him.Thanks, Fred.Once again, I want to thank everyone who wason the committee for setting up the picnic. Andthanks for the beautiful weather! I can't wait forthe next picnic!

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Otis Pike Wilderness and Bellport Beach June 18, 2011

Text and Photos by Tom Mulligan

With a quick crossing of the boat channel on theeastern edge of Bellport Bay Don Gorycki lead agroup of approximately 20 paddlers on a tour tothe Otis Pike Wilderness Area on Fire Island. Ifyou haven’t been to Fire Island you owe it toyourself to make the trip. A barrier island 31

miles long on the south shores of Long Island,the width varying from 160 to 400 meters wide,you truly get the best of both (water) worlds; thesouth bays of Long Island on one side and theAtlantic Ocean on the other. True to form wewitnessed some of the many moods of the ocean.

Bob Sarka and Cecile Bax in Bellport Bay

Cecile Bax, Lois Gibney, Chris Scalisi and Bob Sarka round John Boyle Island

Jim Gibney on the north side of John Boyle Island

Ed and Bonnie Strachar crossing Great South Bay

Jim Gibney at John Boyle IslandBob Sarka and Cecile Bax

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On the bay side the water is protected and thewind was light so paddling was fairly smooth. Wecruised around John Boyle Island to check outprotected bird nesting areas and continued ontoward Bellport Beach on Fire Island. This areahas the added benefit of a small store on the bayside where you can buy some treats and even geta BBQ cheeseburger if so inclined. From there wewalked across the island on an elevatedboardwalk to reach the ocean side. The

boardwalk protects the fragile environment andrises up with the dunes as it approaches theocean side. Sitting at the high point of thedunes, at the terminus of the boardwalk, is a“grand gazebo”, positioned just before the dunesdrop down to the sandy beach. The placementgives one commanding views of the beach, alongwith an excellent place to catch the sea breezesas you eat lunch and recharge in the shade. Onlast years trip the Atlantic was calm, with gentle

Chris Scalisi, Mary Heymach and George Kopsias on the south shore of Fire Island

Ross Moore on the north side of John Boyle Island

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waves rolling into the shore, and the colors of thewater were a mix of vivid bright green and darkblue. At the time several people remarked how itreminded them of the Caribbean. This year,there was no mistaking these waters for tropicalbliss; multiple sets of large waves were crashingupon the shore with a vengeance. Sandy coloredwater churned at the beach, looking to draw theinnocent out into the rough. Surfers werepresent and were often humbled by the liquidconfusion. Amid the intimidation of potential riptides and overpowering waves, Ross Moorecollected on a bet of free ice cream if he dove in.After some relaxation we withdrew from thebeach and returned to the bay. When you gettrips like this the return to put in is,unfortunately, altogether too quick.

Chiara Nuzzo and Janet Hann enjoying the day

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For those who are very curious, just scan over tothe stars on the next page....

After getting all those short notice full moonpaddles that I couldn't drive to, Chris and Idecide to paddle on a recent Wednesday nightout of Centerport Harbor. After sitting awhile intraffic we finally launched around 6:30. While Iwas loading the boat the little "no see ums" orbeach fleas, whatever they're called were gettingreally annoying, little did I know that they wouldbe back later on in the trip. We packed a small

snack, night lights and we wore our wet suitsbecause the temps would be dropping later on.But boy did I sweat just packing up the boat. Sobefore we launched I used their shower near thelife guard building to cool off.

Our plan was to paddle to Caumsett State Park,have some food, watch the sun set and the moonrise. The water was almost like glass so wedecided to leave the skirts off and that helpedkeep our legs cool (hmmm, sounds a little weird).There were probably a dozen sailboats anchored

Full Moon and "Hello, operator 82, what’s theemergency?"

Text by David Shwide, Photo’s by Christopher Neilson

David paddling along

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in the harbor with plenty of people on themenjoying themselves. After approximately 30-40minutes we landed on a spit of land where thebirds are protected further up on the land. Westretched and watched the boats take off andthen, right in front of us, the harbor patrol comesflying out with lights and horns blasting pullingover a motor boat. Chris and I just watched for afew minutes while I guess paperwork wasexchanged. At this time we get back in the boatsand paddle across the harbor and hug the coastwhile we paddle around towards Caumsett. Oncearound the corner we were able to see the sunsetting in the West, WOW! It was beautiful, thecolors were bright red and yellow, and it lookedamazing when some clouds were covering part ofthe sun. Then Chris mentions to me aboutturning around and WHOA! It's the Man in theMoon looking right at us just above the tree line.Sun setting to our left, full moon on the right, itcouldn't get any better than this. Little did I knowthis was a small part of the trip, we had waited toput our lights on the deck so we had to find aspot to beach the boats. Well, there are a ton ofrocks in that area but we were able to find a littlespot to pull in. The plan was to eat a sandwich,get lights on and get back on the water. Wellafter about 5 seconds I began swatting the littleflies out of my face, that's all it took, the wordwas out, BLOOD! Those little flies called in thetroops and we were surrounded by them! Eyes,ears, arms, nose: get them off of me! Forget thefood, get the lights on and get the hell out ofthere! Took us about 2 min and we paddled outof that area. We paddled about 100 feet out,linked boats and ate our food floating in thewater watching the moon. Time to get back, justwait.Once again the water was like glass so we keptthe skirts off, as we paddled back to the spit ofland where we stopped before. Chris flashed hislight on the water around his boat and we weresurrounded by dozens of jelly fish floating aroundus, eek! The paddle blade seemed to be liftingthem out of the water as we paddled along, yuk.Then as we hugged the shore I asked Chris touse his "Gazillion Candle Spotlight" to check outthe shore to see how close we were and then wesaw it. We were now in Alfred Hitchcock's movie

"The Birds". It looked like a hundred of waterbirds all over the shore. Too late, the lightspooked them, "duck!" dozens came flying overus, some stayed in formation and others, like me,flew in zigzags, holy cow that was crazy. As wegot closer to Centerport Beach we heard somemusic. A party was going on the other side andthe band was rocking. Chris and I though aboutpaddling up to them but we figured the wetsuitswe were wearing just didn't look appropriatesince my bottom zipper was up by my neck withmy uhmmm, belly sticking out (something I'mtrying to remedy this summer). Ahhh, back toshore, the buggies weren't so bad there and webegan to load up our boats around 10:30. Ok, I'ma little late no big deal, so I'll call the wife in afew minutes.

***** Once we’re in cars, I start to follow Chrisup the hill to get out of the beach area and all ofa sudden he hits his break lights. OK, Chris likesto triple check the area to see if we left anything.He gets out of his car and I do the same. Hmmm,he's not looking back at the beach, what’s in frontthat he's looking at? Oh Crap! You got to bekidding me! Was it a bird? A plane? Superman?A streaker? Nope! It was a 30 ft long, 3 ft high,white metal gate that LOCKED US IN ! Holy moly!We drive back down to the beach and look foranother way out, nothing. Hmm, do we paddle tothe other side? But then we still can't get our carsout. I called my wife and told her, but shethought it was just another excuse why I was outlate; no honey, we are really locked in I tell her. Itold her I'll call back with more news later. Wedecided that we had no choice but to call 911.So Chris calls 411 using my phone and asks themto connect us with the Suffolk police.This is probably what was said:

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"Operator 82, what's the emergency?"" No emergency ma’am, our cars are locked in atCenterport Beach and we can't drive home"."Heheheheh, ummm, ok we will dispatch a car tohelp you, hehehehehhe, wonder why you guysare out this late?""Thanks ma’am for your help"."Your welcome, heheheh, stupid guys, yourgonna pay for this, heheheh".

During the next 30 minutes we see quite a fewcars driving past us without noticing. So, sillyme, why not play around with them? Every timea car comes towards us and stops at the stopsign I start jumping up and down doing jumpingjacks to get their attention. Go figure, 3 cars seeme and keep on going, well thanks a lot! Finally,a lady stops after seeing me jump and asks if weneed help. I tell her thanks, the police are ontheir way, but if she could just call again todouble check. Maybe operator 82 was someonein Russia or India playing a joke on us? Maybe itwas Ray Clarkson? (had to throw that in) Chrisand I take some pics and video while we arewaiting because there is no way my wife is gonnabelieve this. We also kill some time reading everysign and not one of them mentions that the gatewill CLOSE and be LOCKED! I never even noticedthe gate while driving in. Finally a car comes ourway and lights are flashing, hurray, freedom! Butnot so fast. As the police officer approaches us,oh oh, hope we aren't getting a ticket, he informsus that he's not to sure if he has the key.

Something we both didn't want to hear, since itwas now 12:15 am and we both have to teach inthe morning. Now, you know that police officershave not 1 key, or 2 keys, but dozens! Finally thesound we were waiting for: "click", yeah baby wewe’re free, but not yet. Now, how to lift the gateonce the lock was off? Both Chris and I hadvolunteered to help but this officer was on hisown mission, he was going to figure it out and doit on his own. As we watch he begins to lift andspin and walk towards us moving the giant railingon it's hinge across the road. "Yeah!, thanksofficer", but not yet. Oh no!, here comes theticket; "You guys................ have a good night"he tells us as he's holding the rail. We start upour cars and drive back home, whew!

So, lesson learned, Centerport Harbor will locktheir gate at a certain time at night. Always checkfirst when driving into an area or else, beprepared to hear: "Hello, operator 82, what’s the emergency?".

Chris

David

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On The Horizon

Sandy Robson

Ms. Robson has started to retrace the voyage ofOskar Speck, who in 1932 began a seven yearpaddle, and traveled from the Danube River inGermany until he reached Australian waters in1939. By the time that Mr. Speck arrived inAussie territory, he was jailed as an enemyforeigner and remained a prisoner until the end ofWWII. Upon release, he made Australia his newhome until his passing in 1995.

Ms. Robson’s plan is to take the journey over 5years, working portions in stages, and is currentlyin stage I where she left Germany in May andhopes to end the stage in Cyprus by October.She will then head back to her job, work to re-establish her funding, and return to Cyprus nextyear to continue on.

To follow along, and to read about Oskar Speck’soriginal trip, please visit the sandy-robson.comwebsite.

Engelandvaarder 2011

Engelavaarder is the name given to a uniquegroup of approximately 1700 Dutch men andwomen, who during the Second World Warescaped occupied Holland to join in the fight fromthe English side against the Axis powers.

The shortest route of escape was across theNorth Sea. Attempts to make the crossing wereaccomplished in a large variety of vessels. As faras is known, approximately 95 attempts weremade from 40 different places of departure. 31crossings were successful, involving 179 people.

In late August 2011, Alec Greenwell, Ed Cooperand Harry Franks, will kayak the same routetaken by the Engelandvaarders 70 years earlier.The route they will be following is that of a pair ofbrothers, Henri and William Peteri, who departedfrom Katwijk, several miles north of The Hague,and landed on the beach at Sizewell in Suffolk,England 56 hours later.

The route as the crow flies is approximately 118miles across open water. With the natural currentand prevailing winds against the direction oftravel, this makes for a very physically demandingjourney.

It is estimated that the crossing will takeapproximately 30-35 hours. Most notably, thepaddling will need to be constant for the whole ofthe crossing, so as to not drift backwards againstthe current. To learn more please read furtherfrom the website northsea.moonfruit.com

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On The Horizon

UPDATES

Irish Circumnavigation

The previous record for circumnavigating theEmerald Isle was 33 days, established in 1990.Aided by decent weather this team set a newrecord of 25 days. There is a developingconsensus that if the weather is optimal the tripcould be done in 20 days. We’ll just have to waitand see.... A DVD is in the works.For trip details, blogs, and equipment reviews seeroundireland2011.blogspot.com.

Canoe across America

Darrin and his dog Mike are in a canoe andpaddling cross country since April, raisingawareness about obesity. They started in thestate of Washington and currently are paddlingthrough Montana and on the way to NorthDakota. Updates are infrequent. You can catchup at canoeacrossamerica.com.

London 2 London Via the World

Sarah Outen is pedaling/paddling/rowing aroundthe world. She quickly kayaked across theEnglish Channel and then jumped on a bike tocontinue her odyssey. She has completed herbike trip across Europe and is currently pedalingin China.Recently she was joined by a Chinese studentwho was so taken by her trip he bought a bikeand decided to bike with her to Beijing. It will beinteresting to see what happens next. Followalong at sarahouten.com which combines textwith short video updates.

Freya Hoffmeister’s South AmericaCircumnavigation

Planned to begin in September 2011, the travelplan has been revised from a start in Chile,traveling counterclockwise, to now starting inBuenos Aires, Argentina traveling clockwise.Information will be made available at herwebsite: freyahoffmeister.com

Paddle to the Ocean

In May, Zac Crouse left from Beachburg, Ontarioand will end his journey at Halifax, Nova Scotiaby the end of July. With various paddlers he willnegotiate class IV white-water on the Ottawa &St Lawrence Rivers, then using a bicycle & amodified trailer he will portage the sea kayak tothe headwaters of the St John River. At the bot-tom of the St John River; Zac will navigate thewhirlpools & hydraulics of Reversing Falls, beforecrossing the Bay of Fundy & riding the Shubietidal bore & paddling up-river to Halifax.

Zac is doing this memory of his friend, CoreyMorris who died while kayaking on a creek inNova Scotia in 2009. He also hopes to inspireCanadians to lead active, healthy & sustainablelives that do not involve car-based transportation.There will be a documentary film about the tripwith donations and proceeds being split betweentwo organizations. One program encourages par-ents and children to walk and bike to school andthroughout their communities, and the secondbeneficiary will be a heart and stroke program topromote cardiovascular health by encouragingmore walking in daily activities.

The web site is zaccrouse.com; updates arelimited.

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Heat related illness

Some days, spending too much time outside paddling without taking proper precautions could lead toelevated body temperatures. On the low end of these temperature increases you can quickly avoid furtherproblems by taking rests, hydrating, reducing activity, and seeking shade. But if allowed to escalate, risingbody temperatures have the potential to become serious and even deadly if you remain unaware of therisk. So the issue becomes one of problem management. How do you recognize what may be problem,what to do if you do have a problem, and what steps can you take to minimize or avoid problems.

Recognizing the signs of elevated body temperature

The earliest symptoms are usually nonspecific and have been referred to “heat exhaustion” or as “summerflu”. These include headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea and, as it progresses, vomiting. Different peoplewill react differently and so try to keep your attention on identifying multiple symptoms. Sometimes thesymptoms may include thirst, profuse sweating, chills, muscle cramps, or a loss of skin color. As conditionsdeteriorate further the person enters into heat stroke, where the person no longer sweats, the skinbecomes hot, red and dry, levels of consciousness change, pulse becomes rapid and weak and breathingbecomes shallow. These are signs of a medical emergency that requires immediate attention.

What to doHave the person rest. Look to get out of the sun, Try to fan the person to increase air circulation so tofacilitate cooling. Wet the skin with cool water, have the person drink fluids, and if you have the feelingthat more help is needed and you cannot get immediate medical care, look to add some salt and sugar towater. (The proportion is ¼ teaspoon salt and 6 teaspoons sugar to 1 liter of water. Add this to your firstaid kit.) For the most effective cooling apply cool and wet cloths around the body, wrists and ankles,armpits, head, neck and groin to cool large blood vessels. It’s important to monitor breathing to ensureidentification of respiratory changes.

How best to avoid

Dress lightly, and avoid dark colors, which will have a tendency to absorb radiation. Hats may seemcounterintuitive, but actually are helpful in reducing radiation load. They can also be dipped in water andapplied to the head directly for rapid cooling.Proper hydration is critical, you need to replace fluids lost through evaporation, and sweating. You mayhave to train yourself to drink even when thirst is not evident. Avoid alcohol and caffeine as they willdehydrate you.Choose to eat small meals and eat more often. Less energy will be used for digestion, and energy storesare more readily available.Pace yourself by slowing down in hot or humid weather, and take regular breaks.

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P.O. BOX 115

West Sayville, NY 11796

DISCLAIMER

The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors.Information offered on any topic should not be assumed to be authoritative or complete.

On all paddling issues it’s important to base one’s practices on multiple sources of information.

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